I couldnt take it anymore guys. I toyed with the idea in my mind for months. I never wanted to do it. Its too expensive.


But I did it anyways. I just ordered the RC Pro controller from B&H Photo. I feel so conflicted over it. I am excited at how it is going to improve my experience with the mavic 3. However, I feel the price is so high for what it is. Coupled with the original mavic 3 fly more kit, I have now spent over $4,000 on the mavic 3. Ludicrous.

Anyways, I got one day shipping on it so it should hopefully be here tomorrow. Looking forward to joining the clan. I am REALLY HOPING I do not have connection issues! I am hoping that whatever that issue was has been fixed by now. I strongly suspected possible hardware issues in the RC. I plan to do thorough testing this weekend with it. I will post back with what I find just for any who may care.

Help me feel better about this purchase lol

It's worth it.  The controller gets you up in the air quicker and its seamless with connections.  The screen is also very bright when it's sunny outside!  Enjoy.  

VisualeyesAerial Posted at 2-16 07:55
It's worth it.  The controller gets you up in the air quicker and its seamless with connections.  The screen is also very bright when it's sunny outside!  Enjoy.

No doubt. All good things. Its just that its another $1200.

What kind of battery life do you get with the rc pro? Is it really only about 3 hours? Can you adjust screen brightness to save battery life if its really cloudy for example? Im sure you can but would like to confirm that. Battery life just seems really low at 3 hours.

Tornado12 Posted at 2-16 08:02
No doubt. All good things. Its just that its another $1200.

What kind of battery life do you get with the rc pro? Is it really only about 3 hours? Can you adjust screen brightness to save battery life if its really cloudy for example? Im sure you can but would like to confirm that. Battery life just seems really low at 3 hours.

Do I sense a bit of buyers remorse?

I purchased the FMC, but wasn't forthcoming with my wife regarding the price.  The prices was unexpected, from her perspective.

I envy you and your purchase.  I may go in on an RC Pro down the road, but for now, I'm already pitching the yet to be announced Mini 3.

...but did you pay over $100 in sales tax, that's the question?

i hoping one day dji will make the original smart controller compatible and i can sell it for more.

You will love it, enhanced power level output ( if in FCC region ) 60fps 1080p video feed on screen, I love using it, I went through the same feelings as you when I purchased it separately but believe me, was well worth it.

So if you add up , standard remote $350 IPad Mini $350 and $100 for a mount. So approx $800. Or use your phone and have it clogged up unusable when flying. The biggest difference you will notice is being able to keep all drone records in one place on one device. The fact that we have to buy both standard and RC pro if we want an RC pro is plain ridiculous but if you intend to sell M3 and RC pro is still viable you will still be able to sell with your standard RC .

Benefits are, quicker to set up , less stuff to carry around, better clearer transmission viewing, easier storing of flights etc, much nicer to fly with. And your phone is not tethered all day to a drone.

Is it worth it, People don’t usually buy things they believe are not worth what they pay for them. But these days of very high inflation it can weigh heavy on the soul. This will pass good luck enjoy it.

As someone who actually got M3C FMC I hear you.  
I really love RC Pro compared to the basic controller.
That said, I do like the additional options a phone-based system offers, such as being always connected, easy app installation (RC Pro is a PITA to install apps), etc.
But, yeah, operationally RC Pro is well worth its price.

There There, don't feel bad, I am in your exact situation but have not pulled the trigger yet. I fly with 13 Pro Max and have been weighing paying $1699NZD for it here.

Appreciate the replies all. It is what it is ultimately. I do feel like that even for all the pluses of the dji rc pro that it is a steep price tag at 1200 for what it is, but what can you do? The only option is to fly with the included remote which just feels cheap to me. I really do think DJI should have had a new remote to bundle with the mavic 3. Its a done deal at this point however. I'm sure I will love it once it is here. My only hesitation at this point is with the known issues the rc pro has had with connection issues. I've read of many instances of this, and seen several videos of it in practice, where the drone just disconnects 10 feet from the rc pro as it is sitting on a table or something. A clear issue. If I don't run into any of that I will get over the money spent.

You'll love it till you find yourself somewhere that yourself geofenced somewhere with no explanation and no ability to fly.

GTS 350 Posted at 2-16 10:18
You'll love it till you find yourself somewhere that yourself geofenced somewhere with no explanation and no ability to fly.

people love their corvettes until they find themselves off the road and on a rugged trail somewhere.  that's why you have another drone for those rare times.  may i suggest an autel, they have a couple of excellent selections.

GTS 350 Posted at 2-16 10:18
You'll love it till you find yourself somewhere that yourself geofenced somewhere with no explanation and no ability to fly.

You cannot fly in areas that are geofenced. And if you do it’s illegal.

Hello there Tornado12. Good day and thank you for purchasing the DJI RC Pro. I hope that our fellow DJI co pilots who owns the DJI Mavic 3 and uses the DJI RC pro when flying can give out the best information and recommendation. In addition I will post a DJI link where in you can find the Specification and Frequently Asked Questions for the DJI RC Pro. Thank you.

https://www.dji.com/rc-pro?site=brandsite&from=nav

The only reason I don't have one is the small screen. It is actually smaller than my Samsung S9 (not the S9+) phone screen.

hallmark007 Posted at 2-16 10:59
You cannot fly in areas that are geofenced. And if you do it’s illegal.

Did you read my post? The app geofences areas that are NOT geofenced according to the FAA making it impossible to fly the drone in an area where it is legal to fly.

Can you use a phone with the pro controller if you wanted or a tablet?

GTS 350 Posted at 2-16 21:31
Did you read my post? The app geofences areas that are NOT geofenced according to the FAA making it impossible to fly the drone in an area where it is legal to fly.

You can check through your app for geo zones.

You are going to love it.   

hallmark007 Posted at 2-16 23:06
You can check through your app for geo zones.

Yes you can and as i said there are NONE and yet the app will not allow flight. Which is my point. This has happened more than once.

GTS 350 Posted at 2-18 10:28
Yes you can and as i said there are NONE and yet the app will not allow flight. Which is my point. This has happened more than once.

Then its a mistake and your asked to report it. I’m certain dji are given these parameters. They cannot be making these up on their own. I have often come across roads where google maps say there are no roads. Things take time to improve . You can also contact dji on site to remove flying restrictions.

hallmark007 Posted at 2-18 10:35
Then its a mistake and your asked to report it. I’m certain dji are given these parameters. They cannot be making these up on their own. I have often come across roads where google maps say there are no roads. Things take time to improve . You can also contact dji on site to remove flying restrictions.

Yes, its a "mistake" or better discribed as an obvious flaw in their progam. Yes, they are given parameters I'm assuming the same parameters that Dronecast, Opensky, UAV forecast all of which don't show the areas to be geofenced. You may or may not be able to contact dji on site if you happen to have cell service in these areas. It amazes me how people are so willing to accept and even defend mediocracy (or less) but I guess it explains why our country is in the state it's in.

GTS 350 Posted at 2-18 11:45
Yes, its a "mistake" or better discribed as an obvious flaw in their progam. Yes, they are given parameters I'm assuming the same parameters that Dronecast, Opensky, UAV forecast all of which don't show the areas to be geofenced. You may or may not be able to contact dji on site if you happen to have cell service in these areas. It amazes me how people are so willing to accept and even defend mediocracy (or less) but I guess it explains why our country is in the state it's in.

“ except mediocrity “ how would you know this unless you owned a dji drone ! I’m only glad you only dragged your own country into this argument and not any other. Maybe dji get the information from the US which according to you is in a state.

hallmark007 Posted at 2-18 11:52
“ except mediocrity “ how would you know this unless you owned a dji drone ! I’m only glad you only dragged your own country into this argument and not any other. Maybe dji get the information from the US which according to you is in a state.

I don't know what your point is:
""Except mediocracy" how would you know this unless you owned a dji drone!" So are you admitting that dji is just a mediocre drone?
"I'm only glad you only dragged your own country into this argument and not any other" First off I never thought of an open discussion as an argument. Assuming I am not from China (where the drone is manufactured) I may or may not have "dragged" other countries into the discussion. Finally your assuming I'm in the U.S. which are facts not in evidence. Unfortunately, I do feel I could make that statement and apply it to any country. I would have been more accurate had I said the world. If you don't agree with that statement then its obvious why you are defending mediocracy.

Dont hijack my thread to argue about junk that dont matter please.

Got RC Pro yesterday and only had about an hour of daylight left by the time I got home and got it updated and paired with the drone, so I went out and flew a full battery to test it out. I also used another battery to do some testing of the signal up close. After several reports of the RC Pro dropping signal with the drone, especially up close, this is my biggest worry. In my limited time to test and in my flight, I never had a single signal drop. I am hoping that good fortune continues. I will probably fly all 3 batteries tomorrow and will get a lot more testing and time in on the rc pro.

What are my initial thoughts on the change from RCN1 -> RC Pro?
The 60fps bump to the live feed feels noticeable when flying on this screen. With the RC-N1 you are watching a 1080p/30fps feed. Nothing wrong with that feed and its quality but bumping the framerate to 60fps makes the flight appear more smooth on screen.

The difference in latency from 130ms (RC-N1) to 120ms (RC-Pro) is hardly going to be noticeable, but at least it isn't any slower. There was no noticeable difference in latency between the two remotes to me, as expected. 10ms difference is something you would need highspeed cameras to even see.

Just the feel of the controller in the hand is very nice. Flying and controlling the drone feels much better, as I expected. I love the extra buttons and the ability to program and customize  buttons. All of the buttons feel well placed. Ergonomics are fantastic for me. I did notice my palms getting a little warm while flying, and that is likely because the two batteries inside the remote are sitting in those humps on the grip. Also the rubber / grippy texture on the palm grips seems to just trap heat. Not a huge deal but something I did notice. I could see some people getting sweaty hands using it.

Was it worth it?
This is a hard call. Its too subjective to say. For me, the benefits are really good. Flying the mavic 3 now feels more enjoyable. The RC Pro feels like a luxury flight experience. Its also $1200. I do feel that it is over priced for what it is. This thing has half the technology of the latest phones for example, and is more expensive. 1920x1080 max resolution screen is perfectly good for a drone remote, but as a device screen in any other capacity that is a low resolution screen by todays standards. While it does run android, it is very clearly a heavily modified version of the Android OS, and has been heavily stripped down. I dont see this remote serving any purpose at all aside from flying the drone and maybe moving files from the drone. You wont be using it as a tablet, as there is no app store. The ability to add 3rd party apps is very limited. You can browse the internet on it, but Id prefer to whip out my phone for that. If you wanted to just check weather or UAV forecast you could do that. It is clearly geared almost entirely toward just flying a drone, and it does that job extremely well, but don't expect to do much else with it.

So, while I do love the remote, and while I feel flying with it, at least thus far, is a real pleasure, I feel that it is over priced. I think something around $800 or $900 would have been more appropriate. $1200 is just too much. At the end of the day though, what are you going to do? Its a premium drone remote. I think because of this DJI can upsale on that alone. I am blessed that I have worked and am able to afford such luxuries. I do hope DJI add additional backwards compatibility for other drones to this remote. I also hope they drop in a few more surprises for it in the future.

Tornado12 Posted at 2-16 08:02
No doubt. All good things. Its just that its another $1200.

What kind of battery life do you get with the rc pro? Is it really only about 3 hours? Can you adjust screen brightness to save battery life if its really cloudy for example? Im sure you can but would like to confirm that. Battery life just seems really low at 3 hours.

I have the original SC.  I didn't purchase the M3P because my 2 still does everything I need it to.  I can speak to the SC, and I assume the new RC Pro is just a new version with Occusync 3.  The original SC lasts me a good 5-6 hours at full brightness.  If I know I'm going to be flying a lot, I will throw it on the charger between flights just to top the battery off.  Either way, it's definitely a must buy!  I'm in the sky much quicker.  Enjoy!

Tornado12 Posted at 2-18 12:30
Dont hijack my thread to argue about junk that dont matter please.

Got RC Pro yesterday and only had about an hour of daylight left by the time I got home and got it updated and paired with the drone, so I went out and flew a full battery to test it out. I also used another battery to do some testing of the signal up close. After several reports of the RC Pro dropping signal with the drone, especially up close, this is my biggest worry. In my limited time to test and in my flight, I never had a single signal drop. I am hoping that good fortune continues. I will probably fly all 3 batteries tomorrow and will get a lot more testing and time in on the rc pro.

Th RC Pro puts out nearly 2w of power (1995mw) so that will warm it up a bit in FCC regions as well.

GTS 350 Posted at 2-18 12:20
I don't know what your point is:
""Except mediocracy" how would you know this unless you owned a dji drone!" So are you admitting that dji is just a mediocre drone?
"I'm only glad you only dragged your own country into this argument and not any other" First off I never thought of an open discussion as an argument. Assuming I am not from China (where the drone is manufactured) I may or may not have "dragged" other countries into the discussion. Finally your assuming I'm in the U.S. which are facts not in evidence. Unfortunately, I do feel I could make that statement and apply it to any country. I would have been more accurate had I said the world. If you don't agree with that statement then its obvious why you are defending mediocracy.

hallmark007 at it again yawn.

hallmark007 Posted at 2-16 10:59
You cannot fly in areas that are geofenced. And if you do it’s illegal.

Do you have shielded operations in Ireland? In NZ in a geofenced area we are allowed to fly within 100m of something higher than your drone. If within 5 kms of an airport you have to also make sure there is a physical obstruction between you and the airport. I'm very lucky my house is about 4km from the airport but I have a Pylon about exactly a 100m away and a terrace about 20m high between our house and the airport so on interesting sunsets/sunrises I can send the drone up and capture. Would be breaking the law otherwise. Has always seemed like a pragmatic law but is this not the case elsewhere? Cheers

Bussty Posted at 2-24 10:57
Do you have shielded operations in Ireland? In NZ in a geofenced area we are allowed to fly within 100m of something higher than your drone. If within 5 kms of an airport you have to also make sure there is a physical obstruction between you and the airport. I'm very lucky my house is about 4km from the airport but I have a Pylon about exactly a 100m away and a terrace about 20m high between our house and the airport so on interesting sunsets/sunrises I can send the drone up and capture. Would be breaking the law otherwise. Has always seemed like a pragmatic law but is this not the case elsewhere? Cheers

We have NFZ, mainly at national airports and national monuments etc. but we can fly in controlled airspace but height restricted to 50ft. There are very few places you cannot fly, so no problem flying in Ireland. Most drone users tend to keep well away from people. Really we’re very lucky here.

hallmark007 Posted at 2-25 10:31
We have NFZ, mainly at national airports and national monuments etc. but we can fly in controlled airspace but height restricted to 50ft. There are very few places you cannot fly, so no problem flying in Ireland. Most drone users tend to keep well away from people. Really we’re very lucky here.

So many differences around the world but I suspect highly populated countries are more restrictive i.e isn't India capped at 50ft everywhere? We probably have less population density in NZ than Ireland but huge areas are covered by National Parks which have big drone restrictions as in you can't fly. I'm hearing you about keeping away from people. Drone hysteria is rampant out there!  Is shaping my next drone purchase decision as to whether drone is orange or grey thinking grey will be less obvious.

Bought a used one from B&H for $999.  Much better feel than the RC-N1.  No regrets.