Mavic Air 2 and Smart Controller question

[Quiet Place]

Needing experienced owners advice. I bought the Mavic Air 2 with the Smart Controller a couple of months ago. I am still just going through unpacking and setting up. I have been watching multiple YouTube videos to make certain I have everything installed, parameters set and controls learned before flying. I wanted to inquire from present owners if it seems the controller generates quite a bit of heat as well as the drone itself. I bought the controller to get a brighter picture as I live at 9500 feet and the brightness of sun here can be intense.

So I will appreciate any and all advice and comments. BTW, being an OLD pilot with many many hours in full scale aircraft, I have read the manual! I learned long ago that reading directions and owners manuals was cheap insurance to keep me in one piece. LOL

Thanks

 

[maggior]

Congrats on your new drone! I got the same package last April and I have had no regrets. It was a bit of a struggle to get things setup since all of the instructions are for the standard controller, not the smart controller. I got there though and it wasn't so bad.

The Smart Controller does run hot. It has a fan in it that will kick in. This is because of the very bright screen. To ease the load on the SC I put the brightness at 60 to 70%. If I fly midday, I crank it up to 100%. Runs great and it never turns itself off from overheating like a cell phone will do in similar conditions.

The drone gets quite warm also. The entire bottom is a giant heat sink. It relies on air cooling as it flies through the air. If it is left on sitting on the ground, it will get pretty hot fast and you'll year the fans kick in. I don't think it's harmful to the drone unless it is really hot out and you turn it on and leave it on the pad for 10 or 15 minutes. I suspect it may turn itself off if it gets too hot.

Reading the manuals and checking out youtube videos is great. When you start out, just find a nice wide open area and take it easy at first. As you know, there is no substitute for learning by actually flying. Learn to take off, to land. Move in all of the directions. Use the yaw to change direction. See what the map can do for you. Even kept minimized in the corner, it will show you your direct path home at a glance.

 

[Claretcass]

I agree with Maggior and his comments, I live in the UK where we have a lot less bright sunshine. I got the Smart Controller mainly for the brighter screen and now that the mini2 has been added I use a single controller for both the Mavic Air 2 and the mini 2 and it runs hot with both.
Remember to select the “Tips” option from the menus when you start using it as there are great shortcut options which are easy to use when in flight, one I find particularly useful is press the function key and rotate the left hand wheel control to adjust the brightness up or down…
Good luck using the smart controller you won’t be disappointed.

 

[eEridani]

Late to the party but adding one more data point. Both the controller and drone get warm (both are fan cooled, so that alone should tell you something).

That said, I'm also shopping for a shade because the sun is just too bright, even at 3500 feet.

 

[Claretcass]

Remember if you have a relatively modern PC on Windows 10 then you can download the DJI Flight Simulator and practice by connecting your Smart Controller and on rainy days run the “Free” options available and fly a variety of different drones through different options.
look on YouTube and forums for advice. Although trainers have to pay £1000-£1500 for a licence to use all options it is free for certain options for recreational flyers.
the software is downloaded from the dji download centre,
good luck

 

[judell]

Is it normal for the SC screen to get super hot? Should I adjust the settings. I’m flying an Air 2 in80 degree weather and the screen does get hot to the touch. RThanks