Recent Mavic Pro builds improved over original

[CyberNate]

Hello Guys,

I've gone through 5 different Mavics, pushing them to their max flight distances. One thing I've noticed is that 2 of my Mavics that were manufactured in July and August this year have superior performance over my other older builds which are from 2016 and one from around Feb-March 2017. I see consistently 2 more minutes flight time and 4-5K extra feet of distance covered when using the same battery and propellers (stock form). I can fly the new ones at 31mph for 23 minutes and the older ones no more than 21 minutes. Basically a 10% difference in efficiency.

I'm not sure when DJI made the changes in their production, but definitely something was done that impacts the flight time. For anyone that is trying to modify and do long range, you definitely want the recently built Mavic or upgrade to the Platinum. I think there is not much difference in performance between the Platinum and the recent Mavic Pro builds. Maybe 30 seconds difference in battery at most if you use the Platinum props.

Now I finally understand why UnknownCaller was able to fly so much father than me using the same setup. I could not get more than 39 minutes and he was getting 43 minutes flight time using same external batteries and same flight speed.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Any correlation with the letter in the serial number after "08Q"? Mine is "U", manufactured May 19. Most people seem to have "D", and there were recent reports of "C". These may signify hardware revisions.

 

[CyberNate]

Any correlation with the letter in the serial number after "08Q"? Mine is "U", manufactured May 19. Most people seem to have "D", and there were recent reports of "C". These may signify hardware revisions.

Mine also has a U rather than a D. You may be right about that.

 

[dirkclod]

Cyber have you just been replacing the mavic by itself or in the
combo ?

 

[gppms]

Hello Guys,

I've gone through 5 different Mavics, pushing them to their max flight distances. One thing I've noticed is that 2 of my Mavics that were manufactured in July and August this year have superior performance over my other older builds which are from 2016 and one from around Feb-March 2017. I see consistently 2 more minutes flight time and 4-5K extra feet of distance covered when using the same battery and propellers (stock form). I can fly the new ones at 31mph for 23 minutes and the older ones no more than 21 minutes. Basically a 10% difference in efficiency.

I'm not sure when DJI made the changes in their production, but definitely something was done that impacts the flight time. For anyone that is trying to modify and do long range, you definitely want the recently built Mavic or upgrade to the Platinum. I think there is not much difference in performance between the Platinum and the recent Mavic Pro builds. Maybe 30 seconds difference in battery at most if you use the Platinum props.

Now I finally understand why UnknownCaller was able to fly so much futher than me using the same setup. I could not get more than 39 minutes and he was getting 43 minutes flight time using same external batteries and same flight speed.

They also upgrade the camera and the footage now is better when filming at 1080 60fps.

 

[CyberNate]

Cyber have you just been replacing the mavic by itself or in the
combo ?

Just the Mavic for these new builds. Bought a wrecked one for cheap.

 

[mavicme]

Your "older" batteries are probably not holding 100% capacity anymore.... thus the longer flight times w/ the newer batteries. Have you tried to use the newer batteries w/ the older Mavics and test?

 

[dirkclod]

Just the Mavic for these new builds. Bought a wrecked one for cheap.

OK thanks, Had mine since Dec and was thinking of just getting a new bird and was wondering what you had done . Mine has the D letter
and really it flies fine but if the newer builds better I know I will .
Not doing the long runs much anymore after I saw what I could do
and was easier to just read what you guys were getting .

 

[CyberNate]

Your "older" batteries are probably not holding 100% capacity anymore.... thus the longer flight times w/ the newer batteries. Have you tried to use the newer batteries w/ the older Mavics and test?

No, I'm using the same battery for comparison as well as propellers. I have like 8 batteries and know them all well.

 

[CyberNate]

OK thanks, Had mine since Dec and was thinking of just getting a new bird and was wondering what you had done . Mine has the D letter
and really it flies fine but if the newer builds better I know I will .
Not doing the long runs much anymore after I saw what I could do
and was easier to just read what you guys were getting .

Well my 54k flight was with the old 2016 build. That's why I was so surprised that Keith could beat it by such a large amount. I flew it perfectly and it practically fell out of the sky once I reached homepoint. Was the perfect day and flight. Well it's because he got a new build in the summer that is 10% more efficient. I'm sure of it now. It would give 4 extra minutes which is good for 2 miles distance.

 

[dirkclod]

Well me needs another one anyway as I have rode this one hard .
. I did fall out by my feet on one run , wasn't but 4.2 out stock but saw what I could do . Was fighting autoland and just couldn't see it when I looked up for it and was coming in wide open .
Thanks Thunder , he fixed that whoops

 

[CyberNate]

Any correlation with the letter in the serial number after "08Q"? Mine is "U", manufactured May 19. Most people seem to have "D", and there were recent reports of "C". These may signify hardware revisions.

Ok, I checked all my aircraft and one of lesser performing ones has 08QE, but it's dated march 8th, 2017. Unfortunately this 08QE at the beginning doesn't guarantee you have the improved version. Seems to be by date. My July and August 2017 builds are the improved ones.

 

[CyberNate]

Ok, did 31.5 minute flight today flying at 20mph and took it to 500 ft altitude and over 40k distance. Stock mavic stock battery.

 

[Chris_GREECE]

Great!! is the battery alive????

 

[CyberNate]

Great!! is the battery alive????

Ran it down to zero, 3.4V per cell. Do it often on my flights.

 

[dport177]

I'm really starting to think that the regular mavic and the mavic platinum are the exact same drone (minus the props that are shipped with it).

Makes no sense for dji to produce different ESCs for one and not the other.

Edit: meaning the NEW builds of the regular mavic and the mavic platinum are the same.

 

[CyberNate]

I'm really starting to think that the regular mavic and the mavic platinum are the exact same drone (minus the props that are shipped with it).

Makes no sense for dji to produce different ESCs for one and not the other.

Edit: meaning the NEW builds of the regular mavic and the mavic platinum are the same.

No, the new build is different than platinum. The esc's are not as quiet and platinum won't fly on older firmware.

 

[dport177]

No, the new build is different than platinum. The esc's are not as quiet and platinum won't fly on older firmware.

Appreciate the info. Do we have concrete evidence that a new build regular mavic with low noise props is louder than the mavic platinum?

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

Good thread and very interesting. Look forward to hearing more comparisons from older vs newer builds.

 

[mavicn00b]

So how does a regular late build mavic outperform a MPP with presumably same or newer manufacturing date?