New to long-range drones, and I was browsing Amazon for accessories for my Mini 2 SE when I came across these. Do they actually work?
Looks like BS to me.
Snake oil.
In most places, flying beyond visual line of sight (VLOS) without a spotter is already illegal. Plus, modern drones already have crazy range, even in congested areas. No need for these at all.
Sidney said:
In most places, flying beyond visual line of sight (VLOS) without a spotter is already illegal. Plus, modern drones already have crazy range, even in congested areas. No need for these at all.
Also, the spotter has to communicate with you directly, without using a radio or phone.
I totally agree with you. I fly an RC2 and have gone out of VLOS a few times, but I’ve never had signal issues—always full strength.
@Jordan
Almost everyone flies out of VLOS, but few admit it. Just be smart about when and where you do it.
Noor said:
@Jordan
Almost everyone flies out of VLOS, but few admit it. Just be smart about when and where you do it.
What do you mean by ‘almost’? 
Noor said:
@Jordan
Almost everyone flies out of VLOS, but few admit it. Just be smart about when and where you do it.
What do you mean by ‘almost’?
I know plenty of pilots, myself included, who don’t fly out of VLOS. A lot of people do, but not everyone wants to risk fines or liability—especially depending on the country. I can see my drone pretty far away, and some folks even put red tape or other markers on them to increase visibility.
@Sidney
Depends on the location. If I’m near trees or houses, I stay in VLOS, but if I’m flying over open fields, I sometimes lose sight of it due to distance. I always make sure I know the terrain—flat, no obstacles, and staying within property lines. I also fly forward with the camera angled so I can see most of the field while still keeping the horizon in view.
Finicky, but might help a little.
If they actually work—and I’m not sure they do—here’s the deal:
- Yagi-style antennas make the signal more directional, so if you’re not aiming them at the drone, you’ll actually lose signal strength.
- Technically, swapping antennas might make your system uncertified by the FAA, since it wasn’t tested with those. But honestly, I doubt the FAA is tracking that.
I think they work, but not as range extenders—more like signal stabilizers.
Here’s a video I made comparing flights with and without one: https://youtu.be/szRXz37yXF8?si=2YqFmdSqqfL_-msv
Niko said:
I think they work, but not as range extenders—more like signal stabilizers.
Here’s a video I made comparing flights with and without one: https://youtu.be/szRXz37yXF8?si=2YqFmdSqqfL_-msv
This! Definitely helps with a more stable connection. It’s cheap, so might as well try it. I don’t fly without mine.
I had some years ago. They seemed to help. Just buy the cheapest ones—you’re not getting anything different with the expensive ones.
Check YouTube reviews, they seem mostly positive.
A real range extender needs its own power source—not just a funky-shaped antenna. If this helps, it’s probably by like 2%.
Only useful for 5.8GHz transmission.
Just a reminder: like with cell phones, signal quality depends on both sending and receiving ends.
Another useless accessory. If DJI wanted to improve range, they’d make a legit antenna upgrade or better internal hardware. This is placebo at best.
People think these help, but in reality, most folks pushing their range to the limit end up crashing because they don’t have enough battery to make it back.
LOL, I have one for my Mini 4K. Maybe it’s just in my head, but I swear it helps keep the signal more stable. I noticed better connection in certain areas.
Saw a slight improvement on the early Mavic Mini. Pointless for Mini 2 and beyond. Works best when combined with reflectors.