The best order to use when beginning a flight.

[Rockingbilly]

New to Mini 2 ownership, I seem to remember on a You Tube video, that it was important to turn on your equipment in the correct order, so do you start with the controller, then the mobile/iPad then finally the mini 2 , or the reverse, or does it not matter????

 

[old man mavic]

@Rockingbilly hi fellow flyer ,if your old school like me then its screen device first, then RC, and then drone ,and reverse at the end of the flight ,but with the new tech it does not really matter any more people seem to do what works for them

 

[Repaid1]

Ditto^^^^....unless perhaps when using the SC (Smart Controller)...in order to get the "quick launch" it tends to like the aircraft on to detect on boot to jump automatically to the camera view...but yeah other than that, which at present doesn't apply to you.

 

[Rockingbilly]

Ditto^^^^....unless perhaps when using the SC (Smart Controller)...in order to get the "quick launch" it tends to like the aircraft on to detect on boot to jump automatically to the camera view...but yeah other than that, which at present doesn't apply to you.

Thanks for your reply, it took a bit of persuasion with my financial advisor (or wife as she likes to be called) before she agreed to me getting a mini 2 to supplement my air 2. However, is the Smart Controller a worthwhile addition and would I be able to use it with my Air 2 as well as the Mini 2?

 

[Howard70]

Hello Rockingbilly:

I don’t think the Mini 2 supports (or is supported by - not sure which would be correct) the Smart Controller. But since I don’t have either of them, don’t take this as the definitive opinion!

Howard

 

[Meta4]

New to Mini 2 ownership, I seem to remember on a You Tube video, that it was important to turn on your equipment in the correct order, so do you start with the controller, then the mobile/iPad then finally the mini 2 , or the reverse, or does it not matter????

That's like asking which shoe you should put on first.
It doesn't matter.

 

[IslandBarnDave]

That's like asking which shoe you should put on first.
It doesn't matter.

Now that answer surprises me. I’m sure it was on this forum but it may have been a YT video where I saw that you should always turn on the RC first and thus turn off last. The logic was that if the AC does anything strange you have the opportunity to rescue it. Makes sense to me and that’s the process I follow.

 

[Meta4]

Now that answer surprises me. I’m sure it was on this forum but it may have been a YT video where I saw that you should always turn on the RC first and thus turn off last. The logic was that if the AC does anything strange you have the opportunity to rescue it. Makes sense to me and that’s the process I follow.

It really doesn't matter.
If the drone does anything strange, (like what?) is the controller really going to be any use anyway?

 

[IslandBarnDave]

There are many examples in this forum of drones behaving unusually either through pilot error or drone fault. It makes sense to me that with the controller powered off you have zero chance of taking any action. Maybe the odds are extremely slim but why take the chance? Anyway, that’s the advice I saw, it makes sense to me so I follow it.

 

[Meta4]

There are many examples in this forum of drones behaving unusually either through pilot error or drone fault. It makes sense to me that with the controller powered off you have zero chance of taking any action. Maybe the odds are extremely slim but why take the chance? Anyway, that’s the advice I saw, it makes sense to me so I follow it.

I've looked into a lot of drone incidents but can't remember any where the drone took off without any controller input.
I think your Youtube source is being imaginative rather than informing, which isn't unusual on Youtube.

 

[DanMan32]

There have been a couple incidents where pilot had AC on the ground, got distracted, then turned off the RC where the AC took off.

I suspect the AC was idling, and so went into failsafe RTH when the RC was turned off. That was probably a couple years ago. Since RTH lands if AC is within 5 (or 20m depending on model) from HP, this should hardly happen these days.

Other than that, it shouldn't really matter, but I agree having RC on first and off last seems most prudent.

 

[IslandBarnDave]

Thread 'order of switching on'
order of switching on

Yep, just found this thread in which the consensus seems to be that you should switch on the RC first.

 

[Meta4]

There have been a couple incidents where pilot had AC on the ground, got distracted, then turned off the RC where the AC took off.

I suspect the AC was idling, and so went into failsafe RTH when the RC was turned off.

There have been multiple cases of drones relaunching on loss of signal when left on the ground after a flight.
That's about what order you switch things off which is quite a different matter.

But you cannot start the motors without the controller.

 

[icecoldgin]

Just to chime in, this is how I have always done it since day 1:

1. Start of flight - AC on first, then remote on (with the phone already connected). Then I either turn on the props or press the take-off button on the screen

2. End of flight - AC off first, then remote off, then disconnect cable to phone and remove it from the cradle.

I did not have any problems up to this posting - either from the Mavic Mini or the MA2.

I hope I did not just jinx myself ?

 

[WDKZoom]

My beginnings started with RC helicopters and was always told as per the manual as well to have the remote on before you plug in the battery and battery unplugged before turning off the remote and that is the way I handle my MP zoom.

WDK

 

[Repaid1]

My beginnings started with RC helicopters and was always told as per the manual as well to have the remote on before you plug in the battery and battery unplugged before turning off the remote and that is the way I handle my MP zoom.

WDK

I learned somewhat the same way, but I fear I am much older than you (In flight times)...Batteries??? WTH? We used Nitro-methane/Methanol fuel and we liked it (Yeah that's the ticket...sorry Sat night live skit) in our Helis/Planes and let's face it not much chance of those starting on there own. Batteries back then were NICads and not used for anything that left the ground (Pretty Much ) But I did have a sand buggy/rail that was battery and thus that train of thinking.

The situation is just that, age related. In my time a bad outcome was not possible, in your time tech hadn't caught up so "Glitches" happened. Now we are in a new time and while yes there is a small chance of malfunction, I find it minute enough not to matter all things given and kept in a reasonable perspective of knowledge of how these things work these days. YMMV.

Back in my Prime (those wonderful 80's) I flew a 72 MHZ RC PCM/PPM radio system (State of the art for those days) which was purported to be Glitch free. What the newer radio systems connect and operate on for connection/control makes my R/C back then look like a 1950 Opie Taylor AM transistor Radio.

 

[Oldhollowman]

New to Mini 2 ownership, I seem to remember on a You Tube video, that it was important to turn on your equipment in the correct order, so do you start with the controller, then the mobile/iPad then finally the mini 2 , or the reverse, or does it not matter????

Saw a similar instruction on YouTube when I was researching the ma2, they said it was important to turn on air 2 first and then controller, think it was just his own habit because it made no difference to me. I just take my time and check satellite and rth updated and fly. Your question, like all other questions was a reasonable one. Never be afraid to clarify issues, we are not all expert flyers.

 

[WDKZoom]

I learned somewhat the same way, but I fear I am much older than you (In flight times)...Batteries??? WTH? We used Nitro-methane/Methanol fuel and we liked it (Yeah that's the ticket...sorry Sat night live skit) in our Helis/Planes and let's face it not much chance of those starting on there own. Batteries back then were NICads and not used for anything that left the ground (Pretty Much ) But I did have a sand buggy/rail that was battery and thus that train of thinking.

The situation is just that, age related. In my time a bad outcome was not possible, in your time tech hadn't caught up so "Glitches" happened. Now we are in a new time and while yes there is a small chance of malfunction, I find it minute enough not to matter all things given and kept in a reasonable perspective of knowledge of how these things work these days. YMMV.

Back in my Prime (those wonderful 80's) I flew a 72 MHZ RC PCM/PPM radio system (State of the art for those days) which was purported to be Glitch free. What the newer radio systems connect and operate on for connection/control makes my R/C back then look like a 1950 Opie Taylor AM transistor Radio.

When I plug in the battery for my heli it, just as on a drone it goes through it’s self check. Now the largest one I had was an Align 500.....on it I never failed to turn on the remote first because once on a micro heli I had, I plugged in the battery, it self checked and before I could turn on my remote, it tried to take off but mostly ended up flopping around like a fish out of water. You definitely don’t want that happening with any nitro or 250 and above battery heli as with those carbon fiber blades you could loose a limb quite easily. Remote first, air craft after and vice versa.

WDK

 

[Tentoes]

Both drone and remote are computers with pretty smart software. It doesn't much matter what order, though I always turn the drone OFF before the remote on shutdown.

Even in the '70's when there were no smarts aboard the aircraft, I would turn the aircraft on first as a last check that there was nobody else on the same frequency. With no remote turned on, the servos would jump to somewhat random positions, and I knew it was safe to turn on the remote. If the servos responded in an intelligent manner, I'd re check that nobody was on my frequency. Kept me from "shooting down" a guy who had the wrong color flag.

 

[WDKZoom]

Both drone and remote are computers with pretty smart software. It doesn't much matter what order, though I always turn the drone OFF before the remote on shutdown.

Even in the '70's when there were no smarts aboard the aircraft, I would turn the aircraft on first as a last check that there was nobody else on the same frequency. With no remote turned on, the servos would jump to somewhat random positions, and I knew it was safe to turn on the remote. If the servos responded in an intelligent manner, I'd re check that nobody was on my frequency. Kept me from "shooting down" a guy who had the wrong color flag.

Hypothetically in the 70’s if your bird’s servo’s responded in an intelligent manner having to be but unlikely on same frequency as another and he/she was lifting off and flying and your bird following those commands did the same before you could turn your remote on and establish a connection, what could you do about it except watch? If you turned your remote on first even if you shared a frequency with another, your craft would most likely respond to the closets or strongest signal though as it gets further away and you do have the same freq then then stronger signal will win or cause interference and I have seen this at my helicopters hobby fields with 20 guys or so wanting to fly so we had to establish a rule where only two birds could be in the air at one time or take it elsewhere if you did not want to wait your turn.

WDK