Urban distance test. Heavy interference

[Madhungarian]

With all due respect, drone video shot at 400' is uncompelling. Might as well use Google Earth. The video you linked is at roughly 400 feet over a heavily unoccupied industrial area, flying along the train tracks, when no one is around. The Mavic 2 can be flown over heavily residential areas at 50' AGL out to 5 miles at any time of the day or night with clear LOS. 5 Mhz is the lowest video quality transmission setting on the EVO which it requires for anything past 1.5 miles. You can dumb the video transmission quality down on the Mavic 2 as well, but it supports 1080p, so why would you want to? I have been flying DJI since 2015, and Autel since February this year with the EVO. If you have no experience with the latest DJI Occusync 2.0, present on the Mavic 2 since August 2018, which is a dual band 5.8Ghz and 2.4Ghz transmission, which switches seamlessly between channels and bands as necessary for rock steady FPV, you don't know what you are missing. EVO has no 5.8Ghz band. EVO is solely 2.4Ghz Wifi. EVO was supposed to to have a 900Mhz band to supplement the poor, plain 2.4Ghz wifi band, but it was stripped out of all the production models, but is still referenced in the owners manual, as being an available option. YMMV.

"Mavic 2 can be flown over heavily residential areas at 50' AGL out to 5 miles at any time of the day or night with clear LOS"
I am sorry but there is no way that will ever happen. I do not want to offend you but your not right.
Lets see the video. I watch them all the time and
I would really like to see you even go out 2 miles at that height in heavy interference. There is no way.
Even with extenders you cannot go out more than a mile with DJI and this person Mr Kent was at 200 feet.

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Here is another video of the EVO going out 3 plus miles with alot of interference.

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[G_G]

"Mavic 2 can be flown over heavily residential areas at 50' AGL out to 5 miles at any time of the day or night with clear LOS"
I am sorry but there is no way that will ever happen. I do not want to offend you but your not right.
Lets see the video. I watch them all the time and
I would really like to see you even go out 2 miles at that height in heavy interference. There is no way.
Even with extenders you cannot go out more than a mile with DJI and this person Mr Kent was at 200 feet.

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With respect, I would not have stated it if it weren't true from my own personal experience, with over a dozen completely stock P4P's, and both my M2P and M2Z. Four plus miles is a given, with the stock battery on all three. 5 miles is, however, difficult to test with only the stock battery, but I have absolutely no reason to question it, as I don't fly straight out and back for purposes of testing the range, and most flights are around 55,000 feet total, to under 10% remaining battery. I would need external batteries to prove the 5 mile range. My secret, if you wish to call it that, is that I fly from 250' above sea level out to 25 feet above sea level or lower with a clear LOS. The altitude is negative the entire time. Really helps, and it clearly establishes that heavy interference at 50 feet over the ground is not a problem for Occusync or Occusync 2.0 over heavily urban wifi areas. EVO has to be flown at a minimum of 400 feet over the same terrain, with its poor Wifi 2.4Ghz, to get more than a mile, under the exact same conditions. With amps, antenna mods and external batteries on P3P and P4 aircraft, 5+ miles was the rule, along with 30 minute flights, but all that Star Wars gear weighs a ton, and is hardly easily portable. Alas, their older 60mbps 4K video cameras don't hold a candle to the stellar image quality of the 100mbps 4K of the P4P, M2P, M2Z, and for that matter, the EVO, so I no longer use them. I'm reluctant to add all that cumbersome and expensive Star Wars equipment to the EVO, and am content to keep the EVO instead as an excellent 4K 60fps drone camera, for flight within a mile where DJI's GEO interferes. That's the EVO's real forté.

 

[Madhungarian]

With respect, I would not have stated it if it weren't true from my own personal experience, with over a dozen completely stock P4P's, and both my M2P and M2Z. Four plus miles is a given, with the stock battery on all three. 5 miles is, however, difficult to test with only the stock battery, but I have absolutely no reason to question it, as I don't fly straight out and back for purposes of testing the range, and most flights are around 55,000 feet total, to under 10% remaining battery. I would need external batteries to prove the 5 mile range. My secret, if you wish to call it that, is that I fly from 250' above sea level out to 25 feet above sea level or lower with a clear LOS. The altitude is negative the entire time. Really helps, and it clearly establishes that heavy interference at 50 feet over the ground is not a problem for Occusync or Occusync 2.0 over heavily urban wifi areas. EVO has to be flown at a minimum of 400 feet over the same terrain, with its poor Wifi 2.4Ghz, to get more than a mile, under the exact same conditions. With amps, antenna mods and external batteries on P3P and P4 aircraft, 5+ miles was the rule, along with 30 minute flights, but all that Star Wars gear weighs a ton, and is hardly easily portable. Alas, their older 60mbps 4K video cameras don't hold a candle to the stellar image quality of the 100mbps 4K of the P4P, M2P, M2Z, and for that matter, the EVO, so I no longer use them. I'm reluctant to add all that cumbersome and expensive Star Wars equipment to the EVO, and am content to keep the EVO instead as an excellent 4K 60fps drone camera, for flight within a mile where DJI's GEO interferes. That's it's real forté.

I cannot find any videos of a mavic going out 4 plus miles in heavy interference unless its closer to 400ft and higher with a modified battery. Do you know any?
As you can see this guy went out much farther but its modified however he is still much higher ending at 1200ft.

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Even with 4hawks 4 watt booster you not going farther than 5km=3.1 miles.

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[G_G]

I know you are skeptical, but these types of flights don't get posted on YT for what should be obvious reasons. Below are two screenshot log file crops from a recent flight with a new battery on my completely stock P4P (except for a $15 windsurfer). DJI only advertises a 4.3 mile range for the P4P. Mavic 2 advertises a full 5 miles. Note the 4 foot elevation, which was only positive because I had just cleared the top of a building that blocked my clear LOS. When you fly from the top of a hill into negative elevation, with clear LOS (instead of from your backyard, blocked by your own rooftop, over level surrounding ground, where you have to fly higher the farther away you are), you will get great range with aircraft that are truly capable of such range. Below, the total distance away was 3.96 miles at 4 feet above my launch elevation, not 400 feet above it. Note remaining battery at 43%. Total flight distance was 11.9 miles in 25 minutes. YMMV.

 

[Madhungarian]

I know you are skeptical, but these types of flights don't get posted on YT for what should be obvious reasons. Below are two screenshot log file crops from a recent flight with a new battery on my completely stock P4P (except for a $15 windsurfer). DJI only advertises a 4.3 mile range for the P4P. Mavic 2 advertises a full 5 miles. Note the 4 foot elevation, which was only positive because I had just cleared the top of a building that blocked my clear LOS. When you fly from the top of a hill into negative elevation, with clear LOS (instead of from your backyard, blocked by your own rooftop, over level surrounding ground, where you have to fly higher the farther away you are), you will get great range with aircraft that are truly capable of such range. Below, the total distance away was 3.96 miles at 4 feet above my launch elevation, not 400 feet above it. Note remaining battery at 43%. Total flight distance was 11.9 miles in 25 minutes. YMMV.
View attachment 5218

View attachment 5219

I guess with your specific preferences(taking off at the top of a hill) yes you can go out 4 miles I am talking about more real world scenarios in which the pilot takes off in heavy interference. Let's agree to disagree. Have a great night\day.

 

[G_G]

I guess with your specific preferences(taking off at the top of a hill) yes you can go out 4 miles I am talking about more real world scenarios in which the pilot takes off in heavy interference. Let's agree to disagree. Have a great night\day.

My point was comparing the EVO's poor Wifi signal to DJI's Occusync. Under the exact same scenario, the EVO video and signal become unreliable beyond one mile, while Occusync and Occusync 2.0 deliver a consistent 4+ miles at very low elevations to the ground where interference is at its greatest. The EVO WiFi signal becomes unstable even at 400 feet AGL beyond a mile for me. Good, civil discussion. Safe flying! Ciao!

 

[Ansia]

@Madhungarian what G_G says is true. Ocusync allows you to fly farther and lower than any other brand, even in high interference areas. Although 5 miles at 50' AGL is a bit hard to believe. I have a Phantom with Ocusync and can attest to that.

@G_G I see you got yourself a M2Z and M2P. Did you get to sell your Evo? If not do you still fly it?

 

[Heckmaniac`s Drone]

Sorry, I thought VLOS required that the pilot must be able to see the UAV with the naked eye (glasses or contact lenses allowed) well enough to know it’s direction of travel and to see anything around it that was likely to present a potential hazard. Could anybody really see something the size of an Evo with the naked eye at a distance of four miles?

During the day - no, but again wasn't the point of the post and no one who does this during the day claim to have VLOS, but rather LOS between drone and remote (no obstacles between to degrade signal). During a night flight with 3 Strobon Cree anti-collision strobe lights, yes you can see with the naked eye VLOS, and all that you described. You can more easily see your aircraft and any other aircraft that may be approaching in the area as well. I fly over open water so no obstacles, property, or pedestrians to be aware of.

 

[Ansia]

I know you are skeptical, but these types of flights don't get posted on YT for what should be obvious reasons. Below are two screenshot log file crops from a recent flight with a new battery on my completely stock P4P (except for a $15 windsurfer). DJI only advertises a 4.3 mile range for the P4P. Mavic 2 advertises a full 5 miles. Note the 4 foot elevation, which was only positive because I had just cleared the top of a building that blocked my clear LOS. When you fly from the top of a hill into negative elevation, with clear LOS (instead of from your backyard, blocked by your own rooftop, over level surrounding ground, where you have to fly higher the farther away you are), you will get great range with aircraft that are truly capable of such range. Below, the total distance away was 3.96 miles at 4 feet above my launch elevation, not 400 feet above it. Note remaining battery at 43%. Total flight distance was 11.9 miles in 25 minutes. YMMV.
View attachment 5218

View attachment 5219

On the first screenshot you are 3.8 miles, on the second screensho you are 6 feet.

 

[Heckmaniac`s Drone]

I know you are skeptical, but these types of flights don't get posted on YT for what should be obvious reasons. Below are two screenshot log file crops from a recent flight with a new battery on my completely stock P4P (except for a $15 windsurfer). DJI only advertises a 4.3 mile range for the P4P. Mavic 2 advertises a full 5 miles. Note the 4 foot elevation, which was only positive because I had just cleared the top of a building that blocked my clear LOS. When you fly from the top of a hill into negative elevation, with clear LOS (instead of from your backyard, blocked by your own rooftop, over level surrounding ground, where you have to fly higher the farther away you are), you will get great range with aircraft that are truly capable of such range. Below, the total distance away was 3.96 miles at 4 feet above my launch elevation, not 400 feet above it. Note remaining battery at 43%. Total flight distance was 11.9 miles in 25 minutes. YMMV.
View attachment 5218

View attachment 5219

I don't find it hard to believe thay occusync 2 can go further than EVOs wifi, but the difference is marginal (your screenshot does not show 5 mi - or signal strength at that range or the environment your flying in). That said is it worth $500 more than the EVO to get less than a mile more range in the environment most distance flights are conducted (maybe) and a couple minutes more flight time (not to mention much higher cost for extra batteries, etc). To you the answer could be yes - for others it's clearly not. But I agree the M2P and M2Z should be better in range and battery (albeit not by much), and it should be for the price you pay.

 

[G_G]

@Madhungarian what G_G says is true. Occusync allows you to fly farther and lower than any other brand, even in high interference areas. Although 5 miles at 50' AGL is a bit hard to believe. I have a Phantom with Occusync and can attest to that.

@G_G I see you got yourself a M2Z and M2P. Did you get to sell your Evo? If not do you still fly it?

If you start at at 250' above sea level, and then fly 4 to 5 miles to the ocean, 50' AGL is easy to achieve with Occusync 2.0. Surfers and the waves are at sea level! Nothing interesting to see from 400' at that distance anyway!

I bought the M2P in December, and an M2Z camera for it in February from AliExpress, and then bought another M2 bare aircraft for the M2Z camera in May, so I wouldn't need to switch cameras any more. I use the same muted M2 controller and 9.7” iPad Pro with both, and just rebind the RC to the other aircraft when switching cameras. I fly the M2P 95% of the time. The M2Z variable aperture zoom does not do well in low light, but was great for monitoring an osprey nest with 3 chicks on top of a 100 foot light pole until they fledged. Still have the EVO, but haven't flown it in a while. Too frustrating, when I have far better aircraft, need to fly far, and have limited golden hour flight time. Darn days keep getting shorter, and daylight savings time change hasn't even taken place yet ! EVO FPV just isn't reliable past 1.5 miles, which makes video composition difficult! Saving it for mountain climbing and future discreet flying whenever the President decides to come within 31 nautical miles!