P3S Range Tanking! - Time to be Concerned?

All you guys that have the latest firmware did you notice any distance drop after this last upgrade to 1.8.10? I decided to upgrade as per DJI's request and my P3S distance tanked. I'm getting around 800 feet every flight. Wish I hadn't upgraded now. I'm wondering if the hot weather and high humidity has any effect on signal strength.
 
All you guys that have the latest firmware did you notice any distance drop after this last upgrade to 1.8.10? I decided to upgrade as per DJI's request and my P3S distance tanked. I'm getting around 800 feet every flight. Wish I hadn't upgraded now. I'm wondering if the hot weather and high humidity has any effect on signal strength.

I was running 1.8.10 since I first got my P3S. Never had a problem. Then 3 months later my range tanked. Thus the name of this thread.
 
I have 1.8.10 on my P3S. But even before I upgraded I was not able to get more that about1,000 feet or so. I flew tonight with the Windsurfer mod on the antenna. I was able to go out 2,100 feet before RTH. From the very beginning, back in the summer of 2016 when it was new, I was only able to get out about 2,500 feet. Not any more. That's why I got the P3Pro. But I still fly both. The S for fun, and the Pro for distance.
 
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Mine is running 3.1.10 and wondering if these versions have anything to do with your location? I've been keeping up with this thread and after reading about y'all's rth activated with the light still green on the controller I've been testing that by going out till app says rc signal lost rth. Just like y'all app shows no signal for transmitter but I still have green light showing I am still linked with a/c I'm still controlling a/c in rth and no bars on the app. Also I'm not having range issues I'm making it out to 5000 feet no mods or wind surfer.
 
That's the version my app says it is and that's the range I'm getting here at my house in certain directions there are a few directions I can fly out away from my house and make 3,000+ to my best of 6,200 feet but I try to go up the road 1,200 RTH. I'm joining in this thread because I'm trying to figure out why it's so different I'm flying a stock factory refurbished P3S a/c now my original P3S is in the refurbished box with a bad main board and cracked up shell that's the bird that holds my record of 6,200 feet out. My new refurbished I made it out last night to 5,300 feet. Controller is the same no mods or upgrades factory stock.
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Well I have a Mavic Pro that flies miles but I too enjoy flying my Standard and fly both regularly. It was my first bird and some of my best vids are from my P3S. I have an ARGtek mod and have flown it several times around a mile but now, as the thread says, it's tanked. Can't understand why.
 
Like I said in a previous post, my range degraded from 1700+m down to 500m in matter of days. Besides being puzzled by the range loss I dont understand how my video feed stays rock solid.
 
Let me ask you guys a question ...........

How could DJI monitor all these P3S when you are only WiFi connected AC to RC to downgrade your range ?

My P3S is hitting same range now as it has been since day 1 of ownership.

But lets consider the outside world ....

Tractors telemetry back to base .... so that 'innocent' tractor ploughing that field ..... with todays techno - I know of tractors relaying length / depth of ploughed furrow ... GPS coords ..... speed etc. etc. back to a base location.

Garbage trucks, Taxis, private cars, pets, kids .... with transponders so location is constantly monitored etc.

No longer is the open field a clean RF environment .... we live in a world of ever increasing RF communications ....

Nigel
 
How could DJI monitor all these P3S when you are only WiFi connected AC to RC to downgrade your range ?
l

I for one never said nor believe that some sinister plot by DJI connected to my drone/remote and tweaked my maximum range. Nor do I believe that any app upgrade caused this problem. Your "outside world" theory may apply to some but not in my case. Flat open field, no trees, buildings, people or high-tech tractors interfering with my signal. In fact, its remoteness and lack of obstacles is the reason I use this location for testing. The very first test was with an windsurfer equipped controller and got out to 1200m before I chicken out turned the bird back. I then started to run range tests using Litchi mission(s). When I got the DBS mod I created a mission 1700+m. Had solid connection up to 1450 M with sporadic signal strength up to 1700m. Never lost video signal once.

The following weeks/months I reran the same mission with some tweaks to altitude to see if I could maintain solid signal past the initial 1450m mark. The results were all similar with little or no improvement. Then.... One fine day, same mission... Sporadic signal lost starting at 400m with permanent loss at 700m. Numerous runs of this mission with the same dismal results. Given that no software was updated I assumed I was having HW issues. If thats the case, it sure isn't apparent. Tried a brand new controller with Windsurfer and signal problems started at 300-400m out.

I am at wits end here. Last fall I was filming a historical village using the dji-go and/or Litchi and never lost connection during the entire session (600+m max). I am lucky to get through half that now before RTH kicks in. Only thing I use my P3S for now is with Litchi missions.
 
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Do you think the app or FW could effect range?

FW could create a range problem. The problem lies with/between the controller and/or the drone. The app only communicates with the controller and only becomes aware of range issues when the controller tells it.
 

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