Toggle Transmission Mode (FCC vs CE)

[TerryToast]

DJI Apps should allow users to toggle between transmission modes (FCC, CE & Auto), rather than the drones doing this automatically based on GPS. It would be easy for them to implement.

The demand for this feature is clearly there. There are so many threads on range issues and hacks to get into FCC mode, it‘s crazy.

 

[coneslayer]

How on earth do you think they would get regulatory approval for that?

 

[TerryToast]

How on earth do you think they would get regulatory approval for that?

How do DJI get regulatory approval to allow users to fly up to 500 metres high?

DJI would set the Transmission Mode to Auto, plus add a warning to users re the laws in their country, if Users attempt to update to an “unauthorised“ manual mode. No different to the height restriction.

 

[Flycaster]

Not gonna happen...

 

[coneslayer]

How do DJI get regulatory approval to allow users to fly up to 500 metres high?

That's not a thing you have to do to get a drone on the market. Maybe it will be someday. If you want to help ruin the hobby/industry, go ahead and campaign the FAA for it.

But you do need FCC, CE, etc. licensing for radio transmitters in most markets. You have to submit lots of test results showing that you meet their criteria. The GPS fencing is surely there because the regulators require it as a condition of licensing. Software doesn't just appear out of nowhere; I'm sure DJI didn't implement the current system for the fun of it. It would have been a lot easier for them to just implement the switch that you suggest.

Your argument is basically: "It is possible to commercially release a drone that is capable of illegal thing X, so why can't it be capable of all the illegal things?"

 

[Dakarenduro]

But back on topic. You stated "the US regulators would never allow a drone with an FCC vs CE toggle button"

You do realize the drone is manufactured in China. The USA allows FCC mode/power (which is what you want to use in Australia).

Australia is your governing body which is not allowing FCC mode to be used in Australia. The US has nothing to do with Australian laws.

 

[old man mavic]

you have totally misinterpreted why the US and the rest of the world has a different radio comms system
its to do with different countries having different rules on radio transmission levels and therefore to be able to fly in a country, and be able to sell their drones in different countries ,then DJI have to have different systems

 

[TerryToast]

But back on topic. You stated "the US regulators would never allow a drone with an FCC vs CE toggle button"

You do realize the drone is manufactured in China. The USA allows FCC mode/power (which is what you want to use in Australia).

Australia is your governing body which is not allowing FCC mode to be used in Australia. The US has nothing to do with Australian laws.

I agree, the Australian regulators don’t want Australians flying in FCC mode.

However where a government sets a law that is unpopular (and with little merit), people often ignore it and do their own thing. Case in point, a decent number of drone owners outside of the US are using FakeGPS and other means and using FCC mode in CE countries.

 

[Dakarenduro]

Agreed. There is always someone that figures out a way around factory limitations..... now if only someone could 'hack' the latest .510 firmware of M2 series to allow some of the unlocked functions...... waiting

 

[old man mavic]

just a point that nobody seems to have hit upon in this debate about CE or FCC
even if you fool the RC and drone to think it is in the US ,surely the actual radiated signal strength of the country you are in does not change
so how does it allow the drone to fly as far as it would in the US anyway

 

[Dakarenduro]

just a point that nobody seems to have hit upon in this debate about CE or FCC
even if you fool the RC and drone to think it is in the US ,surely the actual radiated signal strength of the country you are in does not change
so how does it allow the drone to fly as far as it would in the US anyway

If the RC has hardware capable of both FCC and CE power modes, then if you 'fool' it into thinking it is in a FCC region the unit will switch to the FCC power.

Mavic Air 1 has this feature for wifi. If you run the FakeGPS and then start the drone and RC it switches to FCC freqs and power. Doubles the control range. I've tested it and it does work. Same for M2 series. You can watch a video about how to start up the M2 and fool it into thinking you are in USA when you are actually in EU.

Now if the model is specifically built for one country or another (I think the Mini or MA2 is this way??) then the trick will have no effect.

 

[old man mavic]

If the RC has hardware capable of both FCC and CE power modes, then if you 'fool' it into thinking it is in a FCC region the unit will switch to the FCC power.

Mavic Air 1 has this feature for wifi. If you run the FakeGPS and then start the drone and RC it switches to FCC freqs and power. Doubles the control range. I've tested it and it does work. Same for M2 series. You can watch a video about how to start up the M2 and fool it into thinking you are in USA when you are actually in EU.

Now if the model is specifically built for one country or another (I think the Mini or MA2 is this way??) then the trick will have no effect.

@Dakarenduro thanks for your reply ,what you said in the second part of your answer was exactly what i was thinking,

 

[Dakarenduro]

my M2 in CE mode (I'm in w.africa) can easily go 2km before spotty signal.... that is WAY more than I will ever need.

Now the MA1 sometimes might only have 300m depending on terrain. that sucks.

 

[Dave Maine]

This all depends on whether or not you choose to obey the law of your country. DJI will have no motivation to help you break it.

 

[SkyeHigh]

So if you fake your GPS location then how is your AC supposed to know where it is flying? It’s RTH location? It’s position accuracy.

Then there is flight applications like Litchi, DroneDeploy etc?

Not to mention the legality and the location spoofing evidence logged in your flight records - especially if you’re syncing them with DJI.

 

[Dakarenduro]

Faking the GPS location on your phone does not change the RTH point, everything works as it should.

 

[SkyeHigh]

Faking the GPS location on your phone does not change the RTH point, everything works as it should.

Good point! Thank you.