Recent article on remote ID.

[dronerdave]

Yeah retro fit devices will show up. If there is money to be made on all the existing drones DJI will do it.

My thoughts are DJI will never offer standalone add-on transmitters as a retrofit to their older aircraft. DJI rotates around planned obsolescence and this ID thing probably fits in well with their plans. It will be other companies who will put these into production. Now that the FAA scrubbed the stupid internet connection idea I'm fine with adding a small transmitter that simply transmits my location. And if they also are only requiring me to register all my aircraft under one number like we already do, the only issue will be the cost of the transmitter that can be moved from aircraft to aircraft. We'll see how that goes.

 

[anotherlab]

Correct, I just got the M2Z a couple of months ago, and I will have to get a new drone in two and a half years after the effective date. Hope the M2Z lasts. I assume any of our older drones not in compliance will not be able to be used.

From a technical viewpoint, any DJI drone that uses Ocusync 2 already has the ability to send the RID data packet. DJI uses off the shelf Wi-Fi components with a custom protocol implemented as a Software-Defined Radio (SDR). DJI can update the SDR firmware so that it can just send the Wi-Fi Broadcast messages with RID data.

This is more a marketing question than technical for DJI. DJI is in the business to sell drones. I haven't seen any proof to indicate that they do "planned obsolescence" any more than most other consumer electronics companies. If DJI can address this with a software update, I think they will. They would rather have a happy customer with a Mavic 2 who will buy a Mavic 3, than an angry customer who dumps DJI for a Skydio.

 

[mfuller5117]

Maybe a service hub to retrofit the RI into our older drones MA2 . I don’t want to put a top hat on my drone . I don’t get it DJI has went above and beyond to be compliant . I love the fact that my MA2 lets me know when a MAC is near by and the geofencing, the technology they have put into their current drones . And now this . For over a million people in our county , and as frequent as my wife and I fly . I think we’re the only ones who fly . Where’s all the rouge drones . We live on the outer edge of a glide path . And they don’t comply helicopters corporates . Apaches always 150’ the corporates banking around over our house . We never fly out of VLOS we just like to fly and fallow the rules . Pisses me off

 

[dronerdave]

I haven't seen any proof to indicate that they do "planned obsolescence" any more than most other consumer electronics companies.

That might be true with high tech companies but as an avid flyer in the fixed wing community, it's quite opposite. I've got a transmitter that can control all my aircraft that is several years old. Yes I have a few newer controllers but the old ones are not bricked. Nice to have a backup that works. Same with other items needed to fly my aircraft. Sure there are upgrades over the years but I've flown aircraft that are 30 years old with my old and newer transmitters. Don't get me wrong, I understand the advantages of new tech. Older FM transmitters are mostly a thing of the past and I sure wouldn't want to go back to windows 95 and suffer through that. But tell my wallet about me making a 1000 dollar purchase of a Crystal Sky monitor that doesn't work with any of the new models three years later. The day a company builds a good stabilized camera drone that can use transmitters, batteries, and receivers similar to my racing drones, I'd move that way. Am I impressed with DJI's tech? Absolutely. I just can't justify spending a couple grand on something that goes out of date so quickly. YMMV.

 

[anotherlab]

That might be true with high tech companies but as an avid flyer in the fixed wing community, it's quite opposite. I've got a transmitter that can control all my aircraft that is several years old. Yes I have a few newer controllers but the old ones are not bricked. Nice to have a backup that works. Same with other items needed to fly my aircraft. Sure there are upgrades over the years but I've flown aircraft that are 30 years old with my old and newer transmitters. Don't get me wrong, I understand the advantages of new tech. Older FM transmitters are mostly a thing of the past and I sure wouldn't want to go back to windows 95 and suffer through that. But tell my wallet about me making a 1000 dollar purchase of a Crystal Sky monitor that doesn't work with any of the new models three years later. The day a company builds a good stabilized camera drone that can use transmitters, batteries, and receivers similar to my racing drones, I'd move that way. Am I impressed with DJI's tech? Absolutely. I just can't justify spending a couple grand on something that goes out of date so quickly. YMMV.

The CrystalSky was where DJI learned that going into the bespoke Android tablet market would introduce compatibility problems down the road. And the CrystalSky still works with the models that it was sold for.

For the rest of the DJI models, it's a different story. When you say "planned obsolescence", you are talking about designing a product with an artificially short life. I've seen no indication that DJI has done that with the Phantom or Mavic lines. In the US, the Phantoms will be grounded (outside of the FRIA) once RID is required. The Phantom 4 with Ocusync might be upgradable, but the LightBridge ones are probably done. You could probably create a module for a Phantom 3, but for the cost, it would require, you could get a Mini or Air. But I wouldn't say that DJI designed the Phantom line with planned obsolescence in mind..

 

[dronerdave]

The CrystalSky was where DJI learned that going into the bespoke Android tablet market would introduce compatibility problems down the road. And the CrystalSky still works with the models that it was sold for.

For the rest of the DJI models, it's a different story. When you say "planned obsolescence", you are talking about designing a product with an artificially short life. I've seen no indication that DJI has done that with the Phantom or Mavic lines. In the US, the Phantoms will be grounded (outside of the FRIA) once RID is required. The Phantom 4 with Ocusync might be upgradable, but the LightBridge ones are probably done. You could probably create a module for a Phantom 3, but for the cost, it would require, you could get a Mini or Air. But I wouldn't say that DJI designed the Phantom line with planned obsolescence in mind..

I do hope you are right. I certainly do not want be in a situation that I won't be able to use my MP for the next 5 or 6 years if the controller fails and it can't be serviced or I can't get another that will work with my old drone.