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Iam buying one of these but need some help

Pinchecharlie

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I think I've decided to buy a MA as my very first uav .I could be wrong and i have a tad bit of analysis paralysis after watching nine zillion comparison videos but I THINK it suits my needs (which are none, iam just doing it to try !). So i live in Montana and would want to shoot landscapes and some kayaking and rafting (non proffessional). I would like to feel confident that the drone will operate with in reason in very remote areas? I've read about Wi-Fi and range but it would seem that the air would still be fine for me. I could buy something used but think I might just buy new so I don't have to be worried about un foreseen problems? So my real questions are what all do I need IN addition to the drone to operate it hassle free in the woods? I see bundles and i dont really know what's good or not. Easy to understand for you iam sure but the prices and the accessories confuse the purchase for me as they are often several hundred different and it makes me nervous that I will buy to much or to little and be frustrated. We're doing 10 days on a river at the end of the month and I'd like to try and be geared up to try (tall order?) So what exactly do I NEED and what might I WANT for my new mavic air? Iam Also game to hear any well worded arguments for the pro instead now that you know what I will be doing with it. I can buy what ever really and even though its exspensive the differences are not that much to discourage me. Of course buying way more than i need or am capable of using would be dumb too. So if you have a few minjtes to spare i could use some insight .thankscharlie
 
Sounds like the Mavic Air would suite you perfectly. The range is more limited but I've gone over a mile out and back without issues in a WiFi congested area. The obstacle avoidance sensors on the MA are superior to the MP, which will help navigating in the woods but still be careful. I own the MA, MP, P4P and other DJI drones, the MA has become my go-to drone because of its portability. The MA is more rugged IMHO too, the gimbal on the MP is very fragile and usually won't withstand a crash. Best of luck in your decision, fly safe and have fun!
 
...So i live in Montana and would want to shoot landscapes and some kayaking and rafting (non proffessional). I would like to feel confident that the drone will operate with in reason in very remote areas?...
... So my real questions are what all do I need IN addition to the drone to operate it hassle free in the woods?... We're doing 10 days on a river at the end of the month and I'd like to try and be geared up to try (tall order?) So what exactly do I NEED and what might I WANT for my new mavic air?...
... I am Also game to hear any well worded arguments for the pro instead now that you know what I will be doing with it...
• The Air or Pro should work fine in remote areas. The Air is lighter weight and more compact for camping but the Pro has better connection and battery life.
• What you need: You are doing 10 days on a river. If you will have no power to charge batteries so you need more Mavic batteries and a UPS power supply for the remote. You also need ND filters for quality video. You will also need a waterproof bag to transport it in. A small lens cleaning kit would also be a good idea to have.
• Pro vs Air debate: I am biased towards the Pro because that is what I have and I have no Air experience. The Pro has Occusync for a more reliable connection at distance and it has a display on the RC that can be used if your phone/tablet app crashes. The Pro also has longer flying time per battery which you will appreciate if you are in the woods and not able to recharge.

Be cautious flying in canyon areas. If you lose GPS it will not correct for wind and might drift into something. If you have Refresh DJI will want your wreck before they send a replacement so you need to recover it from the river if that is where it ends up.

Before you leave an internet connection, make sure that Go 4 or the Mavic is not requiring some sort of update. Then put your phone/tablet in airplane mode and turn off auto updates so it will not change unless you want it to. There have been cases where it would not fly without being updated or an update hosed the video feed and there was no internet connection available to fix it.

If you end up starting a flight on a partially used battery (due to lack of recharging power) try to keep it close. I have read more than a few posts where a partially discharged battery seems to drain quicker than thought and has caused a loss of aircraft.
 
So my real questions are what all do I need IN addition to the drone to operate it hassle free in the woods?

You have never owned a drone before? What you are planning is pretty risky, even seasoned pilots don't fly in or through the woods. The conditions are ripe for a crash, and if you lose sight of it, how are you going to get it? If you decide that you are willing to take the chance, get as much practice as you can before you go, in woods similar to where you will be flying. Here's the minimum I would suggest a new pilot have.

  1. Prop guards
  2. DJI Refresh (or better, drone damage/loss insurance)
  3. 2 batteries
  4. A spotter or other experienced pilot to be with you
 
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Woods is just a way of saying remote I guess. My shot list ( is that what you say lol) open ridgetops above tree line following my family and panorama of mountains/sunset and you know. I envision flying it well above the tree line/trees with a line of site. I was hoping I could get out of the boat and hover above rapids to have a aerial of friends and fam coming down? It would be awsome to do "follow mode" on kayakers or a raft through unobstructed rapids? Usually the river is a corridor but obviously trees lining it. I only aspire to go within that corridor and up but yeah it's risky and every crash is a whitewater river so probably no recovery. My buddy has a p4p and we flew it this weekend but he's a documentary film maker and know his stuff. But I was shocked because I keep thinking these are like the rc stuff I had as a kid (iam 50) I couldn't take off or land or fly anything . His would just sit there completely stable and it moved so slowly and controlled! I thought " I need one of these!" But alas iam a tourist and have done many fool hearty things! I have a couple of go pros and would love to document my families adventures like the guys do where it looks like a little movie!? To much to ask you think? But to answer to your concern, no I will not try to fly through the forest even though that looks bad ***.so I was hopping to have very controlled assecents from the banks over the river and back. Maybe fly up and down the river where it is wide enough and just general high altitude vistas. Just out of curiosity , Do the googles make obstacle avoidance easier? Ok so thats ny naive b.s. back to those in the know
 
Forget the goggles, they're just a gimmick for people with XBoxes. Just go and buy it, get a couple of spare batteries (there are spare props with the basic drone) and if possible sort a cjarher, otherwise you will only have around half an hour's flight time total.

Just go out and fly. A kid could do it; it's setting up the camera that's more complex so practice as much as you can before you go. Just do it.
 
Ok so literally sinking 1200 bucks is kinda making my wife upset. Should I just sink a spark instead lol!??
 
Ok so literally sinking 1200 bucks is kinda making my wife upset. Should I just sink a spark instead lol!??
I wouldn't. The Spark was useless to me. Sold mine after just a few months.
 
... It would be awsome to do "follow mode" on kayakers or a raft through unobstructed rapids? Usually the river is a corridor but obviously trees lining it...
This is how you lose your Mavic. The various active track modes will not follow the same route as the target. They will cut corners causing it to fly to one side or the other which lessens the chance that obstacle avoidance will work. Spend some time on YouTube watching crash videos and you will see many that have gone down using these modes in situations like you describe. If you track going downstream well above the tallest tree on the route you may be OK. Tracking will not try to lower its height as the river descends.

Regarding the goggles; I do not own them but their downside is they give you tunnel-vision i.e. you only see what the camera shows you. If flying sideways at all (including wide turns) you can drift into a tree that you could not see (until too late). Get familiar with the cancel button on the RC as it will give you an emergency stop if needed.
Ok so literally sinking 1200 bucks is kinda making my wife upset. Should I just sink a spark instead lol!??
Regarding an upset wife; it depends on the degree of upset and the consequences you will suffer if you follow through with this. If you get it, spend as much time as possible flying in an open area to get comfortable and let her fly it too, it might win her over. Of course, if she is upset now then think of the price you will pay if you crash it.
 
I have a couple of go pros and would love to document my families adventures like the guys do where it looks like a little movie!? To much to ask you think?

A combination of Gopro land based shots mixed with accompanying aerial footage makes for more editing, but an awesome end product.
 
Great advice! I usually try and match the wife when I buy dumb **** but it's getting too exspensive lol. Well crap, maybe second hands the way to go now. There are several mps on here and "refurbished" on b&h so hmmm...man tough one. I get burned now again second hand and that really pisses my wife off
 
I've heard good things from people who got the Phantom 3 refurbished, so I would imagine the Mavic refurbished would carry a similar quality. However, it's still a good deal more expensive than the P3S. If you were really just looking for something to test the waters that didn't cost too much, that would be my recommendation. But you are sacrificing portability, so that leads back to the Mavic. Tough decisions!
 
As long as there is a good return policy (no "restocking" fee) then a refurb should be OK.
 
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If you do get extra batteries (and you should) keep in mind that they will start to self-discharge after 10 days so charge them up on the day you leave.
 
Sweet iam ready to click that ****!!! I only wanna do it once cause in Montana we are very far if I miss somethig.. Iam gonna do the ma fly more. It has 3 batteries and charger and I THINK everything for flying. Iam thinking a car charger and memory stuff.
So full disclouser- iam not tech savvy at all. In fact I know Jack **** about mbs and pixels and I even have a cheap ****** phone. So......
Which memory card is best for dumb ***?
Do I need an external hard drive
I have a android phone?
Should I get a mini iPad?
Basically the information side of it?
Well be coming a shore twice and hiking in glacier so I can re charge and stuff. I have a old lap top but I think it's toast cause it's a decade old lol. I had light room on it when I did surf photos but...nother story.
Should I get in a 12 step program for impulse shoppers?
Ian so stoked to give this tsomething.
But I HATE getting all ready to find out I needed to do this or that. Thanks everyone it's refreshing to be on a forum without being trolled
 
You are more likely to outgrow the Spark fairly quickly and regret that you didn't go for the Air.
Some big box stores may have a lease option to consider. I went against my usual instincts of buying outright and leased mine - paying around $20AU/week - an extra $300 per year .. but it is covered for everything except public liability. If the dog eats it, if it flys off, I crash it or run over it, anything, I get another, and another, covered for the whole lease term, plus after 2 years I can upgrade or change to something else - was much easier to convince my missus :) It's also taken some of the nervous edge of of every flight.
3 batteries is good but total is only about 50 mins flight time max - it goes quick!! I bushwalk a lot too, rather than a 4th battery I've been eyeing off a mobile powerbank charger for Air for around the same price -
Mobile Power Bank Charger 3.7V 25000mAh Portable For Smartphone Fast Charging 889251504006 | eBay
For mSD card you do need a fast card like Sandisk Extreme 100mbps or you video will miss frames. Best get 2 smaller 32gb ones than one large one. I found the onboard 8gb storage too slow for video and not to be relied on.
You will likely need a new phone or tablet if yours is more than a few years old - but it would pay to try it first before spending unnecessarily.
You don't really NEED anything else but I have found a landing pad a great addition on rough ground - the 55cm round PYG Tech folds down easily and fits in the Fly more combo's bag side pocket. It helps keep the gimbal safer and reduces dirt, sand and dust being stirred up by the props.
Also, ND/CPL filters can improve the image (especially if you want to post process) but takes some extra fiddling to set up correctly (search youtube).

Personally, I think you will need more than a few weeks to get familiar and proficient enough to do what you would like to do down the river, especially if it's your first drone, but maybe your balls are bigger than mine ;)

If you do get the Air I don't think you will regret it. The portability is fantastic, it's a very sturdy well built piece of kit, takes a pretty good image and is quick to get in the air compared to most others.
Good luck, read the manual, watch lots of videos and fly safe :)
 
You are more likely to outgrow the Spark fairly quickly and regret that you didn't go for the Air.
Some big box stores may have a lease option to consider. I went against my usual instincts of buying outright and leased mine - paying around $20AU/week - an extra $300 per year .. but it is covered for everything except public liability. If the dog eats it, if it flys off, I crash it or run over it, anything, I get another, and another, covered for the whole lease term, plus after 2 years I can upgrade or change to something else - was much easier to convince my missus :) It's also taken some of the nervous edge of of every flight.
3 batteries is good but total is only about 50 mins flight time max - it goes quick!! I bushwalk a lot too, rather than a 4th battery I've been eyeing off a mobile powerbank charger for Air for around the same price -
Mobile Power Bank Charger 3.7V 25000mAh Portable For Smartphone Fast Charging 889251504006 | eBay
For mSD card you do need a fast card like Sandisk Extreme 100mbps or you video will miss frames. Best get 2 smaller 32gb ones than one large one. I found the onboard 8gb storage too slow for video and not to be relied on.
You will likely need a new phone or tablet if yours is more than a few years old - but it would pay to try it first before spending unnecessarily.
You don't really NEED anything else but I have found a landing pad a great addition on rough ground - the 55cm round PYG Tech folds down easily and fits in the Fly more combo's bag side pocket. It helps keep the gimbal safer and reduces dirt, sand and dust being stirred up by the props.
Also, ND/CPL filters can improve the image (especially if you want to post process) but takes some extra fiddling to set up correctly (search youtube).

Personally, I think you will need more than a few weeks to get familiar and proficient enough to do what you would like to do down the river, especially if it's your first drone, but maybe your balls are bigger than mine ;)

If you do get the Air I don't think you will regret it. The portability is fantastic, it's a very sturdy well built piece of kit, takes a pretty good image and is quick to get in the air compared to most others.
Good luck, read the manual, watch lots of videos and fly safe :)
Thanks mate! Great info and dig the positivity! Two regrets so far in life , leaving Katie and leaving Australia . At least I was young and have that excuse. I've never heard of leasing one ? That sounds great I'll see if it's available here. I keep going back and forth and would have all ready bought two different second hand units if I hadn't had trouble with internet banking. So Monday I'll get one ordered and look forward to giving it a go. I guess guys just nake it look easy? Hope its not to hard! Thanks again for your help !
 
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