So I got my drone in December 2017 and feel I’ve come on a long way with it. One of the biggest things people still ask about is Wi-Fi and the range there getting so I thought a little summary of what I’ve learnt will help..

I’m based in the UK and am using a iPhoneX just to be clear..

Firstly OTG

personally I don’t see the advantage when the phone is litterally right next to the remote! That’s just my 10 pence on it.

2.4 vs 5.8

I personally find that the 5.8 gives the better video feed and that the 2.4 gives the better distance but with more image transmission problems. And this is sorta backed up with the official range specs for CE being 500m for 2.4ghz and 300m for 5.8ghz.

So let’s just be clear on that, if your operating in a CE area your max official range is only going to be 500m max and only on 2.4ghz! That doesn’t mean you won’t get a little more with good conditions and maybe some range extenders or something.


Actual difference between CE and FCC

The real difference is purely signal strength, in FCC mode the remote and drone will use operate on a stronger frequency sending out more decibels than CE a good way of thinking about it is that you have litterally turned the volume up on the remote and the drone can hear it from further away.

There are ways to trick the CE drones into FCC mode but I don’t know how DJI feel about this in terms of warrenty etc.

When you “trick” your phone into thinking it’s in let’s say the US you load up your DJI GO4 and it says that it needs to change mode due to local regulations. You accept this then changing the drone into FCC MODE, the drone won’t actually fly at this point because your phone gps point conflicts with the drone. Once you turn off the “trick” as in stop the phone thinking it’s in the US and load DJI GO 4 it will then prompt you that it needs to change the setting again due to local regulations, changing it back into CE mode, you simply cancel this action and would need to do so every time you load the app and connect to the Xbox home.

With this meathod your not actually doing anything that the drone isn’t capable off or changing anything that DJI hasn’t built into the drone anyway so hence why I say I don’t know how they will feel about it in terms of warrenty.  

If I’m wrong about any of this please feel free to correct and add to this your own opinions.

Hope this helps a few newbies like myself

You may ad something:
With OTG
(I just dont see a need for a 5cm distance wifi but you have to put your smartwatch in the car! ;-)
there is in FCC and in CE the autoswitching between 5.8 and 2.4 possible.
Not sure how that works out on iOS, in CE and wifi connected, but on Andorid in CE: NO OTG, NO 2.4 between RC and Bird!

S-e-ven Posted at 2018-4-29 06:17
You may ad something:
With OTG
(I just dont see a need for a 5cm distance wifi but you have to put your smartwatch in the car! ;-)

Yeah I know there’s something with android but being an iOS user I have no experience with this.

I get what your saying with OTG just personally I’ve been fine without

S-e-ven Posted at 2018-4-29 06:17
You may ad something:
With OTG
(I just dont see a need for a 5cm distance wifi but you have to put your smartwatch in the car! ;-)

I havnt know my drone to switch between 2.4 and 5.8 automatically when flying as this usually requires a reboot of the WiFi

NedUK Posted at 2018-4-29 06:48
I havnt know my drone to switch between 2.4 and 5.8 automatically when flying as this usually requires a reboot of the WiFi

No, if in 'OTG-Mode', (on android and in FCC, my own and only experience), the Drone and the RC are switching between the two bands. And that quite quick, often not even interruptions in the stream.
At least I understand the 5.8/2.4/5.8/2.4 change on the apps display this way.

Not sure if there would be a back and forth chance, under CE, to experience that.
In FCC, both bands are close with the poweroutput.
In CE, as soon it is in 2.4, there shouldn't be a chance for the 5.8 to get seen as the stronger signal again

I think the reboot is for the RC-Device wifi! But just a wild guess!

S-e-ven Posted at 2018-4-29 07:12
No, if in 'OTG-Mode', (on android and in FCC, my own and only experience), the Drone and the RC are switching between the two bands. And that quite quick, often not even interruptions in the stream.
At least I understand the 5.8/2.4/5.8/2.4 change on the apps display this way.

Defiantly on iOS to change mode requires a reset of the WiFi

I am not sure that we talk about the same, here.
"To change" sounds like you (wanna) force it to change, "manmade", before take off.
If I would like to switch the band, it needs a reboot too.
And can't be done in the air. Because that is a change in the general setup.
But if the RC to AC connection midflight, 1k away or 2 k away,  changes automaticly, like it seems to happen, there is no reboot time possible.
And in my understanding, as we (I) talking about cable connected to the RC, the device is only showing this behavior on the screen.
It dont need to participate.
That actually is, for me at least, another reason for the need of a otg cable:
The band change mid air can only happen smooth like this, if not both, AC and device, are wifi connected to the RC
The RC is a two band wifi receiver and sender at the same time, we know that, right?
Perhaps the bird is too?

I checked some screenshots and found some pictures showing what I (have to) interprete as band change midflight: