8 Questions for Mavic owners

Member · Dec 10, 2016

Here are some questions from someone who doesn't own a Mavic yet but likely will in the next few days.

Manual: check [multiple times]
Youtube: check [reviews, unboxings, stress tests, missions, crashes and compilations]

Apologies if any of this is answered clearly in the manual or in a video. No best guesses please, only answer any questions if you have personal experience and sure about the correct answer. Thanks in advance.

1) *Collision avoidance* The drone is hovering in front of me, I walk towards it. Does the Mavic go backwards to avoid collision with me? Does it depend on any settings? I recall seeing an option like that in the settings (allowing for the drone to go backwards but it may be for intelligent flight modes only). Can you corner a Mavic?

2) *Terrain follow* How does terrain follow work? I haven't seen a proper capture of the Go side of things anywhere on Youtube. Is it like Follow Me, following the controller's signal? Or like Active Track where you select an object on the screen? Another thing that bothers me is, why isn't it incorporated into Active Track or Follow Me by default? Or is this mode for manual control, with the exception of not having to worry about altitude? What am I missing here?

3) *Sensors* Is it easy to disable the sensors? Or do you have to go into menus and settings and scroll til you find the right option? Or maybe even submenus? I'm asking mainly because of the following question, see below.

4) *Hand catching* I have seen that it can be tricky to catch the Mavic because the downward sensors can take your hand as the ground and try to go up to keep the aircraft's distance. Some videos recommended disabling the sensor before hand catching the drone. Others came over the problem (I think) by pushing the stick down while catching it. I was wondering: can I enable sports mode just before hand-catching it to disable the sensors? Or does sports mode not help to disable that specific sensor?

5) *Waypoints* With the official DJI go app, supposedly you have to fly a mission first in order to create a waypoint mission. You can't draw it first and then fly it. You have to go to a spot with the drone, then record it as a waypoint. Is that accurate? Also, can you modify waypoints once flown? How about 'directly' - can you import/export any formats? What are they? (if no export/import, are the missions stored locally in a directory maybe?)

6) *Waypoints+Altitude* Do the waypoints created with the Go app store actual altitude above sea level, barometer readings or anything like that? Or is a mission on Go home-point based just like Litchi? For example, if I create a waypoints mission in front of a house, i power off the drone, go on the roof of the house and launch the same mission, will the drone fly higher than the mission recorded from a lower altitude? How does Go's waypoint mission compare to Litchi?

7) *Controller* Is the controller loud? I've seen someone take it apart and solder it to make it shut up. Is there no setting?

8) *Fly more* How many extra batteries fit in the official carrying case by design? 2, 3 or 5?

Member · Dec 11, 2016

0/8 ?

Skydog · Dec 11, 2016

#3 in menus not hard
#7 it's a bit loud. I wish it had a volume setting
#8 I put 4 batteries in the Fly More bag. 5 would not be practical

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Member · Dec 11, 2016

Thank you! Only 1,2,4,5,6 left if anyone else knows about those

JohnC · Dec 11, 2016

1 - no it will not back away, tried this in my garage today, too windy to play out, although I did get one flight in - downwind 50mph!

2 - it will increase height to avoid rising ground, it does not decend though, it just maintains its new height.

4 - I believe sport mode only disables the forward sensors it is tricky to hand catch!

5 - no, you have to fly the mission and record the waypoints, no you cannot edit them.

6 - yes it records the height in relation to the original take off point, do, in theory, if it missed the trees when originally recorded it will miss them again, air pressure changes so it has to be a relitive hieght, GPS isn't great at altitude.

Andrew F · Dec 11, 2016

Haha. What a

Member said:
Here are some questions from someone who doesn't own a Mavic yet but likely will in the next few days.

Manual: check [multiple times]
Youtube: check [reviews, unboxings, stress tests, missions, crashes and compilations]

Apologies if any of this is answered clearly in the manual or in a video. No best guesses please, only answer any questions if you have personal experience and sure about the correct answer. Thanks in advance.

1) *Collision avoidance* The drone is hovering in front of me, I walk towards it. Does the Mavic go backwards to avoid collision with me? Does it depend on any settings? I recall seeing an option like that in the settings (allowing for the drone to go backwards but it may be for intelligent flight modes only). Can you corner a Mavic?

2) *Terrain follow* How does terrain follow work? I haven't seen a proper capture of the Go side of things anywhere on Youtube. Is it like Follow Me, following the controller's signal? Or like Active Track where you select an object on the screen? Another thing that bothers me is, why isn't it incorporated into Active Track or Follow Me by default? Or is this mode for manual control, with the exception of not having to worry about altitude? What am I missing here?

3) *Sensors* Is it easy to disable the sensors? Or do you have to go into menus and settings and scroll til you find the right option? Or maybe even submenus? I'm asking mainly because of the following question, see below.

4) *Hand catching* I have seen that it can be tricky to catch the Mavic because the downward sensors can take your hand as the ground and try to go up to keep the aircraft's distance. Some videos recommended disabling the sensor before hand catching the drone. Others came over the problem (I think) by pushing the stick down while catching it. I was wondering: can I enable sports mode just before hand-catching it to disable the sensors? Or does sports mode not help to disable that specific sensor?

5) *Waypoints* With the official DJI go app, supposedly you have to fly a mission first in order to create a waypoint mission. You can't draw it first and then fly it. You have to go to a spot with the drone, then record it as a waypoint. Is that accurate? Also, can you modify waypoints once flown? How about 'directly' - can you import/export any formats? What are they? (if no export/import, are the missions stored locally in a directory maybe?)

6) *Waypoints+Altitude* Do the waypoints created with the Go app store actual altitude above sea level, barometer readings or anything like that? Or is a mission on Go home-point based just like Litchi? For example, if I create a waypoints mission in front of a house, i power off the drone, go on the roof of the house and launch the same mission, will the drone fly higher than the mission recorded from a lower altitude? How does Go's waypoint mission compare to Litchi?

7) *Controller* Is the controller loud? I've seen someone take it apart and solder it to make it shut up. Is there no setting?

8) *Fly more* How many extra batteries fit in the official carrying case by design? 2, 3 or 5?

Haha. What a comprehensive list of questions:
1. There is an option for it to go backwards. Risky.
2. Not sure but I believe it is limited to a certain height so it must be using radar to keep at set elevation.
3 and 4. It's very easy to switch between modes
5. Waypoints not very flexible in Go app.
6. Dittos

Member · Dec 11, 2016

Thank you very much for both answers.

(1) It looks like a small disagreement on that one. Andrew F: Can you please be specific about which option it is? Do you have a video that shows it in practice?

(2) While thanking you both for your input on this, I still feel like I did not get any answer to those questions. What does terrain follow do on its own? Nothing? You simply control it as you normally would without worrying about the altitude? Really?

(3/4) So it looks like my sports mode idea doesn't help, bottom sensors will need to be disabled from the menu before hand catching it. Or just practice hand catching it and 'hold it down'.

(5/6) I still wonder what happens in Go if you load a mission to fly it but you have a different home point. Will it still let you fly? Will it act as expected?

kykayak · Dec 12, 2016

(1) Yes there is an option to enable backwards flying. It cannot avoid any obstacles flying backwards, so most pilots leave this switched off unless they are flying in a open area. Here's a screenshot where to toggle this option.

(2) Terrain follow allows the Mavic to follow up up an incline. The height and distance from target is set and the Mavic will keep this distance and height automatically as it follows subject. I've included a link to a video to demonstrate.
(3) Sensors can easily be toggled off and on in the main menu.

(4) Yes, I found this out recently that switching to sport mode disables the sensors and makes hand catching much easier than with sensors on. Also though, it would take less than 10 seconds hovering to switch sensor option off in regular mode as well.

(5) Waypoints - Sorry no idea.

(6) Just purchased Litchi and starting to use, but can't really help with this one. Let someone with more experience chime in.

(7) The controller has a very small fan in it that is audible. Not very loud at all though. When you power on the controller there is a loud beep. No way that I'm aware of to change any volume settings for this tone. Overall, I don't think the controller is considered loud at all.

(8) Having purchased the Fly More bundle, the DJI case will easily hold all three of the Mavic battery's included. Some say they are getting 4 in there though 5 I think would be a stretch.

Hope this helps! Mavic is an amazing bird and I'm having more fun every day!

Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

Member · Dec 12, 2016

kykayak said:
(1) Yes there is an option to enable backwards flying. It cannot avoid any obstacles flying backwards, so most pilots leave this switched off unless they are flying in a open area. Here's a screenshot where to toggle this option.

On your screen, it says "the aircraft will fly backwars when a subject being tracked is approaching". If that's true, then no, the Mavic will not go backwards on its own to avoid an obstacle, it will only keep its distance while tracking someone and it will go backwards. But if you have activetrack and intelligent flight modes off, and the aircraft just hovers, then walking towards it won't make it back up, right? Let me know if it does, after all you have one and I don't, but based on the text I think it's a setting for tracking only.

(2) Terrain follow allows the Mavic to follow up up an incline. The height and distance from target is set and the Mavic will keep this distance and height automatically as it follows subject.

'Follows subject' - so is it like follow me? Does it follow the controller's signal? Or like active track where it follows an object you selected?

(4) Yes, I found this out recently that switching to sport mode disables the sensors and makes hand catching much easier than with sensors on.

Thanks. I'll use it then after all.

Daniel Yee · Dec 12, 2016

For hand catch I just control my Mavic to descend to eye level, then turn the Mavic a quarter sideways to have its belly facing me. Then reach out my hand pinch the belly of Mavic while my other hand push the left stick all the way down. Don't need to flip the sports mode switch

kykayak · Dec 12, 2016

(1) Sorry I didn't understand. No it will not back away that I'm aware of. By default it will try to go around and if it can't it will ascend. With active track off, no, it will not back up.

(2) Works like active track with what object is selected to track.

Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

kykayak · Dec 12, 2016

If your flying in any wind at all, often when fighting a head wind, I use sport mode when at altitudes where I know I won't accidentally collide with anything. And for hand catching. Just make sure you have the option selected in menus so that Mavic will go into sport mode when switch on controller is toggled.

Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

Member · Dec 12, 2016

(2) Works like active track with what object is selected to track.

Finally, some definite info. Thanks for that.

The logical question follows: why is there a separate terrain follow? Why not just add terrain follow to active track? It sounds like the two features are the exact same except ActiveTrack doesn't follow the terrain. Am I missing something?

Just make sure you have the option selected in menus so that Mavic will go into sport mode when switch on controller is toggled

I didn't realise the switch needed to be enabled by software. Thanks for the heads up.

crazyrider · Dec 12, 2016

Member said:
Here are some questions from someone who doesn't own a Mavic yet but likely will in the next few days.

Manual: check [multiple times]
Youtube: check [reviews, unboxings, stress tests, missions, crashes and compilations]

Apologies if any of this is answered clearly in the manual or in a video. No best guesses please, only answer any questions if you have personal experience and sure about the correct answer. Thanks in advance.

1) *Collision avoidance* The drone is hovering in front of me, I walk towards it. Does the Mavic go backwards to avoid collision with me? Does it depend on any settings? I recall seeing an option like that in the settings (allowing for the drone to go backwards but it may be for intelligent flight modes only). Can you corner a Mavic?

I have tested this a few times and it does back away if I walk towards it. It also wont move any further if I am standing straight ahead in its path. This is using default settings.

Member · Dec 12, 2016

crazyrider said:
I have tested this a few times and it does back away if I walk towards it.

Thanks for the input! Did you mean *does* back away and did not forget to add a 'not'?

Interesting, also contradicting a few other posts. It would be great if someone could do a video, debug the feature. Also with that likely activetrack-only setting on/off to see if it makes a difference.

crazyrider · Dec 12, 2016

Member said:
Thanks for the input! Did you mean *does* back away and did not forget to add a 'not'?

Interesting, also contradicting a few other posts. It would be great if someone could do a video, debug the feature. Also with that likely activetrack-only setting on/off to see if it makes a difference.

Correct. It moves behind to avoid collision as i walk towards it.
Hand landing is also somewhat similar. It detects your hand as an object so tries to raise elevation until u hold the stick down to switch off the motors.

Member · Dec 12, 2016

crazyrider said:
Correct. It moves behind to avoid collision as i walk towards it.
Hand landing is also somewhat similar. It detects your hand as an object so tries to raise elevation until u hold the stick down to switch off the motors.

I thought that happened because of the downward sensors?

Or do both sensors have the ability to cause that? Or just the front visual sensors (which are angled downwards also, a bit)?