Mavic Air Range

[rodolpholemos]

I had a Mavic Pro and I could achieve 4000m of distance from the controller before the signal begin to fail. Now I have Mavic Air and I barely can achieve 1000m of distance. I know that the transmission system is different (occusync x wifi enhanced), but I think that my Mavic Air have a very poor range. Does the smartphone have something to do with the range (Android x iOS)? Is there anything I can do to extend the transmission range? I don't even want to go much further than 1000m. I just want to have a trusty signal until reaching that distance. I'm brazilian. Sorry for my poor English.

 

[CanadaDrone]

Your English is perfectly fine The smartphone has nothing to do with the range, so you're OK there. The Mavic Pro range was 7,000m in ideal conditions and the Mavic Air range is 4,000m in ideal conditions. Interference will reduce the range of both, but with the Air you are cutting into a shorter overall range to begin with if flying in an area with interference. Since you are not in North America, make sure you are in FCC mode - if you are in CE mode or one of the other modes, your range will be limited to 500m-2000m depending on the mode.

Another thing you can do with the Air is manually select a WiFi channel/band with the least interference if you aren't happy with the channel it has selected for you. 2.4Ghz will be better for distance but more prone to interference, 5.8Ghz will have a shorter maximum distance but less prone to interference. The Mavic Air is capable of reaching it's maximum distance on either band, so you can experiment with that.

You can also try range extenders that look like this: https://www.amazon.ca/Threeking-Foldable-Parabolic-Compatible-Controller/dp/B072HFCC2S/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=13GDSZO48JXK9&keywords=mavic+air+range+extender&qid=1552429308&s=gateway&sprefix=mavic+air+range+extn,aps,191&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

I wouldn't ever expect to hit 4000m outside of absolutely ideal conditions with zero interference, and you may not have enough battery to make an 8km round trip, especially if there is a headwind. I don't recommend doing any distance tests. I am guessing there is some sort of interference in the area you're flying in, especially if your Mavic Pro maxed out around 4000m as well.

 

[RedSoxFan42]

Google Mavic Air distance test. There are a lot of videos. I watched one fly 15,000 feet at night and returned to home with battery to spare.

 

[CanadaDrone]

Google Mavic Air distance test. There are a lot of videos. I watched one fly 15,000 feet at night and returned to home with battery to spare.

A 4.5km round trip should be very doable with the Air assuming you get a good signal and aren't fighting the wind.

 

[MavicFlyer]

... I have Mavic Air and I barely can achieve 1000m of distance. .... Is there anything I can do to extend the transmission range? I don't even want to go much further than 1000m. I just want to have a trusty signal until reaching that distance.

You can buy range extenders that are nothing more than parabolic reflectors, which slip over your antennas. These DO work...It can't NOT work, because it's simple physics! They narrow the beamwidth, concentrating more signal in the direction you're pointing, which increases the gain of the antenna - see your manual. The price is that you have to be more careful about where you're pointing it. Think of it like a flashlight with a zoom - as you narrow the beam, the beam gets darker on the sides, but brighter in the middle.

If you want to actually amplify the signal, you're going to need more equipment, which will add complexity and $$$. If you really need more range, the most practical thing to do is just buy a drone that has longer range to start with.

I do NOT use these extenders, and don't need them because I find that when I get beyond about 300 meters, it's difficult to keep the drone in sight. I live in a suburban area with a lot of development (and associated RF interference), but I have no issues with maintaining link up to about 1300 to 1500 ft., which is just fine for my purposes.

 

[Simk1n]

First thing to do is to get your Air in FCC mode. Very easy with Android.

 

[Amckim2084]

Google Mavic Air distance test. There are a lot of videos. I watched one fly 15,000 feet at night and returned to home with battery to spare.

I saw that video. 15110 to be exact and I want to beat it lol

 

[hewo]

Yes, about 8k fwd and 8k return, thats 16000