Can I fly the Mavic Mini where you have no cell service?

[mraroid]

Hi...

I do not understand the WiFi that is used from the MM controller to the drone and back. Can I fly the drone in a wilderness area with no cell phone service?

I do not understand if the controller uses a cell tower to talk to the drone or not. Perhaps the controller sends out it's own signal and talks to the drone that way?

Can someone fill me in? I am very new to all of this. I am in the US.

Thanks so much.

mraroid

 

[OurAngryBadger]

Yes you can fly with no data services, presently. It's only used for the maps, and maybe logging.

Keep in mind, with FAA's new rules slated to take effect in 2024 with remote ID, you may not be able to fly without cell phone service. But this hasn't been finalized yet and is all under speculation.

 

[DanMan32]

You only need internet to log on the app to your DJI account and to activate your quad. Once you've done that, internet is optional and often advisable to turn off all radios on your phone to minimize radio interference between RC and AC, as well as dedicate more phone resources to the app. The only main reason you might want internet on the phone is to maintain the map, but even that can be cached.

Wi-Fi is only a digital radio protocol. It does not have to carry internet any more than an Ethernet cable or Bluetooth has to carry internet. The WiFi radio is just a means for the RC to communicate with the AC. As a matter of fact, you don't even have to have your phone connected to the RC to fly the Mini. Of course there's obvious disadvantages in not doing so, like not being able to view in real time what your camera sees. For safety sake the firmware will limit your altitude and distance if you launch without the app connected.

 

[DanMan32]

P.s. Cell data and Wi-Fi are two separate radio spectrums and protocols, though both ae common means to obtain internet.

 

[mraroid]

P.s. Cell data and Wi-Fi are two separate radio spectrums and protocols, though both ae common means to obtain internet.

Thank you for the help.

I do not think I expressed my self very well. Let me try again. I am trying to figure out how the controller (with or with out a cell phone or tablet attached to it) and the drone talk to each other. How about this example. Say you are in the middle of the pacific ocean, on a small island. No internet, no cell phone service, and no electricity. If your batteries are fully charged, can you launch your MM and fly around the island? Will the controller and drone talk to each other with out any WiFi, internet or cell phone service in the area?

This is what I do not understand. Perhaps all that is needed is a fully charged controller and a full battery in the MM and you can fly?

Thanks.

mraroid

 

[old man mavic]

Thank you for the help.

I do not think I expressed my self very well. Let me try again. I am trying to figure out how the controller (with or with out a cell phone or tablet attached to it) and the drone talk to each other. How about this example. Say you are in the middle of the pacific ocean, on a small island. No internet, no cell phone service, and no electricity. If your batteries are fully charged, can you launch your MM and fly around the island? Will the controller and drone talk to each other with out any WiFi, internet or cell phone service in the area?

This is what I do not understand. Perhaps all that is needed is a fully charged controller and a full battery in the MM and you can fly?

Thanks.

mraroid

yes the controller transmits a signal to the drone and the drone then sends a signal back to the controller which then sends that to your device to see what the camera sees

 

[mraroid]

Thanks Old Man Mavic. Some of the fog in my small confused mind, is starting to clear.
mraroid

 

[DanMan32]

Wifi is as I described. It's just a specialized digital radio. We just happen to get so accustomed to having to have internet behind it to be able to be called Wi-Fi.

So no, Wi-Fi does not need internet or cell for it to work. A drone's use of Wi-Fi is for the RC (or phone for some make/models out there such as the Tello) to communicate directly with the AC.

 

[mraroid]

OK, thanks. I was so turned around for a while. I think I understand it now.

I have taken my done outside to a clear open field. Usually I only see three, maybe 4 very short green bars, and one or two very tall red bars. I am guessing each bar represents a GPS satellite? On You Tube videos, I see many very tall green bars. I do not know why I see so little. This has happened in one open filed which is about 4 acres, and another huge open park. No power lines overhead. I live above the 45th parallel south, in the Salem Oregon area, in the Pacific Northwest part of the US...

mraroid

 

[Jlp523]

Hi...

I do not understand the WiFi that is used from the MM controller to the drone and back. Can I fly the drone in a wilderness area with no cell phone service?

I do not understand if the controller uses a cell tower to talk to the drone or not. Perhaps the controller sends out it's own signal and talks to the drone that way?

Can someone fill me in? I am very new to all of this. I am in the US.

Thanks so much.

mraroid

twice I have tried to fly without cell service at the MM only goes about 15 up and then stops. Any ideas? Do I need to disable something?

 

[old man mavic]

twice I have tried to fly without cell service at the MM only goes about 15 up and then stops. Any ideas? Do I need to disable something?

there are two different things going on when you fly your drone, firstly the drone itself uses a GPS receiver to lock on to any sats that are visible in the sky where you are flying,
by visible it means that the GPS unit is able to receive the signals they are giving out,this is how the drone can hover in a fixed spot
then we have the WIFI part of flying, the RC sends a signal to the drone to control it, and then the drone sends the picture the camera sees back to the RC
this is achieved by the RC and AC randomly selecting a vacant WIFI signal which is in the radio spectrum that has been allocated for this purpose
when you fly in an area where there are many other WIFI signals being used in the same frequency spectrum it can interfere with RC and AC trying to get a stable lock
with the GPS signal this can be blocked by buildings, trees ,and even mountains as it reduces the no of sats that can be locked on to

 

[Meta4]

twice I have tried to fly without cell service at the MM only goes about 15 up and then stops. Any ideas? Do I need to disable something?

It sounds like you need to get out in the open where the GPS receiver has a good sky view and can receive GPS satellite signals.
p37 in your manual explains your situation:
Height is restricted to 16 ft (5 m) when the GPS signal is weak and Downward Vision System is activated.
Height is restricted to 98 ft (30 m) when the GPS signal is weak and Downward Vision System is inactive.