Just ordered my Mavic Air... what should I know?

[f1r3b1rd]

I just ordered it, an extra battery and set of NDfilters. I should have it Friday.
I owned a p3a and p3s before. I sold them to fund the new Air.

Was curious to see if there was anything I should know or be prepared before I unbox it and take it up.

 

[Air Beetle]

Yep, charge everything up and do updates on your app, rc controller, and the drone before first flight. Install the second battery and update again. The battery has firmware updates too.

Never have cables in both controller ports, even if not connected to a device.

ios devices seem to be more reliable.


Then enjoy. Try flying with all three methods - rc controller with phone device, phone device only, and no device or rc by using gestures

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Yep, charge everything up and do updates on your app, rc controller, and the drone before first flight. Install the second battery and update again. The battery has firmware updates too.

Never have cables in both controller ports, even if not connected to a device.

ios devices seem to be more reliable.


Then enjoy. Try flying with all three methods - rc controller with phone device, phone device only, and no device or rc by using gestures

Do I need to have them plugged into the pc for the update or is it done through the go app and phone?
Also- I have an iPhone se, will they work well with that?

 

[zackdbassist]

Do I need to have them plugged into the pc for the update or is it done through the go app and phone?
Also- I have an iPhone se, will they work well with that?

You can do it both way, using DJI assistant 2 on your pc or DJI Go 4 app on your phone. The app would check for updates as soon as you power on the bird and connect it to your device (powered on controller connected to your phone) and from there, its basically just a couple taps on your screen and you're done.

The iPhone SE would work but the screen is a little too small to read and change all the settings. I would recommend a device with at least 5.5" screen as some of the text shown on screen is tiny.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

You can do it both way, using DJI assistant 2 on your pc or DJI Go 4 app on your phone. The app would check for updates as soon as you power on the bird and connect it to your device (powered on controller connected to your phone) and from there, its basically just a couple taps on your screen and you're done.

The iPhone SE would work but the screen is a little too small to read and change all the settings. I would recommend a device with at least 5.5" screen as some of the text shown on screen is tiny.

I have a new moto z droid but it’s android and I’ve always preferred the apple version of the app and litchi.
So long as the iPhone will work on the app, I’ll see how bad my eyes really are.
I’ll call ot a twofer- new drone and Vision test in one.

Thank you very much!
Glad to know I don’t have to do that hinky as card trick anymore.

 

[nuclearheli]

I have some advice, if you plan on buying a larger micro sd card make sure its an “extreme” version capable of handling 100 mbs. I used a 32 gig SanDisc Ultra and my 4k video was choppy and looked horrible. I suggest the SanDisc extreme, that solved the problem.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

I have some advice, if you plan on buying a larger micro sd card make sure its an “extreme” version capable of handling 100 mbs. I used a 32 gig SanDisc Ultra and my 4k video was choppy and looked horrible. I suggest the SanDisc extreme, that solved the problem.

Thank you for that! I have a few options on hand to try but completely expect to need a faster one.

 

[cwil193]

Thank you for that! I have a few options on hand to try but completely expect to need a faster one.

Stick to 2.4ghz if you don’t want to do auto because the updates you do will actually improve the 2.4g signal. Another thing is to go into the app settings and make sure that when you lose signal it returns home, some people have it set to when it loses signal, it tries to land itself. If you want a super tiny carrying case the GoPro Casey works well and can carry the drone, controller, charger, and 2 extra batteries and even has some crush protection. If you need any help, feel free to ask!

 

[wjkrysak]

Yep, charge everything up and do updates on your app, rc controller, and the drone before first flight. Install the second battery and update again. The battery has firmware updates too.

Never have cables in both controller ports, even if not connected to a device.

ios devices seem to be more reliable.


Then enjoy. Try flying with all three methods - rc controller with phone device, phone device only, and no device or rc by using gestures

My red AIr landed with FedEx today, from Amazon purchase. Air Beetle offers good advice on start up. I am eager for weather change tomorrow and maiden
I was not aware of battery updates and will include those, too. I updated with Android and all went well.

 

[msinger]

Was curious to see if there was anything I should know or be prepared before I unbox it and take it up.

Here are some items you might find useful:

• Mavic Manual & Release Notes (the manual does not come in the box)
• DJI GO Manual
• Mavic Air Beginners Guide (covers all of the basics)
• Firmware Update Instructions
• MavicHelp.com (lots of Mavic Air tips & accessories)

 

[Mike4884]

For sd choices ill make it easy for u....make sure it is u3 rated or v30 and not u1 like some of the earlier sandisk cards like "sandisk ultra" etc. It will say it right on the card "u3" or "u3 v30"

 

[zackdbassist]

If you want a super tiny carrying case the GoPro Casey works well and can carry the drone, controller, charger, and 2 extra batteries and even has some crash protection.

The Casey offers everything but no room for the charger. That is the reason I bought the mavic pro bag which is very compact again and fits everything, including the mavic air in its supplied case.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Thank y’all
Kinda surprised the manual isn’t in the box. Then again I’m “that guy” who read the phantom manual twice before even turning it on.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

For sd choices ill make it easy for u....make sure it is u3 rated or v30 and not u1 like some of the earlier sandisk cards like "sandisk ultra" etc. It will say it right on the card "u3" or "u3 v30"

Will his one work?
Samsung 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO Memory Card with Adapter 64 GB (MB-MP64GA/AM) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XX2GL1L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EaaMAb62FTXX8

 

[Kankkis]

Will his one work?
Samsung 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO Memory Card with Adapter 64 GB (MB-MP64GA/AM) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XX2GL1L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EaaMAb62FTXX8

Yes.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Yes.

Grazi!

 

[nuclearheli]

So since we are on this topic can somebody please explain what is the functional difference between ExFAT and FAT32 and does it mean anything when I am considering what size card I am purchasing? I see people out there using disks up to 128 G on their MA, for some reason I though it was limited to 32G being FAT32. Also my Windows 10 PC will only format 64G drives to ExFat, unless I am missing something. I guess the MA formats to FAT32 regardless of the size of the card.

 

[cwil193]

The Casey offers everything but no room for the charger. That is the reason I bought the mavic pro bag which is very compact again and fits everything, including the mavic air in its supplied case.

I added a rubber strap and just squeezed it in

 

[msinger]

can somebody please explain what is the functional difference between ExFAT and FAT32

What’s the Difference Between FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS?

does it mean anything when I am considering what size card I am purchasing?

No.

Also my Windows 10 PC will only format 64G drives to ExFat, unless I am missing something.

It's best to format the memory card in DJI GO, but Windows should give you the option to format using NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT.

 

[griffinhart]

Do I need to have them plugged into the pc for the update or is it done through the go app and phone?
Also- I have an iPhone se, will they work well with that?

You can patch the firmware from your phone/tablet. I prefer updating the firmware through the DJI Assistant 2 application on my PC. Definitely do the firmware before flying. If you have the Original firmware you will be missing several flight modes and the drone will be prone to the shakes. The firmware updates fixed all these issues.