If you have a drone, you need to have a rough understanding of its range and battery life. This ensures that you don’t lose control and damage your drone by flying too far away. So, how far can the DJI FPV go?
DJI advertises that it can fly for 6.2 miles (10 km). But, due to the limited battery range, most users report being able to achieve around 2 miles (4 km) before being required to return to base. If there is poor weather, the range might be lower than this, as more battery power will be required.
It should be noted that the range of your DJI FPV isn’t fixed. The way you fly and the conditions you are facing can have an impact. Read on to learn more about how to get the best performance from your drone.
What Is The Range Of The DJI FPV?
According to the DJI specifications, you will be able to get 6.2 miles (10 km) of transmission. This is very impressive within the world of First Person View (FPV) FPV drones.
However, you might struggle to achieve these distances. For example, YouTuber, Nurk FPV did a long-range test. He found that the drone had an effective distance of around 2.4 miles (4km). After this time, the battery was running low and it was time to return home. You should also pay attention to the video quality. If it starts to drop, it could be a sign that you are reaching the edge of the drone’s range.
It’s recommended that you don’t push this drone to the limits of its range. Within 2 miles, you shouldn’t have any problems with getting the drone back.
What Affects The Range Of The Drone?
As we mentioned, the range of the drone can sometimes vary. Here are some of the elements that will affect the range of your drone:
- The mode you are using it in. If you want to increase the range, you can try using it in Sport mode, rather than FPV mode.
- Weather. Wind or rain might have an impact on the signal strength, limiting the drone range. Sometimes, you will get a tailwind to drain the battery.
- Landscape. Sometimes, obstacles like trees and mountain ranges might impact the connection you have with these drones. Some people like to fly it as far as possible, to test the range. While this can be fun, it’s best to choose a flat, open ground. This will make it easier to spot the drone when you want to pick it up.
- Recording mode. If you want to maximize the range, you will need to turn off the recording mode.
What Happens When The Drone Goes Out Of Range?
There are a few things that can happen when the drone goes out of range. These options are:
- Hover. The drone will freeze and hover in place until you can get back within range and re-take control of the drone.
- Land. The drone will find a suitable place to land until you can retrieve it.
- Return to home. At the start of the flight, you will need to set GPS coordinates as home. If the drone loses the signal, it will fly back to this location. This is the recommended setting for the drone.
If you are concerned about what your drone will do, you can test it out first. To do this, you simply need to fly it relatively close and turn off the controller. Sometimes, it will fly into the air, before landing on the ground safely. If this test goes wrong, you should be close enough to reconnect the remote and establish control of your drone.
What Is The Battery Life Of The DJI FPV?
Often, the biggest limiting factor on the DJI FPV isn’t the controller connection. It will be a limited battery life. Most of the time, you will only be able to fly for 20 minutes at a time. This is less than similar FPV brands, which can often get 30 minutes.
There are a few elements that can impact the effective range of the drone. These include:
- Weather conditions. If you are facing headwinds, it will require more energy to fly forwards. As a result, you will deplete the battery faster. It should be noted that you will need to pay attention to the temperature when you start flying the drone. The battery can only be safely operated between -10 to 40 degrees Celsius (14 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Flying speed. If you are pushing the speed or maneuverability of the drone to its limits, you might end up lowering battery power faster.
It should be noted that this drone comes equipped with a smart battery. This means that it will be monitoring the range of the drone and the battery levels. It will then send out an alert when it thinks you are getting close to the maximum effective range. You can choose to ignore this warning, though you might not have the battery power needed to get back to the starting point.
If you are in a remote area, you can have replacement batteries. These can be slotted into the drone and you can quickly get back into the air.
How To Improve The Range Of The DJI FPV?
If you want to improve the range of your drone, there are a few simple techniques you can try. These include:
- Choose your location carefully. It’s a good idea to fly in areas that don’t have a lot of natural obstacles, like trees or houses, that can block the signal. It’s also a good idea to avoid flying around cell phone towers. The signal from the tower can interfere with the one from your drone controller.
- Check the antennae on your controller. If you are having problems getting a long-range, you might want to check the controller. Sometimes, something as simple as tightening loose antennae can be the solution to the problem.
However, due to the limited battery life, the range of the DJI Fly will be fairly limited. If you want, you can set up battery drops in advance and have friends in place to replace the dead batteries. Or you can take it on a one-way flight.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning on getting a DJI Fly drone, you should be aware of the range. Most of the time, you will be able to get around 1-2 miles away before the battery warning kicks in and you have to return to base. This should give you plenty of space to explore on your flights.
