I recently got the Phantom 4 Pro+.  I have to say it's not as advertised in way of range. I was sold a machine with specs boasting 4.5 miles. As it sits I can't get a quarter of that. I'm only getting around a half to three quarters of a mile. It'll let me go it just loses signall. Do I need to shimmy up a freaking tree to get a couple of miles?  

I have to add that other than the range issue it's been great.

Any help figuring out what is keeping me from increasing my distances would be greatly appreciated.

Interesting that you live in the land of 'Anonymous Proxy'?

The advertised range is a optimistic figure, obtained under ideal conditions, which the average purchaser will never be able to duplicate. Either that or it is a work of fiction....

You will never get close to it unless you fly out over water, and anything in your path will limit the range, and you will never get anything near it in a city or suburban locale.

However, given that the civil aviation regulations in every country in the world say you must not fly further than you can see the aircraft with the naked eye, or even less, then any further range is moot.

"I have to say it's not as advertised in way of range"

What's advertised is x km (Unobstructed, free of interference)
Are you flying in a good interference free area?
If not, you can't claim it is not as advertised.

There are lots of things that can affect range and local interference is a big one.
The specs aren't saying you will get this distance, they are saying .. you can get up to this distance (in perfect conditions).

Geebax Posted at 2017-2-7 16:25
Interesting that you live in the land of 'Anonymous Proxy'?

The advertised range is a optimistic figure, obtained under ideal conditions, which the average purchaser will never be able to duplicate. Either that or it is a work of fiction....

Thanks for your response.

Anonymous Proxy is beautiful this time of year.

I can agree that 4 miles is not in the cards. My problem is that I'm only getting around 1000' distance (1300 is my max) before I lose signal. Please tell me this is not normal.

Beux Posted at 2017-2-7 16:45
Thanks for your response.

Anonymous Proxy is beautiful this time of year.

Fine, but where are you flying? As Labroides says, range is not just a factor of distance, it can also mean that the Phantom signals are being swamped by a zillion local radio emitting devices. The system shares the 2.4Ghz band with WiFi and a whole range of different radio-based devices.

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-7 17:02
I had a weird one yesterday at 2000 feet out, got a weak signal warning so I initiated RTH, I watched it spin 180* and start coming home on the tablet.   Maybe 50 feet into the RTH it lost signal completely for a few seconds.   The RTH path was not exactly the same that I flew out so it was maybe a tree in the way, a strong wifi or maybe I ordinated my antenna differently.   Single came back pretty fast and reviewing the video I didn't react at all the the singnal loss since it was already in RTH mode.

I'm fly a lot from home in a weird suburban location.  It looks like I'm in the country but it's really about 50-60 acres of country in the middle of a city with all the normal radio waves.

Nice pic.

Is 2000' a normal signal loss or can you generally go further? I'm in a suburb less than 10 miles from Atlanta so I know I'm going to get a trashy signal. I just expected/expect better. Maybe it's just my ignorance....I am a newbie.

Beux Posted at 2017-2-7 17:14
Nice pic.

Is 2000' a normal signal loss or can you generally go further? I'm in a suburb less than 10 miles from Atlanta so I know I'm going to get a trashy signal. I just expected/expect better. Maybe it's just my ignorance....I am a newbie.

It all depends on obstacles and signal quality. 2000' is not a normal signal loss under excellent conditions, but it might well be normal under your specific conditions.

One cheap thing that requires making no modifications is a pair of windsurfers. They increase my range by a good 50%. These are $17.. there are cheaper ones that are likely just as good but these are the ones I have.
https://www.amazon.com/SKYREAT-P ... oster+for+Phantom+4

Showing that Falcons logo, really...

Also, it's pretty well known at this point that recording in 4K, and/or recording at high frame rates, somehow messes with the quality of the video transmission to your viewing device. It doesn't make sense, and people are mad about it, but there will likely be a software fix at some point. For now, I'm using 1080p/30fps. Any higher than that and I get problems.

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-7 17:02
I had a weird one yesterday at 2000 feet out, got a weak signal warning so I initiated RTH, I watched it spin 180* and start coming home on the tablet.   Maybe 50 feet into the RTH it lost signal completely for a few seconds.   The RTH path was not exactly the same that it flew out so it was maybe a tree in the way, a strong wifi or maybe I oriented my antenna differently.   Signal came back pretty fast and reviewing the video it didn't react at all the the singnal loss since it was already in RTH mode.

I'm fly a lot from home in a weird suburban location.  It looks like I'm in the country but it's really about 50-60 acres of country in the middle of a city with all the normal radio waves.

How did you go about getting that fisheye-lens picture?

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-7 18:59
I have some and haven't used them yet.   Couple more experiments and I'll try them.  I was initially worried about them while I got used to orientation standing up and watching the bird.  At 2000 feet now I just sit down and look at the iPad ;)

I lean the windsurfers back against the top of my device holder. It also can be helpful to tape the antennas together.

AlecW Posted at 2017-2-7 19:04
1). I took 26 pics (360 pano) using litchi at 400' in RAW mode with a N8 filter (bright day and snow)
2). Used lightroom to convert the raw to jpeg with minor changes.
3). Used Microsoft ICE to stitch them and make the planet (it's a free program).  Google "Microsoft ICE how to make a tiny planet", it takes 5 mins.

Neat effect and eye-catching picture.

i don't get it why would you fly miles away. this is a toy, can barely make it for 20 something minutes, if the wind changes she might not be able to return. the live feed is hardly useable in terms o piloting, if you get confused RTH is really a last option, you practically have 5-6 max 7 minutes of safe flying one way, the rest is lottery. i own a p4

WindSoul Posted at 2017-2-7 21:03
i don't get it why would you fly miles away. this is a toy, can barely make it for 20 something minutes, if the wind changes she might not be able to return. the live feed is hardly useable in terms o piloting, if you get confused RTH is really a last option, you practically have 5-6 max 7 minutes of safe flying one way, the rest is lottery. i own a p4

When the mountain climber was asked why he climbed the mountain, he answered "because it was there".

The wish to fly far is something that varies among pilots of RC copters and planes. No need to be critical of those who find the idea more irresistible than you do. There will always be those who are both more and less interested in pushing the envelope than you are. None of us has the perfect balance of risk and sensibility, although many of us think we do.

fans40289743 Posted at 2017-2-7 18:16
It all depends on obstacles and signal quality. 2000' is not a normal signal loss under excellent conditions, but it might well be normal under your specific conditions.

One cheap thing that requires making no modifications is a pair of windsurfers. They increase my range by a good 50%. These are $17.. there are cheaper ones that are likely just as good but these are the ones I have.

Thanks for the post.

I'm glad you like those range extenders. I have a pair coming tomorrow. If I can get an increase around what you're getting I would be beside myself for that price.

WindSoul Posted at 2017-2-7 21:03
i don't get it why would you fly miles away. this is a toy, can barely make it for 20 something minutes, if the wind changes she might not be able to return. the live feed is hardly useable in terms o piloting, if you get confused RTH is really a last option, you practically have 5-6 max 7 minutes of safe flying one way, the rest is lottery. i own a p4

Thanks for the comments.
It's not a matter of why I would want to as much as it is a matter of why I can't.  This machine is supposed to get good range. I'm not getting that. The only reason I've needed the RTH is due to loss of signal.

sd603 Posted at 2017-2-7 18:18
Showing that Falcons logo, really...

Yes. Thank you for noticing.

fans40289743 Posted at 2017-2-8 03:00
When the mountain climber was asked why he climbed the mountain, he answered "because it was there".

The wish to fly far is something that varies among pilots of RC copters and planes. No need to be critical of those who find the idea more irresistible than you do. There will always be those who are both more and less interested in pushing the envelope than you are. None of us has the perfect balance of risk and sensibility, although many of us think we do.

Very well put. Thank you for the post.

I have the P4 and the Mavic Pro. Both operate at 2.4 freq. I can get much farther with my Mavic comparing to the P4 under the same city conditions.
I won't expect the max advertised range, but I with my P4 I barely make it to 1km (1600 meters), while with the Mavic I can go beyond 1 mile with no problems. I wish the P4 or the P4P had the same range as the Mavic, I'm not talking about maxing them out at 4.1 or 3.1 advertised range but the Mavic has a more solid connection than P4x. I did many tests and always got the same results, that's a shame for the P4x

Disappointing to hear the poor range of the P4P (similar reports on Phantom Pilots in similar conditions to those I fly in) - maybe hold off on that upgrade (I need range!). I can touch 4km with the P3A - and that's in the UK in CE mode!

fansed802632 Posted at 2017-2-9 05:04
Disappointing to hear the poor range of the P4P (similar reports on Phantom Pilots in similar conditions to those I fly in) - maybe hold off on that upgrade (I need range!). I can touch 4km with the P3A - and that's in the UK in CE mode!

Though I see from the specs the RC 2.4GHz power has actually gone up from 16dBm (40mW) on P3 to 17dBm (50mW) on P4/P4P - a 25% increase... Wonder if its symmetric - i.e. is the aircraft transmit power the same?

The CE max appears to be 20dBm (100mW).

fansed802632 Posted at 2017-2-9 05:04
Disappointing to hear the poor range of the P4P (similar reports on Phantom Pilots in similar conditions to those I fly in) - maybe hold off on that upgrade (I need range!). I can touch 4km with the P3A - and that's in the UK in CE mode!

Yes, even the newer models of P3A or P3P are *downgraded* to the P4 o P4P range.
I have a friend who has the P3A (got it last year) and that one can get a lot farther than a newer P3A, P3P, P4 or P4Px on the same conditions. Tried one after the other one, different days, different locations and always got the same results.

Wait for an upgrade? you mean P5?

i am having the same issue i might get 1 mile but i am in east tennessee so i figured it may be because of the terrain

i have a p3a, its claimed to have a 3.1 mile range. I went 2 miles one time.

timbo Posted at 2017-2-9 12:41
i have a p3a, its claimed to have a 3.1 mile range. I went 2 miles one time.

Well, the P4 is also claimed 3.1 and the max I got 1 about 1km (1600 meters), I had to push it, fly with image interruptions from time to time until RTH starts about 1500 meters.
Sure... am I flying in the best conditions? nope, because I'm in the city with interference but I had the AC around 80/100 meters high, using the compass on the app to make sure to aim the antennas the best possible way to achieve the best connection. Again, my Mavic Pro in this condition (flew right after my P4) had no issues and went farther.
I was thinking about upgrading to P4P to see if I get better range, but despite is rated 4+ miles, I see the same range issues as the P4. Something is wrong here.
Of course, I fly both units with AUTO settings. I haven't try to use a custom channel on my P4 and lower the HD to 4mb... but still, when comparing apples to apples, the connectivity issues are huge comparing to my smaller MP.

Disappointed. I like the MP portability. But I feel it's more fragile and I won't be able to perform repairs myself as changing the shell on the Phantom Series.
The Phantom line handles the wing a lot better (MP does a really good job here too) but overall I believe the Phantom is a better drone as a drone but the range is a killer for me.
I wish the mavic had a higher landing gear... I know I can put extensions but.... o well....

If your getting a mile then your doing pretty good, were I fly I get around 2,500 feet. Now if you happen to live near the top of a mountain with no houses, electrical wires or trees then you can get around 3 miles. I don't know we're they came up with the 4.1 miles fantasy?

I get about 40% greater range with my P4P than I get with my 2015 model P3P. Citing exact distance is not a good way to assess things, IMO, because of the variance in each individual situation. But, in a low spot and surrounded by trees, out in the country, with windsurfers, I got to 1.0 miles one time with my P3P, and I regularly reach that distance with my P4P. I've got one flight with the P4P over 8000 feet. I haven't yet had the opportunity to fly my P4P anywhere that has a long, clear line-of-sight.

I'm flying these days recording in 1080 P, because for the time being, the lower the resolution I use to record, the better the FPV connectivity. I hope there's a fix for that in the future.

Happy Retiree Posted at 2017-2-9 14:21
I get about 40% greater range with my P4P than I get with my 2015 model P3P. Citing exact distance is not a good way to assess things, IMO, because of the variance in each individual situation. But, in a low spot and surrounded by trees, out in the country, with windsurfers, I got to 1.0 miles one time with my P3P, and I regularly reach that distance with my P4P. I've got one flight with the P4P over 8000 feet. I haven't yet had the opportunity to fly my P4P anywhere that has a long, clear line-of-sight.

I'm flying these days recording in 1080 P, because for the time being, the lower the resolution I use to record, the better the FPV connectivity. I hope there's a fix for that in the future.

I'm actually on the high ground here. It is a pretty dense suburb and there's wifi everywhere. I understand that these situations are not ideal. I'm not asking for even 50% of the boasted range. If I could get1 mile I would be pleased. I can't get a half of a mile.

I got these today and they do actually work.I still can't make a half of a mile but they pushed me in the right direction. $10 well spent.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/produc ... 0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Beux,
Have you tried using the 5.8Ghz band? You wil get much better range in a built up area with 5.8 than 2.4.

YES - The P4Pro can be flown long distances (3.8+ miles) in open, unpopulated areas with no landscape or electronic signal interference!

I own four DJI aircraft and have flown my P3Pro, P4 and Inspire to 4+ miles dozens of times with no problem.  In recent testing of a P4Pro I have found it to be just as capable of achieving reliable long-distance flight capability in completely unobstructed signal areas.

I only tested the P4Pro for 3 weeks before returning it to Best Buy due to tilted horizon when flying faster than 15 mph.  However, I did test the long distance flight capabilities of the P4Pro on two separate days at my standard test location (10 miles north of town over flat open farmland) and got 3.8 miles out while still getting 3-4 bars of RC and video signal at the turnaround point. I turned the P4Pro around both times at 60% battery - could have flown farther based on solid RC and video transmission signal. The only non-standard equipment I use is a $30 Windsurfer set of parabolic reflectors which easily slip over the two vertical antenna on the RC.

See my recent post on Long-Distance Flight Testing of P4Pro to 3.8 miles for details on the specific DJI GO 4 app setup I use and details on the parabolic reflector for the antenna.
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D386%26typeid%3D386

Beux Posted at 2017-2-10 14:00
I'm actually on the high ground here. It is a pretty dense suburb and there's wifi everywhere. I understand that these situations are not ideal. I'm not asking for even 50% of the boasted range. If I could get1 mile I would be pleased. I can't get a half of a mile.

I got these today and they do actually work.I still can't make a half of a mile but they pushed me in the right direction. $10 well spent.

Thanks for the link. Those are different than the ones I own, because the two reflectors are attached to each other. Excellent price too. I ordered 2, one for my P3P and one for my P4P.

I consistently fly 2 miles out to South Channel Lighthouse over the water.  No issues.  With my P3P.

warloc59 Posted at 2017-2-12 06:18
I consistently fly 2 miles out to South Channel Lighthouse over the water.  No issues.  With my P3P.

I would imagine that flying over the water would be pretty close to ideal conditions in regards to signal.

Beux Posted at 2017-2-12 06:55
I would imagine that flying over the water would be pretty close to ideal conditions in regards to signal.

NO its not as moving water is not stable.

I've been just over 5,400 feet out at 300 ft alt with no mods and no signal loss but decided to turn around and come back. That's only 1 mile out. I won't try any further without a Marco Polo. Not worth the risk.
Live out in the flat countryside, no trees in LOS, not many close cell phone towers, one radio station tower about a mile 90 degrees of the flight path.
Sounds like your range is due to signals in the area. I'd venture to say if you go out to the countryside you will see better results.
Found the parabolic boosters on sale at Best Buy and use them but haven't pushed any distance tests until I get a tracker. Just not worth losing a new UAV to me. One careless move and your bird can be gone forever, along with all the money spent.