Hey all, I started with the Phantom 3, and loved it. But I just recently upgraded to the Phantom 4 for its extended range. But before I go flying too far, I was hoping to get some insight. The Phantom 4‘s range is rated at 3.1 miles, but that is pretty much line of sight, correct? I can’t really expect that kind of range over hilly terrain’s or through areas of trees, correct? Or is the range really dependent on any interference while flying, or both? Thank You
Phantom 4 Range
- Thread starter phild111
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That's not even close to line of sight. 1,000 feet is roughly the very edge of line-of-sight for someone with 20/20 vision. Past that you may see the drone as a tiny speck, but you're not going to be able to accurately control the craft if you lose video feed and RTH decides it doesn't want to work.
Always take these ratings with a grain of salt. They will vary. Also remember this is range that must also get you back home as well. What you will get mainly depends on battery power, wind , speed , and any "other" maneuvers, you may make during flight.
Yes ok, good points I was very reluctant to fly very far, and lose control. I know that eventually I would lose eye sight of the craft, which happens a lot with the trees around. But I still obviously want to maintain flight control. It only takes a few minutes to go like 1,200 feet away. So assuming a nice day, typical terrain, and full battery power: I guess I’m asking if I can truly expect the extended range performance with the Phantom 4 versus the Phantom 3?
A lot of variables to consider. For instance my stock P4 with the GL300C controller was pretty much garbage compared to a P3P in the heavily treed area where I live. Once clear of the trees and up high, it certainly improved but nonetheless fitted a boosted FPVLR set up to fix the dropouts etc and now the battery is the limit. Your flying area will dictate your range regardless of what you fly.
ryantrax
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First off, welcome to Phantom Pilots! Was your original drone a Phantom 3 Standard or Pro or Advanced? You will see a significant upgrade over the Phantom 3 Standard, not so much over the pro / advanced. (where range is concerned)
Meta4
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Line of Sight has nothing to do with distance.
You are confusing LOS with VLOS.
The P4 will maintain signal at much greater distances than a P3 Standard.
The stated range is under optimum conditions but plenty of users have achieved those distances and even more.
The range you get will depend on the local interference levels.
It won't matter what kind of terrain you fly over but trees or other obstacles blocking a clear line of sight to your Phantom will have an effect.
Your range will depend on a lot of things. Radio interference, terrain, ect... The altitude of the aircraft plays a role as well. You will get better range with the Phantom flying at 300 feet than you will if it is at 100 feet.
A couple of things to remember:
1. Don't outfly your battery. It's easy to forget to factor in how long it will take for the Phantom to get back to you when you are far away.
2. Make sure that you set your RTH Altitude high enough to clear ANY obstacles in your area. Keep in mind that the Phantom is going to track the altitude from above the takeoff point. If you are flying in hills, you have to factor that in to your RTH altitude setting.
3. Don't forget about wind and the effect that it has on your RTH. You have to factor in the headwind and the extra time that it might take for your Phantom to return home on a long flight. A 5 minute flight out might easily become a 15 minute flight back if the wind is working against you on the way back.
4. My Phantom tends to get a better signal when it is facing directly away from me as opposed to when it is facing directly at me. Normally, you won't notice, at long ranges, these can mean the difference between a lost signal and still maintaining control.
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4 km is the max range of an unmodified European P4, flying at 600 feet altitude using the stock controller. That is without any interference from WiFi and having a direct line of sight between the controller and the drone. Any trees (even leafless branches) inbetween will significantly shorten this distance. So will fog or clouds, although in a lesser degree.
Losing connection with the drone is no big deal, as long as you have made sure to have a good GPS/GLONASS lock at start, it will return home by itself. Trust it, it will. I always use the RTH feature during my long range flights, in more than two hundred occasions, it has never failed once.
Losing connection with the drone is no big deal, as long as you have made sure to have a good GPS/GLONASS lock at start, it will return home by itself. Trust it, it will. I always use the RTH feature during my long range flights, in more than two hundred occasions, it has never failed once.
The P4 seems to take a bit longer to set a the home point. Make sure you listen for the confirmation of that and that it’s marked on your map.
Signal on mine seems very strong out to 4000 Feet level flight. With a spotter that is as far as I have taken it.
Paul Caldwell
Signal on mine seems very strong out to 4000 Feet level flight. With a spotter that is as far as I have taken it.
Paul Caldwell
It seems that I've touched something in my settings that has turned off the voice confirmation. Could anyone let me know what I touched?
Much appreciated!!!
Much appreciated!!!
Meta4
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Yep, you are lucky, here in Europe the transmitter is automatically throttled to a much lower effect, shorter transmission range, hence shorter flight distance. Approximately 4 km is the max you can squeeze out of a P4 over here.
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