Mini 3 Pro Accessories

[Mike107]

I thought I would share thoughts on accessories I purchased for the Mini 3 Pro. Others are certainly welcome to do the same!

Landing Gear
I will start with a game-changer for me, purchased here: Landing Gear Mike107 really likes so far! for $11.
It is also reviewed by Drone Valley here. Drone Valley M3P landing gear review.
I purchased these on my own and have no association with this company or Drone Valley--but I do like Rick's videos!
I selected this Mini 3 Pro Landing Gear in particular for a few reasons--

#1 It will allow for a Firehouse Technologies Arc V Multicolor to mount to the bottom of the aircraft. (I'll get to those light later. The MP3 is the same color as the sky in Southeast Michigan and the Arc V bottom-mounted promotes instant visual relocation of the drone in the sky when I have spent a lot of time looking at the controller.) It does not impede mounting an Arc V White to the topsides. The landing gear and securement strap promote mounting positions for two ARC V lights in a manner that seems to keep the aircraft CG relatively unchanged. I will check on how much the landing gear moves it.

#2 The landing gear appeared much more stable and sturdier than several others and like it would be stable and supportive in a variety of conditions. Most especially important to me is that if I am cattywampus coming in to land I want the gear to protect the drone. The last thing I need in a poor landing is for feather weight or "stork" gear to fail to provide stability when I touch down roughly because utility was sacrificed for "gram-weight bragging rights" or design extremes. The other benefit of this build quality is that I am still figuring out my flight bag and this will not easily be damaged in transit between now and when I have my travel system down. This device is very pleasantly sturdy and well-constructed. It mounts well in the same location each time with no fiddling about.

#3 It has a wide base and although it doesn't exploit the base-to-height ratio to the max, that ratio is very appropriate and functional whether in the field or on my desk.

#4 It has a visual appeal that subjectively fits very well with the overall gestalt of the M3P... It doesn't try to turn a frog into a swan.

#5 I will be flying over water alot. I picture this gear as being amenable to my mounting Styrofoam safety floats to it.

Negatives/faults: None. Be aware: It is 22 grams. The gear needs to be removed to fold the drone arms. It isn't an overly tall set of legs so you may still be able to "cut the grass" while using this, and I sometimes do land on the edge of my landing pad. I am supposing that with the quality and precision of fit, that the elastic band's mounting hole will not elongate or that otherwise this part will become deformed. Time will tell (and so will I).

What I'd like: Optional leg extensions, perhaps some rubber tips for the legs (so the aircraft doesn't slide on the landing pad when I it isn't completely flat and level and I land off center). How about some floats?

Conclusion--Man, this is really good landing gear and I consider it a great find.
I don't like to fly without it, my bottom-mounted multicolor Arc V light, my portable scanner.
I would put this landing gear and that Arc V light on my "every beginner should have" list.

Other things I have and will review: Firehouse Technology Strobe Lights and Drone Locator, Startrc Foldable Landing Pad, Dustproof Motor covers for Mini 3 Pro, coolest little set of soft, easily packable multicolor fieldmarkers/cones. I also have several items from Skyreat--A hard case (they provided), as well as an aluminum NP/PL filter set and RC controller screen protector (I purchased). I will say now, though, that the Skyreat hard case is a highly protective if minimalist design. I will review it after the FMK arrives next week. My experiences with Pilot Institute. Sorta-small USB-powered fan for field or desk use for drone cooling when not in flight.

Things I will never get again:
Runpower 100 wat charger-dangerous (Plug separated from body exposing line-voltage wires and a hot/red line with a big nick in the insulation). Charges like a beast but could kill like a snake.
Mimoday self-destroying 100-watt charger--seemed warmer in operation than I thought it should, and it quit working in about 7 uses.

Does anybody have a sure thing 100 Watt charger they suggest?

Best to you all in this wonderful community,
Mike107

 

[SpinItUp]

This drone does not need landing gear
A hand to grab it suffices. to launch and return.
It's the easiest drone I've had to had catch by far

 

[Mike107]

This drone does not need landing gear
A hand to grab it suffices. to launch and return.
It's the easiest drone I've had to had catch by far

Yep! That's definitely a way to handle it. Looks cool, too.

I tried it once, so far am not grooving on it--especially since the first time I reached in I came in in a way that caused the optical sensors to move the drone away from me. I will work on it later, though, as I plan to fly from a beach setting often and I can see already that the M3P can really kick up dust--even with the landing pad in use.

Mike107

 

[SpinItUp]

kinda push your hand in from the rear as if to grab the battery release tabs and slide forward to snatch it.

 

[MS Coast]

kinda push your hand in from the rear as if to grab the battery release tabs and slide forward to snatch it.

It's better to calmly fool the drone than to try to ambush it.

Grabbing or snatching the drone is likely to cause the drone to try to climb away from what it thinks is the ground. Slow and gentle is less likely to cause problems.

With the drone a few feet above and in front of you, extend your hand palm up directly beneath the drone. Then pull the throttle (left stick back) and let it descend and enter landing mode and settle into your hand. Don't move your hand and the drone until the motors spin down.

Some folks like to keep their palm flat. I like to gently grip the drone between my thumb and fingers as it settles.

 

[scro]

I generally use the same technique as @MS Coast . Get the drone hovering in front of me around chest height, bring my right hand up under the drone to about 20-30cm below it, palm facing up and fingers curled slightly upwards. Simultaneously apply down stick with my left hand to get it to go into landing mode. Allow the drone to descend into my hand and gently grasp it as the props spin down. Often the drone will initially start to rise up to avoid my hand for a second or 2 but then landing mode gets activated and takes over. Its very repeatable and body parts remain well clear of the spinning props.

 

[Mike107]

Good tips.
You inspires me to make a drill of it today as it seems like something that could prevent damage to the drone in the woods swamp and beaches I’m working up to flying about.
Yep, works, especially the “battery butt pinch” technique. For some reason it was easy to visualize and accomplish.
Mike.

 

[Mike107]

Good tips.
You inspires me to make a drill of it today as it seems like something that could prevent damage to the drone in the woods swamp and beaches I’m working up to flying about.
Yep, works, especially the “battery butt pinch” technique. For some reason it was easy to visualize and accomplish.
Mike.

I REALLLLYYY should have practiced more. I was thinking of this as a luxury maneuver, but it turns out to be an emergency maneuver when a mini 3 pro won't land manually! I have had lots of problems since updating firmware and software including a controller blackout at a time when I had lost some ability to control the aircraft and couldn't make it land. I did a poor attempt to pinch it in air, caused it to rise and my heart to sink. All I could picture was the M3P returning to the homepoint at the edge of the infield where a dad and son were now hitting balls..

Rule #1 if you moved away from your homepoint because it is no longer suitable, before you do anything else, update the home point (I actually couldn't this time because the controller locked up before I got to the place I intended to be the new one). Rule #2 Learn to pinch this thing in the battery butt and bring it home on the first try.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[MS Coast]

I REALLLLYYY should have practiced more. I was thinking of this as a luxury maneuver, but it turns out to be an emergency maneuver when a mini 3 pro won't land manually! I have had lots of problems since updating firmware and software including a controller blackout at a time when I had lost some ability to control the aircraft and couldn't make it land. I did a poor attempt to pinch it in air, caused it to rise and my heart to sink. All I could picture was the M3P returning to the homepoint at the edge of the infield where a dad and son were now hitting balls..

Rule #1 if you moved away from your homepoint because it is no longer suitable, before you do anything else, update the home point (I actually couldn't this time because the controller locked up before I got to the place I intended to be the new one). Rule #2 Learn to pinch this thing in the battery butt and bring it home on the first try.

Thanks again,
Mike

Have you updated the firmware to V01.00.0201?

It was released the day after V01.00.0200 and reportedly solves the lock-up problem.

 

[Mike107]

I did update. I've tried to make a thread to centralize things about M3P loss of flight control and RC screen freezing.

Updating to .0201 made it much worse.

I made a mistake in my prior post. By following KLRSKILR 's advice for Assistant 2--Software should boot all the way up before connecting and powering on the aircraft (mine were charging through laptop). I verified .0201 is the currently installed M3P firmware, then refreshed it for next test flight.

I also verified RC controller is at v 01.01.000 and that it is the current RC firmware

 

[KLRSKIR]

*** Steers wheel to get topic back on the road ***

This is the very first "mini" aircraft that I have opted to not use landing gear. I had startacs for the Mini 1 and 2, and they worked good. This aircraft really is easily catchable and once it knows your hand IS the ground, it will land quite nicely. I think the prop reconfiguration on the 3 helps a lot.

 

[Mike107]

*** Steers wheel to get topic back on the road ***

This is the very first "mini" aircraft that I have opted to not use landing gear. I had startacs for the Mini 1 and 2, and they worked good. This aircraft really is easily catchable and once it knows your hand IS the ground, it will land quite nicely. I think the prop reconfiguration on the 3 helps a lot.

Pretty good thought to fly it down instead of doing a Sneaky Pete Pinch on the Batt Butt.
It wouldn't have helped today, though. The aircraft refused to land manually at all.
I love all the solutions this forum produces.

 

[Mike107]

Back on Track! Thanks, KLRSKIR!

SKYREAT ND and CPL 6 FILTER SET, ALUMINUM.

I chose this set for a number of reasons:
There are 6 filters from ND 8 to 128 with a rotating polarizer.
Metal seems like a stable substrate for lenses based on my camera experiences.
It was a decent price and one that wouldn't cause me to lose sleep If I moved on from them.
Others commented on the case as convenient.

I purchased these from Skyreat for $59.99 USD.

They arrived in an odd condition with three of them rattling around inside the case. The case is a sturdy plastic construction with substantial hinges and nice magnetic closure. The bottom of it is lined with two layers of dense foam, the top one having a cutout for the filter and the bottom one having an extra oval insert that elevates the filters to the proper height in the case. Mine arrived with a buckled bottom foam--as though it had expanded too much, a loose foam oval, and three filters literally rattling about in the case. Perhaps foam build tolerances are a bit tight?

What I like: The build quality of the filters seems very good. the machining is clean the mounting keyholes on the back are consistent, the glass seems flat and without easily seen defect or waviness. There is no iridescent glow hinting at excessive pressure on the glass. I use a Nikon lens cleaning pen in the field and the lenses clean up easily. I find it hard not to mount and dismount them without getting some finger oil on them (Note: Facing the Drone, make a tiny--like "1- hour" anti-clockwise rotation of the filter or stock DJI lens shroud to dismount it.) The polarizing ring rotates well and I have not noticed it moving in limited flight testing. No filter has ever become dislodged in flight, so I'd say they do a good job of staying put. The case is convenient in size and has space for my big fingers to easily get to the filters, and the closure method is especially convenient. The case is nice as I said. Serendipitously it holds the stock DJI shroud with ease in the location which lost the inner oval of foam. I am not equipped to do photometric testing of the lenses--others have, however, and I don't recall any negatives in this category, and nothing displeasing has caught my eye so far.

What I don't Like: The lenses definitely do not seem to be hard coated. Each one I have used for any period of time has begun to show tiny defects in the coating. I sometimes find myself having to dismount and remount the filters to be sure they are seated correctly and won't come off in flight. There is little tactile feedback with these tiny items, and I suspect this is be more about the mounting system and size and not at all about the filter set. (These guys do stay put, as I said.) I don't like the QC on the case's foam insert. The filter case does not fit into the Skyreat case for the Mini 3 Pro with FMK.

What I'd like: Correction of the foam insert. Better and sturdier coating. An ND 256.

Conclusion: These are an excellent place to start. You have 5 ND filters you can use to determine what values you will use most often. You have a relatively inexpensive way to protect your drone's camera lens. They are in a very convenient and easy to use holder, and the filter frames are well built. They are protecting my drone camera and giving me experience at a reasonable price point. Time will tell how long they last.

 

[PaJi]

I purchased and like the landing gear mentioned at the beginning of this thread (link below). It pushes the drone over 250g but my Firehouse Arc strobe does to. The landing gear lifts the drone higher off the ground than any of the 'sled' designs. There is a cutout where the gear fits under the drone which is the perfect size for the strobe to be velcroed. The landing gear folds great and is easy to store in my bag. I use an old DSLR daypack which is just big enough for the drone, controller and other accessories. No muss...no fuss. Love the M3P. Heading to NH in a few weeks and hope to get some good flying in. I have 3 'regular' batteries. Thinking about adding 1-2 'plus' batteries but since they're hard to get right now I have time to sort that out. I don't get a kick back if you buy the landing gear.

https://www.amazon.com/Spider-Foldable-Heightening-Landing-Orange/dp/B0B4KGQWD9/ref=sr_1_24?crid=7GTNERY19LQI&keywords=dji%2Bmini%2B3%2Bpro%2Baccessories&qid=1657943419&sprefix=dji%2BMini%2B3%2B%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-24&th=1

 

[Lister]

Pretty good thought to fly it down instead of doing a Sneaky Pete Pinch on the Batt Butt.
It wouldn't have helped today, though. The aircraft refused to land manually at all.
I love all the solutions this forum produces.

Hand launch and catch is an essential skill to acquire, IMHO.

Snow, sand, wet ground, even moderately deep grass is problematic for the gimbal and the motors.

It's easy, just intimidating at first. Learn to do it, practice five times right away until you're confident and you'll never ground launch or land again.