Brad here that put this on Shawn's radar. Thought I'd add a few comments as I didn't expect the traction this got. First, it is clear there is no hardware design flaw with the Mavic 3 Pro that is causing range issues such as bad antenna placement in the controller or in the drone itself as range can easily be modified with a simple manipulation of the boot sequence of the drone. If this was a hardware issue or a faulty drone, changing between these two modes would not have such a dramatic impact on range or signal quality. This also highlights that DJI is deliberately throttling the range of this drone in CE zones. I had single drops at 300M-500M and after this "trick" I can easily get 2,000M+ before I get the same signal drop. Why is this? Likely regulatory or faulty programming by DJI in signal strength for CE mode; CE drone owners will need to hope for the later. Every drone (CE or FCC) has the same hardware and it's the software that's telling the hardware what to do and very apparent in this instance. It's worth reiterating that the same drone hardware is being sent world wide and it's through GPS acquisition that the drone goes into either CE or FCC mode. For those that don’t know, Europe is CE and where the majority of the range complaints are coming from which this video will not fix. While this is a pain for FCC users to do this "trick", if I was a CE drone owner, I'd be pretty upset. Advertised range for CE is far beyond 500M so why are they crippling the drone so badly? It would be in DJI's best interest to get in front of this as it's been purely speculation that CE and FCC drones had a range difference (and by how much). Fortunately this bug has shown that the same drone, in the same location and in the same circumstances has massive range differences which would have been next to impossible to expose had this bug not been found. While I have no doubt that they will fix this "FCC issue", we really need to ask DJI why CE drones are behaving so poorly range wise and move away from the faulty hardware discussion as it's now been proven this is a software issue or deliberately programmed this way by DJI. Thanks all and glad Shawn was able to help so eloquently show the solution and impact to such a large audience. Cheers
But in Europe on CE there are still plenty of videos of people getting 2,3,4km range. Its highly dependent on the environment I think. It shouldnt be a problem though for DJI to get the firmware right to be able to detect if its a CE or FCC region and set it right.
Its the law. CE mandates -6dB signal at 2.4GHz (25% power), and even -12dB at 5.8GHz (6% power), compared to FCC. Maybe, DJI didn't follow the law strictly enough in the past and now they must? A drop to 25% power halves the range, theoretically. Of course, the law is ridiculous. The EU and UK should allow full FCC signals outside of closed towns and it would be easy for the firmware to implement such a rule. Also, would facilitate WiFi installations on farms ... Unfortunately, not going to happen for VLOS drones ...
@@ScowlerJase Absolutely correct ScowlerJase. There are plenty of CE drone owners who's drones don't exhibit range issues, and that's not to challenge Brads fix as I personally think and feel Brad's on the button, or close to it (thank you very much Brad - as it's pretty obvious DJI already know this so why put us through this unnecessary pain?). As many now know, I have entered into over 200 messages, mail dialogues, videos, phones calls with DJI, so I fully expect them to be reading this. Sadly and if the DJI insider who contacted us is genuine and correct, there is indeed a hardware issue, or at least a QC issue with a batch or two of the mini 3 drones. It's also plausible to expect that not every drone has the same hardware/software worldwide, for example, Apple have 3 grades of phones/computers/ipads, etc, 1 for Asia, 1 for Europe, and 1 for USA, etc., and as a manufacturer ourselves - these three grades are very common in China - We suspect DJI follow the same three rules (which as mentioned, are very common in China). For example: when we purchased an FCC model, then used it in Europe, it would not fly correctly. It would fly, but not correctly. Furthermore, when DJI was contacted about this, they pointed us to their T&C's which clearly state, "limited warranty", meaning you cannot use an FCC drone in a CE zone and vice versa. Well, technically you can, though the warranty is invalid and it doesn't fly properly anyway. Aside from the throttling/range issues that Brad has picked up, there are other issues with the mini 3 - too many to outline here, yet overall I cannot help but conclude, DJI have released a drone to satisfy their stakeholders "not their customers" and that for me is a game changer. Until DJI fix all the mini 3 issues, and that's proven over a six month period, I have returned mine and will do without - please read their T&C's - returns/exchanges mean they can send you out a secondhand or refurbished, it doesn't mean you will get a new one. I think DJI done us all over on this one so best of luck to us all.
@@PRO-3-X I can fly mine (CE) only up to 1.1km, open area, no buildings or whatsoever. I see at around 700 meters bars dropping, and then push it to 1.1km, it is with the warnings etc.. Did the test yesterday together with my friend, and.. he got to 1.2km. Then I choose 2.4Ghz and he 5Ghz band, I got to 1.1km, he 600m. This is stupid to quote 12km under ideal conditions, I understand, but 1/12th of that is ridicules. It should easily fly 6km before having issues.
@@d-procdronies2531 in EU the ”max distance’ it said to be max 8km, but just like you, I can’t get more than 1.2-1.5km with no obstacle between me and the drone, and often much less than that.
Just wanted to say thank you. My unit definatly has some of this issue. I wasn't experiencing that bad range, 1 km with obstacles but decided to try what you showed. My work around is to power it inside. I've done 2 flights one with CE and one with FCC ( using what you showed on the graph ) and the difference was 900m for lost signal vs 1600m on the exact same path which had trees along the way etc. I sent both flights log to DJI and tried to explain my workaround and what you said and that it made absolutely no sense they don't acknowledge its a software issue. Crazy but at least I can get it to work love the drone.
Thank you Shawn. I was impatiently waiting June 29 for receiving my new Mini 3 drone. Instead, I will definitely cancel my order first thing in the morning. I will wait for your next report after you have received your replacement drone. Keep up the good work Shawn. Please, keep us posted !
@@chconger Follow up: I have canceled my order. Will wait on Shawn's next review. Thank you again Shawn for this precious information and very well made informative video.
@@mini2gora337 Sounds like the way to go. My view is; life is good while I wait for this to be sorted out. No rush, no panic, as long as the money is in my account as we see how it plays out.
It really stinks that people have to search for work arounds for DJI’s lack of quality control with their newer drones. First the Mavic 3 and now this. I’ve said it before but the Air2S was the last great drone they put out without having to wait for firmware updates for months and months to “fix” widespread issues. Long live the Air2S! 🤙
Fw update ...0.201 changed everything! Much better range and signal stability. I never thought, it could be solved by a fw update, but DJI did. I am so happy
Thanks to you & Brad for identifying & finding a workaround for the connection issue, until Dji puts out a permanent fix via firmware. Still waiting for a shipping notification on my order.
Thanks for the tip on checking the range, FCC vs. CE. Put my Mini3 up and no issues with the flipping to CE. Good review on the other features. I am amazed at the quality of photos and video with the Mini 3. I have the RC controller and would not trade it for anything else. For the weight and size of this package I do not think there is a product that comes close to delivering the same level of quality.
As usual well done Shawn in pulling the community together to resolve this issue, I must say I have the CE model and live in the UK & very lucky if I get 200m each time I fly, it’s good that everybody having problems with FCC signals seems to be rejoicing with this partial fix, sorry to say we need DJI to stop looking and listening to what everyone is saying and get this issue resolved, these drones are not cheap and very disappointing coming from A top company like DJI, it’s a slap in the face.
Do you still have this issue with the range? I am from the UK and I had my first Mini 3 Pro drone that was flying smoothly at 4km and it could easily fly further just I was uncomfortable flying it any further. But the first drone had master shots issues and it was super dangerous to use it around people. So I got a replacement drone. And now the new drone is safe but the range is around 1.2km and I feel disappointed flying in the countryside.
I updated the firmware on my mini 3 pro last night and was ready to box it up and return it after trying to fly it. Where I am used to flying it a couple of kilometers from my house, I couldn't get more than a few hundred meters. Tried your work around this morning and it behaved exactly as in the video. I was locked in CE mode every time until I covered the drone. Flight distance restored. Foe all you fliers in Europe stuck with CE mode, my condolences. That really takes the fun and functionality out of a very pricey investment.
Thanks again🙂. I am in Canada and have one of these CE mode drones really appreciate the explanation and work around. I also firmly believe DJI new of the problem and did not tell their front line people. When i first conteacted them Some thing was different I have 3 DJI drones and service has alway been great this time i was not feeling the love. When I contacted support they put me the the hoops try this reboot that reset controller to factory setting. Then they closed my ticket. Of course when I call back a week later they started the same run around so I dropped the call. And because of that delay I now can't return my obviously defective drone that does not seem right. I love this drone and my only real concern is that it won't return home when it loses the connection .
If you establish a home point it has zero to do with what transmission power is applied and it will always come back to it, all things being equal. As for DJI support, the front end RARELY has any engineering info. Mavic 3, and now Mini 3 Pro, the solution most offered is "Send it in for repair" which they wanted me to do with a 48 hours after receiving it. Fortunately downgrading to V01.00.0100, then back to V01.00.0150 with DJI Assistant for Consumer Drones (not the old Assistant for Mavic) fixed my sudden disconnect issues from full (5 Bars) signal entirely. I would still exchange it, but could end up back at square one, and it's working as designed right now. FYI when DJI emails that "its been 2 days since we heard from you on this ticket, that's your cue to reply. Else they close it within another day or 2.
This is a great discovery. Cheers to Brad and Shaun for highlighting. But still the big queston; Is DJI now shipping good product? I am holding off. It's a lot of money - better sitting on my side of the table while we find out.
Yes hopefully it’s something they can get addressed soon. If the new unit they’re sending me has the same issue I’ll just be claiming a refund next until the problem is fixed
Sean, I tried your work around today and it indeed helped. I have been struggling to fly out 350 metres across open water to circle around a sailboat. I can barely get there without loosing signal. This morning I laid the controller onto the drone as suggested and was able to fly to the sailboat. Still some drop offs, but no lost signal. I'll use this work around until such time as DJI can hopefully come up with a firmware fix.
Finally received my Mini 3 Pro on July 2 (even though it had been ordered within 10 minutes of the release). I am really enjoying all initial testing I have been able to do. Shawn, as a result of your informative video, I found that my unit also slips into CE mode. I am in Ontario, so FCC mode is definitely expected.
Great video!! I have not, until recently, been aware that UK dji drones are lower on power in the UK as opposed to the US. Certainly DJI don’t make this clear in their marketing. Have to say I feel cheated. I own the Mavic Pro, Mini 2 and now Mini 3 Pro and haven’t experienced any issues with either of the older machines. In fairness to prospective CE users DJI need to be honest and not misrepresent range and signal reliability. This sucks. 😩
I am so lucky that my copy is perfect. I flew the little guy in the worst possible location recently - a high tourist area full of hotels and potential inference and no drop out or even a drop in one bar at 500m. Today I flew 2km and again no signal lost and not even a drop in one bar.
Quick fix for range mini 3. Drone is coming out of fcc and switching into ce mode. Take drone outside. Turn rc and drone on. Then turn drone off leaving rc on. Now turn drone back on placing rc on top of rc, blocking the gps and making drone come back online slowly. This makes it stay in fcc mode increasing the range problem until dji comes out with a fix. It’s the drone not the controller. Seen this work. Good luck
This really is something that DJI should fix/explain urgently. This single issue is generating the most negative noise around an otherwise brilliant product. As an aside, if you are in CE territory, can you force the drone over to the FCC settings (albeit illegally)?
Very good question I’m hoping somebody lets me know if they are in a CE region if this will force it into FCC. I will be very curious about that. And you are 100% right the drone itself is absolutely brilliant, especially for those who do get good signal strength. If you read comments on some of my other videos there are many people that have ended up returning it. you think they would want to get this fixed ASAP
Thanks for the video. I've been following videos of the Mini 3 Pro as I wanted to upgrade to this drone. As of now I will not be getting this drone until DJI get their s---- together. To me this is an easy fix with a firmware update......so do it DJI. No way I'm going to spend that kind of money on a drone that has distance/connection issues. To me, no one needs to fly 10km away but if DJI advertise huge distances then they need to fix it. Why should a buyer have to go through all these procedures. I do appreciate your videos.
So basically what you’re saying is that the “defective” drones in US/Canada is suffering from something we in Europe is facing every time we fly our drones?
@@AirPhotography Two possibilities: Faulty units are more easily spotted in CE mode, or the switching from FCC to CE power does too big a reduction in some units.
Awesome thank you very much. It’s nice to actually know what the problem is and what’s going on. It was very frustrating house some units worked perfectly and others were struggling
@@AirPhotography Yes - that's been the most difficult part of this particular issue; some folks respond " Works fine for me" and others go on about "VLOS". Hopefully what ever was wrong with these select units is flushed out of the supply chain by now and you get a good one. If the replacement works for you, then my Visa card comes out. Cheers!
I just got my DJI mini pro 3. And tested the rang for the first time today. With pretty much direct line of sight I could only go around 600 meters away. I was pretty confused because I heard these drones can go a few kilometres away but mine only managed just over half a kilometre. I’ll give this a go so thank you for the video.
Thanks Shawn for disseminating this info. To try downgrading test to see if it helps, connect your Mini 3, then separately the controller to a computer via USB and run "DJI Assistant for Consumer Drones" -previously called Assistant for Mavic", download from DJI. When connected you will see current version v01.00.0150 with a "Refresh" button as well as v01.00.0100, with a "Downgrade" button to the right. I reverted to V01.00.0100 then upgraded again to .0150 before I knew any of this. and my sudden disconnection issues cleared, but I am going to see if I experience the drop TO CE transmission power when it's not 4:00 in the morning, lol.
Just the video I was searching for to confirm if I had an issue with FCC vs CE mode. I received this unit as a gift recently. I live in the US and the unit was designated as CE. Interestingly, there was a firmware update that I installed on July 2nd before going out and testing the transmission power that I just learned about. My unit does default to FCC power transmission. Hopefully the firmware fixed the issue for those with poor signal so that these workarounds can be avoided. Thanks.
I got a CE version from an American firm two weeks ago and confirmed that it was in CE mode. It was probably sourced in Europe. Yesterday I booted the drone into DJI Assistant and did a refresh of the firmware. Today I flew in the FCC mode with no issues.
I just tested this out with mine in Canada and it did exactly what you described (bumped into CE mode) and the fix also worked. This better get fixed soon!
Thanks for explaining how to tell the difference between FCC/CE mode. New RC update seemed to correct the issue, did a flight with noticeable range increase and signal strength vs. what was happening just prior to the update (RC Firmware 01.01.0100)
Wow. DJI Konami Code. This explains the poor range. I just don’t know why some are affected while others are not. I cancelled my order because of reported range issues. I might place another order once the issue is fixed.
thank you this is very useful i have tried it and i am very surprised with the results i live in an intervention city yes the previous high was at 200-500 meters my signal was weak but after i tried this i flew up to 1 km and my signal is still connected even though it has started reduced but I'm so happy to have gotten that far
Thank you for this. DJI claiming this has a range in the KMs is an obvious lie, even in FCC mode, but at least this tip will make it usable now. Mine loses signal after barely 100 meters. I'll be trying this next time out.
Great video Shawn. Very thoughtful of you giving the credit to Brad for a solution to the range problem. Will be interesting to see how your replacement drone performs. Cheers from a land down under 👍🦘🇦🇺
Thank you for the advice, I was really disappointed when my video dropped out at 700m after just upgrading from my mini 2 I’ll have to try this tomorrow.
Thanks for post it. I hope it helps lot of people that is claiming for a solution. I will test this in Brazil (FCC too). I didn't try to fly more than 200 meters till now (flying at night). So, I don't know if mine has this issue of range and quality of transmission. Anyway, thank you for sharing.
I flew 10km several times in Brazil. Now disconnection issues. However, most people are saying that it would be a problem with the core that when we update it heats up and burns out. This happens because the thermal paste dries out.
Holy crap!!! Why should a consumer have to jump through so many hoops to use their new toy? DJI should not push their products until ready for market. We should not be their test bed.
I'm in Canada too. Sure enough my Mini 3 switches to CE mode! I can't have it stay in FCC mode just by putting the RC on top of it while booting though. It would still switch to CE mode. What I did is go inside my car and then keep my hand over it while it booted and acquired the satellites. It took a long time, but at least it remained in FCC mode. It did help with signal strength and reliability. I would say not up to my Mini 2, but still an improvement! One problem I have with the Mini 3 and RC is that the damned RC won't let me calibrate the compass (it always says "Calibration successul" before I get a chance to do anything!!!) So I can't rely on the little "radar" in the bottom left corner to help me point the remote directly at the drone... Even when I know I'm pointing straight at it the little blue triangle is completely fucked up and shows the wrong direction. That wasn't a problem with my Mini 2 because I can easily calibrate the compass on my cell phone and make sure it's setup right before I fly.
I had read somewhere it might be a problem with the remote incorrectly switching bands in dual band mode... 2.4mhz vs 5.8mhz Some people get better range when they lock the mode to a stronger 5.8mhz even in flat open areas compared to 2.4mhz. purely "hearsay" just thought I'd add some commentary. thank you for your video.
Very interesting video. Watching it again maybe fcc and CE mode detection will be clear. How I know what's used. Selecting 2 or 5 GHz is not an option flying around mountains and forests? Being new to this drone testing the boundaries, not the limits, the surprisingly short range bothers me. The video is clear but the RF indicator drops, turns orange and at red the drone response to commands is jerky.
That's so weird! Why would simply slowing down the rate of GPS satellite acquisition change it from FCC to CE mode? Surely once it has 3 satellites it should be able to locate itself well enough on the globe to know which mode to be in. Is it perhaps booting into CE mode as a "safe" option no matter where it is, and then sometimes not "remembering" to update to FCC once it has more satellite locks if it acquires them "too fast"? That could conceivably be due to some kind of software bug (and seemingly an inconsistent one; the worst kind!). I'll definitely have to watch this next the rain lets up enough that I can fly.
I just received my Mini 3 Pro and it too has this range issue. I am in Canada. This is disappointing to say the least and by now DJI has to be aware of this and it should be addressed!
Thanks it worked.. I had to do it couple of times to knock into FCC mode and went 1.5 km rather than 500m so 3 x's it's range in very high interference neighborhood..
Thanks for this, I was pulling out my (beard) hair trying to figure out why I kept getting such poor range and quick disconnections less than a half mile away from launch point. Cheers 🍻
Only 30% I think it is worst than that. My mini 1 and this new one have the same range!!!! And one of the big things I was looking forward to was end-of-range/interference issues. A total joke. 200m Urban and it is struggling.
Two weeks ago I did a range test and the mini 3Pro flew 5km. Video was still good but 160 meters from home point the drone forced land. Had to use the " find my drone" to locate the drone. The range test was done with the regular battery.
Well, here in Europe we only have CE so unfortunately it's not an option for us. In fact, I think that's only half the story. Surely forcing to FCC improves the range (some compensation). Nevertheless, there seems to be an additional hardware problem that cannot be solved with a firmware update. DJI wanted me to send the drone back together with the controller. They have replaced both motherboard modules! I'll get my MINI 3 back in a few days, then I'll see.
@@falklumo So finally I got mine back. They did not replace the motherboard but just sent a new one. Unfortunately also the new one has the same bad range....Well, then....
I have no doubt there are issues that need to be rectified but I see a lot of complaints talking about the signal display dropping bars or into the orange etc. Maybe a small part of the problems are to do with the accuracy of this as mine dropped to two bars after 3000ft but I had full control of the drone and camera up to 6500ft. At this point the video feed got a bit laggy. On the return journey I didn't see a full RC signal till I hit 2700ft from home. At the end of the day, as long as I have control of the drone and camera, I dont care what the signal strength is indicating.
I'll have to pay attention to this now. This weekend I took mine out for a test to see how far I could get, and only got 1/2 mile before I started getting red signal bars. I've been able to reach close to a mile in the same area with my Phantom 3. So was severely disappointed.
I made another poll whether the firmware update has fixed the range for people who were experiencing it and it seems more are still having range problems.
If this is true, shame on DJI for not acknowledging this or providing a fix, and leaving it to the community to figure it out. Very sloppy product release. I returned my Mini 3 because of this range issue. I'll either wait for an official fix from DJI or I'll wait for the Mini 4.
Great video and good catch Shawn. I noticed signal drop at 1KM after last firmware update. Have tested at 2KM without a issue beforehand. Wonder if one can get hold of previous firmware file and rollback to a better working version. When returning the M3P to DJI , will DJI send you a new M3P and then you can return the unit in need of repair. So you are never a day without flying this cool little drone. I'll be checking for the CE shift in the morning. And looking out for your next video. Cheers!
To try downgrading test to see if it helps, connect your Mini 3, then separately the controller to a computer via USB and run "DJI Assistant for Consumer Drones" -previously called Assistant for Mavic", download from DJI. When connected you will see current version v01.00.0150 with a "Refresh" button as well as v01.00.0100, with a "Downgrade" button to the right. I reverted to V01.00.0100 then upgraded again to .0150 before I knew any of this. and my sudden disconnection issues cleared, but I am going to see if I experience the drop TO CE transmission power when it's not 4:00 in the morning, lol.
Shawn I tried your (Brads) "cover the drone" trick at startup and it worked. I'll be darned! 2.5KM with only losing 1 bar. Stayed in FCC mode there and back.
Maybe I'll skip the downgrade for now and see how this plays out with DJI. Hopefully they are monitoring these posts and know how upset their customers are about it. Cheers!
Thanks Brad. I was so excited to try this out that I just did right after I saw your video. I’m in ottawa and I just activated my Mini 3 this past weekend, but due to whether, work and family I haven’t had the time to fly it yet! I did your test indoors where I was able to acquire enough satellites to obtain a home point. Mine seems to suffer the same issue as yours. I did your test by placing the controller over the quad, and it appears to work, but the transmission line was jumping over the 1km mark every 5 seconds or so. Now, as I mentioned earlier I did test indoors and in addition with a low battery, which may be contributing to this odd behaviour after I covered it up with the controller! Charging up the battery now and will test it outdoors tomorrow. Stay tuned and fingers crossed. Thanks again and I hope that you are absolutely correct in that this could be fixed via a software update. One last note! Would you be so kind as to reach out to DJI to illustrate your findings? I think a RUclipsr such as yourself will add a lot of more weight as to what DJI will do to fix this and how fast. I will also follow suit and explain what is happening to mine as well. Many thanks.
I have contacted DJI support directly a couple of times about this issue but unlike Shawn's experience, I was not offered a replacement drone and instead got a lecture about how radio frequencies work and no acknowledgement that this is an issue. Perhaps that agent didn't watch the video I sent or read the step-by-step instructions I wrote to replicate the problem, I am really not sure. Hopefully Shawn adding visibility to this issue with DJI will add more credence to the issue as I was dismissed on a few occasions which made me reach out to others. Here is the email I got yesterday for the sake of transparency: ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Tom (DJI Support) Date: Wed, Jun 22, 2022 at 10:04 PM Subject: [DJI Support] : RE DJI Mini 3 Pro - Not in FCC mode in Canada (stuck in CE mode) To: Brad Lemire Your request（#4334678）has been updated, please reply the email below. Tom （DJI Support） 2022/6/23 GMT+8 10:04 Dear Customer,
Thank you for contacting DJI Technical Support.
We appreciate the time you provided to us and let us know your concerns, but no worries, we are here to assist and help you out.
DJI Mini 3 Pro has only one version of the hardware. the aircraft will automatically switch to the corresponding FCC and CE depending on the current country.
There are three concept before the main body: 1. Not every country’s certification belongs to one of the FCC/CE/SRRC, we just make sure that US using FCC, Europe using CE and China using SRRC. Other country just refer to the maximum transmit power of the remote controller of their country to find out which one among this three certification type to be the reference. 2. No matter which certification type the country is, it doesn’t mean we must use the standard of that certification. We just make sure the maximum transfer power of the remote controller applies with the local law, but won’t reach the largest permission. The maximum transfer power of our produce is decided by DJI and be restricted by local law. 3. Even in the same country, the certification of 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz can be different.
For example. If you are in Canada, the maximum transfer power should be 26 dBm when using 2.4GHz and the maximum transfer power should be 28 dBm when using 5.8GHz. This is the standard of FCC. If the you are in Europe, the maximum transfer power should be 18 dBm when using 2.4GHz and the maximum transfer power should be 14 dBm when using 5.8GHz. This is the standard of CE. If you are in Brazil, the maximum transfer power may be 20 dBm when using 2.4GHz and the maximum transfer power may be 25 dBm when using 5.8GHz. Then the certification type in Brazil should be CE when using 2.G. The certification of 5.8 can refer to FCC, because 25dBm is more close to 28dBm of FCC than 14 dBm of CE. (The parameters are not real)
Thanks for your understanding. Thank you for choosing DJI. Best Regards, Tom DJI Technical Support Website:www.dji.com/support RUclips:s.dji.com/DJI-Tutorials
@@AirPhotography Hi Brad, Couldn’t wait. I charged my battery and did the same test outside. Without the workaround it did go into CE Mode where the transmission band area goes above the 1km horizontal line. This time when I did the workaround it stayed under the 1Km horizontal line much longer, but every so often it would jump above it, but nothing like when I did the test indoors, which I hope that this is a good sign. Thanks….Sam
I recently swapped out my beat up old mini 3 pro for a new one. The new one has significantly weaker transmission, but it doesn't appear to have switched into CE mode as you demonstrate here. I was thinking maybe one of the antennas has a bad connection to the board. I can no longer fly through, for example, narrow passages of trees because the signal is so choppy. (I still do it, I just can't see if I'm about to hit something anymore). I don't really want to send this one back, last time it took just under 3 weeks to get the replacement...
I flew 10km several times. Now disconnection issues. However, most people are saying that it would be a problem with the core that when we update it heats up and burns out. This happens because the thermal paste dries out. Have you heard of this?
Brad here that put this on Shawn's radar. Thought I'd add a few comments as I didn't expect the traction this got.
First, it is clear there is no hardware design flaw with the Mavic 3 Pro that is causing range issues such as bad antenna placement in the controller or in the drone itself as range can easily be modified with a simple manipulation of the boot sequence of the drone. If this was a hardware issue or a faulty drone, changing between these two modes would not have such a dramatic impact on range or signal quality.
This also highlights that DJI is deliberately throttling the range of this drone in CE zones. I had single drops at 300M-500M and after this "trick" I can easily get 2,000M+ before I get the same signal drop. Why is this? Likely regulatory or faulty programming by DJI in signal strength for CE mode; CE drone owners will need to hope for the later. Every drone (CE or FCC) has the same hardware and it's the software that's telling the hardware what to do and very apparent in this instance.
It's worth reiterating that the same drone hardware is being sent world wide and it's through GPS acquisition that the drone goes into either CE or FCC mode. For those that don’t know, Europe is CE and where the majority of the range complaints are coming from which this video will not fix.
While this is a pain for FCC users to do this "trick", if I was a CE drone owner, I'd be pretty upset. Advertised range for CE is far beyond 500M so why are they crippling the drone so badly? It would be in DJI's best interest to get in front of this as it's been purely speculation that CE and FCC drones had a range difference (and by how much). Fortunately this bug has shown that the same drone, in the same location and in the same circumstances has massive range differences which would have been next to impossible to expose had this bug not been found.
While I have no doubt that they will fix this "FCC issue", we really need to ask DJI why CE drones are behaving so poorly range wise and move away from the faulty hardware discussion as it's now been proven this is a software issue or deliberately programmed this way by DJI.
Thanks all and glad Shawn was able to help so eloquently show the solution and impact to such a large audience. Cheers
But in Europe on CE there are still plenty of videos of people getting 2,3,4km range. Its highly dependent on the environment I think. It shouldnt be a problem though for DJI to get the firmware right to be able to detect if its a CE or FCC region and set it right.
Its the law. CE mandates -6dB signal at 2.4GHz (25% power), and even -12dB at 5.8GHz (6% power), compared to FCC. Maybe, DJI didn't follow the law strictly enough in the past and now they must? A drop to 25% power halves the range, theoretically.
Of course, the law is ridiculous. The EU and UK should allow full FCC signals outside of closed towns and it would be easy for the firmware to implement such a rule. Also, would facilitate WiFi installations on farms ... Unfortunately, not going to happen for VLOS drones ...
@@ScowlerJase Absolutely correct ScowlerJase. There are plenty of CE drone owners who's drones don't exhibit range issues, and that's not to challenge Brads fix as I personally think and feel Brad's on the button, or close to it (thank you very much Brad - as it's pretty obvious DJI already know this so why put us through this unnecessary pain?). As many now know, I have entered into over 200 messages, mail dialogues, videos, phones calls with DJI, so I fully expect them to be reading this. Sadly and if the DJI insider who contacted us is genuine and correct, there is indeed a hardware issue, or at least a QC issue with a batch or two of the mini 3 drones. It's also plausible to expect that not every drone has the same hardware/software worldwide, for example, Apple have 3 grades of phones/computers/ipads, etc, 1 for Asia, 1 for Europe, and 1 for USA, etc., and as a manufacturer ourselves - these three grades are very common in China - We suspect DJI follow the same three rules (which as mentioned, are very common in China). For example: when we purchased an FCC model, then used it in Europe, it would not fly correctly. It would fly, but not correctly. Furthermore, when DJI was contacted about this, they pointed us to their T&C's which clearly state, "limited warranty", meaning you cannot use an FCC drone in a CE zone and vice versa. Well, technically you can, though the warranty is invalid and it doesn't fly properly anyway. Aside from the throttling/range issues that Brad has picked up, there are other issues with the mini 3 - too many to outline here, yet overall I cannot help but conclude, DJI have released a drone to satisfy their stakeholders "not their customers" and that for me is a game changer. Until DJI fix all the mini 3 issues, and that's proven over a six month period, I have returned mine and will do without - please read their T&C's - returns/exchanges mean they can send you out a secondhand or refurbished, it doesn't mean you will get a new one. I think DJI done us all over on this one so best of luck to us all.
@@PRO-3-X I can fly mine (CE) only up to 1.1km, open area, no buildings or whatsoever. I see at around 700 meters bars dropping, and then push it to 1.1km, it is with the warnings etc..
Did the test yesterday together with my friend, and.. he got to 1.2km. Then I choose 2.4Ghz and he 5Ghz band, I got to 1.1km, he 600m. This is stupid to quote 12km under ideal conditions, I understand, but 1/12th of that is ridicules. It should easily fly 6km before having issues.
@@d-procdronies2531 in EU the ”max distance’ it said to be max 8km, but just like you, I can’t get more than 1.2-1.5km with no obstacle between me and the drone, and often much less than that.
Just wanted to say thank you. My unit definatly has some of this issue. I wasn't experiencing that bad range, 1 km with obstacles but decided to try what you showed. My work around is to power it inside. I've done 2 flights one with CE and one with FCC ( using what you showed on the graph ) and the difference was 900m for lost signal vs 1600m on the exact same path which had trees along the way etc. I sent both flights log to DJI and tried to explain my workaround and what you said and that it made absolutely no sense they don't acknowledge its a software issue. Crazy but at least I can get it to work love the drone.
Thank you Shawn. I was impatiently waiting June 29 for receiving my new Mini 3 drone. Instead, I will definitely cancel my order first thing in the morning. I will wait for your next report after you have received your replacement drone. Keep up the good work Shawn. Please, keep us posted !
Good plan. I am still holding my visa card close till I see Shawn's replacement unit's performace.
I will definitely make a follow up video once I receive it it may be a couple weeks however
@@chconger Follow up: I have canceled my order. Will wait on Shawn's next review. Thank you again Shawn for this precious information and very well made informative video.
@@mini2gora337 Sounds like the way to go. My view is; life is good while I wait for this to be sorted out. No rush, no panic, as long as the money is in my account as we see how it plays out.
It really stinks that people have to search for work arounds for DJI’s lack of quality control with their newer drones. First the Mavic 3 and now this. I’ve said it before but the Air2S was the last great drone they put out without having to wait for firmware updates for months and months to “fix” widespread issues. Long live the Air2S! 🤙
damn right. can fly my air 2s miles. min 3 cuts off at 600 meters! a joke of a range
Thanks for the fix. Seem DJI has a habit of bringing products to market before they have all the bugs worked out.
Fw update ...0.201 changed everything! Much better range and signal stability. I never thought, it could be solved by a fw update, but DJI did. I am so happy
Great I’m glad your issue has been resolved thanks for sharing
Thanks to you & Brad for identifying & finding a workaround for the connection issue, until Dji puts out a permanent fix via firmware. Still waiting for a shipping notification on my order.
@@DevonLadd No, wasn't fooled. Unfortunately, RUclipss' reporting system seems useless!
Wow, thanks for sharing Shawn. I was seeing poor connectivity at 1500ft. I’ll have to run this test on my Mini 3 Pro now. THANK YOU!!! 👍❤️
Thanks for the tip on checking the range, FCC vs. CE. Put my Mini3 up and no issues with the flipping to CE. Good review on the other features. I am amazed at the quality of photos and video with the Mini 3. I have the RC controller and would not trade it for anything else. For the weight and size of this package I do not think there is a product that comes close to delivering the same level of quality.
As usual well done Shawn in pulling the community together to resolve this issue, I must say I have the CE model and live in the UK & very lucky if I get 200m each time I fly, it’s good that everybody having problems with FCC signals seems to be rejoicing with this partial fix, sorry to say we need DJI to stop looking and listening to what everyone is saying and get this issue resolved, these drones are not cheap and very disappointing coming from A top company like DJI, it’s a slap in the face.
Do you still have this issue with the range? I am from the UK and I had my first Mini 3 Pro drone that was flying smoothly at 4km and it could easily fly further just I was uncomfortable flying it any further. But the first drone had master shots issues and it was super dangerous to use it around people. So I got a replacement drone. And now the new drone is safe but the range is around 1.2km and I feel disappointed flying in the countryside.
I updated the firmware on my mini 3 pro last night and was ready to box it up and return it after trying to fly it. Where I am used to flying it a couple of kilometers from my house, I couldn't get more than a few hundred meters. Tried your work around this morning and it behaved exactly as in the video. I was locked in CE mode every time until I covered the drone. Flight distance restored. Foe all you fliers in Europe stuck with CE mode, my condolences. That really takes the fun and functionality out of a very pricey investment.
Great thank you for sharing your experience with range. Hopefully DJI will have a fix out soon
Thanks again🙂.
I am in Canada and have one of these CE mode drones really appreciate the explanation and work around.
I also firmly believe DJI new of the problem and did not tell their front line people. When i first conteacted them Some thing was different I have 3 DJI drones and service has alway been great this time i was not feeling the love. When I contacted support they put me the the hoops try this reboot that reset controller to factory setting. Then they closed my ticket.
Of course when I call back a week later they started the same run around so I dropped the call. And because of that delay I now can't return my obviously defective drone that does not seem right.
I love this drone and my only real concern is that it won't return home when it loses the connection .
If you establish a home point it has zero to do with what transmission power is applied and it will always come back to it, all things being equal. As for DJI support, the front end RARELY has any engineering info. Mavic 3, and now Mini 3 Pro, the solution most offered is "Send it in for repair" which they wanted me to do with a 48 hours after receiving it. Fortunately downgrading to V01.00.0100, then back to V01.00.0150 with DJI Assistant for Consumer Drones (not the old Assistant for Mavic) fixed my sudden disconnect issues from full (5 Bars) signal entirely. I would still exchange it, but could end up back at square one, and it's working as designed right now.
FYI when DJI emails that "its been 2 days since we heard from you on this ticket, that's your cue to reply. Else they close it within another day or 2.
Dude!! Nice!!! Great job figuring it out. Was seriously considering sending it back...now I'll just wait for an update. Brad, thank you!
I cannot take credit for finding the fix. It was a gentleman by the name of Brad who contacted me offering the solution. He is a fellow Canadian
@@AirPhotography Well, Brad definitely deserves a big thanks from all of us then!! Thanks Brad if you see this.
This is a great discovery. Cheers to Brad and Shaun for highlighting. But still the big queston; Is DJI now shipping good product? I am holding off. It's a lot of money - better sitting on my side of the table while we find out.
Yes hopefully it’s something they can get addressed soon. If the new unit they’re sending me has the same issue I’ll just be claiming a refund next until the problem is fixed
Sean, I tried your work around today and it indeed helped. I have been struggling to fly out 350 metres across open water to circle around a sailboat. I can barely get there without loosing signal. This morning I laid the controller onto the drone as suggested and was able to fly to the sailboat. Still some drop offs, but no lost signal. I'll use this work around until such time as DJI can hopefully come up with a firmware fix.
That’s great I’m glad it helped a bit. Hopefully DJI gets this figured out soon
Has this issue been resolved by DJI or does it still exist?
Finally received my Mini 3 Pro on July 2 (even though it had been ordered within 10 minutes of the release). I am really enjoying all initial testing I have been able to do. Shawn, as a result of your informative video, I found that my unit also slips into CE mode. I am in Ontario, so FCC mode is definitely expected.
Great video!! I have not, until recently, been aware that UK dji drones are lower on power in the UK as opposed to the US. Certainly DJI don’t make this clear in their marketing. Have to say I feel cheated. I own the Mavic Pro, Mini 2 and now Mini 3 Pro and haven’t experienced any issues with either of the older machines. In fairness to prospective CE users DJI need to be honest and not misrepresent range and signal reliability. This sucks. 😩
There’s no substitute for thinking Good Job.
Glad to know it's not a hardware problem, which will necessitate sending the drone back to get it fixed. Hopefully, they do this software update soon.
Please see my other comments I posted here. I think we have two problems , a hardware and a software issue.
Indeed that could very well be and why I’m opting just sent mine back for a replacement
I am so lucky that my copy is perfect. I flew the little guy in the worst possible location recently - a high tourist area full of hotels and potential inference and no drop out or even a drop in one bar at 500m. Today I flew 2km and again no signal lost and not even a drop in one bar.
WOW! Great analysis and test! Wondered why the range seemed so limited and NOW I know! Thanks for the awesome video!
Thank you and thanks for watching hopefully DJI get it sorted out soon
Quick fix for range mini 3. Drone is coming out of fcc and switching into ce mode. Take drone outside. Turn rc and drone on. Then turn drone off leaving rc on. Now turn drone back on placing rc on top of rc, blocking the gps and making drone come back online slowly. This makes it stay in fcc mode increasing the range problem until dji comes out with a fix. It’s the drone not the controller. Seen this work. Good luck
This really is something that DJI should fix/explain urgently. This single issue is generating the most negative noise around an otherwise brilliant product. As an aside, if you are in CE territory, can you force the drone over to the FCC settings (albeit illegally)?
Very good question I’m hoping somebody lets me know if they are in a CE region if this will force it into FCC. I will be very curious about that. And you are 100% right the drone itself is absolutely brilliant, especially for those who do get good signal strength. If you read comments on some of my other videos there are many people that have ended up returning it. you think they would want to get this fixed ASAP
Thanks for the video. I've been following videos of the Mini 3 Pro as I wanted to upgrade to this drone. As of now I will not be getting this drone until DJI get their s---- together. To me this is an easy fix with a firmware update......so do it DJI. No way I'm going to spend that kind of money on a drone that has distance/connection issues. To me, no one needs to fly 10km away but if DJI advertise huge distances then they need to fix it. Why should a buyer have to go through all these procedures. I do appreciate your videos.
So basically what you’re saying is that the “defective” drones in US/Canada is suffering from something we in Europe is facing every time we fly our drones?
I still say there’s some other stuff going on under the hood that is affecting it as well
@@AirPhotography Two possibilities: Faulty units are more easily spotted in CE mode, or the switching from FCC to CE power does too big a reduction in some units.
I agree, America is superior to Europe.
Love it! Very hopeful for S/W fix. (Also - I was the one who sent Brad your way ;-) Cheers from Ottawa.
Awesome thank you very much. It’s nice to actually know what the problem is and what’s going on. It was very frustrating house some units worked perfectly and others were struggling
@@AirPhotography Yes - that's been the most difficult part of this particular issue; some folks respond " Works fine for me" and others go on about "VLOS". Hopefully what ever was wrong with these select units is flushed out of the supply chain by now and you get a good one. If the replacement works for you, then my Visa card comes out. Cheers!
I have the mini 3 pro, if you use the rc-n1 controller you won't really have issues, the pro controller is having issues all the around the world
I just got my DJI mini pro 3. And tested the rang for the first time today. With pretty much direct line of sight I could only go around 600 meters away. I was pretty confused because I heard these drones can go a few kilometres away but mine only managed just over half a kilometre. I’ll give this a go so thank you for the video.
Thanks Shawn for disseminating this info. To try downgrading test to see if it helps, connect your Mini 3, then separately the controller to a computer via USB and run "DJI Assistant for Consumer Drones" -previously called Assistant for Mavic", download from DJI. When connected you will see current version v01.00.0150 with a "Refresh" button as well as v01.00.0100, with a "Downgrade" button to the right. I reverted to V01.00.0100 then upgraded again to .0150 before I knew any of this. and my sudden disconnection issues cleared, but I am going to see if I experience the drop TO CE transmission power when it's not 4:00 in the morning, lol.
Any issues since your downgrade / upgrade??
Just the video I was searching for to confirm if I had an issue with FCC vs CE mode. I received this unit as a gift recently. I live in the US and the unit was designated as CE. Interestingly, there was a firmware update that I installed on July 2nd before going out and testing the transmission power that I just learned about. My unit does default to FCC power transmission. Hopefully the firmware fixed the issue for those with poor signal so that these workarounds can be avoided. Thanks.
I got a CE version from an American firm two weeks ago and confirmed that it was in CE mode. It was probably sourced in Europe. Yesterday I booted the drone into DJI Assistant and did a refresh of the firmware. Today I flew in the FCC mode with no issues.
Ron, what firmware version are you on?
@@ericcampbell3365 Aircraft is 0150 RC is 0300
@@ronarmour8909 ok. I'm on the same. Thanks for quick response.
I just tested this out with mine in Canada and it did exactly what you described (bumped into CE mode) and the fix also worked. This better get fixed soon!
Yes hopefully soon
@@AirPhotography that’s a big one that just makes DJI look terrible so it seems likely.
Thanks for explaining how to tell the difference between FCC/CE mode. New RC update seemed to correct the issue, did a flight with noticeable range increase and signal strength vs. what was happening just prior to the update (RC Firmware 01.01.0100)
Wow. DJI Konami Code. This explains the poor range. I just don’t know why some are affected while others are not. I cancelled my order because of reported range issues. I might place another order once the issue is fixed.
thank you this is very useful i have tried it and i am very surprised with the results i live in an intervention city yes the previous high was at 200-500 meters my signal was weak but after i tried this i flew up to 1 km and my signal is still connected even though it has started reduced but I'm so happy to have gotten that far
Thank you for this. DJI claiming this has a range in the KMs is an obvious lie, even in FCC mode, but at least this tip will make it usable now. Mine loses signal after barely 100 meters. I'll be trying this next time out.
I've got a Mini SE, and have been experiencing the same issue. About to give your fix a go. Will report back.
Great video Shawn. Very thoughtful of you giving the credit to Brad for a solution to the range problem. Will be interesting to see how your replacement drone performs. Cheers from a land down under 👍🦘🇦🇺
Thank you for the advice, I was really disappointed when my video dropped out at 700m after just upgrading from my mini 2 I’ll have to try this tomorrow.
Thanks for post it. I hope it helps lot of people that is claiming for a solution. I will test this in Brazil (FCC too). I didn't try to fly more than 200 meters till now (flying at night). So, I don't know if mine has this issue of range and quality of transmission. Anyway, thank you for sharing.
I flew 10km several times in Brazil. Now disconnection issues. However, most people are saying that it would be a problem with the core that when we update it heats up and burns out. This happens because the thermal paste dries out.
Holy crap!!! Why should a consumer have to jump through so many hoops to use their new toy?
DJI should not push their products until ready for market. We should not be their test bed.
I agree hopefully they get it fixed soon with firmware
I'm in Canada too. Sure enough my Mini 3 switches to CE mode! I can't have it stay in FCC mode just by putting the RC on top of it while booting though. It would still switch to CE mode. What I did is go inside my car and then keep my hand over it while it booted and acquired the satellites. It took a long time, but at least it remained in FCC mode. It did help with signal strength and reliability. I would say not up to my Mini 2, but still an improvement! One problem I have with the Mini 3 and RC is that the damned RC won't let me calibrate the compass (it always says "Calibration successul" before I get a chance to do anything!!!) So I can't rely on the little "radar" in the bottom left corner to help me point the remote directly at the drone... Even when I know I'm pointing straight at it the little blue triangle is completely fucked up and shows the wrong direction. That wasn't a problem with my Mini 2 because I can easily calibrate the compass on my cell phone and make sure it's setup right before I fly.
Kind of a pain in a butt but I’m glad to hear a solution has been found.
Excellent summation!
@Shawn and @Brad, good catch, guys.
Thanks for sharing! I just returned my mini 3 a couple of days ago because of the range issue. I only had around 2000 ft or so...
I had read somewhere it might be a problem with the remote incorrectly switching bands in dual band mode... 2.4mhz vs 5.8mhz Some people get better range when they lock the mode to a stronger 5.8mhz even in flat open areas compared to 2.4mhz. purely "hearsay" just thought I'd add some commentary. thank you for your video.
3:28 Hey I like your landing pad. I’m jealous. 👍
Super, thank you for sharing, because I have the same issue NY Queens 🤝🤟🏼😎
No way at I spending £859 on a faulty drone ! May wait a few months till sorted
Very interesting video. Watching it again maybe fcc and CE mode detection will be clear. How I know what's used. Selecting 2 or 5 GHz is not an option flying around mountains and forests?
Being new to this drone testing the boundaries, not the limits, the surprisingly short range bothers me. The video is clear but the RF indicator drops, turns orange and at red the drone response to commands is jerky.
Thanks Shaun!
Happy Flying
That's so weird! Why would simply slowing down the rate of GPS satellite acquisition change it from FCC to CE mode? Surely once it has 3 satellites it should be able to locate itself well enough on the globe to know which mode to be in. Is it perhaps booting into CE mode as a "safe" option no matter where it is, and then sometimes not "remembering" to update to FCC once it has more satellite locks if it acquires them "too fast"? That could conceivably be due to some kind of software bug (and seemingly an inconsistent one; the worst kind!). I'll definitely have to watch this next the rain lets up enough that I can fly.
I just received my Mini 3 Pro and it too has this range issue. I am in Canada. This is disappointing to say the least and by now DJI has to be aware of this and it should be addressed!
Yes hopefully soon
Thanks for the tip. I received my drone last week and I’m having the same problem. Trying your tip out.
Much mahalo for this info. I haven’t had any problems with my range but it’s great to know a work around if I experience that issue. Aloha!!!
Thanks it worked.. I had to do it couple of times to knock into FCC mode and went 1.5 km rather than 500m so 3 x's it's range in very high interference neighborhood..
Thanks for this, I was pulling out my (beard) hair trying to figure out why I kept getting such poor range and quick disconnections less than a half mile away from launch point. Cheers 🍻
did this work for you?
Excellent solution Shawn! This video will help a lot of folks.
Thanks Marcus
Looks like you are correct. I’ve tried your solution, but looks like i’m stuck with CE
Wow ! Very interesting and important. Thanks for sharing
Brilliant work!
Good for you…
I can’t wait to see how the new one does???…if you’re getting new one that is.
I will definitely keep doing follow ups
Only 30% I think it is worst than that. My mini 1 and this new one have the same range!!!! And one of the big things I was looking forward to was end-of-range/interference issues. A total joke. 200m Urban and it is struggling.
GM, latest update fixed this issue for me Shawn. Stays in FCC mode throughout startup , homepoint update and flight. Cheers!
Great thank you for that update
It also seems that the transmission is not switching from 2.4 to 5.8 during flight...
Yes and in some cases compared to the RCN1 it picks a completely different range
The range is nuts now. So good. Flying in Queens NY right now for a wedding.
FCC is double the strength of CE mode.
No, FCC is 4x the power of CE at 2.4GHz, and 16x the power at 5.8 GHz. RTFM ...
Also, strength is no physical term, power is.
Thank you for working in metric.
I definitely would get that RC controllers the screen looks gorgeous
Can you make the font larger on the RC controller?
Many Thanks ! this fixes my range problem.
Thanks very much! I hope the firmware is fixed by the time I get my mini 3 pro after June 29th.
Two weeks ago I did a range test and the mini 3Pro flew 5km. Video was still good but 160 meters from home point the drone forced land. Had to use the " find my drone" to locate the drone.
The range test was done with the regular battery.
Thanks! I would think your replacement done would be a refurbished one. I would be little bummed with that.
Super helpful. Thank you for the detailed explanation.
Well, here in Europe we only have CE so unfortunately it's not an option for us. In fact, I think that's only half the story. Surely forcing to FCC improves the range (some compensation). Nevertheless, there seems to be an additional hardware problem that cannot be solved with a firmware update. DJI wanted me to send the drone back together with the controller. They have replaced both motherboard modules! I'll get my MINI 3 back in a few days, then I'll see.
Please, report back here for all to see! THXS
Look up GAVINHR video from about a month ago or so...there is a hack to trick a CE version in Europe to operate in FCC
@@falklumo Will do. I am so curious. I'd be so happy if they could fix it. Hopefully I can check it next weekend.
@@ruirodrigues9122 tried but didn´tfind...
@@falklumo So finally I got mine back. They did not replace the motherboard but just sent a new one. Unfortunately also the new one has the same bad range....Well, then....
I have no doubt there are issues that need to be rectified but I see a lot of complaints talking about the signal display dropping bars or into the orange etc. Maybe a small part of the problems are to do with the accuracy of this as mine dropped to two bars after 3000ft but I had full control of the drone and camera up to 6500ft. At this point the video feed got a bit laggy. On the return journey I didn't see a full RC signal till I hit 2700ft from home. At the end of the day, as long as I have control of the drone and camera, I dont care what the signal strength is indicating.
Thanks!
Happy Flying
I’m dealing with the range issue too. I’m going to try this.
did it work?
Thank you for this video. Great to learn
I'm North America, waiting on my 3pro, my mini 2 is this way right now, it's not just the pro
So does this mean the if you are in eu it will default to ce mode legitimately and all drones in Europe will suffer the significantly reduced range?
Sure, was always the case.
@@falklumo be interested to know is there is a hack to force it to fsa frequencies regardless of location (theoretically of course)🧐🤪🧐🤪
@@sibat777 Yes
Yup
@@falklumo there is?
Awesome thanks man! 👍👍
Keith from Markham Ontario
Lots of people with this very annoying problem
Not good paid double what I paid for my mini 2
Dji needs to step up now
Interesting. So it’s definitely something they can fix via firmware it seems.
Yes indeed it does appear to be that way
Not in every case I guess (see my comment above). I think we have two problems , a hardware and a software issue.
I'll have to pay attention to this now. This weekend I took mine out for a test to see how far I could get, and only got 1/2 mile before I started getting red signal bars. I've been able to reach close to a mile in the same area with my Phantom 3. So was severely disappointed.
Can i get an update from you on your distance signal?
Thanks in advance
It worked for me, I hope they can fix this very soon in software
Interesting developments. Now I have more questions.. Odd how slowing the rate of GPS lock actually keeps it from reverting to CE.
Your videos are always very interesting! Merci beaucoup mon ami 🎥🎥🎥
Thank you very much
Great find Shawn, I wonder if the last couple of updates has fixed this. Thanks for sharing.
I made another poll whether the firmware update has fixed the range for people who were experiencing it and it seems more are still having range problems.
@@AirPhotography Sorry to hear that, so it might more than just firmware for some folks.
If this is true, shame on DJI for not acknowledging this or providing a fix, and leaving it to the community to figure it out. Very sloppy product release. I returned my Mini 3 because of this range issue. I'll either wait for an official fix from DJI or I'll wait for the Mini 4.
It would be nice to be able to go the other way around here in Europe. I wanted to buy it but too many problems with the CE powers.
possible, see my other comment.
My other post got deleted, no more love for this channel
Great video and good catch Shawn. I noticed signal drop at 1KM after last firmware update. Have tested at 2KM without a issue beforehand. Wonder if one can get hold of previous firmware file and rollback to a better working version.
When returning the M3P to DJI , will DJI send you a new M3P and then you can return the unit in need of repair. So you are never a day without flying this cool little drone. I'll be checking for the CE shift in the morning. And looking out for your next video. Cheers!
To try downgrading test to see if it helps, connect your Mini 3, then separately the controller to a computer via USB and run "DJI Assistant for Consumer Drones" -previously called Assistant for Mavic", download from DJI. When connected you will see current version v01.00.0150 with a "Refresh" button as well as v01.00.0100, with a "Downgrade" button to the right. I reverted to V01.00.0100 then upgraded again to .0150 before I knew any of this. and my sudden disconnection issues cleared, but I am going to see if I experience the drop TO CE transmission power when it's not 4:00 in the morning, lol.
Shawn I tried your (Brads) "cover the drone" trick at startup and it worked. I'll be darned! 2.5KM with only losing 1 bar. Stayed in FCC mode there and back.
Maybe I'll skip the downgrade for now and see how this plays out with DJI. Hopefully they are monitoring these posts and know how upset their customers are about it. Cheers!
Thanks Brad. I was so excited to try this out that I just did right after I saw your video. I’m in ottawa and I just activated my Mini 3 this past weekend, but due to whether, work and family I haven’t had the time to fly it yet!
I did your test indoors where I was able to acquire enough satellites to obtain a home point. Mine seems to suffer the same issue as yours. I did your test by placing the controller over the quad, and it appears to work, but the transmission line was jumping over the 1km mark every 5 seconds or so. Now, as I mentioned earlier I did test indoors and in addition with a low battery, which may be contributing to this odd behaviour after I covered it up with the controller!
Charging up the battery now and will test it outdoors tomorrow. Stay tuned and fingers crossed.
Thanks again and I hope that you are absolutely correct in that this could be fixed via a software update.
One last note! Would you be so kind as to reach out to DJI to illustrate your findings? I think a RUclipsr such as yourself will add a lot of more weight as to what DJI will do to fix this and how fast. I will also follow suit and explain what is happening to mine as well.
Many thanks.
Thank you very much for sharing your results. Yes indeed I will be contacting DJI later today
@@AirPhotography Thank you, thank you 🙏
@@AirPhotography If you could share with us their response,that would be sincerely appreciated 😊
I have contacted DJI support directly a couple of times about this issue but unlike Shawn's experience, I was not offered a replacement drone and instead got a lecture about how radio frequencies work and no acknowledgement that this is an issue. Perhaps that agent didn't watch the video I sent or read the step-by-step instructions I wrote to replicate the problem, I am really not sure. Hopefully Shawn adding visibility to this issue with DJI will add more credence to the issue as I was dismissed on a few occasions which made me reach out to others.
Here is the email I got yesterday for the sake of transparency:
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tom (DJI Support)
Date: Wed, Jun 22, 2022 at 10:04 PM
Subject: [DJI Support] : RE DJI Mini 3 Pro - Not in FCC mode in Canada (stuck in CE mode)
To: Brad Lemire
Your request（#4334678）has been updated, please reply the email below.
Tom （DJI Support）
2022/6/23 GMT+8 10:04
Dear Customer,
Thank you for contacting DJI Technical Support.
We appreciate the time you provided to us and let us know your concerns, but no worries, we are here to assist and help you out.
DJI Mini 3 Pro has only one version of the hardware. the aircraft will automatically switch to the corresponding FCC and CE depending on the current country.
There are three concept before the main body:
1. Not every country’s certification belongs to one of the FCC/CE/SRRC, we just make sure that US using FCC, Europe using CE and China using SRRC. Other country just refer to the maximum transmit power of the remote controller of their country to find out which one among this three certification type to be the reference.
2. No matter which certification type the country is, it doesn’t mean we must use the standard of that certification. We just make sure the maximum transfer power of the remote controller applies with the local law, but won’t reach the largest permission. The maximum transfer power of our produce is decided by DJI and be restricted by local law.
3. Even in the same country, the certification of 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz can be different.
For example.
If you are in Canada, the maximum transfer power should be 26 dBm when using 2.4GHz and the maximum transfer power should be 28 dBm when using 5.8GHz. This is the standard of FCC.
If the you are in Europe, the maximum transfer power should be 18 dBm when using 2.4GHz and the maximum transfer power should be 14 dBm when using 5.8GHz. This is the standard of CE.
If you are in Brazil, the maximum transfer power may be 20 dBm when using 2.4GHz and the maximum transfer power may be 25 dBm when using 5.8GHz. Then the certification type in Brazil should be CE when using 2.G. The certification of 5.8 can refer to FCC, because 25dBm is more close to 28dBm of FCC than 14 dBm of CE. (The parameters are not real)
Thanks for your understanding.
Thank you for choosing DJI.
Best Regards,
Tom
DJI Technical Support
Website:www.dji.com/support
RUclips:s.dji.com/DJI-Tutorials
@@AirPhotography Hi Brad,
Couldn’t wait. I charged my battery and did the same test outside. Without the workaround it did go into CE Mode where the transmission band area goes above the 1km horizontal line.
This time when I did the workaround it stayed under the 1Km horizontal line much longer, but every so often it would jump above it, but nothing like when I did the test indoors, which I hope that this is a good sign.
Thanks….Sam
yeah i hope they fix this before mine comes in i was planning on cancelling mine thanks for the great video
Thank you yes hopefully they have a fix out soon
What about a test using 2.4ghz and not blocking the drone on reboot?
I recently swapped out my beat up old mini 3 pro for a new one. The new one has significantly weaker transmission, but it doesn't appear to have switched into CE mode as you demonstrate here. I was thinking maybe one of the antennas has a bad connection to the board. I can no longer fly through, for example, narrow passages of trees because the signal is so choppy. (I still do it, I just can't see if I'm about to hit something anymore). I don't really want to send this one back, last time it took just under 3 weeks to get the replacement...
great info Shawn ya had same issue will try this thanks
I flew 10km several times. Now disconnection issues. However, most people are saying that it would be a problem with the core that when we update it heats up and burns out. This happens because the thermal paste dries out. Have you heard of this?
Very insight thank you for sharing