Range of the drone remote control: What does the information in FCC / CE mean? (2024)

20. February 2018 / From Johannes Domke / Gadgets / Ein Kommentar

Range of the drone remote control: What does the information in FCC / CE mean? (1)

If you want to buy a drone, especially a camera drone with photo and video recording options, many questions arise when researching the best model. Some of them are already answered here in the blog, especially with regard to the DJI quadrocopter. If you are specifically wondering what the terms FCC, CE and SRRC mean when it comes to drone range, then you have come to the right place on this advisor page. In the following I explain the range standards for drones and what they mean for the DJI Phantom 3 and 4, the DJI Mavic Air and Pro and other models.

By the way: A detailed practical report on the DJI Mavic Air range is already here

Range of the drone remote control: What does the information in FCC / CE mean? (2)

Chapter in this post:

  • 1 Drone range in FCC / CE: what does that mean?
  • 2 What does this mean for the range of the drone remote control?
  • 3 So how far can you fly?
  • 4 CE transmission powers and ranges of individual DJI drones
  • 6 Similar posts

Drone range in FCC / CE: what does that mean?

If you look at the technical data of a drone, like this Datasheet of the DJI Mavic Air, then you will not only find information about size or dimensions, weight, maximum flight speed, video resolution, photo modes, control and the like, but also about the range of the drone remote control. With the DJI drones, this is often specified as the maximum transmission range and then broken down into FCC-compliant, CE-compliant and SRRC-compliant. But what do these abbreviations mean for you as drone pilots? FCC, SRRC and CE mean the following for the range of the drone:

  • FCC: Federal Communications Commission of the USA, an authority responsible for radio services - the information in the drone data sheet relates to US airspace
  • SRRC: State Radio Regulation of China, as a summary of regulations and test standards for the certification of radio products in China
  • CE: Marking for products that go hand in hand with EU regulations, also for radio products such as drones that are equipped for use in the EU or Germany

What does this mean for the range of the drone remote control?

In Germany, certain rules and laws apply to flying a drone. Not only do aircraft need from 250 grams provided with a badge become; From a flight weight of 5 kg, a flight or ascent permit is also required. The regulations also extend - and this brings us to the main point - on the radio performance of the drone or controller / remote control. When the location (Germany / EU) is detected, this is automatically throttled to a maximum of 10 mW via the 2,4 GHz WLAN band and to a maximum of 25 mW via the 5,8 GHz WLAN band. For the drone remote control in the respective DJI data sheet, dBm values ​​are usually also given for the power level; for the CE area these are mostly values ​​between ≤20 and ≤14 dBm.

So how far can you fly?

In Germany, flights with drones, copters and model airplanes are permitted within sight. So the smaller the camera drone (DJI Mavic models are much smaller than the Phantom or Inspire models), the less range you have as a result. According to this calculation in the Kopterforum, which I don't understand 100%, the DJI Mavic Air also has technical ranges of 563 m to 1.415 m. According to the official DJI Mavic Air data sheet, the drone uses 2,4 GHz WiFi up to 2.000 m Transmitter range (without obstacles and interference) possible.

CE transmission power and ranges of individual DJI drones

I once looked through the technical data of individual camera drones from the professional manufacturer from China and wrote out the respective CE values ​​of the remote control for you. In the following table you will find an overview that you can use to orientate yourself when choosing and buying. In addition, I have linked the local posts to the individual camera drones:

DroneCE transmitter performance for 2,4 GHz / 5,8 GHzCE range for 2,4 GHz / 5,8 GHzInformation
DJI Mavic Air18dBm / 14dBm2.000 m / 500 mHere
DJI Mavic Pro Platinum20 dBm / -4.000 m / -Here
DJI Mavic Pro20 dBm / -4.000 m / -Here
DJI Spark18dBm / 14dBm500 m / 300 mHere
DJI Phantom 4 Pro?3.500 m / 2.000 mHere
DJI Phantom 4 Advanced18 dBm / -3.500 m / --
DJI Phantom 3 SE?500 m / 500 m-
DJI Phantom 3 Standard?500 m / 500 mHere
DJI Inspire 217dBm / 14dBm3.500 m / 5.000 mHere

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Range of the drone remote control: What does the information in FCC / CE mean? (11)

Johannes Domke

After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.

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Range of the drone remote control: What does the information in FCC / CE mean? (2024)

FAQs

What is the maximum control range of a drone? ›

How Far Can A Drone Fly From The Controller? A small, lightweight consumer drone with a small battery might only have a dynamic range of 1-2 miles. A large, heavy-duty one with a large battery might range from 10 to 20 miles.

What is FCC in drones? ›

The FCC mod allows the drone to bypass these restrictions and turn its radios to full power. Furthermore, the FCC mode enables frequencies that are disabled in certain countries (e.g. 5.8Ghz is re-enabled in Russia and Israel).

What is the difference between FCC and CE WIFI? ›

The FCC is the US regulatory body for communications equipment. "CE" is a European regulatory conformity marking. Both FCC and CE compliance markings are used for things other than transmitters, like for simple electromagnetic compatibility compliance.

What is the range of drone remote control? ›

Some drones use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone or tablet, which limits their range to about 100 meters or less. Other drones use dedicated radio controllers that operate on 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz frequencies, which can extend their range to several kilometers.

What is the range on drones? ›

Generally speaking, the flight distance of consumer-grade drones is between a few kilometers and tens of kilometers, while professional and industrial-grade drones can fly farther, even up to hundreds of kilometers.

Can I change my drone from CE to FCC? ›

Apparently with the FCC mode the power of the transmission is increased enabling longer flying distances. Hello, there. We are sorry that it does not support manually switching among FCC, CE, and SRRC.

What is the restricted zone on DJI drones? ›

Restricted Zones. In these Zones, which appear red the DJI App, users will be prompted with a warning and flight is prevented. If you believe you have the authorization to operate in a Restricted Zone, please contact flysafe@dji.com or Online Unlocking. Altitude Zones: Altitude zones will appear in gray on the map.

Are DJI drones automatically registered? ›

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires every DJI Phantom operator to register before flying.

What is FCC CE? ›

CE mark or CE marking is European conformity marking that indicates that the product it is affixed to complies with all relevant European requirements. / FCC - Federal Communications Commission. It is a marking that indicates that the electronic item is approved for use in the US. / Restriction of Hazardous Substances.

What does FCC mean? ›

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates interstate and international communications through cable, radio, television, satellite and wire. The goal of the Commission is to promote connectivity and ensure a robust and competitive market.

What is the difference between FCC and CE standard? ›

CE EMC requirements includes both emissions and immunity testing. Product safety testing also applies for the CE Mark. In contrast, FCC Testing focuses specifically on EMC testing of electronic goods sold in the United States.

What is the range of the DJI drone control? ›

Specialized drones can fly over 100 kilometers for specific tasks. DJI Air 3 and Mavic 3 Pro offer a 30 km flight range. High-end consumer drones can reach 17.7 km from the controller. Mid-level drones typically have a 0.6–3.2 km communication range.

What is the maximum distance a drone can cover? ›

If you need to fly further, commercial fixed-wing drones can be operated at distances of up to 100 kilometres. These long-range fixed-wing drones are ideal for commercial operations like mapping and surveying that often take place over large areas of terrain.

What is the range of drone detection system? ›

The AARTOS™ Drone Detection System features the highest drone detection range on the market (40 km consumer UAV / 80 km military UAV) using real-time drone protocol decoding and RF signal detection. Discover our integrated drone detection system, optimized for vehicles, buildings, or 24/7 remote outdoor use.

Can you control a drone from miles away? ›

Basic Wi-Fi: Has a short range, usually no more than 100 yards. proprietary protocols (such as Lightbridge and OcuSync): Increase the drone's range to miles (2–3 miles for consumer models and 5-7 miles for higher-end versions).

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