Few Questions on the Mini 3 Pro: Active Track, Landing Gear, Lights

[retleo121]

I'm still getting used to operating this drone. It's coming along, but unfortunately due to weather, most is occurring indoors in large buildings. One main issue I'm having is drawing the box for the Active Track features.

When I touch the screen on my RC 2, the first thing that happens is the focus box pops us, similar to the iphone's yellow focus box. I start tapping and dragging on the subject (me), and all I manage to do is adjust the brightness or move the camera downward on the drone. I have managed a couple times to get the box to actually appear and drag, but there's something I'm doing wrong if I'm getting all this other stuff happening. I have found very little help on this through videos and tutorials.

Second subject is landing gear. I have noticed that the Mini 3 Pro is very close to the ground on it's little stub landing gear. I don't know why it doesn't have the posts under the front rotors like other versions, that seems to me like it would be a big help. I can see where it will be a problem if I was landing in grass or uneven ground and not using a landing pad of some sort. Are landing gear recommended, frowned upon, or what? I saw some feedback that the cheap gear sold on Amazon tends to cant the drone forward a bit, possibly exacerbating the problem. Some think it will cause the drone to take off with forward movement. They look kind of cool, but they do add weight.

Third subject, a strobe light. I have noticed when this little drone gets a ways away from me it does get hard to see. Are strobes recommended, or would the weight of the strobe make this more of a problem? I am obviously not doing night flying until properly licensed.

Thanks for any assistance!

 

[Cafguy]

One main issue I'm having is drawing the box for the Active Track features.

What can we say- It just takes a little practice and getting used too yes it is frustrating at first!

Some think it will cause the drone to take off with forward movement. They look kind of cool, but they do add weight.

Most landing gear extensions will have no effect on how your drone takes off I have not seen one that does anyway. I recommend you get one to help protect your gimble.

Are strobes recommended

YES highly recommended not as much for you as for others to see your drone better. I would strongly recommend the Firehouse strobes. As far as letting you see the drone better Strobes don't really help much with that, You will see what I mean after you get them.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

most is occurring indoors in large buildings.

I'm not sure how well Active track would work indoors with poor or no satellite reception.

 

[Droning on and on...]

• Finger dragging on display: What you are seeing is intended behavior. Because you have a 3-axis gimbal, the camera can move independently from the drone orientation. Normally this mechanism is used for stabilizing the camera shake, but you can control gimbal horizontal (a little bit) and vertical (full range) by dragging on the camera display. To adjust focus and exposure for a particular subject, simply tap the subject in the display. Do not drag. If you need to re-lock expose and focus, tap in the new location.
• Active Track: Do not delay after first touching the screen. "Pull" the box around the subject immediately on contacting the screen. If you touch and hold for long enough, it will activate the other features described above.
• Landing gear: This is very subjective, and opinion-laden. Here's mine: Invest in a good landing pad, and use it. The sub-250g feature of the drone has a lot of value, a landing gear accessory will blow it, and you will lose that great benefit. Not least among it being the ability to fly without RID. The M4P just got a firmware upgrade allowing it to be turned off when flying with the lighter battery, I'm optimistic this will be added for the Mini 3 platform as well. You don't need landing gear.
• Strobe: For the same reasons above, I'd avoid this until you decide to add night flight to your operations. Once you do you have to have a strobe, and your Mini 3 will be no different than any other drone in terms of your obligations to fly it legally.

 

[retleo121]

Thank you, a lot of very good information!

 

[retleo121]

I'm not sure how well Active track would work indoors with poor or no satellite reception.

It doesn’t! Once I got the box on me, it said the light was too low to use the feature. Thank you!

 

[Robert Prior]

I have two landing pads. I bought my first, a circular folding pad, for use with my Mavic 2 and quite liked it, but it didn't work well with the Mini 3 because the cloth would be pushed up by grass or vegetation and the drone would sink into it.

My second pad is a folding pad something like this (but not this specific pad):

Amazon.ca

This works much better for the Mini even on vegetation.

 

[Felix le Chat]

I'm still getting used to operating this drone. It's coming along, but unfortunately due to weather, most is occurring indoors in large buildings. One main issue I'm having is drawing the box for the Active Track features.

When I touch the screen on my RC 2, the first thing that happens is the focus box pops us, similar to the iphone's yellow focus box. I start tapping and dragging on the subject (me), and all I manage to do is adjust the brightness or move the camera downward on the drone. I have managed a couple times to get the box to actually appear and drag, but there's something I'm doing wrong if I'm getting all this other stuff happening. I have found very little help on this through videos and tutorials.

Second subject is landing gear. I have noticed that the Mini 3 Pro is very close to the ground on it's little stub landing gear. I don't know why it doesn't have the posts under the front rotors like other versions, that seems to me like it would be a big help. I can see where it will be a problem if I was landing in grass or uneven ground and not using a landing pad of some sort. Are landing gear recommended, frowned upon, or what? I saw some feedback that the cheap gear sold on Amazon tends to cant the drone forward a bit, possibly exacerbating the problem. Some think it will cause the drone to take off with forward movement. They look kind of cool, but they do add weight.

Third subject, a strobe light. I have noticed when this little drone gets a ways away from me it does get hard to see. Are strobes recommended, or would the weight of the strobe make this more of a problem? I am obviously not doing night flying until properly licensed.

Thanks for any assistance!

*Active track - Have you got 'subject scanning' switched on in the menu screen?
*TOAL in rough terrain - Get the hang of hand launch/hand land, this saves a lot of fannying around snapping twigs and stamping grass flat for an orange square. With long grass, no matter how careful you try to be, there will always be one tough blade that will make your drone do the garden strimmer back-flip.

 

[retleo121]

*Active track - Have you got 'subject scanning' switched on in the menu screen?
*TOAL in rough terrain - Get the hang of hand launch/hand land, this saves a lot of fannying around snapping twigs and stamping grass flat for an orange square. With long grass, no matter how careful you try to be, there will always be one tough blade that will make your drone do the garden strimmer back-flip.

I did switch subject scanning on at one point, but again ran into the low light issue. My work location is in restricted airspace, therefore I have been utilizing inside locations to practice my flying. Once the weather warms up a bit I will have more opportunities for outdoor flight.

I tried a hand retrieval once, but had a bad experience and almost had crash #1. First, the drone kept lifting when I brought my hand underneath, I’m guessing due to landing assist. Once I was able to grab ahold, it then decided to accelerate. I tried the shutoff technique from a popular YouTube dude where you flip the drone upside down to shut it down - well, again it tried to accelerate and almost pulled itself from my hand. That would have been upsetting had it drove itself into the concrete floor. It finally shut itself down. I haven’t tried that since.

As for hand launching, do you try to manipulate both control posts with one hand to start the motors? Thanks!

 

[Felix le Chat]

I did switch subject scanning on at one point, but again ran into the low light issue. My work location is in restricted airspace, therefore I have been utilizing inside locations to practice my flying. Once the weather warms up a bit I will have more opportunities for outdoor flight.

I tried a hand retrieval once, but had a bad experience and almost had crash #1. First, the drone kept lifting when I brought my hand underneath, I’m guessing due to landing assist. Once I was able to grab ahold, it then decided to accelerate. I tried the shutoff technique from a popular YouTube dude where you flip the drone upside down to shut it down - well, again it tried to accelerate and almost pulled itself from my hand. That would have been upsetting had it drove itself into the concrete floor. It finally shut itself down. I haven’t tried that since.

As for hand launching, do you try to manipulate both control posts with one hand to start the motors? Thanks!

Hand launch: controller & screen on a lanyard round my neck & shoulder, hanging down front. Drone held above shoulder height with one hand, little finger and thumb of other hand on control sticks, pull in and down. Motors fire up, release sticks then push up with thumb on throttle. Drone lifts.
Hand landing: bring drone back to home point. Drop Altitude until about shoulder height. Yaw drone around so it's arse is pointing at you. Back up GENTLY until it is an arms reach in front of your favoured hand and slightly off to the side. Reach up and gently grip the battery clips with thumb and forefinger. Support the drones belly with the middle finger and pull the throttle stick down for 3 seconds.

 

[retleo121]

Hand launch: controller & screen on a lanyard round my neck & shoulder, hanging down front. Drone held above shoulder height with one hand, little finger and thumb of other hand on control sticks, pull in and down. Motors fire up, release sticks then push up with thumb on throttle. Drone lifts.
Hand landing: bring drone back to home point. Drop Altitude until about shoulder height. Yaw drone around so it's arse is pointing at you. Back up GENTLY until it is an arms reach in front of your favoured hand and slightly off to the side. Reach up and gently grip the battery clips with thumb and forefinger. Support the drones belly with the middle finger and pull the throttle stick down for 3 seconds.

Awesome! Sounds much easier. Thank you!

 

[MS Coast]

I have two landing pads. I bought my first, a circular folding pad, for use with my Mavic 2 and quite liked it, but it didn't work well with the Mini 3 because the cloth would be pushed up by grass or vegetation and the drone would sink into it.

My second pad is a folding pad something like this (but not this specific pad):

Amazon.ca

This works much better for the Mini even on vegetation.

In a pinch, you can use a floor mat from your car.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Awesome! Sounds much easier. Thank you!

You're welcome. Like most things, practise makes things easier. As long as you keep the drone to one side, you shouldn't trigger the rear O/A sensors or those on the belly... And keep your fingers beneath the level of the props.

 

[Drbobk]

Hand launch: controller & screen on a lanyard round my neck & shoulder, hanging down front. Drone held above shoulder height with one hand, little finger and thumb of other hand on control sticks, pull in and down. Motors fire up, release sticks then push up with thumb on throttle. Drone lifts.
Hand landing: bring drone back to home point. Drop Altitude until about shoulder height. Yaw drone around so it's arse is pointing at you. Back up GENTLY until it is an arms reach in front of your favoured hand and slightly off to the side. Reach up and gently grip the battery clips with thumb and forefinger. Support the drones belly with the middle finger and pull the throttle stick down for 3 seconds.

My only try at handcatching my M3P was on a boat, which is hard enough to land on, and let’s just say it was a bloody affair. I also always worry about spinning props so close to eyes.

 

[Shuttersky597]

The foam foldable pad is great. It is large enough for my Mavic 3 Classic. On my Mini 3 pro to keep below the 250 I cannot use anything. My pro guards, or my anti collision light either one are too heavy to fly recreationally.
As far as the RID. The Mini 3 and Mini 4 pro will only work with the larger batteries. Again above 250. The mini 3 pro will have RID on no matter which battery. From what I understand on the M3 and M4 pro , you do not get to control it other than which battery you choose to use. I did see a video where a RPIC did not have a regular 249 battery for his M4 pro and used one from his M3 Pro. It showed RID. Might be a fluke.

 

[Drbobk]

The foam foldable pad is great. It is large enough for my Mavic 3 Classic. On my Mini 3 pro to keep below the 250 I cannot use anything. My pro guards, or my anti collision light either one are too heavy to fly recreationally.
As far as the RID. The Mini 3 and Mini 4 pro will only work with the larger batteries. Again above 250. The mini 3 pro will have RID on no matter which battery. From what I understand on the M3 and M4 pro , you do not get to control it other than which battery you choose to use. I did see a video where a RPIC did not have a regular 249 battery for his M4 pro and used one from his M3 Pro. It showed RID. Might be a fluke.

You can fly recreationally over 250g but you cannot fly unregistered.

 

[FASTFJR]

I use this cheap landing gear, works great.... Amazon.com