DJI Mini 3 Pro Range (Explained)

The new market king has come into power. New intelligent flight modes, an upgraded camera with vertical shooting capabilities, and an obstacle avoidance system are all included with the DJI Mini 3 Pro.

However, has the range improved compared to its predecessor? How far can we go with this amazing new drone?

When flying in rural or coastal locations, the Mini 3 Pro has a maximum transmission range of 12 kilometers.

That range limit is more than sufficient for all of our demands, especially because most countries require that pilots comply with the VLOS regulations, or in other words, to fly the drone within line of sight.

The range limits will be greatly restricted not only by VLOS rules but also because of other regional regulations that restrict how far our precious aircraft can fly legally.

In this article, we will give you all the information you need to push the range of your DJI Mini 3 Pro within the legal limits.

Additionally, the technical data will be provided, so you understand what are the capabilities of the aircraft.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Mini 3 Pro Range Factors #

The range of your drone is affected by several variables, including the battery, the video feed system, and the signal transmission range of the remote controller.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors to better understand the range of your DJI Mini 3 Pro.

Remote Controller

When the DJI Mini 2 came out, one of the nicest changes that it brought with it was the new DJI RC-N1 remote controller. Its improved range and ergonomics made it a fan favorite.

The DJI RC-N1 can be used with the DJI Mini 3 Pro, as you can purchase the drone bundled with this controller. However, it can also be used with several other drones by DJI.

If you own both the Mini 2 and the Mini 3, you should know that depending on the transmission system the aircraft uses, the controller’s transmission range will vary.

As a result, while using the DJI RC-N1 controller, the DJI Mini 3 Pro has a longer range than the DJI Mini 2, as the former uses OcuSync 3.0 and the latter uses OcuSync 2.0.

DJI RC-N1 Controller
** **

Transmission system
DJI Mini 2: OcuSync 2 DJI Mavic Air 2: OcuSync 2 DJI Air 2S: OcuSync 3 DJI Mavic 3: OcuSync 3

Operating Temperature
32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C)

Transmitter Power (EIRP)
2.4 GHz / 5.8 GHz

An alternative to the DJI RC-N1 controller is the brand new DJI RC, also available bundled with the DJI Mini 3 Pro.

This controller works with OcuSync 3.0, so both controllers offer the same range.

Video Transmission (OcuSync 3.0) #

Hold on, you might be thinking, what is OcuSync 3.0? This is the name of DJI’s long-range transmission system.

Instead of using 2 built-in antennas like in OcuSync 2.0, the new version employs 4 of them.

This system offers a maximum operative range of 7.4 miles (12 kilometers) and a video quality of 1080p 30 FPS from the aircraft to the DJI Fly app that your device will be running.

It is crucial to keep in mind that even if your device loses the visual feed, you may still be able to fly the drone by using the remote controller’s sticks.

However, if the video feed on your smartphone has stopped working, your drone is probably out of your line of sight, making it impossible for you to operate it because you would be piloting it blindly.

The well-known Colombian YouTuber “HATU”, who specializes in range tests, flew the DJI Mini 3 Pro with the standard battery to a maximum distance of 21,387 feet (6,519 meters).

The video transmission presented no issues.

You can find the video below and use auto-translated English subtitles, though the video speaks by itself.

Mini 3 Pro Battery #

The battery is currently the most significant range-limiting technical factor in drone technology.

There are a few aircraft, such as the DJI Mavic 3 that can fly without a transmission range limitation thanks to the use of a 4G dongle.

However, even if you could fly the drone 30 km away from its initial take-off point, the battery would not take you that far.

For the first time, the latest mini-drone by DJI is offered with two different intelligent flight batteries.

The standard version will get you a maximum air time of 34 minutes, while the Plus version will keep your drone in the air for a maximum of 47 minutes.

Intelligent Flight Battery
Intelligent Flight Battery Plus

Voltage****

7.38 V
7.38 V

Amperage
2453 mAh
3859 mAh

Flight time****

34 min
47 min

VLOS Regulations #

We have seen that the battery is the biggest range-limiting technical factor, but what about the VLOS regulations?

If you were thinking about this, even though is not a technical limitation, it is the second biggest factor that affects range. In fact, it is even more limiting than the technical one in most cases.

Flying within VLOS means that we need to keep the drone in our visual line of sight. This can vary depending on how well you see, the weather conditions, the color of your drone, etc.

In the US as well as in European Union countries or the UK, for example, we must follow this rule.

In most cases, we could say that you will lose sight of your drone at around 1,600 feet (500 meters).

So, according to this limitation, it does not matter if your DJI Mini 3 Pro has a technical range of 12 km (remote controller) or a battery limitation of around 4 mi (6.5 km).

The true limitation is that you must have your drone in your visual line of sight, otherwise, you will be flying illegally.

DJI Mini 3 Pro Technical Range Limit
DJI Mini 3 Pro VLOS Limit

12 km
Around 500 m

Regional Limits #

Other significant regulations also place restrictions on the range of your Mini 3 Pro in addition to the drone laws created by each region, such as the one requiring drone operators to fly within visual line of sight.

The most prominent of these rules are those that regulate the certification of products that use radio technologies. The following four are considered the most important.

FCC #

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an agency of the United States of America that sets the standards for those products that might create electromagnetic interference.

The products that have this certification have been tested to comply with these requirements.

The DJI Mini 3 Pro has a range limit of 7.4 mi (12 km) in this region.

CE #

As with all the certifications in this section, the CE label, which stands for European Conformity, functions similarly.

The manufacturer has evaluated the items and determined that they comply with the EU standards of safety, health, and environmental protection.

You can fly your Mini 3 Pro to a maximum range of 4.9 mi (8 km) in the countries covered by the CE regulation.

MIC #

To ensure that telecommunications, radio, and wireless products comply with MIC certification, the MIC, or the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, evaluates them.

Therefore, this is the regulation that will determine the range of your Mini 3 Pro in this Asian country.

The range limit in Japan for the Mini 3, according to the MIC certification, is 4.9 mi (8 km).

SRRC #

Lastly, we have the State Radio Monitoring and Testing Center, or SRRC.

This certification is specific to China. It requires local testing, approval with a label, and has a validity of 5 years.

Some of the aspects that are tested include frequency band, transmission power, and frequency tolerance, amongst others.

Drones in this region have a range limit of 4.9 mi (8 km).

Regional Limit Summary

Certification
Range Limit

FCC (USA)
12 km

CE (European Union)
8 km

MIC (Japan)
8 km

SRRC (China)
8 km

Environmental Conditions #

Regulations are crucial for limiting the range of our drones, as we have seen.

However, technological restriction often is meaningless if a regulation with more restrictive rules dictates how far we can fly our drones.

Having stated that, it is crucial to take into account the environmental conditions for the operating range of our drone.

If you want to fly the aircraft in an area that is obstructed by buildings, even if it is only 50 meters away from you, you can experience major connection problems.

The environment where you fly your drone greatly affects the interferences that you will experience, which will translate into a good or bad signal in your remote controller.

Strong interference: In places like city centers or adjacent to electrical towers, you should prepare for significant interferences. The transmission distance in these cases should be in the range of 0.9 to 1.8 mi (1.5 to 3 km).
Medium interference: If we move out of the city center to the suburbs or small towns, the interference levels will greatly decrease. In these areas, we should expect a transmission distance of 1.8 to 4.3 mi (3 to 7 km).
Low interference: Not surprisingly, rural areas or beaches are where we will get the best transmission distance possible, as there will be no obstacles between the aircraft and the remote controller. In them, we should get the maximum transmission, which is between 4.3 to 7.4 mi (7 to 12 km).

** **
Areas
Distance (mi)

Distance (km)****

Strong interference****

City centers
0.9 to 1.8
1.5 to 3

Medium interference
Suburbs / Small towns
1.8 to 4.3
3 to 7

Low interference****

Rural areas / beaches
4.3 to 7.4
7 to 12

Pilot, that is all for today! I hope you enjoyed learning everything there is to know about the DJI Mini 3 Pro range. Remember, stay safe in the skies!

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