I'm looking to add some accessories to my Mavic Air. Any suggestions? I also read that the 4Hawk range extender works well but I'm leery about doing the mod myself. Anyone out there tried it that can tell me the difficulty level to install?
What are some of the top acessories for the Mavic Air?
- Thread starter PureBlue
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synaesthesia
Well-Known Member
Not done the range extension mod myself as I just run mine in FCC mode.
A set of ND filters for controlling the amount of light that gets to the camera sensor on super bright/sunny days.
More batteries so you can fly for longer (4 batteries last about as long as a full controller charge).
A set of ND filters for controlling the amount of light that gets to the camera sensor on super bright/sunny days.
More batteries so you can fly for longer (4 batteries last about as long as a full controller charge).
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Check out my list of top Mavic Air accessories of the month here:
Top Mavic Air accessories for May 2019 (by DDH)
I've compiled a list of the top Mavic Air accessories for May 2019. These accessories were chosen based on their sales volume on Amazon over the past month. If you're looking for some new accessories to add to your kit, this list will give you an idea of what other Mavic Air owners are buying...
mavicpilots.com
You can find my list of must-have Mavic Air accessories and other commonly used Mavic Air accessories here.
Compact Carrying Case - GoScope
Extra Batteries - At Least have 3, which will provide 45min flight time. Give or take a couple mins.
Micro SD Card at least 64GB
Leg Extension - I have Yothfly ones from aliexpress
Phone Mount - PolarPro. Nice because it folds up and fits in the spots as a spare battery
Tablet Mount
Multi battery Charger
Lens Filter
Remote Controller Case - One that fits with the joy sticks installed
Lens Fliters
Practice
Practice
and More Practice
.
.
.
.
If you want a little bit of a personal touch get a new Skin from decalgirl.
Extra Batteries - At Least have 3, which will provide 45min flight time. Give or take a couple mins.
Micro SD Card at least 64GB
Leg Extension - I have Yothfly ones from aliexpress
Phone Mount - PolarPro. Nice because it folds up and fits in the spots as a spare battery
Tablet Mount
Multi battery Charger
Lens Filter
Remote Controller Case - One that fits with the joy sticks installed
Lens Fliters
Practice
Practice
and More Practice
.
.
.
.
If you want a little bit of a personal touch get a new Skin from decalgirl.
I will start off that I am brand new and was curious about the range extenders. I was struggling to get out of my neighborhood sometimes getting as little as 600-700ft LOS away before I got video lag and disconnected video which made me nervous. I bought the cheap range extenders that slide over the antennas and not I am going 3000ft LOS and having no lag or disconnect issues. They definitely work if you want to go the cheaper route, I only spent $9 on my set. The ND filters work great and make a big difference when you are using the camera in manual mode to get better footage. Extra batteries are nice to have, especially being a newer flyer I can fly my first battery around and get a few shots here and there then fly a second pack and get the exact footage that I am looking for since I have an idea of how I want my shot to look since I did a practice run. The tablet mount makes it really nice to use but don't forget the short cable for the tablet to RC like I did they make them in the correct lengths and it is much nicer to use those than have it plug into the bottom port. Here is what I am using. I have heard the Polar Pro Filters are the best but these work great.
Range Extender - Amazon.com: Threeking Foldable Parabolic Signal Booster Range Extender Antenna Extender Compatible for DJI Mavic Pro/Mavic 2 Pro/Mavic 2 Zoom[Not fit DJI Smart Controller]/Spark/Mavic Air Remote Controller: Toys & Games
Tablet chord - Amazon.com: iOS to Micro USB Cable(2 Packs), A-BST [ 0.4FT 0.75FT] OTG Cable Nylon Braided Right Angle Cable Compatible with DJI Mavic Pro/Mavic Air/Spark Remote Controller: Cell Phones & Accessories
ND filters - Amazon.com : Neewer DJI Mavic Air Filters-6 Pack ND8, ND16, ND 32, ND4/PL, ND8/PL, ND16/PL Made of Multi Coated Waterproof Aluminum Alloy Frame Optical Glass(Gold) : Camera & Photo
Range Extender - Amazon.com: Threeking Foldable Parabolic Signal Booster Range Extender Antenna Extender Compatible for DJI Mavic Pro/Mavic 2 Pro/Mavic 2 Zoom[Not fit DJI Smart Controller]/Spark/Mavic Air Remote Controller: Toys & Games
Tablet chord - Amazon.com: iOS to Micro USB Cable(2 Packs), A-BST [ 0.4FT 0.75FT] OTG Cable Nylon Braided Right Angle Cable Compatible with DJI Mavic Pro/Mavic Air/Spark Remote Controller: Cell Phones & Accessories
ND filters - Amazon.com : Neewer DJI Mavic Air Filters-6 Pack ND8, ND16, ND 32, ND4/PL, ND8/PL, ND16/PL Made of Multi Coated Waterproof Aluminum Alloy Frame Optical Glass(Gold) : Camera & Photo
You hit most of the ones that I have, but let me add a few changes.
Landing pad. Not really needed for landing, but for take-offs. Unless you are hand launching you're not supposed to take off from concrete/blacktop. I like to not have my Air in the dirt, mud, grass, etc.
Dedicated tablet. This might be overkill, but I have dedicated tablets for all of my drones. I use a full size iPad and the extra real estate makes a huge difference to me. Might be my old eyes, but it helps.
Your SD card has to be a U3. I would go with a minimum of 128, but even 256 can be had for about $40 if you look for good deals. Sandisk Extreme U3 256 is $43 today on Amazon.
Extra props.
Travel charger - car cigarette lighter adapter
zzxrox
Well-Known Member
A clam shell case for your remote would be nice so you don't have to remove the sticks every time you fly. Cables. Extra cables. As mentioned above, tablet and tablet holder (you will need a cable here). I have a couple of one foot magnetic cables for my tablet to my RC. I have a couple because dirt gets into the magnetic tab and it sucks to have only one cable and not be able to use it.
Racing stickers give you about 10 more horsepower in cars so you could slap a couple of those on or get a custom skin with your FAA registration number printed on it. A sun shade for your tablet would be good too. A snazzy carry case would be nice. I have a micro fiber towel I carry with me to use as a place to set my gear down on so it doesn't get dirty. Its light weight and compact so it fits in my gear bag nicely.
Racing stickers give you about 10 more horsepower in cars so you could slap a couple of those on or get a custom skin with your FAA registration number printed on it. A sun shade for your tablet would be good too. A snazzy carry case would be nice. I have a micro fiber towel I carry with me to use as a place to set my gear down on so it doesn't get dirty. Its light weight and compact so it fits in my gear bag nicely.
It's silly but.... I have four plastic straps which secure the props so it's easier to put the Mavic air in the flymore case safely. I find I need a sunshade for my big tablet and for my phone when I use that. Software - I use DJI Go 4 and Airdata, HD sync, Drone Assist, UAV Forecast, Polar Pro, Golden Hour. A shout for Neewer filters - I have yet to use the PLs, 4, or 64 but 16 is my go-to and I have used 8, 16, 32 a lot. I am going to try Litchi, kitty hawk, red Waypoint and dh basic for mission automation. On my aging laptop I find that Videopad works adequately to edit 4k down to 1080p but it's slow and cumbersome. Next purchase will be a new 1050 graphics card laptop. I have the flymore package and would like one more battery...... I quickly replaced the connector cable with an Anker and use the big lower USB port. I have on order a car charger and some red longer thumb sticks! Yes to tablet holder, a heavy landing pad which folds in 6, my Tab S2, a quality laptop to bird cable, SanDisk Extreme pros, an SD card case, a USB extender so I am fiddling behind my TV, range extenders, longer legs (neither of these used yet), a standard daypack rucksack into which I throw all the junk including the flymore case......
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I ordered the drone but it hasn't arrived yet. Can't wait to use it. I already spent several hundred dollars on accessories. Your comments, "practice, practice, practice", I understand that drone flying skill that I'll need to learn but from everything I see in the videos the drone seems to almost be idiot-proof. With the front/back/down sensors, GPS, auto landing, etc. it almost seems that you will only screw up if you're reckless or if you don't pay attention to conditions, battery power remaining, flight info, etc. Is that the case or is am I being to presumptive?
Yes it does all that, but it's easy to rely on it's safety features and Auto pilot modes too much. The Sensors don't catch everything. Plus I know you suppose to keep line of sight at all times. Good Luck with that and the Mavic Air...lol
I thought that. Wait till by mistake you are suddenly beyond vlos, you get a connection slowdown no video and the DJI go 4 app crashes on your tablet. And won't reconnect..... And you are on a narrow ledge and were planning to steer her back to your hand.....practice, and practice potential disaster scenarios such as tablet failure or loss of visual sight or bird attack or someone walking up to you for a friendly or even hostile chat. Or a sudden downpour
You are correct...except where you're not. What I mean by that is yeah, they do have sensors which prevent some of the things you could do to crash your drone. The problem is when something goes awry (and it will at some point). The app will crash or some hawks will start chasing your drone or something else.
Your drone can do 100 different things. Of those you probably only want or need to do 10. My advice is to start slow. Don't jump into sport mode or specialty shots out of the gate. Fly a few batteries to get the feel of how it flys. Fly in wide open areas. Remember that the screen is a helper, not a guide. I've seen so many people fly completely engrossed in the screen and not actually watching the drone itself.
stberlin
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4 batteries
car charger
PGYTech Lens hood
PGYTech Sun Shade (for phone)
4 Hawks Raptor
Skyreat filters
Freewell ND64
Extra micro SD
Mini 12" foldable landing pad (can't find it)
Lens cleaner
Rubber air blower
I keep it to a minimum because I travel quite a lot.
Also I did not get lucky and found the right accessories right away. So I have a bunch of others that I did not like collecting dust.
car charger
PGYTech Lens hood
PGYTech Sun Shade (for phone)
4 Hawks Raptor
Skyreat filters
Freewell ND64
Extra micro SD
Mini 12" foldable landing pad (can't find it)
Lens cleaner
Rubber air blower
I keep it to a minimum because I travel quite a lot.
Also I did not get lucky and found the right accessories right away. So I have a bunch of others that I did not like collecting dust.
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Do you have the 4 Hawks Raptor and if so how much of an increased range did you get and how difficult was it to install?
zzxrox
Well-Known Member
I can see a crash happening if you think the drone is going to fly itself. Practice is everything. And don't fool yourself by thinking you can just fly. I mean yes you can but I highly recommend getting a "toy" drone to practice with. Sounds silly but it will pay off. I would hate to see you posting "why did my drone crash" or "My drone just flew away". My point is you sound like you are going to be relying on all the fancy sensors without really knowing how to fly and that will bite you in the *** in the end. Here is a video of my crashes...take note....these are with the sensors ON! Learn on the little drone how to HOVER and fly in figure 8's. It's fun and easy but all the bells and whistles will make you over confident and that is trouble. Follow the rules and go out and have fun!
Perhaps the most important accessory is free, but takes time to use properly. While waiting on your new drone read the full manual not just the QuickStart guide. I carry copies of the manuals for all my drones in my phone and still refer to them. Get yours here:
Started reading it last night. It will be read in full before I fly.
Thx.
stberlin
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I fly mostly in downtown so I wasn't going for range but for uninterrupted signal at 5.8 ghz. Furthest I've flown was 3,500 ft. so I cannot tell you about range.
you need pliers to break the tabs of the antennas to remove them. that was the hardest part for me and plugging the rp-sma antenna connector on the board.
one thing to remember is that you will lose portability with the 4-hawks. the remote will get bulky.
I had a few toy drones before I got my Mavic Air. And I can tell you I haven’t learned anything from the toys. lol. The difference from a cheap toy drone to the Air is night and day. I wouldn’t waste money on toys...just start slow when you get your Air. I stayed close and didn’t fly probably over 30’ until I felt comfortable going further.
As far as accessories, batteries would probably be number one. I didn’t get filters or any other accessories right away.
The second accessory I got was a phone mount because I didn’t want to take my $1000 phone out of its case every time I flew. I did end up getting polar pro filters because I live in Hawaii and mostly fly at the beach. It made a huge difference in my footage.
I would honestly hold off on the 4 hawks raptor until you actually fly your drone. Where I fly I have never lost connection or felt the need that I needed a stronger connection. You should fly it and see if you have issues with the stock antenna first. You may be surprised.
As far as accessories, batteries would probably be number one. I didn’t get filters or any other accessories right away.
The second accessory I got was a phone mount because I didn’t want to take my $1000 phone out of its case every time I flew. I did end up getting polar pro filters because I live in Hawaii and mostly fly at the beach. It made a huge difference in my footage.
I would honestly hold off on the 4 hawks raptor until you actually fly your drone. Where I fly I have never lost connection or felt the need that I needed a stronger connection. You should fly it and see if you have issues with the stock antenna first. You may be surprised.
zzxrox
Well-Known Member
Mavic Air caused itself to crash, twice
Hi Everyone, i only got my Mavic Air yesterday, and this is my first drone. I was flying it fine and then i bought it into land (manually) I got a bit too close to a wall and the front sensors detected it, stopping the drone from going forward any more. But then i could not fly the drone...
mavicpilots.com
Learning to hover can help in situations like this. And just because you have sensors doesn't mean they are always reliable. Sometimes you just need to fly it and it's good to know how to. Toy drone. An added bonus is you can fly around the house if you cant fly your Air outside. Practice
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