I installed the dongle today and it works great! I’m from The Netherlands and I’m using the sim card from my phone (Vodafone) and use my WiFi at home as a hotspot just to test it out. 3 km away and still a full 4G connection! 😁
@ReadeRomke drones can be over 249g it only affects where you can fly it? This is a popular mistake I see being made, the drone isn’t suddenly grounded if you go over 249g you just you it further away from people like you do a bigger drone
of all the auditor videos I've seen the police never weigh the drones - so if you say its a mini 3 or 4 pro then doesnt matter if youre using the extended battery lol
yeah same here dongle 1 works fine on my mavic 3 as well i got one inside my RC Pro and the other sits on the mavic 3 in its mounting cradle,also works with my mini 3 pro
@@Matanumi your propaganda commentary makes no sense. Dji is a Chinese brand. The drones that they sell in the west are not "western tech" just like 4G isn't anything revolutionary or advanced. It's just a service that Dji has not offered in other countries for a while, just like Apple for example does that for offering certain services or products or features outside of America sometimes.
@@Matanumicheap labor and immorally stealing every original design and doing a poor job of copying it and producing knock off products. Not miles ahead of anyone 😂🤣
for drones it seems less useful, but for Fixed-wing Drone it seems very useful especially with wings integrated with solar panels, Unlimited power, Unlimited distance and Unlimited range
Imagine you build a network of docking towers like cell phone towers through out the country and automatically dock it when ever battery is low. The practical use cases are endless for large scale delivery drones.
We need that kid from the a/c commercial , you know ? The one who made this a/c that made the air in his class drop too 65* in 15 minutes that led to his mates being able to concentrate and him being the hero. Now we need him to be ours and engineer a mini nuclear power cell that can be retrofitted onto a DJI.
Key limit : if you're out of "direct" range (on 3/4g), and you land, you have 3 minutes to take off again, or it will prohibit takeoff. The mobile dongle is more for back / noisy environments, rather than a occusync replacement. IIRC, you need 4mbit/s from the drone all the way to the controller for it to work properly.
I had to make an emergency landing once when it started raining hard on ME, without warning, while the drone was in sunshine. I landed in a friend's driveway. Of course I lost transmission for the last 10 meters or so of the landing. With this accessory, I would have landed on his front porch under cover.
Now we just need this in the drones by default for the next generation, im curious what the latency will be if it were to be implemented in the next gen Avata.
the dongle sold widely in china for about 75 pounds several months ago, now it is all about out of stock, including the official site. i used in UK, it can reach 8km range with my air3, full signal! with me sitting in door, the battery being the only limiter. now, we are virtually “stretching it” in every sense of the word, but it is a game changer.
@@swcblad Have you used the alientech antenna? I was flying with it yesterday and got no additional range in Urban area compared to using the DJI antenna. Curious if someone else achieved much better performance with the Alientech antenna
I see the the main benefit as being able to descend to a very low altitude at a long distance without losing the control signal. I doubt it's available in Japan, which is a shame.
I can only imagine the next generation of DJI drone will carry this feature on board without any dongle needed, and expect for a new series of remote too
@GAVINHR might do the paying 3 option then. I have a mini 3 pro at the mo and bought the dongle thinking it might be a chance of it running on the m3p. As the original dongle one from china could work on it. Albeit sone folk were locked out of it outside the Chinese mainland. My guess is it's only a software lockout if it doesn't work. So my options are upgrade to m4p or wait it out for air3 s. Chances are the dongle will be air 3 s compatible too. Or take my chances and get a dongle one from China. Would value your opinion on this thanks Gavin. All the best. Darren.
I’ve been searching TH-cam for a proper British review on this for the past couple of weeks as I know these are now out. I’m about to buy this for my mini 4 pro. I see the mounting kit is about a weeks wait. Please get the mini 4 pro review up when you get the mounting kit
Good video overall, but there's a big gap in the SIM card explanation. First you say the dongle needs a SIM, then you show a phone used as the display and say the phone has connectivity to the phone network, then say if you have the RC controller with display you can connect the phone to RC via WiFi. All confusing. 1. Does the dongle need a SIM regardless of the RC you use? And if so, what type? SIM cards change with model of phone, so what are the requirements? 2. If you use your phone, then a SIM card isn't needed for the dongle? Please explain. I had a Parrot (French) drone with cellular capability, but NO ONE at Parrot customer service (or the American dealer of the drone) could explain how to set up that feature. I tried for weeks, then returned the drone.
Dongle needs a sim 100% of the time, a nano sim which is the industry standard size these days. Then your RC / RC2 needs a cellular connection also which it will get from having cell service or in the case of RC2 you will need to hotspot it on location unless you have WiFi access. Hope this clarifies
@@GAVINHR Thanks Gavin. It helps, a little. Next question is what type of SIM to order? Big providers like Tmobile and Verizon state that "The SIM stores your account information and connects your device to the T‑Mobile network." When you buy and activate a SIM, you first have to tell the provider the make/model of your phone and then go through an activation process. Not possible with a dongle. I went through all this - with no results in sight - with the Parrot drone. So, what SIM do you buy and does it have to be on my mobile phone plan or can it be independent? The dongle must use the same 4G network, otherwise your RC cannot "talk" to the drone. This topic is more involved than it appears.
@peterinpensacola any mobile / network sim should work, why don’t you simply try the one out of your phone whilst connected to a WiFi home network? They don’t need to be the same network at all.
@@GAVINHR Gavin, it's not that simple. You can buy any nano SIM, but then how do you activate it? It won't work unless activated on someone's network. Agreed the dongle SIM does not have to be on the same phone plan as the RC phone (just as any mobile phone can call any other mobile phone), but the dongle SIM has to access somebody's network to work. How do you activate a SIM in a dongle? First thing they ask is what make/model of phone is it (they assume you are activating a phone)? When you tell the SIM provider you are activating a drone or a dongle for a drone they will be lost and tell you "not allowed." Been there, done that.
@@GAVINHR Good idea to try the SIM from my mobile phone, but then I'd have no phone for the RC to do a test! My provider will send all the free nano SIMS I want, but activating them (to gain access to mobile networks) is another story. Questions: 1. Does the dongle have an IMEI number? Every m0bile device requires one. 2. What SIM did you buy for your dongle and what was required to activate it? 3. Does the dongle need a voice plan or only data?
Excellent work Gavinhr! You are the first to post a clear video about this device. Here in Australia, the official DJI store shows this device as unavailable. Now I`m wondering if I try import and test it here would work. Do you have any extra information about dongle service availability in Australia? Cheers, take care!
Did you happen to test one out in Oz mate? The 4G dongle is currently available on Amazon Australia. I'm looking at buying the new Air 3S. It would be a bonus if we can actually get the dongle to work on an Aldi pay as you go sim or even a Telstra prepaid SIM. I'm in Melbourne 😎🇦🇺
@@sirnikolasI just bought one for my new 3S all the way from DJI Offical China, will see if it works. While researching the data plans, it seems Belong's $15 is the cheapest with sufficient data and flexibility!
@@mikeyang3776 good stuff mate! Also check out Aldi's pay as you go plans. We use their sims on alarm systems. Pretty good value. Can't wait to hear back. Good luck! I hope it works mate! 🤞🤞
not available in US because for some reason they wont give it a imei number and allow us users to pay for our own service on it via ISP, instead DJI wants it to be supported and provided service with in its infrastructure which no ISP in the US will agree to as that would be allowing access to there networks for free
Thank you for the review, it was very very useful. I wonder why only now they did it. The idea was in the air since the the first Phantoms back in 2015. This is perfect for city environment.
Huge advantage no matter where you live I can confidently say. Just because a drone is over 249g doesn’t make it illegal you just fly it further away from people. Take an A2 CofC and you can fly a drone up to 500g the same places as a sub 249g drone
I got my dongle last week and have had one flight so far. I flew from my garden but was unable to lose the O4 connection so didn't get the dangle to kick in. I will try again in a couple of days from my local flying site. Good video by the way.
So an excellent video. A recommendation as well, if going to the EU, Lebara is a good sim and allow 30GB at no extra charge.. enough for hotspots and drone flying especially in those built up areas. I live in an area full of old buildings that block the signal so tgis is perfect. Nothing more irritating than signal loss for a quickshot. Great video Gav.
At 5:01 u can see a prop and the arm from a drone but the dongle is yet only compatible with mini 4 pro and the air 3 so that means that he has leaked a picture of the mini 5 pro
I was expecting lag, the literature from DJI even says there could be lag, my HONEST feedback is there was none, the transition from ocusync to 4G was seamless and had full control with immediate response times at all distances, you know by now I’d tell it like it is and if there was issues I’d say, it was flawless.
@@GAVINHR Fantastic news! We were concerned that there might be a second or two delay, this is great. And it'll save people having to apply FCC mods all the time, just to get a decent signal 😁
Going to purchase one (when back in stock) for my Air 3, I sometimes lose signal briefly when filming big ships out in the Sea, It's most likely due to the ships own radar systems(sometimes the radar is off when they are waiting to dock)
Oh, my main question. For those of us still rocking an iPhone with unlimited data and with a physical SIM card, assuming the sizes are the same, can you use the SIM card from an already active iPhone or any other phone? And nearly a gig of data…? You should do a video on that and see how much data it takes to pilot the quad normally then get into the Dongleified setup. Thanks for the video!!
Nice one gavin been checking my phone since you last posted lol great review and literally just ordered, so hopefully, it will be here before i go away. I must say ive been looking, and i think you're the only one in the uk. As far as i can see, that's reviewed this most if what I've seen is from China. Well, as soon as it comes, I'll let you know and better make sure i got my spotters on the way to the moon 😂😂😂.
Well it’s important tech and really is a game changer so I wanted to get it out there as I really see the value in it - please do let me know how you get on !
All we need is a change in the laws and then DJI can add inductive charging and private homes can add landing pad and charger on their roof for a discount. We could literally use drones as private mail carriers. Imagine if we could use AI to send light equipment and products unlimited distances for deliveries.
Great little piece of technology. i like you also to inform subscribers of your channel and fans , Dji has lunched firmware update for Dji mini 3 pro on 15th of July .
With all of the current legal handwringing on DJI and worries of China capturing video without the user's consent I unfortunately doubt this will ever make it to the US. As shown in this video the feed is sent through a DJI proxy service to mirror back to the controller via the Internet. The paranoid will guess that they are capturing and spying on all of the footage.
DJI says no to me buying a Dongle 2, US. Could you do a Power Point drawing/slide about the data routing, I'm not sure but I thought I heard you say from controller -> phone 4G -> 4G network -> China data server -> 4G network -> 4G Dongle 2 ??
Yes both connect to an online server and communicate that way. You can buy the dongle but I don't know if it will work for you, apparently it is working perfectly in California with Tmobile/Verison
I was looking for this for some time, but there were no reviews and the Chinese said I have to buy 2 dongles one for the controller and another one for drone. But I see it is working with jist one. Thanks.
I did cover in the video but the short answer is you hotspot it to your phone and use your cell service that way or if you are flying from home also connecting it to home WiFi works
@@GAVINHR Ah thank you. That was the missing link. I can understand linking the RC2 with your cell phone as a hot spot but I still don't understand how my home wifi can connects to the cell network.
I can see that being good for those black spots did you happen to notice much extra battery draw obviously the dongle is drawing power if I had the air 3 would have considered this but not on the mini 4 pro hanging under like that with a cable great information as always Gavin cheers Buddy 👏👍
Hi Jim, always tough to judge as wind / temperature / speed / altitude will be different on every single flight so impossible to say yes or no but certainly didn’t notice any particular drop, I covered over 11km worth of flight and landed on 30%
Mini 3 pro new firmware out. Can you do the test and see if anything has changed ? Interesting video about the 4g. I think in uk this will be a limited use. (My opinion ) if DJI launch a cloud elimination service I will be the first to sub .
I’ve bought one to try test it on mini 3 pro too. Let’s hope it’s not locked out by the software. I do know there is the Chinese dongle 1 that works on the m3p but wanted to test this out first.
@@haroonvlogs5437I know I’m hoping for a lot. It could be the excuse needed to upgrade as from what I’ve read on forums. Buying the Chinese dongle 1 has its risks of being barred for used outside the Chinese mainland. I know some users have got theirs working but it would be my luck to have a bricked dongle a few days after buying it. 😂
Wow, excellent video! Didn't know I wanted this, haha. Once you said RTH kicks in if signal is lost sold me 🤑 I'll be waiting for the DJI Mini 4 follow up. Also, is it possible to toggle the 4G on and off mid-flight if there is a strong RC connection?
Can you go into the transmission tab and turn auto off and lock it to the 4g network only? To avoid any kind of wifi interference in the area if that's the case? Can it be locked to the 4g network?
If I understand this correctly you don’t have to put a SIM card in the 4G dongle in your drone but I use the SIM card from your phone by means of a hotspot. But how can your drone use the SIM card in your phone when it’s let say 500 meters away from you and it looses the RC connection?
@@GAVINHR 😂 They might protest heavily at first complaining that drones took their jobs, but then get too out of shape and lazy to bother. Meanwhile, drones are making their way around supermarkets, with shopping bags hanging from them, getting pissed off in each other’s way.
@@mcmach1 The battery will always be the gatekeeper. Where I see this 4G cellular advantage is in mountainous terrain where the RC connection has limited range.
I remember when this was also a thing that was done with the Parrot Disco FPV wing , not by Parrot but mods by users . it did not go through Parrots servers but it did work , I wonder how DJI needs the servers ? unless it is to collect extra money .
Love that you did this review, however please don't educate the public that it would be ok to fly BVLOS with a "spotter" strategically placed somewhere. A VO can't be away from the PIC. Surely you know better. Other than that, great vid ❤
For the purposes of point (2)(b), remote pilots may be assisted by an unmanned aircraft observer. In such case, clear and effective communication shall be established between the remote pilot and the unmanned aircraft observer.
@@GAVINHR Well, the CAA says this: The UA observer must be situated alongside the remote pilot and observers must not use aided vision (e.g. binoculars). Maybe I'm interpreting it incorrectly
You're right, that is what they advise, but its guidance, you know fine well as one of my longest supporters I don't do anything to cause negative comments regarding flying far which is why I don't show it however the fact is the passage above is the actual regulation, Yes I hear you, I know the rules of course but people often misinterpret guidance with rules. You would be shocked - very shocked at how vague the actual regulation is. it may be pushing the limits of public perceptions of what is allowed but in law - completely within limits. Hope this clarifies my friend.
@@GAVINHR It's true, and speaks to your second comment - law vs. regulations. I wasn't suggesting you're breaking any law. Because we're in the same situation here in Sweden. All the EASA regulations, none of that is actual law here, and so not enforceable in any way. This is set to change however, with a proposed update to current legislation, from July 1st, 2025. None of that has anything to do with the UK of course. Fly free, happy, and safe my friend 🌷
Great video mate thanks! Anyone know if the dongle will work in a country that's not listed? I'm in Australia and the 4G dongle is available to buy on Amazon Australia but will it work...
I have yet to purchase a DJI quad or even see one in person. That being said, if I was handed one, I could probably figure it out without much difficulty as thery are designed to be intuitive. That being said, that port where the dongle is installed looks like it’s not just an afterthought for nickel and dime add-ons, there’s purpose that compartment. Are there other “Dongles” ( gotta love that word) in the same form factor as the 4g bit of kit or is this it? And if this is it, these drones have been just cruising around waiting for someone to fill that void. All kinds of cool, weird, etc… Thanks for the video.
Well, I just found out that the 4g Dongle isn’t available in the US. I had to change the country in the DJI store and use a VPN before I found the UK dongle. Crazy. Thanks for the video nonetheless.
This is incredible. Now I can take a shit in my basement while flying my drone on the other side of the globe.
No, you cannot take off using 4K only.
Link to extended battery plz 😅
@@jakobergson My drone can =)
That is the most visceral, yet concise insight into the potential of this technology!
@@jakobergsoncan I take off with 1080P?
I installed the dongle today and it works great! I’m from The Netherlands and I’m using the sim card from my phone (Vodafone) and use my WiFi at home as a hotspot just to test it out. 3 km away and still a full 4G connection! 😁
Fantastic stuff! It’s certainly impressive kit - i appreciate you taking the time to feedback positive results
@@GAVINHRyou’re welcome!
Is there a way to get this to work in the United States??
Sorry for the neophyte question but how does your home WIFI connect to the cellular service?
hey Ron waar kocht je die, bedankt alvast
Sitting in my living room with the drone's video output on my TV would be incredible.
That's the feature I'm waiting for. Streaming to phones or a tv.
Let's be honest: you're gonna use the extended battery on the mini4 pro with this device anyways, so the weight limit is already out the window.
the irony is even sticking the operator ID on a drone can put it to 250g and thats a legal requirement
@GAVINHR Yeah, that's funny how that works. Gov is gonna force DJI to sell smaller batteries, too, just to have a compliance option.
And not allowed in Europe, it has to be under 250gram.
@ReadeRomke drones can be over 249g it only affects where you can fly it? This is a popular mistake I see being made, the drone isn’t suddenly grounded if you go over 249g you just you it further away from people like you do a bigger drone
of all the auditor videos I've seen the police never weigh the drones - so if you say its a mini 3 or 4 pro then doesnt matter if youre using the extended battery lol
Well informed video Gavin - Fantastic piece of kit - no more panicking anymore when starting to loose signal
Yep, 4G takes over, Ocusync is amazing but this is incredible
That is awesome. Im upgrading to the mini 4 now. The trees always get me. But not with that. Thanks for the video
I have also been using the enhanced transmission mode with my Mavic 3 and the Dongle 1, works very nicely
yeah same here dongle 1 works fine on my mavic 3 as well i got one inside my RC Pro and the other sits on the mavic 3 in its mounting cradle,also works with my mini 3 pro
Whats a realistic distance flight or is it literally unlimited if using 4g? Does the dongle help keep the HD high?
@RyanLeslie-t2d yep, literally if you have 4g you can fly as long as your battery will last
@GAVINHR thanks mate does it allow to enjoy that longer flight in fpv with the goggles 2? Thanks for swift reply great video too
@ truthfully I’ve never tried it with goggles so I can’t comment on that unfortunately however thank you I appreciate that!
Geez finally. This existed in China for awhile
Now we just need solar panels on our drones
Oh?
It's gross how far ahead Asia is from. Western tech
@@Matanumi your propaganda commentary makes no sense. Dji is a Chinese brand. The drones that they sell in the west are not "western tech" just like 4G isn't anything revolutionary or advanced. It's just a service that Dji has not offered in other countries for a while, just like Apple for example does that for offering certain services or products or features outside of America sometimes.
@@Matanumicheap labor and immorally stealing every original design and doing a poor job of copying it and producing knock off products. Not miles ahead of anyone 😂🤣
@@Matanumi jikes you're dumb
@@ryngrd1 are you a time traveler from the 90's recently arrived in 2024?
for drones it seems less useful, but for Fixed-wing Drone it seems very useful especially with wings integrated with solar panels, Unlimited power, Unlimited distance and Unlimited range
Great, concise video. First I’ve seen on the tech piece so far.
Thanks again!
Just wanted to say good video!
Thank you very much
it's must have in Europe... regulations here crippled signal strength... even the eye sight distance is hardly achievable
Yea I always utilize spotters too 😉
Got to be responsible eh! 😀
Doesn't everybody 😂
My spotter is very fit 😉
9:35 I like that bit about the spotters 😉
Imagine you build a network of docking towers like cell phone towers through out the country and automatically dock it when ever battery is low. The practical use cases are endless for large scale delivery drones.
We need that kid from the a/c commercial , you know ? The one who made this a/c that made the air in his class drop too 65* in 15 minutes that led to his mates being able to concentrate and him being the hero. Now we need him to be ours and engineer a mini nuclear power cell that can be retrofitted onto a DJI.
Or even just a way to land on a tall building and recharge with solar until the mini nuclear power cell is perfected 😂
Thanks for the great video. It arrived in my feed shortly after you published it so the TH-cam algorithm worked well.
I’ll take that! Thanks for watching
Key limit : if you're out of "direct" range (on 3/4g), and you land, you have 3 minutes to take off again, or it will prohibit takeoff.
The mobile dongle is more for back / noisy environments, rather than a occusync replacement.
IIRC, you need 4mbit/s from the drone all the way to the controller for it to work properly.
Yes all correct, 3 minutes is enough though but I think DJI could extend that in an update
First video of yours I've watched. Well done subscribed, keep them coming.
@@BDrechsel thank you kindly 👍
great video gavin i was wondering about real world testing of this dongle and youve just answered all my questions top man and of course top channel
Thank you very kindly! I tried to cover everything I could think of
Every time I watch your video I end up needing to spend money on new tech 😂
Yeeeeaaaahhhhh Sorry about that! use my link though yeah? :P
Great video mate!
I had to make an emergency landing once when it started raining hard on ME, without warning, while the drone was in sunshine. I landed in a friend's driveway. Of course I lost transmission for the last 10 meters or so of the landing. With this accessory, I would have landed on his front porch under cover.
Yep that would have been the case providing 4g coverage. I’ve tried it and it works exactly like that
Brilliant bit of kit nice review mate looking forward to seeing the mini 4 with it on
Thanks mate hopefully soon!
incredible technology, holy shit
It's just a 4g/lte dongle lol
Thanks for providing the super information.
Now we just need this in the drones by default for the next generation, im curious what the latency will be if it were to be implemented in the next gen Avata.
That would be nice, latency seemed fine for this, would it be enough for a fast FPV? would love to try it!
the dongle sold widely in china for about 75 pounds several months ago, now it is all about out of stock, including the official site. i used in UK, it can reach 8km range with my air3, full signal! with me sitting in door, the battery being the only limiter. now, we are virtually “stretching it” in every sense of the word, but it is a game changer.
Yep! Incredible range!
@@GAVINHRit makes FCC hack obsolete, and the much more expensive alien tech antenna so as well.
Wooooow! Incredible!👌👌👌👌
@@swcblad Have you used the alientech antenna? I was flying with it yesterday and got no additional range in Urban area compared to using the DJI antenna. Curious if someone else achieved much better performance with the Alientech antenna
@@MiguelGarciaNaude nope, because the price is too much for me, plus the size is also off putting...
I see the the main benefit as being able to descend to a very low altitude at a long distance without losing the control signal. I doubt it's available in Japan, which is a shame.
Yes indeed, Not sure about JPN maybe check with DJI support they may be able to advise :)
I can only imagine the next generation of DJI drone will carry this feature on board without any dongle needed, and expect for a new series of remote too
Yeah well hopefully they don’t cokkkblock certain countries like they’re doing now
Not for mini series for sure, due to weight issues.
@cantkeepitin it fits the mini 4 pro, DJI sell a mounting kit
Awesome! i need to save up for a mini 4 pro or the air 3 with this dongle attached.
Argos do 0% finance over 12 months
Yep! Or the best thing is open a very credit account and get 20% off!
@@GAVINHR at 44.9% APR I think I'll pass on that discount. 😅
@@CaledonianCoins you pay it off before the interest starts :)
@GAVINHR might do the paying 3 option then. I have a mini 3 pro at the mo and bought the dongle thinking it might be a chance of it running on the m3p. As the original dongle one from china could work on it. Albeit sone folk were locked out of it outside the Chinese mainland.
My guess is it's only a software lockout if it doesn't work. So my options are upgrade to m4p or wait it out for air3 s.
Chances are the dongle will be air 3 s compatible too.
Or take my chances and get a dongle one from China.
Would value your opinion on this thanks Gavin.
All the best.
Darren.
Freakin sweet dude!!! Mine is otw!!
I’ve been searching TH-cam for a proper British review on this for the past couple of weeks as I know these are now out. I’m about to buy this for my mini 4 pro. I see the mounting kit is about a weeks wait. Please get the mini 4 pro review up when you get the mounting kit
Of course! Apparently it’s coming Thursday, I ordered it on the 30th June so already been quite a while 🕣
@@GAVINHR interesting, on the dji store it’s saying estimated delivery is 23rd. Where have you got yours from?
Got it from the DJI store it’s the only place you can get it at the moment I believe
@@GAVINHR hello mate! Did the mounting kit turn up?
@paulhiggins5266 yes finally! Puts the mini 4 pro to 292g and works as expected !
Great review buddy. It's amazing the difference the 4g connection made 😮👍
Thanks matey!
Good video overall, but there's a big gap in the SIM card explanation. First you say the dongle needs a SIM, then you show a phone used as the display and say the phone has connectivity to the phone network, then say if you have the RC controller with display you can connect the phone to RC via WiFi. All confusing. 1. Does the dongle need a SIM regardless of the RC you use? And if so, what type? SIM cards change with model of phone, so what are the requirements? 2. If you use your phone, then a SIM card isn't needed for the dongle? Please explain. I had a Parrot (French) drone with cellular capability, but NO ONE at Parrot customer service (or the American dealer of the drone) could explain how to set up that feature. I tried for weeks, then returned the drone.
Dongle needs a sim 100% of the time, a nano sim which is the industry standard size these days. Then your RC / RC2 needs a cellular connection also which it will get from having cell service or in the case of RC2 you will need to hotspot it on location unless you have WiFi access. Hope this clarifies
@@GAVINHR Thanks Gavin. It helps, a little. Next question is what type of SIM to order? Big providers like Tmobile and Verizon state that "The SIM stores your account information and connects your device to the T‑Mobile network." When you buy and activate a SIM, you first have to tell the provider the make/model of your phone and then go through an activation process. Not possible with a dongle. I went through all this - with no results in sight - with the Parrot drone. So, what SIM do you buy and does it have to be on my mobile phone plan or can it be independent? The dongle must use the same 4G network, otherwise your RC cannot "talk" to the drone. This topic is more involved than it appears.
@peterinpensacola any mobile / network sim should work, why don’t you simply try the one out of your phone whilst connected to a WiFi home network? They don’t need to be the same network at all.
@@GAVINHR Gavin, it's not that simple. You can buy any nano SIM, but then how do you activate it? It won't work unless activated on someone's network. Agreed the dongle SIM does not have to be on the same phone plan as the RC phone (just as any mobile phone can call any other mobile phone), but the dongle SIM has to access somebody's network to work. How do you activate a SIM in a dongle? First thing they ask is what make/model of phone is it (they assume you are activating a phone)? When you tell the SIM provider you are activating a drone or a dongle for a drone they will be lost and tell you "not allowed." Been there, done that.
@@GAVINHR Good idea to try the SIM from my mobile phone, but then I'd have no phone for the RC to do a test! My provider will send all the free nano SIMS I want, but activating them (to gain access to mobile networks) is another story. Questions: 1. Does the dongle have an IMEI number? Every m0bile device requires one. 2. What SIM did you buy for your dongle and what was required to activate it? 3. Does the dongle need a voice plan or only data?
great review 😎👍
I'm guessing when starlink brings out the 4G to standard phones soon, that this will be an even bigger game changer. 🤔
Amazing video - I have not had a chance to test it my self yet
Thank you Henrik you need to !
Excellent work Gavinhr! You are the first to post a clear video about this device. Here in Australia, the official DJI store shows this device as unavailable. Now I`m wondering if I try import and test it here would work. Do you have any extra information about dongle service availability in Australia? Cheers, take care!
I would love to be able to say yes but sadly I do not have that info, Maybe check with DJI support and see what they can advise ? thanks for watching
Did you happen to test one out in Oz mate? The 4G dongle is currently available on Amazon Australia. I'm looking at buying the new Air 3S. It would be a bonus if we can actually get the dongle to work on an Aldi pay as you go sim or even a Telstra prepaid SIM. I'm in Melbourne 😎🇦🇺
@@sirnikolasI just bought one for my new 3S all the way from DJI Offical China, will see if it works. While researching the data plans, it seems Belong's $15 is the cheapest with sufficient data and flexibility!
@@mikeyang3776 good stuff mate!
Also check out Aldi's pay as you go plans. We use their sims on alarm systems. Pretty good value.
Can't wait to hear back. Good luck! I hope it works mate! 🤞🤞
Unreal. I am buying this today
not available in US because for some reason they wont give it a imei number and allow us users to pay for our own service on it via ISP, instead DJI wants it to be supported and provided service with in its infrastructure which no ISP in the US will agree to as that would be allowing access to there networks for free
Thank you for the review, it was very very useful. I wonder why only now they did it. The idea was in the air since the the first Phantoms back in 2015. This is perfect for city environment.
A sneaky shot of Helsinki 😊 Nice one Gavin
No advantage using in the Uk. In fact for the mini drones it takes them over 250 gms.
Huge advantage no matter where you live I can confidently say. Just because a drone is over 249g doesn’t make it illegal you just fly it further away from people. Take an A2 CofC and you can fly a drone up to 500g the same places as a sub 249g drone
Superb info - I agree, a game changer - no doubt! Thanks mate
You’re welcome thanks for watching!
DJI needs to release a Wing now.
That would be so cool like the parrot one
I got my dongle last week and have had one flight so far. I flew from my garden but was unable to lose the O4 connection so didn't get the dangle to kick in. I will try again in a couple of days from my local flying site. Good video by the way.
O4 is about as good as they come, I was surprised it lost connection so soon on this flight but hey at least its a solid back up!
Yes, once you use o4, very hard to go back to say, o2
So an excellent video. A recommendation as well, if going to the EU, Lebara is a good sim and allow 30GB at no extra charge.. enough for hotspots and drone flying especially in those built up areas. I live in an area full of old buildings that block the signal so tgis is perfect. Nothing more irritating than signal loss for a quickshot. Great video Gav.
@@donology funnily enough I just got one. MSE doing £1 a month for 7 months, 15 gig. Monthly rolling contract.
Thanks for that feedback my friend! hope yours arrives soon!
At 5:01 u can see a prop and the arm from a drone but the dongle is yet only compatible with mini 4 pro and the air 3 so that means that he has leaked a picture of the mini 5 pro
he used it with his Air 3 as he does not have the mini 4 holder for the Dongle 2 yet .
Fantastic video, I've been waiting for someone to cover this 👍👍👍
Thank you !
Vert useful video. It would be good if DJI inbuilt the 4G module in future drones
I think that will come in due course, or the drone will have a direct sim slot or ESIM capabilities
Given the data and connection between drone and controller is being routed through servers based in China, what's the lag like Gavin?
I was expecting lag, the literature from DJI even says there could be lag, my HONEST feedback is there was none, the transition from ocusync to 4G was seamless and had full control with immediate response times at all distances, you know by now I’d tell it like it is and if there was issues I’d say, it was flawless.
@@GAVINHR Fantastic news! We were concerned that there might be a second or two delay, this is great. And it'll save people having to apply FCC mods all the time, just to get a decent signal 😁
I think it is connecting through China DJI servers but transmision is directly p2p between drone and cellural phone.
Well this is legal so nobody can complain I guess !
I wonder if the servers are actually in the UK or Europe.
Going to purchase one (when back in stock) for my Air 3, I sometimes lose signal briefly when filming big ships out in the Sea, It's most likely due to the ships own radar systems(sometimes the radar is off when they are waiting to dock)
Yep, I film vessels also and have the same problem although often I’m on board taking off from them :)
Oh, my main question. For those of us still rocking an iPhone with unlimited data and with a physical SIM card, assuming the sizes are the same, can you use the SIM card from an already active iPhone or any other phone?
And nearly a gig of data…? You should do a video on that and see how much data it takes to pilot the quad normally then get into the Dongleified setup.
Thanks for the video!!
Yep you sure can 👌
so as there has a 4g connection there can still fly no matter the distance right?
Nice one gavin been checking my phone since you last posted lol great review and literally just ordered, so hopefully, it will be here before i go away. I must say ive been looking, and i think you're the only one in the uk. As far as i can see, that's reviewed this most if what I've seen is from China. Well, as soon as it comes, I'll let you know and better make sure i got my spotters on the way to the moon 😂😂😂.
Well it’s important tech and really is a game changer so I wanted to get it out there as I really see the value in it - please do let me know how you get on !
Definitely. Thanks for the video
Great video, of course! 😊
Thank you very much
Thank you for this great video however, I cannot find the link where to buy the dongle from
Need this, and waiting for ur next video for dji mini pro 4
All we need is a change in the laws and then DJI can add inductive charging and private homes can add landing pad and charger on their roof for a discount. We could literally use drones as private mail carriers. Imagine if we could use AI to send light equipment and products unlimited distances for deliveries.
This is an excellent video. Thank you so much👏👏👏👏
Thank you for watching!
This is what I've waited for so long.. can you make a range test where you're inside the house eating popcorn???
What popcorn? Salted, sweet or toffee?
“Chicago Style” popcorn. Sounds gross, is delicious.
You could test the Dongle with the new update that came out today. V00.02.0023 and let us know if you felt any improvement in performance?
Great little piece of technology.
i like you also to inform subscribers of your channel and fans , Dji has lunched firmware update for Dji mini 3 pro on 15th of July .
Hi there, yes, it was a weird one as there were no new release notes, there were also updates for other models
Great video young man 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😎
Thanks very much! hope it was informative
@@GAVINHR it was perfect straight to the point 👍🏻
It would have been a better example had you reduced the height behind the trees or landed in the open grassed area
Impressive, this is the video I needed to see 👍
Glad I could help
It's out of stock since today because of you!
Oops! I am sure DJI won't mind though!
Must watch game changer. Thanks mate!
I hope DJI brings the dongle to America soon!
With all of the current legal handwringing on DJI and worries of China capturing video without the user's consent I unfortunately doubt this will ever make it to the US. As shown in this video the feed is sent through a DJI proxy service to mirror back to the controller via the Internet. The paranoid will guess that they are capturing and spying on all of the footage.
I'm not sure when this video was posted, but it looks like I can get it here in California…
@Magicinstalls oh that’s nice! Thanks for letting me know
As of 10/24, can NOT get it in California (at least from DJI's site). ;(
Thinking of buying DJI Air 3s, does the drone need registration to fly around outside of No-Fly zones?
Generally most countries will require registration for a drone that size yes 👍
Very neat technology!
DJI says no to me buying a Dongle 2, US. Could you do a Power Point drawing/slide about the data routing, I'm not sure but I thought I heard you say from controller -> phone 4G -> 4G network -> China data server -> 4G network -> 4G Dongle 2 ??
Yes both connect to an online server and communicate that way. You can buy the dongle but I don't know if it will work for you, apparently it is working perfectly in California with Tmobile/Verison
I was looking for this for some time, but there were no reviews and the Chinese said I have to buy 2 dongles one for the controller and another one for drone. But I see it is working with jist one. Thanks.
Sorry for the neophyte question but how does the RC2 controller connect to the cellular service?
I did cover in the video but the short answer is you hotspot it to your phone and use your cell service that way or if you are flying from home also connecting it to home WiFi works
@@GAVINHR Ah thank you. That was the missing link. I can understand linking the RC2 with your cell phone as a hot spot but I still don't understand how my home wifi can connects to the cell network.
@@DarR1299 Drone 4G data --> Online server --> Your WiFi or second sim.
I can see that being good for those black spots did you happen to notice much extra battery draw obviously the dongle is drawing power if I had the air 3 would have considered this but not on the mini 4 pro hanging under like that with a cable great information as always Gavin cheers Buddy 👏👍
Hi Jim, always tough to judge as wind / temperature / speed / altitude will be different on every single flight so impossible to say yes or no but certainly didn’t notice any particular drop, I covered over 11km worth of flight and landed on 30%
Brilliant video. Looking forward to mine on Wednesday.
Does it definitely only use data? Doesn't ever send a text?
Nope just data !
Mini 3 pro new firmware out. Can you do the test and see if anything has changed ?
Interesting video about the 4g. I think in uk this will be a limited use. (My opinion ) if DJI launch a cloud elimination service I will be the first to sub .
I’ve bought one to try test it on mini 3 pro too. Let’s hope it’s not locked out by the software.
I do know there is the Chinese dongle 1 that works on the m3p but wanted to test this out first.
@@CaledonianCoins I don’t think it works with mini 3 or mini 3 pro .
@@haroonvlogs5437I know I’m hoping for a lot. It could be the excuse needed to upgrade as from what I’ve read on forums. Buying the Chinese dongle 1 has its risks of being barred for used outside the Chinese mainland. I know some users have got theirs working but it would be my luck to have a bricked dongle a few days after buying it. 😂
Doesn't work with the mini 3 😊
Super video upload --- Thanks for information 😃👍😉
You are very welcome!
This is marvelous! I have the Air 2S currently. I'm guessing this is not an option for that drone? I am however getting the Air 3S when it comes out
Wow, excellent video! Didn't know I wanted this, haha. Once you said RTH kicks in if signal is lost sold me 🤑 I'll be waiting for the DJI Mini 4 follow up. Also, is it possible to toggle the 4G on and off mid-flight if there is a strong RC connection?
Yes, unless its running on the 4G and you have O4 you can turn it off
Will this cellular dongle work with DJI O3 Air Unit on a non-DJI drone?
No sadly this is just for the drones themselves
Can you go into the transmission tab and turn auto off and lock it to the 4g network only? To avoid any kind of wifi interference in the area if that's the case? Can it be locked to the 4g network?
can i use another AI powered drone as a spotter. They can spot each other.
Your spotter has good eyesight if he can see your drone that far away. As per CAA rules spotter has to be stood next to you.
wrong... read the law rather than guidance.
www.caa.co.uk/publication/download/17981?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR25XLd44Uc9k3g8Kux45zBcSkhpiSL12jSDbl4d6hj8h3y3RceRU8cQDxw_aem_5afdDigrRadUolkT5akHaQ
Great video 💯
Brilliant info, thanks.
If I understand this correctly you don’t have to put a SIM card in the 4G dongle in your drone but I use the SIM card from your phone by means of a hotspot. But how can your drone use the SIM card in your phone when it’s let say 500 meters away from you and it looses the RC connection?
BVLOS drone to shop biscuit collection is closer to reality 😅
Carrier pigeons are out of a job it seems… 😂
@@GAVINHR 😂 They might protest heavily at first complaining that drones took their jobs, but then get too out of shape and lazy to bother. Meanwhile, drones are making their way around supermarkets, with shopping bags hanging from them, getting pissed off in each other’s way.
Does it work in australia? Im thinking of getting one when u return to the uk as you cant purchase in Australia.
Get one on Aliexpress
I dont get it? If i fly as far as my battery allows before it complains about returning wont that just deem this useless?
useless to you but not to some others .
@@uptowndisco2 so tell me how you go beyond the battery capacity??
@@mcmach1 The battery will always be the gatekeeper. Where I see this 4G cellular advantage is in mountainous terrain where the RC connection has limited range.
*Can you do a city test please?*
Yes that’s already completed I just need to put the video together
I remember when this was also a thing that was done with the Parrot Disco FPV wing , not by Parrot but mods by users . it did not go through Parrots servers but it did work , I wonder how DJI needs the servers ? unless it is to collect extra money .
Love that you did this review, however please don't educate the public that it would be ok to fly BVLOS with a "spotter" strategically placed somewhere.
A VO can't be away from the PIC. Surely you know better.
Other than that, great vid ❤
For the purposes of point (2)(b), remote pilots may be assisted by an unmanned
aircraft observer. In such case, clear and effective communication shall be
established between the remote pilot and the unmanned aircraft observer.
Difference between guidelines and regulations my friend :)
@@GAVINHR Well, the CAA says this:
The UA observer must be situated alongside the remote pilot and observers must not use aided vision (e.g. binoculars).
Maybe I'm interpreting it incorrectly
You're right, that is what they advise, but its guidance, you know fine well as one of my longest supporters I don't do anything to cause negative comments regarding flying far which is why I don't show it however the fact is the passage above is the actual regulation, Yes I hear you, I know the rules of course but people often misinterpret guidance with rules. You would be shocked - very shocked at how vague the actual regulation is. it may be pushing the limits of public perceptions of what is allowed but in law - completely within limits. Hope this clarifies my friend.
@@GAVINHR It's true, and speaks to your second comment - law vs. regulations. I wasn't suggesting you're breaking any law. Because we're in the same situation here in Sweden. All the EASA regulations, none of that is actual law here, and so not enforceable in any way.
This is set to change however, with a proposed update to current legislation, from July 1st, 2025.
None of that has anything to do with the UK of course.
Fly free, happy, and safe my friend 🌷
Does it work in South America?
Wonder if the Dongle 2 and Mini 4 mounting kit takes the combo over the weight limit. Will wait for the review when you get the Mini 4 kit.
It takes. But in EU you can reclassify it from C0 to C1.
It does take it over I did say in the video but as the other person just said it puts it in C1
@@jakobergson WHat about UK and the CAA?
@@videolan same deal .
thanks for this....didnt realize the dongle was an option.
It is newly launched so its understandable you may not have seen it :)
Great video mate thanks!
Anyone know if the dongle will work in a country that's not listed? I'm in Australia and the 4G dongle is available to buy on Amazon Australia but will it work...
I have yet to purchase a DJI quad or even see one in person. That being said, if I was handed one, I could probably figure it out without much difficulty as thery are designed to be intuitive. That being said, that port where the dongle is installed looks like it’s not just an afterthought for nickel and dime add-ons, there’s purpose that compartment.
Are there other “Dongles” ( gotta love that word) in the same form factor as the 4g bit of kit or is this it? And if this is it, these drones have been just cruising around waiting for someone to fill that void. All kinds of cool, weird, etc…
Thanks for the video.
Great video. Would this work with the Goggles 3 / RC2 / Air 3 combo?
Well, I just found out that the 4g Dongle isn’t available in the US. I had to change the country in the DJI store and use a VPN before I found the UK dongle. Crazy. Thanks for the video nonetheless.
Did it work well once you got it?
Did you get one?
This is what im trying to find out. Im in the US and im going to get one if it works