Hi guys;
I am getting really frustrated. So started to fly my new mavic air and its giving me a hard time. At 170 meters it already starts to loose signal with the camera. At around 200 - 250 it loses connection to my RC and it automatically comes back. I am flying from the rooftop of my building and theres no visual obstruction. I can still see my drone up in the air when it loses connection. What am i doing wrong? I mean, I am not expecting this thing to go beyond 2,500 meters but it is not even reaching 500!!!!!! shall i return it already or is it something am doing wrongly?

What are u flying it with Apple or Android

Check out this thread first: https://forum.dji.com/thread-145569-1-1.html
And then this one (if you happen to use an iOS device): https://forum.dji.com/thread-144968-1-1.html

Kevjones1959 Posted at 2018-4-29 03:06
What are u flying it with Apple or Android

with Apple. New iPhone 8.

asaw Posted at 2018-4-29 03:10
Check out this thread first: https://forum.dji.com/thread-145569-1-1.html
And then this one (if you happen to use an iOS device): https://forum.dji.com/thread-144968-1-1.html

Thanks you very much. Its a bit confusing on the wifi and bluetooth from my own phone. On the first link it says to switch my own phone to airplane mode. On the second one, besides saying to switch to Android, it says the opposite.
I am going to try switching my phone into airplane mode and see what happens.
thank you very much for your quick response. really appreciate it.
thanks
Enrique

Enrique HK Posted at 2018-4-29 03:54
Thanks you very much. Its a bit confusing on the wifi and bluetooth from my own phone. On the first link it says to switch my own phone to airplane mode. On the second one, besides saying to switch to Android, it says the opposite.
I am going to try switching my phone into airplane mode and see what happens.
thank you very much for your quick response. really appreciate it.

Perhaps I need to clarify this a little. The second thread is about switching your region properly. You need to do it only once (and maybe once again later if you change your country). The bit of advice about flying with your phone in airplane mode applies to regular flying. You are advised to always do so in order to minimize electromagnetic interference. So at first you change your region with WiFi on, update your firmware, etc, and then you fly in airplane mode.

Do you have the antennae in a 45 degree angle and facing the drone? The air uses wifi tech so any interference around you would severely impact on your flight performance.

Please don't ask iPhone or Android both phone I had try in airplane mode, can't fly more than 300m and with  choppy video transmission, dji please answer

Have you turn off the beginner mode? When you said 300m, the only thing that resonate is the Beginner mode which is usually turned on on first boot after a firmware upgrade.

DJI P5 Posted at 2018-4-29 04:50
Please don't ask iPhone or Android both phone I had try in airplane mode, can't fly more than 300m and with  choppy video transmission, dji please answer

Look if Go4 app has permission  to use your phone as needed specially location.

The amount of people with distance problems is an indication that there is a problem with the Mavic Air. You should not need to jump through hoops to get some decent range on a $800 drone. DJI needs to come up with a fix! They can't just keep telling everyone to fly in a more rural are, stand on one leg, stick your tongue out, close one eye, only fly with the temperature is 77.89 degrees, and during a full Moon! The amount of people with connection problems is growing daily and it's to the point that DJI needs to address it!

Lok Mavic Posted at 2018-4-29 07:11
Have you turn off the beginner mode? When you said 300m, the only thing that resonate is the Beginner mode which is usually turned on on first boot after a firmware upgrade.

Beginner mode has nothing to do with signal. It is just Max Flight distance and will tell you MAX FLIGHT DISTANCE REACHED. It will not lose signal or return to home.

Suren Posted at 2018-4-29 04:30
Do you have the antennae in a 45 degree angle and facing the drone? The air uses wifi tech so any interference around you would severely impact on your flight performance.

thanks Suren;
Yes I made sure I position the antenas as explain in the tutorials. I will try today to fly with my phone on airplane mode as I was advised and see how that goes. Thank you very much for your response!

Lok Mavic Posted at 2018-4-29 07:11
Have you turn off the beginner mode? When you said 300m, the only thing that resonate is the Beginner mode which is usually turned on on first boot after a firmware upgrade.

Hey! thanks for your response, yes that is turned off. Actually the problems start way before reaching out the 300 meter. Connection with the camera starts to fail as early as 175 meter. So today I will try to fly with my phone on airplane mode and see what happens.
thanks for your response

dont slow down Posted at 2018-4-29 13:42
The amount of people with distance problems is an indication that there is a problem with the Mavic Air. You should not need to jump through hoops to get some decent range on a $800 drone. DJI needs to come up with a fix! They can't just keep telling everyone to fly in a more rural are, stand on one leg, stick your tongue out, close one eye, only fly with the temperature is 77.89 degrees, and during a full Moon! The amount of people with connection problems is growing daily and it's to the point that DJI needs to address it!

thanks for your input man! I am seriously considering returning the whole thing if it doesn't work properly. Another solution I saw was to install a kick ass antena enhancer. we shall see.
thanks and you are absolutely right, this device wasn't cheap at all... and its super frustrating when up to 175 meters it already has disconnection problems with the camera... super annoying...

You didn't say if you were in the USA or not.  FCC mode in the US has much more range than CE mode in Europe and other countries.  Still should be more than 300 meters, but if there is strong interference from other radio sources, you will overcome them more in FCC mode than CE mode.  

GLJones Posted at 2018-4-29 18:22
You didn't say if you were in the USA or not.  FCC mode in the US has much more range than CE mode in Europe and other countries.  Still should be more than 300 meters, but if there is strong interference from other radio sources, you will overcome them more in FCC mode than CE mode.

Hey! thank you very much for your response. I am based in Hong Kong. Eventually I will be visiting the US and fly there as well, but my main are is Asia.
I will look up how to change from FCC to CE then.
thanks a lot!!

I have no problem to fly MA in HK city area around with WiFi over 300m. You can go to DJI flagship shop in Causeway Bay to check if still has problem.

Ensure you upgrade to latest firmware for MA, RC and DJI Go software.

GDL Posted at 2018-4-29 20:05
I have no problem to fly MA in HK city area around with WiFi over 300m. You can go to DJI flagship shop in Causeway Bay to check if still has problem.

thanks for your response. I think it might have been my own phone interfering with the signal. I am trying later today and will see what happens.
All firmware is up to date for MA, RC and app.
thanks

dont slow down Posted at 2018-4-29 13:42
The amount of people with distance problems is an indication that there is a problem with the Mavic Air. You should not need to jump through hoops to get some decent range on a $800 drone. DJI needs to come up with a fix! They can't just keep telling everyone to fly in a more rural are, stand on one leg, stick your tongue out, close one eye, only fly with the temperature is 77.89 degrees, and during a full Moon! The amount of people with connection problems is growing daily and it's to the point that DJI needs to address it!

Hahaha that was the response I got from DJI when my spark had connection issues too

I think it's possible for DJI to give occuSync for MavicAir through a software update but they're not doing so in order to sell more Mavic Pros. I mean after seeing the limitations already set by DJI (Waypoints being removed from MavicAir) on this fully capable drone, I think that they want to keep more features on more expensive drones...

dont slow down Posted at 2018-4-29 13:42
The amount of people with distance problems is an indication that there is a problem with the Mavic Air. You should not need to jump through hoops to get some decent range on a $800 drone. DJI needs to come up with a fix! They can't just keep telling everyone to fly in a more rural are, stand on one leg, stick your tongue out, close one eye, only fly with the temperature is 77.89 degrees, and during a full Moon! The amount of people with connection problems is growing daily and it's to the point that DJI needs to address it!

I agree.  Range is so dismal for the amount of money paid for