smart controller

[mangas50]

well iv'e had a smart controller for over a month and am disappointed , the range lets me down constantly compared to my old rc and in the hand i find it uncomfortable , only good point is screen brightness , a lot of dosh for little gain !

 

[Byhead]

And to think, i almost bought the new SC for the HDMI output to utilize
my GOOGLES RE since DJI cannot seem to get these working properly to
a range beyond 400 meters!

 

[Byhead]

...But the good news, for me, is the RE's DO work very well on
my YUNEEC TYPHOON H, and I have 3.5 diopter inserts in them
and can watch yo.u.tu.be on my PC with them.

 

[llngoc]

Are you consistently seeing only about 400m of range? I did my first flight with the Maverick 2 and SC yesterday and got weak signal warning about 1000 feet out and actually lost connection beyond that as I was testing the Waypoint feature with a test WP set at about 2000 feet out. That was scary. I wonder if this is a common issue or just we may have a defective unit.

 

[Byhead]

Common DJI failure to correct.
Tons of posts over on mavic forum about the issue.
I even bought my $549 dollar RE's for 375 used from
a guy who turned them back in for the issue.
Since I couldn't actually return them, I kept them and ordered
the DJI lens inserts and they work great for my eyes.
BUT we are all hoping and praying DJI will find the time
to correct this issue. Although one guy stated that
he could get more range by custom switching to
2.4 ghtz. I am waiting for spring to test his idea.
I have: Spark, Mav1, MavPlat, Mav2P too.
Come on spring...

 

[llngoc]

How do you switch to 2.4Ghz?

Common DJI failure to correct.
Tons of posts over on mavic forum about the issue.
I even bought my $549 dollar RE's for 375 used from
a guy who turned them back in for the issue.
Since I couldn't actually return them, I kept them and ordered
the DJI lens inserts and they work great for my eyes.
BUT we are all hoping and praying DJI will find the time
to correct this issue. Although one guy stated that
he could get more range by custom switching to
2.4 ghtz. I am waiting for spring to test his idea.
I have: Spark, Mav1, MavPlat, Mav2P too.
Come on spring...

 

[CanadaDrone]

So far every reputable review I've seen on the SC has been glowing - if there is any mention of range, it has been to say that it's *better* than the stock controller. I have no issues with my SC personally, which is all I can really vouch for. I have very large hands and find it so much more comfortable to hold than the standard controller, and it feels of very high quality in the hand, everywhere except for the S/P/A switch - that feels oddly cheap.

Are you sure you are in FCC mode? That's the first thing to check if you are experiencing short range issues. Other than that the M2 switches between 2.4 and 5.8 Ghz automatically based on what is best.

If you're in FCC mode and you aren't getting good range in an interference-free space, maybe it's time to exchange it for a new one.

 

[llngoc]

How do I check if I am in FCC mode? TIA

So far every reputable review I've seen on the SC has been glowing - if there is any mention of range, it has been to say that it's *better* than the stock controller. I have no issues with my SC personally, which is all I can really vouch for. I have very large hands and find it so much more comfortable to hold than the standard controller, and it feels of very high quality in the hand, everywhere except for the S/P/A switch - that feels oddly cheap.

Are you sure you are in FCC mode? That's the first thing to check if you are experiencing short range issues. Other than that the M2 switches between 2.4 and 5.8 Ghz automatically based on what is best.

If you're in FCC mode and you aren't getting good range in an interference-free space, maybe it's time to exchange it for a new one.

 

[Vitamin-J]

I have the smart controller and am getting considerably long range & can even reliably operate my M2P 10k ft away from the inside of my home.

Sounds like something is off with your controller.

 

[paulatkin73]

So far every reputable review I've seen on the SC has been glowing - if there is any mention of range, it has been to say that it's *better* than the stock controller. I have no issues with my SC personally, which is all I can really vouch for. I have very large hands and find it so much more comfortable to hold than the standard controller, and it feels of very high quality in the hand, everywhere except for the S/P/A switch - that feels oddly cheap.

Are you sure you are in FCC mode? That's the first thing to check if you are experiencing short range issues. Other than that the M2 switches between 2.4 and 5.8 Ghz automatically based on what is best.

If you're in FCC mode and you aren't getting good range in an interference-free space, maybe it's time to exchange it for a new one.

there is definitely a correlation between count of total posts to the forum and the expressed level of negativity in such claims.

my SC works just fine, and range is fine, and most other folks also do not complain. so, to each his own. do not like it - do not use it. also helps to keep antennas in a proper position.

 

[CanadaDrone]

there is definitely a correlation between count of total posts to the forum and the expressed level of negativity in such claims.

Took me a second but I realized what you were saying and I agree - typically accounts with really low post counts are most negative, or are shilling their YouTube videos for views.

I haven't done any max range tests (and I never will) but I am very happy with the SC.

 

[Srcrain]

I will throw my two cents in so the poster complaining about range issues doesn't feel alone. Although I may get blasted because I don't post that often. Usually, I only post when I have problems to see if others can help me or fix things, not to bash products.

I have noticed a very slight issue with the range on the smart controller being shorter than the original. I get a few more frame skips and lose signal sooner. The overall range is still good though. Not sure if it is an antenna issue given how I hold the controller (I try to get the flat side facing the drone) or something else. But it is really hard to get a direct comparison because just a few minutes difference can change the interference even if flying the same path.

I am not a DJI hater. I own a Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic Pro, Spark, DJI white Goggles, RE Goggles, and the Smart Controller. I love them all and would buy them again including the smart controller.

Is there a technical reason that the smart controller would have longer range? Or shorter range? Just curious if maybe the extra power to run the screen would impact the power of the signal or something similar. This is a stretch I know, but I am just thinking out loud.

Bash away!

 

[paulatkin73]

nothing to bash here, it is just all those complaints about range really sound like an attempt to claim that "A + B" somehow not the same as "B + A".
DJI did not use any new tech in the smart controller - it uses same transmitter with same antennas. so, theoretically, it should not have resulted with any significant changes. yet, who knows.
may be some units are less lucky than others and have some interference from the display unit, dunno. mine doesn`t.

 

[CanadaDrone]

But it is really hard to get a direct comparison because just a few minutes difference can change the interference even if flying the same path.

This is the important part, and by far the most likely explanation for various people's claims of significantly different performance. Or they're in CE mode and don't know it - I sometimes need to remind myself that there are lots of members here outside of North America.

There is nothing I'm aware of that would give it obviously better or worse range than the original controller - the only minor thing I can think of is the antenna are locked parallel in the absolute ideal position, where the normal controller can be difficult to keep them perfectly parallel at all times.

From DJI's point of view they should be identical, and you would need 2 drones and 2 controllers to do any meaningful testing. If they were significantly different I'd be exchanging it. Not many folks are flying out 8KM though so I don't imagine this gets tested very often.

 

[Srcrain]

Here is a question for all the tech guys out there (I am not one). Does transmission power of the remotes (standard vs smart) matter? From the manuals -

Standard Remote
Transmission Power
2.4 Frequency
FCC <= 26 dBm
5.8 Frequency
FCC <= 26 dBm

Smart Controller
Transmission Power
2.4 Frequency
FCC 25.5 dBm
5.8 Frequency
FCC 25.5 dBm

Since this is a log scale does a potential 0.5 dBm difference matter? Also, less than or equal to 26 could mean 25.5, who knows. Again just thinking out loud. In CE mode the smart controller seems to have much lower transmission power (18.5 dBm for SRC and <=20 dBm for standard).

I have no idea if any of this means anything I just find it interesting.

 

[CanadaDrone]

Here is a question for all the tech guys out there (I am not one). Does transmission power of the remotes (standard vs smart) matter? From the manuals -

Standard Remote
Transmission Power
2.4 Frequency
FCC <= 26 dBm
5.8 Frequency
FCC <= 26 dBm

Smart Controller
Transmission Power
2.4 Frequency
FCC 25.5 dBm
5.8 Frequency
FCC 25.5 dBm

Since this is a log scale does a potential 0.5 dBm difference matter? Also, less than or equal to 26 could mean 25.5, who knows. Again just thinking out loud. In CE mode the smart controller seems to have much lower transmission power (18.5 dBm for SRC and <=20 dBm for standard).

I have no idea if any of this means anything I just find it interesting.

Positive dBm values represent transmission strength (like for these remotes) and negative dBm values represent receiver sensitivity (like your smartphone on a WiFi network).

The way DJI has listed those specs is somewhat ambiguous because for the standard remote, they do not use a decimal place (which means it could be identical to the SC at 25.5, simply rounded up), and they also say the transmission power is "less than or equal to" 26 dBm, which is ambiguous in itself. For the Smart Controller, they simply list 25.5 dBm, which could just be the same 26dBm of the standard controller with an extra decimal place of accuracy. Further, they do not put a "less than or equal to" qualifier on it like they do for the standard controller, which possibly could mean it is consistently stronger but that is pure speculation - hard to believe they would go to that level of detail when providing the general public with specs.

The difference between 25.5 dBm and 26.0 dBm is measurable though, the former is 355mW and the latter is 398mW, a ~12% difference. I suspect environmental factors would have a greater impact than that difference, it it exists, but it would be very difficult to test accurately. I also imagine there ends up being at least 0.5dBm difference either way with manufacturing variances. My personal guess is that for all intents and purposes, they have designed them with the same transmission power - if there was a significant difference they would have to also adjust the 8KM max rating.

 

[Srcrain]

Positive dBm values represent transmission strength (like for these remotes) and negative dBm values represent receiver sensitivity (like your smartphone on a WiFi network).

The way DJI has listed those specs is somewhat ambiguous because for the standard remote, they do not use a decimal place (which means it could be identical to the SC at 25.5, simply rounded up), and they also say the transmission power is "less than or equal to" 26 dBm, which is ambiguous in itself. For the Smart Controller, they simply list 25.5 dBm, which could just be the same 26dBm of the standard controller with an extra decimal place of accuracy. Further, they do not put a "less than or equal to" qualifier on it like they do for the standard controller, which possibly could mean it is consistently stronger but that is pure speculation - hard to believe they would go to that level of detail when providing the general public with specs.

The difference between 25.5 dBm and 26.0 dBm is measurable though, the former is 355mW and the latter is 398mW, a ~12% difference. I suspect environmental factors would have a greater impact than that difference, it it exists, but it would be very difficult to test accurately. I also imagine there ends up being at least 0.5dBm difference either way with manufacturing variances. My personal guess is that for all intents and purposes, they have designed them with the same transmission power - if there was a significant difference they would have to also adjust the 8KM max rating.

Thanks. This is an incredibly detailed explanation!!

 

[ff22]

nothing to bash here, it is just all those complaints about range really sound like an attempt to claim that "A + B" somehow not the same as "B + A".
DJI did not use any new tech in the smart controller - it uses same transmitter with same antennas. so, theoretically, it should not have resulted with any significant changes. yet, who knows.
may be some units are less lucky than others and have some interference from the display unit, dunno. mine doesn`t.

I've never had an opportunity to fly far with either controller. But how about a theory on why it might be reduced: There's less "shielding" between the "monitor" and the other antennas in the SC. The standard controller has its own closed body/shell and the phone/tab is also a closed phone/tab with its surrounding shell. But, of course, this not account for the fact that most users don't have the reduced distance problem.

So, I throw out my own speculation.

 

[Don the engineer]

I'm disappointed. I cant get third party apps to work on it. Google services aren't supported so the ones that require it wont boot up, (drone deploy for example...) pilot wont recognize the aircraft. It's a good controller if you are just going to fly it around and you're happy with only the features of DJI GO 4. If you're a tweaker...skip it

 

[FlyingSoon]

Try this