I was wondering how you can either get software, or an add on to increase max altitude, as well as max distance from the remote.  Any help or suggestions would be great.  Thank you!

Not possible. DJI has set the maximum height in the software.

Various methods out there that claim to increase the control distance.

Max altitude is set by firmware I think.

Why do you want to fly higher than the law allows?

It is things like that happening that is giving this hobby a bad name.

Rigworker Posted at 2015-8-28 08:56
Various methods out there that claim to increase the control distance.

Max altitude is set by firm ...

Exactly! 500 Meters = 1640 Feet! FAA says 400 Feet Max, and not within 5 miles of an airport - at least In Florida anyway.

I heard on another thread that there is an android only app called litchi which is in beta testing right now... I heard that it could get around the altitude restriction somehow. I use iOS, so I will be out of luck.. Just something I heard, can't confirm it

Are you aware the FAA is trying to finalize rules for this hobby that will become LAW soon?
Are you aware what you are wanting to do is EXACTLY what they are working to prevent?
Or are you a troll fishing for posts for just this reason?  (seems this is your only post)

Unless you have specific reasons for wanting to do this (such as commerical purposes)...

Thanks for helping the FAA, every "evil drone" hater and every govt agency interested in limiting drone use  get their way.

If you think the FAA and those interested in limiting our hobby don't use posts from these forums against us you are naive.

Just more ammunition to use to kill this great hobby.

THANKS !!

Why DJI allows these posts is beyond me.

Cessna172 Posted at 2015-8-28 03:18
Are you aware the FAA is trying to finalize rules for this hobby that will become LAW soon?
Are you  ...

You can legally fly higher than 400ft from where you took off from, if you're flying up a mountain for example. You could be 1000ft up from where you took off from, but still less than 400ft above ground level.

But, most people would abuse it so I see where you're coming from. Just letting you know there IS a legit use

Oliver Posted at 2015-8-28 10:32
You can legally fly higher than 400ft from where you took off from, if you're flying up a mountain ...

You are right oliver ! if i want to skim the surface of a mountain that is 3000 feet high, i can't from the bottom i have to be on top to be able to do that.

Once i reach 1600 feet i am out of luck, what if there is no road to reach the top of the mountain, and only hiking can do it and i am disabled and want to go up there, many legal scenarios for this need.

Wouldn't you use most of your battery power flying over 1600 feet from home point though?  That's pretty high, even if it's up the side of a mountain!

john.lambert4@o Posted at 2015-8-28 10:54
Wouldn't you use most of your battery power flying over 1600 feet from home point though?  That's pr ...

I flew on one battery from on top at 3000 feet and went out 8000 feet and climbed up 2000 feet while coming back the 8000 feet, and i was at 20% at touchdown.

Cessna172 Posted at 2015-8-27 19:18
Are you aware the FAA is trying to finalize rules for this hobby that will become LAW soon?
Are you  ...

All the more reason the get it done now while it's NOT illegal.

Just don't do it!

If you collide with an airplane you might end up in jail.

And rightly so.

DJI has placed these restrictions for a reason.  I had to deny one of our professional users just last week.  He wanted to climb 3000' up the side of a mountain to a plateau for a documentary he was filming.  I told him we will not change the policy even for him.  Sorry.

toddf.perkins@g Posted at 2015-8-27 22:09
I heard on another thread that there is an android only app called litchi which is in beta testing r ...

www.flylitchi.com/logs

Litchi has nothing do with altitude limitations. It was originally a "ground station" of sorts for the Phantom 2.The conversion of your logs to CSV format works with Phantom 3 log files.

I think Litchi works with both iOS and Android.

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2015-8-28 08:38
DJI has placed these restrictions for a reason.  I had to deny one of our professional users just la ...

Assuming we ignore VLOS laws for a moment - climbing 3000ft up the side of a mountain would still be legal (assuming you maintain <400ft AGL), so what is the reason for the restrictions?

Oliver Posted at 2015-8-28 19:22
Assuming we ignore VLOS laws for a moment - climbing 3000ft up the side of a mountain would still b ...

Oliver, you are correct but it would be impossible for us to implement.  Our VPS system is only good to a max of 3M.  That is not going to be much use to anyone.

A factory settings of 2000 meters reach  is nonsense to the 500 meters hight limit  if you still can not fly beyond the law than in the visible range, why DJI has the opportunity to fly 2000 meters far?

k.kavelaars@qui Posted at 2015-8-28 21:37
A factory settings of 2000 meters reach  is nonsense to the 500 meters hight limit  if you still can ...

Right now there is no law about BVR as far as I know in the US.  There are recommendations.  However, there are laws about incursions in to general aviation air space.  There is a difference.

Thank you for all the responses.  It's not so much the max altitude, I'm also concerned that the software stops me from flying reasonable distances from the home point no matter what the altitude.  I bought this drone based on advertised limits, and I find that I can't get anywhere close to those distance either vertically or horizontally!

I can get as far as 4300 meters with windsurfer antenna !  but not alowed..

here in the Netherlands there is a law saying that you can,t fly furhter then 100 meters away from you and only 125 meters in altitude...

zorn.matthew Posted at 2015-8-28 21:58
Thank you for all the responses.  It's not so much the max altitude, I'm also concerned that the sof ...

For DISTANCE (not height) you can remove the limit.  Go into your settings, read through it it's near the height limit.

Also from what I read,  you are supposed to only go 400 feet above TAKEOFF.  They don't mention mountain shadowing.   
Sorry this is going off memory, when I was looking into 333 exemptions, and studying the law about it, I do not have a link.
Might also have been in the proposed law.  
Doesn't seem an issue to me, but agree there's no way for DJI to implement it without abuse.
Personally I like to see such responsibility from a company.  'Specially one in a country that usually sells things with no thought.  (2 watt "laser pointers" come to mind).

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2015-8-28 13:29
Oliver, you are correct but it would be impossible for us to implement.  Our VPS system is only go ...

So what you are saying is that the 500m limit is only there to stop people breaking the law?
I'm a bit confused though because what law limits height to 500m? The most I see is 400ft. All I'm wondering is where 500m comes from. Why not 1000m for example?

Oliver Posted at 2015-8-28 12:02
So what you are saying is that the 500m limit is only there to stop people breaking the law?
I'm a ...

I don't set policy, I just report it.

If the GPS is turned off, and the output of the barometer was modified, it just might be possible to go higher.
But anyway, if DJI implements any more restrictions, the sales will drop off. If their business starts to fail, all those limits will come off in a hurry.  Why ? their will always be competitors looking for an edge.  And given equal quality, which would you buy ?  A crippled quad or a quad that lets you decide where you want to take it.  I follow the rules to the letter, but I just don't believe in forced restrictions.  
    Lets take this a bit further....  Would you buy a car that can only do the speed limit ?  Would you buy a cell phone that disables it's functionality when it's in a moving vehicle ?  Of course not !  I want to be personally responsible for my actions. I don't need a nanny looking over my shoulder telling me what I can do !   
    OK ,lets look at the flip side.  If my crippled quad ventures into restricted airspace , even though it's software should not have allowed it, does that make DJI responsible for any destruction that occurs ?
It seems only fair that DJI should bear the responsibility for any deaths and destruction.  
    By implementing built in restrictions, I should be off the hook for any no-fly-zone  accidents, and if they hard code the 400 ft limit, I should also bear no responsibility for any height malfunctions.
    I think the drone manufacturers should not place any limits on their products. It should be MY responsibility to avoid no fly zones, and obey height limits.  Like others have said, legal exceptions do exist for the need to fly high. Following the contour of a mountain is one. Search and rescue would be another.  DJI and other drone manufacturers should take another look at built in restrictions. All those disclaimers of responsibility will not keep them out of court should an accident occur while the limits are active and failed to work.
        

"If DJI implements any more restrictions, the sales will drop off. If their business starts to fail, all those limits will come off in a hurry."

DJI is a $10 Billion dollar company, they will sell more quads this Christmas then anyone else on the planet, do you think they agree with you? They are taking a responsible approach to setting limits because the owners cannot be trusted to do so. This argument has been posted on this forum dozens of times and it changes nothing.

terihanright.gm Posted at 2015-11-6 20:24
If the GPS is turned off, and the output of the barometer was modified, it just might be possible to ...

Wow! Very intelligent outlook. You make some good points.

terihanright.gm Posted at 2015-11-6 20:24
If the GPS is turned off, and the output of the barometer was modified, it just might be possible to ...

Wow! Very intelligent outlook. You make some good points.

I kind of want to at least go up to 800 to 1000 meter higher of coarse because when I am doing trekking on the mountains I will like to override this so I could see where the trials or the route to go, more as a guide to take a better path of my climb on the day.

Would it be possible to land part way up the mountain and reset the landing height? While not optimal I would think this would be a simple solution that could not be abused.

fansf6a3bc8d Posted at 2017-2-14 17:12
Would it be possible to land part way up the mountain and reset the landing height? While not optimal I would think this would be a simple solution that could not be abused.

So the aircraft tips over on landing and you have to hike all the way up the mountain to get it?

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-14 17:16
So you'd be comfortable landing 1600 feet away on the side of a mountain with just the camera to try to figure out a flat spot?   Hope you like hiking ;)

Hike up, plant the sheet of plywood, painted a fluorescent colour.


Hike back down, fly back up, hope to land square, on the pad. Cut the motors, start up, fly much higher.
Paying particular attention to the remaining voltage.


Then fly back down to ground zero.


Please record the video, but do not post it! ;-)

If anything goes wrong, you don't know me. Chuckles


RedHotPoker

fansf6a3bc8d Posted at 2017-2-14 17:12
Would it be possible to land part way up the mountain and reset the landing height? While not optimal I would think this would be a simple solution that could not be abused.

That sounds good as a hypothetical.
But think about how you would find a flat landing spot that will give you clear, unobstructed line of sight back to your launch point.
It's not going to be so easy in practice.

Labroides Posted at 2017-2-14 19:36
That sounds good as a hypothetical.
But think about how you would find a flat landing spot that will give you clear, unobstructed line of sight back to your launch point.
It's not going to be so easy in practice.

Like I stated, just use a piece of plywood, painted florescent Orange, big enough to spot in the camera view.  Said and done. Haha

Preplan the trip... Before hand


RedHotPoker

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-14 20:30
I've never actually tried to land using only the screen display.   Maybe I'll try it next time I take the bird out if I remember but close to me.

Yes, go for it. Lots of fun... Haha



RedHotPoker

I have a phantom 4 advanced and for some reason it has no limit on how high it can go..  I have it set at 400 ft on the app and I looked down the other day and it was up at 650 feet???  

As a retired pilot with over 27,000 hours, it's beyond me why anyone would want to go above the restricted altitude limitations. In my early days of flying, bird-strike was our biggest fear. Today... it's drones! Why risk the lives of hundreds of innocent people? If you want to fly high, call Delta.  

dlw5294 Posted at 2017-12-22 12:55
As a retired pilot with over 27,000 hours, it's beyond me why anyone would want to go above the restricted altitude limitations. In my early days of flying, bird-strike was our biggest fear. Today... it's drones! Why risk the lives of hundreds of innocent people? If you want to fly high, call Delta.

'As a retired pilot with over 27,000 hours, it's beyond me why anyone would want to go above the restricted altitude limitations.'

Because the only qualification to obtain a drone and fly it is money, and the stupid also have money.

Please let me know i need to unlock max height for mavic