Mavic Air 2 Range

[aj14011]

Hi all,

Brand new drone flyer here and as this forum suggests I am also having the same issues as many other Mavic Air 2 users. I live in Australia (not sure which model this means I have) I am able to change the channels from 2.4 to 5.8ghz and vice versa. I can't get past 1000m anywhere after 800m will drop signal and auto return to home, I am unable to downgrade firmware as I'm using an apple device. I am posting this thread in hopes that someone can guide me or give me some information to a possible soloution or fix if they had the same issues as me.

 

[SkyeHigh]

Where abouts in Australia?

 

[aj14011]

Where abouts in Australia?

Adelaide

 

[Tony McDrone]

Do you have a clear line of sight, no trees, buildings, etc? Are you flying in a downtown setting? Have you flown in more than one area to check your range? Go to the magnifying glass at the top of page and do a search specific to this forum. You’ll find many answers there. You may not have a problem at all.

 

[aj14011]

I

Do you have a clear line of sight, no trees, buildings, etc? Are you flying in a downtown setting? Have you flown in more than one area to check your range? Go to the magnifying glass at the top of page and do a search specific to this forum. You’ll find many answers there. You may not have a problem at all.

The last two times I have experimented were from my backyard which is suburban, I will try someone far next time maybe @ the beach or something. What have people expected roughly from the MA2, obviously very hard to get the actual 10km.

 

[Squidinc]

Hi, I live in the Southern Highlands, NSW. The best range I’ve managed with my MA2 is just over 2klms. That was done in open country with minimal (if any) interference. I’d like to see someone do 10klms!!!

 

[Heindrich1988]

What have people expected roughly from the MA2, obviously very hard to get the actual 10km.

I’d like to see someone do 10klms!!!

I find that the two most important factors are:

1) Altitude of takeoff point. This is to ensure you have direct line of sight between controller and drone. From ground level, wifi-dense buildings and/or steel structures can really mess with signal sometimes.

2) Correct alignment of antennae towards the drone. Most people instinctively hold their controller somewhat vertically (to reduce glare on screen). This means the focus of the signal is pointing towards the sky rather than your drone.

Taking off from the roof of my 30-storey apartment building, and once I figured out correct alignment, I've reached 9km once on a range test... though I nearly lost my drone on that occasion because there wasn't enough battery to make it back. Even in ideal conditions, the limiting factor is battery, not signal strength. A 10km range test is certainly not going to make it back to home point.

 

[aj14011]

I tried another time down the end of my street and heading in a complete different direction and it was roughly the same, 900m and it lost signal. Are their any settings or anything I can try i dont think this is acceptable :/ Regardless its suburban i should be able to go further then that... I cant find the DJI sense setting either?

 

[gb160]

IF you're in CE mode, which you will be using the stock app in Australia, the max theoretical range is closer to 6km, 10km is the FCC range.

In the UK if I use the Mod FCC app, I've got 7km before having to return due to battery... with the stock DJI Fly app (CE Mode) I'm lucky to get 4km before losing signal.

I can't emphasise how important the environment is...go out to the middle of nowhere, that's the only way you'll get anywhere near to the advertised range.

 

[Cirdan]

I am also new to the drone. Just purchased a MA 2. I also live in Adelaide and interested to read how you go with the advice given here.

​

 

[MA2 317]

I am also new to the drone. Just purchased a MA 2. I also live in Adelaide and interested to read how you go with the advice given here.

​

Hello from the Hoosier Heartland Cirdan.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Thomas B]

Recommend installing strobes. Without them it’s very hard, if not impossible to see the drone past 1500-2000 feet distance

 

[Oldi001]

The reduced range might result from radio interferences or hardware issue. Just an idea came to my mind: The RC phone holder contains two (vertically positioned) antennas. The outer rim of an iPhone is actually also an antenna, virtually touching the RC antennas. I suspect that close high-power impulses from the phone (wifi, lte, bt) might create interferences or noise in the RC circuity. We should try if e.g. setting the phone in an Airplane mode would somewhat impact the range. Also I need to check if 2.4GHz band is better than 5.8GHz on longer distances.
Greetings from Poland.

 

[IslandBarnDave]

The reduced range might result from radio interferences or hardware issue. Just an idea came to my mind: The RC phone holder contains two (vertically positioned) antennas. The outer rim of an iPhone is actually also an antenna, virtually touching the RC antennas. I suspect that close high-power impulses from the phone (wifi, lte, bt) might create interferences or noise in the RC circuity. We should try if e.g. setting the phone in an Airplane mode would somewhat impact the range. Also I need to check if 2.4GHz band is better than 5.8GHz on longer distances.
Greetings from Poland.

I always fly in airplane mode. I setup a shortcut on my phone to do this, disable Bluetooth and a couple of other things before launching DJI Fly. Saves having to remember to do it every time. I created another shortcut to reverse this once I finish flying.

 

[Nikonair]

Hi, I live in the Southern Highlands, NSW. The best range I’ve managed with my MA2 is just over 2klms. That was done in open country with minimal (if any) interference. I’d like to see someone do 10klms!!!

Hi Squidinc - whereabouts in the Southern Highlands?

 

[Nikonair]

I'd like to relate my experience with this business.
I sold my Mavic Air last year, having become frustrasted at the very poor range. I bought the new MA2 to replace it and, again have been disappointed. In some environments, such as down the local park (set in a urban-ish environment), it's barely much better than the MA. However, it is also true that in an "open paddock" type setting it is considerably better, just nowhere near the laughable claims. Like Squidinc, who lives there, I spend a lot of time in the Southern Highlands and can fly in settings with line of sight, and zero obstructions, although I admit the town of Mittagong is close by (a small country town) but I'd still characterise them as pretty much ideal conditions. The best I have ever managed is 1100m. I have actually achieved an identical range in slightly more challenging environments, which makes me think that's its limit.

Assuming we are in CE mode here in Aus' that would reduce the effective maximum to 6kms, and obviously I understand that would be in 100% perfect conditions. However, to claim that but then only achieve 16% of that in otherwise very good (but not 100% perfect) conditions is completely untenable in my opinion. Do I need to regularly fly at those distances? Well, that's obviously my business and not the point of the discussion (although some seem to think it is) and the answer is "no" but at the same time I'd have way more confidence in my flying at distances of around 600m - 1000m with strobes if I knew it would actually live up to the manufacturers range claims. I'm seriously considering returnig the unit.

Here endeth.

 

[Squidinc]

Hi Squidinc - whereabouts in the Southern Highlands?

Mittagong

 

[Nikonair]

Mittagong

Ah. I'm currently building in Renwick. Small world! But nice part of the world for flying drones.

 

[Squidinc]

Ah. I'm currently building in Renwick. Small world! But nice part of the world for flying drones.

Definitely! I fly quite often over Renwick. Here’s a familiar site for you lol ??

 

[Nikonair]

Definitely! I fly quite often over Renwick. Here’s a familiar site for you lol ??

Very nice! Amazing what you can do with a couple of heritage-listed grain silos...I've got similar footage but not to your level of artistry or composition. I think my car was visible in the background in one of the shots - this was just at the point we commenced the build project, and we were coming and going from Sydney quite alot, as we are now.

Nive work.