Mini 3 Pro Range Test?

[DroneManStan]

Does it seem odd, that a simple range test on the Mini 3 Pro using the new controller (w/no external antennas) has not been conducted.
A new controller without any external antennas; IMHO that just begs any normal curiosity about its range.
My last controller without external antennas, was on a trainer quad.

 

[old man mavic]

if you read the RC specs you will see that they now have 4 antennas in the RC for control and image transmission /reception
if you think about it the controller that comes with the mini 2 and A2 s and the Mini 3 as an option has similar antennas in tho top of the device holder, and they seem to work ok
the drone also has 4 antennas for me it is a good idea to have the antennas hidden in the RC they are out of harms way
as you say most of the cheap copy cat type drones that appear to have antennas that fold out ,in reality they are just dummies ,trying to emulate a more expensive drone
with every passing iteration of drones that come onto the market, the technology inside them, and the RC transmission protocols are getting smaller and more sophisticated as time goes by
this is evident in all electronic products not just drones

 

[Macinfo]

Does it seem odd, that a simple range test on the Mini 3 Pro using the new controller (w/no external antennas) has not been conducted.
A new controller without any external antennas; IMHO that just begs any normal curiosity about its range.
My last controller without external antennas, was on a trainer quad.

No, not really since the drone has been out for like 3 days.. and there are not that many out there, considering shipping times are weeks or months. Many of the reviewers that DJI sent out beta units to probably are not going to jump on long range flights.. someone will probably do it eventually..

 

[old man mavic]

we will have to wait till Dustin Dunnill does one of his famous range tests
to see if it is true ,but it will probably need the heavier more powerful battery to achieve it ,
because of the extended flight time it provides

 

[Scoobychief]

well fcc is going to be better than ce thats for sure, specs reckon without obstruction fcc 12km ce 8km

 

[DroneManStan]

if you read the RC specs you will see that they now have 4 antennas in the RC for control and image transmission /reception
if you think about it the controller that comes with the mini 2 and A2 s and the Mini 3 as an option has similar antennas in tho top of the device holder, and they seem to work ok
the drone also has 4 antennas for me it is a good idea to have the antennas hidden in the RC they are out of harms way
as you say most of the cheap copy cat type drones that appear to have antennas that fold out ,in reality they are just dummies ,trying to emulate a more expensive drone
with every passing iteration of drones that come onto the market, the technology inside them, and the RC transmission protocols are getting smaller and more sophisticated as time goes by
this is evident in all electronic products not just drones

Well; I guess if all specs were reliable there would be no need to validate new products.

I'm very familiar with RF signals, 4 or even 8 antennas; antennas react in close confined areas such as the new controller. Digital communications with RF signals have come a long way, although RF signals for any given frequency still remain a challenge if the transmitting antenna is compromised. Maybe DJI has increased the controller output wattage?
My expectations for DJI are optimistic, although validating the new controller without external antennas seems expected.

 

[Korrd]

Can't wait for Dustin Dunhill to do his traditional range test to 0%

 

[Raffaello_IZ0QWM]

Hi all, I'm not sure the DJI Rc new has 4 antennas. I think is pretty similar to the RC-N1 with the difference in the SDR processor: RC-N1 with S1 and Rc New with P1.
The drone has 4 antenna but they cannot work in MIMO mode like Mavic 3, they can work only in 1TX2RX similar to mini2.
The difference could be that in some way the drone decides when activate the TX antenna and the RX antennas.
Another thing that I guess is the antenna polarization: all horizontal also on the Rc New with antennas similar to the RC-N1 but but placed horizontally.

DJI Mini 3 Pro - Specs - DJI

The mini-sized, mega-capable DJI Mini 3 Pro is just as powerful as it is portable. Weighing less than 249 g and with upgraded safety features, it's not only regulation-friendly, it's also the safest in its series. With a 1/1.3-inch sensor and top-tier features, it redefines what it means to fly...

www.dji.com

From FCC registration of DJI Mini 3 pro

 

[Johnmcl7]

DCrainmaker talks a bit about range in his Mini 3 Pro review:

Range issues with DJI RC: When using the new DJI RC, I’m getting far short of the claimed range of 12,000m for remote control transmission. In my case, I’m consistently seeing dropouts in the 1,000-1,200m range, though I managed to get one flight up to 1,500m today. Now, I’m *NOT* the person who very often (ever?) flies that far away from myself. I just have no reason to. However, the range issues I’d see at 1,000m were in absolutely clear-sky beach conditions with nothing in between. The same goes for the 1,500m today – which was nothing but empty lake in front of me. For myself, these shortages simply don’t matter, but to some, they might.

DJI Mini 3 Pro In-Depth Review (Including Sports Tracking)

DJI has just announced their newest sub-250g drone, the DJI Mini 3 Pro –and this time, it’s a massive step up in functionality and hardware over the previous iterations. It adds 4K/60FPS shooting modes, up to 46 minutes of battery

www.dcrainmaker.com

 

[Gary R]

Does it seem odd, that a simple range test on the Mini 3 Pro using the new controller (w/no external antennas) has not been conducted.
A new controller without any external antennas; IMHO that just begs any normal curiosity about its range.
My last controller without external antennas, was on a trainer quad.

 

[mavicn00b]

It's using an inbuilt panel antenna, it's not the only quad to do so, the standard RC also uses a panel antenna but that extends out as part of the phone holder. The downside to panel antennas is the lack of adjustment and awkward positions you need to angle the entire RC when the drone is at range which may mean the screen face direct sunlight depending the time of day and angle of the RC.
Personally I haven't had the best of luck when it comes to panel antennas in the RC. My old P3SE had one and I would be lucky to get half the advertised range on a good day as I could never quite angle the controller right...

 

[Gary R]

It's using an inbuilt panel antenna, it's not the only quad to do so, the standard RC also uses a panel antenna but that extends out as part of the phone holder. The downside to panel antennas is the lack of adjustment and awkward positions you need to angle the entire RC when the drone is at range which may mean the screen face direct sunlight depending the time of day and angle of the RC.
Personally I haven't had the best of luck when it comes to panel antennas in the RC. My old P3SE had one and I would be lucky to get half the advertised range on a good day as I could never quite angle the controller right...

It seems likely that in time Alientech and/or 4Hawks will come out with a external antenna adapter kit for the DJI RC. It will be interesting as there are no present openings for the connections. It might well be somewhat invasive......

 

[mavicn00b]

It seems likely that in time Alientech and/or 4Hawks will come out with a external antenna adapter kit for the DJI RC. It will be interesting as there are no present openings for the connections. It might well be somewhat invasive......

Probably but once you crack open the controller the warranty is pretty much null and void, so no big deal.

 

[TRogan42]

Does it seem odd, that a simple range test on the Mini 3 Pro using the new controller (w/no external antennas) has not been conducted.
A new controller without any external antennas; IMHO that just begs any normal curiosity about its range.
My last controller without external antennas, was on a trainer quad.

.




You will have to wait for private people to get their hands on the Mini3 and post some meaningfull reviews.

Right now eveything on the net are paid YT infulencers BS, copycat same mumbo jumbo DJI pointless reviews.(good to finf out specs only)

Notice, day ago was: "high wind test" everyone at once had the same idea of doing high wind test.... please...

This influencing makes me wanna vomit, independent reviews no longet are even pumped by the YT feed, all paid nonsense for the mases.




.

 

[mroek]

The guy in this video mentions (section starts at 19:19 into the video) that he had some issues with range when he had the drone around 2 km away, and with no obstructions between himself and the drone. That is somewhat disappointing I think, but until somebody does a proper range test on the absolutely latest production version and firmware, we can't draw any definite conclusions.

While 2 km is much longer than I would usually fly, it could mean that transmission power or antenna config isn't the best, and so it would be more prone to losing connection even when being closer.

 

[Faster]

2 Km is way more distance than VLOS for a sub 250g. What I'm worried is connectivity in a heavy radio interference place like an urban/suburban neighborhood.

 

[mroek]

2 Km is way more distance than VLOS for a sub 250g. What I'm worried is connectivity in a heavy radio interference place like an urban/suburban neighborhood.

Yes, exactly. 2 km is way more than VLOS for any drone (no matter the weight), the potential worry is for other situations where good signal strength is needed.

 

[Scoobychief]

so i guess i bought the wrong drone, better to have gone for the controller without screen at least that has a physical antenna.

 

[globetrotterdrone]

so i guess i bought the wrong drone, better to have gone for the controller without screen at least that has a physical antenna.

The RC has PHYSICAL antennae ... it's just incorporated into the body like everday's smartphone.
You still can use the other one from your Mini 2 as a replacement, if you don't feel safe.

I remember having the same conversations with people back then - yes, external antennae will have better reception but I am pretty sure it's absolutely fine within VLOS and some buffer.

In congested areas you might have problems with internal or external interference.
It's hard to say when we know nothing about the specific circumstances.

And for hunting the next record in long range, external are clearly more advantageous but yet that does not mean, that external always work when internal won't.

 

[Scoobychief]

Appauling range from mini 3