So I have a cell tower and many RV factories with WiFi AP's near me that I think are emitting freq/signals that is interferring with my Mavic Pro transmissions. I tested by flying past the tower and and experienced signal drops etc... pretty bad. In the same flight I went the opposite direction and all was good; no abnormal drops. Now the obvious answer is to not fly past the cell towers etc... but in all seriousness that path is my desired flight path... and for good reason.. open fields and is safer than the other paths.
Is there anything I can do to overcome the interference without moding my AC/RC? I have switched the downlink bandwidth to 10MHz and manually set to a clear channel and has made some improvement but I really need something that can overcome the interference in the area or perhaps DJI has a way for me to increase  the power?
Iknow about the FCC hack but I would rather have a current firmware version that is safer. If I have to mod the RC I will.. but was hoping I would not have to.

Ordered one of these... RAPTOR SR

I know it will void the RC warranty, but if I want to fly my area it looks like I need to mod the RC to make it work right. With the FCC power regulations and not being able to increase the wattage without using older software, it does not appear I have much of a choice.

Watch that install video. Cringeworthy.

MrArcher Posted at 2018-7-26 20:15
Watch that install video. Cringeworthy.

All that was missing was pneumatic muffler pipe splitter.

MrArcher Posted at 2018-7-26 20:15
Watch that install video. Cringeworthy.

Yeah it doesn't look fun but I want to fly... this will at least get me a larger circle to fly.

Its most likely to be harmonics inducing in the drone itself (which has no shielding) than direct competition on the transmission frequency itself.  Given that, highly unlikely just using illegal amounts of power or switching channels will do anything.  Theres a multipurpose house near where i stay that'll induce an in-flight gimbal reset 100% of the time when within about 200ft.  Thats not signal transmission - thats harmonics and induction.

gnirtS Posted at 2018-7-27 02:19
Its most likely to be harmonics inducing in the drone itself (which has no shielding) than direct competition on the transmission frequency itself.  Given that, highly unlikely just using illegal amounts of power or switching channels will do anything.  Theres a multipurpose house near where i stay that'll induce an in-flight gimbal reset 100% of the time when within about 200ft.  Thats not signal transmission - thats harmonics and induction.

Well hoping this mod at least helps me get some more range... I have a few locations in my area that do that also.. lots of neighborhoods and RV factories in my area using WiFi.. interference is an issue for sure. More so the WiFi from homes and RV factories than perhaps from the cell tower.

I just sent my Mavic Pro back and got a brand new one via warranty thinking there was something wrong with it, turns out I get the exact same issues with the new one... led me to the interference. I am a tech and surprised it took me this long to figure it out. ~ logic.

By the way... I did manually set to 10 MHz and it DID help... I just had to manually adjust occasionally. Wish they had an auto band search for the more narrow 10 MHz band. There is also an FCC hack where you can use other freqs. but this treads on the illegal side and using older software. Not my thing. There is also amplified antennasavailable after the mod is done so I have no doubt I will win this battle; just have to spend some $$ to make it happen.

Hopefully the new Mavic Pro 2 has a better transmission system.

I'd be surprised, Occusync is highly respected in the industry and RF technicians in general for being amazingly good at range and bit rate given the band and power it uses.  It's an incredibly good system.  If it is "improved" i cant see it being by much.  Its fairly cutting edge.
You're simply asking the impossible - a made of plastic, unshielded drone flying next to seriously powerful multiband emitters.  The high power, high gain antennas are always going to win that game.

gnirtS Posted at 2018-7-27 02:36
I'd be surprised, Occusync is highly respected in the industry and RF technicians in general for being amazingly good at range and bit rate given the band and power it uses.  It's an incredibly good system.  If it is "improved" i cant see it being by much.  Its fairly cutting edge.
You're simply asking the impossible - a made of plastic, unshielded drone flying next to seriously powerful multiband emitters.  The high power, high gain antennas are always going to win that game.

I get what you are saying... I do try to distance myself from them with max altitude and it does help some; so there is truth to what you are saying. Do watch some before and after videos for the various antenna mods available, maybe more convincing than what I can offer since I have not yet tested it myself. It appears to increase range by quite a bit. If not I will just unmod it and send it back or sell it. For me it is at least worth a try.

You're welcome to try it (dont forget its just as illegal as other mods) and it may help a *weak* signal issue but the amount of RF junk on all bands thrown out by lots of masts can directly effect electronics if you're too close.  They are different problems.

gnirtS Posted at 2018-7-27 03:03
You're welcome to try it (dont forget its just as illegal as other mods) and it may help a *weak* signal issue but the amount of RF junk on all bands thrown out by lots of masts can directly effect electronics if you're too close.  They are different problems.

How is it illegal? I am using an antenna mod not an amplifier.

I also noticed your every post is pretty  negative. Any chance you can lighten up a little? I have to ask if you have ever tried one?!?! Have you any experience other than your negative (however true) facts. haha. Really; Just chill a little man... I already bought it and hopefully it will help... maybe not but I am gonna try it anyways.  If it works then you are wrong... I am a bit wiser than you and I can fly further than you without getting gimbal resets or disconnects. The claims and the tech of the product says it filters out some of the things you mentioned as impossible. ~ just relax man. Not all things are as they seem sometimes; be willing to try new things and explore a little. Have fun with it!

Bob Brown Posted at 2018-7-27 03:05
How is it illegal? I am using an antenna mod not an amplifier.

I also noticed your every post is pretty  negative. Any chance you can lighten up a little? I have to ask if you have ever tried one?!?! Have you any experience other than your negative (however true) facts. haha. Really; Just chill a little man... I already bought it and hopefully it will help... maybe not but I am gonna try it anyways.  If it works then you are wrong... I am a bit wiser than you and I can fly further than you without getting gimbal resets or disconnects. The claims and the tech of the product says it filters out some of the things you mentioned as impossible. ~ just relax man. Not all things are as they seem sometimes; be willing to try new things and explore a little. Have fun with it!

Because the rules in most places state EIRP not power.
EIRP is output power and any antenna gain.
Any antenna mod to increase gain increased the effective radiated power above the limit set.

https://www.air802.com/files/FCC-Rules-and-Regulations.pdf

The antenna can claim what it likes, it can also claim to fly to the moon and back but that doesnt mean its true.  Its not bolted onto the drone itself and thats where the issues arise.

Well, now that the mod has been acquired, I just hope the OP gets some positive results without destroying the remote.  I'm looking forward to his feedback.  However, I hope he didn't waste his money on the Care package as that just went down the drain, along with the warranty as well.  Bold move.

Bob Brown Posted at 2018-7-26 18:53
Ordered one of these... RAPTOR SR

I know it will void the warranty, but if I want to fly my area it looks like I need to mod the RC to make it work right. With the FCC power regulations and not being able to increase the wattage without using older software, it does not appear I have much of a choice.

If i may ask:

Why is it so important to fly in this exact spot? Why not move to another spot and fly so you won't need to mod your controller?

Believe me i know about wanting to fly near my home. I'm a 24/7 care giver for my wife so i don't get to fly a lot of days other than around my home. I don't have any problems like you have here but i do have a neighbor that seems to think he owns all the airspace above his home to oblivion  

I tried to educate him....so to keep peace i fly during the week when he is at work and now i hear nothing from him

MrArcher Posted at 2018-7-27 05:49
Well, now that the mod has been acquired, I just hope the OP gets some positive results without destroying the remote.  I'm looking forward to his feedback.  However, I hope he didn't waste his money on the Care package as that just went down the drain, along with the warranty as well.  Bold move.

I do have Care Refresh; care refresh only covers the AC as I understand it... not the RC. (I am not touching/modding the AC)  I also do believe what I am doing only voids the warranty on the RC... I am OK with this if it means I can fly without disconnects. I didnt waste any money... if it doesnt work I will just send it back. I will buy a new RC if I have to... (You can even have 2 connected to a Mavic Pro at the same time!)

rolling56 Posted at 2018-7-27 06:24
If i may ask:

Why is it so important to fly in this exact spot? Why not move to another spot and fly so you won't need to mod your controller?

Because this is my back yard and I want to fly here enough so that I am willing to toss an RC in the trash and buy another if I have to. I have TONS of open fields and plenty of space to fly HERE. If all that stands in my way is a small RC mod then why not?!?!? I am a techie and a simple mod like this is nothing to me.. I would even be willing to solder if needed.  I have many neighbors also that I included early on in my pre-drone purchase (intentions) and also have special authorization from the nearby airport manager. I just need to overcome some signal interference;  I am pretty sure I will make that happen one way or another. This is all for hobby and fun for me... I fix tech problems for a living... I am confident I will find a solution that works. (I just wish DJI would give us more freedom with settings like they used to.)

Also.. Sorry about your wife; I pray she finds peace and some relief from her illness and pain if any.

gnirtS Posted at 2018-7-27 04:09
Because the rules in most places state EIRP not power.
EIRP is output power and any antenna gain.
Any antenna mod to increase gain increased the effective radiated power above the limit set.

FCC has lightened up a bit lately... dont think a 9 db @ 400mw antenna is going to bring them down on me either. (Limit shows 9 db @ 800 mw)
As you said... the WiFI signals are overtaking my AC signal so perhaps they need to go "police" the RV factories and the cheap WiFi router manufacturers and tell them to stop bleeding into my signal space. haha!

You get my point. Bigger fish to fry. ;)
I still do not see where a 9 db antenna is illegal in my area... tons of WiFi RV factories use the 9+ db dipoles all over the place.

Umm, sorry friend.  If you lose control of the Drone and crash it using a modified RC, guess what they are going to say?  We are not talking about simply adding a skin or something here, but a major modification that can and will affect the control of the Drone beyond the factory design.  I guaranty you that any claims will be rejected if you proceed.  Think this through carefully.

I also have interference issues at my home, and simply chose to fly in the other direction, or in a entirely different area.  

Bob Brown Posted at 2018-7-27 06:38
Because this is my back yard and I want to fly here enough so that I am willing to toss an RC in the trash and buy another if I have to. I have TONS of open fields and plenty of space to fly HERE. If all that stands in my way is a small RC mod then why not?!?!? I am a techie and a simple mod like this is nothing to me.. I would even be willing to solder if needed.  I have many neighbors also that I included early on in my pre-drone purchase (intentions) and also have special authorization from the nearby airport manager. I just need to overcome some signal interference;  I am pretty sure I will make that happen one way or another. This is all for hobby and fun for me... I fix tech problems for a living... I am confident I will find a solution that works. (I just wish DJI would give us more freedom with settings like they used to.)

Also.. Sorry about your wife; I pray she finds peace and some relief from her illness and pain if any.

ok and thanks

Let us know how it goes with your new device.

MrArcher Posted at 2018-7-27 06:46
Umm, sorry friend.  If you lose control of the Drone and crash it using a modified RC, guess what they are going to say?  We are not talking about simply adding a skin or something here, but a major modification that can and will affect the control of the Drone beyond the factory design.  I guaranty you that any claims will be rejected if you proceed.  Think this through carefully.

I also have interference issues at my home, and simply chose to fly in the other direction, or in a entirely different area.

I could also argue that with the current setup I am more likely to lose connection and have a "fly away" or a crash.  
I tell ya what... if I do crash and if I have to send the AC back in for replacement I will be sure to leave out the modded RC part. Fair enough? Concerns are now gone. *poof* ~ Your welcome. ;)

Gosh, I'm not telling you NOT to do the mod, I'm simply saying that if you run into a problem, there is a good chance DJI will know the RC has been modded and your warranties will be voided.  If you can't figure out how they will know, that kind of proves my point.

I'm just suggesting you think this over carefully before proceeding.  Good luck.

MrArcher Posted at 2018-7-27 07:16
Gosh, I'm not telling you NOT to do the mod, I'm simply saying that if you run into a problem, there is a good chance DJI will know the RC has been modded and your warranties will be voided.  If you can't figure out how they will know, that kind of proves my point.

I'm just suggesting you think this over carefully before proceeding.  Good luck.

I looked and nope... nowhere does it say if I mod the RC that my Care Refresh is void. If you can point out your source or some facts I may take you a little more serious.
I looked over the agreement and found nothing that claimed this. I did  find something about extra fees for tech enhancements.. #9 below, but this is for the AC enhancements / addons not RC related. Also my RC warranty is up in like 90 days anyways... so woop woop on the warranty being voided/ Not really worried.
(Also worth mentioning is that DJI's Care Refresh total is $178 for 1 drone replacement and State Farm insurance will cover the Drone, RC and my iPad and all accessories for $60 a year. I am doing that as soon as my Care refresh expires... don't really need the Care Refresh either tbh.)

"If damage occurs accidentally to your aircraft under normal use, DJI Care Refresh offers up to two replacement units for a small additional charge each time the service is requested. The replacement units will be in new or equivalent to new in performance and reliability."

The service does not cover:

1) Lost or partially lost aircraft and accessories.

2) Stolen or abandoned aircraft and accessories.

3) Damage caused by flight in unsuitable environments.

4) The remote controller or any accessories mounted to your aircraft.

5) Deliberate losses.

6) Abrasions and shell damage that do not affect the performance of the aircraft.

7) Direct or indirect losses caused by force majeure.

8) Replacement requests out of DJI Care Refresh’s period of validity.

9) Extra fees resulting from technical enhancements or performance improvements.

10) Damage resulting from unauthorized circuit restructuring, or the use of incompatible batteries and charger.

11) Damage resulting from using under-charged or defective batteries.

I already told you good luck, and I really hope this works out for you. Let us know how this works out.

The only people @Bob Brown has to answer to would be the FCC and the FAA if he mods anything and if they catch him, if it is illegal. That would be them to decide.

I'm curious what the REAL world test will be when he flies his route sees if he has better experience than he does now. I know the advertising says it does this and that but let's see what results he gets.

rolling56 Posted at 2018-7-28 02:39
The only people @Bob Brown has to answer to would be the FCC and the FAA if he mods anything and if they catch him, if it is illegal. That would be them to decide.

I'm curious what the REAL world test will be when he flies his route sees if he has better experience than he does now. I know the advertising says it does this and that but let's see what results he gets.

Agreed. I will report back after the install and some flight tests.
I did find some flight tests with the Mavic Air.. one was on 2.4... seems very promising since the Mavic Pro has a superior transmission system.

Some links backing up the signal increase for both Mavic Pro and Air as well as Spark.
https://mavicpilots.com/threads/4hawks.42366/
https://mavicpilots.com/threads/best-antenna-range-booster.16413/page-2  (bottom pf page. last post)
https://forum.dji.com/thread-144800-1-1.html
https://forum.dji.com/thread-151047-1-1.html

I had a chance to do some flight tests yesterday.. 3 batteries worth. I do not get better range but I do get a better / solid signal. No lag and the HD signal stays pretty solid. If I had to make the choice again I would NOT recommend the mod unless you are in an area that you are going through many trees and ground clutter and need a stronger  signal. (Do not confuse strength with range... I think DJI is limiting the range setting in the DJI GO app. and this cannot be changed unfortunately.) The antenna is very directional.. signal drops when the AC falls behind the antenna so you must have a good idea where your AC is at all times. I may invest in some amps but not sure the RC side is the problem at this point. Increasing power at the AC would be the best option but no way to do that using an iPad and up to date software.

Bob Brown Posted at 2018-8-2 02:41
I had a chance to do some flight tests yesterday.. 3 batteries worth. I do not get better range but I do get a better / solid signal. No lag and the HD signal stays pretty solid. If I had to make the choice again I would NOT recommend the mod unless you are in an area that you are going through many trees and ground clutter and need a stronger  signal. (Do not confuse strength with range... I think DJI is limiting the range setting in the DJI GO app. and this cannot be changed unfortunately.) The antenna is very directional.. signal drops when the AC falls behind the antenna so you must have a good idea where your AC is at all times. I may invest in some amps but not sure the RC side is the problem at this point. Increasing power at the AC would be the best option but no way to do that using an iPad and up to date software.

ya and if you use the 1.5 boost from the NLD mods it might burn up the chips with to much voltage.

Thanks for the reply on how it went. Let us know if you figure out something else.

Sorry this didn't work out.

MrArcher Posted at 2018-8-2 05:44
Sorry this didn't work out.

Oh don't misunderstand... It did work out just not at the impossible expectations I had. The signal has improved and is stronger and more reliable but not $119 / risk controller damage value. I would not do it again if given the choice; but to each their own and hopefully my experience will help someone else decide and make the right choice.

rolling56 Posted at 2018-8-2 03:33
ya and if you use the 1.5 boost from the NLD mods it might burn up the chips with to much voltage.

Thanks for the reply on how it went. Let us know if you figure out something else.

Will do. I think I will leave it as it is and do some more flight tests from a better location to determine range a bit better. I am clearly asking for the impossible @ 400mw on the 2.4 band. It is just not going to get much better unless I go FCC mode. Risking burning up the AC and using old software is just not worth it to me. Has to be better solution.  I just do not get how DJI can advertise 7km and they are nowhere near that mark; it's false claims and lies.  Also I have to note that I downgraded to .0200 firmware also.. this made no difference and I will be going back to .0400 this weekend.

Bob Brown Posted at 2018-8-2 06:10
Will do. I think I will leave it as it is and do some more flight tests from a better location to determine range a bit better. I am clearly asking for the impossible @ 400mw on the 2.4 band. It is just not going to get much better unless I go FCC mode. Risking burning up the AC and using old software is just not worth it to me. Has to be better solution.  I just do not get how DJI can advertise 7km and they are nowhere near that mark; it's false claims and lies.  Also I have to note that I downgraded to .0200 firmware also.. this made no difference and I will be going back to .0400 this weekend.

'False claims and lies'?  I don't know Bob, but that's rather harsh. You've stated yourself that the area you insist in flying in has very bad interference.  I'm not sure that this is a DJI issue?

I also shared that near my home, I also have issues, Power grid lines, tons of wifi, etc, and I know that this affects my range.  I can still get approx 10,000 to 12,000 ft, if I go in the direction away from the power lines, which I think is pretty good.

However, when I brought the MPP out west near Yellowstone, in the wide open I was getting some ridiculous ranges in excess of 20,000 ft.  Clearly the bird is fully capable of extraordinary range in the right conditions.  Just like a supercar might be able to do 200 mph in open stretches, but in grid lock traffic, its no faster than the Joe next to him in the beat up old VW.  That's not the supercars fault?

I said earlier, take the bird out to an open area and then make a fair judgement.

MrArcher Posted at 2018-8-2 06:33
'False claims and lies'?  I don't know Bob, but that's rather harsh. You've stated yourself that the area you insist in flying in has very bad interference.  I'm not sure that this is a DJI issue?

I also shared that near my home, I also have issues, Power grid lines, tons of wifi, etc, and I know that this affects my range.  I can still get approx 10,000 to 12,000 ft, if I go in the direction away from the power lines, which I think is pretty good.

I will know more when I drive 10 miles away and fly outside a NFZ. It could just be DJI killing my drone performance because I am in a NFZ.  I am not 100% on the interference... was just a wild guess. I do not get the interference messages very often and usually fly near the 400' alt. So perhaps interference is not the issue here. Lots of 2.4 everywhere really... most neighborhoods are flooded with it; including mine.

I think a non NFZ / country side flight is in order.

Thing is if DJI recorded flying that far just once they can make that claim lol. A person would have to go to flat land/lake or mountainous land or a straight beach etc perfect conditions in other words.

I noticed you do know how to fly as you went up as you went further which is the way you do it when you start losing signal and using the right stick to go faster for RTH etc. This place is full of people that don't have a clue how to fly. There are little things you can do plus remembering to do them when needed lol

The thing i keep forgetting to ask is can you fly your flight plan in your original post since the mod?

rolling56 Posted at 2018-8-2 07:52
Thing is if DJI recorded flying that far just once they can make that claim lol. A person would have to go to flat land/lake or mountainous land or a straight beach etc perfect conditions in other words.

I noticed you do know how to fly as you went up as you went further which is the way you do it when you start losing signal and using the right stick to go faster for RTH etc. This place is full of people that don't have a clue how to fly. There are little things you can do plus remembering to do them when needed lol

Yeah I used to fly quads with no GPS so learned to fly raw.

I can fly some of the route but lose signal to the far left of the map... keep in mind that is less than a
mile out and the blue circle is only a 1/2 a mile.

ya for $25 i think i will buy one key for one of my Mavics for the NLD apps and give that a go for awhile. Anyway fly safe and have a good day. My name is Bob also

rolling56 Posted at 2018-8-2 09:26
ya for $25 i think i will buy one key for one of my Mavics for the NLD apps and give that a go for awhile. Anyway fly safe and have a good day. My name is Bob also

Let me know how that works.
I will have to buy an Android tablet to get that working.. what Android tablet do you use?

Bob is a cool name. ;)

Bob Brown Posted at 2018-8-2 12:56
Let me know how that works.
I will have to buy an Android tablet to get that working.. what Android tablet do you use?

I was just going to use one of my phones. Do you have to have a tablet? I've read around the site but don't recall seeing anything about must be tablet. I did see mention you can patch the apk for phone and the tablet version of DJI Go4
yup Bob's are the chosen ones lol

rolling56 Posted at 2018-8-2 13:13
I was just going to use one of my phones. Do you have to have a tablet? I've read around the site but don't recall seeing anything about must be tablet. I did see mention you can patch the apk for phone and the tablet version of DJI Go4
yup Bob's are the chosen ones lol

Just Purchased a Samsung Nexus 7 Gen2 refirb from Amazon. I am going to go back on what I said and use the Boost with current firmware and a slightly older version of the GO app. There is a way to switch back and forth between the boost and non boost so I will only really ever use it when I need it. I should have the tablet by Saturday and will test then if the weather permits. I really wish DJI would just unlock the drones  the way they used to be... not sure why they locked them down but it's silly because people just unlock them anyways. The liability generally falls on the operator/pilot anyways.

Bob Brown Posted at 2018-8-3 01:59
Just Purchased a Samsung Nexus 7 Gen2 refirb from Amazon. I am going to go back on what I said and use the Boost with current firmware and a slightly older version of the GO app. There is a way to switch back and forth between the boost and non boost so I will only really ever use it when I need it. I should have the tablet by Saturday and will test then if the weather permits. I really wish DJI would just unlock the drones  the way they used to be... not sure why they locked them down but it's silly because people just unlock them anyways. The liability generally falls on the operator/pilot anyways.

I think they are trying to keep the US Gov happy so they can sell more drones in the US. The US Gov stopped using DJI drones awhile back if you remember that so i think they are trying to win the US Gov back. But who knows lol

Good luck with your new tablet!