Please Clarify What Range And Altitude Actually Entail

[HugoStiglitz]

When someone says a drone has a 6 mile range, is that 6 miles for reliable LOS connectivity for signal between drone and controller? What about altitude claims?

Not that I would try and find out 1st hand due to safe handling practices. If this is not the case, why do suppliers pump up unrealistic numbers?

I found this article from 2 yrs ago about the M2Z;

DJI Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom max range now six miles

DJI has just released an update for the Mavic 2 Pro & Zoom upping the maximum transmission distance to 6 miles in the US and fixes a few bugs as well.

dronedj.com

If a drone loses signal due to distance will it just continue on present course, ... or should it attempt to return to home ???

Thanks !

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I would imagine the range figures issued by the DJI are accurate PROVIDING the conditions are suitable, I have seen a Mavic Mini exceed them, 2km, (CE spec drone), over open sea.
It all depends on the radio enviroment, interference etc., and what the signal has to pass through on its journey.
With the 'wrong' sort of stuff between my drones and the controller I have lost signal under 400m.
As to height, I see no reason why you question the height limits, it's only 500m.
Directly overhead might be problematic because the broadcasting and reception are not, for both the drone and the controller, spherically symetrical and directly overhead is probably the worst case scenario.
However I have not been in a location that has given me the chance to legally test a 500m above the level of the take off point and the 400ft AGL rule is not one I would generally consider safe to violate.

 

[Meta4]

When someone says a drone has a 6 mile range, is that 6 miles for reliable LOS connectivity for signal between drone and controller?

Look at the specs that DJI publishes for a model that you are interested in, they spell it out quite clearly.
For instance, here's what they have for the Mavic 3:

Max Transmission Distance (unobstructed, free of interference and aligned with controller)
2.400-2.4835 GHz; 5.725-5.850 GHz
FCC: 15 km
CE: 8 km
SRRC: 8 km
MIC: 8 km

Signal Transmission Ranges (FCC)
Strong Interference (urban landscape, limited line of sight, many competing signals): Approx. 1.5-3 km
Medium Interference (suburban landscape, open line of sight, some competing signals): Approx. 3-9 km
Low Interference (open landscape abundant line of sight, few competing signals): Approx. 9-15 km

Data is tested under different standards in open areas free of interference. It only refers to the maximum, one-way flight distance without considering Return to Home. Please pay attention to RTH prompts in the DJI Fly app during actual flight.

What about altitude claims?

What is your question about altitude?

If this is not the case, why do suppliers pump up unrealistic numbers?

DJI doesn't .. their specs are accurate, but actual performance varies depending on interference issues in the local environment.

If a drone loses signal due to distance will it just continue on present course, ... or should it attempt to return to home ???

This is explained in detail in the manual for each drone.
Look in the RTH section and read the section headed Failsafe RTH.

 

[123taff]

I find these "distance" claims to be absolutely useless in terms of the fact that to fly legally, the drone has to be VLOS and below 400 feet at all times so what good is it to know that a drone can be 6 miles from the controller?

I suppose that it might reassure owners or potential owners that if they are using the drone legally, then they should have confidence that the drone and controller should perform without connection problems but otherwise what is the point??

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

In addition if people keep starting threads about doing flying to x miles away I can well imagine lawmakers introducing conditions that force the manufacturers to write or hard wire severe range limits into the software or the drone itself. I am pretty sure It wouldn't be that difficult for law makers to do.
As happened in India with the Minis.

Isn't there already mention of a 500m legal range limit in some European jurisdictions?

 

[Deleted member 165681]

I would imagine the range figures issued by the DJI are accurate PROVIDING the conditions are suitable, I have seen a Mavic Mini exceed them, 2km, (CE spec drone), over open sea.
It all depends on the radio enviroment, interference etc., and what the signal has to pass through on its journey.
With the 'wrong' sort of stuff between my drones and the controller I have lost signal under 400m.
As to height, I see no reason why you question the height limits, it's only 500m.
Directly overhead might be problematic because the broadcasting and reception are not, for both the drone and the controller, spherically symetrical and directly overhead is probably the worst case scenario.
However I have not been in a location that has given me the chance to legally test a 500m above the level of the take off point and the 400ft AGL rule is not one I would generally consider safe to violate.

I live in what DJI calls enhanced warning zone -basically next to a muni airport- and it seems those planes fly just a little higher than 500 feet.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I live in what DJI calls enhanced warning zone -basically next to a muni airport- and it seems those planes fly just a little higher than 500 feet.

Uuuum what is the connection to my post that you quote?
And what are you trying to say with that post, I do not understand, sorry.
I live within maybe 3 miles of a flight path into and out of, an airport. Any aircraft in that corridor are several thousand feet up, I would not break 400ft AGL under that corridor at all, nor where I live.