Hi , newbie here . Does it make any difference whether you fly with cover on your phone/tablet in terms of interference ? Or does the extrernal antenna on remote handle that ?

Hello there robpri. Good day and thank you for the inquiry. It would be best to remove your mobile device case when using it on the said DJI Remote Controller and please make sure that as long as the said cover is not made of metal that can cause any interference when flying your DJI Mini 2. In addition please make sure that the antennas are pointed toward the aircraft for optimal transmission as well. Thank you.

Thanks DJI Stephen, Im just confused with what is connecting to the drone? The phone or the antenna ? I just watched one of Captain Drones videos last night and he mentioned to remove the phone from cover

Hi Robpri,

transmission to the drone go from your controller to the drone. The antenna of the controller are build in the smart phone holder of the controller.

Using a metal cover on the smart phone might influence the transmission of your controller.

However, I myself use an original Samsung plastic cover and I don't bother taking it off. I don't fly that far, but had no interference at a distance of about 1 km.

Just see that the antenna (build in the smart phone holder) are pointing at your drone. Eventually put your smart phone in flight mode, as WiFi or cell transmission of your phone won't influence the controller.

Neither WiFi nor BT at all would have a range of 1km or, under good conditions, even more ...

JohnDG Posted at 6-8 00:52
Hi Robpri,

transmission to the drone go from your controller to the drone. The antenna of the controller are build in the smart phone holder of the controller.

Thanks, not exactly sure what you are meaning in your last paragraph? Is it airplane mode ? Does that make any difference?

robpri Posted at 6-8 01:05
Thanks, not exactly sure what you are meaning in your last paragraph? Is it airplane mode ? Does that make any difference?

Airplane mode on a smart phone puts all it's radio's off, these are cell, Bluetooth and wifi.
The controller off your drone also uses radio waves. Althou not all of the above described radio waves are in the range of the controller, it still can be influenced by the electro-magnetic waves that your smart phone is producing. Most of the time you won't have much influence.

Second reason is that you don't want to be disturbed by a incoming call while flying your drone.

Does it make any difference whether you fly with cover on your phone/tablet in terms of interference ? Or does the external antenna on remote handle that ?
There's no such thing as a metal phone cover (because it would block the phone signal).
Leave your phone cover on or take it off.
It won't make any difference.

The phone doesn't connect to the drone .. the controller does.
And you can use wifi or not ... that also makes very little difference.

Labroides Posted at 6-8 03:52
Does it make any difference whether you fly with cover on your phone/tablet in terms of interference ? Or does the external antenna on remote handle that ?
There's no such thing as a metal phone cover (because it would block the phone signal).
Leave your phone cover on or take it off.

Thanks Labroides, interestingly I have just been for another flight now to my favourite little barn up on the hill . I parked closer than normal about about 800m away turned phone to airplane mode and removed the cover had quite a lot of signal loss at that distance (screen freeze) . Last Friday I flew to the same barn from further away 1300m with normal mode and cover on and had almost no breakup. I guess it could just be the weather , perhaps more wifi interference from where i flew today

robpri Posted at 6-8 04:05
Thanks Labroides, interestingly I have just been for another flight now to my favourite little barn up on the hill . I parked closer than normal about about 800m away turned phone to airplane mode and removed the cover had quite a lot of signal loss at that distance (screen freeze) . Last Friday I flew to the same barn from further away 1300m with normal mode and cover on and had almost no breakup. I guess it could just be the weather , perhaps more wifi interference from where i flew today

removed the cover had quite a lot of signal loss
It's not really interesting because the phone cover had nothing to do with the drone-controller signal strength.
You could throw the phone away and it would have no effect on signal strength (except you'd have no way to tell).
The signal is between the controller and the drone.
The phone has nothing to do with it.
Local environmental effects and how well you orient the antennas are what affects signal strength.

The communication between the controller and phone/tablet is via cable....so no effect with a cover.

Communication between the drone and controller is wireless and the mobile device cover has no effect on that either.

The only possible effect of the cover is to compromise the device mounting to the controller or an adapter by being too thick for the holder.

GaryDoug Posted at 6-8 17:31
The communication between the controller and phone/tablet is via cable....so no effect with a cover.

Communication between the drone and controller is wireless and the mobile device cover has no effect on that either.

Well said GaryDoug.