DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

Newby - Just joined - Hi everyone. Look forward to being part of the group and learning a lot more about droning. I am new to droning and own a 2s.

Hi there & welcome to the forum 👋 :D

And as you say you're a newbie I've attached some useful info below compiled in a few main points ... if you master this you will have a smooth start up without any mishaps.

Read the user manual ...the thick downloadable one, not only the quick start, download here --> https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/DJI_Air_2S/DJI_Air_2S_User_Manual_v1.0_enIV.pdf

Power on in the right order ... First power on your RC & start the app ... after that, power on the drone (& do it on the spot you're going to take off from). Reverse order to shut down.

Preferably power on the drone keeping it horizontal in your out stretched hand (without watches, rings or other magnetic objects) … once the live view have turned up in your mobile device you can put it on ground for take-off. (This supports the point below …)

Before take-off ALWAYS ... add in one very easy check to avoid a really scary event coming from accidentally launching from a magnetic disturbed place with following flyaway at height in an uncontrollable circular or straight flight path. After powering on your drone, connected to your RC/app & placed it in the take-off spot ... but before lift-off, ALWAYS check that the drone icon on the map in your app is pointing equal in relation to other objects in the map as the drone does in reality ... if not, abort launch attempt, POWER DOWN & move away, power up again and repeat.

Keep well under the wind spec where you fly ... and please note that it's not only at ground, it's at the altitude where you fly. The winds up to 400ft are very different then on ground. Use for instance the UAV Forecast app where you can get a feeling about the winds on higher altitudes, but please note that it's forecasts we are speaking of, a bit of common sense is good to apply to that ... "better skip flying a windy day & fly more another".

Don't go & calibrate everything on a regularly basis ... why fix things that are working, it's just a higher risk that you by mistake calibrate your compass in a magnetic disturbed area & the drone goes haywire 10 meters up in the air. Calibrate IMU + compass according to user manual, keep away from magnetic things like cars, metal tables & reinforced concrete at take-off & compass calibrations. If the app recommend a compass calibration first try another launch spot on a far distance from the first ... if calibration still is recommended by the app do it, but only then.

Don't launch in a hurry ... wait until you have at least 8, preferable 10 locked satellites & wait for the lady voice announce that the Home point has been updated, check then on the map that it's in the correct spot. Learn how the RTH function works (it can work differently depending on scenario), don't set the altitude for that unnecessary high, look around were you are going to fly and set it to clear the highest obstacle, to high & the drone risks a blow away.

Seek up a large open place ... a soccer field, free of obstacles & people. Test off every function one at a time until you fully understand how it works & the logic behind, confirm through the user manual if needed. Fly low, slow & near. And don’t try to fly indoors before you exactly know what makes these machines fly stable … you only risk your interior & to damage your drone in the process.

Take the claimed control distance from DJI with a pinch of salt ... only doable out in the countryside completely free of WiFi disturbance & obstacles in between the Remote & Aircraft.

Don't rely 100% on the obstacle avoidance sensors ... they are good & handy to have to perhaps save you when making a mistake, but they can't see everything, especially thin branches & wires so don't think they will allow your drone to just bounce away from everything all the time. Also note that they need plenty of light to work properly, too dark & they will turn off.

The Pause button on the RC ... It's a handy one, it will stop all automated modes immediately (if you have GPS coverage). Place your thumb on that when you initiate an automated flight mode & be prepare to stop it if too close to a tree for instance.

Don't use the RTH button as a "panic button" it's usually the weakest mode of them all ... you will always have access to more power in the manual modes ... if slow against a bit to strong head wind, go for Sport mode, drop altitude & manoeuvre the drone home manually.

Learn the rules & regulation ... keep the drone within Visual line of sight & respect max altitudes, if you can't avoid going out of visual keep it at least in line of sight (unobstructed line between Remote & Aircraft even though you don't see it) so you don’t lose the connection.


And here a couple points regarding the batteries ...

  • Keeping the battery at 100% isn't good for it ... do what you can to minimize the time that they are at that level, the default auto discharge (if your batteries have that feature) down to 60-65% is usually way too long ... & if you check the level by pushing the button you reset the counter & the counter will restart. If a battery that is above storage % level haven't been used in a couple days, use the USB adapter from the Fly More Kit (if your model have that) to charge something else (your phone) in order to bring it down to storage % (see below ...)

  • Heat kills them ... don't store above room temperature & absolutely not in a car during summer, a couple hours in a burning hot car & the battery have sustained serious damage.

  • Let them cool down to room temperature before recharging them.

  • Don't fly with a battery colder than 15C degrees, keep them warm in colder weather, have them in a pocket close to your body.

  • Store the batteries between 30-60% ... a good thumb rule is to take them of the charger as soon as the third led start to blink, then they are just over 50%. But anything between 1 solid + 1 blinking up to 2 solid + 1 blinking is good enough.

  • Don't drain them to low, make sure they don't go under 15% ... once in a while, so be it. Set the ambition to not have them lower than 20% ... if you aim for that you usually don't end up below 15%. Also ... be aware, that usually when the battery goes below 10% a forced low battery voltage auto landing will be initiated which can't be cancelled, this landing can be fought by applying full throttle for ascending (as soon as the throttle is neutral it will land again). This can be very stressing for you ... and the battery, all this can be avoided by returning home earlier without pushing the battery for the last %.

  • Don't fly with a battery not recently fully charged, having a battery laying around partially charged for a longer period may make the cells in the battery unbalanced, using a unbalanced battery can make that lower cell fail soon after take off, & initiate a forced low battery auto landing you can’t stop.

  • If stored for a long time, cycle them at least once each third month ... then back to storage %.
 
Last edited:
Hi there & welcome to the forum 👋 :D

And as you say you're a newbie I've attached some useful info below compiled in a few main points ... if you master this you will have a smooth start up without any mishaps.

Read the user manual ...the thick downloadable one, not only the quick start, download here --> https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/DJI_Air_2S/DJI_Air_2S_User_Manual_v1.0_enIV.pdf

Power on in the right order ... First power on your RC & start the app ... after that, power on the drone (& do it on the spot you're going to take off from). Reverse order to shut down.

Preferably power on the drone keeping it horizontal in your out stretched hand (without watches, rings or other magnetic objects) … once the live view have turned up in your mobile device you can put it on ground for take-off. (This supports the point below …)

Before take-off ALWAYS ... add in one very easy check to avoid a really scary event coming from accidentally launching from a magnetic disturbed place with following flyaway at height in an uncontrollable circular or straight flight path. After powering on your drone, connected to your RC/app & placed it in the take-off spot ... but before lift-off, ALWAYS check that the drone icon on the map in your app is pointing equal in relation to other objects in the map as the drone does in reality ... if not, abort launch attempt, POWER DOWN & move away, power up again and repeat.

Keep well under the wind spec where you fly ... and please note that it's not only at ground, it's at the altitude where you fly. The winds up to 400ft are very different then on ground. Use for instance the UAV Forecast app where you can get a feeling about the winds on higher altitudes, but please note that it's forecasts we are speaking of, a bit of common sense is good to apply to that ... "better skip flying a windy day & fly more another".

Don't go & calibrate everything on a regularly basis ... why fix things that are working, it's just a higher risk that you by mistake calibrate your compass in a magnetic disturbed area & the drone goes haywire 10 meters up in the air. Calibrate IMU + compass according to user manual, keep away from magnetic things like cars, metal tables & reinforced concrete at take-off & compass calibrations. If the app recommend a compass calibration first try another launch spot on a far distance from the first ... if calibration still is recommended by the app do it, but only then.

Don't launch in a hurry ... wait until you have at least 8, preferable 10 locked satellites & wait for the lady voice announce that the Home point has been updated, check then on the map that it's in the correct spot. Learn how the RTH function works (it can work differently depending on scenario), don't set the altitude for that unnecessary high, look around were you are going to fly and set it to clear the highest obstacle, to high & the drone risks a blow away.

Seek up a large open place ... a soccer field, free of obstacles & people. Test off every function one at a time until you fully understand how it works & the logic behind, confirm through the user manual if needed. Fly low, slow & near. And don’t try to fly indoors before you exactly know what makes these machines fly stable … you only risk your interior & to damage your drone in the process.

Take the claimed control distance from DJI with a pinch of salt ... only doable out in the countryside completely free of WiFi disturbance & obstacles in between the Remote & Aircraft.

Don't rely 100% on the obstacle avoidance sensors ... they are good & handy to have to perhaps save you when making a mistake, but they can't see everything, especially thin branches & wires so don't think they will allow your drone to just bounce away from everything all the time. Also note that they need plenty of light to work properly, too dark & they will turn off.

The Pause button on the RC ... It's a handy one, it will stop all automated modes immediately (if you have GPS coverage). Place your thumb on that when you initiate an automated flight mode & be prepare to stop it if too close to a tree for instance.

Don't use the RTH button as a "panic button" it's usually the weakest mode of them all ... you will always have access to more power in the manual modes ... if slow against a bit to strong head wind, go for Sport mode, drop altitude & manoeuvre the drone home manually.

Learn the rules & regulation ... keep the drone within Visual line of sight & respect max altitudes, if you can't avoid going out of visual keep it at least in line of sight (unobstructed line between Remote & Aircraft even though you don't see it) so you don’t lose the connection.


And here a couple points regarding the batteries ...

  • Keeping the battery at 100% isn't good for it ... do what you can to minimize the time that they are at that level, the default auto discharge (if your batteries have that feature) down to 60-65% is usually way too long ... & if you check the level by pushing the button you reset the counter & the counter will restart. If a battery that is above storage % level haven't been used in a couple days, use the USB adapter from the Fly More Kit (if your model have that) to charge something else (your phone) in order to bring it down to storage % (see below ...)

  • Heat kills them ... don't store above room temperature & absolutely not in a car during summer, a couple hours in a burning hot car & the battery have sustained serious damage.

  • Let them cool down to room temperature before recharging them.

  • Don't fly with a battery colder than 15C degrees, keep them warm in colder weather, have them in a pocket close to your body.

  • Store the batteries between 30-60% ... a good thumb rule is to take them of the charger as soon as the third led start to blink, then they are just over 50%. But anything between 1 solid + 1 blinking up to 2 solid + 1 blinking is good enough.

  • Don't drain them to low, make sure they don't go under 15% ... once in a while, so be it. Set the ambition to not have them lower than 20% ... if you aim for that you usually don't end up below 15%.

  • Don't fly with a battery not recently fully charged, having a battery laying around partially charged for a longer period may make the cells in the battery unbalanced, using a unbalanced battery can make that lower cell fail soon after take off, & initiate a forced low battery auto landing you can’t stop.

  • If stored for a long time, cycle them at least once each third month ... then back to storage %.
Thanks heaps for this, it is great advice, really appreciate it.
 
Welcome to Mavic Pilots .
I hope you will find our site helpful and look forward to any input , photo's/video's you might post .
Don't be shy and ask anything if you can't find it by searching . Thumbswayup
 
Welcome to Mavic Pilots! :) Enjoy the forum!Thumbswayup
 
Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your participation and your view of the world.
 
Welcome.
A lot of good advice above. I did not read all the replies, so forgive me if I cover territory that's already been covered.

What I would add is to understand cerebrally that this is new to you and requires establishing muscle memory so that your drone goes where you want it to go. Cinematically it is cool to fly near stuff, but I would suggest practicing (a lot) in an empty field or parking lot, away from anything that you might collide with before venturing close to objects and land features.

Here is a good video demonstrating maneuvers that you can practice to get going.

 
Newby - Just joined - Hi everyone. Look forward to being part of the group and learning a lot more about droning. I am new to droning and own a 2s. Absolutely love it and also just purchased a Tripltek tablet the Pro 8. **** expensive and hope it is worth it will receive it sometime next week.
Welcome to the forum from the mountains of Colorado! Happy and safe flying!
 
Welcome to the forum! :)
 
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
130,601
Messages
1,554,295
Members
159,608
Latest member
carlos22