100% New to Drones - Need Assistance Please!

[Hauptmann]

As a retired doctor, I had to laugh at your term Obstetrical Avoidance. Totally agree with everything else. I think you might have meant OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE. e.g.: unless you want the drone to avoid your baby delivery doctor).

Dale

Dale, I think he DID want the drone to avoid the baby delivery doctor. Those storks can be aggressive!

 

[Ronny St.]

First of all welcome to his forum!
Regarding your question of what to buy. If you are totally new to drones, I would recommend considering to buy a second hand first and see if you want to go further eventually. You can find easily a cheap second hand Mini 2, often with a lot of accessories (extra batteries etc). They often come from newbies that after a short time realized that droning what they expected it to be. But be aware: you mention you want at least 30 minutes of flight on one battery. Don't rely on the specifications given by the manufacturer; those flight times are measured in ideal conditions. My Mini 2 does fly 20-22 minutes maximum when wind conditions are acceptable and if I don't speed up in sports mode all the time. The same goes, by the way, for my Mavic 2 Pro. I think over 30 minutes is only possible now with the Mavic 3 Pro and that is a costly bird, especially to learn with. And it requires certificates since it is above the 250 g limit.
Whatever you choose, I hope that flying a drone will give you the same pleasure as the rest of us here

 

[kmohr3]

Welcome to the forum!


DJI Care Refresh is likely going to be the better buy as it's easier to get a drone replacement (if ever needed).

I've never bought the DJI care refresh, but I can say that the State Farm policy I carry was very easy to deal with. I very quickly got reimbursed after my Mavic Pro of 3 years crashed. Policy is $60 / yr, (I'm in Rockford, IL). From what they say they will also cover a flyaway and theft.

As far as being new - I would read all the material, get TRUST, don't take shortcuts getting into the air for the first time, be cognizant of how many satellites and home point, watch youtube videos specific to your model drone. Good luck!

 

[kmohr3]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

You have already received a lot of good answers to the drone choice, I'll add the Air 2s to the mix. It does well with wind and has a 1-inch sensor for better images.. Take your time and read what each drone offers and get one that best fits your needs and budget. One non-DJI drone that I would recommend is the Evo Lite Plus. It also has a 1-inch sensor, does great images, and has no GEO fencing issues.

I 2nd the Air2S. Probably the biggest bang-for-your-buck right now. A little above your budget, but they did just go down in price. Around $1100 for a new flymore combo, and $799 for a refurb Air2S flymore.

 

[John Gowland]

The Mavic Mini 2 is an awesome drone and it does not cost much now. But the most important thing is to just have a lot of fun flying. This is the best forum you will come across. The Mods deleted some of my replies recently, but you know what, I agree with them. They make this place a joy.

 

[LGLDSR73]

The Mavic Mini 2 is an awesome drone and it does not cost much now. But the most important thing is to just have a lot of fun flying. This is the best forum you will come across. The Mods deleted some of my replies recently, but you know what, I agree with them. They make this place a joy.

Thank you John! Could not agree more, FANTASTIC Forum!

 

[Ntexguy]

Greetings!

Patently outstanding Forum you have here. Love it. And that's good (for me anyway!) because I am going to need counsel and will be picking brains for advice, lol.

I am 101% new to Drones. Retired after 40+ years in Information Technology as a Network Administrator (Lockheed, Raytheon, Qualcomm) and all the 'To Do' around the house is finally done. So it's finally time to kick back. I've always had an interest in Drones. But where to begin?

I am completely at a loss as to where to begin in terms of Brands and to a degree, features. Budget is, right now, $800 USD. I'd like a Drone capable of at least 30 minutes of flight without having to wait two hours for a battery to recharge. No brainer there, have maybe two or three spares on hand (not included in the budget but doable). Video resolution does not have to be 1080, I can do with 720 but obviously 1080 is preferred. It DEFINITELY needs to be able to return to me when it senses it's getting low on power.

I am on five acres of property and it's going to be a long time before I'm flying the miles that I've seen advertised. A long time. For the foreseeable future I want this in visible range.

I've seen Kits such as the DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo that include multiple batteries, spare parts, etc. Input?

WiFi...If I understand correctly these Drones will not operate without WiFi? Given my background I can't quite wrap my head around that as WiFi is very limited in range. Any clarification greatly appreciated.

Is a cell phone 100% mandatory to use a Drone?

Insurance....I've read that State Farm offers insurance for short money. Any thoughts on that?

Thank you very much for your time!

Best,

Lyman

Welcome to a terrific hobby experience! The info you find on this site is amazing from a ton of experience. My question to you is.....what part of north Texas? I live in Wichita Falls, Tx.....is this anywhere close to you? I'd be delighted to buy lunch!
Mike

 

[careless]

Welcome from Kentucky USA

 

[LGLDSR73]

Welcome to a terrific hobby experience! The info you find on this site is amazing from a ton of experience. My question to you is.....what part of north Texas? I live in Wichita Falls, Tx.....is this anywhere close to you? I'd be delighted to buy lunch!
Mike

Thank you! I agree that this is an outstanding Forum! I am not from Texas though. I am in Northern Michigan. Again, many thanks Ntexguy!

 

[LGLDSR73]

Welcome from Kentucky USA

Thank you, Careless!

 

[Jaime Zapata]

Greetings!

Patently outstanding Forum you have here. Love it. And that's good (for me anyway!) because I am going to need counsel and will be picking brains for advice, lol.

I am 101% new to Drones. Retired after 40+ years in Information Technology as a Network Administrator (Lockheed, Raytheon, Qualcomm) and all the 'To Do' around the house is finally done. So it's finally time to kick back. I've always had an interest in Drones. But where to begin?

I am completely at a loss as to where to begin in terms of Brands and to a degree, features. Budget is, right now, $800 USD. I'd like a Drone capable of at least 30 minutes of flight without having to wait two hours for a battery to recharge. No brainer there, have maybe two or three spares on hand (not included in the budget but doable). Video resolution does not have to be 1080, I can do with 720 but obviously 1080 is preferred. It DEFINITELY needs to be able to return to me when it senses it's getting low on power.

I am on five acres of property and it's going to be a long time before I'm flying the miles that I've seen advertised. A long time. For the foreseeable future I want this in visible range.

I've seen Kits such as the DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo that include multiple batteries, spare parts, etc. Input?

Wi-Fi... Si entiendo correctamente estos Drones no funcionarán sin WiFi? Dados mis antecedentes, no puedo entenderlo, ya que WiFi tiene un alcance muy limitado. Cualquier aclaración muy apreciada.

¿Es un teléfono celular 100% obligatorio para usar un Drone?

Seguro.... He leído que State Farm ofrece seguro por dinero corto. ¿Alguna idea al respecto?

¡Muchas gracias por su tiempo!

Mejor

Lyman

Mini 3 Pro Mavic DJI, te sugiero.

 

[Jaime Zapata]

Greetings!

Patently outstanding Forum you have here. Love it. And that's good (for me anyway!) because I am going to need counsel and will be picking brains for advice, lol.

I am 101% new to Drones. Retired after 40+ years in Information Technology as a Network Administrator (Lockheed, Raytheon, Qualcomm) and all the 'To Do' around the house is finally done. So it's finally time to kick back. I've always had an interest in Drones. But where to begin?

I am completely at a loss as to where to begin in terms of Brands and to a degree, features. Budget is, right now, $800 USD. I'd like a Drone capable of at least 30 minutes of flight without having to wait two hours for a battery to recharge. No brainer there, have maybe two or three spares on hand (not included in the budget but doable). Video resolution does not have to be 1080, I can do with 720 but obviously 1080 is preferred. It DEFINITELY needs to be able to return to me when it senses it's getting low on power.

I am on five acres of property and it's going to be a long time before I'm flying the miles that I've seen advertised. A long time. For the foreseeable future I want this in visible range.

I've seen Kits such as the DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo that include multiple batteries, spare parts, etc. Input?

Wi-Fi... Si entiendo correctamente estos Drones no funcionarán sin WiFi? Dados mis antecedentes, no puedo entenderlo, ya que WiFi tiene un alcance muy limitado. Cualquier aclaración muy apreciada.

¿Es un teléfono celular 100% obligatorio para usar un Drone?
Seguro.... He leído que State Farm ofrece seguro por dinero corto. ¿Alguna idea al respecto?¡ te sugiero DJI MAVIC MINI 3 Pro. Control DJI RC.

 

[djwak59]

Greetings!

Patently outstanding Forum you have here. Love it. And that's good (for me anyway!) because I am going to need counsel and will be picking brains for advice, lol.

I am 101% new to Drones. Retired after 40+ years in Information Technology as a Network Administrator (Lockheed, Raytheon, Qualcomm) and all the 'To Do' around the house is finally done. So it's finally time to kick back. I've always had an interest in Drones. But where to begin?

I am completely at a loss as to where to begin in terms of Brands and to a degree, features. Budget is, right now, $800 USD. I'd like a Drone capable of at least 30 minutes of flight without having to wait two hours for a battery to recharge. No brainer there, have maybe two or three spares on hand (not included in the budget but doable). Video resolution does not have to be 1080, I can do with 720 but obviously 1080 is preferred. It DEFINITELY needs to be able to return to me when it senses it's getting low on power.

I am on five acres of property and it's going to be a long time before I'm flying the miles that I've seen advertised. A long time. For the foreseeable future I want this in visible range.

I've seen Kits such as the DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo that include multiple batteries, spare parts, etc. Input?

WiFi...If I understand correctly these Drones will not operate without WiFi? Given my background I can't quite wrap my head around that as WiFi is very limited in range. Any clarification greatly appreciated.

Is a cell phone 100% mandatory to use a Drone?

Insurance....I've read that State Farm offers insurance for short money. Any thoughts on that?

Thank you very much for your time!

Best,

Lyman

Greeting from NW Indiana.
It took me a couple years of flying less expensive drones before I was finally comfortable in my skill to buy my DJI Air 2. It was a bit of a financial decision for me to afford one. So that being said, I always recommend buying a less expensive drone JUST to see if you like flying, before invest your money. But, that’s just MY point of view.
Check out YouTube for some good people who do reviews, there ARE some good entry level drones out there. That way, you don’t have to worry about destroying a big investment, because I’m sure, ALL of us here have crashed a drone in our past experiences. Better to do it with with something that costs $250 than $800. Just my opinion. Good luck !

 

[FlySkyJumper]

Greetings!

Patently outstanding Forum you have here. Love it. And that's good (for me anyway!) because I am going to need counsel and will be picking brains for advice, lol.

I am 101% new to Drones. Retired after 40+ years in Information Technology as a Network Administrator (Lockheed, Raytheon, Qualcomm) and all the 'To Do' around the house is finally done. So it's finally time to kick back. I've always had an interest in Drones. But where to begin?

I am completely at a loss as to where to begin in terms of Brands and to a degree, features. Budget is, right now, $800 USD. I'd like a Drone capable of at least 30 minutes of flight without having to wait two hours for a battery to recharge. No brainer there, have maybe two or three spares on hand (not included in the budget but doable). Video resolution does not have to be 1080, I can do with 720 but obviously 1080 is preferred. It DEFINITELY needs to be able to return to me when it senses it's getting low on power.

I am on five acres of property and it's going to be a long time before I'm flying the miles that I've seen advertised. A long time. For the foreseeable future I want this in visible range.

I've seen Kits such as the DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo that include multiple batteries, spare parts, etc. Input?

WiFi...If I understand correctly these Drones will not operate without WiFi? Given my background I can't quite wrap my head around that as WiFi is very limited in range. Any clarification greatly appreciated.

Is a cell phone 100% mandatory to use a Drone?

Insurance....I've read that State Farm offers insurance for short money. Any thoughts on that?

Thank you very much for your time!

Best,

Lyman

Welcome, follow the FAA regs, don't be afraid to fly. Make sure to get your SAFE certificate from the FAA. Register your drone if it's over the weight limit.

I'd highly recommend you also read the manual in full for your drone and take a part 107 license course because the SAFE certificate that is required from the FAA is not nearly enough education and can be taken in ten minutes or less.

Above all else have fun, and be sure to verify any advise people from forums give you from the source which is the FAA. Or whomever owns the sky if you're outside of the United States! For example, if you lived in Canada, get the information from Transport Canada.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[LGLDSR73]

Greetings and thank you very much for the advice! I'll take the 107 as well.

Best,

Lyman