Previously I commented that I felt the 3 Pro had only slighly better range than my original Mavic Mini, this was probably because of the smoother feedback until signal finally cut off. So today I decided to test them. I flew stright out from the same point North, South, East and West of my position at 30 meters in altitude. Both RC for the 3 Pro and my mobile phone for the Mini 1 were on Airplane mode. Results below show distance until connection is lost with controller. In some of those cases the live feed cut off for the Mini 3 Pro but telemetry kept continuing until RTH.

North (Mini - 252 meters. Mini 3 Pro - 420 meters)
South (Mini - 1280 meters, Mini 3 Pro - 890 meters RTH, feed cut off at 800 meters) - this area is downhill where I get best range
East (Mini - 455 meters, Mini 3 Pro - 355 meters)
West (Mini - 435 meters, Mini 3 Pro - 350 meters)

In three out of the four scenarios the original Mini beat the Mini 3 Pro. My area is rural, beside a road and a few houses. The nearest town is small and about 1.5 km away.

I'm glad some people are getting decent range out of the 3 Pro but many of us are seeing shockingly poor signal strenght from an O3 drone. Based on info elsewhere in this thread I tested to see if the drone was still emitting a bluetooth signal and sure enough it was - DJI-MINI3-PRO-CF10. I don't know if this is the issue but it is something to look at.

Some positives!

Drone is SO much better in the wind than the Mini. I didn't have a single wind warning or slowdown with the Pro while it was a constant battle with the Mini to the point I was quite nervous.
RC controller so much easier and strightforward to use despite the bugs (again blue directional dot didn't appear during the test)
So much quieter! You really feel like you are not bothering anyone nearby or drawing attention to yourself. All said it is a much more pleasant experience.

JUST PLEASE FIX THE SIGNAL ISSUE. Otherwise it's a winner.

Thanks for sharing the test results.    DJI does need to investigate the signal issue as reported by many pilots.

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-21 05:43
Thanks for sharing the test results.    DJI does need to investigate the signal issue as reported by many pilots.

500m is probably about the absolute limit for VLOS anyway, with the Mini drones.

What controller were you using with the Mini 3?

There's something up with your Mavic Mini results, were you low with trees or something in the way?
Urban/coastal. low and with clear line of sight I would often see 600m before I begin to get problems, that's fine with me as it's my VLOS limit, Yes if trees get in the way I have had problems much closer but
in a range test over open sea I have seen over 2km and I have seen someone get out to 2.4km before they called it quits and both those are CE spec drones at under 150ft.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 5-21 06:35
What controller were you using with the Mini 3?

There's something up with your Mavic Mini results, were you low with trees or something in the way?

Mini 3 was using the new RC screen.

Area has quite a few trees as hedgerows, etc but the point of the test was to see if the Mini 3 had a stronger signal than the Mini in the same terrain. My unit definitely doesn't.

Indeed, drone is doing BT signaling when on and connected to RCU - but in my case it displays the name as the value i type in settings -> about -> "Name"

Blériot53 Posted at 5-21 05:56
500m is probably about the absolute limit for VLOS anyway, with the Mini drones.

I have fairly keen eyesight but I always stay under the 700m range.  I could see a Matrice further out but nothing smaller I'm sure.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-21 07:22
I have fairly keen eyesight but I always stay under the 700m range.  I could see a Matrice further out but nothing smaller I'm sure.

Counter-intuitively, it's easier to see the drone against a cloudy sky than a sunny one. So long as the cloud is high and white rather than storm cloud. I've managed to keep the M2Z in view to easily 600m that way.
Thing is though, look away to glance at the screen, and it's hard to re-acquire the drone visually

Did you report the issue to DJI Support?, i know so many people who have the mini 3 though if the issue is not reported to support i doubt they will look into the issue

did you account different positioning of the antennas on the controllers? perhaps the test should have be done at a higher altitude. 30m is cutting it too close and it could be the difference of the transmissions is causing that performance. you should have performed the test at at least 60  m which gives option to go further.

This is about the lower radio field strength of the MINI 3 system. This can have fatal effects if I fly in the forest, for example, and thus very quickly have field strength shadowing.

I really hope that a firmware upgrade makes this thing compatible with the RC Pro.  Perhaps that will improve the signal strength and range on this quad.

The solution is obvious: only fly to the North -- you'll have better range.  That was easy!

Blériot53 Posted at 5-21 07:47
Counter-intuitively, it's easier to see the drone against a cloudy sky than a sunny one. So long as the cloud is high and white rather than storm cloud. I've managed to keep the M2Z in view to easily 600m that way.
Thing is though, look away to glance at the screen, and it's hard to re-acquire the drone visually

If i plan on going flying i sometimes tape a small ribbon to the rear of the drone,  short enough no to tangel width the drone. Makes seeing it ao much easier   coz when you look away and look back hard to see ,with the ribbon i can see it much easier.

djiuser_co43r6PJI8ux Posted at 5-21 21:08
If i plan on going flying i sometimes tape a small ribbon to the rear of the drone,  short enough no to tangel width the drone. Makes seeing it ao much easier   coz when you look away and look back hard to see ,with the ribbon i can see it much easier.

I've never felt it necessary to go to those lengths   
And on the odd occasion when the drone does stray too far, there's always RTH to bring it safely back again.

djiuser_co43r6PJI8ux Posted at 5-21 21:08
If i plan on going flying i sometimes tape a small ribbon to the rear of the drone,  short enough no to tangel width the drone. Makes seeing it ao much easier   coz when you look away and look back hard to see ,with the ribbon i can see it much easier.

A good bright strobe can help.

Blériot53 Posted at 5-21 07:47
Counter-intuitively, it's easier to see the drone against a cloudy sky than a sunny one. So long as the cloud is high and white rather than storm cloud. I've managed to keep the M2Z in view to easily 600m that way.
Thing is though, look away to glance at the screen, and it's hard to re-acquire the drone visually

No argument here.  I even put skins on mine but doesn't help a lot to get it back into view after momentarily looking at screen.  On overcast days or early evening I will velcro on a strobe and that makes it really easy to see.

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-22 06:33
No argument here.  I even put skins on mine but doesn't help a lot to get it back into view after momentarily looking at screen.  On overcast days or early evening I will velcro on a strobe and that makes it really easy to see.

That's probably the best solution - more effective than a ribbon tail as suggested by one of your fellow countrymen in #14 above

Burstmode Posted at 5-21 22:04
A good bright strobe can help.

It sure does.  

Blériot53 Posted at 5-22 06:41
That's probably the best solution - more effective than a ribbon tail as suggested by one of your fellow countrymen in #14 above

I saw that comment and thought that might create a untenable safety issue.  I think I'll stick with my trusty strobe light.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-22 14:04
I saw that comment and thought that might create a untenable safety issue.  I think I'll stick with my trust strobe light.

Strobe would be far more visible, I agree.

Blériot53 Posted at 5-22 20:38
Strobe would be far more visible, I agree.

It just simply works and with velcro I've never worried about it coming off in flight.

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-23 02:41
It just simply works and with velcro I've never worried about it coming off in flight.

I guess you've judged the centre of gravity of the drone in order to place it for minimum balance and airflow disruption?

Blériot53 Posted at 5-23 02:43
I guess you've judged the centre of gravity of the drone in order to place it for minimum balance and airflow disruption?

  You must have me confused with an Aeronautical Engineer.  I'm just a retired Lawyer.  The strobe is so light in weight that it doesn't seem to really have an effect on the flight capabilities of the drone.  I just pick a spot that I though worked best and went with it.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-23 03:31
You must have me confused with an Aeronautical Engineer.  I'm just a retired Lawyer.  The strobe is so light in weight that it doesn't seem to really have an effect on the flight capabilities of the drone.  I just pick a spot that I though worked best and went with it.

Like pin the tail on the donkey?  

Blériot53 Posted at 5-21 05:56
500m is probably about the absolute limit for VLOS anyway, with the Mini drones.

Maybe but have you read the comments of people with no signal at 200 meters

Exib Posted at 5-23 04:08
Maybe but have you read the comments of people with no signal at 200 meters

Indeed I have

Blériot53 Posted at 5-23 04:12
Indeed I have

OK so you must agree that there is issue that needs resolving with firmware

Exib Posted at 5-23 04:30
OK so you must agree that there is issue that needs resolving with firmware

I'm not obliged to agree or disagree.

Exib Posted at 5-23 04:30
OK so you must agree that there is issue that needs resolving with firmware

You're assuming its fixable in f/w, and that it isn't a design issue with the antennas on the aircraft...

TheBoy Posted at 5-23 04:38
You're assuming its fixable in f/w, and that it isn't a design issue with the antennas on the aircraft...

True but I'm hoping

Blériot53 Posted at 5-23 04:05
Like pin the tail on the donkey?

Exactly!  You know me too well.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-23 12:09
Exactly!  You know me too well.

TheBoy Posted at 5-23 04:38
You're assuming its fixable in f/w, and that it isn't a design issue with the antennas on the aircraft...

oh boy, don't start.  you know you're going to get lots of hate by suggesting this, right?  if there are drones + rcs that get good range and then there are drones + rcs that are not getting good range, how on earth can the rc design be the problem when it works just fine for some?  <- that will be the answer prevailing reply to your assertion.  lol

here's what you will be told:  "there is absolutely no evidence that points to any issue with the rc antenna design."  and because you have no evidence, that cannot be it.  

The Saint Posted at 5-23 12:16
oh boy, don't start.  you know you're going to get lots of hate by suggesting this, right?  if there are drones + rcs that get good range and then there are drones + rcs that are not getting good range, how on earth can the rc design be the problem when it works just fine for some?

Any radio wave engineers out there that can test this once and for all and put us all out of our misery??

Bussty Posted at 5-23 14:49
Any radio wave engineers out there that can test this once and for all and put us all out of our misery??

I don't have the gear for these frequencies, and I doubt work will fund it !

TheBoy Posted at 5-25 00:24
I don't have the gear for these frequencies, and I doubt work will fund it !

All good, wouldn't expect them too :-) Cheers

Same with me. Most range problems occur downhill....

Have DJI commented anywhere at all about the range issues with the Mini 3 Pro?

Majorly concerning given that I (along with many others) have spent close to £1200 on a brand new product that has worse range than my Mini 2.

deadpool Posted at 6-10 11:26
Have DJI commented anywhere at all about the range issues with the Mini 3 Pro?

Majorly concerning given that I (along with many others) have spent close to £1200 on a brand new product that has worse range than my Mini 2.

Of course they have.
Same answer every single time.

A nice picture of the controller orientation.
Point it at the drone they say...lol

That kind of BS will never make it to higher level support.

These complains need to be called in.
Forums aren't going to get anywhere.
Even better, would be thousands of M3P being returned for crappy range issues.