New MP Owner

[Beta Pilot]

I have been all over the MP information all over the internet, even talked to one current owner spanning the last few weeks, I am over saturated with pros and cons.

I took the plunge, will be picking up the new drone today. I am a first time drone owner, so the Mavic simulator will be my friend until I get comfortable, to bad we can't use this feature before the purchase, but, so be it.

There is a lot of "getting started" posts and video's, but I am going ask here.

Firmware version to stick with, both the RC and Mavic?

Calibrations, should these be done outside in the open, like the front or backyard? How sensitive are the sensors to outside interference?

General "do's and don'ts" as a first timer. I will be spending some time with the manual before I even power it up, this is not a cheap hobby and really don't want to have a grand + worth of broken parts and no fun to show for it. Unlike RC cars where I can get the parts to repair myself.

I know this is pretty general, may not understand the lingo, but I'm looking for "noob" information to get started. Later, I will be looking for "flying" advice, one step at a time.

Any "experienced" owners and veteran pilots with some advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks in advance.

 

[Top Hat]

On FW , try the 1 that come installed with the mavic and remote, you can always update to latest if needed. Don't forget to remove the clamp on the global when you power up. Got more tips but it's hard to type on phone. And Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Top Hat]

Should be gimbal not global... auto correct error.

 

[Beta Pilot]

I should add, my devices to use for phone and tablet are samsung and android. One thing I have already figured out, is that any android version older than 6.0 does not play well with the DJ GO4 app.

Thanks for the reply, I will look to see what the FW versions are, but I will wait on doing any updates initially. It will be awhile before I go airborn, I don't have any issues with RC cars, this is a whole new ball game.

 

[rcflyingaddict]

Calibrate where you are going to fly and at some point you may want to get a dedicated display device ... some find using their daily driver causes more issues than it's worth.

 

[msinger]

Welcome to Mavic Pilots!

Firmware version to stick with, both the RC and Mavic?

I'm running the latest versions. Other people will tell you to never upgrade. It's really a personal preference.

Calibrations, should these be done outside in the open, like the front or backyard?

Many people choose to do none of the calibrations right out of the box and their Mavics fly just fine. I usually do a compass calibration and IMU calibration for the first time before I fly. If you choose to do those, calibrate the IMU while your Mavic is sitting indoors on a level/undisturbed surface. Calibrate the compass outdoors in a location you know is free of magnetic metal. The calibrations should not have to be re-done often.

General "do's and don'ts" as a first timer.

Here are some items you might find useful:

• Mavic Manual & Release Notes (the manual does not come in the box)
• Firmware Update Instructions
• Tips for Avoiding Common Pilot Mistakes
• Tips for Avoiding a Crash
• MavicHelp.com (lots of Mavic tips & accessories)

 

[TopHatPlus]

I literally got the mavic, downloaded the app, walked into my back yard, watched a 10 second youtube video of how to turn it on and turned on beginner mode and started flying.

The drone is unbelievable easy to fly. The hard hard is flying it well. I have almost 15 hours of flight time now and i can orientate it quite smoothly in most circumstances. I found the nerves and nervous shakes only got better with practice. I would drop an object in the middle of my yard and practice circling it in 30' circles. left, right, up, down, panning the camera while fly over, just basic flight maneuvers repeatedly for 3 weeks. I also found this wasn't something i got better at from just crushing a dozen batteries through it. Fly the drone for 2 batteries and put it away, charge it back up and come back the next day. Everyday you fly you will get a bit more comfortable.

As i have started flying more and more i now calibrate the compass every time i take it out of the case.

 

[Beta Pilot]

Thanks for the reply's. I just picked the mavic up. Time to un-box.

 

[TreeburnerCT]

When I received mine I updated the DJI Go 4 app and the drone, RC and batteries firmware. No prompt for any calibration so I didn't do any, and my Mavic has flown perfectly for a couple weeks now.

Don't over think things, read the manual then take the Mavic out to an open field and fly it! Simulators are good if you're going to fly a totally manual quad for your first flight, but there's nothing to flying a Mavic and you'll wish you didn't waste time by not flying it! Keep it close and get comfortable with it, and as you do you can try getting out further and stretching your wings!

-Joe

 

[Samson 811970]

When I received mine I updated the DJI Go 4 app and the drone, RC and batteries firmware. No prompt for any calibration so I didn't do any, and my Mavic has flown perfectly for a couple weeks now.

Don't over think things, read the manual then take the Mavic out to an open field and fly it! Simulators are good if you're going to fly a totally manual quad for your first flight, but there's nothing to flying a Mavic and you'll wish you didn't waste time by not flying it! Keep it close and get comfortable with it, and as you do you can try getting out further and stretching your wings!

-Joe

What he said! [emoji651]

Good advice... Don't worry too much about the simulator... Find a nice wide open space and throw her up in the air. You'll be amazed how easy it is to get started.

 

[Haloweenhamster]

One thing a would advise is liability insurance doesn't come up often but I think its worth it
In the UK £30 ish to cover £25m world wide if your drone causes damage if you crash it

 

[westonmavicpilot]

...and don't be tempted to fly it inside, things can go wrong really quickly with no GPS lock...

 

[FenTiger]

I'm a new pilot too.

Never flown a drone before I got my Mavic three weeks ago. The guys are right, just put it in beginner mode, pick a nice open space and fly it. Once you realise how easy it is to fly, get it out of beginner mode and try something more adventurous. The simulator is pointless IMO.

The biggest fear I had to face is the thought of it just flying away from me, but i needn't have worried. It is rock solid, even in heavy wind.

I make sure when i take off, to check the home point is recorded correctly, check the aircraft status page for the imu and compass calibration status and away I go.

Worried about crashing and damaging it? Don't. I got my first (and hopefully only) crash after 3 days when I flew it into the top of a tree. No damage to the Mavic and not its fault of course.

I do recommend flying it with the gimble cover on at first.

Happy flying.

 

[Samson 811970]

I'm a new pilot too.

Never flown a drone before I got my Mavic three weeks ago. The guys are right, just put it in beginner mode, pick a nice open space and fly it. Once you realise how easy it is to fly, get it out of beginner mode and try something more adventurous. The simulator is pointless IMO.

The biggest fear I had to face is the thought of it just flying away from me, but i needn't have worried. It is rock solid, even in heavy wind.

I make sure when i take off, to check the home point is recorded correctly, check the aircraft status page for the imu and compass calibration status and away I go.

Worried about crashing and damaging it? Don't. I got my first (and hopefully only) crash after 3 days when I flew it into the top of a tree. No damage to the Mavic and not its fault of course.

I do recommend flying it with the gimble cover on at first.

Happy flying.

You're not referring to the gimbal clamp, correct? That should come off before you turn your bird on...

 

[Haloweenhamster]

think he means the dome, I used it for 2 flights and not since, going to replace my dome for the one with built-in clamp

 

[FenTiger]

Yes, I meant the cover (dome) not the clamp but thanks for the clarification.

Would the mavic even take off with the gimble still clamped? I know from the couple of times I've forgotten that DJI go 4 warns of a gimble motor overload.