New Mini FMC, Some questions

[Chrislaf]

Picked up the Mini FMC from the Amazon Prime Day sale at a great price. Wasn't planning on the purchase but my P3S has been having some gimbal problems so I thought I better take advantage of the great price. Haven't opened the Mini yet but it should be a nice complement to my Spark and P3S.

My questions:
When the Mini first came out there was some problems with batteries being bricked because they were not charged initially one at a time. Is this still an issue - need to charge batteries one at time for the first charge?

There was some initial speculation that the FMC case was deforming the props if the drone was not placed in the case properly. Is this still an issue?

I have lots of experience flying my P3S and Spark and am looking forward to flying with the Mini as soon as the weather clears up. Feel free to add any other suggestions.

Chris

 

[Starz]

Send it back if possible. The mini2 is very close to release. Much better range. Also be aware that the new fly app is not the same as what you may be accustomed to.

 

[scro]

The FMC case can mash the props if you don't take a bit of care to fold the blades in carefully. The belly of the drone rests on a flat ridge inside the case and if the blades get trapped between the drone's belly and this ridge they will get flattened out and not work properly. The blades need to be stowed in the recess where the gimbal sits, kind of inter-meshed with each other but not so much that the tips of one blade are forced under the root of the opposite side blade. Its a bit of a fiddle, but quite doable.

 

[Chrislaf]

Send it back if possible. The mini2 is very close to release. Much better range. Also be aware that the new fly app is not the same as what you may be accustomed to.

Thanks for your response. I am aware that the Mini 2 is due to be released soon. Since I have purchased my Mini from Amazon, I technically could return it up until the end of January '21 but I don't intend to. If the prices for the Mini 2 FMC are correct, it will likely be close to CAN$300 more than I currently paid (including taxes).

I mostly take photos with my drones so the 4K video upgrade is really of no use to me and would likely require me to purchase a faster laptop to handle the 4K processing.

Ocusync would be nice to have but I always fly my drones in VLOS so its not really worth it to me even though the transmission will be more stable. I have never had any problems with the WiFi on my Spark.

The stronger motors would be definitely better in wind but I will fly the Mini within the specs of the AC. I also have a P3S and Spark which can handle stronger wind.

If the new Mini 2 was the same price I paid for my Mini 1 FMC then it would be a no-brainer, but for around $300 more, its not worth it to me.

Chris

 

[Starz]

Do a bit of research on the fly app. I certainly wasn’t a fan, but many don’t have an issue with it.

 

[Chrislaf]

The FMC case can mash the props if you don't take a bit of care to fold the blades in carefully. The belly of the drone rests on a flat ridge inside the case and if the blades get trapped between the drone's belly and this ridge they will get flattened out and not work properly. The blades need to be stowed in the recess where the gimbal sits, kind of inter-meshed with each other but not so much that the tips of one blade are forced under the root of the opposite side blade. Its a bit of a fiddle, but quite doable.

Thanks for the reply. Very helpful.
Do you know if the batteries need to be charged separately the first time?

 

[Chrislaf]

Do a bit of research on the fly app. I certainly wasn’t a fan, but many don’t have an issue with it.

I’ve had the fly app for awhile - since the Mini was released about a year ago - just to check it out and compare to GO 4.

I also plan on using Litchi (long time user but joined the beta for the Mini) and Dronelink. I like the interface for Litchi better than GO 4 so I may default to using it most of the time.

Chris

 

[old man mavic]

the battery issue was with the MA2 ,it was to do with the way they were charged for shipping ,depending on how much charge is remaining in the MM batteries,you will find that the first time you charge them they do take a while to fully charge ,the hub and batteries differ somewhat from the other mavics ,in as much as with the MM when each battery is fully charged all 4 lights stay on till all of them are charged in the hub, unlike the lipos in the bigger mavics where the lights went out when they were fully charged
the only way to tell what amount of charge is remaining is either in the drone itself or in the hub by pressing the button ,on the drone or the hub as there are no lights built into the individual batteries

 

[Chrislaf]

the battery issue was with the MA2 ,it was to do with the way they were charged for shipping ,depending on how much charge is remaining in the MM batteries,you will find that the first time you charge them they do take a while to fully charge ,the hub and batteries differ somewhat from the other mavics ,in as much as with the MM when each battery is fully charged all 4 lights stay on till all of them are charged in the hub, unlike the lipos in the bigger mavics where the lights went out when they were fully charged
the only way to tell what amount of charge is remaining is either in the drone itself or in the hub by pressing the button ,on the drone or the hub as there are no lights built into the individual batteries

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. The Mini will be my first Mavic and foldable drone. Looking forward to trying it out maybe tomorrow if the weather clears up. It has been windy and rainy the last few weeks.

I do lots of hiking and when the snow arrives, nordic skiing so the Mini with its long flight time should be great for these activities.

Chris

 

[DanMan32]

I think you'll like it. I have the P3A since Dec 2016, then bought the M2Z about a month after it was released, then the MM a few weeks after its release. I don't fly the P3 much anymore because of its size and weight. I got the MM because I was answering questions about it based on what I knew about other DJI products, and what I could see in the Fly app without having the Mini, and I figured it was best to get full firsthand experience with it to better answer questions.

If I want full featured flight or closeups I tend to fly the M2Z. But if I want to just kick around quickly, I fly the MM.
I wish they had the full USB-A port on the remote. Having USB adapters to use a tablet makes the USB connection less solid.

 

[canabuc]

Thanks for your response. I am aware that the Mini 2 is due to be released soon. Since I have purchased my Mini from Amazon, I technically could return it up until the end of January '21 but I don't intend to. If the prices for the Mini 2 FMC are correct, it will likely be close to CAN$300 more than I currently paid (including taxes).

I mostly take photos with my drones so the 4K video upgrade is really of no use to me and would likely require me to purchase a faster laptop to handle the 4K processing.

Ocusync would be nice to have but I always fly my drones in VLOS so its not really worth it to me even though the transmission will be more stable. I have never had any problems with the WiFi on my Spark.

The stronger motors would be definitely better in wind but I will fly the Mini within the specs of the AC. I also have a P3S and Spark which can handle stronger wind.

If the new Mini 2 was the same price I paid for my Mini 1 FMC then it would be a no-brainer, but for around $300 more, its not worth it to me.

Chris

Also Canadian. Am in same boat. Haven't open my FMC waiting on announcement of the mini 2. While 4k and ocusync are nice I feel like those features are really geared for more professional who should have a higher end drone anyways.
The better wind resistance is one thing I care about as it means more days I can fly it and less worry about getting drone home in windy days.

 

[canabuc]

Also I think price difference in Canadian will be 300 plus tax so 350$. Figure that is 60 percent of way to the full new drone and seems like you can use the old batteries in the new drone. Not sure if the motors will work as stron or if battery life will take a hit.

Will wait and see before opening my mini

 

[Garatshay]

Picked up the Mini FMC from the Amazon Prime Day sale at a great price. Wasn't planning on the purchase but my P3S has been having some gimbal problems so I thought I better take advantage of the great price. Haven't opened the Mini yet but it should be a nice complement to my Spark and P3S.

My questions:
When the Mini first came out there was some problems with batteries being bricked because they were not charged initially one at a time. Is this still an issue - need to charge batteries one at time for the first charge?

There was some initial speculation that the FMC case was deforming the props if the drone was not placed in the case properly. Is this still an issue?

I have lots of experience flying my P3S and Spark and am looking forward to flying with the Mini as soon as the weather clears up. Feel free to add any other suggestions.

Chris

I bought the Mini FMC from Amazon too. Very pleased with it. I charged all the batteries at the same time and have had no issues. Paying close attention to the case / blade responses here. Have carried it separately so far. Have fun.

 

[Chrislaf]

For me the main factors for keeping the Mini 1 FMC are the price difference and the release of the SDK which allows use of third party software.

IMO CAN$300 is a lot for some upgrades on the Mini 2 that I will never use. My Spark has a range of 2 km, but I have never had it out even close to that - I have trouble seeing it beyond 300m on most days. I also have never had any signal quality problems with my Spark. So, although ocusync on the new Mini 2 will likely be more stable than the enhanced WiFi on the Mini 1, I would not benefit from it much.

According to the rumours, the only camera improvements to the Mini 2 will be the 4K video. I have no need for 4K and mostly take photos anyway.

The only worries I have with the Mini 1 are the uncommanded decents that have plagued it since its release, however it seems recent improvements to the firmware and the awareness of the deformed props have decreased these incidents. It's the reason I asked about the props being deformed in the Flymore case.

Chris

 

[Deleted member 103366]

With regards to charging, the hub is designed to charge the batteries in sequence, one at a time, it will not charge all three simultaneously. But if you have concerns then put only one battery in the hub at a time for their first charge and let it run until that battery is fully charged.
With regards to prop distortion you can store the front props aligned with and over their arms and the problematic rear props pointing somewhat forward (just the tips intermeshing) under the gimbal cover. I actually cut away part of the case to allow the props more freedom but obviously once you do that the possibility of a return vanishes.

I have a P3 adv and would say the Mini is a good substute though it WILL NOT handle the wind that a P3 could so do remember that and read up on how to cope with the wind is you are caught out. The Mini's hover is IMO more stable and less prone to wander than that of the P3. If you are used to the Go App I suspect you will dislike some features of the fly app, I really dislike the sliding button adjustments for height and distance limits etc. I also mourn the loss of "home lock". Then of course there is the need for a 64bit capable phone etc..

Also, be aware that the CSC behaviour is probably different from that of the P3S. Assuming the latter behave like a P3 adv the P3 CSC will shut down the motors in mid air if the position is held for 5? seconds, with the mini there are two options concerning this.
1) the default ("emergency only" ) where the CSC will shut down ONLY if the drone detects some certain conditions (read the manual (bottom of page 32 https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/Mavic_Mini/20200930/Mavic_Mini_User_Manual_v1.0_EN1.pdf ))
I have brought my mini down, from height, using the CSC position all the way down to a height of around 2m and it was a controlled descent the whole way down and even automatically slowed the descent as the ground came within the range of the visual sensors. It hovered as soon as the sticks were released.
2) "Anytime" where the motors will stop after the CSC position has been held for approximately 2 seconds.
The former is IMO daft and the latter is too quick to leave as the active mode of operation.

 

[Bosco Bear]

For me the main factors for keeping the Mini 1 FMC are the price difference and the release of the SDK which allows use of third party software.

IMO CAN$300 is a lot for some upgrades on the Mini 2 that I will never use. My Spark has a range of 2 km, but I have never had it out even close to that - I have trouble seeing it beyond 300m on most days. I also have never had any signal quality problems with my Spark. So, although ocusync on the new Mini 2 will likely be more stable than the enhanced WiFi on the Mini 1, I would not benefit from it much.

According to the rumours, the only camera improvements to the Mini 2 will be the 4K video. I have no need for 4K and mostly take photos anyway.

The only worries I have with the Mini 1 are the uncommanded decents that have plagued it since its release, however it seems recent improvements to the firmware and the awareness of the deformed props have decreased these incidents. It's the reason I asked about the props being deformed in the Flymore case.

Chris

Greetings from across Lake Simcoe in Keswick, ON! I've had my Mini since March and have not had any issues with uncommanded decents. I did get one warning to replace the propellers on one of the motors -- which I looked after immediately. I don't know what would have happened if I had ignored the warning but I wasn't going to take that chance for the sake of a couple of prop blades. With regards to the case, just make sure the weight of the Mini isn't going to flatten the blades between the hump below and the aircraft. Happy flying!

 

[Garatshay]

Also I think price difference in Canadian will be 300 plus tax so 350$. Figure that is 60 percent of way to the full new drone and seems like you can use the old batteries in the new drone. Not sure if the motors will work as stron or if battery life will take a hit.

Will wait and see before opening my mini

The old batteries do not fit in the new Mini 2, according to the buyer in the States who managed to pick one up early.

 

[zeusfl]

I just posted mine here on the forum for a killer price and nice combo.

Mavic mini fly more combo with Allientech antennas. - SOLD -- SOLD

I have for sell my Mavic Mini Fly more combo with all accessories from factory + DJI Refresh kit never used still 1 month and few days available, Allientech modification in the remote controller ($175 mod) plus Allientech omnidirectional antennas much better than the factory antennas. Also...

mavicpilots.com

 

[Chrislaf]

Greetings from across Lake Simcoe in Keswick, ON! I've had my Mini since March and have not had any issues with uncommanded decents. I did get one warning to replace the propellers on one of the motors -- which I looked after immediately. I don't know what would have happened if I had ignored the warning but I wasn't going to take that chance for the sake of a couple of prop blades. With regards to the case, just make sure the weight of the Mini isn't going to flatten the blades between the hump below and the aircraft. Happy flying!

Thanks for the tips.

Chris

 

[Chrislaf]

With regards to charging, the hub is designed to charge the batteries in sequence, one at a time, it will not charge all three simultaneously. But if you have concerns then put only one battery in the hub at a time for their first charge and let it run until that battery is fully charged.
With regards to prop distortion you can store the front props aligned with and over their arms and the problematic rear props pointing somewhat forward (just the tips intermeshing) under the gimbal cover. I actually cut away part of the case to allow the props more freedom but obviously once you do that the possibility of a return vanishes.

I have a P3 adv and would say the Mini is a good substute though it WILL NOT handle the wind that a P3 could so do remember that and read up on how to cope with the wind is you are caught out. The Mini's hover is IMO more stable and less prone to wander than that of the P3. If you are used to the Go App I suspect you will dislike some features of the fly app, I really dislike the sliding button adjustments for height and distance limits etc. I also mourn the loss of "home lock". Then of course there is the need for a 64bit capable phone etc..

Also, be aware that the CSC behaviour is probably different from that of the P3S. Assuming the latter behave like a P3 adv the P3 CSC will shut down the motors in mid air if the position is held for 5? seconds, with the mini there are two options concerning this.
1) the default ("emergency only" ) where the CSC will shut down ONLY if the drone detects some certain conditions (read the manual (bottom of page 32 https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/Mavic_Mini/20200930/Mavic_Mini_User_Manual_v1.0_EN1.pdf ))
I have brought my mini down, from height, using the CSC position all the way down to a height of around 2m and it was a controlled descent the whole way down and even automatically slowed the descent as the ground came within the range of the visual sensors. It hovered as soon as the sticks were released.
2) "Anytime" where the motors will stop after the CSC position has been held for approximately 2 seconds.
The former is IMO daft and the latter is too quick to leave as the active mode of operation.

Thanks for your tips. I did read the manual but will review the CSC behaviour again.

When you say you used the CSC in “emergency only” for the controlled decent, did the motors shut down and then restart before hitting the ground? I checked the manual again and it talks about left stick down, then the right down and in OR the normal CSC - both down and in or out. Maybe I’m misunderstanding.

Chris