Quieter props for the Mini

[Riverbravo]

Read a few previous threads but they were older. I am wondering if there are any high quality propellers that actually reduce the noise. It is almost time to change and I have never been happy with the noise level of the OEM propellers. I have read plenty of horror stories but was hoping that in the years the mini has been on the market somebody may have created something. I do most of my flying over natural areas and would like to minimize my impact as much as possible. Thank you for any and all help.

 

[Yeunglings]

I haven't heard of any quality aftermarket props for the Mini or mini2. My guess would be that because of the size and weight of them that you really can't get much more performance/ better perceived sound without overengineering the props to be massively expensive or risk pushing the drone past the 250g mark. Almost all of the aftermarket props are so cheaply made they don't last more than a few flights, if you're lucky, or sound even worse. I know MAS is only one of many aftermarket companies but they probably have the best overall reputation so if they aren't making props for the Mini series maybe it either isnt possible or profitable.

 

[DroneToJoy]

MAS informed me they were working on props for the mini's. No idea on ETA (I asked twice now).

 

[tlswift58]

Stock props are about as low as you go. They are fairly quiet compared to some of the other DJI drones. If you think those are loud, be around some other drones and you'll hear the difference.

Saw a chart somewhere, where it compared noise level (db's) and Mini was low comparatively.

 

[Yeunglings]

Stock props are about as low as you go. They are fairly quiet compared to some of the other DJI drones. If you think those are loud, be around some other drones and you'll hear the difference.

Saw a chart somewhere, where it compared noise level (db's) and Mini was low comparatively.

I agree with you that the actual volume, dB, is lower than most of the drones out there but pitch is significantly higher than on a lot of the others. I've parked my MM, Mini2 and MA2 side by side and even though the Mini series are technically quieter they are more annoying by far and has more perceived volume. And that seems to translate to when moving as well. I can hear the 'scream' of the Mini far sooner than the deeper 'roar' sound coming off of the MA2. And that higher pitch can make wildlife more anxious i would guess because it sounds like a predator.

 

[Riverbravo]

That is good information to know about the OEM blades. The lowest decibels possible are what I'm looking for. I haven't been around any other quality drones to make a comparison to mine. It is easy to be enticed by the product descriptions promising everything short of World Peace. Glad I have this place as a resource.

A scream is exactly how I would describe the sound. I think you might be right about wildlife mistaking it for a predator. I do my absolute best to give wildlife a wide berth because of this. One of my big worries is that I might spook a bird and having it try to fight the Drone. Some of the birds around here have no problem going after Hawks or Osprey despite being a much smaller size. I don't see this scenario ending well for anybody.

 

[360 Guy]

Well, all this feed back answered my question as well.
Thanks all.