How Far Can You Fly the DJI FPV Drone?

Considering that the DJI FPV is already three years old, does this impact its flight range? How far can it fly? We tested it, so we shared the data with you!

How Far Can You Fly the DJI FPV Drone?

DJI FPV Drone is the first FPV drone created by DJI with fantastic long-range flight capabilities and components packed in an 800-gram drone. 

But how far can you fly the DJI FPV Drone?

DJI advertises that the DJI FPV has a range of 16.8km. Still, in best-case scenarios, you can fly as far as 4 kilometers to return your drone safely, making an 8km total flight distance, rarely more. 

However, doing this will put your drone at risk and may go against some countries’ drone laws.

There are reasons why those numbers are just arbitrary, and the entire flight range of the DJI FPV may depend on many factors where the results could be so much different. 

Therefore, we should look together for more insight into how far you can fly the DJI FPV drone and the best information loaded in a simple article. 

What do we know about DJI FPV Flight Range?

DJI FPV DRONE

DJI FPV Drone, released in January 2021, was the first of its kind, followed by DJI Avata

This drone is a fantastic way for many drone pilots to start flying FPV.

Indeed, slightly expensive option compared to custom FPV drones, but a safer option to start because of safety features and different flight modes. 

And to know more, the advantage DJI FPV Drone has when you fly long range is that if you lose signal, the drone should return to the landing point automatically.

This makes the DJI FPV drone a safer drone to go further than a custom-made FPV drone. 

But does it worth the risk? Is it Safe? Should you do it?

Before I answer that, let’s unpack the DJI FPV drone and see what makes it tick long-range. 

We have to focus on two types of signals: 

  • The Video Signal (VTX) is transmitted by the DJI FPV drone and received on DJI FPV Goggles V2. 
  • The Radio Signal (RTX) is transmitted from the DJI FPV Controller 2 and received by the DJI FPV drone.

Both signals are independent of each other, and one may have a shorter range than the other. 

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DJI FPV Video Transmission Range

To understand the video transmission range, we must know that each FPV drone is packed with a VTX module to help establish a video link between the drone and the receiving Goggles.

The DJI FPV has a dual VTX frequency that can operate either at 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz.

To understand this, 2.4 GHz has a more extended transmission range but lower feed (live image quality), whereas 5.8 GHz will always provide you with higher quality and lower latency at the sacrifice of range.

Normally, if set on auto, the DJI FPV drone itself decides which frequency and channel mode is the best, in which case it offers you a pleasant experience and flight range.

transmission frequency DJI FPV drone

From the transmission settings, you are able to change the video frequency between 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz manually, the bandwidth frequency, and the current channel.

But I will recommend you not to change any of those settings unless you are facing difficulties in achieving any range at all (e.g., losing signal after a few hundred meters in low-interference areas)

You can receive the live feed to your DJI FPV Goggles V2 from the DJI FPV drone in two modes:

  • Low-Latency Mode: 810p/120fps ≤ 28ms
  • High-Quality Mode: 810p/60fps ≤ 40ms

According to DJI, the max transmission distance for the VTX is 10 km (FCC), 6 km (CE), 6 km (SRRC), and 6 km (MIC) – please read the legal requirements subtitled ahead for more info.

DJI FPV Radio Transmission Range

There is little to say about the RC transmission range, only that it operates on the same frequency spectrum as VTX.

I observed that the DJI FPV Radio has a much better signal strength than the DJI FPV Goggles V2. 

In fact, I can’t remember if I have ever seen a line of the signal drop from the RC signal as compared with the VTX signal.

According to DJI, the max transmission distance for the RC is 10 km (FCC), 6 km (CE), 6 km (SRRC), and 6 km (MIC) (more on legal requirements)

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The DJI FPV Battery Flight Time

dji fpv battery

To add a bit more data, the DJI FPV battery is a LiPo 6s 2000mAh weighing about 300 grams.

Practically, using the standard and only battery for the DJI FPV drone, you can fly up to a maximum of 12-15 minutes, depending if you fly in normal mode, sport mode, manual mode, hover, or how aggressively you fly.

And if you fly in manual mode, it matters on what angle you’re flying the drone, which will further impact the battery life.

This will definitely contribute to how far you can fly a DJI FPV drone.

» Related: How to Protect your DJI FPV Batteries

How Far Can DJI FPV Fly Theoretically?

Theoretically, as mentioned before, we have a maximum range number by DJI: 16.8km. This means only one-way flight and not abiding by drone laws, but even like that, you will never be able to fly that far. But why?

You will most likely lose the video feed and RC signal before reaching 16.8km. 

There is a massive misconception that many drone pilots think that DJI FPV can fly up to 16.8km. In fact, the signal may be able to reach that far and create a connection, not to fly the drone.

You probably have seen before a couple of details on the max distance limit, such as:

10 km (FCC), 6 km (CE), 6 km (SRRC), 6 km (MIC)

But what that means?

Even if you somehow are able to have VTX or RC signal on a longer range than the one mentioned above, we limit ourselves to abide by drone laws in some specific countries or territories

It is an independent US government agency that regulates communication by radio, wire, television, satellite, and cable.

By FCC, your signal should be restricted to a maximum of 10km in the US.

  • 6km CE – Marking products that go hand-in-hand with EU Regulations.

By following EU regulations, you will likely be restricted to a maximum of 6km signal range in the EU.

Bonus tip: The video signal power in Europe is set automatically to DJI FPV Drone to 25mW (a hard limit)

  • 6km SRRC – state radio regulation of china 
  • 6km MIC – this certificate is for use in Japan only.

Theoretically, even if your drone is able to acquire signals farther than these restrictions, the DJI FPV will restrict you from flying further and receiving stronger VTX or RC signal that allows you to increase your range.

How far can practically DJI FPV fly?

Practically? 

There are a few videos on the internet with people testing the range (with return) of the DJI FPV drone.

Personally, I was afraid to go further than 2.5-3km (more or less) in an open zone (over mountains) as my VTX signal started abruptly to drop – I think it may be a radio or TV tower in the flight area that nearly cut off my signal.

We have three long-range test videos from Danny Mcgee, RobHK, and NURK FPV to analyze:

  • Danny Mcgee (video linked here) – Danny sent his DJI FPV drone away near a beach and with some houses in the range that may have contributed to his signal limitation and the maximum distance of 2250m, alongside low battery status.

He mentioned that the DJI FPV flight range is really dependent on the battery life status.

  • RobHK (video linked here) – has done the DJI FPV range test with the standard and motion controllers. 

His drone test was with a CE drone (Europe), with probably little interference from the area he was flying.

With the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2, he was able to reach 3100 meters.

But with the Motion Controller, he could barely reach around 1700 meters, even up to that point struggling because of low and loss of the signal.  

  • NURK FPV (video linked here) – He flew the DJI FPV drone with the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2 for about 3700m and returned & landed with 31% left. 

In total, he claims the flight was about 8 kilometers long, which is quite a lot, and still has 31% left of the battery after you land it.

The interference appeared to be very low because he flew above water mostly (lake). 

What does contribute to DJI FPV flight range?

dji fpv goggles v2 png

There are multiple factors that can contribute to the DJI FPV flight range, basically how far you can fly your DJI FPV drone.

The DJI FPV Battery Life

Well, the battery life seems to be one of the core factors that can affect how far you can fly the DJI FPV drone, this being the main factor in most cases before the signal is lost because the drone is way too far.

No, considering that you have to return the drone back home, you are very limited on how far you can fly the DJI FPV drone.

And the battery condition of your DJI FPV drone (such as how many cycles it totally has) will also impact how long you can have the drone in the air before being forced to return to the home point.

Read more > How to Protect your DJI FPV Batteries

Weather Conditions can contribute to the flight distance of DJI FPV Drone

In particular high winds and the weather is a leading factors contributing to the flight distance.

If you fly against the wind, you can fly not even a portion of how much the drone is capable of flying. 

Read more on DJI FPV Wind Resistance.

And wind gusts are your enemy, in particular, if you want to fly long-range.

Please, for the sake of your drone, do not even try to fly your DJI FPV drone long-range if there is considerable wind or heavy wind gusts.

Obstacles can limit your signal.

Any obstacle will limit your image and radio signal range. 

It doesn’t matter if you are 2 kilometers away or 200 meters; you probably will lose signal if you go behind obstacles.

And even taking off near a forest, for instance, and having trees between you and the drone will limit a lot the range of the DJI FPV drone.

Interference is terrible for flying FPV drones.

This is another crucial factor that will limit how far you can fly the DJI FPV drone.

Flying inside cities will limit you because of signal interferences, drastically reducing the range you can totally fly. 

Flight style is another factor to limit your DJI FPV flight time

Aggressive flights, sudden acceleration, and braking of the drone will deplete your DJI FPV battery quite fast, limiting your total flight time and distance.

For instance, you will be able to fly further with your DJI FPV drone if you fly in Sport Mode rather than Manual Mode.

» Related: DJI FPV Normal Mode vs. Sport Mode (explained)

Other factors that will limit your DJI FPV drone flight distance

  • If you record when you fly, you will deplete the battery quicker, hence limiting your flight distance.
  • The props will matter a lot – therefore, keep the original props or some good 3rd party ones if you want to benefit from the most flight distance and time in the air with your DJI FPV drone.
  • The altitude you fly will matter a lot, both to keep a stable signal but as well it will reduce your battery life (because you have to get more in the air)
  • Do you have a GoPro mounted on top of the DJI FPV drone? This will drain your DJI FPV battery quicker and create air friction, drastically limiting your flight distance.

Can you improve the DJI FPV Flight range?

dji fpv drone remote controller

There may be a few ways you can improve your DJI FPV flight range and be able to fly further:

One thing would be not to record 4k 60fps when you fly because it will drain the battery quicker. 1080p 30fps will be more than enough.

Flying in windless conditions and open areas will help you reach greater distances and fly longer.

We will cover this section in an entire article on improving the DJI FPV flight range and how far you can fly. 

Summary of ‘How Far Can You Fly the DJI FPV Drone.’

I will summarize this in the best way to understand how far you can fly the DJI FPV drone.

  • Flying your DJI FPV Drone for 16.8km is fiction – the battery will never last to fly that long.
  • The flight distance will be different depending on the country or territory you fly your DJI FPV drone because of laws and restrictions in place. 
  • Multiple factors can contribute to how far you can fly your DJI FPV Drone, ranging from weather to interference and battery status to flight style.
  • Your settings will matter a lot not to lose signal before returning your drone back due to low battery.
  • Between theoretical flight distance and practical, there is a thick dividing line.
  • You will be able to practically fly your DJI FPV drone for a maximum of 3km to 4km in good weather conditions, with no interference and good battery status, before you have to return back to home.

» Related: Is DJI FPV a Good Drone for an FPV Beginner?

A concluding line

I will personally not recommend you put your drone at risk trying to find out how far you can fly your DJI FPV drone, and not to mention that in many states, countries, and territories, flying this far will be against the law as the drone will be out of visual range. 

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