Increase Mavic 2 range beyond 8000 meters?

[MichaelDiggs]

Thanks. I have one of those screw trays also. One side being magnetic. I’ve built servers and PC’s for years so I should be able to handle it. I have a nice iFixit kit that has all the tools I’ll need, even plastic splungers and such so no scratching the plastic.

I wonder what was wrong with my control board. DJI just says they replaced it, but wondering what’s in it that has anything to do with the video transmission between that and the controller. I always thought it was a separate board that took care of that inside.

 

[Elton Hammonds]

Thanks. I have one of those screw trays also. One side being magnetic. I’ve built servers and PC’s for years so I should be able to handle it. I have a nice iFixit kit that has all the tools I’ll need, even plastic splungers and such so no scratching the plastic.

I wonder what was wrong with my control board. DJI just says they replaced it, but wondering what’s in it that has anything to do with the video transmission between that and the controller. I always thought it was a separate board that took care of that inside.

I haven't a clue about the architecture, but I hope it comes back to you working better.

These toys are too expensive to not work!

 

[Randori]

Hello Mavic Pro friends,

Recently purchased the Mavic 2 Pro, amazing piece of equipment. Have a question, hopefully someone can help.

Is there anyway to exceed the preset 8000 meter range? I’ve hit this distance three times, and each time Mavic 2 stopped near the 5 mile mark. Somewhere around 4.97 miles, about 8000 meters.

Is there a setting I can change? Of the three times I’ve hit the 4.97 mile mark, Mavic 2 has battery strength left to go further and return back to launch area.

Appreciate the help,
Paul

5 miles out. Completely out of site. Another drone pilot single handedly insuring more regulations (and hardware/software limits) will be imposed on the drone community. Why not see how close you can get to commercial aircraft while you're at it??

 

[Waldo Pepper]

5 miles out. Completely out of site. Another drone pilot single handedly insuring more regulations (and hardware/software limits) will be imposed on the drone community. Why not see how close you can get to commercial aircraft while you're at it??

I agree , what a foolish thing to do and share on the forum. Since I’m the original poster of this thread, I understand and agree with you stance on the subject of flying beyond slight.

May I ask for a favor, in the future please contact the poster of such postings like these via private messaging. They may have changed their position and don’t fly beyond slight anymore. Give them the common courtesy to hear you out before you dig up a past post if theirs, seriously I wouldn’t do this to you.

Paul

 

[justinca2013]

That's right. I now have absolutely stable video and it's wonderful.

I was also getting continuous connectivity warnings, which have completely ceased.

I hope they fix it for you, but I highly recommend the Raptor XR antenna.

It's extremely lightweight despite it's size and has fully met my expectations.

I'm still waiting to settle on a battery and mounting solution for the 2w dual band amps I recieved about a month ago, which I obviously expect to further improve my connectivity.

I have the xr on my P4 and easily Tripled it distance from what it was. I love it!!! Little bulky but can deal with that for what has improved on my los flights now.

 

[lolo780]

NLD has boost mode for the Mavic 2 now which noticeably improves the already excellent M2 signal.

Blog-nolimitdronez.com

nolimitdronez.com

 

[Elton Hammonds]

I agree , what a foolish thing to do and share on the forum. Since I’m the original poster of this thread, I understand and agree with you stance on the subject of flying beyond slight.

May I ask for a favor, in the future please contact the poster of such postings like these via private messaging. They may have changed their position and don’t fly beyond slight anymore. Give them the common courtesy to hear you out before you dig up a past post if theirs, seriously I wouldn’t do this to you.

Paul

Wait.... Are you saying an operator cannot use a chain of visual observers?

 

[parkgt]

Wait.... Are you saying an operator cannot use a chain of visual observers?

You only need one if they can keep up with the bird and have instant communication.

 

[Mike4884]

Great! Thank you laurens23, I see it and will try it tomorrow. Appreciate the help

Thanks again,
Paul

That should def be your problem u have to make sure that is off

 

[Elton Hammonds]

Exactly. There's no reason a pilot cannot have more than one, so one of the problems with groups like this is there's always someone just itching to slam someone else for being stupid, when they probably are not, breaking the law, when the accuser is no authority on the law, let alone a member of a state bar association. Not to mention, the slammer doesn't even know the state or country others are in.

You only need one if they can keep up with the bird and have instant communication.

 

[Randori]

I agree , what a foolish thing to do and share on the forum. Since I’m the original poster of this thread, I understand and agree with you stance on the subject of flying beyond slight.

May I ask for a favor, in the future please contact the poster of such postings like these via private messaging. They may have changed their position and don’t fly beyond slight anymore. Give them the common courtesy to hear you out before you dig up a past post if theirs, seriously I wouldn’t do this to you.

Paul

I guess I figured the whole point of a "public" forum is to have a "public" discussion about various topics so both the original post and people's responses to it can be evaluated by the larger community of members.

In general there are a handful of basic common sense rules that are widely promoted (though clearly not always followed) by drone manufacturers and regulatory bodies.....two of which are:
1. Stay below the max allowable altitude for your area
2. Always maintain line of sight.

Setting aside that the original post was a little stale, you have a post that appeared to be violating one if not both of these common sense guidelines and thereby lauding a questionable pilot practice which, if repeated by enough pilots, could help spur even more regulations and firmware enforced restrictions. Regardless of the original post date or country of origin, it struck me as a very contemporary topic for drone pilots to consider as those who are inclined to reproduce the stunt might benefit from knowing that not all public opinion favors the practice. My response was intended for the community at large to consider....which would not occur with a private message to the original poster. It was less of a critique of the original pilot per se, and more of a response to any and all pilots similarly inclined.

 

[Cymruflyer]

Randori stated it very well.

 

[paulatkin73]

5 miles out. Completely out of site. Another drone pilot single handedly insuring more regulations (and hardware/software limits) will be imposed on the drone community. Why not see how close you can get to commercial aircraft while you're at it??

there are some jobs that actually may require such range, but it is just wrong to use mavic for that.
if you need to fly multiple miles routes - build a plane or a monowing model, it will be able to cover way more territory in a way faster and more economical way. quadcopters are not intended to do such things.

 

[Randori]

there are some jobs that actually may require such range, but it is just wrong to use mavic for that.
if you need to fly multiple miles routes - build a plane or a monowing model, it will be able to cover way more territory in a way faster and more economical way. quadcopters are not intended to do such things.

Yeah the original post specifically mentions using the Mavic 2 Pro over 4,900 meters out. Sure, there may be niche applications that require such distances but the original post did not mention any such need and thus read a bit like a pilot simply pushing beyond recommended limits out of curiosity or defiance of the generally accepted recommendations.

I reacted the way I did because I too am a drone pilot who is becoming increasingly frustrated with the number and nature of rapidly growing restrictions as to when and where I can fly. I am convinced that many of these restrictions are the result of other pilots engaging in questionable or irresponsible practices with respect to the completely understandable general guidelines and that's a bit frustrating.....especially when one see's them seeking advice in a public forum on how violate the guidelines even further.

So the post was a bit old and the original poster has since seen the error of their ways. Fair enough and point taken...but why shouldn't there be an element of public shaming when those who are hellbent on ignoring the guidelines and ruining the available airspace for the rest of us? The guidelines exist for a reason, not the the least of which is keeping the sky open to non-commercial drone piloting. Violate them and you potentially harm the community and the community is entitled to a reaction to that.

We are, each of us, ambassadors and representatives, and each of us determines how drone piloting is perceived by the public and the regulatory bodies that exercise power over us. Fly accordingly.....or risk not being allowed to fly. (Or worse yet....ensuring other's can't fly either)

 

[paulatkin73]

I reacted the way I did because I too am a drone pilot who is becoming increasingly frustrated with the number and nature of rapidly growing restrictions as to when and where I can fly. I am convinced that many of these restrictions are the result of other pilots engaging in questionable or irresponsible practices with respect to the completely understandable general guidelines and that's a bit frustrating.....especially when one see's them seeking advice in a public forum on how violate the guidelines even further.

well, the total amount of wisdom on the planet remains constant and the world population is constantly growing, so, it is what it is.
people tend to do silly things, but, i think in majority of cases involving extra long flights people actually do it for a reason - crops survey, perimeter checks, etc. that is why i say that a proper monowing, preferably with a FLIR unit on it is a way better tool for that job than a mavic.

from other perspective, if the pilot is actually a farmer who has no time and resources to deal with the technology aspect of all this - the mavic solution is right there, and, well, i guess it is just going to continue until media and government will totally blow it out of proportion and put crazy regulations on all of it or reclassify all drones into the small aviation world and make us all get proper pilot licenses in order to fly anything in the air.

 

[Randori]

well, the total amount of wisdom on the planet remains constant but, i think in majority of cases involving extra long flights people actually do it for a reason

Hmm....you and I must be reading different articles and watching different YouTube videos. Setting aside the assertion that total wisdom in the world is fixed (how one would measure such a thing is unclear) examples abound of pilots trying to set records for maximum height or distance for no other apparent reason than bragging rights. Just google DJI Max Distance, filter for video content and you get something like 127,000 clips of people flying WAY beyond VLOS for no apparent reason than to see what's possible.

I admire the inclination to assume a legitimate need, and perhaps the original post would have done better to cite such a need, but I'm not sure I agree that in a "majority" of cases involving extra long flights people actually do it for a reason. In any case, the laws and/or guidelines requiring VLOS exist for a reason or they don't. I contend that they do, if only for the basic reason that flying by camera POV is a vastly distant second to maintaining VLOS when it comes to identifying and avoiding obstacles that can result in a crash....crashes which not only result in the potential loss of your drone, but potential disturbance or injury to others, property damage, or damage to the environment (cases of wildfires have been noted, crashes into moving vehicles, crowds, & near misses with airplanes and commercial helicopters, etc.) all because the pilots in question did not keep the drone close enough to maintain the situational awareness that VLOS provides.

 

[ChrisOutdoors]

Here's my community input, VLOS regs for todays UAS is a joke and we all know it. So long as you abide by the altitude restrictions it's fairly easy to keep decent situational awareness. I have less VFR awareness in a cockpit than with a UAS that spins on a dime.

 

[Randori]

Here's my community input, VLOS regs for todays UAS is a joke and we all know it. So long as you abide by the altitude restrictions it's fairly easy to keep decent situational awareness. I have less VFR awareness in a cockpit than with a UAS that spins on a dime.

I suppose there's more than one point to unpack here but I'll take the main one with a huge caveat up front: I am not an aircraft pilot and so I'm at a disadvantage and defer to you when it comes to your statement regarding in-cockpit VFR awareness.

That said, I don't need to be an aircraft pilot or need to sit inside a cockpit to know what the limitations of my drone's camera and monitor are. I know from direct experience that the radio tower and guylines I can readily see with my unaided vision are reduced to near invisibility when taking in the same view at the same distance from from my Mavic 2's camera & DJI Smart controller screen. I know from direct experience that there are obstacles I can clearly see with the naked eye that are are either not in my camera's field of view or indiscernible on the monitor until I get the drone much, much, much, closer.

Hence, learning that maintaining VFR & situational awareness in a real plane is even more difficult does little to overturn the necessity and wisdom of maintaining VLOS when piloting a drone in my opinion.

Don't get me wrong.....I'm not talking about flying one's drone across some expanse to get to some point of interest you can actually see while reducing your drone to small dot in the sky. I'm talking about flying one's drone so far out that you not only lose sight of the drone, but also lose any direct knowledge of the surrounding area that is not in the camera's field of view along with any objects beyond your monitor's resolution capability to display until danger close.

One example comes to mind: We were in Iceland and found a particularly interesting pullout about midway down this incredible glacial valley. Great drone shot in my opinion and so while I prepped for flight my wife took a short hike out to and along the cliff edge over which I intended to get a nice bit of "flyover then drop in" footage. As I fly out I see the little speck of pixels that is my wife on the DJI Smart controller energetically waving. I assume she's just waving at the drone to be part of the shot......cool....let's keep her in frame. But then a bit of good sense overtakes me and I look up from the monitor and directly at my wife with my naked eye and I see not a friendly wave but a cautionary wave off. Turns out there were rows of high tension power lines just below the cliff wall I was about to drop over and into that I could not see from my position and which did not appear with sufficient resolution on the smart controller monitor for me to have noticed perhaps until it was too late.

This for me was the concrete lesson on maintaining VLOS & properly scouting one's flight path....which is to say never relying exclusively upon the camera's POV to cover both.....which one is almost certainly doing when flying several miles out. I know part of the fun is to be able to project one's own vision over the horizon....I get it....that's cool and fun.....just like lane splitting on a motorcycle is sorta fun.......but neither practice seems wise and in many places both are illegal. And so as a community, I just wonder out loud whether we should promote or laud the practice when the topic arises.

 

[ChrisOutdoors]

I suppose there's more than one point to unpack here but I'll take the main one with a huge caveat up front: I am not an aircraft pilot and so I'm at a disadvantage and defer to you when it comes to your statement regarding in-cockpit VFR awareness.

That said, I don't need to be an aircraft pilot or need to sit inside a cockpit to know what the limitations of my drone's camera and monitor are. I know from direct experience that the radio tower and guylines I can readily see with my unaided vision are reduced to near invisibility when taking in the same view at the same distance from from my Mavic 2's camera & DJI Smart controller screen. I know from direct experience that there are obstacles I can clearly see with the naked eye that are are either not in my camera's field of view or indiscernible on the monitor until I get the drone much, much, much, closer.

Hence, learning that maintaining VFR & situational awareness in a real plane is even more difficult does little to overturn the necessity and wisdom of maintaining VLOS when piloting a drone in my opinion.

Don't get me wrong.....I'm not talking about flying one's drone across some expanse to get to some point of interest you can actually see while reducing your drone to small dot in the sky. I'm talking about flying one's drone so far out that you not only lose sight of the drone, but also lose any direct knowledge of the surrounding area that is not in the camera's field of view along with any objects beyond your monitor's resolution capability to display until danger close.

One example comes to mind: We were in Iceland and found a particularly interesting pullout about midway down this incredible glacial valley. Great drone shot in my opinion and so while I prepped for flight my wife took a short hike out to and along the cliff edge over which I intended to get a nice bit of "flyover then drop in" footage. As I fly out I see the little speck of pixels that is my wife on the DJI Smart controller energetically waving. I assume she's just waving at the drone to be part of the shot......cool....let's keep her in frame. But then a bit of good sense overtakes me and I look up from the monitor and directly at my wife with my naked eye and I see not a friendly wave but a cautionary wave off. Turns out there were rows of high tension power lines just below the cliff wall I was about to drop over and into that I could not see from my position and which did not appear with sufficient resolution on the smart controller monitor for me to have noticed perhaps until it was too late.

This for me was the concrete lesson on maintaining VLOS & properly scouting one's flight path....which is to say never relying exclusively upon the camera's POV to cover both.....which one is almost certainly doing when flying several miles out. I know part of the fun is to be able to project one's own vision over the horizon....I get it....that's cool and fun.....just like lane splitting on a motorcycle is sorta fun.......but neither practice seems wise and in many places both are illegal. And so as a community, I just wonder out loud whether we should promote or laud the practice when the topic arises.

This is a valid point when staring at a small screen. However SA improves greatly when you use goggles, I have more awareness of my surroundings going in FPV mode than I could ever achieve in an aircraft.