New member from Ct

[LoudThunder]

I know it wasn't repaired 'cause it's a different serial number.

Since the Mini 4 Pro is so new and your drone was brand new, they jprobably just esnt you a brand new drone... However…

Previously, you could identify a DJI refurbished product by looking at the serial number. All DJI refurbished products will have a serial number in which the fifth character is “S” or “R.” However, this might have changed…

Now, I believe that DJI has changed its process to ensure that you are getting a genuine DJI refurbished product. So, in order to differentiate between a new and an refurbished package, DJI instead uses a black sticker with "Refurbished" on it and will be refurbished down by its serial number.

So, I guess you should just look and let us know what you see and the results of your communications with DJI.

It helps to keep all of us informed…

 

[RodPad]

@LoudThunder
Good info!
Maybe there should be a thread just on the refurb / new numbers.

@Capt Pete
Yep, I think depends on many things, what they replace it with and when.
I sent a P2V+, 2 P3S under warranty, 2 where were repaired and 1 was a refurb.

Replaced under warranty, what was wrong never happened.

Rod ..

 

[Capt Pete]

I received the "new" not refurbished MP4 today, covered under the DJI warrantee 10 days after returning the original with no video.
I got the package after dark but charged the batteries and started the new drone up inside the house. The video was fine and everything seemed good with the drone. I was hoping to find out what was wrong with the 1st mp4. Just very happy with the DJI service. My desktop wouldn't play the video but it showed fine on my laptop.

 

[ftcros]

Welcome Capt. Pete. I'm from Old Lyme and live on the CT River just below Essex. This is eagle and osprey land along with the murmerating swallows and various hawks. The estuary provides quite a variety of conditions and activity. I noticed your estuary is Lake Pocotopaug.
What have you been able to do towards flying so far? If it's anything like here you probably had snow and ice? Ted

 

[Capt Pete]

I don't know very much about the Lake Pocotopaug. I'm doing most of my flying in the Haddam area. After a poor start with a returned and replaced mini4 pro, it's been raining so much that it's been difficult to get out. I got the drone to get where my Nikon couldn't go, mostly bogs and marshes and parts of the Salmon River area. When (if) the weather gets better I hope to get down your way. There's so much to explore on and near this wonderful river.

 

[Wunderkat]

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Click on "Members" and then Click on "Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.

Member Map

mavicpilots.com

I am sorry to hear of your issues with your New Mini 4. I bought my Mini 2 from Costco and it also had video issues (green horizontal bars…) from the get-go and luckily their return policy is "without blame, without questions…" I returned it and walked over to the display and bought another…

If you did not buy it directly from DJI, did you try to return it to the retailer?

Any case, once you get a replacement; as a New Drone Pilot, there are a couple of Legal Things you may need to do…

If you have not already done so, you will need to get your TRUST Certificate. You can get that at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…). Your Drone weighs less than 250-grams (0.55 pounds), and while you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are not required to register your Drone.

Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)

FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute

Get your FAA TRUST Certificate of Completion to legally fly drones for recreational reasons in the United States.

trust.pilotinstitute.com

FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute
Get your FAA TRUST Certificate of Completion to legally fly drones for recreational reasons in the United States.
trust.pilotinstitute.com trust.pilotinstitute.com

Link to the FAADroneZone (Optional Registration for Drones under 250-Grams…)

FAADroneZone

faadronezone-access.faa.gov

If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…

Online Ground School: Aviation Classes - Pilot Institute

Pilot Institute offers courses on drones and airplanes from world-class experts. Pass the Part 107 or Private Pilot exam and take to the skies.

pilotinstitute.com

Since you live in Connecticut , there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.

Federal Drone Laws in the United States (FAA) - Pilot Institute

44809 is an exemption from Part 107 drone laws. This means that drone pilots fly under Part 107 drone rules by default unless they meet all 9 of the requirements to fly under 44809, the exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft. You can read more about these requirements...

pilotinstitute.com

Even if you have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…

You paid a lot of money for that Drone, put your phone number on it. If your drone gets lost or stuck in a tree and it finally comes down when you are not around, give the finders an opportunity to contact you so it can be returned.

Now, for the Fun Part, But do not let the excitement of the moment get the best of you. When you are going out to fly, do it slowly and deliberately. Get used to a set procedure and even practice it.

There are so many things I could write but these are the highlights that I feel need mentioning.

Plug in your phone/tablet into your controller; turn on the Controller and DJI Fly App (if it does not start on its own…). On the Drone, open the front legs, then open the back legs, then remove the Gimbal Cover.

The Gimbal is the most delicate item on the Drone and banging or bumping can damage it. I also fastened a short "Remove Before Flight" ribbon to the cover so it's more noticeable and I do not forget to remove it…

Turn on the drone and watch it come to "life." Watching the Gimbal go through its self-check is almost like watching a puppy or kitten opening its eyes for the first time…

Place the drone down (preferably on a Landing Pad) while it finishes its self-test (collecting satellites, etc…).

Check your battery status (Phone, Drone, and Controller), check the Signal Strength, by now the Controller should have reported it updated the Home Point.

Lift off, 6- feet (2-meters) or so, hover a bit, check the controls (move the drone a bit forward, back, left, right, yaw left and right). By now, your Controller will probably report again, Home point Updated.

If you go out in a rush and race thru your start up and take off before the drone has finished it prep, it may update its Home Point over that pond or that old tree you are flying over and in your excitement, you'll fly the drone long past it Low Battery point and when it engages Return to Home and lands in the pond or in a tree; it will be all on you…

Now go have fun, learn to fly the drone by sight before you try to fly it out a distance depending on the video feed, FPV.

I would also advise you to use YouTube and watch a lot of the Videos on flying and setting up the Drone. When it is too dark, too cold, or too wet, you can "fly it vicariously" through YouTube. Also watch some of the Blooper Drone Videos and learn how not to fly your "New Baby."

Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 4 Pro, including the User Manual.

After you read the Manual, read it again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"

DJI Mini 4 Pro - Download Center - DJI

Learn and download DJI Mini 4 Pro related apps, software, and manuals at the DJI Download Center

www.dji.com

Fly On and Fly Safe…

Thanks very much for the tips. I appreciate it and will follow your advice.

 

[Wunderkat]

Welcome to the forum!
DJI has a good reputation for correcting problems So I will say not to panic just yet and I hope you get up and flying soon -in the meantime check out the great info and tips on this forum.

Thanks very much! But as far as their reputation goes, I now have DJI support's latest email reply, which I still plan to report about in an original thread. I want to post it prominently since it appears many veteran DJI customers didn't already know this.

DJI support messages confirm they never asked me what battery I was using, nor did they ever mention that an OEM battery was required for activation.

I guess if I was General Motors, I wouldn't brag about a policy that makes it so you can ONLY start your new car with their "optional" proprietary battery! But if GM really tried that, how far would they get with you???

So anyway, I've now proven, no thanks to DJI, that only a DJI OEM battery can activate a new Mini 3, period.

I've also established that DJI refuses to state this fact explicitly to its customers. Not in their documentation, (yes, I've read it), and not via DJI support, and not over the phone.

I've also proven that the same drone, once activated by their optional, proprietary, OEM battery will subsequently work perfectly well with non-OEM batteries.

Incredibly disappointing to have to squeeze this fact out of them when I would have simply bought their battery first thing had they just told me it was necessary. Charge me retail plus expedited shipping, I don't care. Just get me flying.

I'm not sure how a first-time customer was supposed to know about this, but I guess it's all on me.

 

[Hauptmann]

Hello all, from East Hampton, Ct.

Mini4 pro rc, My x-mas present, (either the mini4 or pay the property taxes).

Had it 2 days before I sent it back. (no Video) rather disappointing being that video was the main reason I bought it. I didn't even try the video for the first day out. I wanted to steady myself after a few years not flying my old Yuneec typhoon. While I had the Mini4 pro, I was impressed with it, but it's in Ft Worth, Texas now.
I explained my trouble to the chat line at DJI, But I had the feeling they were leaning toward blaming it on a possible accident. (maybe try to get one of my replacements on the insurance instead of the DJI warrantee. I explained that there was no video out of the box, "there was no accident". "Let me be clear, no accident" I thought that I might have set the video up wrong , but they had me return it and I have not heard back after 4 days.

Hi, Capt. Pete! Welcome to the forum! Hope your newly-replaced Mini 4 Pro works as it's supposed to. Mine worked fine right out of the box. Hope you have the same luck!

 

[JP_CACIKE]

Hello all, from East Hampton, Ct.

Mini4 pro rc, My x-mas present, (either the mini4 or pay the property taxes).

Had it 2 days before I sent it back. (no Video) rather disappointing being that video was the main reason I bought it. I didn't even try the video for the first day out. I wanted to steady myself after a few years not flying my old Yuneec typhoon. While I had the Mini4 pro, I was impressed with it, but it's in Ft Worth, Texas now.
I explained my trouble to the chat line at DJI, But I had the feeling they were leaning toward blaming it on a possible accident. (maybe try to get one of my replacements on the insurance instead of the DJI warrantee. I explained that there was no video out of the box, "there was no accident". "Let me be clear, no accident" I thought that I might have set the video up wrong , but they had me return it and I have not heard back after 4 days.

Hello all, from East Hampton, Ct.

Mini4 pro rc, My x-mas present, (either the mini4 or pay the property taxes).

Had it 2 days before I sent it back. (no Video) rather disappointing being that video was the main reason I bought it. I didn't even try the video for the first day out. I wanted to steady myself after a few years not flying my old Yuneec typhoon. While I had the Mini4 pro, I was impressed with it, but it's in Ft Worth, Texas now.
I explained my trouble to the chat line at DJI, But I had the feeling they were leaning toward blaming it on a possible accident. (maybe try to get one of my replacements on the insurance instead of the DJI warrantee. I explained that there was no video out of the box, "there was no accident". "Let me be clear, no accident" I thought that I might have set the video up wrong , but they had me return it and I have not heard back after 4 days.

Welcome to the forum and hopefully DJI provides a satisfactory solution.