Correction it's 100mw TX power here in uk

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-5-5 11:18
" I am counting days till other drone manufacturer comes up with a better technology "

DJI releas ...

The truth is that less power does not correlate less range. I have stated before and I will state again that transmission power output has a greater effect on range when in an environment that has obstructions and interference. Even though the transmission power of the P4 is a little less than what the power output of the early P3 transmitters used to be, if you put them side-by-side in an area that has little to no interference and minimal to no obstructions, you would most certainly achieve the advertised range of 3.1 miles max range. As stated in a previous post, this will only upset a few compared to the masses that use the drone as a video and photography tool on-site for a task on hand. Since the FAA and other aviation authorities state their wishes onto the drone communities, DJI can easily appease these authorities by decreasing transmitter power in intervals undercover. It just makes the most sense.

What I'm trying to say is authorities and the masses at large do not wish to have drone pilots flying out of line of sight and have stated they believe it to be dangerous. I can see DJI easily reducing transmission power in both the drones and transmiters discreetly to have less liability when it comes to who to blame for encouraging or supporting long range drone use for a few enthusiasts or those who do so for entertainment. Yes it is ultimately the pilot in command's choice to fly as high or far as one possibly can and be reckless about it but, as a company, I feel that DJI can minimize this "choice" by discouraging these actions by decreasing transmit power to a "reasonable" level especially as these drones become more mainstream is the key. As stated before, it is a win-win for DJI.

david.p.mann@ea Posted at 2016-5-2 23:29
No decrease in range here using latest P4 aircraft firmware (1.1.301) and Phantom 4 RC firmware (1.6 ...

How did you go over 4 miles ? It's impossible unless you have a modified rc controller which you didn't mention . So either your lying or withholding information

sbuchanan813 Posted at 2016-5-6 01:17
How did you go over 4 miles ? It's impossible unless you have a modified rc controller which you d ...

I posted the flight record photo directly from the DJI GO app. My P4 aircraft and RC are stock with one $30 non-permanent modification - an aluminum parabolic reflector that I slip over the two RC antenna.

I have posted a picture of the parabolic reflector and all the procedures I use to get reliable HD Link and RC signal level (at any distance) here: http://forum.dji.com/thread-46954-1-1.html

In my response to the OP's post on this particular forum topic, my intent was only to indicate that I have not seen a reduction in range as a result of recent firmware changes.

Please be respectful when asking questions on this forum (or anywhere else, for that matter).  

DanielMyst777 Posted at 2016-5-5 10:49
The truth is that less power does not correlate less range. I have stated before and I will state a ...

You are so wrong to say that transmitter power does not correlate to range except when there are obstructions. The receiver has to receive a certain level of signal to be able to process it into meaningful instructions for the processor(s) in the aircraft.  

DanielMyst777 Posted at 2016-5-6 02:49
The truth is that less power does not correlate less range. I have stated before and I will state a ...

"Since the FAA and other aviation authorities state their wishes onto the drone communities, DJI can easily appease these authorities by decreasing transmitter power in intervals undercover. It just makes the most sense. "

And that makes no sense at all as I explained earlier.
If DJI was trying to reduce the ability of the Phantom to appease the FAA, they would lose the support of the million or so owners out there and they wouldn't still allow the Phantom to fly so far or so high.
The whole idea just doesn't add up at all.

'Since the FAA and other aviation authorities state their wishes onto the drone communities, DJI can easily appease these authorities by decreasing transmitter power in intervals undercover. It just makes the most sense. '

The FAA has no jurisdiction over the radio spectrum, that is the job of the FCC. If the transmitter is complying with the relevant FCC regulations, there is no issue. There are thousands of RC systems out there in use for model aircraft, boats and cars, why would they be permitted to use full transmitter power and not quadcopters?

The FAA is also probably not interested in the range of the aircraft either, they are more interested in keeping them out of the way of other aircraft. On the contrary, your argument does not make sense.

' I can see DJI easily reducing transmission power in both the drones and transmiters discreetly to have less liability when it comes to who to blame for encouraging or supporting long range drone use for a few enthusiasts or those who do so for entertainment.'

There is no liability on the part of DJI at all, it is only the operator who can be held responsible. As long as DJI comply with redio regulations, they are fine. And it would require the FCC to make changes to those regulations and then everyone would have to comply, every form of radio remote control system.

Alright, instead of all these "you are wrong and everything you say is shit" posts, how about being more constructive and inputting your interpretation of why DJI is deliberately lowering output power of the transmitters and/or drone. We only have two other options and that's the new Lightbridge encryption coding developed in the newest update that requires less power to transmit or a firmware coding bug so let's talk about it.

DanielMyst777 Posted at 2016-5-6 10:43
Alright, instead of all these "you are wrong and everything you say is shit" posts, how about being  ...

I have no idea why DJI would lower the power output of the transmitter, and I am yet to see any convincing proof that they have. On the other hand, I am not speculating about it with wild ideas either, that appears to be your job. Carry on.

So I have no idea how long these specs have been posted on the dji site. But it does show that to comply with FCC or CE requirements , they would probably have to control  power output via software... Just maybe this version is incorrectly applying the CE standard via Gps location.. It would explain range reduction..

P3
2.400 GHz-2.483 GHz
Max Transmission Distance        Up to 5 km or 3.1 miles (unobstructed, free of interference) when FCC compliant
Up to 3.5 km or 2.1 miles (unobstructed, free of interference) when CE compliant

Well since the RF power has been cut and user distances decreased. DJI should alter the specs to proper distances the phantom can go. 3.1 miles is way to far fetched and false advertising.. Hopefully there will be a hack by a third party( maybe the guy that broke Apples security for the FBI) will find away to get back what was promised in the specs produced by DJI. "Up to 5 km or 3.1 miles (unobstructed, free of interference) "

Notice tho it says "UP TO"  That's their loophole advised by lawyers I bet.............well you got  100 feet..specs say up to so that's zero to 5km your within spec... TOTAL BS  False advertising lawyer tricks.

bfd300 Posted at 2016-5-6 11:42
Well since the RF power has been cut and user distances decreased. DJI should alter the specs to pro ...

I have no idea what the situation is with respect to the latest firmware but there is nothing at all wrong with DJI stating range as up to ...
That's not lawyers weasel words or false advertising at all.
Since the P3 came out owners have easily been able to fly up to those distances and more.
DJI actually increased the numbers in the published specs six months back to more accurately reflect the real world results that owners were getting.
Anyone with just a little experience knows that your local environment and antenna orientation can make very large differences in what range you can achieve with your Phantom where you fly it.

DanielMyst777 Posted at 2016-5-6 10:43
Alright, instead of all these "you are wrong and everything you say is shit" posts, how about being  ...

"inputting your interpretation of why DJI is deliberately lowering output power of the transmitters and/or drone."

Are DJI deliberately lowering output power?
Has that been proved?
You've seen someone paste a couple of pics of some numbers on a dial.
Do you know that he was using his test equipment properly?
Can you be sure that his Phantom was functioning properly?
Do you know for sure he was even using it on a Phantom?
Has this been corroborated by others?
Before you go off on a witch hunt, you really have to be certain there is a witch to hunt.
How do you account for other users reporting that their range is not affected by latest firmware?

Geebax Posted at 2016-5-5 21:23
I have no idea why DJI would lower the power output of the transmitter, and I am yet to see any co ...

I will keep on keeping on you miserable sack of beewax

It is no secret the power was reduced otherwise there is no explanation for decreased distances... esp for users that have a benchmark and went to fly same route and get less out of their aircraft. So you can  stop rt there.
Now I know that physics behind antennas I hold 2 FCC licenses and have passed Ham tests  how radios waves work, propagation and all that. The antennas here are not the issue  so you can stop that also.
So now lets get to the specs.....they claim "Up to 5 km or 3.1 miles (unobstructed, free of interference) " correct?  and they are 100% right.  BUT to a consumer they will read the spec and say OK I have no trees no houses no wifi in my are I can for 5km. and yet they wont get half that. Maybe not false advertising due to the "UP TO" wording . perhaps consumer fraud.  Either way. it is not right.
Maybe by some chance the FCC or Faa put more restrictions on TX power output (very possible)  The company should have notified the consumers if this is the case.  They need to remember. The fcc nor the Faa are there target audience.......The hard working people (us, you and me) are.  The more peoples complain about a product that used to this or that and now cant..the word will get out and a company just might no longer be in business.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-5-5 21:52
I have no idea what the situation is with respect to the latest firmware but there is nothing at al ...

It's true they can say "up to" in perfect conditions so it's more of a play on words so to say. Best bet is to see if they respond to decreased power output in the P3 RC firmware or see if anything changes next firmware update to the RC in the P3. I'm keeping an eye out for reports of any range loss with the P4 especially.

DanielMyst777 Posted at 2016-5-6 12:06
It's true they can say "up to" in perfect conditions so it's more of a play on words so to say. Be ...

It's not a play on words or consumer fraud or anything like it.
It is accurately stating what the performance is.
You've been spending too much energy sharpening your pitchforks to see things clearly.

bfd300 Posted at 2016-5-6 12:03
It is no secret the power was reduced otherwise there is no explanation for decreased distances... e ...

"Maybe by some chance the FCC or Faa put more restrictions on TX power output (very possible)"

What kind of fantasy world do you live in?
The FCC doesn't make snap changes like that affecting a vast number of users of radio equipment?
Very possible???   Think again and come up with something more realistic.

OMG  UP TO is not an accurate statement..............you call a contractor to paint your house and he say's "it will cost you UP TO $3000"  or would you rather have an exact price?

As said before it's a play on words. advertising tricks and gimmicks.
  I am not sharpening anything I mearly stating my Opinions.  Furthermore I am very happy w/ my Phantoms  I personally I dont care about long distances....what I do care about is strong signals......which were now cut.

Snap changes.......its the Government  They can change pretty much much what they want when they want.....now who's living in a fantasy world.


when you were a kid ( I hope I don't ruin this for you) and lost a tooth........it wasn't the tooth fairy.

bfd300 Posted at 2016-5-6 12:18
OMG  UP TO is not an accurate statement..............you call a contractor to paint your house and h ...

The surface area to be painted is a finite quantity.

Use your radio control outdoors and there are lots of variables that affect performance.
As someone with FCC licences and having passed ham tests you must be aware of that.
Are you really so obtuse that you imagine DJI could accurately provide numbers for each combination of factors?
They simply give a best case number, that by the way has been shown to be a conservative figure.
Anyone with an IQ above room temperature can work that out what "up to" means for themselves.

Your not getting my point.  It's advertising banter.....that's all hell they could have said UP TO 3000km.  Either way it's not even close to the claim. even more so since last FW update ........As sooooo many have stated.
And you are right there is NO way to duplicate every and all conditions that would affect radio waves.  SO you got 3.1 miles from your bird?  no you didn't no one has w/out a range booster or over water perhaps.Did you do all the updates? have you noticed any differences?.......I see you all over this forum making comments about other people and what they are doing wrong but yet you never (that I saw) mentioned if you did the update or had issues.

Lets just agree to disagree.   

bfd300 Posted at 2016-5-6 12:03
It is no secret the power was reduced otherwise there is no explanation for decreased distances... e ...

'..the word will get out and a company just might no longer be in business.'

I would like a buck for every time that tired old crap has been wheeled out, and yet DJI keeps going from strength to strength. The company was going to DIE over the geo fencing issue.... still there.

Time will tell

This rumor stemmed from a test done by a Facebook user. The user did an RC power output test and found that after updating the RC firmware to 1.6, RC wattage decreased from 24mw to 11.79mw. In fact, the wattage was not decreased; the user performed the test using an incorrect frequency and this influenced his results. .  DJI RC power output for FCC is 79 mw, for CE is 25 mw DJI has no incentive to decrease RC power.

bfd300 Posted at 2016-5-6 12:34
Your not getting my point.  It's advertising banter.....that's all hell they could have said UP TO 3 ...

"Your not getting my point. "

That's probably because you don't have one.
If you want to be relevant, go back and establish that DJI actually has reduced power rather than running with the mob just because someone says DJI reduced power..

I cant with 100% certainty Can you that they didn't?  No you cant.  I can only go by what others are saying and my own experience.  I am curious about something else that just may determine if the power decrease (so called) rumor has weight.  It's something I noticed last week w/ my AC.   It popped into my head a few minutes ago. I'll do a few tests tomorrow ( if it's not raining)
Labroides I have no hard or harsh feeling toward you so please don't think that.....  we just disagree on things.....that's our nature.  I respect your thoughts, your opinions and your compassion.  You have your and I have mine.

bfd300 Posted at 2016-5-6 12:57
I cant with 100% certainty Can you that they didn't?  No you cant.  I can only go by what others are ...

"I cant with 100% certainty Can you that they didn't?  No you cant.  I can only go by what others are saying and my own experience.  I am curious about something else that just may determine if the power decrease (so called) rumor has weight. "

Post #65 above sheds some light on this discussion

OH Then it must be true........cuz you cant post anything on the internet that's not true.

Range decrease by half as well.

I stated when I first got a P4, that the P3 had a better signal range....not based on reports...but on my flying the same places I have been flying for over 2 years. I just got an FPVLR amp antenna array and got better range. The P4 still doesn't have the firepower of past DJI products...it is still a good camera for family events...it is very stable and is the best drone I have used for indoor work...it's just not a great long distance flier. I think it was designed for LOS and small areas...they should have made this more clear in their promotion.

Dji ... Here in the UK transmitter power can be upto 100mw legally in the UK and 25mw for video transmit power ... So is the video and TX signal at the same level?

DJI-Tim Posted at 2016-5-6 04:43
This rumor stemmed from a test done by a Facebook user. The user did an RC power output test and fou ...

Finally! Thanks Tim for the answer. You took your time though

Tim I must add. I read this thread http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... =398891&page=2. And what DJI-Ken wrote concerns me. According to a user in that thread he changed his statement from "Again, the power has not been reduced" to "Again, the range is still the same." I'm so confused.

OK never mind. Now he said it: "There is no reduction in power or range !". I'm so tired. Need a break.

DJI posted the following video in a similar thread which shows all components active and on the current firmware.  Power reading is as stated in specs...  (at least according to this test)..

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... &fromuid=259877

Hello there, yep click-it .. check-it .. http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... mp;extra=#pid405383

I've noticed it one of the only threads dji haven't commented on,
What are we to make of there silence

DJI-Tim Posted at 2016-5-5 22:43
This rumor stemmed from a test done by a Facebook user. The user did an RC power output test and fou ...

Hi DJI-Tim,

How can I identify Phantom 4 version FCC 79 mW or CE 25 mW?    Thank you.

ardrijewellery@ Posted at 2016-5-15 04:49
I've noticed it one of the only threads dji haven't commented on,
What are we to make of there silen ...

What do you call post #65 here?