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A question for pilots that use prop guards

bdooley

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This question is for pilots that actually use prop guards. If you don’t use them or feel they shouldn’t be used, please move along without commenting.

I fly a Mini 4 Pro and would like to get some prop guards to be 107 compliant for flying near people. Also for times when wires or trees (without leaves) are nearby.

I have read that the prop guards may cause problems with the obstacle avoidance system. My question is how much of a problem is this since the prop guards help minimize the chances of damaging your drone if you run into something?

I am aware that there are some downsides to using them like added weight, drag, shorter flight times and the time to install and remove them - I can deal with that. But are there any other downsides that you have experienced in using prop guards?

I have also seen where people have painted them bright colors for added visibility. What color would be best? I understand that they added visibility has the downside of bringing out the Karen’s. Has anyone experienced that?

TIA for your input!
 
I fly a Mini 4 Pro and would like to get some prop guards to be 107 compliant for flying near people
In that case, you'll probably want to choose a different drone for operating near people. The DJI Store notes their prop guards should not be used with the Battery Plus as the extra weight will overload the drone's capacity. And as you probably know, Remote ID is only enabled when using the Battery Plus.
 
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The prop guards are actually intended to protect people in the event of a mishap.....Although there may be a bit of protection to the props...it really is not much....if you get close enough to a branch that is not detected by OA, it will likely penetrate the sphere of protection of the guard, hit a prop and cause the drone to fall....as far as painting them, I would try a neon yellow, green or orange...they do make it a bit easier to keep the drone in sight, as it does increase its silhouette ...as far as attracting nuisance people, I find that the sound of the drone is what catches people's attention more than seeing it in the sky
 
In that case, you'll probably want to choose a different drone for operating near people. The DJI Store notes their prop guards should not be used with the Battery Plus as the extra weight will overload the drone's capacity. And as you probably know, Remote ID is only enabled when using the Battery Plus.
I had forgotten the part about the fact that DJI had mentioned that the guards should not be used with the Battery Plus. Thanks for reminding me because all 3 of my batteries are B+!

And no, I was not aware that Remote ID is only enabled with the Battery Plus so thanks for letting me know!

I was really not planning to invest in another drone but maybe I should consider getting a Neo since they are relatively inexpensive. If it is or will eventually be compatible with my RC2 controller I might consider that.
 
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The NEO is also much louder than the Mini 4 so if you are concerned about flying near people and bothering them or Karen’s then it may not be the best drone for your purposes.

Chris
 
The NEO is also much louder than the Mini 4 so if you are concerned about flying near people and bothering them or Karen’s then it may not be the best drone for your purposes.

Chris
Yeah, after my earlier post, I went out and looked at the Neo again and it does seem kinda loud. But I also saw in one of the reviews that it only has a range of about 65 feet. Is that true? Maybe they just meant that it was limited to 65 feet when using the Quickshots and not when flying manually?
 
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I also saw in one of the reviews that it only has a range of about 65 feet. Is that true?
I haven't see that review, but there is no such documented restriction.

When flying via Wi-Fi, the max range is 164 feet. When flying via a remote controller, the max range is 6.2 miles.
 
I fly my NEO manually most of the time except for tracking shots and have not used any of the other quick shot modes. As far as range goes, when using a the phone only, I got between 30-40m (98-131ft) before the control signal began to disconnect). I have not tested range with my RC-N3, but the most limiting factor is going to be the battery. I average between 11 and 12 minutes on my NEO.

If you are interested in the NEO I suggest you try the sister forum - NEOPilots for lots of info specifically related to it.

Chris
 
I haven't see that review, but there is no such documented restriction.

When flying via Wi-Fi, the max range is 164 feet. When flying via a remote controller, the max range is 6.2 miles.
Thanks for the clarification. The 65 feet was not a documented restriction. The reviewer said he lost connection at 65 feet - must have been using WiFi. I would be using a controller so it sounds like I would be okay.
 
In that case, you'll probably want to choose a different drone for operating near people. The DJI Store notes their prop guards should not be used with the Battery Plus as the extra weight will overload the drone's capacity. And as you probably know, Remote ID is only enabled when using the Battery Plus.
So if the added weight of the prop guards is an issue while using the B+ batteries, would the weight of adding an anti-collision strobe like the Firehouse ARC 5 (without the prop guards) cause the same issues? I am curious if you can add any accessories without causing a problem.
 
So if the added weight of the prop guards is an issue while using the B+ batteries, would the weight of adding an anti-collision strobe like the Firehouse ARC 5 (without the prop guards) cause the same issues?
Plus batteries weigh an additional 43.1 grams. An ARC V light would add 13 grams. DJI prop guards would add 84 grams. So, you should be fine adding even several ARC V lights if running with a standard battery, or a Plus battery without prop guards.

If you must add all of this extra weight, it would probably be better to step up to a larger drone that can safely carry a heavier payload (like an Air 3 or Air 3S).
 
Plus batteries weigh an additional 43.1 grams. An ARC V light would add 13 grams. DJI prop guards would add 84 grams. So, you should be fine adding even several ARC V lights if running with a standard battery, or a Plus battery without prop guards.

If you must add all of this extra weight, it would probably be better to step up to a larger drone that can safely carry a heavier payload (like an Air 3 or Air 3S).
Thanks for the weight information! I was going to look that up. Didn’t realize that the ARC 5 would be about a third of the weight of the prop guards. Wasn’t sure where the cutoff would be for additional weight before it would cause problems. Surely one or two ARC 5s without prop guards would be okay.

Agreed about the potential need to consider a larger drone. But I can’t justify buying another drone right now. The Mini 4 Pro should fit most of my needs right now. Just trying to figure out how to remain 107 compliant with it without over burdening it.

Thanks so much for your help!
 
I had forgotten the part about the fact that DJI had mentioned that the guards should not be used with the Battery Plus. Thanks for reminding me because all 3 of my batteries are B+!

And no, I was not aware that Remote ID is only enabled with the Battery Plus so thanks for letting me know!

I was really not planning to invest in another drone but maybe I should consider getting a Neo since they are relatively inexpensive. If it is or will eventually be compatible with my RC2 controller I might consider that.
I switch back and forth between Neo and Mini4Pro routinely on an RC2. Takes about 4 seconds to "load firmware" for each model.

And I fly the Mini4Pro with prop guards and strobe occasionally. Sure, the performance isn't great in Sport mode but it is perfectly serviceable. Funny thing is, I fly my Mini2 (with strobe and RID module) as my OOP/OOMV drone much more frequently than the Mini4Pro. In fact, I leave the Mini2 set up for that activity all the time now. I keep it in a tote on top of other drone bags so it can be deployed in less than a minute. Flight performance is adequate but not great. Still, it's fine for almost all my over-people work. A bit longer run time than the Neo and I can shoot 3-shot AEB sets (no AEB on Neo).
 
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Thanks for the weight information! I was going to look that up. Didn’t realize that the ARC 5 would be about a third of the weight of the prop guards. Wasn’t sure where the cutoff would be for additional weight before it would cause problems. Surely one or two ARC 5s without prop guards would be okay.

Agreed about the potential need to consider a larger drone. But I can’t justify buying another drone right now. The Mini 4 Pro should fit most of my needs right now. Just trying to figure out how to remain 107 compliant with it without over burdening it.

Thanks so much for your help!
Vifly strobe is 5.9g. That's what I use on the smaller drones.

 

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