Solution for P4 range/battery life issues - Updated with Contact from DJI!

[GadgetGuy]

ITs really unfortunate. I sold my P3P in anticipation of buying the P4, but Im holding off considering the news about the battery life and range. I wont be buying it unless its addressed, which means I'll be Phantomless. What a bummer.

Plenty of P3P's available to repurchase for a song.

 

[GadgetGuy]

For starters the remote output difference are irrelevant as controller signal will go far beyond what video will anyhow so the only real part interest is craft output

There are a million reasons for this, for starter when people are comparing are you selecting manual channels and the 4mb on both craft, you can't test this in auto as the craft may chose different channels.

Second CE areas get 75% less output that FCC and you have not seen people posting constantly about the poor range compared to FCC, I have flown a P3 with 16dbi almost 3 miles no problem.

Finally actually the P4 has 1db more in CE than the P3.

There are limited reports of Inspire users of having range issues since the latest controller FW update.

If your getting substantially less range than say the P3 you fist need to test both craft on the same channel and same data rate, make sure antennas are correctly aligned and of its the same I'd contact DJI support




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have already done exactly as you suggest and have already reported all my results ad nauseum. I know how to orient antennas and always use the same custom channel. I have over 250 flights and 4,000,000 feet on my P3P's. The P4 simply does not live up to its claim of a 3.1 mile range and 28 minute battery life, with the stock transmitter and battery. If you had a P4 and a P3P to run comparison flights, you would know this, too.

 

[Khyber]

Email sent, even though I'm getting more range with my Phantom 4 over my P3P. I do get an occasional pixilated video feed, but for a second or two.

 

[Mad_angler1]

I have already done exactly as you suggest and have already reported all my results ad nauseum. I know how to orient antennas and always use the same custom channel. I have over 250 flights and 4,000,000 feet on my P3P's. The P4 simply does not live up to its claim of a 3.1 mile range and 28 minute battery life, with the stock transmitter and battery. If you had a P4 and a P3P to run comparison flights, you would know this, too.

Having had the P3 since day one and and achieved this below consistently on 16dbm stock aircraft, I can tell you the small drop in power is not the cause of what you are seeing

People are also missing that the P4 has more output power than the last revision of the P3 Advance and Pro.

I have flown the P4 out to 1.2km so far and no issues at all again on 17dbm CE.

I have not pushed any further yet and I have no real intention of either.

Email sent, even though I'm getting more range with my Phantom 4 over my P3P. I do get an occasional pixilated video feed, but for a second or two.

This is normal behaviour





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GadgetGuy]

Having had the P3 since day one and and achieved this below consistently on 16dbm stock aircraft, I can tell you the small drop in power is not the cause of what you are seeing

People are also missing that the P4 has more output power than the last revision of the P3 Advance and Pro.

I have flown the P4 out to 1.2km so far and no issues at all again on 17dbm CE.

I have not pushed any further yet and I have no real intention of either.






This is normal behaviour





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So you are agreeing with me that you get 4.3 km with your P3P, but only 1.2 km with your P4? What battery life duration are you getting on your P4 flights, compared to your P3P, and compared to the 28 minute claim?

 

[FredzMaxxUAV]

FWIW, I get about 2 km with both my P4 with stock antennas and about 2.5 to 3 km with my P3P stock. (but sometimes also only 2 km)

 

[GadgetGuy]

FWIW, I get about 2 km with both my P4 with stock antennas and about 2.5 to 3 km with my P3P stock. (but sometimes also only 2 km)

I get the full 3 miles with my original stock P3P with its transmitter, but only get 6,700 feet with the P4 with its stock transmitter, before total loss of all signal. If I use my FPVLR v2 modded transmitter with 3.0A boosters with the P4, I have easily reached 3 miles with a few more dropouts than the P3P, but the "28 minute" P4 battery only lasts 15 minutes, so I have to turn around, and can't test further range.

 

[bighi]

So what is it that cripples the p4 because, as of right now, it can't go where my 3 went and I'm not liking the situation at all.

 

[FredzMaxxUAV]

So what is it that cripples the p4 because, as of right now, it can't go where my 3 went and I'm not liking the situation at all.

They will never admit it, but I'm sure it's by design!

 

[NormanNormal]

Good luck with that thought don't hold your breath, dji doesn't care about you or you complaints about their products. Js

Unfortunately I think we are the vocal minority. Maybe 1 out of 100 people are using these for long range and extended flights. Joe Schmoe casually using it to get shots of the beach or his trips to the park doesn't care about any of this and I think that is who DJI is catering to. They will still sell these like hotcakes with few complaints.

 

[ddh1313]

CostCo's solution is to only sell drones under .55 pounds that are exempt from registration. 500 foot range, $79, no FAA registration.
Propel Titanium 2.0 HD Sonic Drone with Camera
Costco Wholesale

That exact model was my mid-tier learner prior to the P3P. Lost it more times than I have fingers to count but it's invaluable (well the value of a Phantom i suppose) in learning the basics of quad behavior and flight orientation. Highly recommended.

 

[bighi]

Unfortunately I think we are the vocal minority. Maybe 1 out of 100 people are using these for long range and extended flights. Joe Schmoe casually using it to get shots of the beach or his trips to the park doesn't care about any of this and I think that is who DJI is catering to. They will still sell these like hotcakes with few complaints.

Yeah I think you're right :-( Every time I see another DJI flier out there in the fields, almost every time they are doing the kind of flying that a Hubsan X4 or Syma X5C could easily do. They pay for lightbridge but don't have the skill or stones to take it outside of a 300 foot radius. "Oh my god! It's so small now I can barely see it. I'm so scared I'm bringing it back in." Those guys will see flight times in the twenties. You see them all over the phantom 3 forums starting threads with the same header "hit a tree and broke my gimbal." These are the guys who will be so in love with the object avoidance that they will never even scratch the surface of the phantom 4's most glaring flaw. I long for the day I get out there in a flying spot somewhere ahnd run into a fellow long ranger instead of the typical up down back and forth, back and forth 300 foot radius. Just look at the "expert" reviews all over YouTube in the weeks prior to shipping. What did you see? Up down, left right, up, down. The whole time I'm like, man, can one of these guys show me sustained sport mode already? Flying like this.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[robinb]

Today with my P3A, fully stock.

3350 meters out and still full signal.

 

[bighi]

Today with my P3A, fully stock.

3350 meters out and still full signal.

Ah, the good old days of yore where phantoms could go kilometers......

 

[realsting]

I get the full 3 miles with my original stock P3P with its transmitter, but only get 6,700 feet with the P4 with its stock transmitter, before total loss of all signal. If I use my FPVLR v2 modded transmitter with 3.0A boosters with the P4, I have easily reached 3 miles with a few more dropouts than the P3P, but the "28 minute" P4 battery only lasts 15 minutes, so I have to turn around, and can't test further range.

Would be interesting if you repeated your range test in a completely new environment.. I'm wondering if you can get better than 6700ft.

 

[xlebullx]

Yeah I think you're right :-( Every time I see another DJI flier out there in the fields, almost every time they are doing the kind of flying that a Hubsan X4 or Syma X5C could easily do. They pay for lightbridge but don't have the skill or stones to take it outside of a 300 foot radius. "Oh my god! It's so small now I can barely see it. I'm so scared I'm bringing it back in." Those guys will see flight times in the twenties. You see them all over the phantom 3 forums starting threads with the same header "hit a tree and broke my gimbal." These are the guys who will be so in love with the object avoidance that they will never even scratch the surface of the phantom 4's most glaring flaw. I long for the day I get out there in a flying spot somewhere ahnd run into a fellow long ranger instead of the typical up down back and forth, back and forth 300 foot radius. Just look at the "expert" reviews all over YouTube in the weeks prior to shipping. What did you see? Up down, left right, up, down. The whole time I'm like, man, can one of these guys show me sustained sport mode already? Flying like this.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

So because a person doesn't fly long ranges they are less skilled? Only people willing to fly long ranges deserve a Phantom?

 

[Squeamish]

Unfortunately I think we are the vocal minority. Maybe 1 out of 100 people are using these for long range and extended flights. Joe Schmoe casually using it to get shots of the beach or his trips to the park doesn't care about any of this and I think that is who DJI is catering to. They will still sell these like hotcakes with few complaints.

Definitely. The Internet is fantastic at making people with fringe/rare beliefs perceive them as much more common/popular than they really are. Conspiracy theorists are the textbook example.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Would be interesting if you repeated your range test in a completely new environment.. I'm wondering if you can get better than 6700ft.

I've flown this same route over 150 times before with my stock P3P's and never lost signal, continuing on, to well over 3 miles. I am continuing testing with the P4 using Atti mode see if the battery life increases. I have solved the range problem, for me, by pairing the aircraft with my FPVLR modded RC, and reached 3 miles. Battery is the issue now, until I get a P4 battery modded. Already in the works!

 

[adambfarmer]

Here's my email.
What's up Frank! How's it hanging? Thanks for a great bird. Don't pay any attention to the naysayers. I flew today, UNDER OPTIMAL FLYING CONDITIONS, and was able to reach out to 20,100 feet with no video/signal problems. I would never have any use to fly out that far, but good to know that it will. I also appreciate the upgraded batteries. During my 21,200 foot flight I flew for 24 - 25 mins and still had 9% battery life when I landed. Thanks again, bro. I'm looking forward to future releases form all of you at DJI.

Oh but wait, what would I know? I've been a member here less than two months and I had a P3P for less than a month.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[GadgetGuy]

Here's my email.
What's up Frank! How's it hanging? Thanks for a great bird. Don't pay any attention to the naysayers. I flew today, UNDER OPTIMAL FLYING CONDITIONS, and was able to reach out to 20,100 feet with no video/signal problems. I would never have any use to fly out that far, but good to know that it will. I also appreciate the upgraded batteries. During my 21,200 foot flight I flew for 24 - 25 mins and still had 9% battery life when I landed. Thanks again, bro. I'm looking forward to future releases form all of you at DJI.

Oh but wait, what would I know? I've been a member here less than two months and I had a P3P for less than a month.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

Did you return the P4?