When I fly with my Phantom 4 Pro I usually loose the signal when the drone is about 300-500 meters away. Is this normal? How far away can you fly?
Thanks!

5.96 klms is my limit so far got back home with 15% battery left

Hellsgate Posted at 2018-8-8 01:42
5.96 klms is my limit so far got back home with 15% battery left

Thats very far. But why can't I fly further away without loosing the signal?

Hellsgate Posted at 2018-8-8 01:42
5.96 klms is my limit so far got back home with 15% battery left

Is 5.96K your maximum distance out from your take off point or is 5.96K your maximum distance round trip?

Hi there, sorry for the inconvenience. May I know how did you position your antennas? Did you receive an error message on the app? What is the firmware version, DJI Go 4 app version and mobile device you are using? You can check the video tutorial below on what are the best practices on how to position your antennas.  

My max is 2.2km when I got further I lost signal, but that is because the signal gets blocked so it's understandable.

DJI Paladin Posted at 2018-8-8 03:26
Hi there, sorry for the inconvenience. May I know how did you position your antennas? Did you receive an error message on the app? What is the firmware version, DJI Go 4 app version and mobile device you are using? You can check the video tutorial below on what are the best practices on how to position your antennas.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7M9JtfVwQE

Hi, thank you for answering. I positioned the antennas like we see in in the video. I received the message "image signal lost". I used DJI Go 4 version 4.2.22 on my iPad Air.

JasonPictures Posted at 2018-8-8 06:27
Hi, thank you for answering. I positioned the antennas like we see in in the video. I received the message "image signal lost". I used DJI Go 4 version 4.2.22 on my iPad Air.

You're welcome. Can you provide the screenshot of the error message?  What is the current firmware? Are you flying the drone on an open wide are with no interference? Are you using the drone near airport or military base?

DJI Paladin Posted at 2018-8-8 07:03
You're welcome. Can you provide the screenshot of the error message?  What is the current firmware? Are you flying the drone on an open wide are with no interference? Are you using the drone near airport or military base?

I am going to provide you the screenshot as soon as I fly again if thats okay. The current firmware is the one I told you because my last flight was 2 weeks ago. There where some trees between me and my drone. What I can assuredly say is that I was far away from any airports or military bases.  
Thank you!

JasonPictures Posted at 2018-8-8 07:35
I am going to provide you the screenshot as soon as I fly again if thats okay. The current firmware is the one I told you because my last flight was 2 weeks ago. There where some trees between me and my drone. What I can assuredly say is that I was far away from any airports or military bases.  
Thank you!

Alright, please keep me posted. Thanks!

JasonPictures Posted at 2018-8-8 07:35
I am going to provide you the screenshot as soon as I fly again if thats okay. The current firmware is the one I told you because my last flight was 2 weeks ago. There where some trees between me and my drone. What I can assuredly say is that I was far away from any airports or military bases.  
Thank you!

Key word here is TREES.   Anything that can block the signal will greatly reduce the range.  You didn't say how high you were but gaining altitude can allow for a more direct signal line.

Another setting that might help that no one usually ever mentions is in the RC channel settings. The max transmission rate in that setting should be set to the lowest setting which I think is either 2 or 4 mb/s.

Hi Jason,
my maximal distance with P4P is from 2km to 5km. 2km is with more other users, wifi AP´s and more electronic jamming. 5km is my maximum because battery drain most and battery RTH was activated.

EdM Posted at 2018-8-8 08:37
Key word here is TREES.   Anything that can block the signal will greatly reduce the range.  You didn't say how high you were but gaining altitude can allow for a more direct signal line.

Okay, but I fly as high as I legally can which is 100 meters in my country. Maybe Im going to try to keep as few things as possible between me and my drone.

fansb1fe1104 Posted at 2018-8-8 09:41
Another setting that might help that no one usually ever mentions is in the RC channel settings. The max transmission rate in that setting should be set to the lowest setting which I think is either 2 or 4 mb/s.

I never heard about this but I definitely gonna try it. Thanks!

Chipke Posted at 2018-8-8 10:17
Hi Jason,
my maximal distance with P4P is from 2km to 5km. 2km is with more other users, wifi AP´s and more electronic jamming. 5km is my maximum because battery drain most and battery RTH was activated.

Good to know, thank you!

Hellsgate Posted at 2018-8-8 01:42
5.96 klms is my limit so far got back home with 15% battery left

You mean your record in a particular place, time and other specific conditions, right? I bet you wouldn't be able to replicate this flight anytime else.

Matthew Dobrski Posted at 2018-8-8 11:35
You mean your record in a particular place, time and other specific conditions, right? I bet you wouldn't be able to replicate this flight anytime else.

In rural Australia you can do flights like that all the time.

I would suspect part of the issue is your TX is set to CE standards.    Limited to approx. 2.5km ?

Randy

DJI Paladin Posted at 2018-8-8 03:26
Hi there, sorry for the inconvenience. May I know how did you position your antennas? Did you receive an error message on the app? What is the firmware version, DJI Go 4 app version and mobile device you are using? You can check the video tutorial below on what are the best practices on how to position your antennas.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7M9JtfVwQE

Is it better to have frequency on dual ? or chose one

rwynant V1 Posted at 2018-8-8 18:26
I would suspect part of the issue is your TX is set to CE standards.    Limited to approx. 2.5km ?

Randy

From what i thought, Switzerland is not part of the EU and not restricted with regards to CE like the EU is, perhaps DJI is not aware of this and has set your country to CE because its in europe

Air/America Posted at 2018-8-8 02:50
Is 5.96K your maximum distance out from your take off point or is 5.96K your maximum distance round trip?

5.96 klms was from take of point to furthest distance out total round trip just over 12 klms.
No range extenders just p4p and an elevated take off point.

Matthew Dobrski Posted at 2018-8-8 11:35
You mean your record in a particular place, time and other specific conditions, right? I bet you wouldn't be able to replicate this flight anytime else.

I havent tried to replicate it since. Ive never had a need to.
I strictly fly legally now which means keeping my drone within vlos.

JasonPictures Posted at 2018-8-8 01:43
Thats very far. But why can't I fly further away without loosing the signal?

You need to concider the terrian you fly in and any posible radio inteference that might be in the area.
The flight i made that day had a take off point on a remote farm from a very high hill well above all surrounding trees and hills basically i had direct line of site to the drone at all times during the flight.

rwynant V1 Posted at 2018-8-8 18:26
I would suspect part of the issue is your TX is set to CE standards.    Limited to approx. 2.5km ?

Randy

Thats possible. Is there a way to change that?

Bashy Posted at 2018-8-8 20:37
From what i thought, Switzerland is not part of the EU and not restricted with regards to CE like the EU is, perhaps DJI is not aware of this and has set your country to CE because its in europe

That could be. Is there a way I can change that settings?

Hellsgate Posted at 2018-8-8 23:23
You need to concider the terrian you fly in and any posible radio inteference that might be in the area.
The flight i made that day had a take off point on a remote farm from a very high hill well above all surrounding trees and hills basically i had direct line of site to the drone at all times during the flight.

And that's exactly the recipe for long range UAV flight. Or any good radio communication, actually.
https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... D427%26typeid%3D427

Anthony90 Posted at 2018-8-8 20:02
Is it better to have frequency on dual ? or chose one

In the case of units working to CE specs then 2.4GHz is the better option if range is the requirement.
The power output at 5.8GHz is 6 dB lower (one quarter) than the 2.4GHz output. Spec shows 2km range at 5.8GHz and 4km at 2.4GHz.

Switching to 5.8GHz would be desirable working to VLOS if a lot of 2.4GHz activity round about in an urban area.

Hellsgate Posted at 2018-8-8 23:23
You need to concider the terrian you fly in and any posible radio inteference that might be in the area.
The flight i made that day had a take off point on a remote farm from a very high hill well above all surrounding trees and hills basically i had direct line of site to the drone at all times during the flight.

So I am definitely gonna look at this when Im flying the next times. Thank you!

Aardvark Posted at 2018-8-8 23:53
In the case of units working to CE specs then 2.4GHz is the better option if range is the requirement.
The power output at 5.8GHz is 6 dB lower (one quarter) than the 2.4GHz output. Spec shows 2km range at 5.8GHz and 4km at 2.4GHz.

Awesome thanks! I'll leave it on 2.4 unless there is any interference.

Aardvark Posted at 2018-8-8 23:53
In the case of units working to CE specs then 2.4GHz is the better option if range is the requirement.
The power output at 5.8GHz is 6 dB lower (one quarter) than the 2.4GHz output. Spec shows 2km range at 5.8GHz and 4km at 2.4GHz.

Good to know, thank you!

JasonPictures Posted at 2018-8-8 23:57
Good to know, thank you!

The figures I quoted above were for the P4P V2. The P4P figures are slightly different (-3 dB, half power)although 2.4GHz would still be better choice for range at 3.5km as opposed to 2km using 5.8 GHz.

Temperature, humidity and air pressure, all have an effect on radio waves, electromagnetic propagation.

Air/America Posted at 2018-8-9 03:18
Temperature, humidity and air pressure, all have an effect on radio waves, electromagnetic propagation.

Okay, thank you!

Hellsgate Posted at 2018-8-8 23:23
You need to concider the terrian you fly in and any posible radio inteference that might be in the area.
The flight i made that day had a take off point on a remote farm from a very high hill well above all surrounding trees and hills basically i had direct line of site to the drone at all times during the flight.

This is what I was thinking when reading the OP. I live in a really populated area, and every house has at least one WiFi source, some have repeaters. I just checked my WiFi list on this iPad, and there are 32 available in the list. My P4P bitches at me about interference every time I launch from my yard. I can get out about three to five blocks before the video begins to break up. That might be 1500 feet at best. (500 meters?) When I’ve flown in the wilderness I’ve gone 2 miles out with perfect video.

Jeff

The farthest distance away that I have flown my P3A is 3.5 km, while at 20 meters altitude, out over the water and with no modifications. It maybe could have flown farther.

Air/America Posted at 2018-8-11 05:06
The farthest distance away that I have flown my P3A is 3.5K while at 20 meters altitude out over the water and with no modifications. It maybe could have flown farther.

Thats very far

I got 3.4km today with my P4Pro+ (perfect video signal), I live in Brazil (CE) so it was really surprising for me. I will take some screenshots in the next time.
Just outside my little city there is an excellent area for this kind of range test, completely free of interferences.

The DJI specifications for P3A and P3P show maximum RC range as 5km

REMOTE CONTROLLER
Operating Frequency             2.400 - 2.483 GHz
Max Transmission Distance     FCC Compliant: 3.1 mi (5 km)
                                              CE Compliant: 2.2 mi (3.5 km)
                                              (Unobstructed, free of interference)

djiuser_rwujBJmuuMi4 Posted at 2018-8-12 04:25
I got 3.4km today with my P4Pro+ (perfect video signal), I live in Brazil (CE) so it was really surprising for me. I will take some screenshots in the next time.
Just outside my little city there is an excellent area for this kind of range test, completely free of interferences.

Thats nice, enjoy it!