Mavic 2 Pro is on tight leash when just flying with Controller? (without smartphone)

[adiru]

I used to be able to go to this one park near my home, no NFZ zones for miles... Sometimes I wanted to fly the original Mavic Pro drone just by hand and only using the Remote Controller without having to connect it to any smartphone. It would let me do that and even when the original Mavic went pretty far away where it was only a dot in the sky, I could still bring it back using the parameters displayed on the RC itself in terms of distance to "dead reckon" myself back in the general direction until I could get a clear idea of the Mavic's bearing/heading and bring it back.

With the Mavic 2 Pro, recently I was doing a same flight at the same park and noticed that this time it was like an invisible bounding box or sphere/dome was keeping my Mavic from being able to be flown to any distance away past a short threshold. Of course if I connect it to my phone it allows it to fly further, but I hadn't put the MC2 in "beginner mode" and also hadn't put any kind of distance restrictions on it.

Why is DJI making it so that when just flying the drone with only the controller you cannot even fly it far at all it know is like a $1700 kite with a short string attached?!

 

[adiru]

Okay just tested and confirmed at night flight with clear skies and no NFZ zones, with the Mavic 1 without app/smartphone I can just use the controller and fly 300 feet high or more and at least 500 feet radius or further... (distance that I could still clearly see the drone lights in the sky) but with the Mavic 2 Pro it limited my height to 99feet and max radius to only 150feet

So basically without a smartphone the Mavic 2 Pro (adveristed at eight kilometer range ) is basically a kite with a 150feet leash?!

 

[DanMan32]

DJI applied that limit even on the Phantom 3 about 2 years ago.

 

[adiru]

DJI applied that limit even on the Phantom 3 about 2 years ago.

Do you know what firmware version it was applied to the Mavic?

 

[DanMan32]

I believe the M2 always had it since it came out around a year and a half ago (August 2018). I'll have to check the P3 release notes to know when DJI limited height/distance without the app. I would bet the limit was imposed on the M1 around the same time.

 

[adiru]

That is what is concerning. I believe with the latest firmware update they basically made indoor flying impossible too, now it seems OA cannot be turned off even in sports mode when flying indoor or close quarters.

 

[DanMan32]

Release notes for P3 has the limitation applied July 2017.

2017.07.06
....

What’s New?
....
2. For increased safety, the flight is restricted to a height of 30 m and distance of 50 m when not
connected or logged into the app during flight, including DJI GO and all apps compatible with DJI
aircraft.

 

[DanMan32]

That is what is concerning. I believe with the latest firmware update they basically made indoor flying impossible too, now it seems OA cannot be turned off even in sports mode when flying indoor or close quarters.

In your other topic, it was pointed out that your recently applied update may have reset settings, particularly that flight modes being disabled. You may also be in beginner mode. With flight modes disabled, you can't go into sport or tripod mode.

As I pointed out, I am able to go into sport mode, RC shows it's in sport mode, and I can move in any direction. I applied the current update when it came out in September.
Therefore it does appear you're not really going into sport mode.

I don't know why you won't connect the app so that you can fully see what's going on.

 

[adiru]

Okay thanks, that settings it then.

Man, between the tight leash, no more firmware downgrades, more and more ridicoulous rules and now the new DJI drones in 2020 will broadcast position to entire world and have modules that avoid other aircraft it is killing the spirit of the drone hobby

Glad to see other competitors like the skydio 2 give DJI some much needed competition.. in 2019 DJI did not innovate and instead went backwards

 

[Blume TMS]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I will question one thing you wrote in your second post here... 'night flight'.
Is that not illegal? At least 30 minute after sunset and before sunrise?
And I know, I'm playing 'Drone Police'... I usually hate it when others do this.

 

[DanMan32]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I will question one thing you wrote in your second post here... 'night flight'.
Is that not illegal? At least 30 minute after sunset and before sunrise?
And I know, I'm playing 'Drone Police'... I usually hate it when others do this.

In USA for hobbyists, it's a grey area.
Legally there's no hard fast law as law bases it on CBO, but only recognized CBO (not officially yet) is AMA and they don't have a hard fast rule about it either.
But FAA uses words to say they really don't want you to.

What does apply though is VLOS, including knowing AC orientation. That might be a challenge to comply when flying at night.

 

[DanMan32]

Okay thanks, that settings it then.

Man, between the tight leash, no more firmware downgrades, more and more ridicoulous rules and now the new DJI drones in 2020 will broadcast position to entire world and have modules that avoid other aircraft it is killing the spirit of the drone hobby

Glad to see other competitors like the skydio 2 give DJI some much needed competition.. in 2019 DJI did not innovate and instead went backwards

It comes down to govt regulations, and DJI doing it's best to protect its investment in encouraging compliance.
Let's face it, there are plenty of DJI owners who don't know the rules and would continue to be ignorant of them if DJI hadn't put in safeguards.

Even FAA put the cart before the horse back in May, saying hobbyists could not fly in controlled airspace at all without using LAANC, yet LAANC was not yet ready for hobbyists until a month or two later.

 

[OzzieHerr]

Adiru, it would make sense that drone flight distance would be limited without the phone app, as it would not have access to maps or GEO Zone boundaries. That said, I've participated in some threads regarding the Smart Capture hand gesture operation feature of the Mavic Air, so since it's possible to fly it with just gestures to a max of like 23' away (to take selfies or video), without a phone or controller, I wonder if that is theoretically still "legal" the drone doesn't know if you are in restricted or prohibited area? Wondered if anyone else has any knowledge or thoughts on this?

 

[DanMan32]

Actually Geozones is a database stored in the AC and is functional even without app. Maps is just a human UI.

The reason for DJI deciding on limiting height/distance without the app is that the only situational awareness you have is VLOS. At least with the app, you have FPV to provide some sort of situational awareness when BLOS.
I know the RC display gives you some information, but one thing it lacks is orientation.

 

[Flycaster]

Do you know what firmware version it was applied to the Mavic?

The last, good, known, "un-hobbling" firmware revision is .700 from about 2 years ago. After that, they started locking it down/hobbling everything...You can't even back/down rev. either, they took that away..

 

[Flycaster]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I will question one thing you wrote in your second post here... 'night flight'.
Is that not illegal? At least 30 minute after sunset and before sunrise?
And I know, I'm playing 'Drone Police'... I usually hate it when others do this.

You can fly at night. 3 a.m. if you want. Period. The hobbyist "carve-out" is "nested" in the Part 107.
But you also have to have lighting visible for 3 statute miles (read CREE strobes).
The 30 before/after limitation applies to those flying the "commercial aspect"...not the "hobbyist...

 

[Drbobk]

You

You can fly at night. 3 a.m. if you want. Period. The hobbyist "carve-out" is "nested" in the Part 107.
But you also have to have lighting visible for 3 statute miles (read CREE strobes).
The 30 before/after limitation applies to those flying the "commercial aspect"...not the "hobbyist...

You cannot fly at night. The rules have changed.

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[Flycaster]

As of now, "nested" inside of the 107 regulation, the carve out, as a hobbist, you can still fly at night with std. limitations" as in LOS, altitude etc., as long as you are "lit up", you must have Nav lights visible for 3 St. miles.
It's just like you were flying an rc plane/heli..........

 

[DanMan32]

I don't believe the 3 mile lighting applies to hobbyists. However VLOS is the governing rule where you would need sufficient lighting to adhere to VLOS at night.
That would be fine for G space, but in controlled airspace from a safety perspective where there's more traffic, you'd want to be seen as well as see.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

"killing the spirit of the drone hobby" That could be a good thing, judging from what I have read on this forum.