Official Mavic Pro Range Leaderboard!

[CyberNate]

Looks like the Mavic has a hard limit on max distance of right around 58,800ft. Both myself and @Unknown Caller have bumped against this limit and the connection drops immediately and Mavic turns around without delay and starts coming back home. Definitely a limit as @Unknown Caller has industrial grade panels which are good for well over 22 miles.

Will investigate this limit.

Here's a flight I had today. It doesn't count. I had to land it short of home:

 

[digdat0]

talk about getting out there! dang about that limit, you on .700 firmware? reminds me of the forced landing during rth after 65k on the p3.

 

[CyberNate]

talk about getting out there! dang about that limit, you on .700 firmware? reminds me of the forced landing during rth after 65k on the p3.

Yes, I'm on .700. Hmmm, maybe I should downgrade to .400 and try. I'll ask Keith what he's running.

 

[TheLightSpeed!]

Yes, I'm on .700. Hmmm, maybe I should downgrade to .400 and try. I'll ask Keith what he's running.

I bet it can bet altered if it is there?

 

[Unknown Caller]

Yeah that sucks Nate. Just like you I've ran into this on 3 separate occaisions. My firmware I believe is either 700 or 800 whatever came with the drone I don't update. I know is if this is a hard limit that we can't get around then the drone is basically useless for long distance competition other than stock runs. It's a shame because In my opinion this is the best drone on the market.

 

[Ed209]

Not to get too much into “forbidden” discussions here but I wonder if some of the guys over on slack have seen anything on this limitation?

 

[CyberNate]

Yeah that sucks Nate. Just like you I've ran into this on 3 separate occaisions. My firmware I believe is either 700 or 800 whatever came with the drone I don't update. I know is if this is a hard limit that we can't get around then the drone is basically useless for long distance competition other than stock runs. It's a shame because In my opinion this is the best drone on the market.

Agreed! I checked the parameters and I don't see anything obvious that would account for range limit. I guess we'll have to try downgrading firmware to an older version like .400.

 

[CyberNate]

Not to get too much into “forbidden” discussions here but I wonder if some of the guys over on slack have seen anything on this limitation?

I doubt anyone is aware of this. Probably only Keith and I have hit this limit. It must be based on controller to drone distance. I've seen videos of people driving along side their Mavic and going 65,000ft, but then again, I think that wasn't a straight line. I'll have to look up that video and verify how far they got in a straight line from original home point.

 

[Ed209]

I doubt anyone is aware of this. Probably only Keith and I have hit this limit. It must be based on controller to drone distance. I've seen videos of people driving along side their Mavic and going 65,000ft, but then again, I think that wasn't a straight line. I'll have to look up that video and verify how far they got in a straight line from original home point.

What I’m sayin is the bright guys over at slack are very well capable of reading the firmware modules. I’m sure its buried in there somewhere. I have the decrypted modules and will take a look when I have time. Could be easy to “fix” the problem and roll your own firmware.

 

[digdat0]

yeah nothing obvious that i saw, i bet its in the flight controller. Do we need to start to do "longest distance on a single 5200" leaderboard? It sucks that there is basically a wall. I'm assuming it initiates RTH? Or does it seem like something different?

I read that DJI changed autolanding beahviour from .400->.500.->.600->.700 .. theres a thread somewhere around here (or maybe rcgroups, or dji's forum not sure) where DJI devs confirmed that they changed how autolanding works between those versions. I'll see if i can find it and post it up .. makes me wonder if .300 or .400 firmware is the best.

 

[dirtybum]

farmers are starting take crops out, soon as I get some open fields I'll be running a suicide run to check this out. so is a sitch where you can roll to 58,850 or drift a little or did you two both have the exact stop numbers

 

[CyberNate]

yeah nothing obvious that i saw, i bet its in the flight controller. Do we need to start to do "longest distance on a single 5200" leaderboard? It sucks that there is basically a wall. I'm assuming it initiates RTH? Or does it seem like something different?

The signal just drops off suddenly, as if they cut the transmission power. A couple seconds later the connection comes back, but the drone is already coming full speed back and covered some ground. It is different from normal connection loss, as there is no delay in the RTH. Usually you have a little time to get connection back before it starts back. It comes immediately. You can turn around and try again and you hit that same spot and again signal is gone with RC connect lost. I would normally think it's a signal issue, but Keith saw exactly the same thing 3 times at the same distance I saw it, just below 58,800ft or 18000 meters.

 

[dirtybum]

I was getting ready to build some new batteries for distance runs with the mav.
no reason if we all stop at 58. looks like its back to the phantoms. even all the hover tests and bat mod thread for the mav is kinda pointless if we can convert those minutes to miles

 

[CyberNate]

farmers are starting take crops out, soon as I get some open fields I'll be running a suicide run to check this out. so is a sitch where you can roll to 58,850 or drift a little or did you two both have the exact stop numbers

My run doesn't count, but the wall we hit is the same spot within a few feet. Will have to check what it was precisely.

I bet it is bird side transmission that is cut, as I have 3W amps on controller side, but who knows for sure.

 

[digdat0]

My run doesn't count, but the wall we hit is the same spot within a few feet. Will have to check what it was precisely.

I bet it is bird side transmission that is cut, as I have 3W amps on controller side, but who knows for sure.

can i look at a copy of the txt flight log? wonder if it shows anything. would be interesting to look at it.

 

[CyberNate]

can i look at a copy of the txt flight log? wonder if it shows anything. would be interesting to look at it.

Sure, I'll message it to you.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Sorry guys I'm on the road to Okeechobee. Yeah I can get you The logs On my flights Out close to 59K It seems to be Cutting off Around 58 700 One of the flights my Max range was 58900 but that Is probably because I don't use active brake. I'll send you the logs tomorrow After I get done flying.

 

[CyberNate]

Sorry guys I'm on the road to Okeechobee. Yeah I can get you The logs On my flights Out close to 59K It seems to be Cutting off Around 58 700 One of the flights my Max range was 58900 but that Is probably because I don't use active brake. I'll send you the logs tomorrow After I get done flying.

My flight log file also shows 58900. Interesting.

 

[chazz]

I was getting ready to build some new batteries for distance runs with the mav.
no reason if we all stop at 58. looks like its back to the phantoms. even all the hover tests and bat mod thread for the mav is kinda pointless if we can convert those minutes to miles

I'm ready to go back DB. i just recently found a way to overcharge my 4's LIHV's to 4.39V. it doesn't charge the dji battery if you plugm in and takeoff quick...If i could only find a place to fly 15miles out.. They blocked off the road to my old spot..****!

 

[CyberNate]

I was getting ready to build some new batteries for distance runs with the mav.
no reason if we all stop at 58. looks like its back to the phantoms. even all the hover tests and bat mod thread for the mav is kinda pointless if we can convert those minutes to miles

Well I think there are some things to try yet. We'll see what downgrading firmware does. First, I need to get a new Mavic battery. I'm not getting the flight time I need any more out of my setup. I used to get 41 minutes, now I only get 37 even with new multistars. Just ordered a new Mavic battery. That with the new props should do it hopefully.