Air on Order

[swooshdave]

hows the signal in the crowded area?

So far it's not gotten more than a couple hundred feet away and no issues. Obviously there is a tremendous amount of 2.4 in the area (heck, just from my house alone). But no warnings about lost signal (aside from the first flights when it would lose signal as soon as it left the ground even though I was inches away, re-installing the firmware fixed that) but I'll continue to venture further away.

 

[DJPedram]

which youtube video did you watch to follow step by step guide on setup?

 

[Mossiback]

Congrats on getting in the air. Watch out, those trees are Mavic magnets!

Regarding RTH, I would not use it if launching from your back yard. My experience with RTH is that it may initially be a few feet off when dropping down and corrects itself when within ~30 feet from the ground. I could see it stopping and dropping right into your trees. Your experience may be different so you should find yourself some open space and experiment with it.

 

[swooshdave]

which youtube video did you watch to follow step by step guide on setup?

ALL OF THEM!

Start with the DJI ones (DJI Tutorials), which are a little light on details and then look for other ones.

 

[swooshdave]

Congrats on getting in the air. Watch out, those trees are Mavic magnets!

Regarding RTH, I would not use it if launching from your back yard. My experience with RTH is that it may initially be a few feet off when dropping down and corrects itself when within ~30 feet from the ground. I could see it stopping and dropping right into your trees. Your experience may be different so you should find yourself some open space and experiment with it.

I actually did use RTH on my first day with plenty of success. Because I was only a few feet off the ground it just landed where it was, except for one time when it tried to run into the house. Needless to say anytime I RTH I will keep one finger over the Pause button now.

I'm also checking the compass heading before taking off.

 

[Mossiback]

I actually did use RTH on my first day with plenty of success. Because I was only a few feet off the ground it just landed where it was...

RTH will respond differently depending on how far the Air is from the home point. From pg 14 of the manual:

 

[DJPedram]

RTH will respond differently depending on how far the Air is from the home point. From pg 14 of the manual:
View attachment 35994

do you know if we need to change the default setting?

 

[Mossiback]

do you know if we need to change the default setting?

I change these RTH settings depending on the current flight:
• Height to clear obstructions. If not sure, get even with the tallest item and add 20 feet.
• Set to hover if I am under obstructions (trees, indoors, etc) or launching from a moving boat.
It is also a good idea to check the RTH settings after a Go 4 update as some will revert to their defaults.

 

[swooshdave]

I need to adjust my RTH height settings. In Oregon it's not uncommon to have 150ft trees in the vicinity. I know I went up 100ft and was still well under several trees in the neighborhood.

 

[DJPedram]

what basic guide YouTube video did you use for getting familiar with your drone?

 

[swooshdave]

 

[Budman1961]

Nicely done!

 

[DJPedram]

So now that both Refurbished Mavic Pro is same price as Mavic Air, which one would you go with?

 

[swooshdave]

It goes back to portability and range. I needed (!) something really small to throw in my backpack but I’m not worried about flying 5 miles out. In that case the Air is the right choice.

If you feel range is your most important feature then the Pro.

 

[DJPedram]

It goes back to portability and range. I needed (!) something really small to throw in my backpack but I’m not worried about flying 5 miles out. In that case the Air is the right choice.

If you feel range is your most important feature then the Pro.

Its my first professional drone, I am not sure if range will become a factor later down the road. most people i talk to have Mavic Pro, hence why I am hesitant to get it. I have seen both (model) version, but I am still having hard time deciding.

 

[swooshdave]

If a bit more money isn't an issue I'd absolutely wait for the MP2 (if you can wait that long).

But between the current MP and MA the added obstacle avoidance with the MA is impressive. Maybe you live in a desert and there aren't any obstacles. Again, the more you describe about what you are going to do with the drone and where you will be will influence the decision.

 

[swooshdave]

 

[zwt100]

Go with the Air, it seems like that is what you are leaning towards! I don’t think you’d be disappointed. The range is a non-factor for me.

 

[DJPedram]

If a bit more money isn't an issue I'd absolutely wait for the MP2 (if you can wait that long).

But between the current MP and MA the added obstacle avoidance with the MA is impressive. Maybe you live in a desert and there aren't any obstacles. Again, the more you describe about what you are going to do with the drone and where you will be will influence the decision.

MP2 is out of question. Again the Obstacle avoidance is very positive. As NOOB, it will become very handy.

 

[swooshdave]

Unless I am getting tight (and slow) shots I will likely have OA on even when I get better.