My Mavic Air 2 and Mini 2 Range Issues

[Wild Drone Pilot]

Yes, anyone who can find a location with clear line of sight (and thus no signal interference) for 10km+

I've reached 9km+ on my Air 2. I could have pushed it further, but the limiting factor is battery, not signal strength.

Air 2 SC or not same thing [do I have a bad bird]?
flying out over the ocean clear sky I get just over 1 mile

 

[Heindrich1988]

Air 2 SC or not same thing [do I have a bad bird]?
flying out over the ocean clear sky I get just over 1 mile

I don't have a SC, I just use the stock controller without any mods.

As I've mentioned in previous posts on this thread, the key is taking off from a high location, ensuring there are no obstructions between the controller and the drone, and aligning the controller correctly.

It makes a *huge* difference whether the flat side of the antennae is facing the drone and whether there is anything between it and the drone.

 

[Chaosrider]

None of that is an issue either that you mention. What DJI or any other drone company says is a moot point. It's a selling tool - and what company does not stretch the truth when advertising their product(s)?

Almost every car I buy in the USA has a 120mph speedometer. Does that allow me or you to drive at 120 mph simply because the vehicle has a speedometer that reads that? No, as the rules in the USA and many other countries have restrictions on such things - which also includes how far a person can "legally" fly a drone.

Flying in flat Florida, Arizona, Nevada, or other states that have flat spaces miles and miles in all directions can allow me or you to fly farther and keep a signal (and VLOS) with the drone than in a state that has mountains, tons of trees, or even skyscrapers that create signal loss / drone disconnect and a very short VLOS.

As it is, you can fly as far as and as high as your drone will go - but be ready to accept the consequences of those actions when something happens or caught.

Nevada, where I live, has more mountain ranges than any other state, and I live in one! More precisely, I live in a canyon.

I can see signal loss as an issue if you're flying through trees, under a canopy. But I usually just fly over them. I only had one experience with possible signal loss, when I went down near the bottom of the canyon, and I think I lost some GPS satellites. A mistake I won't make again!

So far, my range has been limited by the VLOS requirement, and never the signal.

TCS

 

[Wild Drone Pilot]

I don't have a SC, I just use the stock controller without any mods.

As I've mentioned in previous posts on this thread, the key is taking off from a high location, ensuring there are no obstructions between the controller and the drone, and aligning the controller correctly.

It makes a *huge* difference whether the flat side of the antennae is facing the drone and whether there is anything between it and the drone.

I will try again at another location
I have taken off from a cliff high above the ocean
Very clear not one boat in vision just over 1 mile and that is all she will do.
Stock controller and SC same.

 

[Mr500CM]

There are a number of factors to get distance, I added a Yagi–Uda antenna which boosted the signal also which frequency are you using 2.4 or 5.8 GHz? I found 5.8GHz works best in my areas, I was able to get out 2.37 miles using a spotter and a Firehouse strobe light on my drone. I returned to home not because of signal loss, but we had a hard time seeing a pin head in the sky.

 

[awagner109]

For me it’s the direction I fly. If I fly west from my place I can get almost 1/2 mile if I fly north I can get a little over 1.25 miles if I fly east I get about .5 mile if I fly south I have gotten over 2 miles.

 

[Wild Drone Pilot]

What would scare me about BVLOS would be a collision with a small plane or chopper, both of which I have seen under 400’ agl. Yes, the chances are extremely slim but look how many have won the lottery with extremely slim chances.

Well in my case I was just above the water and COULD see ANY other plane chopper or boat. Clear sky no one around.
HTH