Hi guys
I own a Phantom V and a Mavic Pro. My Mavic Pro was seized at the airport in Havana (ill save that story for another time). Decided to buy the Mavic Air as a replacement for the Pro, what a bad decision. Luckily Amazon is kind enough to let me return the drone which i will be doing later. Some of the reasons why i am returning:

- Battery life, much shorter
- Bad signal
- Not as solid in windy conditions.

Simply put i cannot trust doing on long missions with this drone, without fear of losing it, crashing it, or just running out of battery life.

The size is great, what a bummer

18 minute average flight time, not experienced any bad signal, and solid as a rock in wind, better than the pro!

Did you experience signal loss or issues with wind, or just read about them!

M2Wair Posted at 2018-6-14 16:10
18 minute average flight time, not experienced any bad signal, and solid as a rock in wind, better than the pro!

Did you experience signal loss or issues with wind, or just read about them!

Flew it at a golf course over the weekend, had 16 satellites. Lost signal about 450 feet away, twice

First flight was at my office, few building around but nothing close to a major downtown. I was able to fly it over the freeway, 200 feet away. Lost signal

interesting. I own the Mavic Pro, P4P, Spark and now MA and never had any major issues with the Mavic Air. I typically turn on airplane mode, set her up in the air and off she goes. Think I've gone nearly 5-6k feet without any loss of signal. Rock solid IMHO.

Yes that is the growing sentiment of some Mavic Air owners. It could be similar to the Mavic Pro with the first batch of production there were issues that DJI later corrected in all the subsequent Mavic Pro released?

S.D. Pilot Posted at 2018-6-14 16:22
interesting. I own the Mavic Pro, P4P, Spark and now MA and never had any major issues with the Mavic Air. I typically turn on airplane mode, set her up in the air and off she goes. Think I've gone nearly 5-6k feet without any loss of signal. Rock solid IMHO.

Thanks for the feedback and guidance. I may take her up this weekend for a few more flights before i send her packing

davidmartingraf Posted at 2018-6-14 16:29
Yes that is the growing sentiment of some Mavic Air owners. It could be similar to the Mavic Pro with the first batch of production there were issues that DJI later corrected in all the subsequent Mavic Pro released?

There is another firmware update that just popped up, lets see if that helps. Ill take her out this weekend to see if the flight feels a little more DJI-ish aka normal for a DJI drone.

AnDiego Air Posted at 2018-6-14 16:29
Thanks for the feedback and guidance. I may take her up this weekend for a few more flights before i send her packing

Yeah good idea. Just do the updates, test fly close, check for any warnings i.e. calibrations etc, make sure GPS is locked in with 15 or more satelites, airplane mode and let her rip.

AnDiego Air Posted at 2018-6-14 16:31
There is another firmware update that just popped up, lets see if that helps. Ill take her out this weekend to see if the flight feels a little more DJI-ish aka normal for a DJI drone.

That's a good idea. Best of luck.

Hi, I'm sorry for the inconvenience that it may cause, I would recommend maximizing the usage of your aircraft, kindly ensure that the GPS signal is strong, firmware should be updated (both remote and aircraft as well as the app), compass and IMU are well calibrated and ensure that we're not flying in hazardous environment.

S.D. Pilot Posted at 2018-6-14 16:22
interesting. I own the Mavic Pro, P4P, Spark and now MA and never had any major issues with the Mavic Air. I typically turn on airplane mode, set her up in the air and off she goes. Think I've gone nearly 5-6k feet without any loss of signal. Rock solid IMHO.

My Air used to be like that until I upgraded to 0.400.
Now on some flights I have total signal loss at a couple hundred feet away.

There seems to be more things that affect the distance such as Bluetooth watches.

nywrecker Posted at 2018-6-14 17:46
My Air used to be like that until I upgraded to 0.400.
Now on some flights I have total signal loss at a couple hundred feet away.

I've also updated to the latest FW and yes although I get some quirks here and there, I typically reboot and it's gone. i.e. once it was shaking while in the air, turned it off, rebooted and poof gone.

S.D. Pilot Posted at 2018-6-14 16:22
interesting. I own the Mavic Pro, P4P, Spark and now MA and never had any major issues with the Mavic Air. I typically turn on airplane mode, set her up in the air and off she goes. Think I've gone nearly 5-6k feet without any loss of signal. Rock solid IMHO.

No way you are getting 5-6K feet with this wifi. I live in the middle of the boondocks with no broadband internet and very little wifi action. I don't get anywhere near 5-6K feet. Before you bash me here, and want to say you are getting that type of range, Post a video with you in it proving such. The Mavic air is an OK quad, but it is not that great on range. The pro is king!

Datadogie Posted at 2018-6-14 21:50
There seems to be more things that affect the distance such as Bluetooth watches.

Agree completely,  I have had my samsung gear interfere with the connection. Turn them off and disable bluetooth.

DJI Tony Posted at 2018-6-14 17:13
Hi, I'm sorry for the inconvenience that it may cause, I would recommend maximizing the usage of your aircraft, kindly ensure that the GPS signal is strong, firmware should be updated (both remote and aircraft as well as the app), compass and IMU are well calibrated and ensure that we're not flying in hazardous environment.

He said he had 16 sats! How many more do want him to get? Heck I hardly get 14 of them consistently.

Bill B Posted at 2018-6-15 06:09
No way you are getting 5-6K feet with this wifi. I live in the middle of the boondocks with no broadband internet and very little wifi action. I don't get anywhere near 5-6K feet. Before you bash me here, and want to say you are getting that type of range, Post a video with you in it proving such. The Mavic air is an OK quad, but it is not that great on range. The pro is king!

Have a look at some of the distances shown in the link - 5k feet is easily achieved

Mavic Air range

Bill B Posted at 2018-6-15 06:09
No way you are getting 5-6K feet with this wifi. I live in the middle of the boondocks with no broadband internet and very little wifi action. I don't get anywhere near 5-6K feet. Before you bash me here, and want to say you are getting that type of range, Post a video with you in it proving such. The Mavic air is an OK quad, but it is not that great on range. The pro is king!

I have reached 6,499 feet / 1.231 miles / 1.98KM in a CE area last weekend with my MA using all stock settings. I have seen pilots pass 14,000 feet on YT in FCC areas with no signal loss. The Mavic Pro was an excellent drone - in 2016...

Edit :- Removed.
Just saw this is AIR.  Why the hell cant it have its own forum!

S.D. Pilot Posted at 2018-6-14 16:22
interesting. I own the Mavic Pro, P4P, Spark and now MA and never had any major issues with the Mavic Air. I typically turn on airplane mode, set her up in the air and off she goes. Think I've gone nearly 5-6k feet without any loss of signal. Rock solid IMHO.

I can well believe that mate as I've hit 6-7K feet in the UK (CE).

gnirtS Posted at 2018-6-15 06:35
Edit :- Removed.
Just saw this is AIR.  Why the hell cant it have its own forum!

It will soon I think as it looks like the Mavic Pro will be discontinued soon given the huge price drops, main dealers no longer selling them and new old stock... All tech moves forward I guess.

S.D. Pilot Posted at 2018-6-15 04:18
I've also updated to the latest FW and yes although I get some quirks here and there, I typically reboot and it's gone. i.e. once it was shaking while in the air, turned it off, rebooted and poof gone.

"quirks here and there..."  Sorry, that's not acceptable.  

Bill B Posted at 2018-6-15 06:09
No way you are getting 5-6K feet with this wifi. I live in the middle of the boondocks with no broadband internet and very little wifi action. I don't get anywhere near 5-6K feet. Before you bash me here, and want to say you are getting that type of range, Post a video with you in it proving such. The Mavic air is an OK quad, but it is not that great on range. The pro is king!

I have been flying over 2200m at the edge of my city, where there's less interference. At 2400m the videofeed vanished and the MA returned home, but yeah 6k feet is doable.

And this is in Europe!

Bokepacha Posted at 2018-6-15 07:09
I have been flying over 2200m at the edge of my city, where there's less interference. At 2400m the videofeed vanished and the MA returned home, but yeah 6k feet is doable.

And this is in Europe!

That's impressive as the advertised max range in Europe is 2,000m.

Bill B Posted at 2018-6-15 06:09
No way you are getting 5-6K feet with this wifi. I live in the middle of the boondocks with no broadband internet and very little wifi action. I don't get anywhere near 5-6K feet. Before you bash me here, and want to say you are getting that type of range, Post a video with you in it proving such. The Mavic air is an OK quad, but it is not that great on range. The pro is king!

But yes I agree, Mavic Pro is KING !

Bill B Posted at 2018-6-15 06:09
No way you are getting 5-6K feet with this wifi. I live in the middle of the boondocks with no broadband internet and very little wifi action. I don't get anywhere near 5-6K feet. Before you bash me here, and want to say you are getting that type of range, Post a video with you in it proving such. The Mavic air is an OK quad, but it is not that great on range. The pro is king!

I went out to the middle of nowhere farmland.. I got 10,000 feet before bringing it back..  

some of these "solutions" are funny. Any time a MA owner wants to fly more than 500 feet they need to drive out into the middle of nowhere and take pictures of nothing? LOLZ

I really want to like the MA, but the short battery life and short range/interference has kept me from buying one. Most people do not live in the middle of nowhere so those range tests are really worthless for most MA owners....

This one is more real-word-

Hugh Jaynus Posted at 2018-6-15 09:44
some of these "solutions" are funny. Any time a MA owner wants to fly more than 500 feet they need to drive out into the middle of nowhere and take pictures of nothing? LOLZ

I really want to like the MA, but the short battery life and short range/interference has kept me from buying one. Most people do not live in the middle of nowhere so those range tests are really worthless for most MA owners....

I agree
As awesome the MA size, rear sensor and new features are. Its hard to be confident flying a drone when youre used to the rock solid stability of the Mavic Pro

Bill B Posted at 2018-6-15 06:14
He said he had 16 sats! How many more do want him to get? Heck I hardly get 14 of them consistently.

Wonder what the problem is with yours then? What area are you in?

Scoobywrx05 Posted at 2018-6-15 10:55
[view_image]
Wonder what the problem is with yours then? What area are you in?

I'm in the butt hole of the universe. Western NY. I flew last night with no issues at all. But with a max of 15 sats. I waited on the ground as it only had 11 at the start. around 3-4 minutes of sitting on the ground it went to 14. I took off at that point. I uploaded the flight to air data, it showed 15 max.

Bill B Posted at 2018-6-16 02:02
I'm in the butt hole of the universe. Western NY. I flew last night with no issues at all. But with a max of 15 sats. I waited on the ground as it only had 11 at the start. around 3-4 minutes of sitting on the ground it went to 14. I took off at that point. I uploaded the flight to air data, it showed 15 max.

Most GPS satellites are Geosynchronous some are not, some of the satellites may be sitting at a 1° angle to the horizon (weak signal) some can be 90° to the horizon (strong signal), this is why you get so much variation in the amount of satellite during GPS lock.

QuadKid Posted at 2018-6-16 02:44
Most GPS satellites are Geosynchronous some are not, some of the satellites may be sitting at a 1° angle to the horizon (weak signal) some can be 90° to the horizon (strong signal), this is why you get so much variation in the amount of satellite during GPS lock.

explain this to me then. I fire up the mavic pro just seconds after landing the air, whic had 14 sats locked. The pro starts up, sits there for maybe 1/2 a minute and is locked on 16 sats. Air data shows the count as high as 18 sats during the same flight the air was just on with 14 tops.

I would probably say many factors can play a roll in how many sat's the drone acquires, and at which time(s) here is a link  explaining some of them. I have taken off with the MP with 18 sat's locked and into the flight have them drop to 12 or lost enough of them to trigger Atti mode.


https://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/performance/accuracy/

QuadKid Posted at 2018-6-17 15:51
I would probably say many factors can play a roll in how many sat's the drone acquires, and at which time(s) here is a link  explaining some of them. I have taken off with the MP with 18 sat's locked and into the flight have them drop to 12 or lost enough of them to trigger Atti mode.

Update guys
Updated the firmware, flew with airplane mode on. Went about 100 feet high, and as soon as 100 feet distance hits i lose transmission signal. This is in my neighborhood, the MP has no problems flying in the same area

Back to Guangzhou you go MA....sorry it didnt work out

Just say'n...

Max Flight Time (no wind) - 21 minutes (at a consistent 25 kph)
21 * (25/60) = 8.75 Kilometers - one way
8.75 / 2 = 4.375 Kilometers - round trip

AnDiego Air Posted at 2018-6-17 17:23
Update guys
Updated the firmware, flew with airplane mode on. Went about 100 feet high, and as soon as 100 feet distance hits i lose transmission signal. This is in my neighborhood, the MP has no problems flying in the same area

That's a shame - it's not for everyone I guess. MP2 looks like it's coming out next month though so perhaps it's best to wait for that.