FCC MINI not achieving the 4000 meters distance!

[André Denis]

Hello. My MM is the FCC MT1SS5 version, with the MR1SS5 remote control. Normally i would expect the drone to fly around 3000 meters over an unobstructed VLOS, and no interference. I can barely achieve 1000 to 1500, and this with having some low signal warnings along the way and finaly loss of connection!
I fly the drone over a desert, 200 feets in the air and try to keep the antennas oriented towards the drone.
Is this poor performance the best this drone can achieve? Or is there something wrong with the machine, or the way i use it?
Please advise.
Regards.

 

[Chris93]

I am hoping someone will reply to your question, as I have the same problem, I can only fly less than 100m and it say max distance reached. my controller is set to max distance .

 

[The Editor]

Hello. My MM is the FCC MT1SS5 version, with the MR1SS5 remote control. Normally i would expect the drone to fly around 3000 meters over an unobstructed VLOS, and no interference. I can barely achieve 1000 to 1500, and this with having some low signal warnings along the way and finaly loss of connection!
I fly the drone over a desert, 200 feets in the air and try to keep the antennas oriented towards the drone.
Is this poor performance the best this drone can achieve? Or is there something wrong with the machine, or the way i use it?
Please advise.
Regards.

Try search function....

Search results for query: Mavic Mini distance

mavicpilots.com

 

[Meta4]

I am hoping someone will reply to your question, as I have the same problem, I can only fly less than 100m and it say max distance reached. my controller is set to max distance .

That's not the same issue.
You have a limit that's stopping your drone.
Can you show a screenshot of your Max Distance setting?

 

[WithTheBirds]

1 to 1.5km is poor performance?

It might be you need to perform a recalibration- of your expectations.

The 4km ideal conditions spec isn’t a performance guarantee. Flying higher will almost certainly see you get further down range though.

 

[Chris93]

That's not the same issue.
You have a limit that's stopping your drone.
Can you show a screenshot of your Max Distance setting?

i just deleted the DJI fly app and reloaded it. seems to have fixed the problem

 

[Deleted member 114292]

Yes that’s about the best you can hope for.
And understand the risk you’re taking when you go that far away is very high - any little thing that goes wrong by bye drone.
You should study this forum so you can understand the risks I’m talking about. or you can wait until you lose it and come here and find out about the risks the hard way.
You certainly wouldn’t be the first to take this approach and I’m certain you wouldn’t be the last.

 

[André Denis]

Yes that’s about the best you can hope for.
And understand the risk you’re taking when you go that far away is very high - any little thing that goes wrong by bye drone.
You should study this forum so you can understand the risks I’m talking about. or you can wait until you lose it and come here and find out about the risks the hard way.
You certainly wouldn’t be the first to take this approach and I’m certain you wouldn’t be the last.

I understand the risks, and we are not even talking about the fact that the drone is very hard to see at that distance (!). But the thing is i get low signal much before that. 500 m. And then it goes away and i can continue. I'm uncomfortable even turning the drone at those distances because the antennas are facing the other way! So i wonder if there is not a power issue with the drone. It is as if i had a CE drone in my hand! So its not really about going far, its about going in the 400 -800 meters reliably, assuming of course no obstructions, and no interference. I even tried to put my phone in air plane mode... same result. How can i test the <30 dBm transmission power level claimed!
Thank you for your time.
A

 

[TDZHDTV]

I am hoping someone will reply to your question, as I have the same problem, I can only fly less than 100m and it say max distance reached. my controller is set to max distance .

Is Payload function enabled? As this limits flight distance as does fitting propeller guards

 

[Deleted member 114292]

I understand the risks, and we are not even talking about the fact that the drone is very hard to see at that distance (!). But the thing is i get low signal much before that. 500 m. And then it goes away and i can continue. I'm uncomfortable even turning the drone at those distances because the antennas are facing the other way! So i wonder if there is not a power issue with the drone. It is as if i had a CE drone in my hand! So its not really about going far, its about going in the 400 -800 meters reliably, assuming of course no obstructions, and no interference. I even tried to put my phone in air plane mode... same result. How can i test the <30 dBm transmission power level claimed!
Thank you for your time.
A

Ok, but I really don't think you do. Regardless of what DJI says the MM is simply not equipped for that distance. For one thing there is very little wind tolerance on the MM and at those distances it's impossible to tell what the wind might be. Please read through the crash and loss forums.
I personally would not fly my M2P to those distances.
It's your drone do as you please...

 

[apeel]

Sorry, André, but there is just no way you could fly a Mavic Mini 4,000 meters away (i.e. 2.5-miles, or 13,200 feet) and still keep this tiny bird in VLOS. I don't care how good your eyes are ... human eyes simply do not have this resolution. Perhaps you misunderstand what VLOS really means? It does not mean that there is nothing between you and the drone. That is simply Line of Sight (LOS). The 'V' in VLOS means 'Visual' where you cannot only actually see the drone in the sky, but also see it's orientation and in which direction it is flying without any optical assistance (either then eye glasses).

 

[WithTheBirds]

He is suffering from
Invulnerability: “It won’t happen to me!”
and
Macho: “I can do it!”

It seems you might be suffering from ignorance of the forum community rules.

The OP didn't ask for advice on flight regulations or you to assess his/her character.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

Those are right from the FAA not my creation. I would think it is permissible to quote the FAA.
My intention is to help keep his MM in one piece.

The 5 Hazardous Attitudes All Pilots Should Avoid - Hartzell Propeller

Understanding each of the five hazardous attitudes can help pilots of all skill levels manage risk and make safer decisions in the skies.

hartzellprop.com

 

[WithTheBirds]

Those are right from the FAA not my creation. I would think it is permissible to quote the FAA,

The 5 Hazardous Attitudes All Pilots Should Avoid - Hartzell Propeller

Understanding each of the five hazardous attitudes can help pilots of all skill levels manage risk and make safer decisions in the skies.

hartzellprop.com

I wouldn't think the FAA rules apply to the OP- unless they extend to Canada.

Thats not the point.

The applicable guidelines are here Community Rules

 

[Deleted member 114292]

I wouldn't think the FAA rules apply to the OP- unless they extend to Canada.

Thats not the point.

The applicable guidelines are here Community Rules

They not rules. They are advice to prevent accidents, based on decades of research. I stand by my post.

 

[WithTheBirds]

They not rules. They are advice to prevent accidents, based on decades of research. I stand by my post.

Ok... So you thinks its cool to post disparaging remarks concerning another member?

My main issue is with this comment...

He is suffering from
Invulnerability: “It won’t happen to me!”
and
Macho: “I can do it!”

You stand by that as being a reasonable comment in the context of the thread do you?

 

[Deleted member 114292]

Ok... So you thinks its cool to post disparaging remarks concerning another member?

My main issue is with this comment...



You stand by that as being a reasonable comment in the context of the thread do you?

Yes it is not disparaging it's an attitude that we all have at times that helps cause accidents. Please read the article.
If more of us came to recognise these attitude there would be much fewer crashes.

 

[WithTheBirds]

Yes it is not disparaging it's an attitude that we all have at times that helps cause accidents. Please read the article.
If more of us came to recognise these attitude there would be much fewer crashes.

No issue with the article- it was commenting on your assumptions and opinion with respect to the OP’s character .

 

[Deleted member 114292]

He seems to be displaying these attitudes and yes of course it is my opinion. It really has nothing to do with character we all have been there.
If I am wrong, well better safe than sorry but really wanting to fly the MM that far and ignoring our advice seems to be indicative of those attitudes.
Understanding these attitude has saved me from any further crashes. If he came back in a week with a crash I would have felt that I did not do all I could to help prevent that.

 

[André Denis]

I presume good intent on the senior members of this forum. In return i ask that you don't presume that because i am asking about the transmission power, and wonder if my drone is sound, that i go about carelessly. I am testing the drone and find it lacking. I might be wrong which is why i am asking technical advise. And don't worry i will not go racing to the moon. So eventhough i understand the safety concern, i seek technical advise. Thank you
André.