Ok, I read on the internet that NON ADS-B Mavic Air 2 drones will have around 4km range shaved from the advertised DJI official range. If this is the case then why once again are we being fleeced in the UK i.e. not being able to purchase ADS-B models on day of release (Yeah right covid!) without an increased price hike such as import taxes etc. and because of this being short changed in range?
ADS-B UK
- Thread starter sinbrad
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The Radio is limited depending on location. I.E if you take the NOrth American model which flies 10km in USA and use it in EU/UK it will limit itself to 6km, likewise if you take the UK model and fly it in the USA it will fly 10km. The only difference is whether you get the ADS-B receiver or not. USA do, the rest of world don't.
Well legally you cant fly it more than 500-600m in the UK so 4km is plenty.... Visual line of sight remember.
And its no being short changed for that. The US has higher powers allowed than almost anywhere else in the world. The UK/CE is pretty much the same standard powers for everywhere except america.
As for ADS-B supply chain issues make perfect sense given a load of FABs and factories have been closed down for months. ADS-B is also not that useful for a drone user, especially outside the US. Minor annoyance not having it maybe but thats it.
If you REALLY want ADS-B then just spend £20 and build your own receiver with a USB TV dongle and a USB-OTG cable into your phone. But really, its not that useful.
And its no being short changed for that. The US has higher powers allowed than almost anywhere else in the world. The UK/CE is pretty much the same standard powers for everywhere except america.
As for ADS-B supply chain issues make perfect sense given a load of FABs and factories have been closed down for months. ADS-B is also not that useful for a drone user, especially outside the US. Minor annoyance not having it maybe but thats it.
If you REALLY want ADS-B then just spend £20 and build your own receiver with a USB TV dongle and a USB-OTG cable into your phone. But really, its not that useful.
So, is this the case of FCC v CE limits. If that is the case then there are ways around it?
I don't actually care about ADS-B, what I am unhappy about is if the models without ADS-B are being limited as to what range they can reach. Yes, I know all the regs etc and that is not the problem. It's like going into a car showroom and being told that because the same model is being sold in another country it is going to get better mpg than if sold in the UK, there should be no limits in range between the 2.
I live in an area in Scotland that is extremely remote and I would love to be able to use my drone to explore areas where I would normally have to put my boots on and discover and then there are areas so remote I couldn't do that anyway
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It doesnt matter. A more sensible question would be "why doesnt the US have to pay more for a longer range than the rest of the world".
They're not being limited. They're following worldwide standards for power emissions to prevent interference. Its a radio transmitter, it shares spectrum with countless other things, interference is an issue and rules exist to prevent that.
Legally you're limited to a few hundred metres. 4km is way over and above what you'll ever need or legally be able to use anywhere in the world.
Its regulatory and in no means affect what you can do with the drone. There's no legal exemption for 'i live in a quiet area'.
They're not being limited. They're following worldwide standards for power emissions to prevent interference. Its a radio transmitter, it shares spectrum with countless other things, interference is an issue and rules exist to prevent that.
Legally you're limited to a few hundred metres. 4km is way over and above what you'll ever need or legally be able to use anywhere in the world.
Its regulatory and in no means affect what you can do with the drone. There's no legal exemption for 'i live in a quiet area'.
The models themselves are not limited. Every Mavic Air 2 adjusts its power output based on GPS to meet the laws of the country they are in. You say you understand the "Regs" but the examples make it seem like you might not. If one country mandates a less powerful radio, then DJI, by law, needs to make the radio less powerful and they are meeting the laws. They would not legally be allowed to sell them there otherwise.
In your car analogy, a better example would be if an automobile could reach 150 mph, but a country make a rule that no car was allowed to go faster than 90 mph. The car manufacturer then put on a limit so the exact same car, so it could only go 90 mpg while in that country. It doesn't matter if you live in a remote area, the laws apply to all of Scotland.
The whole point about a foldable portable drone is so you can take it on your travels around the world including the usa whereads-b is standard and may be required soon but your EU drone does not have the feature! So do DJI only make the drone for use in your own country!? Wont buy it , its cheating consumer
There was an ADS-B shortage when the drone came out, so only certain countires got them. ADS-B models started showing up in Europe about middle of last year (although they did not have any ADS-B markings or stickers on them). One post so far may even indicate that the new firmware and software has enabled ADS-B in Europe, still waiting to see if anyone else sees the same thing or it was a GPS spoof or something.
If you choose to not buy the drone because in your country in might not have an ADS-B module (it probably does now), that's obviously your choice. Electronic parts shortages have been effecting all kinds of industires lately (here in the US, car plants keep shutting down because they can't get certain parts usually chips/circuit boards needed for screens and such), so hard to fault DJI for having a single drone that has some differences due to parts shortages. The Air 2S is the same everywhere (as is the Mini 2).
An update on 12th May 2021. Today I received and activated my new Air 2S (UK) drone and can confirm ADS-B hardware is present and works. I have updated all firmware and safety database and using my iPad with fly app from App Store I was able to enable airsense and it works with a warning on. Y screen about an aircraft.. I am in the Highlands of Scotland UK. This is the standalone Air 2S and not flymore combo. The ADS-B logo on box and sticker on drone arm. Hope this helps
… and the Highlands of Scotland are fair game for low flying RAF fast jets and you will never hear them approaching. At such low altitude, even with ADS-B, you’d have little time to take action anyway.
The UK radio frequency regulations are among the most regulated in the world and power levels are very carefully selected to provide the best operational capability and least interference for everyone and every device that are sharing the same frequency allocations.
Yes its a busy airspace with the Americans now using local RAF base to test their new aircraft. Anyway with Inverness Airport becoming a lot busier over past few years there are plenty commercial flights going overhead and it was one of those my ADS-B picked up
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