DJI Ban

[DrMckay]

I'm giving a lot of thought to buying a DJI Avata 2 and the Goggles 3 while you can still get your hands on them but I have some concerns. It's seeming more apparent that the United States and China are decoupling and even possibly moving towards war. My current very noob understanding of the drone is that if China were to sever all access to their satellites then I'd still be able to manually fly the drone but would lose all of the GPS features that make it easy for new pilots to fly. Basically, I'm wondering if rushing to buy this is a good idea or whether I'm about to invest in a not too distant future brick. I'm also curious to hear if others have thoughts on the current DJI ban and/or what seems like WWIII getting closer.

 

[OGBabyBird]

Try here and the stuff linked in this thread. It may help

F

Thread 'DJI/Autel Ban?'

Jun 1, 2025

There are reports that the Trump administration is preparing executive orders that could restrict Chinese drone manufacturers like DJI and Autel from selling their drones in the U.S. These orders might be signed as early as next week2. However, the administration is not calling for an outright ban but rather directing the U.S. intelligence community to accelerate reviews of potential national security risks posed by these drones. Additionally, the orders would reportedly encourage investment in the domestic drone industry and update federal regulations on commercial drone usage.

• Falconeer
• Replies: 2
• Forum: General Discussions

 

[blackbirdcapt]

Be aware that if you buy these, they will likely not be covered by DJI's warranty. I recently purchased an Air 3S, a Neo, and a DJI RC2. Before ordering these, I had heard that because of the country of origin (most likely what you will find is China), the available DJI products may not be covered in the U.S. by DJI's warranty.

As soon as I received these 3 items, I called DJI Support and they confirmed the items I had are not covered by DJI's warranty in the U.S. Needless to say, I immediately returned the items for a refund.

I was heartbroken because I really want an Air 3S. I am hoping for a good outcome from the government's audit of data shared by DJI. However, as slow and disconnected from reality as our government is, I have serious doubts about the future availability of DJI products in the U.S.

Based on reviews of the Potensic Atom 2, I just ordered one. Clearly the Atom 2 is nowhere near as robust as the Air S3. This is my first drone, so it's probably a suitable alternative for me right now.

 

[Brutalwarpig]

First off, DJI doesn't have DJI satellites your drone connects to. Your drone connects to GPS satellites which belong to the US. The only issue that may be a problem is DJI requires that you log in your device once a year. If you don't log in or can't log in then you will be limited to a very small area to fly. Like 50 meters. But the DJI ban shouldn't effect your ability to get updates. It only prevents new DJI products from operating on US communications infrastructure. Not those already owned by pilots. Besides, in 3 years there will be a different president and the ban will be rescinded.