They may have identical purposes but their vastly different functions makes it an apples to oranges comparison.
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Mini 5 Pro is Broadcasting RID with ALL Batteries, Including the Mini 5 Pro Standard Battery
- Thread starter GadgetGuy
- Start date
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
Doesn't really help.
How they function wasn't what was being discussed. The identifying capability is what we are debating, and that some here seem to have a big problem with with RID.
Kind of like when discussing transportation from A to B one notes that a sedan and a Bus are identical in achieving that end, and someone else comes along and says apples to oranges comparison because one runs on gasoline, the other on diesel. Irrelevant to the point being made.
I would have a big problem with RID if there were regular incidents of pilots being confronted by Karens, or thieves stealing their drones using RID. Since this isn't actually an issue, and there are no signs at all it's going to start to be, I'm as unconcerned about it as I am the license plate on my car.
If you can't see the difference in the privacy implications of a piece of metal with a random number on it attached to your car and a radio signal broadcasting your location to people that can't currently see you, then I'm not sure you're debating in good faith and worth going back and forth with. I'm out
A. Not in good faith.If you can't see the difference in the privacy implications of a piece of metal with a random number on it attached to your car and a radio signal broadcasting your location to people that can't currently see you, then I'm not sure you're debating in good faith and worth going back and forth with. I'm out
SnitchingOnTrashBurners
Member
Props to GadgetGuy, THANKYOU for your meticulous attention to detail. Your post has made me rethink purchasing an Air 3s. I now am considering a Mini 4 Pro. I think it's funny that you're using a more expensive piece of equipment than your Mini 5 Pro drone to detect for RID, and you single handedly forced DJI into admitting that they lied. This issue is important to people, that is why I read through your entire 7 page thread and I would like to make several points.
#1- DJI is a dishonest corporation. They did not "accidentally forget" to update their manual on such an important RID detail after spending millions in product development. They purposely released the Mini 5 Pro drone misleading US consumers into believing that they would have a sub 250 gram"ish" drone WITHOUT remote ID using the standard intelligent flight battery NON PLUS. After random people on a forum have proven DJI to be liars, how much more do you think the CIA knows about this Communist Party affiliated corporation?
#2-
Like other people, I find it unlikely that the Mini 4 Pro detects small weight changes on takeoff to enable RID and it's much more likely to simply turn on RID after detecting the intelligent flight battery PLUS. With that being said, I know it's very possible for DJI to enable RID based on takeoff weight. These drones use very sensitive gyroscopes and sensors. Can you possibly tape a brick to a Mini 4 Pro and confirm it does not broadcast RID with your Dronetag RIDER, using the standard intelligent flight battery? Are there any reports of Mini 4 Pro users using the standard battery who are put over the 250g limit due to strobes, detecting RID signals? Regardless of what the "Fly App" claims?
#3- Final and possibly the most important point
This blatantly false. The reality is, fears about sub 250 gram drones causing accidents have not materialized. You have no data to back your position. To the contrary, there are multiple examples of people flying drones operating within the law who are being harassed. If a drone was bothering me, I would download a drone detection app and track that person down. There are millions of people like me, the only difference being most of them don't know about drone detection apps YET because we are still on the frontier of drone technology. That is no reason to not have foresight, I see where this RID technology is going.
BossBob is correct. In America it's illegal to make anyone's license plate information public for obvious reasons. Making a license plate equivalency is illogical. Let me be clear, AFTER WHAT THOMAS CROOKS DID with a DJI drone broadcasting RID, I have no tolerance for any arguments of why my privacy should be invaded using a SUB 250 GRAM DRONE flying for recreation.
I do agree with you, but I will point out that the original Mavic Mini can detect the extra weight of the prop guards and imposes a lower max altitude.
SnitchingOnTrashBurners
Member
Yes that says everything, we simply don't know how DSI's systems operate without tests. Obviously these drones can detect small weight changes, they have to compensate for wind and remain aerodynamic. DSI's manuals cannot be trusted, their representatives cannot be trusted. I'm even considering Potensic at this point with how dishonest DSI is, Potensic broadcasts RID regardless of weight but at least they are honest about it. Why can't DSI simply commit to guaranteeing US consumers firmware updates in 2026 if legally possible? They are giving all the signals of abandoning us.
I can positivlely confirm after testing the mini 5 pro with the standard battery -- RID is bring transmitted. That's an affirmative.
A friend of mine purchased a mini 5 pro, he just got his 107. Fearing that he would not be able to fly without a RID module, we did some testing with a few different RID trackers, the mini 5 was transmitting RID.
This made my friend pretty happy, as he didn't have to buy new + batteries. I'm sure some people will not be happy about this!
He has all the latest firmware and fly app on iPhone as of Thanksgiving 2025.
So if you're wondering, as we were about this subject, that's the answer.
A friend of mine purchased a mini 5 pro, he just got his 107. Fearing that he would not be able to fly without a RID module, we did some testing with a few different RID trackers, the mini 5 was transmitting RID.
This made my friend pretty happy, as he didn't have to buy new + batteries. I'm sure some people will not be happy about this!
He has all the latest firmware and fly app on iPhone as of Thanksgiving 2025.
So if you're wondering, as we were about this subject, that's the answer.
SnitchingOnTrashBurners
Member
The original poster forced DJI into admitting that they lied when their manual originally claimed no remote ID for non plus batteries on the Mini 5 Pro. DJI without announcement changed their manuals to reflect that ALL Air 5s broadcast remote ID regardless of which battery you're using. They scammed as many people as they could into believing they were getting a mini drone below 250 grams without RID, and it wasn't a mistake because you don't spend millions on product development and forget to update your manual.
^ Waiting on Firmware update to remove it. If you want RID buy and put on a fricken external module....
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
Not going to happen. Two reasons:
- Most important, there is no margin in FAA regs to allow for manufacturing variation in weight, like in the European regs. As the M5P has no way to measure its weight, DJI simply cannot allow for an M5P with the standard battery that weighs a hair over 250g to not broadcast RID. Since the manufacturing variability problem is real, this will preclude DJI from ever turning off RID.
- Less important but still very real, the US is not a market for the M5P, and a very small number of customers compared to the rest of the world. DJI has little to no incentive to support the needs of US customers with this product, and is unlikely the waste any resources meeting our needs. In fact, they're doing everything they can to discourage US customers from buying one.
So it is January of 2026, are we locked in that RID is on with both standard and the extended types with no way of turning off?
As to (2.), since DJI is deliberately not selling the Mini 5 Pro in the U.S., why have DJI gone to such great lengths to comply with the FAA requirements for drone manufacturers who are selling in the U.S, and obtained FAA approval, and are now forcing RID broadcasting when they are not required to do so, because the Mini 5 Pro is not being sold by them in the U.S. as a drone manufacturer., nor supported?
All Mini 5 Pro units in the U.S. are imported grey market units. If the purchaser weighs their grey market drone and standard battery and find it is over 250g, they could have easily complied with RID by simply adding an external module, since the weight was already over 250g. Problem solved. No FW change necessary to force RID broadcasting on all Mini 5 Pro units regardless of battery weight, and no editing of the User Manual necessary.
By forcing RID broadcasting on all Mini 5 Pro units in the U.S. based upon GPS, regardless of the battery used, and regardless of the total weight, DJI has deprived Mini 5 Pro owners of the user option to add an external module, which does not update pilot location, or to fly unregistered and RID free, completely legally if the total eight is under 250g.
Every other DJI Mini iteration was sold in a sub 250g configuration, specifically designed to be legally exempt from FAA registration and exempt from RID under the original factory FW.
The Mini 5 Pro in the U.S. is not a true Mini at all!
It requires both FAA registration and broadcasts RID.
Might as well fly a heavier drone which handles wind and has multiple cameras.
Oddly, DJI is apparently more interested in FAA compliance than being truthful and honest with their U.S. customers.
The solution would have been to create a new battery Intelligent Battery Light which complies with the sub 250g weight in all cases, which does not require FAA pilot registration, and does not broadcast RID when used with it. However, since DJI isn't officially selling the Mini 5 Pro in the U.S., we are back to Reason #2. They won't now devote the resources to making it a true Mini 5 Pro that is exempt from FAA pilot registration and does not broadcast RID.
Yup. It isn't a true Mini!
DJI has no intentions of changing the drone FW back to be consistent with the original User Manual. They are deliberately broadcasting RID no matter which battery is used, no matter what the total weight is. .
Instead, they changed the original online User Manual to delete the conflicting "will not broadcast RID with the Intelligent Battery" statement.
Not just the all the testing, but the updated User Manual from October 2025, and all DJI Support communication are now very clear and unambiguous that the Mini 5 Pro broadcasts RID with every battery type inserted, regardless of total weight.
They are conceding that all Mini 5 Pro units now exceed 250g with the Standard battery, even if only by a few grams, and the FAA has no weight "tolerance" unlike the EU and Canada. The 250g is absolute.
The Mini 4 Pro is now the only Mini where flying with the Standard Mini 4 Pro battery is truly FAA registration free and completely RID free. If you want or need to broadcast RID, you simply register it and insert a Plus battery.
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