Acquire New DJI Mini 2 By A Mistake

[wingbotics]

Yesterday, I mistakenly went shopping in Costco because I unexpectedly picked up the Mini 2. $439.99 apparently is decent given with an extra spare battery and a nice carry care.
[OK, I own a classic Mavic pro and a Mavic 2 pro. I use them weekly. I still have great fun with them. ]
I enjoyed the unboxing of the Mini 2. It's very light and only weighs at 239g, not even 249g yet. But why?
Alright what came next was charging the new drone battery first time by my old Mavic 2 power adapter(output 13.05V). It took over 2.5 or 3 hours. It seems too long. Is this normal?

Indeed, I read the Mini 2 spec as saying 18W charger in 1 hour and 22 minutes to charge.

Today, I did an initial fly. It's very quiet and stable. The controller signal is very stable and better than my Mavic pro.

Some whining here if you excuse me.

1. Charging slow. Probably due to the USBC charger.
2. The color of the drone (grey) blends too well so it's hard to spot it. I may have to get a good skin.
3. I wish that it could've come with at least the front object avoidance. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I should start to consider the Mini 3.

At the end, it was a good mistake to go shopping because I like the Mini 2 a lot.

Safe flying...

 

[Phantomrain.org]

It was nice the Mini 2 Gave some breathing room to add on a Mini 2 Wet Suit or a Skin even a light.
The Mini 3 Pro , leaves no room for margin as we just found out.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mini 2 in the Rain. Land on the water.

 

[fgurnee01]

The wall charger brick that comes with the drone fly package is a USB-C PD charger. It is 18W and can charge at 5, 9, or 12 volts per the PD spec. Most assuredly it is charging at 9v 2A for 18W. When you use Mavic 2 adapter it is not charging at 13v, but most likely 5v. Just get a USB-C PD charger from amazon and you will be fine.

I put an orange skin on mine and it help a bit, but not too much.

 

[Preacher]

I had the some issue with seeing my original mini in flight so I ordered a dark skin for my mini 2. It doesn't help as much as I would like, but it does make the drone look very cool.

 

[wingbotics]

Good suggestions about USB-C PD charger. I'll order one. Regarding the colors of the skin, it's hard no matter what. The time of the day or the weather condition will make the choice hard or arbitrary. The size is the main factor. It's a lot easier with Mavic pro size. I'll wait for a bit more experiences then decide.

Thank you.

 

[PHZ]

It was nice the Mini 2 Gave some breathing room to add on a Mini 2 Wet Suit or a Skin even a light.
The Mini 3 Pro , leaves no room for margin as we just found out.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mini 2 in the Rain. Land on the water.

At 239 grams (exactly what I measured on mine, allows the ability to add a strobe for a little nocturnal action in a sub-250g environment.

 

[Reginald E Johnson]

Yesterday, I mistakenly went shopping in Costco because I unexpectedly picked up the Mini 2. $439.99 apparently is decent given with an extra spare battery and a nice carry care.
[OK, I own a classic Mavic pro and a Mavic 2 pro. I use them weekly. I still have great fun with them. ]
I enjoyed the unboxing of the Mini 2. It's very light and only weighs at 239g, not even 249g yet. But why?
Alright what came next was charging the new drone battery first time by my old Mavic 2 power adapter(output 13.05V). It took over 2.5 or 3 hours. It seems too long. Is this normal?

Indeed, I read the Mini 2 spec as saying 18W charger in 1 hour and 22 minutes to charge.

Today, I did an initial fly. It's very quiet and stable. The controller signal is very stable and better than my Mavic pro.

Some whining here if you excuse me.

1. Charging slow. Probably due to the USBC charger.
2. The color of the drone (grey) blends too well so it's hard to spot it. I may have to get a good skin.
3. I wish that it could've come with at least the front object avoidance. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I should start to consider the Mini 3.

At the end, it was a good mistake to go shopping because I like the Mini 2 a lot.

Safe flying...

I got one as well! It’s one of the things I warn people about that Drone! The lack of the avoidance factor doesn’t bother me because that’s the way I fly with my original Mavic Pro and my Pro 2 Zoom!

 

[New England Droning]

The wall charger brick that comes with the drone fly package is a USB-C PD charger. It is 18W and can charge at 5, 9, or 12 volts per the PD spec. Most assuredly it is charging at 9v 2A for 18W. When you use Mavic 2 adapter it is not charging at 13v, but most likely 5v. Just get a USB-C PD charger from amazon and you will be fine.

I put an orange skin on mine and it help a bit, but not too much.

second the orange, I can see it a fair bit further but unless it's straight up against a blue sky it disappears fast. I few the other evening... (pre-twilight but put the light on) I also put a light on the rear and I took it out to 1,300' and "it" (the light) was clearly visible until I turned towards home then it was gone... So I flew home in reverse so I could keep an eye on it. I currently have two mini firehouse lights, the FH arc 5 and the Luminex for on top... People wonder if it's an alien spaceship coming in...

 

[Reginald E Johnson]

second the orange, I can see it a fair bit further but unless it's straight up against a blue sky it disappears fast. I few the other evening... (pre-twilight but put the light on) I also put a light on the rear and I took it out to 1,300' and "it" (the light) was clearly visible until I turned towards home then it was gone... So I flew home in reverse so I could keep an eye on it. I currently have two mini firehouse lights, the FH arc 5 and the Luminex for on top... People wonder if it's an alien spaceship coming in...

No matter what I put on it, to me it looks like it disappears after 50 Feet!

 

[Narsh]

Although I don’t have a mini2, I have a Mavic 2 Air, what I did to help me see it better is I went to Master Air Screw and purchased two sets of stealth props. One set in orange and one set in blue. I put the orange ones on the front and the blue ones on the back. In addition to making it more visible altogether against the sky, it helps me quickly orient it front to back.
I see for the mini2, they even offer yellow.

 

[March411]

I posted this in another thread recently, it may help some posting here with VLOS challenges.

Try some of this on the battery cover and the horizonal section of the legs. Another member posted months ago (didn't find the post) and it works great on my MM2.


If you lose sight of the drone just spin it around on it axis and look for the flare.


Trimbrite T0926 3X5 Chrome Prisma Strip

 

[LoudThunder]

I unexpectedly picked up the Mini 2.

Welcome to the Mini 2 Corner, Here are a couple of links that will help ease you into your new role as a Mini 2 "Caretaker"…

My Mini 2 is also from Costco and even with "only" two batteries; I did not like having to leave the Mini out, using it as a charging station. I bought the Hub (eBay DJI Store with Free shipping--under $30) and it was worth it and now that I have three batteries, it's invaluable…

Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 2, including the User Manual.

DJI Mini 2 - Download Center - DJI

At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutDJI Mini 2

www.dji.com

The Downloads for the Two Way Charging Hub…

https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/DJI_Mini_2/Accessories/DJI_Mini_2_Two-Way_Charging_Hub_User_Guide.pdf

PS: Be sure to name your new bird, it will "fly better and know where to come home when you call it"… LoL

 

[wingbotics]

Welcome to the Mini 2 Corner, Here are a couple of links that will help ease you into your new role as a Mini 2 "Caretaker"…

My Mini 2 is also from Costco and even with "only" two batteries; I did not like having to leave the Mini out, using it as a charging station. I bought the Hub (eBay DJI Store with Free shipping--under $30) and it was worth it and now that I have three batteries, it's invaluable…

Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 2, including the User Manual.

DJI Mini 2 - Download Center - DJI

At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutDJI Mini 2

www.dji.com

The Downloads for the Two Way Charging Hub…

https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/DJI_Mini_2/Accessories/DJI_Mini_2_Two-Way_Charging_Hub_User_Guide.pdf

PS: Be sure to name your new bird, it will "fly better and know where to come home when you call it"… LoL

Thank you for your warm welcome. Appreciate all the replies and suggestions by all in this thread.
It's been 3 weeks. I flew more than 6 times so far. The following is my to-do list:

1. Putting reflectors as suggested in See my Mini 2 easily. It is a wonderful thread with a lot of great ideas and practical use cases and results. Thumbs up to the OP.
2. Because of the 1 above, still fuzzy in thinking of a red skin for ease of spotting. Suggestion?
3. Shopping for ND filters. (Suggestions? And any weight comparison or links in threads?)
4. An extra battery per your recommendation & a charging hub. Oh, is it worth to buy Mini 1 battery (cheaper) as a substitution?
5. Considering attachment of the Marco Polo tracker (already being used for my Mavic Pro and 2 Pro), a 23g. That puts it to 262g as totally. Bummer!
6. Not immediately but I'll consider getting a set of OEM spare props (necessary?! --not sure yet).
7. Might be other accessories--more suggestions are welcome.

Oh, one observation...
I did 3 to 4 times of charging of just one battery(ok, still the slow way by the Mavic pro power adapter) but I noticed that the DJI Fly App still said the battery charge count as 1. At the 5th time (my fly), it started to report the count as 5. It seemed a delay in reporting the count. Yes I charged the battery full every time I flew. Does anyone notice the behavior. Anyhow, I still have the 2nd one brand new so I'll pay close attention again.

Cheer and fly safe.
Happy weekend.

 

[LoudThunder]

The following is my to-do list:

Referencing your #4 on the To-Do List, the Mini 1 battery all by itself will put you over the 250-Gram limit, not to mention your other choices… Dare I suggest a #8 for your To-Do list and add a "Raccoon Tail and some Fuzzy Dice…" to really spice up your new bird…

Since you already own two other "heavy weights," the Mavic pro and a Mavic 2 pro, I do not understand the reference to your remark, "262g as totally. Bummer!" If you fly at a weight of 250-grams or higher, the Mini 2 is required to be registered like your other birds…

I registered my Mini 2 because the TRUST Certificate and FAA Registration established me as a "certified" Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Flyer.

As for the Mini 1 batteries, they may be cheaper, but they are also heavier. The Mini 1 Lithium Ion battery (the Black one…) weights 100-grams while the Mini 2's Lithium Polymer battery (the White one…) weights just 80-Grams.

So, if you only put the Mini 1 battery in your Mini 2, it will tip the scales at a hefty 258-grams; and then, if you also mount your Marco Polo Tracker at 23-grams, you little bird is going to "blow" the scale at 281-grams…

And if you follow my suggestions of a Raccoon Tail and some Fuzzy Dice, you little bird isn't going to get off the ground… LOL

I wanted to also mount White Walls and Fender Shirts on my Mini 2 but I figured I would need to replace the battery with the 12V-750A battery out of my truck… But as they say, "That's not going to fly…"

So, most of this posting was all in jest, but you did say "Bummer" about the weight with the tracker and I wanted you to know the Mini 1 batteries also add weight that you might have considered…

Good Luck and enjoy!

 

[Greatfullded]

No matter what I put on it, to me it looks like it disappears after 50 Feet!

Same here.. i bought a colored skin.. looks cool when your 10 ft from it but once it gets any distant, the color is mostly irrelavant unless your looking at it with binos.. but with a naked eye.. after 50ft as you have observed all i see is a drone no color and at 200 ft it becomes a dot.. Maybe at the right time of the day with the right angle you may see orange or solid silver chrome that reflects back but it has to be perfect angle at say 100 ft or a little higher.. but the only thing that can see a drone color at higher alt. would be a Eagle or Falcon.. or a Borg..

 

[LoudThunder]

Time to start considering a Strobe Light or those LED Colored Lights... Lots of postings of all the different options... A simple search will turn up more than you want to see...