Prospective Mini 4 Pro EU pilots might want to check on the maximum height limit !

[Yorkshire_Pud]

It might be 120m relative to the take off point ........ FULL STOP.

I.e. NOT AGL.

Mini 4 Pro ceiling

Currently my Mini 3 Pro has a ceiling of 500meters. If I remain at 120meters (400 feet actually) AGL in the U.S. I can fly up a hillside to a maximum of 1640feet. Is that still true on the Mini 4 Pro? Ahhh...this question came by way of a Reddit thread. Apparently new laws in the E.U. may be...

forum.dji.com

 

[Chris Baish]

I've got my Mini 4 Pro here still sealed. Would love to know if there is any hard limit within the Fly App in the UK as I often fly above hills and cliffs in coastal areas from a lower takeoff point. Can anyone clarify before I open it? If there is a hard limit I might return it...

 

[Chris Baish]

I've got my Mini 4 Pro here still sealed. Would love to know if there is any hard limit within the Fly App in the UK as I often fly above hills and cliffs in coastal areas from a lower takeoff point. Can anyone clarify before I open it? If there is a hard limit I might return it...

Someone has just posted in the DJI forum linked above (UK based) that there is the option to set up to 500m. They've provided a screenshot, so I'm happy with that.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Someone has just posted in the DJI forum linked above (UK based) that there is the option to set up to 500m. They've provided a screenshot, so I'm happy with that.

That's fair enough, could you post your own screen capture in this thread?
But remember, if you go to mainland Europe the 120m ceiling, if correct, might hit you where it produces an "Oooooo" moment !

 

[Chris Baish]

That's fair enough, could you post your own screen capture in this thread?
But remember, if you go to mainland Europe the 120m ceiling, if correct, might hit you where it produces an "Oooooo" moment !

Just reading this after packing it away for the evening. Did all the usual firmware updates. Haven't got a screenshot but can absolutely confirm that the max can be set to 500m, the same as the Mini 3 Pro. This is UK obviously so can't say about whether it changes if within EU regulation areas.

 

[Chris Baish]

 

[mavic3usa]

Just reading this after packing it away for the evening. Did all the usual firmware updates. Haven't got a screenshot but can absolutely confirm that the max can be set to 500m, the same as the Mini 3 Pro. This is UK obviously so can't say about whether it changes if within EU regulation areas.

I get your point and I don't disagree with you but do we know this is the place to look to determine not what the max setting allows but what the max height above your take off point your drone is capable of?

When you enter a geozone, does this setting change and don't show 500?
When in the EU, has someone posted a screen shot showing 120?

I see your menu, looks the same as any other mini drone but how to we know for sure how the drone will perform?

ETA: Just seen a non-RC-2 screen from DCRainmaker showing 120 as the limit in the max altitude setting.

 

[Chris Baish]

I get your point and I don't disagree with you but do we know this is the place to look to determine not what the max setting allows but what the max height above your take off point your drone is capable of?

When you enter a geozone, does this setting change and don't show 500?
When in the EU, has someone posted a screen shot showing 120?

I see your menu, looks the same as any other mini drone but how to we know for sure how the drone will perform?

ETA: Just seen a non-RC-2 screen from DCRainmaker showing 120 as the limit in the max altitude setting.

I was only referring to the UK, which has not adopted the C class rules. DC Rainmaker is in mainland Europe so it's possible the restrictions are applied there.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

When you enter a geozone, does this setting change and don't show 500?

Can't comment on what the App's menu will show in such circumstances but the flight log certainly shows the reduced height as the height limit, this has been seen is several logs where a drone passed under, or was launched under, a low air corridor.
The 'odd' thing is that the RTH height shown in the log can then be ABOVE the maximum height limit shown in the log and drones have RTH'd into the sidewall of the corridor and got stuck. The Mavic 3 will, during an RTH, automatically descend to pass under such a corridor. I think @Suren demonstrated this in one thread. I don't know if other 'recent' drones have the same programming.
From memory of that thread the OP's drone got stuck at the sidewall, over water, until perhaps the drone entered low battery forced landing. Once below the corridor the OP got the drone over land and safe .... I think.

 

[Suren]

Can't comment on what the App's menu will show in such circumstances but the flight log certainly shows the reduced height as the height limit, this has been seen is several logs where a drone passed under, or was launched under, a low air corridor.
The 'odd' thing is that the RTH height shown in the log can then be ABOVE the maximum height limit shown in the log and drones have RTH'd into the sidewall of the corridor and got stuck. The Mavic 3 will, during an RTH, automatically descend to pass under such a corridor. I think @Suren demonstrated this in one thread. I don't know if other 'recent' drones have the same programming.
From memory of that thread the OP's drone got stuck at the sidewall, over water, until perhaps the drone entered low battery forced landing. Once below the corridor the OP got the drone over land and safe .... I think.

True, The Mavic 3 and Pro when it comes to a height restriction, will lower its height and continue its RTH with no input from the pilot. I have this nearly every time I fly and it works great.

 

[pspec]

In the EU you get a warning message when the limit is set above 120m.

 

[Kyle Stauch]

Seems like they will be implementing the same to the previous Mini series before the end of the year.

 

[Kodin]

Seems like they will be implementing the same to the previous Mini series before the end of the year.

FCC hack, hard 120m height limit...... less and less reasons to update the firmware for older drones.

It is not like these older drones will get any meaningful updates anyway.

 

[Kyle Stauch]

FCC hack, hard 120m height limit...... less and less reasons to update the firmware for older drones.

It is not like these older drones will get any meaningful updates anyway.

I kind of screwed myself, sent my Mini 3 pro in for a refund yesterday to buy the Mini 4 pro. Is there anyway I'd be able to bypass the fixed height restriction on the Mini 4 pro when it arrives?

 

[boldblue737]

**** DJI just issued an update to the Mini 4 Pro that REMOVES the 120m restriction in Europe and simply pops up a warning saying you need to follow local laws. ****

This is issue is fixed!!!!

 

[waynorth]

**** DJI just issued an update to the Mini 4 Pro that REMOVES the 120m restriction in Europe and simply pops up a warning saying you need to follow local laws. ****

This is issue is fixed!!!!

Fixed for the time being, maybe. Customers who waited to buy mini 4 due to the restriction are relieved, and dji has secured the important Christmas sale. But what will DJI do on January 1st? Will they again lock the Mini 4 at 120m?

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

**** DJI just issued an update to the Mini 4 Pro that REMOVES the 120m restriction in Europe and simply pops up a warning saying you need to follow local laws. ****

This is issue is fixed!!!!

Temporarily ?

 

[Felix le Chat]

**** DJI just issued an update to the Mini 4 Pro that REMOVES the 120m restriction in Europe and simply pops up a warning saying you need to follow local laws. ****

This is issue is fixed!!!!

That's interesting.... this was something that happened to the mini 3 series about 6 months ago... right down to the rapid issue of another firmware update to "fix the error". Really sounds like DJI is getting all it's software ducks in a row for a definitive 120m altitude hard-cap in EU & GB territories.

 

[Mynah]

If/should DJI implement a 120m restriction AFTER the fact they should offer a rebate on the purchase price IMHO. When I buy a car, motorcycle or boat motor with specific specs stated at time of buying, only to find it only outputs half the horse power after the first dealership service, we'd be going to consumer court, even if I live in a suburb with 60kmh speed restrictions.
When I fly my DJI products in mountain areas their 120m 'above takeoff point' argument is nullified, just like they allow their drones to be flown above restricted height when I fly over an 500m escarpment, as I often do, the DJI firmware happily declaring that I'm flying underground.
Should DJI feel they need to observe FAA/CAA rules on my behalf they should furbish their drones with proper height sensing equipment, like real aircraft has and they should clear up their own confusion with terminology, AGL and above takeoff point ain't the same thing, also not in the eyes of FAA and CAA.

 

[mavic3usa]

If/should DJI implement a 120m restriction AFTER the fact they should offer a rebate on the purchase price IMHO. When I buy a car, motorcycle or boat motor with specific specs stated at time of buying, only to find it only outputs half the horse power after the first dealership service, we'd be going to consumer court, even if I live in a suburb with 60kmh speed restrictions.
When I fly my DJI products in mountain areas their 120m 'above takeoff point' argument is nullified, just like they allow their drones to be flown above restricted height when I fly over an 500m escarpment, as I often do, the DJI firmware happily declaring that I'm flying underground.
Should DJI feel they need to observe FAA/CAA rules on my behalf they should furbish their drones with proper height sensing equipment, like real aircraft has and they should clear up their own confusion with terminology, AGL and above takeoff point ain't the same thing, also not in the eyes of FAA and CAA.

I think you are right, should DJI include a software update that complies with the law (or not), if you disagree and you feel you are damaged, you'll probably need to go to court since it is unlikely they will be offering rebates for this.