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Hello everyone

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

 
Hello from the Crossroads of America mikeexplorer.

Nice to meet you Mike. 🤝

Welcome to the Forum. :cool:
 
Just picked up a DJI Mini 3 when they had a sale on them. I am new to DJI, but not new to flying.

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Click on "Members" and then Click on "Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.


Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 3, including the User Manual.

After you read the Manual, read it again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"


Fly Safe…
 
Welcome to the forum @mikeexplorer! :)

After flying many DJI consumer drones (I own most all of them) since 2016, here's what I recommend you do (at the minimum) to get started with your DJI drone:

- Before attempting to fly, watch some videos on YouTube.com to learn more about your drone. Search for something like "Mini 2 Beginner's Guide" (replace "Mini 2" with your drone model).

- Read the DJI manual (available in the "Products" section of the DJI Download Center) from beginning to end (maybe a few times). You're certainly not going to remember everything, but it'll give you a good understanding of the available features and capabilities of your drone. And then you can go back to the manual or YouTube videos when you need to take a deeper dive into a specific topic.

- Before flying in the US, you must register your drone with the FAA (if it weighs 250 grams or more) and take the free online TRUST test (I like this one).

- When flying in the US, your drone must broadcast RID if it weighs 250 grams or more (or is registered with the FAA). Many DJI drones (especially the newer models) have that feature built into them. If you're ever flying a drone that does not broadcast RID (meaning it's not on this list), then you'll need to attach an external RID module like the Holy Stone or Ruko RID module.

- Before taking off, always review the drone settings in DJI Fly (or the app you're using) to ensure everything is set as expected. If you do plan on flying near any obstacles, ensure the RTH altitude is set properly in case your drone needs to automatically return back to the home point mid-flight.

- DJI drones have a lot of awesome automated flight features. Use them with caution and never assume they are always going to function as expected (always be ready to take control if needed).

- Sensors are great and they can help prevent your drone from crashing into obstacles. They are not foolproof though. Never rely on them 100% or assume they are going to work perfectly in all flight conditions -- or react the same way when flying in similar conditions from past flights.

- Find a flat, wide open place to practice (free of people, trees, and all other obstacles). It's pretty hard to crash a DJI drone into the ground, so you'll likely have the best success if that's your only obstacle. Continue flying in this location (or similar locations) until you're able to control your drone without thinking about it (like riding a bike).

- Make sure you can easily see your drone at all times (required by law in most countries). After removing all nearby obstacles, nearly everyone who crashes/loses a drone is either not watching it with their eyes or cannot clearly see where it's located.

- The screen is chock-full of great information. Use it as a reference (sparingly) as you do when looking at your dashboard while driving a car. It's also a great tool for framing the perfect photo or getting your drone in just the right spot before hitting record. If you're mostly staring at the screen while flying, you'll probably have no idea where your drone is located.

- Don't fly in sport mode until you're comfortable controlling your drone. You don't want to get into a situation where you need to maneuver quickly and aren't quite sure which stick to move (another reason not to practice near obstacles).

- DJI drones record a lot of useful information in the TXT flights. The logs are helpful for things like troubleshooting issues you experienced during a flight, locating a lost drone, and many other things. The TXT files can be found on your phone/tablet or remote controller (if it has a screen). See these instructions for more details. And then you'll need a tool like my free online DJI log viewer or Flight Reader to decrypt and access/view the data within.
 
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Just picked up a DJI Mini 3 when they had a sale on them. I am new to DJI, but not new to flying. My prior drones are Parrot Bebop 2's which I still have and still function.
Hoping to learn more about this drone.

Mike
Welcome to the forum from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! Happy and safe flying!
 
Thanks for all the replies, I haven't had much time to really dig into this new drone, I saw it on sale and grabbed it. I did a few practice flights in an open field to start getting used to it. As I said, I have flown before, but the drone I have is obsolete and no longer supported. That sucker was durable, I had probably over 50 hours of flight time and nearly 475 flights on it. One thing I have to work on is being able to download the flight data to my computer. I use the GPS tracking in my programs because one hobby I have is researching abandoned railroads. As an example, this video is with my old drone (Parrot Bebop 2) I utilized historical data and the drone's gps data to map out a section of abandoned railroad that was abandoned in 1929. The area has been disrupted with apparent plans for development so I wanted to get some video of any possible remains before they are erased from history. The colliery that was once here is long gone, but some of the foundation remains are seen. Amazingly an old call booth still stands. (Engineer's used to call in for instructions before they had cab communications) A few months after I did these flights the whole area was posted so it is no longer possible to see this again.

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