Should I be amused, or concerned?

[Barbara]

This morning, as I perused the news, I ran across this article:

I just bought a DJI Mini 2, but I can't get my head around the confusing app situation

It seems the author had some trouble determining which App to download for the Mini 2. I can only guess that he didn't bother to look at the instruction manuals. I don't own a Mini 2, but I believe it would come with at least the Quick Start Guide. The DJI Fly App is referenced on page 2 along with the QR Code, I checked.

He goes on to say it took him more than 30 minutes to sort it out and get up and flying!! Imagine!

Somehow I feel that requiring instant gratification is not a desirable characteristic for drone pilots. That and his observation that the rules for flying the Mini are "Lax" and perfect for a first time flyer.

As I read the article I was initially amused, but by the time I completed it, I wondered I shouldn't actually feel concern. In my opinion, the attitudes expressed are not suitable for our hobby, and those who fly professionally.

Interested to hear other's thoughts on the article.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

There are quite a few new flyers that purchase the Drones and if they cannot get them up in the air within about 30 minutes , send it back. You have to have Patience and a need for the drone to get thru the manual .

I remember one SC update that after 3 hours of struggling to get the SC to fly more than one drone caused me a massive headache and Delirium and my only hope i was Rescued by a forum member on how to do it.

So its good to leave slack for those entering the DJI arena as its tricky and most will never read thru the Manual.
Once there up and running and flying nicely, they are more prone to want to dive into the Manual but they have to have motivation to get there so just be amused.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain, Land on the Water.

 

[Skywatcher2001]

I believe it is a microcosm of a bigger problem. Instead of making people elevate themselves 'up' to meet a challenge and worthy themselves of the privilege, they want everything 'dumbed' down to make it easier. That is a BIG mistake.

He's in the UK but imagine when he has to follow their equivalent to Part 107 or 44809 . . . his head is going to explode.

 

[SmilingOgre]

Oh definitely be concerned. They are out there. They also do things like drive automobiles on the same roads you use.

 

[rawman001]

First of all, I don't think I'd buy my first drone a few days before it's successor was heavily rumored to be released. I mean at least wait to see what happens with the newer model, and see if the price of the older model drops. But, that's just me. He claims to have done research, and says he installs and plays around with apps as part of his day job. Perhaps he isn't that good at his job? I think it should be pretty apparent which app to use. A very quick web search should resulted in the answer pretty quickly. And to top it off, he is supposed to be an editor of Tech Radar and specializes in phones, tablets, and other tech. *shrug*

 

[VenomXts]

There is always a person who is trying to be stupider and complain.

The internet has only made it easier to see them.

 

[snowghost]

There should not even be a Quick Start guide in the first place.

 

[March411]

There is always a person who is trying to be stupider and complain.

The internet has only made it easier to see them.

It's a darn shame but pretty accurate. With all the information available on the web it is so easy to become knowledgeable prior to getting into a hobby, do home repairs......etc

I read this site prior to picking up a DJI, the people here taught me everything I needed to know. God I wish I had the same resources when I was younger that I have today. The web is an incredible resource but I guess people would rather stay in the dark and complain.

 

[akdrone]

I totally feel for the guy. I think the initial purchase of the drone and getting up and running can indeed be confusing. I have a sciency degree and did tech support for a living so it's not like I'm a total moron (just kinda) and I found the process of getting up and running a fair challenge. It really does involve reading nearly all of the lengthy manual. Admittedly if you can't do that then tough luck. Maybe that's good but at the very least we must admit that many people who are perfectly capable of flying a drone will find getting up and running to be something of a pain in the behind and a clear step by step guide would be useful.

 

[old man mavic]

jumping through all the hoops with your drone when you first acquire it is part of the hobby
its akin to constructing Flat pack furniture ,with or without a diagram
its different for each individual person
some will read the online manual others wont even know there is one
it is not so much about being intelligent or having lots of letters after your name
some people will find it easy others for what ever reason will struggle

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I sort of agree with some of the points he makes but I think googling after one has bought something this complicated is a MISTAKE, research should be done before hand not after.

 

[Barbara]

Interesting to read the various opinions above.

I think we all struggled to some extent with our first drone, I know I did with my Spark. But then I was mainly concerned with understanding everything (hardware, software, regulations), before I started the process of pairing and actually flying. I'm told my German heritage is responsible for my attitude ;o)

My concern was the author's apparent need for instant gratification. Thirty minutes was too much for him. Made me wonder if he even bothered to check into those "Lax" regulations.

 

[snowghost]

Interesting to read the various opinions above.

I think we all struggled to some extent with our first drone, I know I did with my Spark. But then I was mainly concerned with understanding everything (hardware, software, regulations), before I started the process of pairing and actually flying. I'm told my German heritage is responsible for my attitude ;o)

My concern was the author's apparent need for instant gratification. Thirty minutes was too much for him. Made me wonder if he even bothered to check into those "Lax" regulations.

Deutsche Ordnung.

 

[vindibona1]

It is possible that the new drone owner got it used without a user manual and just isn't internet savvy? Or understanding how a DJI type drone is supposed to operate?

I remember, just a few years ago I was in my in-laws back yard and out came a toy drone. Looked really fun. They popped some batteries in, turned on the drone, controller and had a little fun, though the control was relatively poor. It was a toy, but it could lead someone to think that all you need is a drone, a controller, and may not even know that they needed a phone or tablet.

I could have been that guy, except I'm too (Mod Removed Language)about research before buying anything. I even read the manual, but to be honest have no recollection of the minutia. Don't ask me what the colored blinking lights on my drones mean. I couldn't tell you. There are moments when I can't remember how I programmed buttons even though programming them myself. While it seems that the subject of the topic doesn't know what to do, I think a little compassion wouldn't hurt.

 

[CactusJackSlade]

IMO every drone capable of going out of visual sight of the operator (which would be pretty much ALL of them!) should be "locked" until they are registered with the mfg, take an online "info quiz" and register with FAA if required.

I recently sold my old Phantom to a somewhat newbie and I had him sign a "promise waiver" before I would sell it to him. Basically he promised to register the drone with the FAA before he flew it and to abide by FAA regs. Newbies are a real issue in this hobby and the mfg's could easily do something more proactive about it.

 

[MS Coast]

It is possible that the new drone owner got it used without a user manual and just isn't internet savvy? Or understanding how a DJI type drone is supposed to operate?

No excuses on the horizon.

The author of the article in an editor at Techradar - "The source for tech buying advice." He says that he specializes in "phones and tablets, but he also takes on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more."

He complains that he was "stuck for half an hour, trying to work out which app to download" and that DJI should have only one app to run every drone they offer.

First content page of the user manual:



First page of the quick start guide:


The results of a Google search for "App for DJI Mini 2":|



If it required him 30 minutes to figure out what app to use, I question whether he should be operating a drone. at all Perhaps one with a wind-up motor. I'm not sure I'd trust his buying advice for electric scooters, either.

There's a very low threshold for owning and flying a drone. Can we afford to lower it even more to accommodate people who won't even look at the first page of a quick start guide?

 

[Meta4]

He complains that he was "stuck for half an hour, trying to work out which app to download" and that DJI should have only one app to run every drone they offer.
...
First content page of the user manual:
.....

To be fair ... DJI drones don't come with a manual.
The user has to download one before finding that information.
If he has an Android tablet and tried to find the DJI Fly app in the Play Store, his confusion is understandable as the app isn't there, but the older DJI Go & Go4 are.

First page of the quick start guide:

.... Can we afford to lower it even more to accommodate people who won't even look at the first page of a quick start guide?

Is the Quick Start guide included in the box or does the user have to download that as well?.
It's not listed under In the box, but is in the downloads for the Mini 2

 

[test2000Anafi]

If it required him 30 minutes to figure out what app to use, I question whether he should be operating a drone. at all Perhaps one with a wind-up motor. I'm not sure I'd trust his buying advice for electric scooters, either.

“with regular scooters, in a minute of pumping gas there is always enough gas to drive lots of kilometers. With electric scooters, turns out that plugging them in for about a minute doesn’t really charge them, which is weird. It took me a few hours to figure this but you need to plug in the scooter for it to charge and leave it for a long time. I figured id still drive around my parking lot with a long extension cord, but the scooter didnt even allow me to drive with the cable plugged in. I’d rate this one 2/10”

 

[twickers14]

I believe it is a microcosm of a bigger problem. Instead of making people elevate themselves 'up' to meet a challenge and worthy themselves of the privilege, they want everything 'dumbed' down to make it easier. That is a BIG mistake.

He's in the UK but imagine when he has to follow their equivalent to Part 107 or 44809 . . . his head is going to explode.

He’d need to do an A2 C of C here and that takes a bit of effort. I don’t have it yet but I see it as a fun fulfilling thing I want to do to challenge myself and to make me even more safe when flying my MA2. It takes all sorts but he doesn’t do a lot for our hobby. Hey ho!

 

[MS Coast]

To be fair ... DJI drones don't come with a manual.
The user has to download one before finding that information.
If he has an Android tablet and tried to find the DJI Fly app in the Play Store, his confusion is understandable as the app isn't there, but the older DJI Go & Go4 are.


Is the Quick Start guide included in the box or does the user have to download that as well?.
It's not listed under In the box, but is in the downloads for the Mini 2

The quick start guide is not included in the Mini 2 box. But, I don't see that having to download the manual and quick start guide is a big issue, particularly for a tech-oriented person. And it's common now that manuals aren't provided in print form with the product.

True, the DJI Fly app isn't available on the Google Play Store, but the QR codes in the manual and quick start guide make it easy to find.

Anyone who isn't diligent enough to find the app is almost certainly not going to take time to learn much about operating a drone. That's frightening.

EDIT - Quick start guide is included in the Mini 2 box. See post #33 from @LoudThunder .