Anyone with an rc controller can tell me how long their last? Mine came with the mavic 3 pro so its brand new. I charged it full bar (4 green lights). I flew the mavic 3 pro on one battery. About 30 mins flight. but on the controller its already down to 2 bar. Like seriously this controller is not rated for 4 hours as advertised. Im thinking its 1 hour maximum. I dont even set to max brightness too. On the brightness i set to like 3/4. That is really low compared to the 4 hours advertised. I feel cheated. Dji need to stop giving false advertised time. The mavic 3 doesnt even get close to 43 min flight. I fly to it critical low battery and force landing and i get 28-30 mins on normal flying and some hovering. I would expect at least 40 min but no way when it force land around 28-30 min.

I got to agree on this one.. Not sure why DJI feels the need to always advertise such useless data.. Just tell us how it is, and I assure you, we'll survive the news...

If anything, this is having the opposite effect. When you say 43 Minutes and the customer only gets 30, the customer start to wonder about all the other numbers as well...

Perhaps a new company logo is overdue...

I wonder, is dji testing the rc controller with brightness all the way down. Not sure how they advertise it for 4 hours. When I'm using 3/4 brightness and its down to 2 green lights just after 1 flight on the mavic 3 pro. That's about 30 mins and already down to 50% on the rc controller. Seem like its only good for 2 full flight and need to recharge again. If it really last 4 hours. We should be able to get at least 8 flight before needing recharged. Which I doubt it.

from dji.com:

"What is the operating time of DJI RC?

Up to four hours under normal operating conditions.

[3] The maximum operating time was tested in a lab environment and is for reference only."

Hi there, hope you understand that the specific operation time is related to settings such as screen brightness, wifi, and running functions. The Mavic 3 Pro max flight time 43 minutes is measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: flying at a constant speed of 32.4 kph in a windless environment at sea level, with APAS off, AirSense off, camera parameters set to 1080p/24fps, video mode off, and from 100% battery level until 0%. Results may vary depending on the environment, actual use, and firmware version. Thanks for your understanding.

Hi, djiuser_zKR5HFX3a2EC. Thank you for reaching out. 4 lights do not refer that it is fully charged, please fully charge it and check the battery percentage in RC then test it again. Also, the low-temperature environment will lead to fast power consumption as well, please try to avoid the low-temperature environment as much as possible. If the RC can still last for only one hour from fully charged to run out after the test, please send it back to us. You may submit an online repair request through this link: {https://repair.dji.com/repair/index}. If you need assistance with creating a ticket, you may contact DJI support at (https://www.dji.com/support). Also, the Mavic 3's max flight time was measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: No wind, at sea level, the constant flight speed of 32.4 kph, APAS off, AirSense off, camera parameters set to 1080p/24fps, video mode off, and flying from 100% battery to 0% battery. Results may vary depending on the environment, usage scenario, and firmware version. Your kind understanding is appreciated and thank you for your continued support.

DJI Mindy Posted at 5-15 20:10
Hi there, hope you understand that the specific operation time is related to settings such as screen brightness, wifi, and running functions. The Mavic 3 Pro max flight time 43 minutes is measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: flying at a constant speed of 32.4 kph in a windless environment at sea level, with APAS off, AirSense off, camera parameters set to 1080p/24fps, video mode off, and from 100% battery level until 0%. Results may vary depending on the environment, actual use, and firmware version. Thanks for your understanding.

Hi Mindy

And how's that data supposed to be helpful in the real environment.

That's like saying that a donut only has 3 calories if you only lick it...

I want to see the receipts of these claimed 46 and 43 minute Mavic 3 flights. I asked for the flight logs previously and DJI ignored it (big surprise). If it really happened then there should be no problem showing these logs that would prove it and shut people like me up. Just show it and be done with it.

Im getting about 3+ hours on the RC with wifi off and screen brightness at full.

Burt37 Posted at 5-15 17:31
I got to agree on this one.. Not sure why DJI feels the need to always advertise such useless data.. Just tell us how it is, and I sure we'll survive the news...

If anything, this is having the opposite effect. When you say 43 Minutes and the customer only gets 30, the customer start to wonder about all the other numbers as well...

Burt37 Posted at 5-15 20:15
Hi Mindy

And how's that data supposed to be helpful in the real environment.

Hi there, hope you understand that each user has a different flight environment and usage scenario. We can only provide the data for reference. The actual time depends on the flight environment and usage scenario. Thanks for your understanding.

Johnnokomis Posted at 5-15 20:43
I want to see the receipts of these claimed 46 and 43 minute Mavic 3 flights. I asked for the flight logs previously and DJI ignored it (big surprise). If it really happened then there should be no problem showing these logs that would prove it and shut people like me up. Just show it and be done with it.

Have you ever asked your car manufacturer how they calculate the range on a full tank, or the fuel consumption per 100 km...?  
Unfortunately, there are always special test conditions, but otherwise you wouldn't be able to compare anything at all...   

DJI Mindy Posted at 5-16 01:42
Hi there, hope you understand that each user has a different flight environment and usage scenario. We can only provide the data for reference. The actual time depends on the flight environment and usage scenario. Thanks for your understanding.

It is not my understanding of each user scenario that matters...

It is the fact of advertising a large number to help sales, that it is simply not achievable on this planet when outdoor, using the drone to record something... A much smaller number, but created in a realistic situation, would have been a much more enjoyable feature to read and to appreciate...

Surely you can understand that...

frankymusik Posted at 5-16 02:28
Have you ever asked your car manufacturer how they calculate the range on a full tank, or the fuel consumption per 100 km...?  
Unfortunately, there are always special test conditions, but otherwise you wouldn't be able to compare anything at all...

Actually there's no need to ask them. In the US the EPA reviews every car manufacturer's claims. Then they go on to test 15%-20% of those vehicles on their own. Either way there's a third party to verify a car manufacturer's reported claims. In the case of DJI, there's no such review. DJI reports a number with no evidence to show or outside review of ANYTHING. You see the difference? For all we know this 46 minute flight could have began at 8000' MSL and touched down at sea level. If you calculate the numbers DJI is reporting this test flight travelled 24.84 km which makes this not so far fetched of an idea.



Source- https://www.fueleconomy.gov/

^are you asking for the government to review and approval all claims made by private companies or publish the standards to which all testing must abide by?  drones, phones, computers, watches, projectors, cameras....the government will review and approve your details before you are allowed to "advertise" those claims?  unfortunately the government has been able to hijack cars and "fuel economy" under the guise of a national environmental policy designed to promote the enhancement and protection of the environment, controlling pollution, safety of the people, etc.  are we ready to do that for drones, too?  government has no right to regulate this.  however, i do agree the state should have the power to step in when there is particular fraud and abuse....in the name of consumer protection but those are legal avenues as opposed to regulatory.  let's allow the free market to decide whether dji needs to do a better job with the numbers.

The Saint Posted at 5-16 07:23
^are you asking for the government to review and approval all claims made by private companies or publish the standards to which all testing must abide by?  drones, phones, computers, watches, projectors, cameras....the government will review and approve your details before you are allowed to "advertise" those claims?  unfortunately the government has been able to hijack cars and "fuel economy" under the guise of a national environmental policy designed to promote the enhancement and protection of the environment, controlling pollution, safety of the people, etc.  are we ready to do that for drones, too?  government has no right to regulate this.  however, i do agree the state should have the power to step in when there is particular fraud and abuse....in the name of consumer protection but those are legal avenues as opposed to regulatory.  let's allow the free market to decide whether dji needs to do a better job with the numbers.

No I'm not asking for anything government related. The last thing I'd wish for is bigger government! I'm simply saying a third party (no conflict of interest) should review and/or be present during these test. No government involvement would be necessary. Since it's too late for that now, I'm requesting the flight logs of these claimed test flights. You know if they really happened then DJI still has them on file.  If they do so then their already low trustworthiness takes a boost in the right direction and I'll look like a fool.  So what are they waiting for?

DJI Gamora Posted at 5-15 20:13
Hi, djiuser_zKR5HFX3a2EC. Thank you for reaching out. 4 lights do not refer that it is fully charged, please fully charge it and check the battery percentage in RC then test it again. Also, the low-temperature environment will lead to fast power consumption as well, please try to avoid the low-temperature environment as much as possible. If the RC can still last for only one hour from fully charged to run out after the test, please send it back to us. You may submit an online repair request through this link: {https://repair.dji.com/repair/index}. If you need assistance with creating a ticket, you may contact DJI support at (https://www.dji.com/support). Also, the Mavic 3's max flight time was measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: No wind, at sea level, the constant flight speed of 32.4 kph, APAS off, AirSense off, camera parameters set to 1080p/24fps, video mode off, and flying from 100% battery to 0% battery. Results may vary depending on the environment, usage scenario, and firmware version. Your kind understanding is appreciated and thank you for your continued support.

I was testing using the 4 green lights. I thought 4 is 100%, 3 is 75%, 2 is 50%, 1 is 25%. After 30 mins i am getting 2 green lights.

I recharged the rc controller until the lights goes off. I checked on the controller and is 100%. I leave it on indoor play back videos on the controller. Wifi and Bluetooth off. Brightness is 3/4. I timed it. 9:23am.....at 11:22am the controller 0% and automatically shut down. So basically from 100% down to 0% is 2 hours. I was expecting at least 3 hours given the advertised 4 hours. Anyone have the rc controller can verify how long they are getting before they need to charge it. If 2 hours is from 100% to 0%, then realistic fly time is really only 1 hour and 30 minutes.

ok i agree but in your previous post, that post is all about government regulations and as you know, nothing else worked with car mpg and that's why the government claimed they had to step in.  surely i would prefer rigorous testing standards agreed upon by all companies and i would love for all drone manufacturers to sign up and comply but that's a lot of extra work and time and it costs money and there's no guarantee they will do a better job.  will dji be the gorilla in the room (like apple/samsung), what happens when smaller manufacturers cant/wont comply, etc.  if there is truly a need for a 3rd party to step in, they will.  the market will create that organization and they would have some teeth (like ctia for mobile phones for example).  but something tells me dji, parrot, skydio, autel, etc are never going to agree on the standards for various reasons.

dji has the logs but cannot provide you with their testing materials; it's proprietary. the material contain testing processes and procedures and techniques and details that shouldnt be shared with the public (or the competitor).  the logs and the data have characteristics that indicate failures and successes, fixes and workarounds, interpretations that shouldn't be up for public discussion or non-legal scrutiny.  but it doesn't end there.  if you have good reason to question the process, you have options.

i don't believe dji will provide you with the details that you seek, but perhaps a summary or a statement will be sufficient.  unfortunately it's not the industry norm to do this but that may change one day.  currently i believe there is a mechanism for when the competition has a good faith complaint.  however, the good news is we don't need them.  there are competent testing labs all over the world that can seek to replicate and independently perform the work; all you have to do is ask (and pay).  think of consumer reports.

Burt37 Posted at 5-15 17:31
I got to agree on this one.. Not sure why DJI feels the need to always advertise such useless data.. Just tell us how it is, and I assure you, we'll survive the news...

If anything, this is having the opposite effect. When you say 43 Minutes and the customer only gets 30, the customer start to wonder about all the other numbers as well...

Excellent !

And the bots that answer "hope you understand". What is there to understand? That the announced flight time is not reproducible in normal operation?

DJI Mindy Posted at 5-15 20:10
Hi there, hope you understand that the specific operation time is related to settings such as screen brightness, wifi, and running functions. The Mavic 3 Pro max flight time 43 minutes is measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: flying at a constant speed of 32.4 kph in a windless environment at sea level, with APAS off, AirSense off, camera parameters set to 1080p/24fps, video mode off, and from 100% battery level until 0%. Results may vary depending on the environment, actual use, and firmware version. Thanks for your understanding.

There is nothing to understand. You just have to shut up and admit that the announced flight time is largely overestimated. We customers are nice but there are limits to what we can accept.

You're almost calling us idiots who don't know how to use our drones. If we tell you that 43 min is not reachable, it's true. Otherwise come and give us a demo.

Thank you for your kind understanding.

DJI Gamora Posted at 5-15 20:13
Hi, djiuser_zKR5HFX3a2EC. Thank you for reaching out. 4 lights do not refer that it is fully charged, please fully charge it and check the battery percentage in RC then test it again. Also, the low-temperature environment will lead to fast power consumption as well, please try to avoid the low-temperature environment as much as possible. If the RC can still last for only one hour from fully charged to run out after the test, please send it back to us. You may submit an online repair request through this link: {https://repair.dji.com/repair/index}. If you need assistance with creating a ticket, you may contact DJI support at (https://www.dji.com/support). Also, the Mavic 3's max flight time was measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: No wind, at sea level, the constant flight speed of 32.4 kph, APAS off, AirSense off, camera parameters set to 1080p/24fps, video mode off, and flying from 100% battery to 0% battery. Results may vary depending on the environment, usage scenario, and firmware version. Your kind understanding is appreciated and thank you for your continued support.

Post Nr20 is valid for you too.

The Saint Posted at 5-16 08:37
ok i agree but in your previous post, that post is all about government regulations and as you know, nothing else worked with car mpg and that's why the government claimed they had to step in.  surely i would prefer rigorous testing standards agreed upon by all companies and i would love for all drone manufacturers to sign up and comply but that's a lot of extra work and time and it costs money and there's no guarantee they will do a better job.  will dji be the gorilla in the room (like apple/samsung), what happens when smaller manufacturers cant/wont comply, etc.  if there is truly a need for a 3rd party to step in, they will.  the market will create that organization and they would have some teeth (like ctia for mobile phones for example).  but something tells me dji, parrot, skydio, autel, etc are never going to agree on the standards for various reasons.

dji has the logs but cannot provide you with their testing materials; it's proprietary. the material contain testing processes and procedures and techniques and details that shouldnt be shared with the public (or the competitor).  the logs and the data have characteristics that indicate failures and successes, fixes and workarounds, interpretations that shouldn't be up for public discussion or non-legal scrutiny.  but it doesn't end there.  if you have good reason to question the process, you have options.

This newly leaked image really explains a lot. I guess they actually did achieve this 46 minute flight after all.

With the RC controller's screen to full brightness after an hour there is still maybe  60% charge left. I would think that at that rate I would be able to get 3 hours flight time.

I dont think that the number of bars is proportional to the time left, but rather to the battery voltage. The last 2 bars may still indicate more than 50% of battery capacity.

LV_Forestry Posted at 5-16 08:49
There is nothing to understand. You just have to shut up and admit that the announced flight time is largely overestimated. We customers are nice but there are limits to what we can accept.

You're almost calling us idiots who don't know how to use our drones. If we tell you that 43 min is not reachable, it's true. Otherwise come and give us a demo.

There is nothing to understand. You just have to shut up and admit that the announced flight time is largely overestimated. We customers are nice but there are limits to what we can accept.
All you have to do is read the fine print that explains how DJI got their flight times.
It's all there in black and white.

You're almost calling us idiots who don't know how to use our drones. If we tell you that 43 min is not reachable, it's true.
DJI never said that you don't know how to use your drones.
They clearly stated the conditions their testing was done under.
It's spelled out in the specs for anyone who can read.

Anyone cannot understand how DJI arrived at their numbers, and can't understand that real world use will get a shorter flight timeunder  than laboratory test conditions, then maybe they are an idiot.

Labroides Posted at 5-18 01:40
There is nothing to understand. You just have to shut up and admit that the announced flight time is largely overestimated. We customers are nice but there are limits to what we can accept.
All you have to do is read the fine print that explains how DJI got their flight times.
It's all there in black and white.

What bothers me is that the more new generations of drones arrive, the more margin they take on the announced flight time, in comparison with what we see in real situations.  

Indeed it would not be good marketing to announce performance in comparison with previous generations.

To hide behind the mention "test carried out in laboratory conditions" I am ok, but it should not be abused too much.

LV_Forestry Posted at 5-18 02:00
What bothers me is that the more new generations of drones arrive, the more margin they take on the announced flight time, in comparison with what we see in real situations.  

Indeed it would not be good marketing to announce performance in comparison with previous generations.

There's nothing being abused.
They tell you their testing conditions and the time they achieve under those conditions.
What's the problem with that?

LV_Forestry Posted at 5-18 02:00
What bothers me is that the more new generations of drones arrive, the more margin they take on the announced flight time, in comparison with what we see in real situations.  

Indeed it would not be good marketing to announce performance in comparison with previous generations.

It is no different than every other company and their marketing claims.  They are always going to push the envelope.  

Labroides Posted at 5-18 02:18
There's nothing being abused.
They tell you their testing conditions and the time they achieve under those conditions.
What's the problem with that?

When you will buy equipment on tender you will understand.

TonyPHX Posted at 5-18 02:19
It is no different than every other company and their marketing claims.  They are always going to push the envelope.

Same observation for the others.  
They are obliged to align themselves with the "leader".

What would be very cool, around their theoretical mention made in the laboratory, would be to have a flight time in real condition.  At this time I will feel less betrayed by the manufacturer.

I too am getting well over three hours of flying. IF I need more it's easily bumped with a power source in the field.

Johnnokomis Posted at 5-16 06:35
Actually there's no need to ask them. In the US the EPA reviews every car manufacturer's claims. Then they go on to test 15%-20% of those vehicles on their own. Either way there's a third party to verify a car manufacturer's reported claims. In the case of DJI, there's no such review. DJI reports a number with no evidence to show or outside review of ANYTHING. You see the difference? For all we know this 46 minute flight could have began at 8000' MSL and touched down at sea level. If you calculate the numbers DJI is reporting this test flight travelled 24.84 km which makes this not so far fetched of an idea.
[view_image]

If that is the test room then I am left wondering how accurate the results obtained are..... or is the rolling resistance calibrated to include the wind drag etc. at the tested speed?

LV_Forestry Posted at 5-18 02:37
When you will buy equipment on tender you will understand.

I already understand.
It's the people here accusing DJI of being misleading that have no idea of how things are in the real world.
Perhaps you have a suggestion for a better way for DJI to express flight time?

What would be very cool, around their theoretical mention made in the  laboratory, would be to have a flight time in real condition.
Climbing, accelerating, flying too slow, flying too fast and pushing against the wind are all factors that shorten flight time.
How much climbing, accelerating etc, etc should DJI use to show what you consider actual use data?
ANd how much for others who have completely different flying styles?

Labroides Posted at 5-18 03:44
I already understand.
It's the people here accusing DJI of being misleading that have no idea of how things are in the real world.
Perhaps you have a suggestion for a better way for DJI to express flight time?

A flight time achievable outdoors with a calm wind, in a determined mode.  Something reproducible by the user to know if the material received is compliant.  

They could even go further by giving what we are entitled to expect depending on the number of battery cycles, I admit that it is already more random.  

But for a brand new battery there is no excuse.

LV_Forestry Posted at 5-18 04:41
A flight time achievable outdoors with a calm wind, in a determined mode.  Something reproducible by the user to know if the material received is compliant.  

They could even go further by giving what we are entitled to expect depending on the number of battery cycles, I admit that it is already more random.  

A flight time achievable outdoors with a calm wind, in a determined mode.  Something reproducible by the user to know if the material received is compliant.  
Are you for real?
Do you expect your car manufacturer to give you fuel consumption figures that reflect your driving style and your driving environment?

Everyone flies differently.
Every flight is different.
DJI cannot tell you how your flying will affect your flight time and it would be ridiculous for them to try.
Just as it is ridiculous for you to suggest it.

It's impossible to have an intelligent conversation with people so unattached to reality.

djiuser_zKR5HFX3a2EC Posted at 5-16 08:33
I was testing using the 4 green lights. I thought 4 is 100%, 3 is 75%, 2 is 50%, 1 is 25%. After 30 mins i am getting 2 green lights.

I recharged the rc controller until the lights goes off. I checked on the controller and is 100%. I leave it on indoor play back videos on the controller. Wifi and Bluetooth off. Brightness is 3/4. I timed it. 9:23am.....at 11:22am the controller 0% and automatically shut down. So basically from 100% down to 0% is 2 hours. I was expecting at least 3 hours given the advertised 4 hours. Anyone have the rc controller can verify how long they are getting before they need to charge it. If 2 hours is from 100% to 0%, then realistic fly time is really only 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Hi, djiuser_zKR5HFX3a2EC. Thank you for the update. If you're not satisfied with the current operation time, please feel free to send the RC to our facility for diagnosis. You may submit an online repair request through this link: {https://repair.dji.com/repair/index}. If you need assistance with creating a ticket, you may contact DJI support at (https://www.dji.com/support). Just to add, for the blinking pattern, the 4th LED could mean 75%-100% so better check the percentage from the DJI RC itself.

Labroides Posted at 5-18 06:04
A flight time achievable outdoors with a calm wind, in a determined mode.  Something reproducible by the user to know if the material received is compliant.  
Are you for real?
Do you expect your car manufacturer to give you fuel consumption figures that reflect your driving style and your driving environment?

Labroides you have a small mind.  

From experience with identical machines I find similar flight times.  So yes it is possible.

With a moderate consumption of 1 std and 2 plus batteries, I have half the charge left on the control panel. The brightness is maximum, wifi is disabled.

Labroides Posted at 5-18 02:18
There's nothing being abused.
They tell you their testing conditions and the time they achieve under those conditions.
What's the problem with that?

So, I'm guessing you don't like the new company logo...