I’m going to sell my MM

[AndreaBB]

I don’t like to fly the MM when it’s windy, and due to this I took off only one time over the last 2 months (the most calm period is around midday, but unfortunately I have to work).
I simply think it’s too risky and not fun at this point.
I knew U.K. was a windy country but I didn’t really pay attention on how many days a year were suitable to fly until I bought a drone.
In the meanwhile I have used my FPV on a daily basis, even with strong wind: I think that’s the way to go for me.

 

[BarrieW]

I love the mini but agree with you about the wind in the UK, so in the fortunate position to have afforded the Mavic Air 2 as well this week which can handle wind much better. Might still keep the mini as handy for trips out and as the "fun" one. When you get to my age "you can't take it with you" has further meaning and ain't spent much in lockdown anyway! I know, "lucky old bu%$*£$ !
Barrie UK

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Where town or county/shire wise are you, what will be on offer and how much are you looking for it?

 

[Arnu69]

I've had mine since February and I've flown 226 times. I'm in Romford nr london. Anything upto 15 mph winds is fine. Sent it nearly 2 miles with my new Yagis yesterday. 14 mph winds at 300ft. There have been periods where it was too windy but it's a tougher little bird than you might think .

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Arnu69 you have just said on a publc forum you broke the law, unless, of course, you can, without aids, see a mavic mini at that distance. It might be better to remove the distance

 

[Arnu69]

Arnu69 you have just said on a publc forum you broke the law, unless, of course, you can, without aids, see a mavic mini at that distance. It might be better to remove the distance

It was over my own land, and yes I could see it all the way. At half a mile I had to swerve to avoid a wasp.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

impressive eye sight

 

[Arnu69]

impressive eye sight

In all seriousness, what's the point of having a drone that the manufacturer brags can achieve distances of 4 miles if you're only going to send it a few hundred yards? Why invent range extenders and really do people actually only fly their drones 300 yards ??

 

[Deleted member 103366]

I understand perfectly what you are saying, what I was trying get at is that it might not be wise to publish the fact that you are breaking the law. It's like videoing youself doing wheelies at 100mph on the M1 and then sticking the video on you tube, it's asking for trouble.

 

[SkyeHigh]

I understand perfectly what you are saying, what I was trying get at is that it might not be wise to publish the fact that you are breaking the law. It's like videoing youself doing wheelies at 100mph on the M1 and then sticking the video on you tube, it's asking for trouble.

And range extenders too. There is a legal limit to the power level you are entitled to use in this country (and most others) and that is the level at which DJI have set it.

 

[Arnu69]

I just watched a video on YouTube and the guy gets 5km with range extenders. I hope the drone police don't see it. That is amazing though. He got back with 6% battery left. Anyway we're hijacking the thread here.
Point taken !

 

[AndreaBB]

I've had mine since February and I've flown 226 times. I'm in Romford nr london. Anything upto 15 mph winds is fine. Sent it nearly 2 miles with my new Yagis yesterday. 14 mph winds at 300ft. There have been periods where it was too windy but it's a tougher little bird than you might think .

You are probably a better pilot than me: I don’t feel comfortable when it’s windy. Wind can change anytime (especially in U.K.) and if MM runs out of battery because of that it could fall onto someone / into a private property.
Why should I risk? It was supposed to be a pleasure, but it’s not to me.

 

[Arnu69]

You are probably a better pilot than me: I don’t feel comfortable when it’s windy. Wind can change anytime (especially in U.K.) and if MM runs out of battery because of that it could fall onto someone / into a private property.
Why should I risk? It was supposed to be a pleasure, but it’s not to me.

You've got to do what's best for you but if you send the drone into the wind then returning with the wind is easy. I'm not suggesting you do anything you're uncomfortable with. Ideally we all want a nice calm day. The mm is quite a tough little bird though.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

And range extenders too. There is a legal limit to the power level you are entitled to use in this country (and most others) and that is the level at which DJI have set it.

I am uncertain of your thinking but I doubt range extenders amplify the radiated power unless they themselves are powered. I think unpowered range extenders simply focus or concentrate the out going radiation into a more beam like pattern and or perhaps reflect or focus the income signal onto the antennae

 

[SkyeHigh]

I am uncertain of your thinking but I doubt range extenders amplify the radiated power unless they themselves are powered. I think unpowered range extenders simply focus or concentrate the out going radiation into a more beam like pattern and or perhaps reflect or focus the income signal onto the antennae

They certainly don’t amplify and have very little effect too. Many of them are made of plastic with extremely thin paint or at best foil on them. The plastic is transparent to the micro-wave energy at 2.4 & 5.8GHz and will easily pass straight through it. Anything added in the way of the original antenna will change the impedance that the RF amplifier is seeing and results in reduced effective radiated output. As for the receive side it just makes reception worse, they are simply not big enough to make any difference.

There is a lot of science behind radio frequency energy and is still seen as a black art. The retailers know this and happily exploit those that don’t understand.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Re "impedance" do you mean impedance as it relates to coils?

 

[Arnu69]

The Yagi range extenders work without any doubt. My understanding is they focus more signal towards the drone . It seems that if you're not pointing them directly at the drone you can lose contact but currently my best is 3400metres. There's many clips on you tube of them achieving distances over 4000m.

 

[SkyeHigh]

Re "impedance" do you mean impedance as it relates to coils?

Impedance being the resistive load presented to an alternating current. It is very similar to that of voice coil of a loudspeaker using a 4-ohm coil connected to an amplifier designed for an 8-ohm speaker.

To get maximum power transfer the impedance of the load should match that of the device driving it.

Video devices have a standard of 75-ohms, Radio (radio frequency) is 50-ohms.

 

[SkyeHigh]

The Yagi range extenders work without any doubt. My understanding is they focus more signal towards the drone . It seems that if you're not pointing them directly at the drone you can lose contact but currently my best is 3400metres. There's many clips on you tube of them achieving distances over 4000m.

The Yagi’s can work but you’re losing power in this application. The clip-on Yagi is acting as a resonant device at a specific frequency. But, the transfer of energy from the RC antenna to the Yagi loses power as any device not electrically connected will. The same thing happens on the receive side.

What it does is narrow the radiating pattern of the transmit signal but equally does that on the receive side too making it more directional than the stock antennas. But... unless the Yagi is very precisely manufactured you will lose more power and gain nothing.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Ta