dude, i don't know why anyone would dislike this video, but it is one of the most daring distance test video I've seen. I wouldn't have gone through those first powerlines the way you did but I'm glad i got to see someone do it. awesome video sir, please keep it up.
You need to be elevated, The earth is round, hills etc. etc. The horizon is at a distance of 2.9 miles. So if you are low under 100 feet etc. you just ran over the limited Horizon. Try again at over 200' and see if you gain more on that distance.
comment not wrong...but sometime we need to see term and condition...when we playing drone, are we always from hi-rise building or on the top of tower?? I dont think so....so this test almost actual condition in average...but the most important also we need check signal interference from other device...such as radio comunication, etc
No, not you fly the drone at 100' or 200'. Most people hold the remotes at waist level. Horizon is normally calculated from the height of the persons eyes. some were between 5'9" to 6'0" just holding the remote at your waist you cut your horizon distance to about 1.5 miles.
The mighty little spark is a badass! I fly mine WAY more than my phantom 4 pro. In a rural area without much interference, I've flown it out just over a mile at a height of 390ft, returned and still had nearly 50 percent battery! Optimum conditions of course.
I didn't go through all 596 comments, so don't know if this was already said, but...The Spark dropped to 22mph when returning so that object avoidance system can work properly. If it was going at max sport speed and it was auto flying back, it could possibly hit something on the way back. At 22mph, it can safely avoid objects.
I just posted my Spark distance test (just the drone footage, not as nice as your video), and mine went out 4422 feet before I got a Lost Signal message. I'll have to say, I was literally shaking I was so nervous (and I'm not a nervous person at all). Losing the Spark and being out $500 is secondary, I just didn't want to have a rogue drone land on anyone). I'm amazed at how calm and cool you are in this video when you lost signal.
I just watched your video! The camera still amazes me! beautiful! Haha I was nervous but the feed was was only out for 2 or 3 seconds so I didnt have time to freak out. And when it came back on it was already returning to home so crisis averted! Thanks for the watch!
I just got a spark and have been watching youtubes all day trying to get comfortable with everything before I take it up. I believe it hovered at the end because it has a built in safety feature to keep it from landing in the water, etc., when it returns automatically.
@@gunnerzane5230 Yes, my confidence level is good, although I typically only fly manually and haven't learned any of the automatic route programs. I still like my spark!
Just a rough estimate but if you began your flight at 1:37 in the video, and stopped forward progression at 3:30 (both approximated), a 2 minute flight of that distance 4800 ft., would equal "roughly" 27.2 mph also consider you did climb on the way which may have slowed the speed over ground. In straight flight, with no winds, I could see this unit doing 30mph. Thanks much for your videos, they are helping me decide on my purchase. :)
Thank you very much for making this video. Done nice, straight forward, and you gave me the information I needed. I like that you don't act crazy disappointed that it didn't go the full 1.2 miles. 4800 feet is really amazing for such a small drone. The fact that it came back within a few feet of the takeoff point is also extremely impressive too. Thank you again from Philadelphia PA. When I do my video from NJ to Philly next to the Ben Franklin Bridge, please know your video directly encouraged me to give it a shot. I love people who post to RUclips for the education and encouragement of others. Have a great day!!!
I didn’t view all comments, so perhaps some one already mentioned this: the documentation for the Spark states the maximum distance of approx. 1.2 miles is achieved at an altitude of 150m (approx. 500 feet). If you only flew at around 70 feet, it’s no surprise you didn’t quite make it (still impressive though). Consider repeating the test at a higher altitude and see what happens. Great video BTW!
Thank you for these videos. I'm glad to see some real world videos from an end user rather than the ones from so-called drone experts all the time. I have my Spark on order from Amazon and can't wait to get it and have some fun.
I've managed to take my spark out 8,250 ft on yesterday with no range extender or a otg cable . So i went well over the 1.2 advertised mile. i also did it outside the city limits with limited electronic interference. And that very close to the distance record on my Phantom 3 advanced with range extender .
SOLD!!!! This is what I was waiting for!!! Thanks, one video I saw made it seem you couldn't go far. It will work for me since I'm just doing this as a hobby.
It's battery life is what triggers the smart return to home. You can cancel it and keep flying if you're able to walk up or drive up and retrieve the drone from wherever it lands
Hi, check it out what is "Fresnel zone" it will help you understand why you did not reach the suggested distance. Also your home point (take off point) is as importance as the flying path you took especially executed a maximum distance test. I hope by now you know how to reset "failsafe RTH" function, you are very lucky did not hit the power line or that chain-link fence.
Go on top of the complex and try it again at around 120 feet high and watch. You can always cancel return to home bro that way you have control over it and also when launching from auto launch let it hover for a few seconds then climb to around 30ft and let it hover for 5 seconds so it can read it's take of point, then you take off, otherwise it would not auto land where it take of from. Good stuff bro. Thanks
Love the video. Just got one and still waiting for my prop guards, extra battery and controller to arrive. I am impressed at the "real world" distance test and its Auto mode to return home after signal loss.
Thanks for the video! I've already got two scratch built quads but with these impressive changes in tech, I want something that doesn't feel like a grocery cart with props and wires stuck all over it. The Spark seems like a good bet so far.
I'm not sure if your spark has the same feature as the Mavic, but when using the DJI GO4 app and you slide that hmm slider over for take off there is a box that appears above it that ask if you want a precision landing and you have to have that on within the app as well in your settings. if you check that box then slide that slider and fly a distance away and click return to home or if its activated, it will return to almost the exact spot it took off from within inches. I am impressed every time my Mavic does it
The range is GREATLY effected by trees and may also be by elevation. I will be testing this in January where I can fly straight out for miles. In heavy tree cover at 300-400 ft of elevation change I can get about 1,200 ft before I lose signal in a wifi heavy area. Wifi extenders only gained me another 200 ft or so in that scenario. In a free and clear area I suspect I will see the similar results of others going about 2 miles.
That's what's up haven't done that with mine but I sure will try it. You should do a video on all the different features it has so I don't have to find out the hard way.
Thank you for sharing! To improve the automatic landing, you need to enable "precision landing " and take off vertical until 30ft. This allows the drone to record the takeoff area and land within 1 feet of it. Also, usually best range is achieved flying in "position" mode at full speed. Not sport. The portability of this drone is tempting but as a wedding photographer you should test the P4pro 1 inch sensor camera! It's amazing. Best wishes. Safe flights
Good to know! However im incredibly impressed at how close it was to the original landing spot! If I take it to the beach or a cliff I will have to remember that tip! Thanks for watching!
Standing near the metal fence would not do the RF any favours, also the power lines... The local mobile network to would not help. I think you might be able to go further than spec if these were not around and holding your controller a wee bit higher.
Just got my spark today. Cancelled my order and ordered a mavic a month ago and a spark showed up today with no charge to my card. It's like I hit the lottery. Thanks DJI
For all those of you who are wondering: The drone turned around because the battery ran low. It calculates the distance from where it departed and the time it needs to return safely and doesn't crash. And the battery ran low that quickly as he used the sport mode for the entirety of the flight.
Can not that still be a battery RTH? I have the Battery alarm set for 30% but that alarm only looks at how much battery you have left. There is another feature that also looks are distance and how long it will take to get back home, that could be 50% or maybe even higher since you do not want to get back home with 0% battery left.
A photographer who bought the drone for his own fun and my be add a small bit of drone footage to a wedding package as free, great idea, don't sell something if your not confident with it. Like the video so much I've hit the subscribe button
ok, thanks but two things to remember. 1 Power lines cause interference. 2 Find a clear area to take off as gps and glasnost have a degree of error built-in deliberately so will never land exactly on the same spot. Remember, the FAA is watching too.
TY for the range test! I just bought one an hour ago as my 1st drone ever “Welcome to the dark side right?” LoL looks like I will have to skip the remote purchase since this will be used up close using my iphone. I will probably have to go with the mavic pro or the P4 Pro when I outgrew this one for our extreme long range target shooting of 1 mile plus!!! It will be our new spotter out in the desert!!! TY!!!
Thanks for this video. IT showed me a lot about the Spark, including the video quality. One note on the distance; I don't know if anyone else mentioned it but the power lines that you went under on the way out most likely caused some interference that resulted in some loss of distance. All in all, the Spark seems like an excellent Drone, especially for traveling.I also saw in another video where a professional photographer that normally used a Mavic went to the Spark and just up-scales the video to 4K in editing. It looked extremely good, but then again, yours with the 1080p also looked great to me. Thanks again.
I have been flying the Spark for a year almost and the one thing I have learnt is that you Do not trust the sparky for distance as it varies drastically based on where you are flying it, the wifi connection is its biggest problem it is otherwise a very solid bird and does what you ask of it rather well and gets some decent shots.
Losing the video feed can be a problem especially if you do not know where the bird is headed and lose orientation. Loosing the radio signal will make it return to home and its always a bit scary as for those few moments you have no control over the drone, i best try to avoid getting it in that situation.
The true test would be around obstacles. With trees in front of you or standing in front of building, fly drone over building and see when signal fails. But still a great test. I still will buy me one that's for sure.
My top distance so far is 15,938 feet...so just over 3 miles. That's round trip. I still had battery power to go further but I lost signal. I have the parabolic range booster now but haven't given it a proper range test yet.
Google things like Fresnel Zone and understand what clear LOS , noise floor etc means. This was a perfect example of clear line of sight .Not knowing the noise floor...we can assume 4800' is probably close to maximum in optimal conditions for this drone.
the distance is btween drone and controller, the distance you measured is the direct road distance, theres height, if your drone is at 1 miles high, you wont even fly out 0.1 mile far
Good point! I didnt take that into account! I wouldnt know how to measure the true distance. The drone was at 70ft or so in height when it reached 4800ft in distance.
Thanks for the brave distance test. The Spark is capable of precision landing, but you must take off vertically to at least 7m for it to 'see' the terrain below. If it is like the Mavic there is a precison landing checkbox when you do the auto-takeoff. It should have landed a lot closer than 12 feet. My mavic landed within a couple inches on a RTH/auto-landing.
My spark lands within inches of the take off point. But I always reset the home point before I take off. I don't fly up to 7m or anything. I just fly off.
I’m sure you’ve figured out how to make it land just inches away from where you took off. Hover above a landing pad about 12 feet high until it tells you that precision landing is activated
With these drones, or anything with 2 way transmission, height is might!! If your goong to fly far, you don't want buildings, trees or anything in your line of sight. If there are things in between your line of sight, you won't get the maximum distance..I have a mavic pro, and I've reached almost 5 miles, but I was on an 880 foot tower and had nothing in my line of sight and I just used those signal maximiser that fit over the stock antennas. I know the spark does not use the same transmission method that the Mavic uses, but you almost made a mile!
ive been debating about buying one and this video might of sold me with the controller of course. I am a beginner and one thousand for the mavic is crazy well for me as a beginner and the spark is soo much more portable then a phantom 3
Marco Sanchez I was pondering the same and decided to get the Mavic Pro. The Spark package with controller was 699 and the Mavic was 999 with controller. With 4K, extra flight time, and distance as well as a narrower profile when collapsed it was the better choice for me.
the mavic would be a better choice is its only 300 more I guess its just a matter of will I be patient to save the extra cash I have some thinking to do
Marco Sanchez I am in the same boat as i want one to add to my Phantoms. Keep in mind the Mavic fly more kit is $1299 so if you want the second battery kit it is almost double that of the Spark. Although the Spark needs the second battery to get close to the flight time of the Mavic. If i wasn't so cheap i would just buy both!!!!
Oregon Drones ha yeah definitely the price range is a bit scary but for me i guess is more along the lines of do i need the amazing quality or just good quality i do youtube so this is basiclly if i want to invest into my channel more or just kind of have somthing to get some quick cool footage.
I have seen it fly 2 miles out. You had it return due to low battery. Btw signal lost at close range is between controller and phone. Common flaw with dji. Get cable to connect controller to phone.
The reason it returned to home is that the battery was getting low. This is a safety feature so you won't lose it. I'm glad I decided to get the mavic instead, the battery life of this thing is frustrating you can't even get it to its Max distance!
mlubli DJI Go makes it very clear when battery is low. It announces same, and displays that information on the smartphone. The warning does not go away you will notice it. Even if you're completely blind. Unless you have more information than was shared, this sounds like just another Spark bashing without justification. Aren't there enough of those already?
Dennis Lovelady He is not bashing the drone. That is how the app software is setup. You have a safe return to home feature that you can turn off, but by default the app determines how much battery is needed to return home and will turn the drone around at that point. So yes it returned to home because of the battery, not had a signal loss. He even referenced it in the video, returning in "Safe Mode".
Oregon Drones Should you loose transmitter control or you physically shut the controller off, the craft will enter "Fail Safe” mode. But in any case, it is dangerous and foolish to fly without having first reading the manual, with a firm understanding. I will have that manual in two weeks and will try to remember to update here. But the point is, you cannot know (nor can I) why RTH initiated with the given data.
Sport mode will not get the range that standard mode will. Thus the return flight at 22 MPH. I would assume DJI knows that's optimal for range per amp hour.
So I took my drone 2 miles out I lost connection , it started speaking in that "I AM VICKI voice" about returning to home, that thing came back almost as high as the clouds I almost shyt myself !!! but it landed fine and everything 😱
Lesson Number One: When anticipating the need for Return To Home recovery, always take off from an area completely unpolluted by fences, light poles, overhead branches, wires, etc.
You don't need to worry about that. You set the altitude that it returns to home. So if you set the RTH altitude to higher than anything around you, it will fly up to that altitude, then RTH then land
4800 feet is more then enough for me thank you for sharing!!! God bless
You are the first one to do a distance test I being waiting for that. Thanks
You got it Gene! Im glad you enjoed! Any other topics you want covered?
Gene Brown same
I'm looking for a noise comparison or some way to quantify how loud this drone is
Did you set the max distance on the app as that could be restricting the full range!?
can you do a wind test resistance please ?
HE is bloody good editing HE deserves more subscribers i am impressed HE is editing like a Pro
dude, i don't know why anyone would dislike this video, but it is one of the most daring distance test video I've seen. I wouldn't have gone through those first powerlines the way you did but I'm glad i got to see someone do it. awesome video sir, please keep it up.
You need to be elevated, The earth is round, hills etc. etc. The horizon is at a distance of 2.9 miles. So if you are low under 100 feet etc. you just ran over the limited Horizon. Try again at over 200' and see if you gain more on that distance.
Seems correct
IMRROcom Earth is flat, period.
Just kidding, sorry for the trolling.
comment not wrong...but sometime we need to see term and condition...when we playing drone, are we always from hi-rise building or on the top of tower?? I dont think so....so this test almost actual condition in average...but the most important also we need check signal interference from other device...such as radio comunication, etc
No, not you fly the drone at 100' or 200'. Most people hold the remotes at waist level. Horizon is normally calculated from the height of the persons eyes. some were between 5'9" to 6'0" just holding the remote at your waist you cut your horizon distance to about 1.5 miles.
Great tip. I did not think of that!
Just bought my spark drone yesterday looking forward to Flying it.
Hello, I'm quite curious. I just purchased a SPARK last week. So how do you like it ? have you had good luck with it so far?
@@scottbtraveling1444 it's good
I can't wait for mine. Love how discreet it is due to its size. Its basically a stealth drone once its high up in the sky.
The mighty little spark is a badass! I fly mine WAY more than my phantom 4 pro. In a rural area without much interference, I've flown it out just over a mile at a height of 390ft, returned and still had nearly 50 percent battery! Optimum conditions of course.
I didn't go through all 596 comments, so don't know if this was already said, but...The Spark dropped to 22mph when returning so that object avoidance system can work properly. If it was going at max sport speed and it was auto flying back, it could possibly hit something on the way back. At 22mph, it can safely avoid objects.
I just posted my Spark distance test (just the drone footage, not as nice as your video), and mine went out 4422 feet before I got a Lost Signal message. I'll have to say, I was literally shaking I was so nervous (and I'm not a nervous person at all). Losing the Spark and being out $500 is secondary, I just didn't want to have a rogue drone land on anyone). I'm amazed at how calm and cool you are in this video when you lost signal.
I just watched your video! The camera still amazes me! beautiful! Haha I was nervous but the feed was was only out for 2 or 3 seconds so I didnt have time to freak out. And when it came back on it was already returning to home so crisis averted! Thanks for the watch!
I just got a spark and have been watching youtubes all day trying to get comfortable with everything before I take it up. I believe it hovered at the end because it has a built in safety feature to keep it from landing in the water, etc., when it returns automatically.
I know this is 2 years ago, but did you ever get comfortable with your SPARK?
@@gunnerzane5230 Yes, my confidence level is good, although I typically only fly manually and haven't learned any of the automatic route programs. I still like my spark!
@@Northerngulf Thanks for replying. Yeah I'm still learning, I just like flying...
Remember. When I gets close to you, you can always cancel return to home and take over again and make it land where you want.
thank you, i was looking for such a comment, i was worried i would buy one of this and get it smoked in the first day lol.
For my mavic pro 10km distance it really depends which area your are you on and the weather condition also
Just a rough estimate but if you began your flight at 1:37 in the video, and stopped forward progression at 3:30 (both approximated), a 2 minute flight of that distance 4800 ft., would equal "roughly" 27.2 mph also consider you did climb on the way which may have slowed the speed over ground. In straight flight, with no winds, I could see this unit doing 30mph. Thanks much for your videos, they are helping me decide on my purchase. :)
DougsterCanada1 smart guy
have you bought yet? you can get lucky and see if you could win one here www.goo.gl/Ttp5UV
tell it at your next party
Thank you very much for making this video. Done nice, straight forward, and you gave me the information I needed. I like that you don't act crazy disappointed that it didn't go the full 1.2 miles. 4800 feet is really amazing for such a small drone. The fact that it came back within a few feet of the takeoff point is also extremely impressive too. Thank you again from Philadelphia PA. When I do my video from NJ to Philly next to the Ben Franklin Bridge, please know your video directly encouraged me to give it a shot. I love people who post to RUclips for the education and encouragement of others. Have a great day!!!
I didn’t view all comments, so perhaps some one already mentioned this: the documentation for the Spark states the maximum distance of approx. 1.2 miles is achieved at an altitude of 150m (approx. 500 feet). If you only flew at around 70 feet, it’s no surprise you didn’t quite make it (still impressive though). Consider repeating the test at a higher altitude and see what happens. Great video BTW!
Right. Yes. I now know I should have taken it higher. Next time! lol. Thanks Sean!
Good thanks, soon I'm buying one and thanks for telling us how far it can go. Also you forgotten to open your propellers
Thank you for these videos. I'm glad to see some real world videos from an end user rather than the ones from so-called drone experts all the time. I have my Spark on order from Amazon and can't wait to get it and have some fun.
I've managed to take my spark out 8,250 ft on yesterday with no range extender or a otg cable . So i went well over the 1.2 advertised mile. i also did it outside the city limits with limited electronic interference. And that very close to the distance record on my Phantom 3 advanced with range extender .
SOLD!!!! This is what I was waiting for!!! Thanks, one video I saw made it seem you couldn't go far. It will work for me since I'm just doing this as a hobby.
It's battery life is what triggers the smart return to home. You can cancel it and keep flying if you're able to walk up or drive up and retrieve the drone from wherever it lands
Hi, check it out what is "Fresnel zone" it will help you understand why you did not reach the suggested distance. Also your home point (take off point) is as importance as the flying path you took especially executed a maximum distance test. I hope by now you know how to reset "failsafe RTH" function, you are very lucky did not hit the power line or that chain-link fence.
Wow Very long range that's pretty good for small drone👍👌🤙
wow! emergency return home is what i needed! getting this baby soon!
Thanks it can go further than than that with a paragrabolic disc that area is flat with no obstruction so if you cancel RTH it should go further
Go on top of the complex and try it again at around 120 feet high and watch. You can always cancel return to home bro that way you have control over it and also when launching from auto launch let it hover for a few seconds then climb to around 30ft and let it hover for 5 seconds so it can read it's take of point, then you take off, otherwise it would not auto land where it take of from. Good stuff bro. Thanks
You can cancel the return home and push it further away and cancel it once you can see it to make sure it doesn't crash
for a small hobby drone I would say the range is very good, especially considering your location and potential interference. good video, handy.
Love the video. Just got one and still waiting for my prop guards, extra battery and controller to arrive. I am impressed at the "real world" distance test and its Auto mode to return home after signal loss.
You need more elevation and you can cancel a return to home once you have signal again from your device.
Thanks for the video! I've already got two scratch built quads but with these impressive changes in tech, I want something that doesn't feel like a grocery cart with props and wires stuck all over it. The Spark seems like a good bet so far.
Damn with the Miles. :'(
#smh #Kilometers
I'm not sure if your spark has the same feature as the Mavic, but when using the DJI GO4 app and you slide that hmm slider over for take off there is a box that appears above it that ask if you want a precision landing and you have to have that on within the app as well in your settings. if you check that box then slide that slider and fly a distance away and click return to home or if its activated, it will return to almost the exact spot it took off from within inches. I am impressed every time my Mavic does it
You need to fly it backwards. The antenna is in the front. And you need to go up and out. For every 1500ft out you need to go 100ft up.
The range is GREATLY effected by trees and may also be by elevation. I will be testing this in January where I can fly straight out for miles. In heavy tree cover at 300-400 ft of elevation change I can get about 1,200 ft before I lose signal in a wifi heavy area. Wifi extenders only gained me another 200 ft or so in that scenario. In a free and clear area I suspect I will see the similar results of others going about 2 miles.
That's what's up haven't done that with mine but I sure will try it. You should do a video on all the different features it has so I don't have to find out the hard way.
hahaha. I just might!
Great video. My spark only flies 200m. After this distance, I lose the video signal. The signal has a lot of delay.
5:50 OMG I thought that was the drone lol
Ryan Harrison hahahaha me too!!!
Thank you for sharing!
To improve the automatic landing, you need to enable "precision landing " and take off vertical until 30ft. This allows the drone to record the takeoff area and land within 1 feet of it.
Also, usually best range is achieved flying in "position" mode at full speed. Not sport.
The portability of this drone is tempting but as a wedding photographer you should test the P4pro 1 inch sensor camera! It's amazing.
Best wishes.
Safe flights
Good to know! However im incredibly impressed at how close it was to the original landing spot! If I take it to the beach or a cliff I will have to remember that tip! Thanks for watching!
Standing near the metal fence would not do the RF any favours, also the power lines... The local mobile network to would not help. I think you might be able to go further than spec if these were not around and holding your controller a wee bit higher.
"In an open area... Oh crap there's the big ass light pole right here... And this fence that I hope it doesn't hit..." LOL.
Not bad. Waiting for my combo to ship so I can take it on a road trip next month in CA, OR and WA then back to Idaho.
Just got my spark today. Cancelled my order and ordered a mavic a month ago and a spark showed up today with no charge to my card. It's like I hit the lottery. Thanks DJI
Now thats a win!!
That is a "steal".
OR an accidental gift :')
For all those of you who are wondering: The drone turned around because the battery ran low. It calculates the distance from where it departed and the time it needs to return safely and doesn't crash. And the battery ran low that quickly as he used the sport mode for the entirety of the flight.
Sorry Unleashed thats just not true. I had close to 40% battery when the drone returned to me.
Alright, then I stand corrected.
Youre a reasonable human! :)
Can not that still be a battery RTH? I have the Battery alarm set for 30% but that alarm only looks at how much battery you have left. There is another feature that also looks are distance and how long it will take to get back home, that could be 50% or maybe even higher since you do not want to get back home with 0% battery left.
2 miles max you can cancel return to home but don't let it get below 25 percentage battery
A photographer who bought the drone for his own fun and my be add a small bit of drone footage to a wedding package as free, great idea, don't sell something if your not confident with it. Like the video so much I've hit the subscribe button
I would never sell my drone services. I am no expert!
This little drone is perfect for wedding photography.
I think so too!
I went 1600 ft high and 5100 ft the other day with no transmission loss. That was my max for now. Was a little nervous but will push it further later
Larry Thompson 1640 will be the altitude limit if you’re flying DJI, 👍.
ok, thanks but two things to remember. 1 Power lines cause interference. 2 Find a clear area to take off as gps and glasnost have a degree of error built-in deliberately so will never land exactly on the same spot. Remember, the FAA is watching too.
Awesome!!! Spark is an incredible Drone. This video is what I was looking for.
TY for the range test! I just bought one an hour ago as my 1st drone ever “Welcome to the dark side right?” LoL looks like I will have to skip the remote purchase since this will be used up close using my iphone. I will probably have to go with the mavic pro or the P4 Pro when I outgrew this one for our extreme long range target shooting of 1 mile plus!!! It will be our new spotter out in the desert!!! TY!!!
Thanks for this video. IT showed me a lot about the Spark, including the video quality. One note on the distance; I don't know if anyone else mentioned it but the power lines that you went under on the way out most likely caused some interference that resulted in some loss of distance. All in all, the Spark seems like an excellent Drone, especially for traveling.I also saw in another video where a professional photographer that normally used a Mavic went to the Spark and just up-scales the video to 4K in editing. It looked extremely good, but then again, yours with the 1080p also looked great to me. Thanks again.
My one drone the phantom standard goes 1500 feet it's good but 4K feet is great for its size. Great back pack drone.
you can always cancel the auto return and land where you want. Read the manual.
I have been flying the Spark for a year almost and the one thing I have learnt is that you Do not trust the sparky for distance as it varies drastically based on where you are flying it, the wifi connection is its biggest problem it is otherwise a very solid bird and does what you ask of it rather well and gets some decent shots.
But if you lose the connection, it's not a big deal right?
Losing the video feed can be a problem especially if you do not know where the bird is headed and lose orientation. Loosing the radio signal will make it return to home and its always a bit scary as for those few moments you have no control over the drone, i best try to avoid getting it in that situation.
Thanks bro this was so helpful...i recently purchased the spark open box... and i love it so far
The true test would be around obstacles. With trees in front of you or standing in front of building, fly drone over building and see when signal fails. But still a great test. I still will buy me one that's for sure.
My top distance so far is 15,938 feet...so just over 3 miles. That's round trip. I still had battery power to go further but I lost signal. I have the parabolic range booster now but haven't given it a proper range test yet.
Google things like Fresnel Zone and understand what clear LOS , noise floor etc means. This was a perfect example of clear line of sight .Not knowing the noise floor...we can assume 4800' is probably close to maximum in optimal conditions for this drone.
the distance is btween drone and controller, the distance you measured is the direct road distance, theres height, if your drone is at 1 miles high, you wont even fly out 0.1 mile far
Good point! I didnt take that into account! I wouldnt know how to measure the true distance. The drone was at 70ft or so in height when it reached 4800ft in distance.
Great video - I've no doubt using the parabolic antenna boosters from DJI will allow you to get a greater distance. Give it a try.
According to the manual the distance of 1.2miles is based on an altitude of 120 metres
Way better than my phantom 3 standard
huh, my standard goes out over 4 miles.....?? Just boost it
Brandon Z what do you use to boost it? I made one but it didn't work
deathraydave gaming Small WiFi signal boosters I bought off amazon and a 12 volt power supply
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Thanks for the brave distance test. The Spark is capable of precision landing, but you must take off vertically to at least 7m for it to 'see' the terrain below. If it is like the Mavic there is a precison landing checkbox when you do the auto-takeoff. It should have landed a lot closer than 12 feet. My mavic landed within a couple inches on a RTH/auto-landing.
My spark lands within inches of the take off point. But I always reset the home point before I take off. I don't fly up to 7m or anything. I just fly off.
I’m sure you’ve figured out how to make it land just inches away from where you took off. Hover above a landing pad about 12 feet high until it tells you that precision landing is activated
This is something i'm not willing to try with my Mavic Air, but its fun watching someone else risk it hahaha
1.2 miles in "perfect conditions". That distance is great!
Dustin dunnill flew about 2 miles stock, like 400ft up though
Under FAA rules you must keep the drone in visual sight and below 400 feet!
It was me, I would stay away from power lines, metal fences and poles. Very good quad!
With these drones, or anything with 2 way transmission, height is might!! If your goong to fly far, you don't want buildings, trees or anything in your line of sight. If there are things in between your line of sight, you won't get the maximum distance..I have a mavic pro, and I've reached almost 5 miles, but I was on an 880 foot tower and had nothing in my line of sight and I just used those signal maximiser that fit over the stock antennas. I know the spark does not use the same transmission method that the Mavic uses, but you almost made a mile!
to rth and land correctly you should raise it up to 10 meters immiedeadttly after launch so it can take the pictures of whats under it :)
After reaching 120m height my drone says tht it reached max height ??Dont know what to do !
You can change the max altitude in the settings.
Check out Dustin Dunhills video. He gets it out over a mile with the remote and then adds signal boosters and gets it out over 2 miles!
ive been debating about buying one and this video might of sold me with the controller of course. I am a beginner and one thousand for the mavic is crazy well for me as a beginner and the spark is soo much more portable then a phantom 3
Marco Sanchez I was pondering the same and decided to get the Mavic Pro. The Spark package with controller was 699 and the Mavic was 999 with controller. With 4K, extra flight time, and distance as well as a narrower profile when collapsed it was the better choice for me.
the mavic would be a better choice is its only 300 more I guess its just a matter of will I be patient to save the extra cash I have some thinking to do
Marco Sanchez I am in the same boat as i want one to add to my Phantoms. Keep in mind the Mavic fly more kit is $1299 so if you want the second battery kit it is almost double that of the Spark. Although the Spark needs the second battery to get close to the flight time of the Mavic. If i wasn't so cheap i would just buy both!!!!
Oregon Drones ha yeah definitely the price range is a bit scary but for me i guess is more along the lines of do i need the amazing quality or just good quality i do youtube so this is basiclly if i want to invest into my channel more or just kind of have somthing to get some quick cool footage.
If you push up on the Right stick when it's in return to home and it will do 30 mph
your the only one who made a decent video testing this over prices piece of 5hit, thanks!
A mile is 5280 feet... not 5200... and if you want a non-cinematic drone that flies 80mph, get an fpv. The Spark is not meant for this.
It's all about that line of site baby.
I have seen it fly 2 miles out. You had it return due to low battery. Btw signal lost at close range is between controller and phone. Common flaw with dji. Get cable to connect controller to phone.
the power lines shortened your distance. I've seen the spark go almost 2 miles
It's more than good enough for a quad of this caliber.
The power lines bro, the POWER LINES! HS! Never mind...all good.
Thanks for the help! I have been wondering this for a while!
wow amazing drone
Hello my friend. Very interesting. Drone SUPER !!!! I support your channel. Natalya
You could have gone further you where to close to the ground. Try doing test at 150 to 200 feet.
Great video... I have just got a spark and have posted my first video so this was very helpful thank you
i have to frequently open the google to convert the miles and feet to kilometers
The reason it returned to home is that the battery was getting low. This is a safety feature so you won't lose it. I'm glad I decided to get the mavic instead, the battery life of this thing is frustrating you can't even get it to its Max distance!
mlubli DJI Go makes it very clear when battery is low. It announces same, and displays that information on the smartphone. The warning does not go away you will notice it. Even if you're completely blind. Unless you have more information than was shared, this sounds like just another Spark bashing without justification. Aren't there enough of those already?
Dennis Lovelady He is not bashing the drone. That is how the app software is setup. You have a safe return to home feature that you can turn off, but by default the app determines how much battery is needed to return home and will turn the drone around at that point. So yes it returned to home because of the battery, not had a signal loss. He even referenced it in the video, returning in "Safe Mode".
Oregon Drones Should you loose transmitter control or you physically shut the controller off, the craft will enter "Fail Safe” mode. But in any case, it is dangerous and foolish to fly without having first reading the manual, with a firm understanding. I will have that manual in two weeks and will try to remember to update here. But the point is, you cannot know (nor can I) why RTH initiated with the given data.
I dont believe this to be the case as when it got home it had about 60% battery life left.
Mike Oxlong 7 mins going out, it needs 7 mins to come back, right? so it uses 14 mins which is close to 16 mins maximum run time
Sport mode will not get the range that standard mode will. Thus the return flight at 22 MPH. I would assume DJI knows that's optimal for range per amp hour.
Still love my spark
Think it was the battery level that sent it back home not the rx/tx distance
my remote comes in Friday. stoked. Thanks for the video man
you need to up your altitude ... altitude is primordial in range test
So I took my drone 2 miles out I lost connection , it started speaking in that "I AM VICKI voice" about returning to home, that thing came back almost as high as the clouds I almost shyt myself !!! but it landed fine and everything 😱
Range is directly related to altitude. If you had gone higher you could have gone further.
You should invest in our cable that connects to your phone to the controller I believe it’s the OGT cable or something
Wow that’s crazy. I’m gonna buy one
Lesson Number One: When anticipating the need for Return To Home recovery, always take off from an area completely unpolluted by fences, light poles, overhead branches, wires, etc.
You don't need to worry about that. You set the altitude that it returns to home. So if you set the RTH altitude to higher than anything around you, it will fly up to that altitude, then RTH then land