New Drone User, Already Upgraded Mini 2 to Mini 3 Pro

[JamesLaz]

Hi All,

I am a new drone owner and have already upgraded. I have always wanted a real drone, but cost and the needed skill were always an issue. I have purchased a couple what I would call toy drones from Amazon but they were just that, toys.

The other day I got a good raise and decided it was time for a little gift form myself. I did some research and found these DJI camera drones had good reviews and were very popular. I wanted a million YouTube videos and decided to not spend too much and get the DJI Mini 2. I went ahead and got the Fly More combo and it all arrived a couple weeks back. I was very pleased with my new Mini 2. I got it all setup and went and flew it for the first time, I was very happy with the performance and the ease of use. I got home and decided I wanted a bit more so I returned the Mini 2 and ordered a Mini 3 Pro for a bit more power and features. My new Mini 3 Pro will be here tomorrow and I am excited to try it out and see what it can do.

Now I am looking for advise from some of you pro's on here. I am looking for tips from real users with experience on drone basics and what upgrades or accessories I may want. I have already purchased a nice hard case, weighted landing pad, filter set and sunshade for my N1 remote. I opted for the N1 remote, not an easy decision but after reading reviews and watching videos I cam to the conclusion that my iPhone 14 Pro Max would provide a better screen.

I am happy to be joining your community here and look forward participating in this forum.

Thanks,

James

 

[Droning on and on...]

Anbee Propeller Holder Clip Props Holder Guard for DJI Mini 3 Pro RC Drone​

 

[Droning on and on...]

My advice is to cancel/return the bundle with the RC-N1, and get the DJI RC.

Most of the critics of the DJI RC are owners of the RC Pro or Smart RC, and have a big investment to psychologically protect (My opinion). Most of the criticisms are in practice are irrelevant. The one solid complaint is it has very little extra storage on-board, and can't side-load other apps like Litchi. At your stage of the game, this is an issue, if ever, that's a long way off.

The convenience and easy physical handling of the DJI RC can't be overstated. Double-press two buttons (drone and RC power), and you're flying in a minute or two.

 

[InfoHam]

Mon conseil est d'annuler/retourner le bundle avec le RC-N1 et d'obtenir le DJI RC.

La plupart des détracteurs du DJI RC sont possesseurs du RC Pro ou du Smart RC, et ont un gros investissement à protéger psychologiquement (Mon avis). La plupart des critiques sont en pratique sans pertinence. La seule plainte solide est qu'il a très peu de stockage supplémentaire à bord et ne peut pas charger latéralement d'autres applications comme Litchi. À votre stade du jeu, c'est un problème, si jamais, c'est loin.

La commodité et la manipulation physique faciles du DJI RC ne peuvent pas être surestimées. Appuyez deux fois sur deux boutons (drone et alimentation RC) et vous volez en une minute ou deux.

Excellente remarque. J'avais également beaucoup hésité avant de me décider pour le DJI RC et ne le regrette absolument pas. Quel plaisir de voler sans installer son smartphone sur la télécommande, lancer l'appli, etc..etc..
La mise en route avec le RC est très rapide, l'écran est excellent et le smartphone reste disponible, seul inconvénient pas de Litchi. Pour moi cet inconvénient est plus que largement compensé par tous les autres avantages.

 

[Droning on and on...]

How did all this transmogrify into French?

 

[kalimah]

Hi All,

I am a new drone owner and have already upgraded. I have always wanted a real drone, but cost and the needed skill were always an issue. I have purchased a couple what I would call toy drones from Amazon but they were just that, toys.

The other day I got a good raise and decided it was time for a little gift form myself. I did some research and found these DJI camera drones had good reviews and were very popular. I wanted a million YouTube videos and decided to not spend too much and get the DJI Mini 2. I went ahead and got the Fly More combo and it all arrived a couple weeks back. I was very pleased with my new Mini 2. I got it all setup and went and flew it for the first time, I was very happy with the performance and the ease of use. I got home and decided I wanted a bit more so I returned the Mini 2 and ordered a Mini 3 Pro for a bit more power and features. My new Mini 3 Pro will be here tomorrow and I am excited to try it out and see what it can do.

Now I am looking for advise from some of you pro's on here. I am looking for tips from real users with experience on drone basics and what upgrades or accessories I may want. I have already purchased a nice hard case, weighted landing pad, filter set and sunshade for my N1 remote. I opted for the N1 remote, not an easy decision but after reading reviews and watching videos I cam to the conclusion that my iPhone 14 Pro Max would provide a better screen.

I am happy to be joining your community here and look forward participating in this forum.

Thanks,

James

Welcome to the forum. Great group with lots of good tips and information.

 

[JamesLaz]

Thank you all for your comments, in English and in French. I certainly get what everyone is saying about the RC over the N1 remote and I may still get one at some pint (you can get a refurbished for $249 from DJI). But for now I am happy with my choice. I am new to the world of drones and I like my larger 6.9" screen on my iPhone 14 Pro Max. My new Mini 3 Pro arrived yesterday and I have it all set up and ready to fly this weekend. I need tp stop buying accesories, it a bit addicting.

 

[InfoHam]

Excellente remarque. J'avais également beaucoup hésité avant de me décider pour le DJI RC et ne le regrette absolument pas. Quel plaisir de voler sans installer son smartphone sur la télécommande, lancer l'appli, etc..etc..
La mise en route avec le RC est très rapide, l'écran est excellent et le smartphone reste disponible, seul inconvénient pas de Litchi. Pour moi cet inconvénient est plus que largement compensé par tous les autres avantages.

Merci à tous pour vos commentaires, en anglais et en français. Je comprends certainement ce que tout le monde dit à propos du RC sur la télécommande N1 et je peux encore en obtenir un à une pinte (vous pouvez en obtenir un remis à neuf pour 249 $ auprès de DJI). Mais pour l'instant je suis content de mon choix. Je suis nouveau dans le monde des drones et j'aime mon écran plus grand de 6,9 pouces sur mon iPhone 14 Pro Max. Mon nouveau Mini 3 Pro est arrivé hier et je l'ai tout configuré et prêt à voler ce week-end. J'ai besoin d'arrêter d'acheter des accessoires , c'est un peu addictif.

Super, profitez bien de votre Mini 3 Pro. Vous verrez il est extra

 

[Suzygs1000]

My advice is to cancel/return the bundle with the RC-N1, and get the DJI RC.

Most of the critics of the DJI RC are owners of the RC Pro or Smart RC, and have a big investment to psychologically protect (My opinion). Most of the criticisms are in practice are irrelevant. The one solid complaint is it has very little extra storage on-board, and can't side-load other apps like Litchi. At your stage of the game, this is an issue, if ever, that's a long way off.

The convenience and easy physical handling of the DJI RC can't be overstated. Double-press two buttons (drone and RC power), and you're flying in a minute or two.

I agree ... the DJI RC is miles better than any phone you could use ... send the controller back and pay the extra, you won't regret it ...

 

[YVRGUY]

JamesLaz…great choice. I have both the Mini 2 and Mini 3 Pro. I kept the Mini 2 after upgrading using it as a backup and to fly in areas I wouldn’t want to risk losing the Mini 3 Pro. I have the DJI RC for my Mini 3 Pro and the RC-N1 for the Mini 2.

I recently purchased the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and it is a game changer having that extra screen and brightness for the RC-N1. But, if you haven’t experienced using the DJI RC with its compactness, quick setup ability, large screen and leaving your iPhone hands free… the extra dollars spent are well worth it.

Food for thought…safe and fun flying.

 

[Felix le Chat]

JamesLaz…great choice. I have both the Mini 2 and Mini 3 Pro. I kept the Mini 2 after upgrading using it as a backup and to fly in areas I wouldn’t want to risk losing the Mini 3 Pro. I have the DJI RC for my Mini 3 Pro and the RC-N1 for the Mini 2.

I recently purchased the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and it is a game changer having that extra screen and brightness for the RC-N1. But, if you haven’t experienced using the DJI RC with its compactness, quick setup ability, large screen and leaving your iPhone hands free… the extra dollars spent are well worth it.

Food for thought…safe and fun flying.

Depending on whether you choose to shoot video or stills: make sure the microSD cards you buy have a fast WRITE rate. Average C10 U3 cards write up to 60mbps. A faster write rate card (the ones I use write at 90mbps) will reduce buffering. Newer DJI drones can write data at 100mbps+.

 

[Mrktn]

Depending on whether you choose to shoot video or stills: make sure the microSD cards you buy have a fast WRITE rate. Average C10 U3 cards write up to 60mbps. A faster write rate card (the ones I use write at 90mbps) will reduce buffering. Newer DJI drones can write data at 100mbps+.

The mini 3 pro writes up to 150mb/s so crucial to use something like genuine Sandisk Extreme Pro SD cards

 

[TwoSticks]

Thank you all for your comments, in English and in French. I certainly get what everyone is saying about the RC over the N1 remote and I may still get one at some pint (you can get a refurbished for $249 from DJI). But for now I am happy with my choice. I am new to the world of drones and I like my larger 6.9" screen on my iPhone 14 Pro Max. My new Mini 3 Pro arrived yesterday and I have it all set up and ready to fly this weekend. I need tp stop buying accesories, it a bit addicting.

As an Apple fan, an owner of nearly every iPhone released including the first version on the first day in 2007, don't use your iPhone for flying. As soon as you get in the sun and the display warms it will be too dim to see it. The RC does not do that. The screen is smaller and has less resolution than your phone when in perfect conditions but as summer comes that will change. The RC is a prefect accessory to the Mini 3 Pro.

I would fund the RC by returning the hard case, sun shade, and landing pad. The beauty of the Mini series is how small and light it is. A hard case prob weighs more than the drone and remote and you dont need a shade with the RC. Landing pad I could go either way. Never used one myself but I see people that do. I either have a hard surface around or a hand launch/catch.

 

[Droning on and on...]

The mini 3 pro writes up to 150mb/s so crucial to use something like genuine Sandisk Extreme Pro SD cards

I ran into this speed issue with a Lexar UHS II U3 card that is 5 years old.

Can you recommend a specific SanDisk card that you have used successfully? Preferably UHS II?

At the same time, I'll go to the SanDisk site and do my own research, but it be helpful nonetheless to have a known working example.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Okay, did some research and found a great deal!!

These are currently 69% discounted on Amazon... picked up 3:

ADATA Premier ONE 64GB SDXC UHS-II U3 Class10 V90 3D NAND 4K 8K Ultra HD 275MB/s Micro SD Card with Adapter (AUSDX64GUII3CL10-CA1)

 

[rwilliam99]

Okay, did some research and found a great deal!!

These are currently 69% discounted on Amazon... picked up 3:

ADATA Premier ONE 64GB SDXC UHS-II U3 Class10 V90 3D NAND 4K 8K Ultra HD 275MB/s Micro SD Card with Adapter (AUSDX64GUII3CL10-CA1)

Nice find. I just bought a Samsung rated for 180MB/S. Hoping it will be sufficient. I too had an older U3 card which I'm not sure can keep up with my mini 3 pro.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Turns out I had bought one of these 2 years ago, scrounged around and found it, and just tested it.

Got 184/208 MB/s write/read.

64GB on sale at the link above for $36. Full price $120.

Go get 'em gang!!

As an aside, finding a USB C –> UHS II micro USB adapter is tricky. You can't generally just use a C–>A adapter and then plug in an A–>UHS II adapter that works fine plugged in to an A port on your PC. Won't get the UHS II read speeds.

After research and a few disappointments, I found this adapter that works well plugged into the USB C port on my Z Fold 2, and uses the extra signals on UHS II cards to get blazing speed:

Anker USB-C SD 4.0 Card Reader, PowerExpand+ 2-in-1 Memory Card Reader, for SDXC, SDHC, SD, MMC, RS-MMC, Micro SDXC, Micro SD, Micro SDHC Card, UHS-II, and UHS-I Cards

 

[moldorf]

My advice is to cancel/return the bundle with the RC-N1, and get the DJI RC.

Most of the critics of the DJI RC are owners of the RC Pro or Smart RC, and have a big investment to psychologically protect (My opinion). Most of the criticisms are in practice are irrelevant. The one solid complaint is it has very little extra storage on-board, and can't side-load other apps like Litchi. At your stage of the game, this is an issue, if ever, that's a long way off.

The convenience and easy physical handling of the DJI RC can't be overstated. Double-press two buttons (drone and RC power), and you're flying in a minute or two.

I have a Tripltek 8 that I use as a control screen. I also use it a lot as a tablet, so the use isn't confined to just droning

anyway, I have had the opportunity, on a sunny day, to compare the Tripltek to both the RC and the RC-pro. The Tripltek was much more visible out in the sun and didn't need as many body contortions to make or create shade. Comparatively, the 1200 nits of the Tripltek vs the 700 nits of the RC was a slam dunk in favor of the Tripltek. The RC-Pro was a closer comparison but the Tripltek still had a noticeable advantage

but that is just an illumination comparison. There's another important comparison where the Tripltek out-classes bot the RC and RC-Pro: it's a much larger screen. About 2.2 time larger and that makes a huge difference for my eyes when added to the brighter screen. There is just a lot more screen real estate and visibility for flight control and telemetry.

Now, there is a couple of disadvantages. One is the weight; but a lot of that is mitigated by a lanyard. And the other is the limited customization of the RC-N1. Personally, I don't think that's significant but others might

I've never been convinced by 'deployment time' arguments. I think they are significantly overstated, at least from my perspective. But I don't drive around with $2000-4000 worth of drone equipment just on the speculation of every once in a while seeing a flying opportunity. My car is simply not theft-proof enough to risk that. When I set out to fly, I actually prepare a little by charging batteries and getting equipment together. And that includes pre-loading the Tripltek to the RC-N1. So when I stop and get out to fly, the only extra setup time is turning on the tablet and loading the Fly app. Maybe an extra 15-20 seconds over an RC, at most

and of course, the Tripltek works with just about all drones from the Mini's thru the Mavics, And if I want to try Autel or Skydio drones, the Tripltek works with those too. And as I said, it's a useful tablet

 

[Droning on and on...]

I hear ya, @moldorf. Most of this is subjective. I'm the opposite of you – I don't care that much about brightness as long as I can see the image well enough (subjective) and I hate having to wear a lanyard to support a heavy RC setup.

I'm impatient enough that plugging in the cable, mounting the phone, starting Fly and getting it to connect is an effort (again, subjective). It has great value to me to park and be flying with literally 2 button presses.

You like chocolate, I like coffee ice cream. Wonderful that both chocolate and coffee are available! I can intellectually understand your preference for your set up, while at the same time knowing it would absolutely drive me crazy. The weight pulling on my neck, and the awkward, unwieldy RCN1+adapter+tablet would be all I could focus on.

I tried the tablet route on the N1 with my A2S, and pretty quickly abandoned it. Not for me. My subjective world values ease and simplicity much more.