I finally pulled the trigger on getting the M2ED - I have some ideas for how to use the thermal sensor for some triage work.
Unboxing:
I was impressed by the hard case that it comes in - lots of space for everything.
I also purchased the Fly More Bundle and the case is about 50% larger than the Mavic 2 Fly More case I have (I assume for all the accessories). I did all the typical new purchases stuff (register, log details, update fleet database, update firmware [no update available]).
Initial Flight:
I decided to give it a quick 15min test flight to try out some of the features. I downloaded the DJI Pilot app on my iPad and realized that it's definitly not designed for it. Upon opening the pilot app, it scales to about the size of an iPhone 8Plus screen. There is a little button in the corner to 'scale up' but it only blurs the pixels. I was disappointed that the Pilot app doesn't support an iPad, but can only assume the M2E is directed at industries who need a 'get up and go' so your phone does that? I don't know, but it was disappointing.
I launched the aircraft and at first it was extremely stable (similar to the M2Z). As it hovered, I tested out some of the thermal features - I'll definitely go into more detail later once I get some actual mission details. Shockingly, as I tested out the spot light, the M2ED started to lose altitude! I hadn't touched any of the controls so I started checking all the devices and connections. After a few seconds the aircraft stabilized (dropped about 10ft). I gained altitude and it began to drop again -- so I decided to land and check everything.
I was unable to find anything wrong. I swapped out the battery and put on the beacon.
I took to the air again and brought to a hover at about 50ft. No issues with altitude now ... very odd.
Accessories
Beacon: VERY BRIGHT! It works as advertised.
Spotlight: I was actually very impressed with this. Sad that you can't control the angle from the controls, so you need to make sure you're angle is appropriate for your altitude and the object you're trying to illuminate. Aside from that, it will definitely be a useful accessory for any situation, but in emergency situations it will be great.
Speaker: I'm still trying to find a use for this in my line of work, but I can understand how this will be nice for SAR/LE. There is a feature to control the volume on the app, so that is nice if you're just trying to relay info to your team on the ground without waking up the neighborhood. I didn't have any stored sound, so I only used the 'record and play'. It worked seamlessly.
Overall, it's going to be a nice addition to the fleet. I hope the altitude issue was just a fluke, but definitely something I noted in the logs.
Unboxing:
I was impressed by the hard case that it comes in - lots of space for everything.
I also purchased the Fly More Bundle and the case is about 50% larger than the Mavic 2 Fly More case I have (I assume for all the accessories). I did all the typical new purchases stuff (register, log details, update fleet database, update firmware [no update available]).
Initial Flight:
I decided to give it a quick 15min test flight to try out some of the features. I downloaded the DJI Pilot app on my iPad and realized that it's definitly not designed for it. Upon opening the pilot app, it scales to about the size of an iPhone 8Plus screen. There is a little button in the corner to 'scale up' but it only blurs the pixels. I was disappointed that the Pilot app doesn't support an iPad, but can only assume the M2E is directed at industries who need a 'get up and go' so your phone does that? I don't know, but it was disappointing.
I launched the aircraft and at first it was extremely stable (similar to the M2Z). As it hovered, I tested out some of the thermal features - I'll definitely go into more detail later once I get some actual mission details. Shockingly, as I tested out the spot light, the M2ED started to lose altitude! I hadn't touched any of the controls so I started checking all the devices and connections. After a few seconds the aircraft stabilized (dropped about 10ft). I gained altitude and it began to drop again -- so I decided to land and check everything.
I was unable to find anything wrong. I swapped out the battery and put on the beacon.
I took to the air again and brought to a hover at about 50ft. No issues with altitude now ... very odd.
Accessories
Beacon: VERY BRIGHT! It works as advertised.
Spotlight: I was actually very impressed with this. Sad that you can't control the angle from the controls, so you need to make sure you're angle is appropriate for your altitude and the object you're trying to illuminate. Aside from that, it will definitely be a useful accessory for any situation, but in emergency situations it will be great.
Speaker: I'm still trying to find a use for this in my line of work, but I can understand how this will be nice for SAR/LE. There is a feature to control the volume on the app, so that is nice if you're just trying to relay info to your team on the ground without waking up the neighborhood. I didn't have any stored sound, so I only used the 'record and play'. It worked seamlessly.
Overall, it's going to be a nice addition to the fleet. I hope the altitude issue was just a fluke, but definitely something I noted in the logs.
