Short answers to the questions that come up after a kit arrives. Each one points to the User Guide section that carries the detail.
Does WarDragon need an internet or cloud connection to detect drones?
No. Detection, decoding, correlation, and track assembly run on the unit. Baseline detection needs no subscription and no cloud connection. The only capability that requires an active internet connection is DragonScope, which is a separate service. See DragonScope and internet connectivity.
What is the difference between baseline detection and DragonScope?
Baseline detection is included with every kit, permanently, with no fee. It covers Remote ID over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, DJI OcuSync 2 and 3 with decoded telemetry, and OcuSync 4 as an awareness detection: the aircraft is detected and given a per-flight identifier and a signal-based distance estimate.
DragonScope is an annual per-sensor service that decodes encrypted OcuSync 4. With it active, an OcuSync 4 aircraft reports full telemetry — aircraft position, velocity, pilot position, home point, serial number, and signal data — the same fields OcuSync 2 and 3 already report without it. DragonScope adds a capability; it does not unlock something the kit was withholding. Availability and pricing are through the contact form. User Guide, Section 1.5.
Can I add the second SDR to a Pro kit later?
No. The dedicated FPV SDR is fitted at manufacture on Elite kits and requires the x86 Elite processor to drive it. A Pro kit’s ARM processor cannot be upgraded to carry it. Tier is a decision made at purchase. User Guide, Section 1.6.
For FPV, does the Elite kit detect video, control links, or both?
Both, on separate ports. The 5 GHz port serves FPV video activity; the 900 MHz port serves control and telemetry links. Both are driven by the dedicated FPV SDR, so both are Elite only. The front-panel labels read FPV 5.8 and FPV 900 — those are hardware labels for the same two ports. User Guide, Section 1.3.
Does WarDragon detect every drone?
No RF detection system can detect an aircraft that transmits nothing. WarDragon detects the signal families it supports — Remote ID, DJI OcuSync, and on Elite kits FPV video and 900 MHz control links. An aircraft using a link outside that set, or transmitting nothing, is not detected. WarDragon is the passive RF layer in a broader air-domain picture; other sensing methods address what RF cannot see. User Guide, Section 1.6.
Does it jam, disable, or take control of drones?
No. WarDragon is a passive, receive-only sensor. It does not jam, spoof, mitigate, interdict, or take control of an aircraft, and it does not determine intent. Its output is a detection record delivered to the systems and people responsible for operational decisions. User Guide, Section 1.6.
Where can detections be sent?
Detections and unit health are published as Cursor on Target messages. Out of the box they reach ATAK, WinTAK, and iTAK by multicast on the local network, or a TAK Server for centralized multi-user operations. Any endpoint that accepts Cursor on Target can receive them, and the unit exposes a read-only HTTP API for the ATAK plugin and the Console. Other ingestion paths into your own middleware or dashboard are arranged through the contact form. User Guide, Section 8.
What is the detection range?
Not a published figure, on purpose. Range depends on antenna choice, mounting height, line of sight, the RF environment, aircraft type, and protocol behavior, and a number quoted without those conditions would be misleading. See Antennas: what ships, what you can change, and why range is not published.
Can I run more than one unit?
Yes. Each unit publishes to the same operational picture, so coverage grows by adding nodes and choosing antennas, not by changing software. Mobile and Drop-In units run the same build and are configured the same way.
Related
- WarDragon User Guide, Section 1 — system overview, variants, DragonScope, and what the system will not do
- WarDragon User Guide, Section 8 — integration with your operational picture