Tuxtard Posted at 9-11 07:13
No tips that can help at this time. Our only hope is creation of hardware mod of some sort that will mitigate this issue.

install antennas

Thanks for your clear reply Tuxtard,

assume you are an expert, what is your opinion to install external antennas on the smart controller? I am a technical engineer so installation is no problem but before i open the controller and solder the antennas i am curious about opinion/practice/experience from others.

at top i add a link to the antenna installation, hopefully the link works.

looking forward to your advice, many thanks in advance

regards gijs Nederland
see no link so i paste a snip at the bottom of the antennas

jitter Posted at 9-12 17:00
install antennas

Thanks for your clear reply Tuxtard,

I don't think adding antennas to the RC will help much as the problem seems to be in the drone. You will probably get much better result by putting Mini 2 antenna legs on the drone somehow.

Tuxtard Posted at 9-14 13:58
I don't think adding antennas to the RC will help much as the problem seems to be in the drone. You will probably get much better result by putting Mini 2 antenna legs on the drone somehow.

Wouldnt work, doesnt the Mini 2 have only 2 antennas?

From what i have read, adding bigger antennas to the RC produced given favourable results, i don't think we are talking many km here, i cannot remember how much more s i will not commit but at least some difference.

There is an issue with the antennas in the drone, namely that the signal is better if you fly it backwards, by as much as 300m when under moderate WIFI interference and lost LOS due to trees and roofs. I am referring to my own experience but i have seen someone do the same when at the end of the signal limit (many km away), they sent the drone backwards and got more range from it. You do not have to go backwards mind, slowing the drone down to a crawl, enough so as not to create any pitch, this will also produce a little further although i cannot say if its as good as backwards due to it being too slow hence doing backwards thing lol. Like i said, this is my own experience (for the most part), ymmv...

Bashy Posted at 9-14 18:21
Wouldnt work, doesnt the Mini 2 have only 2 antennas?

From what i have read, adding bigger antennas to the RC produced given favourable results, i don't think we are talking many km here, i cannot remember how much more s i will not commit but at least some difference.

its really DJI unworthly, yesterday in an open field after 600m following some corn harvesting he RTH!!! 600m. is there for this DJI mini 3 pro + smartcontroller and fcc hack available?

plaese let me know,

thanks in advance

regareds gijs

jitter Posted at 9-19 19:34
its really DJI unworthly, yesterday in an open field after 600m following some corn harvesting he RTH!!! 600m. is there for this DJI mini 3 pro + smartcontroller and fcc hack available?

plaese let me know,

Whilst this isnt really needed for the standard battery in a rural setting you can view my video below for the free version of what you ask for. btw, i have done 5.5km in a rural setting at only 29m high.

This drone is all about RC to AC alignment, both horizontally and vertically have to be pretty much 100% spot on, using the flight attitude radar will assist with the H plane, as for the V plane, bear in mind that at 1500m and 120m high, the drone is only about 4 degrees off the horizon. The RC antennas are in the top of the RC so the top has to be pointing at the drone, not just into the sky...

Morning what’s happening on this issue as  I’ve taken a 3 month “sabbatical leave”  

I guess DJI hasn’t then

Lloyd5693 Posted at 10-13 22:59
I guess DJI hasn’t then

Thats cause there is no issue, keep the top of the controller aligned with the drone LOS and and you will find that its better than the MIni 2

DAFlys Posted at 5-17 12:11
Done.   It doesn’t pay to discuss range in public.

I am having the same issues new out of the box

djiuser_mpWggLXuY7iA Posted at 10-24 13:14
I am having the same issues new out of the box

If you turn the radar on is your icon green when your flying?

DAFlys Posted at 10-25 00:08
If you turn the radar on is your icon green when your flying?

Icon is Blue, what color should it be?

KurtBoy Posted at 10-26 09:50
Icon is Blue, what color should it be?[view_image]

It should be green,   if it's blue it means you are not aligning the remote with the drone properly.  

I have the same experience. 400m max range!

Prototype_uk Posted at 5-18 04:26
DJI cannot claim 8KM range if it can't get anywhere near this. That will amount to False advertising. Everyone with a Mini 3 needs to contact support and moan at them about the poor range which not always about maximum distance but having a solid connection without drop-outs when flying within the local laws.

I have with the mini3 pro and the RC Pro a maximum range of 450m!

It is necessary a perfect alignment of the remote control towards the drone both on the horizontal axis and on the vertical axis.

KurtBoy Posted at 10-26 09:50
Icon is Blue, what color should it be?[view_image]

As said, it should be green when its aligned with the drone, also the arrow should be pointing at the drone if the controller is pointing at the drone.

• make sure the DJI-RC or your phone/tablets compass is calibrated, I am NOT on about the drone's compass
• make sure the RC indicator on the Flight attitude radar is pointing at the drone when the RC is pointing at the drone, if its not, see #1
• make sure that the top (thats where the antennas are) of the RC is pointing at the drone
• the RC indicator on the Flight attitude radar will turn green when you have a good alignment, but that works only for the horizontal axis, for the vertical, try to imagine that there is a red laser dot coming from the top of the RC and point it at the drone.
• 1 major point to remember, when the drone is at 1500m and at 120m high, the drone is at only a 4 degree angle off the horizon
• do not have anything come in between the rc and the drone, e.g. trees, buildings etc
• 1 more note of interest, DJI's max range specs are based on no interference, which means you will achieve best results in a rural location, any houses along that way that have wifi can impede in your signal.
  

Following the above, there is no reason why you cannot achieve 5.5km in a rural setting or 1km or more in a non-industrial urban setting, industrial may reduce this distance further depending on their wifi setups or other broadcasts. Based on my true experience. With regards to rural, greenery and houses came in between the RC and Drone, so thats my max so far, YMMV.

Enabling FCC mode will only make a small difference in an urban setting, it will greatly help in a rural setting but there is no point if you only have the standard battery.

Bashy Posted at 2022-11-2 19:32
As said, it should be green when its aligned with the drone, also the arrow should be pointing at the drone if the controller is pointing at the drone.

Thhis is, ahem (cough cough) something I have never done (cough, splutter) but naughty people in UK with CE drones have been telling me that he/she/them (not me) has full signal nver dropping a bar, even though whoever they are tell mee HOLY BLEEP, how the BLEEPis that working, permanent on dji fly 1.00??

I'm, like, "don't know never (cough) tried it."



Matt (Awful frog in my throat, sorry!)

Staffydog33 Posted at 5-23 05:11
Thhis is, ahem (cough cough) something I have never done (cough, splutter) but naughty people in UK with CE drones have been telling me that he/she/them (not me) has full signal nver dropping a bar, even though whoever they are tell mee HOLY BLEEP, how the BLEEPis that working, permanent on dji fly 1.00??

I'm, like, "don't know never (cough) tried it."

Were you half cut when you made this video?

And its not free...

agree range is worse with the 3.0 all-in-none controller with screen. It drops out around 300m, loses contact, doesnt enact the RTH automatically. Ive had it decide to land or hover close to the ground in a field thankfully, 500m away in a windless environment. Only found it by bleep and flashing. Another useless feature is the lack of maps that the phone always has as its got network. Downloading them in small bits using home wifi before you go away is very backward. Apparently there is some non dji software out there for upping the range of the £250  junk we've all been seduced into buying.

Haven't been here in a while. Seems like people are still a little surprised at how finicky the signal is with the Mini 3 Pro.

I've taken it with me on travels to some very remote places like the Karakorams in northern Pakistan with clear line of sight, no radio interferrence, or even trees whatsoever. I don't think I've cracked 3 km yet with it and this is hacked to fly with FCC mode. In fairness in many places I have purposefully not flown it out to max range because it's unfamiliar terrain.

My own opinion havening spent a lot of time with it is that the "problem" is the antenna placement in the front legs. It is interesting to note that with the Mini 3 and leaked Mini 4 Pro DJI have reverted to the little downward pointing legs to house the antenna.