New Drone Advice

DanMan32 · Jan 24, 2019

You shouldn't take off at all until you have GPS lock. Once you have lock, recording home point should be immediate after starting up.

ttyndall · Jan 24, 2019

Got my tracking number. Due to arrive Monday am.

ttyndall · Jan 25, 2019

I got my Tracking number from DJI 2 days ago. Went to FedEx and tracked yesterday and stated it was due to arrive before Noon on Monday.
Went in to check today to see if delivery was still set for Monday and it stated it was in Memphis and delivery was cancelled.

E-mailed DJI and they e-mailed back and said Logistics would be getting in touch with me because of incomplete delivery information. I thought it was because I was shipping it to my office and forgot to put the company name on the delivery address which I have done a few times with UPS but never a problem. I shipped here since we have a receptionist on duty 7 days a week.
I called FedEx and they said that was not the problem. They said that Customs had it and would not release it because a required form showing the cost and the contents of the package was not included with the shipping papers. They said if they did not get the form Customs was going to open the boxes and inspect everything.
They sent me the form which I forwarded to DJI (all this was about 1 PM) and I just went into FedEx and it showed active and now was showing a delivery time of Monday PM.
DJI evidently knew what was missed and sent it.
It did make for an interesting day not knowing how long it may be impounded and if they were going to open everything which I did not want them to do.
Hopefully it will come in Monday unopened. Nothing to do with FedEx or the Government Shutdown.

77ricco · Jan 27, 2019

I fly RC planes too. I ve never flown a helicopter. I can't say that flying a quad was necessarily difficult, but in the beginning I did need to focus a lot on the sticks functions until I "numbed" the muscular memory of controling RC planes... The other thing that took me a while was getting detached to the habit of only moving foward...

paulatkin73 · Jan 27, 2019

ttyndall said:
I just ordered a Mavic 2 Pro with the Smart Controller. Not new to RC planes and Helicopters but this is my first Drone.
What is the best to read or view to set everything up properly before I ever take my first flight? Is there anything I can read or watch on You Tube to set it up properly while I am waiting on it to arrive?
Thanks
Ted

I am not sure, but, if you never flew a real quadcopter before - i would highly advice to get something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-Chann...ie=UTF8&qid=1548615181&sr=1-9&keywords=hubsan
or if you want something more advanced -
EMAX TinyHawk Micro Brushless FPV Drone (RTF Bundle)

that you can drop, smash, etc. and learn to fly. do not underestimate amount of motoring skills it will take to control your vehicle. as much as dji tries to market the other opinion - nothing can fly itself. all those models require a skillful operator.
if you decide to get something else - make sure it has protected props, by a body, not an attached guards, and has good reviews. for hubsan you can get many replaceable guards, problem with them is that at any smack they tend to break. but, it is cheap.
tinyhawk is a real thing, but, you need to be able to tune betaflight - which is not the worst skill to learn if you want to fly copters well.
quadcopter is not a heli. it has a different feel and a bit different dynamic, close, but, different.

$1500 model is NOT something you want to learn to fly on. you may, but better buy 2 birds then.

PS. if you already have an frsky taranis family radio - tinyhawk is also sold as a BNF bundle for about of $100 and it has a D8 compatible receiver inside. so you can just bind it to your taranis and fly.

JDawg · Jan 27, 2019

paulatkin73 said:
I am not sure, but, if you never flew a real quadcopter before - i would highly advice to get something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-Chann...ie=UTF8&qid=1548615181&sr=1-9&keywords=hubsan
or if you want something more advanced -
EMAX TinyHawk Micro Brushless FPV Drone (RTF Bundle)

that you can drop, smash, etc. and learn to fly. do not underestimate amount of motoring skills it will take to control your vehicle. as much as dji tries to market the other opinion - nothing can fly itself. all those models require a skillful operator.
if you decide to get something else - make sure it has protected props, by a body, not an attached guards, and has good reviews. for hubsan you can get many replaceable guards, problem with them is that at any smack they tend to break. but, it is cheap.
tinyhawk is a real thing, but, you need to be able to tune betaflight - which is not the worst skill to learn if you want to fly copters well.
quadcopter is not a heli. it has a different feel and a bit different dynamic, close, but, different.

$1500 model is NOT something you want to learn to fly on. you may, but better buy 2 birds then.

PS. if you already have an frsky taranis family radio - tinyhawk is also sold as a BNF bundle for about of $100 and it has a D8 compatible receiver inside. so you can just bind it to your taranis and fly.

I don't know, my first drone was the Mavic Air and I could not believe how easy it was to fly. I am not a gamer so getting the sticks figured out takes a bit but if you don't do anything dumb I cannot see why someone has to teach themselves on a lesser drone. As mentioned earlier understanding, setting up and using RTH is parmount.

paulatkin73 · Jan 27, 2019

JDawg said:
I don't know, my first drone was the Mavic Air and I could not believe how easy it was to fly. I am not a gamer so getting the sticks figured out takes a bit but if you don't do anything dumb I cannot see why someone has to teach themselves on a lesser drone. As mentioned earlier understanding, setting up and using RTH is parmount.

it depends upon what you mean - fly. here is 'fly':

you not going to get like that right away, but, you can learn the basics if you have right and correct tools. tinyhawk is one of such. what they call ATTI mode here - self leveling mode, then Acro mode where you fly just by controls. it helps to be able to do it, and, to learn it having something very small, light and almost unbreakable - helps.

JDawg · Jan 27, 2019

paulatkin73 said:
it depends upon what you mean - fly. here is 'fly':

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you not going to get like that right away, but, you can learn the basics if you have right and correct tools. tinyhawk is one of such. what they call ATTI mode here - self leveling mode, then Acro mode where you fly just by controls. it helps to be able to do it, and, to learn it having something very small, light and almost unbreakable - helps.

If you are talking atti mode then that is a whole different story. I just modified my Air to fly in atti mode, I would not do that with my M2P

paulatkin73 · Jan 27, 2019

JDawg said:
If you are talking atti mode then that is a whole different story. I just modified my Air to fly in atti mode, I would not do that with my M2P

why not?
i can fly my 690mm heavy tarot hex in acro mode. drone is a drone, it flies.

you either can do it or cannot - sometimes it is the only way to save it if something dies mid-air.

JDawg · Jan 27, 2019

paulatkin73 said:
why not?
i can fly my 690mm heavy tarot hex in acro mode. drone is a drone, it flies. you either can do it or cannot - sometimes it is the only way to save it if something dies mid-air.

That is why I am learning on my Air, if I only had my M2P I would learn on it. I would guess1 out of 10, or less, can fly comfortably in atti and most will never have to.

paulatkin73 · Jan 27, 2019

JDawg said:
That is why I am learning on my Air, if I only had my M2P I would learn on it. I would guess1 out of 10, or less, can fly comfortably in atti and most will never have to.

yep, well, it is what i mean - even the Air is not the thing to learn with. dji does not make anything that can be dropped down at concrete or floor from 10ft high and simply bounce off. with tinyhawk you can fly inside of your house, learn and practice.
but, i do not argue with you, we are on the same page here. i am only speaking from my perspective, as this M2P is a first DJI product i have and it is a 9th copter vehicle in my collection.

and, if i count hubsans and tinyhawk - 11th.

JDawg · Jan 27, 2019

paulatkin73 said:
yep, well, it is what i mean - even the Air is not the thing to learn with. dji does not make anything that can be dropped down at concrete or floor from 10ft high and simply bounce off. with tinyhawk you can fly inside of your house, learn and practice.
but, i do not argue with you, we are on the same page here. i am only speaking from my perspective, as this M2P is a first DJI product i have and it is a 9th copter vehicle in my collection. and, if i count hubsans and tinyhawk - 11th.

I think if Mavics could only be flown in atti mode they would only sell a fraction of what they do.

ttyndall · Jan 27, 2019

Paulatkin73, I appreciate the advice but you evidently missed my first post stating I had already ordered a Mavic 2 Pro. Also stated a few post ago it is due in tomorrow.
If I am scared of crashing I should not have one. The advantage of this over the planes, gliders, and helicopters I had is we now have computers and this forum where I was able to come for advice before I go out for my first flight.
I want to thank all for the advice.
Now when it comes in I need to go back over the manuals with the Mavic in front of me.

Hedonist222 · Jan 31, 2019

RTFM

really. Read the full manual

Then read it again. You'll cover posts you didn't memorize the first time round

GaryOC · Jan 31, 2019

ttyndall said:
Also stated a few post ago it is due in tomorrow.

Let us know how you like it after flying it. I had never flown any type of RC aircraft before buying the Mavic Air, and later the Mavic 2 Pro when it was released. The features on those drones make them very easy to fly. People can start in Beginner Mode if they want, there's also the Tripod Mode which helps you get used to the movements more gradually.

Personally I found them both very easy to fly. And modes like Point of Interest, Tap Fly, Active Track all tend to make your videos look extra nice with minimal effort. The features available to you are fantastic.

paulatkin73 · Jan 31, 2019

GaryOC said:
Personally I found them both very easy to fly. And modes like Point of Interest, Tap Fly, Active Track all tend to make your videos look extra nice with minimal effort. The features available to you are fantastic.

it is deceptively easy with all the AI nannies turned on. what i was saying as it just helps to be able to control it with most of those systems not active, as it sometimes may happen, and then your skill and ability to control it will be the only tool left.
and to learn to do it - a tinyhawk or a similar small unbreakable one is a better choice than anything DJI makes.

GaryOC · Jan 31, 2019

paulatkin73 said:
it is deceptively easy with all the AI nannies turned on. what i was saying as it just helps to be able to control it with most of those systems not active, as it sometimes may happen, and then your skill and ability to control it will be the only tool left.
and to learn to do it - a tinyhawk or a similar small unbreakable one is a better choice than anything DJI makes.

Point well taken. My point was to indicate the usefulness of the features, particularly for new owners. They get you up and flying quickly, and produce a lot of enjoyment in a very short period of time. After all, it's about FUN for hobby fliers. Right?

And it doesn't mean the features will become a "crutch", to prevent owners from advancing to more manual control if they wish. Start in the easy modes and work your way up. That's exactly what I did and I'm sure I'm not the only one......

FormerMember07122019_2 · Jan 31, 2019

My Mavic 2 Pro was my first drone, almost. I bought a little toy, the QX nano I think, and tried to fly it indoors and outside and was never able to fly it for more than a minute or two without crashing. I was never able to master it, got very frustrated and threw it in the trash. About a year later I got the M2P. I was able to fly it the very first time albeit not very fast or far and mostly in straight lines. I now have about 20 flights under my belt and am getting fairly adept with basic flying and now am adding in more advanced maneuvers. Interestingly, I could now probably go back to the toy drone and successfully fly it. The stability, and predictable behavior of the M2P made all the difference in the world in me picking up this incredible hobby versus potentially never getting started.