Maybe the MiniPro3 is the wrong drone to start with?

[JDubyaM]

First some background. I've built and flown RC electric sailplanes, flown LOS mini drones (basically toys, but no pilot assists) and full size Airplanes/Helicopters as a licensed commercial pilot for a living. I flew IFR so I'm not uninformed as to working with gps devices, navigation, airspace and such.
The MP3 looks to be the ideal blend of features, with Active track being the feature I'd use most for recording my dirt bike rides. If it had obstacle avoidance side sensors, then that would be just about the perfect setup. Everything else looks to be spot on for my needs, but the software issues and multiple updates with mixed results give me pause.

I've been waffling as whether or not to order a Mini Pro 3 as with multiple posts and YT videos on DJI's poor management of the rollout of this drone, I feel it's almost snake bit. I know how forums work, most folks are happy with their device and don't comment, but those who have issues tend to post more often, skewing the average of " problem" posts to good results. I'm not trolling here, but really interested in honest responses from MP3 owners as to whether or not they'd buy one again or go with something else?

[I searched how to create a Poll, but only found one reference that stated it was at the bottom of the thread create window, but no luck. Perhaps I'm too new to the board to have that option?]

 

[philztoy]

I have had a lot of The DJI drones. I think the Mini pro 3 is a great drone to start with. They all are about the same in terms of set up and complexity and the mini 3 pro works as good as any of them.

I "tested" the sensor system down some pretty narrow trails. Trying to get it to follow me on a mini skid steer. It lost me twice in a fairly zig zag path over a couple batteries time span. But just stopped and hovered where it lost me. These were fairly tight trails 4 to 6 foot wide and lots of over hanging brush. It did fairly well. That may be the first time I did the follow me function. or whatever it is called.

if your motorcycle trails are fairly open it might work farily well.

I haven't flown it a lot. But it is a lot of drone for the money. And it has a lot of sensors in it. Good one to start with for sure especially with all the other experience you have.

 

[Gagey52]

Welcome J to the forum, to hell with YTers, if you want it go for it. If I could afford it I’d be adding it to my stable, have enjoyed the mini series, for me they were great to learn on and each step was an advance on the previous.
Regards

 

[FLDave]

I guess it really comes down to what you plan to do with your new drone. It should be more about the features for your plans than the what some others don't like. It shouldn't be about what other people think is right for you; it's about what you think is the right drone for you.
Since already have an FAA pilot license, I assume you already have your small UAS pilot license already.

 

[JDubyaM]

@philztoy. Thanks for the feedback on Active track. A fair number of trails I ride are clearer than what you described, but good to know it'll stop if the obstacle avoidance gets confused.

@Gagey52. I agree, YT can be a crap shoot and there are plenty of videos out there to support just about any opinion you want to reinforce. Lots a bogus stuff veiled as click bait that drive by viewers may or may not stop to watch, often based on the absurdity or implied drama.

@FLDave. Actually, no, I don't yet have my 107 UAS ticket. Bring retired from Part 135 operations for 7 years, I've still done really well on practice tests, so I would hope a quick read through is all I would need. Being a perfectionist is a disease and if I don't ace it, I would take it again, so I'll still hit the books when the time comes. I plan on a sub 250g drone to keep me in the Recreational category at first, then I plan on getting my 107 license.

 

[old man mavic]

@JDubyaM ,its all down to the features you want ,the mini 2 is a great drone, but comes fairly featureless in terms of capabilities
the mini 3 on the other hand, has many of the features that Mini 2 owners have been hankering for ,since the first mini came out
the best feature of the Mini 3 pro with the RC controller, is the ease in which it can get airborne ,combined with the Fly more kit it is just a great drone ,for ease of transport and use

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

It seems to me that with DJI the wisest course is to wait out the initial rush and do not be a paying-for-the-privilge 'beta tester'.
Let the problems get sorted and then maybe judge based on the long term reviews. I did this with the Mavic Mini and the Mini 2.
Would I go for the Mini 3, no way, not at the current prices, (near enough double the price of a new Mini 2) they are far too expensive for my taste and there are teething troubles yet to be sorted out, lens fogging and poor range (even for VLOS flying) to name but two.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Welcome to the forum.
Some great background you have in the air.

From what you’ve posted, you’d probably be better with a Skydio or Skydio2 drone, for dirt bikes, and faster and more agile tracking often needed.

If budget can afford it, it would be ideal to pair with a mini 3 pro, which can provide other additional cinematic footage.
The manual flight experience and feature shots of DJI drones are generally known to excel the Skydio’s automation / tracking ability.

Have a Google and read up on the Skydio drone, watch some of their tracking vids on YouTube etc.

 

[B52-D]

@philztoy. Thanks for the feedback on Active track. A fair number of trails I ride are clearer than what you described, but good to know it'll stop if the obstacle avoidance gets confused.

@Gagey52. I agree, YT can be a crap shoot and there are plenty of videos out there to support just about any opinion you want to reinforce. Lots a bogus stuff veiled as click bait that drive by viewers may or may not stop to watch, often based on the absurdity or implied drama.

@FLDave. Actually, no, I don't yet have my 107 UAS ticket. Bring retired from Part 135 operations for 7 years, I've still done really well on practice tests, so I would hope a quick read through is all I would need. Being a perfectionist is a disease and if I don't ace it, I would take it again, so I'll still hit the books when the time comes. I plan on a sub 250g drone to keep me in the Recreational category at first, then I plan on getting my 107 license.

@philztoy. Thanks for the feedback on Active track. A fair number of trails I ride are clearer than what you described, but good to know it'll stop if the obstacle avoidance gets confused.

@Gagey52. I agree, YT can be a crap shoot and there are plenty of videos out there to support just about any opinion you want to reinforce. Lots a bogus stuff veiled as click bait that drive by viewers may or may not stop to watch, often based on the absurdity or implied drama.

@FLDave. Actually, no, I don't yet have my 107 UAS ticket. Bring retired from Part 135 operations for 7 years, I've still done really well on practice tests, so I would hope a quick read through is all I would need. Being a perfectionist is a disease and if I don't ace it, I would take it again, so I'll still hit the books when the time comes. I plan on a sub 250g drone to keep me in the Recreational category at first, then I plan on getting my 107 license.

Hey JDubyaM,
Try not to get hung up on Sub 250g drone.
Read FireJay27 thread below, it may help your decision process. (FireJay27, I hope you don’t mind me sharing your well written thread)
Thread 'What's the obsession with sub-250g drones?'
What's the obsession with sub-250g drones?
Good Luck,
B52-D

 

[MS Coast]

First some background. I've built and flown RC electric sailplanes, flown LOS mini drones (basically toys, but no pilot assists) and full size Airplanes/Helicopters as a licensed commercial pilot for a living. I flew IFR so I'm not uninformed as to working with gps devices, navigation, airspace and such.
The MP3 looks to be the ideal blend of features, with Active track being the feature I'd use most for recording my dirt bike rides. If it had obstacle avoidance side sensors, then that would be just about the perfect setup. Everything else looks to be spot on for my needs, but the software issues and multiple updates with mixed results give me pause.

I've been waffling as whether or not to order a Mini Pro 3 as with multiple posts and YT videos on DJI's poor management of the rollout of this drone, I feel it's almost snake bit. I know how forums work, most folks are happy with their device and don't comment, but those who have issues tend to post more often, skewing the average of " problem" posts to good results. I'm not trolling here, but really interested in honest responses from MP3 owners as to whether or not they'd buy one again or go with something else?

[I searched how to create a Poll, but only found one reference that stated it was at the bottom of the thread create window, but no luck. Perhaps I'm too new to the board to have that option?]

It seems to me that the problems with the Mini 3 are confined to a small number of users and the situation with CE mode communication in Canada. Mine is performing flawlessly.

Don't expect the reality of the tracking flight modes to be as good as what the DJI commercials suggest. Within limits, they do a good job, but they don't respond well to wires and thin branches, for instance. They certainly won't track someone riding fast on a dirt bike on narrow winding trails through the woods. Try to find some real-world videos of situations similar to what you'd like to do.

It sounds like you might be thinking of flying the drone yourself while riding the bike. Is that right? It's probably not a good idea.

In a later post, you mention getting a sub-250 gram drone to fly in the recreational category. You can fly heavier drones, like the Air 2S and the Mavic, as a recreational pilot. Drones heavier than 250 grams must be registered, but the recreational registration is only $5 for three years and it covers every drone you fly recreationally.

 

[stevearends]

If tracking you on your motorcycle is the most important feature then skydio is probably the best idea.

I have the Mini 3 c
Pro, Air2S and Mavic 3. I enjoy all of them.

I’m going on a road trip to a family reunion in the Midwest and have plenty of room to pack the somewhat larger Mavic 3 - I’ll take the Mavic 3 because it’s my favorite to fly and has best cameras.

We have a vacation planned to Curaçao and I’ll take the Mini 3 Pro because it is soooo very portable and easy to fly!

 

[IronSky1]

Mini 3 Pro is great, I have had many DJI drones in the past 6 years all the way up to Inspire series and find this little drone fantastic. Smooth easy to fly no issues yet. My only concern is WIND I have lost two (a Mini1 and Mini2) to flyway wind issues. I have been very careful checking wind at altitude before flying (not sure how good that data is though). I is a great value all things considered. It would be nice it had Airdata direct autoupload integration and a HDMI out (maybe next version). Highly recommend with the Pro RC .

 

[KLRSKIR]

Welcome to the forum.
Some great background you have in the air.

From what you’ve posted, you’d probably be better with a Skydio or Skydio2 drone, for dirt bikes, and faster and more agile tracking often needed.

If budget can afford it, it would be ideal to pair with a mini 3 pro, which can provide other additional cinematic footage.
The manual flight experience and feature shots of DJI drones are generally known to excel the Skydio’s automation / tracking ability.

Have a Google and read up on the Skydio drone, watch some of their tracking vids on YouTube etc.

I 100% agree with this. If you plan on doing much more than riding a OneWheel the Skydio 2+ would be the choice for tracking. The Mini 3P works well tracking but riding my Varla e-scoot over about 10-15mph and the Mini 3 loses me. The Skydio 2+ is amazing, but don't expect much range.

 

[philztoy]

I have to admit. The "follow" tracking seemed to hang up on my mini skid steer trail ride more than I thought it would.

So the trail kind of wound around and it was moderately tight with brush But the first 90 degree turn I took in a relatively open area of the path it lost me and just hovered right before the turn. A mini skid steer on a root riddled path is going pretty slow! But in other straighter parts of the trail it did pretty well and the brush was tighter in there. Plus I haven't used that DJI feature a lot so I might have had it at the wrong follow height or something. I can't deny there could be pilot error involved too.

I also have to report that, in other more open areas it followed me around pretty well.

I still think it is a great starter drone for sure and really is a pretty great drone overall.

From the reports I have read the camera works well in low light. It does have some decent obstacle sensing. It can be under 250 g or over with a lot more flight time (i feel a lot less rushed flying this one). It can stand up to more wind than some of the other minis. It has its own screen on the remote. It takes large SD cards. It is the quietest drone I have. And it has a lot of automatic flight widgets to play around with. I haven't tried the range. But it has flown as far as I can see, which is the rule of law.

So I give it 2 thumbs up.

 

[IronSky1]

I have not seen anything that can track and avoid obstacles like my Skydio (in its price range). Its extra weight is not a issue if you can deal with the flight time (and its built likea tank). I have flown mine 2-5 feet off the ground through overhaning bushes with no issue. In fairness I still have to say the Mini 3 Pro is great however, I would never try to fly it like I do the Skydio. If your in a open area the Mini 3 is a good choice but not through heavly wooded terain.

 

[philztoy]

I have not seen anything that can track and avoid obstacles like my Skydio (in its price range). Its extra weight is not a issue if you can deal with the flight time (and its built likea tank). I have flown mine 2-5 feet off the ground through overhaning bushes with no issue. In fairness I still have to say the Mini 3 Pro is great however, I would never try to fly it like I do the Skydio. If your in a open area the Mini 3 is a good choice but not through heavly wooded terain.

That is one other thing. The Mini 3 won't follow unless it is a certain height off the ground. Correct me if I am wrong but, I don't think 2-5 feet off the ground will even be allowed with the Mini 3. I'll have to look into the Skydio for the hunting trail applications!

 

[IronSky1]

Skydio amazes me I was trying to crash it. Somehow it manages to find a way through (if possible)
I am glad it is i made and designed in USA (for once).

I bought it to design the camera guards below however, have not needed them yet. The only real negative is videos need to be adjusted in post they tend to be over exposed, Do not like the Parrot controller either.

I still reach for the Mini 3 most of the time it really is easy to keep stable. It is my first choice, for now.
Waitng on Inspire 3 .

 

[KLRSKIR]

Those camera guards are sweet, but wouldn't work on my 2+. And yes, the Parrot controller is not good but does help with range.

 

[IronSky1]

Thanks, No go on 2+ I will swap my 2 for 2+ in fall and see if I can come up with solution.
I sold a few however after trying to crash my 2 I wonder if they are needed,

I have a solution for the 2+ however, waiting to see if enough users buy the 2 version. I actual
think the design well work on both may design/print prototype next month if I have time.

They will be in my ebay store str/IronSkyMounts

 

[IronSky1]

Those camera guards are sweet, but wouldn't work on my 2+. And yes, the Parrot controller is not good but does help with range.

I took your input and updated with new version that works on any Skydio 2 or 2+
I will put on my ebay store in the next few days - these snap on from underside.