Is the Mini 5 Pro a sub-250g drone?
- Thread starter mavic3usa
- Start date
Thanks. All the drones I have unpacked in the last few months and couldn't remember.
I did something similar when I bought my Refurb Mini 4 Plus Combo directly from DJI last fall. I knew I wanted the Regular batteries, but the Regular Combo was not available at the time as a Refurb. Upon receipt, I bought 3 Regular Mini 4 Pro batteries on Amazon for $200, which is what I saved buying a Refurbished Plus Combo, and now have the 3 Mini 4 Plus batteries to sell or keep. They are still fully compatible with my Mini 3 Pro, which as never updated to broadcast RID, and the new Mini 5 Pro, which will then broadcast RID.
On the M5P, it makes even more sense to ship it that way. It can charge 2 batteries in the hub simultaneously, while the 3rd can simultaneously be charged separately inside the drone. Ready with 3 batteries in an hour, from storage state inside the sealed box.
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Canada clears the way.
C'mon, US:
dronexl.co
C'mon, US:
Transport Canada Clears DJI Mini 5 Pro Despite Weight Variance Concerns
Transport Canada has officially confirmed that the DJI Mini 5 Pro will maintain its micro drone classification despite weight variations that can push some
dronexl.co
timinator
Well-Known Member
Apparently this isn't true. Head of the rpas program at Transport Canada clarified in an email to the head of DPAC (drone pilot association canada)that if it is over 250g it is not a microdrone.Canada clears the way.
C'mon, US:
Transport Canada Clears DJI Mini 5 Pro Despite Weight Variance Concerns
Transport Canada has officially confirmed that the DJI Mini 5 Pro will maintain its micro drone classification despite weight variations that can push some
Ok, I must have missed that. So much information floating around from different sources and at different times, it's hard to keep it straight across countries. I'll check it out.
Would be nice if they could all get together and approve and declare a small variance and keep it simple for everyone because we are international and we travel and we co-exist. In the US, we complain when laws and regulations varies across states and local area so we value consistency. This ruling shouldn't be based on what the manufacturer markets or proclaims or what a scale weigh or what a officer determines in the field.
Ultimately I place most of the blame on DJI for they introduced this "issue" with the M5P; up until the M4P we were doing relatively fine. I get it, some people really don't care and they believe this is not a big deal, but most of us can't depend on a pass from our government, an understanding from an officer, or we don't have the privilege to settle for education as a remedy; that's not an option for everyone and it's disrespectful to the community to imply everyone is treated equally and should dismiss this issue and rely on common sense to come to the rescue as if that is a thing.
Felix le Chat
Well-Known Member
Europe (and the UK) have got it pretty well pegged - the mini 5 pro is or isn't a microdrone based entirely on how it is registered by the end-user: who can choose to keep the wee beastie a 'C0' by accepting operational limitations, or can free it up by re-registering it as a 'C1' class drone and accepting the fact that all the (current) benefits involved in flying a sub-250 have just gone right out of the window.
Interesting article on the future of Mini drones in the UK:
dronexl.co
UK Slashes Drone Registration Threshold To 100 Grams – DJI Mini 5 Pro Owners Must Comply By January 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, the United Kingdom will become the strictest drone regulator in the Western world by requiring registration for any drone weighing
dronexl.co
As with all things legal, the answer is "It's complicated."What a blunder; this is probably going to be a disaster.
Why can't DJI have a regular successful professional launch without having to create an issue and I'm not talking about failure to launch in the US.
There are numerous reports of the drone weight coming in over 250g on the scales. This is sorta backed up by the DJI published specs. Over the years, we had been hoping the Mini drones would come *down* in weight, not go up.
Personally for me, this is not a problem. For two reasons: I register all my drones and I personally don't subscribe to the paranoia thought that a couple of g's here or there amounts to a massive violation.
However, this is going to cause some serious problems for those that are scared of their governments, those who are super picky and prefer to stick to the absolute letter of the law, those who depend on proper and accurate government labels and designations, anyone who wants to add *any* accessory to their drone like a filter, people who travel with their drone, and anyone (including the police) who has a cheap scale.
The internet is blowing up over this. At a minimum, this is a total distraction and it's self-inflicted and on day 1, sadly I am calling this a train-wreck happening in slow motion. DJI is post my opinion on this topic too early? Is this a nothing burger? I hope so.
Uggh!
First, even some Mini 4 Pros went over the 249g line. The reality is that there are no TC police out there weighing each drone to ensure compliance. For one, that's actually the drone op's responsibility. So when would it ever be an issue? Most likely if you were already doing something dodgy like transiting through a class F restricted zone. It would be another thing they could nail you for.
Has it ever happened? Not that I'm aware of. TC has bigger things to worry about, but that's a little like saying always driving 10kmph over the speed limit is fine if you don't get caught and besides, the cops don't usually bother... well, until they do.
That being said, yes, unless TC comes out and officially declares the M5P a microdrone even if it's slightly over the 250 line, if your drone is over the 250 line, it's not legally a microdrone. How you want to deal with that is up to you. You have several options:
- Shave a little plastic off (4g isn't that much and the odds are your drone won't be that much over),
- Wait and see if anyone offers a lighter, shorter time battery,
- Open the drone and remove a non-essential part like the internal speaker,
- Wait until TC issues an official statement,
- Get your full registration and license and live with the restrictions of Advanced or Basic class certification or
- Just accept that really the M5P overweight is more or less the same as M4P overweight and not worry about it.
Personally? I'm going to wait because I already have an M4P and I know for a fact it's under 250g, so I'm safe. The M5P feels like a good upgrade, but I don't need it and if this all clears up, it would make a nice Christmas present for myself.
But in the end, it's up to you. Odds are almost 98% +/- 2% that nothing will happen if you fly it. Unless TC explicitly declares the M5P as not a microdrone, of course. Then you're kind of screwed if all you wanted was a recreational drone.
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Just got my Mini5 Pro in. Using a really good scale, she came in at 252 grams. No let's see if she emits RID
Thanks for the update you should let us know the sw version in case an update is responsible.
Talking to DJI tech support right now and they insist that RID DOES NOT get broadcast using the standard 5 Pro battery. Is the "drone scanner" app detecting something else?? The FAA is really clamping down on people who break the 400ft. altitude ceiling.
This drones does emit RID regardless of the battery you use. And since it does emit all the time, do we now have to register it? I'm on the FAA's radar so I will probably have to return the drone. What a shame. And DJI must know this
Aren't you curious why others are reporting their exact setup has no RID? To be sure you are testing in the US and you have matched the RID transmission detected with your drone's specific details? And you don't accidentally have an extended Plus battery, since they can't be determined by sight and not always that easy sighted standalone by weight, what is the battery model? Also what sw version are you on, could this be a recent trigger? And finally are you able to repeat and reproduce this test at will because it has been said it takes a few cycles to un-emit RID when switching back to standard battery?
My opinion follows, others may disagree; IANAL:
Even though your drone transmits standard RID and there is an FAA RID DoC issued for your drone model and serial #, if you fly strictly for recreational purposes and your drone is less than 250g, you are not required to enter the details (including the RID #) into the FAA database.
However, if you are drone is more than 250g, then it's debatable and my opinion is you don't have to registered but there are some in the drone community (including maybe the FAA) who say you DO have to register and you should treat it the same way you would treat it as if you attached an overweight strobe light. My only thought is....unlike the Mini 4 Pro, nowhere does DJI or anyone give the US customer the impression they are operating a drone that falls into the sub-250 category. They only provide an approx weight and a variance with might imply it's up to you to make the interpretation. DJI does say something along the lines of "check the rules with your authorities before flying with either the standard or the extended battery." It's certainly not synonymous with what they did with the Mini 4 Pro (where they claimed it was sub-250 and they said check with your authorities when flying only with the extended battery so anyone attempting to use that comparison as a defense might fail.
Nope, only the battery it came with. Unit scaled in at 252 grams. Drone scanner APP picked it up and I've seen some YouTube videos showing Drone scanner APP picking up other Mini 5 Pros using the standard battery. Even DJI tech support wasn't sure. They obviously stretched the truth with regard to weight and RID. I think I'm going to return it.
I guess DJI continues to destroy every recent drone launch due to unforced issues that just didn't have to happen. I going to assume they are majorly distracted and understandably have lost their way considering how they are being treated and the fact they have no real competition (meaning they are slowly losing that competitive spirit that drives excellence).
dronexl.co
CASA Confirms DJI Mini 5 Pro Classification: Australia Joins US, Canada, UK In Rejecting Sub-250g Status
Australia’s aviation authority has officially confirmed that the DJI Mini 5 Pro will be classified as a “small restricted RPA” rather than a sub-250g micro
dronexl.co
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