Is it me or is this thing crazy loud?

Zeke · Sep 6, 2022

So I recently sold my Mavic Pro Platinum and bought a new Air 2S. So far I have no complaints about the drone, but it seems to be much louder than my previous drone. Obviously (I think) most of us would like to be fairly quiet and unobtrusive, and I can hear this bird coming a mile away. I never had any luck with "those" aftermarket props that claimed to be quieter than OEM, but I'm wondering if anyone has any options I haven't considered to quiet this flying chainsaw down a bit!

TIA!

chopperguy · Sep 6, 2022

All I can compare it to is flying my Phantom 4 then my Air2s, now the Phantom 4 is loud! I almost feel kind of bad flying it now compared to my other two drones.

MAvic_South_Oz · Sep 6, 2022

The M1P / MPP are pretty quiet overall for the size, my Brother-in-laws old Air was certainly noisier then my M1P, even with the original 8330 props fitted.

I'm kind of surprised to read you haven't found 'those' aftermarket props were of benefit to the old bird.
Not sure if you mean MAS (Master Airscrew), but boy, both the MPP 8331 and then since with the MAS props are loads quieter on mine.
It almost sounds like it's silenced when taking off, landing or nearby.

The MAS props have probably been tried on the A2S by quite a few on the forum here, hopefully you can get some feedback shortly, or do a search ??

Here's a quick search I just did for > A2S MAS . . .

Search results for query: A2S MAS

Apart from the props, there is little you can do to quieten down any drone, well, apart from earplugs !

Zeke · Sep 6, 2022

MAvic_South_Oz said:
The M1P / MPP are pretty quiet overall for the size, my Brother-in-laws old Air was certainly noisier then my M1P, even with the original 8330 props fitted.

I'm kind of surprised to read you haven't found 'those' aftermarket props were of benefit to the old bird.
Not sure if you mean MAS (Master Airscrew), but boy, both the MPP 8331 and then since with the MAS props are loads quieter on mine.
It almost sounds like it's silenced when taking off, landing or nearby.

The MAS props have probably been tried on the A2S by quite a few on the forum here, hopefully you can get some feedback shortly, or do a search ??

Here's a quick search I just did for > A2S MAS . . .

Search results for query: A2S MAS

Apart from the props, there is little you can do to quieten down any drone, well, apart from earplugs !

Yea I tried the Master Airscrew props on my Pro and didn't notice any sound reduction, but I did notice the drone tended to drift instead of hover in place once I had them on. I've done a ton of reading on the MA's on the A2S's and it seems most guys aren't too happy with them (no noticeable reduction in noise) and the ones that are happy are a little "too" happy to be taken seriously. Thanks for the feedback my friends, just wondering if there was something I hadn't thought of.

Zeke

Starz · Sep 7, 2022

Zeke said:
claimed to be quieter than OEM,

Key words.

Kilrah · Sep 7, 2022

Usually the smaller the louder (or not actually louder but a more annoying sound), and it is smaller...

mobilehomer · Sep 7, 2022

I have an Air 2S. I can assure you that the MAS props SEEM more quiet because the pitch is lower. The speed and battery life are no different. I also noticed that the blades are a little more brittle than OEM. A small bit of contact will cause cracks and splits, so not very durable. The colors are nice, the pitch is nice. The price is comparable because you get a complete set instead of just two.

Eagle Eye 62 · Sep 7, 2022

I have the Master Screws props on my Mavic 3 and they are "slightly" quieter than the stock props. If you want a quiet bird, the Mini 3 Pro can't be beat. It is by far the quietest of all the drones I have flown.

jwp721 · Sep 7, 2022

Wasn’t impressed w the Master Screws props. Have a set supposed to be quieter made by DJI that I haven’t tried yet.

Dbez1 · Sep 7, 2022

It’s my opinion that my Air2S is slightly less annoying with the MAS props. My reaction was the same as the OP the first time I flew it which is why I switched to the MAS. I’ve gotten used to the sound now but it won’t sneak up on anyone.

Hidden · Sep 8, 2022

I also have MAS props. I don't think it's any quieter, just a different pitch to the perceived sound, which it makes it seem quieter. They still chop air, so they make noise.

MAvic_South_Oz · Sep 8, 2022

I've done a DB test as well as revs on the M1P with std 8330 props, 8331 props, and MAS props.

Wasn't the best day to do it, windy, but stayed below treeline most of the time and was stable enough.

Data is in the video description, copy / pasted here . . .

M1P OEM 8330 props Avg Db reading 72Db Motor RPMs 538
MPP OEM 8331 props Avg Db reading 70Db Motor RPMs 490
MAS Stealth props Avg Db reading 68Db Motor RPMs 465

Dbez1 · Sep 8, 2022

I wonder if the 465 RPM means the motors are working harder, less hard, or insignificant? Or did the wind change slightly while you were changing props? I’m just curious. Thanks for running the tests. Again, in my own mind (or imagination), I think the MAS are slightly less annoying for whatever reason.

MAvic_South_Oz · Sep 9, 2022

Dbez1 said:
I wonder if the 465 RPM means the motors are working harder, less hard, or insignificant? Or did the wind change slightly while you were changing props? I’m just curious. Thanks for running the tests. Again, in my own mind (or imagination), I think the MAS are slightly less annoying for whatever reason.

I’ve wondered if the lower RPMs actually place more load on motors.
Obviously the prop design , extra blade width / pitch makes them run slower, but not sure if at a cost of higher load.
Might not matter, been on mine now for a good few years and on 2nd set, after finding a few little chips on one of my original blades.
Think it must have been from a landing and clipping some debris.
Replaced all 4.

I took the avg RPMs from mentally noting the peaks and troughs during the test flight of each.
The wind stayed pretty similar throughout, though there are some obvious gusts coming through from time to time.

I know from reading here, MAS are either loved or viewed dubiously.
I guess like anything people make their own minds up if they try something, and that’s ok.
Also, different models seem to have mixed results, though most do say that there is a lower pitch at least, which is less annoying overall, and good for any pilot flying around people.

I’ve never bothered trying to work out if they give me any flight time benefit, it’s too hard to do a series of tests that are exactly the same.
But I still get great flight times out of original flymore 3 batteries, the same time approx that 3 newer ones I bought give me.

WHITAKERZ · Sep 10, 2022

MAvic_South_Oz said:
...few years and on 2nd set...

FEW YEARS? Second set? What? This is craziness.

Kiwibob · Sep 10, 2022

Yes my Air2S is definitely noisier than my Air2. I think it’s because it’s tuned to fly more aggressively and is slightly heavier than my Air2 so it screams a bit under maximum thrust. Like others have commented, I bought a couple of sets of Master Airscrews and they definitely lower the pitch slightly but not the volume. If there are people around I just tend to take off vertically to my maximum allowed height before flying to my destination rather than it screaming away at a low altitude where it is definitely more noticeable at higher speeds.

MAvic_South_Oz · Sep 10, 2022

WHITAKERZ said:
FEW YEARS? Second set? What? This is craziness.

Ok, without getting too far from the OPs thread topic . . . your reply is not exactly clear . . . what part is 'craziness' ?

- No need to change that often ?
- Not changed often enough ?

I suspect you mean not changed often enough.

From past threads here and some online drone blogs, DJI support have been known to suggest changing propellers after 200-300 flights.

That's a lot of flights, especially for an average rec pilot.
A few years, and 2nd set MAS is fine for me and my intermittent flying.

I'm actually on my overall forth set of props in 5 years, that's not changed too little I would think . . . not that I changed any of them for a reason of fatigue management, or UV exposure / weakening, etc.
Just upgrading.

There's a bit of hesitation in 'fixing what's not broken', though my pre flight checks of props and other such is pretty ingrained now, and I'm pretty sure I'd spot a problem before take off.

Just my take on props, others might change theirs yearly, or after X hours etc, as a matter of course, and that's ok.
There is a risk either way in prop failure.