Mavic Mini - Was I Unrealistic ?

[JMar1017]

Hello All -


So I had the chance to pick up a Mavic Mini fly more bundle about a month back - I went ahead and grabbed it thinking it would be a cool little drone to be able to get into tighter areas for some unique shots.

Maybe it's just me, maybe not but I am totally disappointed in this little guy - I barely get a few hundred feet before I get loss of connection and choppy video. To be clear these preliminary flights are in open fields and unobstructed as i wanted to get a feel for the maneuvering before I did any official flights where I was trying to get a shot. I've watched dozens of videos trying to figure out if it's me, a fault drone or a little of both. Still after 3 weeks of fiddling around I can't seem to get more than a few hundred feet without getting that loss of connection or choppy image.

Was I unrealistic with just blindly trusting the DJI logo and the vids online that showed how cool these were?

To note - I am usually flying a Mavic Pro 2 - so my plan was to bounce between the 2 depending on the shot I was looking to get.

Also the device I use is a Samsung Note 10+

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Something amiss there I think, I have had 600m quite easily just outside the boundary of an urban area, on a bad day maybe 400m in the same place. 600m was my visual limit. Over the sea I have gone further.

 

[JMar1017]

Something amiss there I think, I have had 600m quite easily just outside the boundary of an urban area, on a bad day maybe 400m in the smae place. 600m was my visual limit. Over the sea I have gone further.

I dont know what it would be at this point - i'm about ready to throw it online and see if anyone wants to buy it.

All I know is I am getting frustrated with it.

 

[vindibona1]

I have the luxury of having both a Mini and a M2P now... There is something wrong with your Mini, it's controller or your phone interface. In a suburban areas almost completely covered with very mature trees I can get my Mini out 2500 feet before losing signal. In a less "forested" surburban area I have gone as far as 3600' and could have gone farther but just didn't want to tempt fate.

I would suggest you contact DJI if your Mini is only a month old or perhaps the retailer from whom your purchased it. Based on your description something isn't right. Can you calibrate the IMU on a Mini? Maybe try recalibrating the whole thing? I dunno... a stab in the dark.

 

[TDZHDTV]

Just tested my new DJI replacement Mini today, turned it around at 1km due to it been windy, my previous Mini reached 2.3km before it lost connection and returned home.

I had a Mavic Air 1 replaced using insurance once, the new replacement was terrible to the extent were it lost connect at 300m, I was able to demonstrate to the insurance company that fly in the same location I was able to fly in excess of 900m, they changed it and the replacement was on par with the original.

From my experience I‘d say not all DJI production unit are equal, I’d return it to supplier or DJI if I was you.

 

[JMar1017]

I have the luxury of having both a Mini and a M2P now... There is something wrong with your Mini, it's controller or your phone interface. In a suburban areas almost completely covered with very mature trees I can get my Mini out 2500 feet before losing signal. I a less "forested" surburban area I have gone as far as 3600' and could have gone farther but just didn't want to tempt fate.

I would suggest you contact DJI if your Mini is only a month old or perhaps the retailer from whom your purchased it. Based on your description something isn't right. Can you calibrate the IMU on a Mini? Maybe try recalibrating the whole thing? I dunno... a stab in the dark.

I love my M2P - It was always my "go to" drone to fly. I've had my issues with it from time to time - such as recently it doesn't auto focus when I start recording like it once did - it must be a setting somewhere - just haven't found it yet.

Back to the Mini though - I feel like I've tried calibrating it all that I can - I've gone through each setting one by one in hopes to find something but I have yet to find anything that would make a difference on the distance. I can basically get to the end of my street (4 houses or so ) before I have to turn around.

What phone do you use - Apple or Android? - I am wondering if this is my issue - I've been told before by a few people who i've ran into that fly as well that Apple is far more superior than Android when it comes to the DJI App

I bought it privately so unfortunately i can't return it - I do have DJI Care on it but when i contacted them they said this wasn't something they deem an product issue - so i don't know what to do with that information.

 

[JMar1017]

Just tested my new DJI replacement Mini today, turned it around at 1km due to it been windy, my previous Mini reached 2.3km before it lost connection and returned home.

I had a Mavic Air 1 replaced using insurance once, the new replacement was terrible to the extent were it lost connect at 300m, I was able to demon to the insurance company that fly in the same location I was able to fly in excess of 900m, they changed it and the replacement was on par with the original.

From my experience I‘d say not all DJI production unit are equal, I’d return it to supplier or DJI if I was you.

ohhhh just rub it in that you can go 1 km and upwards of 2.3 km haha.

I agree with not all units are equal - a friend of mine has the M2P and his tends to be a little more wonky with the connection from time to time.

Unfortunately I can't return it as it bought it privately.

 

[lowellton]

Not for me. ?️?

 

[Gratton]

I just bought mine on Friday and use an android phone. I got about half a mile before I lost signal and that was because I tried to dip below the treeline.

MikeG

 

[vindibona1]

I love my M2P - It was always my "go to" drone to fly. I've had my issues with it from time to time - such as recently it doesn't auto focus when I start recording like it once did - it must be a setting somewhere - just haven't found it yet.

Back to the Mini though - I feel like I've tried calibrating it all that I can - I've gone through each setting one by one in hopes to find something but I have yet to find anything that would make a difference on the distance. I can basically get to the end of my street (4 houses or so ) before I have to turn around.

What phone do you use - Apple or Android? - I am wondering if this is my issue - I've been told before by a few people who i've ran into that fly as well that Apple is far more superior than Android when it comes to the DJI App

I bought it privately so unfortunately i can't return it - I do have DJI Care on it but when i contacted them they said this wasn't something they deem an product issue - so i don't know what to do with that information.

I have and iPhone 6sPlus. What I have heard is that some Androids don't have the power to work well with DJI products but there I haven't heard of similar problems with iPhones. Samsung S8 I think is supposed to work pretty well with them. I had thought about getting a cheap Android tablet but have since rethought that.

With DJI Care (refresh)... A good healthy accidental crash into some rocks, then into the water might invoke the refresh warranty? It would of course have to be accidental. But first perhaps see if you could borrow someone's phone and see if that helps. A used 6sPlus like I have works just find and I think can be picked up these days for around $100.

 

[hiflyer201]

With DJI Care (refresh)... A good healthy accidental crash into some rocks, then into the water might invoke the refresh warranty? It would of course have to be accidental. But first perhaps see if you could borrow someone's phone and see if that helps. A used 6sPlus like I have works just find and I think can be picked up these days for around $100.

I was thinking maybe a brick wall in sports mode..kidding..I know your frustration. I tried a cheap android tablet with my spark and I couldn't get over my back fence without thinking I was going to lose it...Maybe thats the answer..I'd sure try the iphone.. I use a 6s without the plus and it works great with my Spark and Air's 1 and 2

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Have you had a look at the frequency stuff under the transmission menu? Can you change any of it?
How many locations have you tried flying in?

I can't really see why the phone would affect it as it is my understanding that the radio 'conversation' between the drone and whatever is between the drone and the controller. Indeed my 'phone'/screen usually has all forms of radio communication, that I know of, switched off.
The mini may or maynot be range limited when a screen is not connected to the controller but once airborne I have, in the house, disconnected the phone with no apparent ill effects, obviously this was at close range

 

[nhgill960]

I use an iPhone 8 with my mini and I have gone over 4800 feet with only minor connection problems. I hope you get this figured out because the mini is a blast to fly!

 

[ff22]

You are extending and orienting the antennas appropriately?

 

[dan.utinske]

Hello All -


So I had the chance to pick up a Mavic Mini fly more bundle about a month back - I went ahead and grabbed it thinking it would be a cool little drone to be able to get into tighter areas for some unique shots.

Maybe it's just me, maybe not but I am totally disappointed in this little guy - I barely get a few hundred feet before I get loss of connection and choppy video. To be clear these preliminary flights are in open fields and unobstructed as i wanted to get a feel for the maneuvering before I did any official flights where I was trying to get a shot. I've watched dozens of videos trying to figure out if it's me, a fault drone or a little of both. Still after 3 weeks of fiddling around I can't seem to get more than a few hundred feet without getting that loss of connection or choppy image.

Was I unrealistic with just blindly trusting the DJI logo and the vids online that showed how cool these were?

To note - I am usually flying a Mavic Pro 2 - so my plan was to bounce between the 2 depending on the shot I was looking to get.

Also the device I use is a Samsung Note 10+

Just a suggestion; go to a different area to fly. There may be some magnetic interference in the area or at the take off point.. never experienced the issues with any of my drones.. so if there's not interference then suspect it's the drone itself, may have a defect. If you fly the Pro 2 then you know the quality is there.... they don't lower the standards from what I can tell.

 

[vindibona1]

I was thinking maybe a brick wall in sports mode..kidding..I know your frustration. I tried a cheap android tablet with my spark and I couldn't get over my back fence without thinking I was going to lose it...Maybe thats the answer..I'd sure try the iphone.. I use a 6s without the plus and it works great with my Spark and Air's 1 and 2

The 6s"plus" is the geriatric version of the 6s . My kids and significant do almost everything on their phones. Me? I need a 27" screen to feel comfortable doing anything. ?.

And while we say things in jest, it seems to me that sometimes insurance coverage should cover things that are denied. Who is to say that the OP's IMU wasn't damaged on a hard landing causing the problems which wasn't obvious and visible? It reminds me of a country folk tale...

A mule skinner was having a difficult time getting his mule to cooperate and follow his lead. So he picked up a 2x4 and whacked the mule across the head and the mule began walking right along side him. His partner, surprised by the action, exclaimed "Why did you do that"? The mule skinner replied "Sometimes you just gotta get their attention first".

 

[Reginald E Johnson]

I’ve got both of them and I have flown the Mavic Mini quite a few feet, at least 2,000! I have flown the Mavic Pro 2 Zoom at over 2 Miles out! It might just be your Drone! I had overheating issues with my Mavic Pro straight out the box because the Cooling Fan wouldn’t work! It’s fine now!

 

[TDZHDTV]

The make of phone used isn’t going to improve range between the controller and Mini

 

[BigSexyHouse]

I won't post the exact distance i flew my completely stock Mini yesterday or the mall cop/fun police will come out & tell me to get off their lawns but it was 16,000 feet. LOL So I think the Mini is more than capable at distance.

 

[JMar1017]

I just bought mine on Friday and use an android phone. I got about half a mile before I lost signal and that was because I tried to dip below the treeline.

MikeG

I would be thrilled if i could get somewhere between a half mile and a mile - sadly I haven't been able to