a safer way to catch your Mavic

[mad monkey]

baddog you have to turn obstacle avoidance off, otherwise you can not get it close to you. "Grab" is the key word here. Never grab, they react accordingly, it can react violently and dangerously. So work with the technology not against it. Be aware of all the sensors. The Mavic Pro is a little more difficult to catch because of its weight and weight distribution but you can catch it just as well. I will do a vid of it tomorrow, with a little more explanation. Even if you don't use the method I suggest let it land slowly with out "grabbing" it. Please don't use ATTI mode you need a controlled, gentle, relationship when catching your drone.

I've never turned off my sensors once.
To get the drone closer bring it in sideways. Then line up hand... Hold down on stick and it lands. No 90 rotation needed the down stick will land it and kill motors.
If the drone had to fight you or spin up motors it can lead to damage.

Can't understand why everyone is so cavalier with their expensive drones...
I do EVERYTHING to limit risk to myself and my drone.

 

[John Gowland]

That is perfectly fine mad monkey. What suites you and what you feel comfortable and safe with. I don't think I am being cavalier about gently catching my drone. It is very controlled and, I feel, safe. The safest way to land is completely by the book, in an open space, on a landing pad away from people and cars. In fact to be absolutely safe, don't fly at all. Don't drive a car, or what it really is, which is a lethal weapon, a missile that can wipe out many people within seconds with one mistake. I am being facetious, mad monkey, sorry. But no for most people your method, is perhaps, safer, stick with it.

 

[mad monkey]

Your method doesn't have the ramp up issues I'm talking about. It's more a comment towards the people who are flipping the drone etc.. Sorry I might have missed that part.
My reference to you was only about the sensors.

 

[mike.garvin]

Is landing in your hand safe, no but I have been practicing it with my mavic air so that I can catch it on the deck of my boat while it is drifting.

 

[John Gowland]

If you have a large enough deck I would defiantly not hand catch. If your deck is small you have a choice of not flying or practice until you feel confident of not hurting yourself or losing your Air. If the wind is high, don't risk it. Its on my bucket list to hand catch on a boat soon, during the whale migration in the coming months. But its a long shot. Its defiantly doable. Let us know how you go mike.garvin.

 

[HNMavic]

Just turn turn off "landing protection" and it wont fight when you grab it. Thats the safest way to hand catch.

 

[John Gowland]

I have tried that HNMavic, but I just find its a hassle turning it off and on. Could be I am lazy and learnt to catch with downward sensors on. But each to their own. Do what you feel comfortable with.

 

[John Gowland]

How to safely catch a Mavic Pro

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With some occasional poor sound, sorry.

 

[bycla]

I used to grab my Mavic Pro all the time. The first time I flew it using the platinum props, which seems to be longer, one of them got my finger. It didn’t hurt but I lost confidence and never tried again.

 

[John Gowland]

Hi bycla if you want a bit of fun and help you get your confidence back you could always try the Tello. It works on the same principle but it is so small and light the only way I have found of holding it and raising it is by one of its front legs. If you don't have have a Tello your missing out on a lot of fun. It's only $169 au and worth every cent.
It works on similar principles. Take the weight off it and it goes quiet then unlike its older siblings it turns off. How fun is that? Every one crashes it multiple times and the little bugger just gets up and flies. Best thing I have ever bought for under $200.

 

[lmel2005]

Hi bycla if you want a bit of fun and help you get your confidence back you could always try the Tello. It works on the same principle but it is so small and light the only way I have found of holding it and raising it is by one of its front legs. If you don't have have a Tello your missing out on a lot of fun. It's only $169 au and worth every cent.
It works on similar principles. Take the weight off it and it goes quiet then unlike its older siblings it turns off. How fun is that? Every one crashes it multiple times and the little bugger just gets up and flies. Best thing I have ever bought for under $200.

Spark too.

 

[HNMavic]

I have tried that HNMavic, but I just find its a hassle turning it off and on. Could be I am lazy and learnt to catch with downward sensors on. But each to their own. Do what you feel comfortable with.

John, dont turn off the visual position sensors if thats what you mean, just disable landing protection. I always leave landing protection off, I dont see much of a use for it, besides making your mavic harder to hand catch.

 

[PandaCheese]

I hand catch and launch all the time but you do have to be careful not to get a surprise nail clipping or worse, whereas landing on flat ground is always a better choice if available.

 

[FalconLight]

John, dont turn off the visual position sensors if thats what you mean, just disable landing protection. I always leave landing protection off, I dont see much of a use for it, besides making your mavic harder to hand catch.

Same here. I always handcatch and I always fly with landing protection off. No need for changing settings before or after catching. No problems.

 

[mad monkey]

I hand catch without touching a single setting.. No problem either. Just when you put your hand under it moves up a few inches. Then stick down and bam

 

[Mossiback]

I tried to catch my Mavic Pro with my hand and it immediately surged and fought me. How do you kill the motors with one hand like you are in the video?

After you grasp it as shown in the video below, left stick down (default settings) kills it. Lifting it up a bit will slow down the props since it detects the rise without stick input.

I grabbed the drone and the motors started to accelerate. The sensor detected my hand...

...When I hand grab a landing of my Mavic Pro, the minute I grab it the motors surge and actually try and pull out of my hand...

I do it like The Real Heavy Metal demonstrates. I don't turn off any sensors, it does not fight me, and I feel more in control when I reach out and grasp it as opposed to letting it settle in my hand. Works great for me.

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[Hendero]

Why would you need landing protection. It only screws things up if you land it manually.
If battery is empty it will land anyway also if landing protection is on.
Maybe you can give me a use case?

 

[Storyline]

Hi bycla if you want a bit of fun and help you get your confidence back you could always try the Tello. It works on the same principle but it is so small and light the only way I have found of holding it and raising it is by one of its front legs. If you don't have have a Tello your missing out on a lot of fun. It's only $169 au and worth every cent.
It works on similar principles. Take the weight off it and it goes quiet then unlike its older siblings it turns off. How fun is that? Every one crashes it multiple times and the little bugger just gets up and flies. Best thing I have ever bought for under $200.

Warning - read the post above at your own risk. I had never heard of the Tello but now two hours later I am the proud owner of one and can confirm what JG says - the little thing is really good fun

Edit: I first tried to connect it to my Moto G6 Plus which I bought to use with the Mavic but it would not play ball so then I tried a somewhat ancient old tablet and hey presto, it connected.This tablet has HDMI out and so I got thinking .....

I have now just finished my first ever FPV flight using my new DJI Goggles which I have not even used with the Mavic yet. I can hardly believe it - to say my grin was ear to ear is an understatement !
Sorry to go o/t - except the little Tello has a built in 'Land on Hand' mode

 

[ROBERTNCREST]

Can't understand why everyone is so cavalier with their expensive drones...
I do EVERYTHING to limit risk to myself and my drone.

Because our new society, 6 year old kids run the playground with $900 iPhones. (it's only a 1K drone)

 

[Storyline]

Why would you need landing protection. It only screws things up if you land it manually.
If battery is empty it will land anyway also if landing protection is on.
Maybe you can give me a use case?

That is how I feel also. I really did not like my Mavic taking control when I was all psyched up to land her.