Phantom 4 Pro v2.0 Range is awful

[alsobrook4336]

I'm on day two of owning a new P4P v2.0 and am about to return it due to the horrible range I am getting out of it. The first day I could barely get it off the ground in my backyard (a 50ftx50ft grass area) because the signal seemed to be dropping out so bad. I live in a suburb of Phoenix so it is not the most ideal area but this is ridiculous! Throttle up and it would climb a foot or so then sputter/freeze, up a foot then freeze etc...yaw left or right, no response with the stick held in place then a small bump in the direction I commanded then stop, move a little then stop...same with pitch and roll. I varied my distance from remote to drone between 5ft and 30ft with no change whatsoever. Video transmission was just as bad. Strong interference was showing under signal quality.

After my first flight I see the DJI Go 4 app found a new firmware version so I update to V01.00.1500. I now have DJI Go 4 version 4.2.21 (5th gen Ipad--2017 model), and version 01.00.1500 showing on both the controller and Phantom. Second flight was worse than the first, I did an auto take-off and lost all control of my Phantom as it hovered 30ft above me. As I wondered around my yard trying to figure out how to get it back on the ground without incident it began to intermittently respond to stick commands. From 30ft up it took half the battery charge to bring it down and land because it would only come down a foot at a time then stop because the signal kept cutting out.

By now I'm scared to death to fly this thing even though I have been an r/c modeler with 25+ years experience flying planes, helicopters, and fpv racers. I call it a day and decide to research range problems other people might be having that could help my situation. I find what I think is the golden ticket--relinking the remote with the Phantom. I do this at home and everything seems to work now. Signal quality shows good. Not wanting to tempt faith, I go to the park behind my house where I fly previously said planes/helis/drones and do another relink. Take-off manually and it is responding correctly to all inputs--sweet! I take it out and up in 25ft increments. Get to 291ft up and 553ft away (yes FEET, not meters) and I'm thinking all is well. I start doing some pictures and video then pfffffffffttttt!! Unresponsive! Uh Oh! Same thing happens again and it takes most of the battery to work it back and down a foot at a time until it's on the ground 5ft in front of me still experiencing severe "interference". So bad so that it takes more than a minute before I can power the darn thing off with left stick full down. P.S. In order to isolate the problem my cell phone and the Ipad I was using DJI Go on where both in airplane mode for the whole flight.

At all times VLOS was kept, transmitter antennas were positioned to be perpendicular to direction of travel...Is this a common occurrence when flying in an urban environment with DJI equipment? I think not but I contacted DJI support earlier today and they gave me the boiler plate "interference can affect range" statement. I've never run into such a finicky signal before with my other 2.4 ghz radios and can't see how this is normal.

Can those versed in urban flight ops with a P4P and/or P4P V2 please comment on what they have seen for range? And if you needed to change any settings to achieve that range?

Thanks for reading!

D

I’m very sorry to read this I was just thinking about getting the new one and I just purchased the phantom for pro two weeks before they came out with the one you bought now I’m noticing cracks under the back motor in the plastic on both sides and I’ve only took it up maybe 30 times it has been nothing but problem after problem with this drone my Mavic pro is still almost perfect somebody needs to take these guys to court maybe I’ll be the first one because I want my money back

 

[Basspig]

I really don't want to invest in another Apple device. I don't like how that company maintains a closed architecture, and how you can't repair the devices anywhere but an Apple store, and the batteries are not changeable. Not to mention, interoperability with a Windows machine is impossible without installing their kludge called iTunes. Maybe a bunch of CS owners will start a class action and get relief.

As a rule, I won't use any software that requires my money making machines to be connected to the virusnet. I only use throwaway machines with a full image backup on a separate disc in the closet for internet use. No secure operation exposes their infrastructure to the virusnet. I did try their CC version once, and I had to wipe my entire hard drive because the Adobe App Manager behaved like a virus and causes the machine to do strange things until I rid it of Adobe CC entirely. And the other issue with that CC is that files you create in it are not backward compatible. Imagine not being able to open a TIFF or a PDF file unless you had the latest version of Photoshop or Acrobat? But a lot of the updates are so buggy that the program breaks and people have to revert to a prior version, only to find they cannot open the project files. Ugh. They can have it.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I really don't want to invest in another Apple device. I don't like how that company maintains a closed architecture, and how you can't repair the devices anywhere but an Apple store, and the batteries are not changeable. Not to mention, interoperability with a Windows machine is impossible without installing their kludge called iTunes. Maybe a bunch of CS owners will start a class action and get relief.

As a rule, I won't use any software that requires my money making machines to be connected to the virusnet. I only use throwaway machines with a full image backup on a separate disc in the closet for internet use. No secure operation exposes their infrastructure to the virusnet. I did try their CC version once, and I had to wipe my entire hard drive because the Adobe App Manager behaved like a virus and causes the machine to do strange things until I rid it of Adobe CC entirely. And the other issue with that CC is that files you create in it are not backward compatible. Imagine not being able to open a TIFF or a PDF file unless you had the latest version of Photoshop or Acrobat? But a lot of the updates are so buggy that the program breaks and people have to revert to a prior version, only to find they cannot open the project files. Ugh. They can have it.

The reality is that if you want DJI's best, you'll need an Apple device. Three years of DJI ownership has proven that over and over again. The iPad never needs to be hooked up to a computer. It only needs wifi access for maps and updates. You waived all rights to a class action against DJI when you accepted their TOS and activated your aircraft. Reread the TOS.

CC does not require access to the internet except for initial activation, and every few months to check for your active subscription. Your legacy PP created files are also not backwards compatible with prior versions of PP. That's the nature of the software. The output files of TIFF and PDF are viewable in any free TIFF and PDF viewer, and your PP output files are uploadable to YT where anyone can view them on any device. All software updates are buggy when first released. Best to stay an update behind, to wait for the bugs to be squashed.

 

[Basspig]

That's unfortunate that you have to use Apple's products to get more reliable navigation with a drone. I made the decision years ago that I will not buy anymore Apple products. I don't like how the company controls its products and the lack of compatibility with the Windows world. Apple is an Ecosystem. You can't buy just one product--you are forced into buying their whole line of computers to work with your devices, and they lock down the hardware in such a way that leaves the user little control.

Realistically, what ToS can hold up in court, when it's pages long, in legalese that only lawyers can interpret? Effectively, everyone that 'accepts' a ToS does so in ignorance, unless they hire an attorney to read and interpret it for them so that they may make an informed choice.

As for CC, it's a moot point. Our editing workstations are not on any network that has public access. We did that for a reason. Just like the DoD and the nuclear power industry, and for that matter, the IRS, doesn't have any mission critical computers connected to the virusnet and for the same reasons. And a read on the Adobe forums is like a journey through someone's nightmares. Deadlines missed, backup projects not readable after rolling back to a working version of Premiere CC, etc. I stick with CS6 and there's no surprised. I know that every morning when I start up the NLE, it's going to do what it was designed to do. Not present me with a new error because it updated itself over night, resulting in a half day lost trying to work around new bugs.

 

[GadgetGuy]

That's unfortunate that you have to use Apple's products to get more reliable navigation with a drone. I made the decision years ago that I will not buy anymore Apple products. I don't like how the company controls its products and the lack of compatibility with the Windows world. Apple is an Ecosystem. You can't buy just one product--you are forced into buying their whole line of computers to work with your devices, and they lock down the hardware in such a way that leaves the user little control.

Realistically, what ToS can hold up in court, when it's pages long, in legalese that only lawyers can interpret? Effectively, everyone that 'accepts' a ToS does so in ignorance, unless they hire an attorney to read and interpret it for them so that they may make an informed choice.

As for CC, it's a moot point. Our editing workstations are not on any network that has public access. We did that for a reason. Just like the DoD and the nuclear power industry, and for that matter, the IRS, doesn't have any mission critical computers connected to the virusnet and for the same reasons. And a read on the Adobe forums is like a journey through someone's nightmares. Deadlines missed, backup projects not readable after rolling back to a working version of Premiere CC, etc. I stick with CS6 and there's no surprised. I know that every morning when I start up the NLE, it's going to do what it was designed to do. Not present me with a new error because it updated itself over night, resulting in a half day lost trying to work around new bugs.

Life is a series of compromises. You just have to make the ones that work for you. CS6 is now 6 years old. If that still is good enough for you, great. Some of us use newer hardware and want newer software software that can fully exploit it. Just don't try and use 6 year old software to edit 4K 60fps 100mbs P4P files, without proxies.

 

[Basspig]

Part of maintaining a standard of living is eliminating recurring expenses. That's why I don't have cable TV, club memberships or any other recurring expense. The only one I can't avoid is property taxes, at least while I'm still in the US. Adobe CC might seem like a nice concept for business users who can write off the monthly expense, but they are placing their assets in the hands of a company that could go belly up, leaving them with locked assets they can no longer access.
I'm making an effort to get more familiar with DaVinci Resolve as a result. $299 is almost too good to be true for a program that combines, Maya, Premiere and AfterEffects in one unified system.

 

[Ripper7620]

Part of maintaining a standard of living is eliminating recurring expenses. That's why I don't have cable TV, club memberships or any other recurring expense. The only one I can't avoid is property taxes, at least while I'm still in the US. Adobe CC might seem like a nice concept for business users who can write off the monthly expense, but they are placing their assets in the hands of a company that could go belly up, leaving them with locked assets they can no longer access.
I'm making an effort to get more familiar with DaVinci Resolve as a result. $299 is almost too good to be true for a program that combines, Maya, Premiere and AfterEffects in one unified system.

I agree with about the one time $300 vs the close to $80/month I pay for the Adobe suite of apps, I'm seriously considering jumping ship.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Part of maintaining a standard of living is eliminating recurring expenses. That's why I don't have cable TV, club memberships or any other recurring expense. The only one I can't avoid is property taxes, at least while I'm still in the US. Adobe CC might seem like a nice concept for business users who can write off the monthly expense, but they are placing their assets in the hands of a company that could go belly up, leaving them with locked assets they can no longer access.
I'm making an effort to get more familiar with DaVinci Resolve as a result. $299 is almost too good to be true for a program that combines, Maya, Premiere and AfterEffects in one unified system.

DaVinci Resolve is a reasonable alternative. No one will ever be locked out of their output files from Adobe because you get to choose your output file type during rendering, exactly like with Resolve or any other video editor. If you upload to YouTube, you'll be able to access it as long as YT/Google/Alphabet exists. That should exceed your lifetime and mine!

 

[Basspig]

I run a struggling video production business, and sometimes, a year goes by between gigs, so paying a monthly is just foolish. Besides, I need to know that no external events can prevent me from opening and editing older projects or even current projects. Subscription expires, and ALL of your work is inaccessible. Bad business model.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I run a struggling video production business, and sometimes, a year goes by between gigs, so paying a monthly is just foolish. Besides, I need to know that no external events can prevent me from opening and editing older projects or even current projects. Subscription expires, and ALL of your work is inaccessible. Bad business model.

There is no requirement that you pay every month with PP CC. You can only pay for the months in which you have gigs. The rate is slightly higher when paying for a single month, rather than for 12 months at a time, but is still reasonable for your exact situation. Any time your subscription expires, your project files are only inaccessible until you turn the "power" back on again. Your output files are always all still accessible and viewable without any type of subscription. Good business model.

 

[Basspig]

It's not just the recurring cost. It's that awful, invasive, Adobe Application Manager.. my test NLE started acting weird with that software installed. I had to eventually restore a disc image from a recent backup because uninstalling it didn't correct the behavior.
And there's no guaranty that Adobe will always be in business.
And if I need to do a quick re-edit or make a new version of a video, I don't want to have to pay $$ just to make a five minute edit and render.

 

[GadgetGuy]

It's not just the recurring cost. It's that awful, invasive, Adobe Application Manager.. my test NLE started acting weird with that software installed. I had to eventually restore a disc image from a recent backup because uninstalling it didn't correct the behavior.
And there's no guaranty that Adobe will always be in business.
And if I need to do a quick re-edit or make a new version of a video, I don't want to have to pay $$ just to make a five minute edit and render.

If you think that's bad, check out what the GO 4 app has done in the past! Better stay away from DJI, as well! The military isn't allowed to use any DJI products because of security concerns relating to the Chinese software phoning home!

 

[Derwood]

Following up on my initial problem, I ordered a replacement P4P V2.0 from Amazon which just showed up. I ran two full batteries through it without a hiccup so it definitely appears the first Phantom I received directly from DJI had some issues. Hopefully from here on out things run smoothly.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Following up on my initial problem, I ordered a replacement P4P V2.0 from Amazon which just showed up. I ran two full batteries through it without a hiccup so it definitely appears the first Phantom I received directly from DJI had some issues. Hopefully from here on out things run smoothly.

Never order from the first run of any DJI product. It's basically a beta. Takes 6 months to a year to fix all the hardware and FW and GO 4 app issues. If you get stuck with bad hardware from early production runs, you will never benefit from the hardware improvements in later production models. If the issues cannot be fixed with FW updates, you are totally hosed.

 

[DMJerry760-P4Pv2]

Does anyone use a range extender on the P4P v2? Seen a few out there and curious if this would an option to fix the interference/range issues.

 

[DMJerry760-P4Pv2]

Following up on my initial problem, I ordered a replacement P4P V2.0 from Amazon which just showed up. I ran two full batteries through it without a hiccup so it definitely appears the first Phantom I received directly from DJI had some issues. Hopefully from here on out things run smoothly.

Any range extenders?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Does anyone use a range extender on the P4P v2? Seen a few out there and curious if this would an option to fix the interference/range issues.

Interference/range issues are likely still FW/App, during initial bug fixing, as the P4P range, in Auto 5.8Ghz, is 4-5 miles with clear LOS, needing no range extenders. Hard to believe the P4P V2 was designed to be worse! Range extenders, other than a $15 windsurfer, should be unnecessary. That being said, the P4P V2 uses Occusync rather than the Lightbridge used by the P4P. We don't yet have enough data to determine if the V2 hardware is defective, requiring DIY fixes to get the P4P stock range.

 

[DMJerry760-P4Pv2]

My v2 runs pretty good but would love to not lose the video after 2000 ft and have it come home. There are a bunch of mods out there but curious if anyone has use any of them.

 

[GadgetGuy]

My v2 runs pretty good but would love to not lose the video after 2000 ft and have it come home. There are a bunch of mods out there but curious if anyone has use any of them.

I would say that is terrible, rather than "pretty good"! Hopefully, DJI gets it sorted out with a FW update. Otherwise, return the V2, and buy the stable original P4P, with clear video FPV out to 5 miles with clear LOS! The V2 adds nothing useful. Camera is the same, props are useable on the original P4P.

 

[Basspig]

Actually, it's a pretty good idea, from an operator health standpoint, to use the reflectors. With the number of cancer cases on the rise with cell phone use, one really should try to minimize the amount of RF being pumped into one's body. Use of reflectors reduces the amount of energy your body absorbs, in addition to the known benefits of more reliable transmission.