Keeping a strong signal for your DJI drone remote?

What are your best tips for keeping a strong signal with your DJI drone remote?

I’ve noticed that:

  1. Losing line of sight increases the risk of signal loss.
  2. Cloudy weather seems to reduce range.

Curious to see if others have noticed the same thing or if there are any other tricks that help!

Keep the antenna as vertical as possible.

Make sure linear antennas are straight up or slightly tilted so the sides face the drone. Avoid flying near lots of metal or heavy Wi-Fi interference. Also, turn off 4G/5G and Wi-Fi on your phone while flying.

The only times I’ve had remote issues were indoors, especially in buildings with a lot of metal. Losing GPS in those situations can mess with signal and hovering.

At night, if you’re flying without sensors, the issue isn’t necessarily the remote—it’s that the drone can’t control itself as well.

A lot of people confuse ‘remote issues’ with ‘drone response issues.’ For example, I had a friend whose drone wouldn’t land because ice had built up on the props. The sensors got confused, and when he tried to land, it bounced off the ground and shot up to 40 feet. Looked like a remote issue, but it was really the drone itself.

I’d love to see actual data on #2.

Biggest factors are range and interference. As long as you keep the drone close and in a clean RF environment, you should be fine.

Yan said:
I’d love to see actual data on #2.

Biggest factors are range and interference. As long as you keep the drone close and in a clean RF environment, you should be fine.

Same here. I don’t have data, but I live in a cloudy area and have noticed it happens more on overcast days.

When I first started flying, I used to fly over hills and completely lose sight of my drone. That always led to a total signal loss and an automatic Return to Home.

At least RTH helps in those situations! As long as it’s set up properly, you’ve got a good chance of getting your drone back even if you lose signal. Keeping a clear line of sight and positioning the antenna properly is the best way to avoid problems.

@Tatum
You’re lucky! Keep learning and refining your skills.

Vern said:
@Tatum
You’re lucky! Keep learning and refining your skills.

Yeah, after realizing how much I didn’t know, I decided to get my Part 107. Doing much better now!

Tatum said:

Vern said:
@Tatum
You’re lucky! Keep learning and refining your skills.

Yeah, after realizing how much I didn’t know, I decided to get my Part 107. Doing much better now!

That’s the way to do it! Also, try to learn the weak points of your specific drone. I used to be a phone and computer tech, so I bought a few older DJI drones to see how they evolved over time. It helps me appreciate the tech and keep my best ones in great shape for teaching newcomers.

I’ve lost my signal:

  • Half a mile away over a river
  • A mile away with clear visual line of sight
  • 200 feet straight up on a cloudy day
  • 100 feet straight up on a cold, cloudy day

So based on that, I’d say cloud cover does seem to impact range, but I haven’t done controlled testing to be sure.