Upgrade to the ALIENTECH DUO II: Leave Beginner Mode Behind.

[BroomRider]

Well, the DJI RC 2 is now available, but so far, only for 1 specific DJI drone.

I'm looking forward to seeing how well it compares to the DJI RC controller, & if or when DJI decides to make that also available for the Mini 3 Pro, how well the 2 compare.

I'll wait & see.

 

[BroomRider]

No, didn't detect a whiff of that.

Sharp senses!

I tend not to respect “sheeple”.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Well, the DJI RC 2 is now available, but so far, only for 1 specific DJI drone.

I'm looking forward to seeing how well it compares to the DJI RC controller, & if or when DJI decides to make that also available for the Mini 3 Pro, how well the 2 compare.

I'll wait & see.

Unlikely that the DJI RC 2 will be made backwards compatible with any prior drones, any more than the RC Pro can fly the Mavic 2 Pro. Different OcuSync versions!

 

[Droning on and on...]

Sharp senses!

I tend not to respect “sheeple”.

Well, most people have a word for that. I'll leave it up to the reader.

I find I'm much more successful at persuading others to my point of view, and gaining progress on what I want, by being understanding rather than insulting.

When people are called denigrating names and their concerns dismissed, they tend to add to their motives the incentive to spite you for it's own sake, which usually just means more trouble, frustration, and tighter yoke on you.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Unlikely that the DJI RC 2 will be made backwards compatible with any prior drones, any more than the RC Pro can fly the Mavic 2 Pro. Different OcuSync versions!

Which means nothing.

I'll virtually "eat crow" if I'm wrong, but I'm as sure as I can be that I'm not.

The DJI RC 2 will be updated to support O3+, and at the least the Mavic 3 and Mini 3 drones, in a firmware release coming relatively soon.

These devices, including the N1, are all designed with SDR's. The transmission protocol is entirely defined and implemented in software.

Upgrading the RC 2 to support O3 is no different than when the RC-N1 was updated to support O3 in addition to O2. Hardware, these days, offers very little constraint to changing transmission protocols.

The code to transmit O3 is already developed, so adding it to the RC2 is a porting and testing task. Takes time, and DJI can make more money faster getting the A3 out the door with the new RC now and add support for O3 in a firmware update.

No one with an O3 drone is grounded because the RC2 only supports O4 at release. It can be added later, and it will.

Not supporting O2 with the RC Pro was a business decision, not an engineering one. Obviously O2 and O3 can coexist, they do on the N1.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Which means nothing.

I'll virtually "eat crow" if I'm wrong, but I'm as sure as I can be that I'm not.

The DJI RC 2 will be updated to support O3+, and at the least the Mavic 3 and Mini 3 drones, in a firmware release coming relatively soon.

These devices, including the N1, are all designed with SDR's. The transmission protocol is entirely defined and implemented in software.

Upgrading the RC 2 to support O3 is no different than when the RC-N1 was updated to support O3 in addition to O2. Hardware, these days, offers very little constraint to changing transmission protocols.

The code to transmit O3 is already developed, so adding it to the RC2 is a porting and testing task. Takes time, and DJI can make more money faster getting the A3 out the door with the new RC now and add support for O3 in a firmware update.

No one with an O3 drone is grounded because the RC2 only supports O4 at release. It can be added later, and it will.

Not supporting O2 with the RC Pro was a business decision, not an engineering one. Obviously O2 and O3 can coexist, they do on the N1.

What is the point of making it backwards compatible, if it dumbs it down to OS3+? Most already have one of each of the compatible Air 3 controllers in the OS3+ version for the prior drones. Granted, the faster processor and external antennas might help the OS3+ signal, but the older drones still lack the internal extra antennas that are improving the range, as well as the new third 5.1 Ghz band.

 

[Droning on and on...]

What is the point of making it backwards compatible, if it dumbs it down to OS3+? Most already have one of each of the compatible Air 3 controllers in the OS3+ version for the prior drones. Granted, the faster processor and external antennas might help the OS3+ signal, but the older drones still lack the internal extra antennas that are improving the range, as well as the new third 5.1 Ghz band.

What was the reason for adding support to the DJI RC for the Mavic 3 and A2S?

The answer is the same.

 

[GadgetGuy]

What was the reason for adding support to the DJI RC for the Mavic 3 and A2S?

The answer is the same.

To provide a cheaper, poor man's alternative to the RC Pro.
Not sure how that applies to the DJI RC 2 or the RC-N2, because the DJI RC and RC-N1 already exist, and without OS4 on the drone side, there isn't much additional benefit to the newer OS4 versions of either of those RC's.

 

[BroomRider]

Doubling the antenna numbers would certainly help, & that there's interest in improving the performance of the range & signal strength over the stock RC controller, seems to be the point of this entire topic thread.

Also, the AlienTech Duo 2 product isn't the only 1 out there, advertising to address these concerns.

https://nolimitdronez.com/ with their product description:

No Limit Dronez 2.5W Signal Booster Board​

The NLD 2.4GHz 5.8GHz dual-band bi-directional signal booster with automatic switching is a highly efficient and compact circuit board designed to increase the performance and range of transceivers working in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz ISM bands.
You can use the booster kit with DJI drones or any device that uses these frequency ranges, including but not limited to drones produced by companies other than DJI
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
But, I did notice this important distinction re: the difference between these 2 products:

“Booster Board Myth Busters

Power usage for the booster boards in the Aircraft

There has been criticism that the boosters will reduce flight time excessively.

The capacity of a Mavic 2 battery is 3850 mAh. For a flight time of 30 minutes, the aircraft is therefore consuming 7700 mA on average. Assuming 1200 mA, the introduction of the booster board will reduce flight time by an estimated 15%

BUSTED”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With the Mini 3 Pro Plus battery having the same capacity rating as the 1 mentioned in the above quote, DJI's stated “theoretical” maximum of a 47-minute flight time, with that additional ~6W power draw from the Plus battery in the Mini 3 Pro, by my admittedly quick, rough & likely flawed calculations – Please, feel welcome to correct me if I'm in error here – that would seem to reduce that 47 minute flight time down to ~28 minutes.

I suppose that there would be situations where a Mini 3 Pro pilot might be willing to trade off maximum flight time for signal strength from both ends – the RC controller & the drone – with all the above in consideration, at this point, if & when I make a decision to purchase 1 or the other, I'd lean to the AlienTech Duo 2 product.

 

[Droning on and on...]

To provide a cheaper, poor man's alternative to the RC Pro.

While i disagee this was DJI's intent, it simply strengthens the argument the same is coming to the RC 2, which is replacing the DJI RC.

Not sure how that applies to the DJI RC 2 or the RC-N2, because the DJI RC and RC-N1 already exist, and without OS4 on the drone side, there isn't much additional benefit to the newer OS4 versions of either of those RC's.

You'll find a lot of people judging the external antennas, higher EIRP, 4x internal storage, faster CPU, internal fan, and other lesser improvements to be significant benefit.

YMMV.

As soon as O3 support is added to the RC2 and N2, the RC and N1 will be discontinued. To have planned this differently would be an extremely bone-headed decision, especially when current technology makes it dirt simple to do otherwise.

 

[GadgetGuy]

While i disagee this was DJI's intent, it simply strengthens the argument the same is coming to the RC 2, which is replacing the DJI RC.



You'll find a lot of people judging the external antennas, higher EIRP, 4x internal storage, faster CPU, internal fan, and other lesser improvements to be significant benefit.

YMMV.

As soon as O3 support is added to the RC2 and N2, the RC and N1 will be discontinued. To have planned this differently would be an extremely bone-headed decision, especially when current technology makes it dirt simple to do otherwise.

While those additional improvements do provide a benefit, they are designed for optimizing OS4. It remains to be seen whether they provide any significant benefits over the DJI RC when only used with OS3+. Are you suggesting that DJI RC owners would "upgrade" their DJI RC to the DJI RC2, even if not purchasing an Air 3?

Given the choice between buying a DJI RC and a DJI RC2, if the DJI RC2 can also perform as a DJI RC, it becomes a no brainer, especially if buying the Air 3, although I suspect the DJI RC2 will see a big bump in price over the $309 DJI RC. Time will tell. So far, DJI hasn't even officially stated that the two new Air 3 RC's on OS4 will be made backwards compatible with OS3+. They only stated other drones, which could be all future OS4 drones!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Doubling the antenna numbers would certainly help, & that there's interest in improving the performance of the range & signal strength over the stock RC controller, seems to be the point of this entire topic thread.

Also, the AlienTech Duo 2 product isn't the only 1 out there, advertising to address these concerns.

nolimitdronez.com with their product description:

No Limit Dronez 2.5W Signal Booster Board​

The NLD 2.4GHz 5.8GHz dual-band bi-directional signal booster with automatic switching is a highly efficient and compact circuit board designed to increase the performance and range of transceivers working in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz ISM bands.
You can use the booster kit with DJI drones or any device that uses these frequency ranges, including but not limited to drones produced by companies other than DJI
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
But, I did notice this important distinction re: the difference between these 2 products:

“Booster Board Myth Busters

Power usage for the booster boards in the Aircraft

There has been criticism that the boosters will reduce flight time excessively.

The capacity of a Mavic 2 battery is 3850 mAh. For a flight time of 30 minutes, the aircraft is therefore consuming 7700 mA on average. Assuming 1200 mA, the introduction of the booster board will reduce flight time by an estimated 15%

BUSTED”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With the Mini 3 Pro Plus battery having the same capacity rating as the 1 mentioned in the above quote, DJI's stated “theoretical” maximum of a 47-minute flight time, with that additional ~6W power draw from the Plus battery in the Mini 3 Pro, by my admittedly quick, rough & likely flawed calculations – Please, feel welcome to correct me if I'm in error here – that would seem to reduce that 47 minute flight time down to ~28 minutes.

I suppose that there would be situations where a Mini 3 Pro pilot might be willing to trade off maximum flight time for signal strength from both ends – the RC controller & the drone – with all the above in consideration, at this point, if & when I make a decision to purchase 1 or the other, I'd lean to the AlienTech Duo 2 product.

I doubt many wanting extra signal strength would deliberately sacrifice flight time to get it! The primary reason for wanting more signal strength is to fly farther away, which requires maximum flight time, often supplanted by external batteries! The extra signal strength without external batteries is useless, if it reduces the flight time of the internal batteries. The stock signal range already exceeds the internal battery flight range for anything other than a one way suicide mission!

 

[Droning on and on...]

While those additional improvements do provide a benefit, they are designed for optimizing OS4. It remains to be seen whether they provide any significant benefits over the DJI RC when only used with OS3+.

The external antennas, faster CPU, and more storage benefit everyone, regardless of transmission protocol. If the higher power is usable on 2.4Ghz alone, O3 will benefit from that too.

Are you suggesting that DJI RC owners would "upgrade" their DJI RC to the DJI RC2, even if not purchasing an Air 3?

I haven't, and I'm not.

However I do see DJI retiring the RC in the mini 3 bundles and replacing it with the RC 2. The RC has been a support headache for DJI.

This could happen by adding support for O3+ to the RC 2, or adding support for O4 to the mini 3 and Mavic 3. I've yet to see anything about O4 hardware-wise that would stand in the way of simply programming the radio to do it.

Even if it's something in the spec for O4 like 5.1Ghz operation. Just change the spec so O4 can operate legacy drones over 2.4Ghz. It's a proprietary spec that only DJI uses, and controls.

So far, DJI hasn't even officially stated that the two new Air 3 RC's on OS4 will be made backwards compatible with OS3+. They only stated other drones, which could be all future OS4 drones!

Absolutely correct. I'm gambling a bit selling my A2S with the RM330 from my Mini3P, and I could get burned and have to fly it with the N1 (which I have, back from the days when you got another N1 with every drone, the Mini2 and A2S blessing me with 2). If the RC 2 never supports the Mini3P I'll be fine.

There are just too many really good business reasons to engineer the compatability, and no good technical reasons standing in the way. The RC once again followed DJI's usual release pattern, expanding support on the RC to the A2S and Mavic 3 later – grabbing revenue first with the Mini3P.

The N1 demonstrates DJI can program a controller to do more than one protocol.

I'm pretty confident support is coming to the RC 2, or I wouldn't have pulled the trigger to sell it. DJI slimmed Android and the hardware down too much, and it's been a source of customer dissatisfaction, and elevated support costs. DJI probably doesn't want to keep shipping these for another 2 years or so with the mini 3's.

 

[GadgetGuy]

The external antennas, faster CPU, and more storage benefit everyone, regardless of transmission protocol. If the higher power is usable on 2.4Ghz alone, O3 will benefit from that too.


I haven't, and I'm not.

However I do see DJI retiring the RC in the mini 3 bundles and replacing it with the RC 2. The RC has been a support headache for DJI.

This could happen by adding support for O3+ to the RC 2, or adding support for O4 to the mini 3 and Mavic 3. I've yet to see anything about O4 hardware-wise that would stand in the way of simply programming the radio to do it.

Even if it's something in the spec for O4 like 5.1Ghz operation. Just change the spec so O4 can operate legacy drones over 2.4Ghz. It's a proprietary spec that only DJI uses, and controls.



Absolutely correct. I'm gambling a bit selling my A2S with the RM330 from my Mini3P, and I could get burned and have to fly it with the N1 (which I have, back from the days when you got another N1 with every drone, the Mini2 and A2S blessing me with 2). If the RC 2 never supports the Mini3P I'll be fine.

There are just too many really good business reasons to engineer the compatability, and no good technical reasons standing in the way. The RC once again followed DJI's usual release pattern, expanding support on the RC to the A2S and Mavic 3 later – grabbing revenue first with the Mini3P.

The N1 demonstrates DJI can program a controller to do more than one protocol.

I'm pretty confident support is coming to the RC 2, or I wouldn't have pulled the trigger to sell it. DJI slimmed Android and the hardware down too much, and it's been a source of customer dissatisfaction, and elevated support costs. DJI probably doesn't want to keep shipping these for another 2 years or so with the mini 3's.

We'll see how it all pans out. Fortunately, I don't have anything at stake in the changes, as I also have the RC Pro as an available RC, which already has the external antennas and improved processor and memory, along with lots other goodies like mini HDMI out, lots of extra user programmable buttons, and a 1000 nit display. It also already puts out 4x the power of the RC-N1, which may not be OS4 range, but still runs circles around the DJI RC and RC-N1, and will likely still give the new DJI RC2 owners a run for their money!

 

[Droning on and on...]

And it is my controversial opinion the Pro will be getting an update to support O4 and the A3. So you're also a beneficiary of my craziness

 

[GadgetGuy]

And it is my controversial opinion the Pro will be getting an update to support O4 and the A3. So you're also a beneficiary of my craziness

That would be wonderful!
Aren't extra antennas part of OS4, or is that only on the drone-side?

 

[zeusfl]

This looks like a clone of https://superdji.com/

 

[BroomRider]

This looks like a clone of https://superdji.com/

I suspect that they are 1 & the same.

Why the difference, I have no idea, but this was the reply I got when I e-mailed SDJ requesting info.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Superdji <[email protected]>

Fri, Jul 28 at 6:44 AM

For retail business, please contact.

NLD 2.5W Bi-Di Signal Booster Kit v2 for DJI drones

2.4GHz & 5.8GHz dual band signal booster kit for DJI drones in particular but can be used with anything that uses WiFi for transmission

nolimitdronez.info

Thanks.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I've had quite some back&forth with the NLD Dev.

 

[BroomRider]

This looks like a clone of https://superdji.com/

NLD 2.5W Bi-Di Signal Booster/Amplifier Kit v2 for DJI drones

2.4GHz & 5.8GHz dual band signal booster kit for DJI drones in particular but can be used with anything that uses WiFi for transmission

nolimitdronez.com

 

[BroomRider]

I do look forward to comparisons of both products, AlienTech's & NLD's;

Without booster/amplifier, & with, & also, a side-by side comparison.

Reviewing the performance specs on both, they seem similar in performance, the main difference being, AlienTech's product only boosts/amplifies from the controller end, & uses its own battery, whereas, NLD's product, boosts/amplifies from both the drone & the controller, so from both ends, & NLD's product uses the batteries from the drone itself, & the controller itself.

My own rough calculations seem to suggest that for a long-flying drone such as the Mini 3 Pro & its Plus battery, would suffer significant flight range & time reduction, due to the NLD product's installation on the drone drawing an additional 6W for the duration of the flight; the longer the flight, the greater the negative impact – from DJI's “theoretical” 47-minute flight time, down to ~28 minutes with the NLD product.

The net result, in comparison, seems to be, that the NLD product fully installed on both, has superior performance, & sacrifices flight time of the drone, & I don't think that's much of an issue with the NLD product on the controller, as it's easy enough to plug in external supplemental battery(s) to the controller.