Hey everyone! Looks like TH-cam FINALLY FIXED the video after about a week of it only having audio on mobile devices and not playing at all on PC! ENJOY! 🙂🍻
I really want to see what happens when you use the other controller. I also want to ask you a question of you, if you had to buy one of these either with the inboard video controller, or with the old style controller that you attach your phone to, which one would you buy? I'm looking to buy, this drone looks like the perfect match between quality performance and good cost, and while I'm supposed to keep it in eyesite range got to be honest part of me wants to see how far mine will go to once I own it
Hey, Dustin, cool video as always! I believe you lost connection simply because you lost the straight line to the drone... think about it , when you went over the hill you were pretty low above the tree tops and when you continue to fly at some point you just go beyond the point where you have a straight line to your RC. I'm sure that if you fly in a different direction you will get a lot more range, just fly in a direction where the terrain goes down, like the location in Hawaii ;)
This video popped up in my feed randomly... I had no interest in drones... ever. Never looked at them. Yet this video sparked a flame and here I am 5 days later, $1,300 poorer, and having a blast with my new Mini 3 Pro. Thanks for the amazing new hobby.
I believe the correct term is Cahonnas,😂😂 And yea Dustin does like to push the range and better limits. That’s what we love about his videos. Nice new house Dustin. Don’t know how you do it, but looks like a wonderful location.
Hey all. *Very disappointed with TH-cam right now!* This video was working fine for the first 2 days it was published. Now it seems to only have audio and a thumbnail on mobile devices and won't even play on Desktop PC "Your Browser Can't Play this Video". I have a trouble ticket in with TH-cam support which said they are getting many reports of this from other creators, will check issue and get back with me within 24 hours, it's now been 3 days with no response! I'm as frustrated as you are. I hope they can sort it out soon
Your range was much better than I have evr got with my Mini 3 which is about 10,000 ft and she loses signal. Doesn't matter where or what I am flying over including water. This is also in FCC mode here in the states. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to your review with the other controller.
I'm looking forward to the next video using the RC-N1. I got 4.74 miles and could have gone farther but I chickened out! Excellent video and I always look forward to your drone vids. Thank you, Dustin!
4.74 miles going out? Over 9 miles total trip? Is it flat where you are flying? I can’t get that kind of range from my mini 2, I believe the 2 drones are using the same transmission system. I’m in a mountainous area though, I watch people on TH-cam fly out over flat ground and water and seemingly fly out forever, lol. I’m thinking I don’t want that RC with the screen, just stick with the RC-N1 controller.
16631 feet during calm conditions got my mini2 back to home point with 11 percent battery left. I don’t need one of those extended range batteries, I nearly gave myself a heart attack at 16631 feet. I’m not going any further 🤣
@@noonespecific9463 Yes and had 63% battery left when I turned around. Could have easily been 10 miles plus there and back with the plus battery. It was flat farmland for most of the flight.
@@noonespecific9463 how far are you able to go? Part of it might be that if you are outside North America, the drone switches to ce mode which purposly weakens the signal to meet European laws. You will typically get half the range if you are outside North America
I'm looking to starting a new hobby with remotely controlled flying and I've been watching your TH-cam video's . I must say I'm learning so much from your advice and comments. I appreciate that your calm and constant commentary is very helpful. Very much enjoying your work, thank you. Alex UK.
Hey Dustin, been trying to check this one out for awhile there and was thinking something was wrong with my device or something ... glad to hear that the vid has been fixed. On another note getting to 28:14 brought a smile to my face cause I thought oh yeah here we go again! lol! Anyways, great vid as usual and can't wait for the one with the "regular" RC cause that has been my stumbling block in buying this bad boy. Really can't decide which version of RC to get ... there are so many conflicting reports online as regarding the range issues and if they are caused by the new DJI RC. So ... looking forward to that. Keep up the awesome content, as usual your insight gives us relative newbies invaluable information and guidance to help with our buying decisions!
The hill would have blocked your signal. To maintain line of sight between the controller and drone, you would have needed to gradually increase altitude after passing the top of the hill. Flat land, or downward slopes (like where you used to test on Maui) work better for radio range.
This is exactly what I would have said sadly when your flying towards a cresting ridge like that you will literally have to fly very high to maintain line of sight for a decent distance. It would be better to find a road going up one of those mountains and fly out away from the mountain to easily maintain line of sight without needing to go above 400ft.
Your videos are the only ones I watch when it comes to a range test or testing the different modes of drones. Keep it up man yiu give me the confidence to push my drone and trust it. Dji should reward you handsomely because after my mini 1 fly away I would have never bought another and because of you I’ve owned the mini 2 air 2s and now the mini 3 pro! They owe you big lol
I have a friend with the same setup and controller who gradually took his up to 1640 feet because he figured it would not only give better signal strength but also not additionally tax the battery (with the gradual ascent) and set on Normal mode and left the type of connection (2.4 or 5 ghz) on auto and he was able to fly it 6.33 miles before it finally lost signal and auto returned home. About 300 feet from getting back to the starting gps, it wanted to do a forced landing. Being 1640 feet up it was easy enough to push the throttle to get it back to his original gps point as it was descending. He didn't fly over any houses whatsoever. In later flights, he also started noticing drifting in the path it was going.
Regarding the IMU calibration error, try calibrating it away from, what looks like a metal roof. Calibrate in yard then bring up to deck/balcony and see if that helps.
I ordered one and should be delivered tomorrow. I’m very excited after watching this video (for the 3rd time). I went for the pro purely for the obstacle avoidance.
Glad you got this one back without having to go after it. I have the Mini 3 Pro, but with the old style RCN1 TX .. which I like better (and its cheaper). I've never had any IMU or compass problems. One thought I had was that you are launching from the building. In my experience, even if its adobe, there are likely metal components inside it. My old Phantom 3 Adv. would freak out if I tried to do a IMU/Compass Cal anywhere near anything ... my driveway .. in a parking lot .. in the road. I'd always have to take it to some grassy area and do the calibrations there. I got the Fly More pkg, but with just std. batteries. Frankly, this UAV flies so long on even the std. batteries, I saw no need to get the extended ones. In fact, I only activated 2 of them & put the 3rd on in storage to save for 'down the road'. The 2 std. batteries give me enough power for at least 45 minutes of video time .. which is more than I ever do. Since your mom's place is 'in range', you could do a flight out to her place, drop something off, then do an RTH. Still recovering from my meniscus surgery here, so I don't get out as often as I'd like. Looking forward to your next adventure with the RCN1 TX. Cheers!
People have had more than twice that distance using the same controller. It’s going to vary by location but one thing I noticed straight away was where you are standing, over a sheet metal roof. That’s probably not going to help. Signals get bounced off things like that and you get ‘multipathing’ when the same data is received twice at slightly different moments (one directly then another that’s been reflected). With analog signals you get a bit of ghosting and flicker but with digital, the software is likely to see it as an error. Also, I’m not 100% sure but it didn’t look like you gained a lot of altitude to account for that ‘crest’ you flew over and then beyond. You were probably right on the edge of having line of sight between the controller and drone.
Just started saving a couple of days ago, i want one! Saving sucks ive saved £450 so hopefully 5 or 6 days to go and it should be in my hand, cant wait. You live in a beautiful place!.
Hi Dustin. I am writing to you from Germany. I've been following your videos for a long time and I'm always happy to see something new from you. I don't think it's a drone issue. I believe that iron is built into the concrete of the balcony. the electronics cannot calibrate here. The same happens if you want to launch the drone from a car roof. That also does not work. Maybe you include that in your thoughts. Greetings from the other end of the world.
Is your IMU being affected by your metal roof and other metal around where you flew? That could be causing all kinds of directional issues. Just a thought.
I just got my Mini 3 Pro last week, and was curious what kind of range I could probably expect out of it. 3.5 miles is waaaay more than I expected. As I'm new to drones, I won't be letting it go very far for awhile. I'm not even sure I would ever let it go that far anyway, but its nice to know what its limits are. Cool video!
Để đảm bảo an toàn tuyệt đối cho Drone, bạn cứ bay ở độ cao cho phép 120m trở xuống , và bay xa đến khi nào cột sóng điều khiển nó chuyển sang màu vàng , thì dừng và quay trở về !
Have had the mini 3 pro since launch and gotta say its a beast! Works flawlessly in winter conditions too and the battery lige doesnt take much of a hit in cold conditions neither.
If you want the best range and reception, you gotta go high with the Mini 3. My Mini 3 had a right front obstacle avoidance sensor fail after 1 month, which Dji wouldn't cover under warranty!
All the problems that you are having with your Mini 3, i am not. So I'm thinking that you do have one that is not up to par. I have a little over 60 flights with mine and it has performed perfectly. Thankyou for your videos, I enjoy them alot.
I am the drone instructor at a high school in Fl. Our fleet of DJI drones is grounded because of being black listed, we were forced to spend 6,500.00 each for Anafi USA drones. Not even close to the performance of the mini 3. I had a $20,000 grant to spend and had an order for 10 of the mini 3’s but it got cancelled, so instead we got 2 ANAFI USA. It’s strong point is the thermal camera, which we do not need. Very disappointing. No obstacle avoidance it is quiet. But that’s it
Blacklisted ? Oh snap. That's not good. Is that because you're working for public sector ? Or is there some new limitations in Florida for DJI stuff to fly ? (I'm considering replacing my air 2 and was looking at that mini 3 pro... But I'm worried exactly about what you posted)
Hey Dustin, i wish i could be as brave as you lol i still cant find the nerve to send my drone past the return home now warning. im glad you keep doing these videos for us buddy,the way you explain everything from scratch is a great help to us newbys. Thanks again bro please keep them coming into the new year for us.
I have the DJI Mini 3 Pro and the DJI Mavic 3 Classic. I also had some issues with the mini and the RC controller at just a few meters distance. The aircraft was not reacting an inch when I was pushing forward the RC right stick. When I tried to fly to the left, the aircraft was flying forward. I calibrated the RC sticks and wheels but after a few minutes the same thing happened. I had the same issue couple of days before when I was recharging the RC with a battery hub during flying. I don't think the RC was actually recharging though. At first I thought there was interference and disconnected the hub and the issue was solved... for a while. A couple of days later the same issue happened: the drone was not reacting 100% to the RC especially flying forward. I then reconnected the aircraft to the RC and that seemed to solve the issue completely. So when you're having issues with the aircraft not reacting 100% to the RC coming right out of the box connected to the RC (when purchasing the drone and the RC in a combo), just REconnect the RC to the mini 3 pro. That solved the issue in my case. I have to say I am very satisfied with this mini drone! Enjoy guys!
Would the metal roof have anything to do with the imu calibration error or flight issues? Are you dealing with the same issues on the ground in an open area?
Its possible you may have some mineral deposits near where you were having magnetometers issues. Also you could try calibrating the compass far away from any metal.. like at least 20 feet away
You should have tried going more up... because the mountain you crossed will block the transmission as you go further... It even said the transmission was blocked ...
I saw it pass a mile, and because I am still used to the spark, i thought that would be close to the middle. I had no idea how good the range on these are nowadays, it was over 90% on a mile. and the fpv is just incredible even at 10000 feet, its insane. I might look into getting one now.
I'd think until a certain point. I could have gone a bit higher yes but going too high will negatively affect optimal range since the angle is too great for the mini panel antennas on drone. Similar to why flying high directly overhead needs an adjustment of controller antennas for optimal signal 🍻
@@DustinDunnill the antennas in that controller aren't that directional. I'd have to study them but I would doubt they have any directionality at all other than they have less to transmit through if you face them at the drone. The angle doesn't really matter. Generally, the higher your transmitter is, the better reception will be.
Hey Dustin - Thanks for this range test. I always enjoy your drone videos, and they are one of the things that encouraged me to get a drone. I wonder if the chicken wire in the stucco of the house walls and the metal roof has any effect on your RC range, like maybe bouncing radio signals and producing some interference? If it were me I'd test it away from the house, like you did in Maui.
WOW! very impressive range this little one has. Mybe adding it to the fleet by Christmas. Cheers Dustin. As usual a great video, looking forward to the next. :)
Hey, Dustin! I believe you lost connection simply because you lost the straight line to the drone... think about it , when you went over the hill you were pretty low above the tree tops and when you continue to fly at some point you just go beyond the point where you have a straight line to your RC. I'm sure that if you fly in a different direction you will get a lot more range, just fly in a direction where the terrain goes down, like the location in Hawaii ;)
Nice video & scenes as always. Do keep us updated with the investigation of the IMU issue and if it is indeed a faulty device, do document the return and replace process.
I love mine. No weird issues. Just go online and get it replaced DJI has great customer service. Mine got run over by a tractor and luckily i had the insurance, they sent me a new one, had it in 3 days.
Nice flight. I hope the bugs work out for you sooner than later. I found it particularly awesome that as I was watching I realized I grew up in the area. The house I was raised in is like a half mile NE of where you turned around on the first run. Small world. Definitely National Forest around you. That was one of my favorite things about living there, especially as a teenager. Lots of room to explore and camp.
The original Mini 3 Pro I had was what I called “crabbing” sometimes on the way out, sometimes on Return to Home, it also never lined up with the true magnetic poles, when one of the arms failed due to manufacturing issue I explained the crabbing effect and they said yes they have see that before, none the less mine was swapped out on warranty and the replacement has been everything you expect from a DJI drone. I found one thing, the DJI RC was not as good as the RC-N1 and the RC-N1 is not as good as the RC Pro, at the end of the day we aren’t flying out that far often so it doesn’t matter, the RC Pro simply means that you can fly out until the drone requests a return to home because of battery, so there’s that… None the less I am really annoyed and will probably be selling my RC Pro, Mini 3 Pro, DJI RC and my Mavic 3 because they are not going to be releasing a mobile SDK for either of those drones and as I use these drone for inspections they are useless to me without the ability to reproduce a flight. (As an example I use Dronelink for some repeatable flights on my air 2S) but if this isn’t possible on the Mavic 3 and mini 3 pro then it’s going to be sent away and I will be buying the competitions gear. Anyway I digress to easily, thanks for the video
GREAT review on the distance flight!! Looking at the data while you were having difficulty with it drifting to the left, it seems like you were dealing with wind conditions,as it stopped drifting without you doing any changes to the drone itself. Have you seen any wind warnings pop up on the screen since you started flying it?It's possible that there may be certain amount of wind speed to to set it off,and you were below that threshold, or possibly the IMU,which you are having difficulty with, may be responsible. I'll continue to watch as you complete the series of tests, and maybe you will find out what causes this.
Is there a way to extend the range even further with a longer/taller antenna or a base station? Looks like the primary control on range would be the ability of the drone to talk back to the control unit (as you were still able to send it commands even after it stopped getting data back to the unit).
Hey Dustin, best videos out there. Dustin, if you were to purchase a DJI drone for personal use " any model, older or newer" what would it be? Thank again for all the great reviews etc.
Super late reply, but in case ur still curious I would suggest the Mini 3 Pro. Lots of the perks of the larger drones, but with a small, affordable package. It also has obstacle avoidance which is great as a fail safe. If the Mini 3 Pro is too much money, then the mini 2 or mini 3 are also great options
Great video I waiting for my mini 3 pro to arrive so I've been watching all these videos. What are you using for a mic and hat cam. Thanks for any info in new to alk the TH-cam stuff and especially drones
As for the crooked and incorrect flight - my opinion: you are in a building, next to the roof, the surface of which, as I understand it, is made of steel. As a rule, metal (and metal structures) accumulate magnetization, this does not always happen, but this time this factor probably affected the sanity of the electronic compass in the copter. I may be wrong, but this is a probabilistic variant of incorrect operation of the copter compass.
Your IMU calibration error is most likely because of that big metal roof I notice the same problem when trying to launch off of a car roof and as soon as I removed it an placed it on the ground I had no issues instantly. The drone doesn’t like the magnet interference from metal objects hope this helps people that may be having this issue. Good flying my friends.
With this unit (which DJI has replaced) I also tried further away from the house and it needed a calibration every other flight. Always seemed to have head wander either way. New unit is fine 🍻
Might be where you do your compass calibration. Possibly having some interference causing the drone to think its off when in normal magnetic field conditions while flying.
Hi im getting mine next week. Cant wait. The only problem is i live 10 miles from my local airport John Lennon Airport Liverpool and am in a restricted zone. But if i travel a few miles out im not in the red zone. Great apps to use for drone flying. UAV Forcast and Altitude Angel. Love the DJI brand. The best around.
Haven't seen any problems like that in any of the other reviews I've seen. Check out Captain Drones E-Bike video he just did, the active track is insane like better than Skydio II level. He uses it in all his reviews as a orbit camera. So glad to see you putting out content again, your reviews are the best of them all
Mine has only shown calibration needed when I've started it in or near my car. I notice your roof is metal, that might interfere with your drone 🤷🏻♂️🤔
Absolutely get away from that metal roof. It effects the need for calibration, effects the calibration itself, and effects the link transmission. It’s not conducive for really validating performance.
Also Dustin, that is really cool where your house is way up like that. What a cool place. Is that mona Loa volcanoe really going off again. I wish it would stop for 50 more years. I will never forget that bugger fissure 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to plug that bugger!!!!!!! Stay Safe Man. Good Luck with the Mini 3 Pro, I love mine. I finally did a color grade (not very good) learning cinelike with Premiere Pro. Man what a steep learning curve, Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. I remember see you long ago with the mavic on a long flight. Good Fortune! Ray C.
Now if you want to really get some distance you can get it hooked up with the cell network for almost limitless control apart from the battery capacity.
I like the idea of the extended range battery, however I like the drone weighing less than 250 grams more. Not to mention they are charging way way to much for one of them it’s nearly 100 bucks. I guess I’m going to get a mini3 , I can’t decide whether I want that controller with the screen or not. I wish we had more options in terms of purchasing drones in general. I’m considering a nano plus instead. I like how much the mini3’s camera rotates up though. DJI drones are outstanding, DJI as a company in general though, there’s just too much money grab happening. The cost of the mini3 batteries are a nice example of what I’m referring to. 300 dollar for 2 batteries and a charging hub is just too much.
I'm kinda on the same fence as you. I'm decided on the Mini 3 Pro but on which controller. Costco has a Mini 3 Pro Bundle for $840 which includes the Non-Screen controller, 3-249gm batteries, Charging cradle, and a 128 SanDisk card which I think is an amazing price. $900 for the Mini 3 Pro RC controller with single battery just doesn't seem worth it but I like so much the convenience of not using a phone....Ugh
Personally, I wouldn't buy the Autel Nano + .. it had terrible problems right from the beginning, not being able to fly against even a slight wind. After all kinds of updates, its stlll not great in any kind of wind, and, like most Autel drones, has horizon issues I've got the original Evo 1, so I'm not anti-Autel. I have the Mini 3 Pro with RCN1 TX & 3 std. batteries. Good luck.
Wow Great range test!!! I loved this one as I do all your videos, keep up your wonderful reviews and keeping up with the latest TEC and Go Drones!! Do you ever to into Albuquerque? or near Gallup NM?
I don't think the drone is drifting to the right, at least not in the way he thinks. With the sticks set straight ahead, any crosswind is going to create drift. That's normal behavior for any aircraft. Setting a course to a waypoint would eliminate the drift. I suspect setting it to waypoints would also increase range, because you probably can't control speed and directions as efficiently as the drone can and it might also decrease the energy used for constant inputs via radio communication.
Drone của DJi nó có khả năng kháng gió , mỗi loại có cấp kháng gió khác nhau, khi bay phải nhớ kiểm tra khu vực , nếu gió lớn thì không bay , như vậy sẽ không có chuyện Drone bay lệch so với hướng điều khiển !
I've experienced the same problem with my mini 3 pro... Contacted DJI and I will be receiving another one in a few days...We'll see if it is common in all of their Mini 3 Pros....My thinking is that they have a problem with the algorithm in the controller...When I fly away from me, you can see the drone yawing/circling when I let the control sticks go neutral, the drone self rights, returns to where it should have been looking/viewpoint during flight control...When using RTH it flies straight with no stick input...Hope that helps.....BTW it is not wind drift since it is always the same direction of rotation and as stated earlier, doesn't occur during RTH...
Your drone descended to land away from you because it had to avoid the tree, I think. The landing sensors are always activated, regardless if the obstacle sensors are turned on or off.
The RC signal came back to full as soon as you got over that hill. If you were on top of that hill you probably would have had a lot more range. Earth was blocking your signal.
Another great video 👍 The air will be thinner at your altitude so the props need to work harder, difficult to estimate the detrimental effect though. With external antennas, the add on reflectors work really well to extend range/signal strength. I wonder if something could be made to reflect signals on the the smart controller?
Hey everyone! Looks like TH-cam FINALLY FIXED the video after about a week of it only having audio on mobile devices and not playing at all on PC! ENJOY! 🙂🍻
I really want to see what happens when you use the other controller. I also want to ask you a question of you, if you had to buy one of these either with the inboard video controller, or with the old style controller that you attach your phone to, which one would you buy?
I'm looking to buy, this drone looks like the perfect match between quality performance and good cost, and while I'm supposed to keep it in eyesite range got to be honest part of me wants to see how far mine will go to once I own it
Hey, Dustin, cool video as always! I believe you lost connection simply because you lost the straight line to the drone... think about it , when you went over the hill you were pretty low above the tree tops and when you continue to fly at some point you just go beyond the point where you have a straight line to your RC.
I'm sure that if you fly in a different direction you will get a lot more range, just fly in a direction where the terrain goes down, like the location in Hawaii ;)
Why not flying usual area, flying towards ocean? Apples to apples with prior reviews....
Any test results yet with the regular controller? Thanks! New sub👊🇺🇸
@@CNY_AP 20:03
This video popped up in my feed randomly... I had no interest in drones... ever. Never looked at them. Yet this video sparked a flame and here I am 5 days later, $1,300 poorer, and having a blast with my new Mini 3 Pro. Thanks for the amazing new hobby.
Same here! Just made my purchase today haha
Once u get started its a addiction but welcome to the hobby! Its such a kickass one to!
Same here haha. Just got mine today too! So happy with it.
@@Hiic816 sweet I love it! Post a video
Picking mine up tomorrow! Not new to drones, but new to DJI! Can’t wait!!!!
You got some big balls there bro I wouldn't dare fly that far away and remain calm like you do. Nice range test though Dustin keep them coming
I do it all the time it's what insurance is for get state farm have fun.
I believe the correct term is Cahonnas,😂😂
And yea Dustin does like to push the range and better limits. That’s what we love about his videos.
Nice new house Dustin. Don’t know how you do it, but looks like a wonderful location.
Hey all. *Very disappointed with TH-cam right now!* This video was working fine for the first 2 days it was published. Now it seems to only have audio and a thumbnail on mobile devices and won't even play on Desktop PC "Your Browser Can't Play this Video". I have a trouble ticket in with TH-cam support which said they are getting many reports of this from other creators, will check issue and get back with me within 24 hours, it's now been 3 days with no response! I'm as frustrated as you are. I hope they can sort it out soon
That's pity, thought that was something with my phone 😵
Are you going to do a range test with the normal
I plan to 🍻
Hi mate, could you re upload the video. Very keen to see this one 🤜
Might just be time to re-upload.
Your range was much better than I have evr got with my Mini 3 which is about 10,000 ft and she loses signal. Doesn't matter where or what I am flying over including water. This is also in FCC mode here in the states. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to your review with the other controller.
I'm looking forward to the next video using the RC-N1. I got 4.74 miles and could have gone farther but I chickened out! Excellent video and I always look forward to your drone vids. Thank you, Dustin!
4.74 miles going out? Over 9 miles total trip? Is it flat where you are flying? I can’t get that kind of range from my mini 2, I believe the 2 drones are using the same transmission system. I’m in a mountainous area though, I watch people on TH-cam fly out over flat ground and water and seemingly fly out forever, lol. I’m thinking I don’t want that RC with the screen, just stick with the RC-N1 controller.
16631 feet during calm conditions got my mini2 back to home point with 11 percent battery left. I don’t need one of those extended range batteries, I nearly gave myself a heart attack at 16631 feet. I’m not going any further 🤣
@@noonespecific9463 Yes and had 63% battery left when I turned around. Could have easily been 10 miles plus there and back with the plus battery. It was flat farmland for most of the flight.
@@noonespecific9463 how far are you able to go? Part of it might be that if you are outside North America, the drone switches to ce mode which purposly weakens the signal to meet European laws. You will typically get half the range if you are outside North America
Your drone range test are my some of my favourite videos on TH-cam. You’re stressing yourself out for our entertainment. I thank you sir.
I'm looking to starting a new hobby with remotely controlled flying and I've been watching your TH-cam video's . I must say I'm learning so much from your advice and comments. I appreciate that your calm and constant commentary is very helpful. Very much enjoying your work, thank you. Alex UK.
Hey Dustin, been trying to check this one out for awhile there and was thinking something was wrong with my device or something ... glad to hear that the vid has been fixed. On another note getting to 28:14 brought a smile to my face cause I thought oh yeah here we go again! lol!
Anyways, great vid as usual and can't wait for the one with the "regular" RC cause that has been my stumbling block in buying this bad boy. Really can't decide which version of RC to get ... there are so many conflicting reports online as regarding the range issues and if they are caused by the new DJI RC. So ... looking forward to that. Keep up the awesome content, as usual your insight gives us relative newbies invaluable information and guidance to help with our buying decisions!
The hill would have blocked your signal.
To maintain line of sight between the controller and drone, you would have needed to gradually increase altitude after passing the top of the hill.
Flat land, or downward slopes (like where you used to test on Maui) work better for radio range.
This is exactly what I would have said sadly when your flying towards a cresting ridge like that you will literally have to fly very high to maintain line of sight for a decent distance.
It would be better to find a road going up one of those mountains and fly out away from the mountain to easily maintain line of sight without needing to go above 400ft.
agreed. I was yelling at my tv pull up pull up 🤦♂️
I especially like your narrative while flying. Nice vid!👍
Your videos are the only ones I watch when it comes to a range test or testing the different modes of drones. Keep it up man yiu give me the confidence to push my drone and trust it. Dji should reward you handsomely because after my mini 1 fly away I would have never bought another and because of you I’ve owned the mini 2 air 2s and now the mini 3 pro! They owe you big lol
I have a friend with the same setup and controller who gradually took his up to 1640 feet because he figured it would not only give better signal strength but also not additionally tax the battery (with the gradual ascent) and set on Normal mode and left the type of connection (2.4 or 5 ghz) on auto and he was able to fly it 6.33 miles before it finally lost signal and auto returned home. About 300 feet from getting back to the starting gps, it wanted to do a forced landing. Being 1640 feet up it was easy enough to push the throttle to get it back to his original gps point as it was descending. He didn't fly over any houses whatsoever. In later flights, he also started noticing drifting in the path it was going.
Right on. I'll try to go higher next time in this new location 🍻
Regarding the IMU calibration error, try calibrating it away from, what looks like a metal roof. Calibrate in yard then bring up to deck/balcony and see if that helps.
No issues whatsoever, best drone I've ever owned
same
I ordered one and should be delivered tomorrow. I’m very excited after watching this video (for the 3rd time). I went for the pro purely for the obstacle avoidance.
Glad you got this one back without having to go after it. I have the Mini 3 Pro, but with the old style RCN1 TX .. which I like better (and its cheaper). I've never had any IMU or compass problems. One thought I had was that you are launching from the building. In my experience, even if its adobe, there are likely metal components inside it. My old Phantom 3 Adv. would freak out if I tried to do a IMU/Compass Cal anywhere near anything ... my driveway .. in a parking lot .. in the road. I'd always have to take it to some grassy area and do the calibrations there. I got the Fly More pkg, but with just std. batteries. Frankly, this UAV flies so long on even the std. batteries, I saw no need to get the extended ones. In fact, I only activated 2 of them & put the 3rd on in storage to save for 'down the road'. The 2 std. batteries give me enough power for at least 45 minutes of video time .. which is more than I ever do. Since your mom's place is 'in range', you could do a flight out to her place, drop something off, then do an RTH. Still recovering from my meniscus surgery here, so I don't get out as often as I'd like. Looking forward to your next adventure with the RCN1 TX. Cheers!
Has DJI become lax in their QC/manufacturing process? It's been a long while since I've had these issues with a DJI product. Glad yours works 🍻
You definitely deserve more attention, you are risking these drones to test the distance.
People have had more than twice that distance using the same controller. It’s going to vary by location but one thing I noticed straight away was where you are standing, over a sheet metal roof. That’s probably not going to help. Signals get bounced off things like that and you get ‘multipathing’ when the same data is received twice at slightly different moments (one directly then another that’s been reflected). With analog signals you get a bit of ghosting and flicker but with digital, the software is likely to see it as an error.
Also, I’m not 100% sure but it didn’t look like you gained a lot of altitude to account for that ‘crest’ you flew over and then beyond. You were probably right on the edge of having line of sight between the controller and drone.
Do you do HAM?
I did another test after this. Check it out 🍻
Just started saving a couple of days ago, i want one! Saving sucks ive saved £450 so hopefully 5 or 6 days to go and it should be in my hand, cant wait. You live in a beautiful place!.
Did you get it? What range are you getting? I know in the Uk we don’t get as strong a signal like folks outside of Europe do.
Hi Dustin. I am writing to you from Germany. I've been following your videos for a long time and I'm always happy to see something new from you. I don't think it's a drone issue. I believe that iron is built into the concrete of the balcony. the electronics cannot calibrate here. The same happens if you want to launch the drone from a car roof. That also does not work. Maybe you include that in your thoughts. Greetings from the other end of the world.
Is your IMU being affected by your metal roof and other metal around where you flew? That could be causing all kinds of directional issues. Just a thought.
I just got my Mini 3 Pro last week, and was curious what kind of range I could probably expect out of it. 3.5 miles is waaaay more than I expected. As I'm new to drones, I won't be letting it go very far for awhile. I'm not even sure I would ever let it go that far anyway, but its nice to know what its limits are. Cool video!
Check out the new range test 👍
Để đảm bảo an toàn tuyệt đối cho Drone, bạn cứ bay ở độ cao cho phép 120m trở xuống , và bay xa đến khi nào cột sóng điều khiển nó chuyển sang màu vàng , thì dừng và quay trở về !
Thanks
Thank you Andrew! 🍻
Have had the mini 3 pro since launch and gotta say its a beast! Works flawlessly in winter conditions too and the battery lige doesnt take much of a hit in cold conditions neither.
If you want the best range and reception, you gotta go high with the Mini 3. My Mini 3 had a right front obstacle avoidance sensor fail after 1 month, which Dji wouldn't cover under warranty!
All the problems that you are having with your Mini 3, i am not. So I'm thinking that you do have one that is not up to par. I have a little over 60 flights with mine and it has performed perfectly. Thankyou for your videos, I enjoy them alot.
I am the drone instructor at a high school in Fl. Our fleet of DJI drones is grounded because of being black listed, we were forced to spend 6,500.00 each for Anafi USA drones. Not even close to the performance of the mini 3. I had a $20,000 grant to spend and had an order for 10 of the mini 3’s but it got cancelled, so instead we got 2 ANAFI USA. It’s strong point is the thermal camera, which we do not need. Very disappointing. No obstacle avoidance it is quiet. But that’s it
Blacklisted ? Oh snap. That's not good.
Is that because you're working for public sector ? Or is there some new limitations in Florida for DJI stuff to fly ?
(I'm considering replacing my air 2 and was looking at that mini 3 pro... But I'm worried exactly about what you posted)
what's the reason for it being blacklisted?
@@LosMuertos06 PRC spyware
18:05 look at the ghost in the right lane
Just wanted to stop an say that I bought a mini 3 pro just because of your videos… my first drone. Thanks for the information !
Hey Dustin, i wish i could be as brave as you lol i still cant find the nerve to send my drone past the return home now warning. im glad you keep doing these videos for us buddy,the way you explain everything from scratch is a great help to us newbys. Thanks again bro please keep them coming into the new year for us.
I am going to enjoy this, thank you)
I have the DJI Mini 3 Pro and the DJI Mavic 3 Classic. I also had some issues with the mini and the RC controller at just a few meters distance. The aircraft was not reacting an inch when I was pushing forward the RC right stick. When I tried to fly to the left, the aircraft was flying forward. I calibrated the RC sticks and wheels but after a few minutes the same thing happened. I had the same issue couple of days before when I was recharging the RC with a battery hub during flying. I don't think the RC was actually recharging though. At first I thought there was interference and disconnected the hub and the issue was solved... for a while. A couple of days later the same issue happened: the drone was not reacting 100% to the RC especially flying forward. I then reconnected the aircraft to the RC and that seemed to solve the issue completely. So when you're having issues with the aircraft not reacting 100% to the RC coming right out of the box connected to the RC (when purchasing the drone and the RC in a combo), just REconnect the RC to the mini 3 pro. That solved the issue in my case. I have to say I am very satisfied with this mini drone! Enjoy guys!
Would the metal roof have anything to do with the imu calibration error or flight issues? Are you dealing with the same issues on the ground in an open area?
The metal would influence compass not IMU. Yes I've done all the calibrations in flat areas away from metal multiple times 🍻
Its possible you may have some mineral deposits near where you were having magnetometers issues. Also you could try calibrating the compass far away from any metal.. like at least 20 feet away
Miss your Maui range tests.
i do too it just doesn't feel the same. It was so pretty in maui
I'll be doing some when I'm there once in a while 🍻
@@DustinDunnill alright thanks Dustin, I don’t know how you haven’t blown up yet lol
You should have tried going more up... because the mountain you crossed will block the transmission as you go further... It even said the transmission was blocked ...
I was up over all the trees. The message is general in any kind of connection loss 🍻
I cant play video, can you tell how long was the range ?
You can use the attitude indicator to see how strong the wind is. You can also try an RC calibration to see if it fixes the drifting problem.
I saw it pass a mile, and because I am still used to the spark, i thought that would be close to the middle. I had no idea how good the range on these are nowadays, it was over 90% on a mile. and the fpv is just incredible even at 10000 feet, its insane. I might look into getting one now.
The flying wonky thing can happens to my mini 2 if i initialise the drone too close to metal objects such as that roof near your balcony.
For your best signal strength, all else being equal, fly as high as possible, with your controller also being as high up as possible.
I'd think until a certain point. I could have gone a bit higher yes but going too high will negatively affect optimal range since the angle is too great for the mini panel antennas on drone. Similar to why flying high directly overhead needs an adjustment of controller antennas for optimal signal 🍻
@@DustinDunnill the antennas in that controller aren't that directional. I'd have to study them but I would doubt they have any directionality at all other than they have less to transmit through if you face them at the drone. The angle doesn't really matter. Generally, the higher your transmitter is, the better reception will be.
4:20 can't you calibrate the sticks? because it looks like yaw center point is off or so. looks like stick or accelerometer should be calibrated
Yes and I've calibrated correctly many times it's kind of random issues that appear about every other flight 🍻
I love the range tests, I love the time and effort you put into your vids mate, Big love to you and fam i hope little guy doing ok 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Hey Dustin - Thanks for this range test. I always enjoy your drone videos, and they are one of the things that encouraged me to get a drone.
I wonder if the chicken wire in the stucco of the house walls and the metal roof has any effect on your RC range, like maybe bouncing radio signals and producing some interference? If it were me I'd test it away from the house, like you did in Maui.
WOW! very impressive range this little one has. Mybe adding it to the fleet by Christmas. Cheers Dustin. As usual a great video, looking forward to the next. :)
You’re like the Bob Ross of drone flying ! Great video.. Looking to upgrade from the original mini to one of these. Thanks for posting !
Great analogy. I know exactly what you meant when you said "the Bob Ross of drone flying". Very relaxing, yet informative.
i have been waiting for this
Yooo! Love your videos man!
Hey, Dustin! I believe you lost connection simply because you lost the straight line to the drone... think about it , when you went over the hill you were pretty low above the tree tops and when you continue to fly at some point you just go beyond the point where you have a straight line to your RC.
I'm sure that if you fly in a different direction you will get a lot more range, just fly in a direction where the terrain goes down, like the location in Hawaii ;)
Nice video & scenes as always. Do keep us updated with the investigation of the IMU issue and if it is indeed a faulty device, do document the return and replace process.
Great enjoyable test review. Very impressive range and transmission performance in FCC mode👍
I love mine. No weird issues. Just go online and get it replaced DJI has great customer service. Mine got run over by a tractor and luckily i had the insurance, they sent me a new one, had it in 3 days.
Nice flight. I hope the bugs work out for you sooner than later. I found it particularly awesome that as I was watching I realized I grew up in the area. The house I was raised in is like a half mile NE of where you turned around on the first run. Small world. Definitely National Forest around you. That was one of my favorite things about living there, especially as a teenager. Lots of room to explore and camp.
Where is it, around the Flagstaff area?
Get the Windy app. As a paramotor pilot, I assure you, winds aloft definitely are "that crazy".
Ain’t that call the dominos app? 😏
The original Mini 3 Pro I had was what I called “crabbing” sometimes on the way out, sometimes on Return to Home, it also never lined up with the true magnetic poles, when one of the arms failed due to manufacturing issue I explained the crabbing effect and they said yes they have see that before, none the less mine was swapped out on warranty and the replacement has been everything you expect from a DJI drone.
I found one thing, the DJI RC was not as good as the RC-N1 and the RC-N1 is not as good as the RC Pro, at the end of the day we aren’t flying out that far often so it doesn’t matter, the RC Pro simply means that you can fly out until the drone requests a return to home because of battery, so there’s that…
None the less I am really annoyed and will probably be selling my RC Pro, Mini 3 Pro, DJI RC and my Mavic 3 because they are not going to be releasing a mobile SDK for either of those drones and as I use these drone for inspections they are useless to me without the ability to reproduce a flight. (As an example I use Dronelink for some repeatable flights on my air 2S) but if this isn’t possible on the Mavic 3 and mini 3 pro then it’s going to be sent away and I will be buying the competitions gear.
Anyway I digress to easily, thanks for the video
High voltage power lines can screw up the compass. Looks like a metal roof too. Be interested to see the next controller from the same location.
Good video Dustin. Great recording process and narration. The issues you are having with your drone have made me pause on getting one for now.
GREAT review on the distance flight!! Looking at the data while you were having difficulty with it drifting to the left, it seems like you were dealing with wind conditions,as it stopped drifting without you doing any changes to the drone itself. Have you seen any wind warnings pop up on the screen since you started flying it?It's possible that there may be certain amount of wind speed to to set it off,and you were below that threshold, or possibly the IMU,which you are having difficulty with, may be responsible. I'll continue to watch as you complete the series of tests, and maybe you will find out what causes this.
Good morning.
Sadly your video is not playing, I can hear the audio but no actual video. Seems to be a fault on just this video..
TH-cam confirmed it's and issue on their part. Hopefully resolved soon 🍻
Is there a way to extend the range even further with a longer/taller antenna or a base station? Looks like the primary control on range would be the ability of the drone to talk back to the control unit (as you were still able to send it commands even after it stopped getting data back to the unit).
I LOVE YOUR VIDS PLS KEEP MAKEING EM
Three miles with internal antennas is not bad.
Nice range test 👌.. waiting on the next one..👍..
Did you do anymore range test with the non screen dji controller for the mini 3 pro
Hey Dustin, best videos out there. Dustin, if you were to purchase a DJI drone for personal use " any model, older or newer" what would
it be? Thank again for all the great reviews etc.
Super late reply, but in case ur still curious I would suggest the Mini 3 Pro. Lots of the perks of the larger drones, but with a small, affordable package. It also has obstacle avoidance which is great as a fail safe.
If the Mini 3 Pro is too much money, then the mini 2 or mini 3 are also great options
Mavic Air 2 here, nothing but pure bliss, No issues at all.
Great video I waiting for my mini 3 pro to arrive so I've been watching all these videos. What are you using for a mic and hat cam. Thanks for any info in new to alk the TH-cam stuff and especially drones
As for the crooked and incorrect flight - my opinion: you are in a building, next to the roof, the surface of which, as I understand it, is made of steel. As a rule, metal (and metal structures) accumulate magnetization, this does not always happen, but this time this factor probably affected the sanity of the electronic compass in the copter. I may be wrong, but this is a probabilistic variant of incorrect operation of the copter compass.
Something interesting that I could turn my brain off and just enjoy. All while being insightful. Love it
Your IMU calibration error is most likely because of that big metal roof I notice the same problem when trying to launch off of a car roof and as soon as I removed it an placed it on the ground I had no issues instantly. The drone doesn’t like the magnet interference from metal objects hope this helps people that may be having this issue. Good flying my friends.
Heh, I swear, I was thinking the same thing.. :)
With this unit (which DJI has replaced) I also tried further away from the house and it needed a calibration every other flight. Always seemed to have head wander either way. New unit is fine 🍻
@@DustinDunnill yes I had the same issue few months ago.
@@DustinDunnillgood to hear they took care of you! How was the service procedure when you told them about it?
Just had to show proof of purchase, send it in (free shipping) they assessed and within the week I had a new one sent at no charge.
Always good range test video's, I'm still on the fence if I want the regular controller or this one with screen. Any suggestions?
I'll be doing same test with RC-N1 controller soon.. seems like if ultimate range is not your purpose, this RC with screen is great and all-in-one 🍻
Hey Dustin, thanks great video as ever! Will you be performing the same test with the RC-1 controller that came with the mini 2?
Yes, soon 🍻
Might be where you do your compass calibration. Possibly having some interference causing the drone to think its off when in normal magnetic field conditions while flying.
Hi im getting mine next week. Cant wait. The only problem is i live 10 miles from my local airport John Lennon Airport Liverpool and am in a restricted zone. But if i travel a few miles out im not in the red zone. Great apps to use for drone flying. UAV Forcast and Altitude Angel. Love the DJI brand. The best around.
You could make a great video. Over the Mersey?
@@andydunkerley8465 Good thinking. That's an idea 💡
Thanks!
You bet! Thank you! 🍻
Haven't seen any problems like that in any of the other reviews I've seen. Check out Captain Drones E-Bike video he just did, the active track is insane like better than Skydio II level. He uses it in all his reviews as a orbit camera. So glad to see you putting out content again, your reviews are the best of them all
Wow, not bad at all.... 3-1/2 miles is impressive! Great video, thanks!!!
Mine has only shown calibration needed when I've started it in or near my car. I notice your roof is metal, that might interfere with your drone 🤷🏻♂️🤔
Absolutely get away from that metal roof. It effects the need for calibration, effects the calibration itself, and effects the link transmission. It’s not conducive for really validating performance.
Great review, amazing craft really with no visible antennas for the distance it can achieve.
Also Dustin, that is really cool where your house is way up like that. What a cool place.
Is that mona Loa volcanoe really going off again. I wish it would stop for 50 more years.
I will never forget that bugger fissure 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to plug that bugger!!!!!!!
Stay Safe Man. Good Luck with the Mini 3 Pro, I love mine.
I finally did a color grade (not very good) learning cinelike with Premiere Pro.
Man what a steep learning curve, Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
I remember see you long ago with the mavic on a long flight. Good Fortune! Ray C.
which controller has a better range? The one with a screen or the one without a screen?
You can see the compass and the crosswind. Maybe pushed it a bit higher for the line of site
have mini 3 and do not ever have to recalibrate IMU, looks like you have a bad unit....
I think the imu problem is the rebar in that cement ur sitting it on
That was my thought as well. Plus, that owl was probably up to no good too.
No longer in Maui??
Hello dustin I've had 4 miles with the rcn1 standard controller the problem is with the dji rc low ram
Now if you want to really get some distance you can get it hooked up with the cell network for almost limitless control apart from the battery capacity.
How
I have been waiting for this 🤙🤙🤙👍👍👍✊✊✊!!
I like the idea of the extended range battery, however I like the drone weighing less than 250 grams more. Not to mention they are charging way way to much for one of them it’s nearly 100 bucks. I guess I’m going to get a mini3 , I can’t decide whether I want that controller with the screen or not. I wish we had more options in terms of purchasing drones in general. I’m considering a nano plus instead. I like how much the mini3’s camera rotates up though. DJI drones are outstanding, DJI as a company in general though, there’s just too much money grab happening. The cost of the mini3 batteries are a nice example of what I’m referring to. 300 dollar for 2 batteries and a charging hub is just too much.
I'm kinda on the same fence as you. I'm decided on the Mini 3 Pro but on which controller. Costco has a Mini 3 Pro Bundle for $840 which includes the Non-Screen controller, 3-249gm batteries, Charging cradle, and a 128 SanDisk card which I think is an amazing price. $900 for the Mini 3 Pro RC controller with single battery just doesn't seem worth it but I like so much the convenience of not using a phone....Ugh
Personally, I wouldn't buy the Autel Nano + .. it had terrible problems right from the beginning, not being able to fly against even a slight wind. After all kinds of updates, its stlll not great in any kind of wind, and, like most Autel drones, has horizon issues I've got the original Evo 1, so I'm not anti-Autel. I have the Mini 3 Pro with RCN1 TX & 3 std. batteries. Good luck.
If ultimate range doesn't matter to you I'd get the RC with screen. Very convenient not dealing with phone/tablet & cables 🍻
4:16 your controller might have some stick shift.
This video is loaded with usefull information! Very good, thank you for this upload.
Wow Great range test!!! I loved this one as I do all your videos, keep up your wonderful reviews and keeping up with the latest TEC and Go Drones!! Do you ever to into Albuquerque? or near Gallup NM?
I don't think the drone is drifting to the right, at least not in the way he thinks. With the sticks set straight ahead, any crosswind is going to create drift. That's normal behavior for any aircraft. Setting a course to a waypoint would eliminate the drift. I suspect setting it to waypoints would also increase range, because you probably can't control speed and directions as efficiently as the drone can and it might also decrease the energy used for constant inputs via radio communication.
I agree. If set to a waypoint it would also be flying diagonal just to stay on course. The heading and the direction are not the same with crosswinds.
Drone của DJi nó có khả năng kháng gió , mỗi loại có cấp kháng gió khác nhau, khi bay phải nhớ kiểm tra khu vực , nếu gió lớn thì không bay , như vậy sẽ không có chuyện Drone bay lệch so với hướng điều khiển !
I've experienced the same problem with my mini 3 pro... Contacted DJI and I will be receiving another one in a few days...We'll see if it is common in all of their Mini 3 Pros....My thinking is that they have a problem with the algorithm in the controller...When I fly away from me, you can see the drone yawing/circling when I let the control sticks go neutral, the drone self rights, returns to where it should have been looking/viewpoint during flight control...When using RTH it flies straight with no stick input...Hope that helps.....BTW it is not wind drift since it is always the same direction of rotation and as stated earlier, doesn't occur during RTH...
Welcome Dustin. Thanks for your consistency
What a beautiful area to live
Your drone descended to land away from you because it had to avoid the tree, I think. The landing sensors are always activated, regardless if the obstacle sensors are turned on or off.
Good point 🍻
The RC signal came back to full as soon as you got over that hill. If you were on top of that hill you probably would have had a lot more range. Earth was blocking your signal.
Another great video 👍
The air will be thinner at your altitude so the props need to work harder, difficult to estimate the detrimental effect though.
With external antennas, the add on reflectors work really well to extend range/signal strength. I wonder if something could be made to reflect signals on the the smart controller?
need to calibrate your controller joy sticks