I had mine up this weekend and was able to get about 2200ft away from me (0.4166667 miles, 0.67056km) before my service dropped.  I was flying at a local model airplane field near my home and while it is not right smack in the middle of a wifi congested area, there is a Target, Costco, and a strip mall about a .5mi in the other direction, so I am sure that has something to do with it.

Tonight I will try this firmware refresh to see if it corrects these issues....

Well, there must be some problem with your settings or drone. 50 to 100 meters is too damn close and not the spec. I have mine and am still checking it. But yesterday in an open are I could go up to 1000 meters with not a single issue. I am sure I can go further, but much further than that I would leave it for the Mavic which sure does have a better transmission protocol.

I'm getting some terrible range from my Mavic Air. I live in a suburban area with lots of houses though so maybe that is the issue. However I'm only able to get out about 1000ft until I lose reception and it returns home. It really really sucks.

I have noticed that when I get signal interference is primarily because of "populated areas". Also it seems that the controller and aircraft need VLOS. If there are trees, buildings or any other kind of obstacle between the transmitter and the receiver, the connection will slow down or completely cut off. I believe this is normal in the WiFi-over long distance connections.

WiFi connections have its limitations, learn how to fly with them and you can get A LOT done with this drone. Otherwise, a regular RC controller with a custom built drone will be your better choice.

Same problem in Mexico City, I haven't been able to fly for more than 150 meters and lost all signal. I will downgrade and upgrade tonight. Will try to use an iPad instead of an iphone as well. I will post back on Monday with an update   

same problem here in Sacramento, CA I can't get any further than 500ft on 2.4G or 5.8G. It's Sacramento for christ sake we are the last of any California city to get any tech updates so it shouldn't be that bad. My spark cam go about about 900ft before having problems.

Turn off bluetooth and/or keep your Apple watch far far away, that resolved my problem.

just a quick update from me, the OP
I've tried flying in rural Virginia, USA, on top of a mountain in Switzerland with zero wifi or people for that matter and the Bay Area in CA which, of course, is chock full of wifi and other radio. As far as I can tell, density of radio frequencies doesn't make a lick of difference for my particular problem. The range stays very low. Also in Switzerland, I was able to fly my Mavic Pro about 3km without problems.

Please put your phone in airplane made and make sure Bluetooth and WiFi are turned off. Phone WiFi and Bluetooth  right next to the controller ruins the signal. Turning these interferences off will dramatically improve range and video feed. I've flown several Airs and each single one is amazing and does AT LEAST 1000 meters without problems. 4G antennas should be avoided since they send out extremely powerful signals. And so far all my customers who complained about this problem were happy after this quick and easy (logical....) Fix. If your Air doesn't so 1000+ meters range after this fix you should return it to DJI.

In contrast to some forum warriors here: DJI actually takes responsibility for faulty drones and replaces them more often them not, if proven. Sure there are some cases but please remember that they have millions of customers and some people are simply unreasonable. In my opinion they have dramatically improved their service in recent years and with sufficient proof they oblige. You would not believe how many people crash their drone due to their own doing and them take to the internet if they don't get a new one.

Please turn off your phone's wifi, Bluetooth and phone signal (or simply put it in airplane mode). This will dramatically improve signal. You can go to the most deserted place on earth but if you keep a strong source of interference next to the controller its logical the signal will be poor

DroneKenner.nl5 Posted at 2018-3-8 06:26
Please turn off your phone's wifi, Bluetooth and phone signal (or simply put it in airplane mode). This will dramatically improve signal. You can go to the most deserted place on earth but if you keep a strong source of interference next to the controller its logical the signal will be poor

if you put your phone in airplane mode... can you update de flight record on the dji 4 go app? because I lost some kms while flying in airplane mode.

I am in Bali now.

Never before have I experienced this kind of interfence. Anywhere. My P4 has been a dream to fly and I have never lost much of a connection even when very far away. With the MA as soon as I get above 15 meters I get an interference warning. The furtherest I’ve managed to get is a few hundred meters in which I begun to experience a 2s latency, loss of video feed, the continual capture of photos that I couldn’t stop until finally I had to fly it back by sight. It’s so frustrating because the drone  could be great and has so many cool features I want to use. If it doesn’t get sorted soon I might start using it as a frisbee, it will probably fly further that way anyway.

I agree putting phone in airplane mode might help... I don't think it is the end-all-be-all.... I never put mine on airplane mode and achieve close to 14,000ft....in fact im ranked on distance boards in mavicpilots. Maybe a placebo affect for some of you guys I don't think it says to put your device in airplane mode in the manual anyway....

OK, So I've been following this and other threads to find out what the issues are and there seems to be a few!

For me: I definitely have an issue as I flew in a wifi congested area in Florence from a rooftop and I lost transmission when the drone was above my head (2m max). Compare this to my friend who from the same spot flew the mavic air about 1000m before any issues, I have video evidence of this and I was in total shock. I have created a ticket to return this drone and get a replacement.


I'm back in London and from my garden the transmission loses at 100m, I will try to update the software using assistant 2 and see if it makes a difference (won't be flying today as it's raning)

yes most of the time i can only fly 200M+ and with video interferences

I have the same problem, I bought mine in Bali under TAM warranty at Sinar Photo Sudirman. I did the test flight and the signal was lost at 50 - 100 meters. Very frusterating. Hopefully there's some tips before I try to exchange it following the warranty agreement to replace new within 7 days of the purchase date.

For me, it does not seem like an issue. I understand the way this drone works and know it has its limitations I live with and yes, sometimes get frustrated at.

Sometimes I get 3000+ meters of range, some other times I get 300. Sometimes the issue is RC signal, some other times is image transmission.

If I set up properly my drone for any of this situations, it will properly follow fail safe protocols. After that, I’ll move, reconfigure the WiFi settings, reset or do some other trick to improve my range or work with the range I’m getting.

My two cents.

I checked my MA yesterday in urban zone in Spain (CE), I got 500-600 meters easily and then I started to have some transmission problems, but I think thats normal because of the zone interferences, I was separated only for 1km of one super telecommunications antenna. Depending of the flying direction, I got more or less distance. Obviously when I flyed to the antenna I loosed signal early than in the opposite direction.
Today i checked it out of the city, near to it but with no too much interferences. Without airplane mode 600 meters ok, with airplane mode i reached 1km and I still had good stats to continue, but I prefered to return... I think that i can reach 1,3-1,5km in that zone with airplane mode if I want.

Finally tried flying the Air with the phone in aeroplane mode for 2 flights; on the newest firmware and IOS app. The video is lagging worse than before, and the poor thing  went into RTH at only 300m away, 100m high. In my opinion most of all the pros and cons between the Mavic Pro and Mavic Air are true but INSIGNIFICANT, except for OccuSync vs Wi-Fi; which makes the Air a real pain to use on many occasions, actually too many occasions...

Mavic air is my first drone experience and purchase. Am happy reading the cool stuffs it can do on YouTube and I told my first I have to get one and my shipment arrived last week. But I have an issue with the poor video stream that keeps lagging and loosing signal on a very close range like 50ft. Can anyone help me on this pls.  

I am experiencing a very poor video streaming on my MA. And low flight distance of not more than of 50ft. Am total disappointed on this. I need help pls

Bulldog Posted at 2018-2-18 05:54
That simply isn't true. There are three fly away threads for the AIr right now on the boards........ what are you talking about?

You mean 3 cases of some ignorant fool who didn’t know what they were doing. Flyaways are 99.9999999 percent of the time,quite simply pilot error. Simple as that.

Really poor range, don’t buy the air wait for mavic pro 2.

Most of time I can only fly 200m to 300m and always with poor video down link transmission, it is dangerous for u to control the flight

Onyeneke Posted at 2018-4-17 08:50
Mavic air is my first drone experience and purchase. Am happy reading the cool stuffs it can do on YouTube and I told my first I have to get one and my shipment arrived last week. But I have an issue with the poor video stream that keeps lagging and loosing signal on a very close range like 50ft. Can anyone help me on this pls.

Return before u regret

I’m having the same issues, I had a Spark before and never had these problems. My Mavic Air can’t go 20 meters away from me that enters in RTH mode and I can’t even control it. The  drone and the controler dont connect with each other again until the Mavic is 3 meters away from me. Really frustrating. Tried to reinstall previous versions of software, no luck... tried to reinstall the newest version again... no luck. I’m returning it and hoping that the next one comes without these annoying bug.

I'm having the exact same problem! Even just flying 100ft straight up will often cause it to lose signal, or 200-300 feet away, even if very rural settings. I've tried updating the firmware twice on both the drone and the remote. I've switched to manual 5.8 and 2.4Ghz modes. I've tried airplane mode. But it still loses signal, gets choppy, and returns home. So disappointing! Nothing like my experience with the Mavic Pro.

Here's a short video that demonstrates the problem - the worst of it starts around 0:40 mark.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/tnzgThevwx3Yk4UA2

I'm currently on a 5 month trip through Indonesia and Europe, and left my Mavic Pro at home thinking the Air would suffice. But now I'm stuck without being able to get the footage I'm wanting.

I contacted DJI (I bought it directly from them back in the states) and they've reported the problem to their engineering team, but I'm still waiting on a response. From the sound of the comments on this thread, it sounds like the only solution is to get a replacement from DJI, but for me to do that on this trip is nearly impossible with all the shipping, as they require me to ship it back to the US and will only ship it to the US.

Has anyone here successfully received a repaired or replacement Mavic Air from DJI that actually resolves the issue? Or is this just the fate of Mavic Air users in general?

Mine won't work even 10 feet. Have latest software / firmware.

Can I post here or not? Cannot see my post

Bulldog Posted at 2018-2-18 05:48
DJI gave that guy his drone, to make a video. You think they would send one of the peons drones for the click bait? Hell no! DJI is pulling the wool over their customers eyes. Just how long before everybody figures it out.

No they didn't.
He pays for all his drones out of pocket, just like all of us.

make sure you guys are turning on air plane mode on your phone! its a small thing that makes a big difference!

Parisi2274 Posted at 2018-2-17 07:03
It makes you wonder why some of us are having so many range issues, and then this youtube video shows someone flying it over a lake with almost no wifi interference and he is getting around 3000m from his location...  

water reflects electromagnetism

Hi SpaceBass,
I am a newbie MA pilot and have been flying it close to a month now. At first, I was flying in a high density buildings area, and kept getting High Aircraft Interference. Being a noob, I immediately got scared, and decided to fly my Spark a bit in the same area. My Spark is configured to 2.4 Ghz, and it flew to 500 meters without issue, at 120 feet height. I configured the Mavic Air's Wifi to 2.4 Ghz and I am now getting 800 to 1,000 meters at 90 meters in height before signal loss. I recommend you try both modes.

From what I have read, 2.4 Ghz (even in a crowded wifi area) has a wider wavelength, and thus is better in general for areas with obstacles. 5.8 will have better prenetration, but less range.

In any case, since most of my flying will be done in the city, I am thinking of getting a 4Haws RS antenna, not to get more range, but rather to get a better quality connection.

Hope 2.4 helps you as it did me.

E.

I have had the same issue as you. If you have done everything possible under the sun to fix the situation your self! i.e used dji assistant 2 to update and refresh remote and drone, changed cables, tried using different phones ect, etc and still having Video signal issues. Then send your drone into dji. Here was my reply from Dji regarding my Airs issue. Dear James,  Thank you for contacting DJI Support.  We appreciate the time you have provided to us and we will do our best to assist you.  I was able to further check your case and I have found out that our Engineers have found out that the gimbal module is defective. This module has a video downlink that transmits a signal to the remote controller.   And please be advised that your unit is already been repaired and forwarded to our Logistics Team and preparing to be delivered to your place. Kindly check your email for the possible shipping information.

Kibosh 3 Posted at 2018-2-17 08:11
I also have poor signal past 200m ... image transmission freezes and/or lags...

I have little confidence in the flight and what I'm filming ... hopefully updates will improve this in time.

What screen device are you using. If you use and Ipad Mini 3 or 4 things are much better. I have the Air (CE onE IN uk) and I have flown it way past 2000 m before the law changed

fans552d71bd Posted at 3-9 01:52
I am in Bali now.

Never before have I experienced this kind of interfence. Anywhere. My P4 has been a dream to fly and I have never lost much of a connection even when very far away. With the MA as soon as I get above 15 meters I get an interference warning. The furtherest I’ve managed to get is a few hundred meters in which I begun to experience a 2s latency, loss of video feed, the continual capture of photos that I couldn’t stop until finally I had to fly it back by sight. It’s so frustrating because the drone  could be great and has so many cool features I want to use. If it doesn’t get sorted soon I might start using it as a frisbee, it will probably fly further that way anyway.

I had the same issue when I was in Nusa Penida last week, 5-Nov. I was on the cliff Kelingking beach.... The hardly goes 100m then video freezes and connection getting lost frequently although it connects back again. I was the only one with drone there, light wind with cloudy climate. The key issue was with freezing of  Video on the phone and lag in command from RC to Drone. Its very difficult to know what I am shooting. How to overcome this issue. I am already on latest software version on RC and Drone.

I have same problem with Mavic air.. Just after 100 mitter or 70 mitter high.. I almost lose the signal.. Plz any advice!!!

VijayN Posted at 11-9 22:49
I had the same issue when I was in Nusa Penida last week, 5-Nov. I was on the cliff Kelingking beach.... The hardly goes 100m then video freezes and connection getting lost frequently although it connects back again. I was the only one with drone there, light wind with cloudy climate. The key issue was with freezing of  Video on the phone and lag in command from RC to Drone. Its very difficult to know what I am shooting. How to overcome this issue. I am already on latest software version on RC and Drone.

I always have same problem here in Antalya, Turkey

abercrombie Posted at 2-18 16:10
I've had the same more recently, I have attributed it to my Apple Watch.  Problem solved after I disabled Bluetooth on my iPhone.  
For some reason, I had absolutely no issues with my Fitbit that I also wear, but I guess the Apple Watch demands more connectivity.

I'm going to try this tomorrow! I couldn't get more than 2,000 ft before the image started to get bad and interference message started popping up. So just turn the Bluetooth on the phone off or also on the watch itself?

Personally i m very disapointed with mavic Air range. Just get it. I used it twice and will sell it, start loosing signal at 200 meters with no housing in the area. Afraid of loosing it, hopefully there is the return home button. For me this drone would be super nice if there was not this range issue.