Considering a drone

[SidecarFlip]

I've borrowed a friend's DJI in the past for scouting fields but I was taken back by the price of admission but now I see DJI has come out with a Mavic Mini that uses a cell phone in conjunction with the controller (download the App) for under 500 bucks complete with extra batteries, props and hard case.

I may buy one. Reviews are excellent.

Integrated Gimbal mounted camera, fly home mode and 2.5 mile range with 30 minute air time.

On my bucket list.

My neighbors will never be safe again..............

 

[ccoon520]

Remote Controlled vehicles are a hobby of mine. I have a couple of nitro RC Cars, a brushless electric RC car, and have had a couple of RC airplanes.

If it is your first drone something to look into is a smaller cheaper drone in the 150-200 dollar range that has no bells or whistles just a line of sight drone with no camera, cell phone compatibility or tracking/following features.

This is for a couple reasons. First, if you end up not liking the hobby as much as you'd like you aren't as deep in the red as you could be. Second, is more of a walk before you can run sort of scenario. Something that happens with every RC vehicle is crashes (especially when first starting out) and a 200 dollar drone will have cheaper components to replace. This allows you to learn how to handle certain situations without worrying about ruining an expensive non-essential component.

It will help with learning to repair the drone and troubleshooting issues as you get deeper into the hobby. Plus every hobby RC vehicle out there (from a brand that is worth their salt) has a LOAD of upgradable parts that let you customize your stuff to fit your liking, from higher performance motors to larger batteries, I have even seen a couple of electric to nitro conversion kits for RC airplanes.

If you do follow my recommendation the reason to stay away from the bells and whistles mostly has to do with the price point situation. A lot of higher end "toy" drones will come with a whole bunch of features that are either only half done or just junk that took away R&D budget for something to slap on the box and make a sale. Hobby drones like the Mavic you mentioned are built functionality first so line of sight hobby drones will start bottom of the barrel at $100 and move up from there. As you add more functionality to the drone the price increases rather than trying to fit into a certain price point and make sales claims.

I think DJI makes some fantastic drones, my recommendation is just to start somewhere that you can focus on building your skill as a drone pilot and mechanic before jumping into the more complicated and costly ones. I have seen a lot of people jump off the deep end when buying RC vehicles and then immediately crash them headlong into a tree and cannot afford or even know how to fix the vehicle due to the cost and/or complexity.

 

[Tornado]

Never owned one personally, but being someone who is very tech savy, and was heavily into photogrpahy for years, Ive been around drones for years. I will just say DJI is one of the leaders in the market, and have been since the start. You cant really go wrong with them. Just be careful flying something that light around trees. If a little wind blows it into a tree branch at 100 feet up, youre kinda screwed. I know of a few ppl who have done this, and had a heck of a time getting it back. If its stuck on your own property its a little easier but if its on public lands or other property you dont own its a real pain. Ive thought of getting one myself but the battery life is always what puts me off. 30 minutes is usually the absolute max. 20 minutes more realistic, and some dont even quite get 20 minutes. This is one area that will improve over time though. 30 minutes is already a big improvement over just a couple years ago.

 

[ccoon520]

I also have a simulation program for my computer called RF8 (Real Flight 8) that allows you to simulate flying a bunch of different airplanes and drones for practice. It is compatible with a bunch of different RC Remotes and you can even buy the program with a controller included. There is nothing that will really prep you for the real deal but it does help with the basics and allows you to crash all you want for free without concern for going bankrupt.

If you are going to jump straight into the deep end I'd recommend this program to at least help a little bit hopefully.

 

[pendoreille]

My neighbors will never be safe again..............[/QUOTE]

Now that is funny! It would be like skeet shooting.

 

[ccoon520]

Ive thought of getting one myself but the battery life is always what puts me off. 30 minutes is usually the absolute max. 20 minutes more realistic, and some dont even quite get 20 minutes. This is one area that will improve over time though. 30 minutes is already a big improvement over just a couple years ago.

Actually the battery life on these things can be pretty great. Of course it depends on the power draw, the conditions you are flying in, how aggressive you are flying, and the type/size of battery the drone will accept. A NiMH battery you'll be lucky to get 10 minutes of flight time but a well cared for LiPO battery with adequate cells and the right mAH capacity can get quite a good flight time. Also considering that you'll be spending 20 minutes looking up in the sky or at a FPV screen 20 minutes will hit the spot.

If it isn't enough the batteries are small enough and relatively speaking cheap enough that having 5 fully charged batteries is a reasonable thing to do. Especially since they sell charging stations that can charge and balance 4-5 LiPO batteries at once and you can get a good rotation going so you will always have a charged battery on deck as long as you are near a 120VAC supply.

 

[Tornado]

I also have a simulation program for my computer called RF8 (Real Flight 8) that allows you to simulate flying a bunch of different airplanes and drones for practice. It is compatible with a bunch of different RC Remotes and you can even buy the program with a controller included. There is nothing that will really prep you for the real deal but it does help with the basics and allows you to crash all you want for free without concern for going bankrupt.

If you are going to jump straight into the deep end I'd recommend this program to at least help a little bit hopefully.

For what sidecar is wanting id just get the mavic, go into an open field and play with it. These things are easy to fly. The limitation is just battery power, allowing you to only play with it in 20-30 minute spurts. You will have it down in one charge though. I picked up on flying one in just 2 or 3 minutes and could make it go anywhere i wanted. Couple charges in you will have even more a feel for how it responds to situations and be flying and shooting video like a pro. Basic common sense like giving trees and objects plenty of room for clearance when going around them will keep you from losing it.

I would also forgo the cheap ones like coon recommends, given you are looking at the mavic. No point spending $150 for something that doesnt do what you really wanna do, just to then go and spend another 500 to get the one you really want to play with. The super cheap ones just hover in the air, have a very limited range, have no camera, and will never be used again once you have the DJI unit. If you were looking at drones over $1,000 I could then consider coons advice there. For the mavic though, id just go for it off the top. Its under $500, and will shot the video and pictures and stuff like you're wanting to do. Flying them isnt rocket science. You will enjoy it, they are fun to play with and shoot video of your property. They are even helpful if looking to cut down trees to just get up and look down on the trees, see different angles etc etc. We even use them in the assessment world here in florida when it floods around rivers and such to fly in and survey flood damage, water levels, and how it has impacted properties/values.

 

[ccoon520]

I would also forgo the cheap ones like coon recommends, given you are looking at the mavic. No point spending $150 for something that doesnt do what you really wanna do, just to then go and spend another 500 to get the one you really want to play with. The super cheap ones just hover in the air, have a very limited range, have no camera, and will never be used again once you have the DJI unit. If you were looking at drones over $1,000 I could then consider coons advice there. For the mavic though, id just go for it off the top. Its under $500, and will shot the video and pictures and stuff like you're wanting to do. Flying them isnt rocket science. You will enjoy it, they are fun to play with and shoot video of your property. They are even helpful if looking to cut down trees to just get up and look down on the trees, see different angles etc etc. We even use them in the assessment world here in florida when it floods around rivers and such to fly in and survey flood damage, water levels, and how it has impacted properties/values.

My recommendation was just based off the potential of saving 300 dollars vs spending an extra 150. Just considering if it turned out not to be his cup of tea a 150 dollar paperweight is a lot easier to swallow than a 500 dollar one. Plus once you get what you need out of the cheap one you have a Christmas/birthday/spring cleaning gift to give to a kid or grand-kid. It is a route that I took with my Brother-In-Law when he was interested in it and now he can't put the cheapo one down.

 

[D2Cat]

Why not buy the one you want, it's going to be a tax deduction anyways. Checking out hay ground and cattle is a legitimate deduction.

When you're as old as Flip you have got to get rid of that money or give it to someone, you can't take it with you!

 

[ccoon520]

Why not buy the one you want, it's going to be a tax deduction anyways. Checking out hay ground and cattle is a legitimate deduction.

When you're as old as Flip you have got to get rid of that money or give it to someone, you can't take it with you!

I'd just hate to see another person leave the hobby because they jumped too far in to quick. I am certain the Flip would be able to fly the Mavic and that he would be able to repair it. But sometimes sticker shock happens when it comes to repairs and too many features can be distracting.

And maybe if he got the bug really hard from the cheap drone he would end up building his own monstrosity of a drone with Carbon Fiber, FPV capabilities, and a 4k 3 axis camera to go spy on our neighbors to the north to see what their real goal is with all that maple syrup.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Why not buy the one you want, it's going to be a tax deduction anyways. Checking out hay ground and cattle is a legitimate deduction.

When you're as old as Flip you have got to get rid of that money or give it to someone, you can't take it with you!

Cat.. After the market took it's big dump, I'm not as flush as I once was....

I think 500 bucks is reasonable and yes, will be a business (farm) expense.

I don't know if I have to license it. I think it has to do with ceiling height and the mini is limited to 400 feet altitude which is plenty for my needs.

Not for a hobby, more for scouting fields than anything else and my comment about the neighbors was on total jest.

Can use it up north on my property there as well. Probably a good tool to track game movement.

 

[John T]

If they made a drone with a chainsaw attachment I might be interested.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[bucktail]

If they made a drone with a chainsaw attachment I might be interested.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

There's a video of that on YouTube. The language sounded Scandinavian.

 

[RCW]

My son in law has a little drone, given to him as a birthday gift from his brother. I think DJI is the brand.

They live in downtown Philadelphia, so he likes to bring it here to the “sticks” and play with it.

It’s amazing what that thing can do with the video quality, etc. We have about 6 acres of mature woods, and he can scope around all of it easily.

Darn thing is tiny; only 10”x 10” or so and he launches off my truck’s tailgate. I think he said it was about $2-300 or so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[motionclone]

I have a DJI Spark Drone. These are very smart drones even an idiot like me can fly. really doesnt take much skill. They fly themselves. Have smart features like youre looking for.

Heres some pics of my land in northern Maine at 400ft which is the legal ceiling height.

And heres a short video flying apprx 1ft above water level on my stream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAnlMNJnEug

 

[skeets]

Have you ever run a pan in that creek just for giggles?

 

[motionclone]

Have you ever run a pan in that creek just for giggles?

We did once for a couple hours and I had an inlaw try but no luck. Caught a few brookies here though last year. This comes off of Saddleback Mountain

 

[JohnDB]

I've borrowed a friend's DJI in the past for scouting fields but I was taken back by the price of admission but now I see DJI has come out with a Mavic Mini that uses a cell phone in conjunction with the controller (download the App) for under 500 bucks complete with extra batteries, props and hard case.

I've had a DJI drone for a couple of years. My thoughts:

Buy whichever you feel financially comfortable with crashing or losing in a remote place - but that said, I've had a couple of prangs with mine and been amazed by the robustness of it. Parts are easily available (not necessarily cheap). It's a beautifully engineered machine.

If you are going to use maps at all, you can only get whatever brand the drone manufacturer lets you use. Unless you buy some other aftermarket app. DJI switched from Google Maps to Here Maps about 6 months after I bought mine, and the Here Maps were an absolute dog - low resolution and out of date. I had no choice, they just decided and did it. Occasionally I can still get Google Maps but it's not easy. I don't know if DJI still uses Here, but it can make a big difference if you rely on them.

Your 1/4" drive socket set won't be much help for repairs. If you don't already have them, you'll need a set of tiny screwdrivers of different types, tweezers, magnifier light and other kit for repairs.

Make sure your phone has a good bright display in daylight. Mine could be better, so I fly it from a spot in the shade so I can see the screen clearly.

Don't do firmware or software upgrades unless you need them to fix a problem that's bothering you. Reason: the upgrades can introduce new problems and new limitations imposed by the manufacturer.

Keep each upgrade as an app in case you want to roll back to the previous version and the manufacturer has taken it off their website. Sometimes you can find old versions on other sites, but they aren't necessarily safe.

Keep an eye on the users forum/s - they can save you a lot of time/grief and be really helpful.

Drones have similar limitations as helicopters... look up vortex effect before you fly close to walls (One of my crashes)... the other lesson from that is that if you are practising precision flying close to stuff, the lower you have the machine, the less distance it falls when you hit something...)

It is modern technology at its best, or worst, so don't assume you are the only one who has access to your pictures and track.

Fly it lots, keep current, and have lots of fun (I've sort of lost interest in mine but occasionally haul it out to get aerial photos, and I practically have to relearn how to fly it).

It's great to learn a new skill, and having bought one, as another poster said, you'll be in a great position to know better what you want if you need to upgrade.

 

[motionclone]

Its being talked about too that DJI, a chinese company can and does possibly use these drones as spy devices. US Army and others arent using them.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-dji-spying-americans


From my own experience the drone and software track location but more specifically track and log every single flight including location and altitude. And there isnt a way to shut that feature off.

There also ever changing drone regs. When I got my Spark i was required to register with the FAA ($5) Also the drones couldnt be used commercially without a specific certification (FAA rule). probably changed by now but that rule scared me away from trying to use it as a tax right-off.

 

[Cfrazer]

Cat.. After the market took it's big dump, I'm not as flush as I once was....

I think 500 bucks is reasonable and yes, will be a business (farm) expense.

I don't know if I have to license it. I think it has to do with ceiling height and the mini is limited to 400 feet altitude which is plenty for my needs.

"DJI designed the Mavic Mini to weigh 249 grams, putting it just below the Federal Aviation Administration's 250-gram weight limit that requires a drone to be registered."

This applies for recreational purposes but if used for commercial purpose requirements may be different.

I just have a DJI Spark and its been great but have had problems with the WIFI it uses for transmission, not bad in rural areas though. If i buy another one, i want one that uses the Occusync transmission, much better but double the price.