Newbie Here With Hard Question

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timlab55

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I'm in the market for a new drone. My past drone (Phantom 2) die on me from DJI (no more support). In my search for a new one, I'm looking for one that can hold up in a little breeze, under $300, can be found on Amazon (credit good). Any suggestions?
Thanks
 
It will be very hard to find a drone that withstands wind in your price range.
 
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It depends what you mean by "a little wind". One thing to consider is battery life since a multi-rotor has to use a portion of the battery's capacity for station keeping or to prevent course deviation. I have a DJI Mini 3 and in 10mph winds the battery will reach 20% charge considerably faster than calm conditions. Weight is another factor. Sub 250g drones get blown around much more than 800g-1000g drones. So they have to work harder to stay in position. Your Phantom 2 weighs right at 1000 grams. If you want a drone that will handle like your old bird something like a DJI Air 2S or Air 3 would be close but a Mavic 2 or Mavic 3 would probably be best. That said the FIMI X8 2022SE V2 can be purchased new for around $400 and is a lot of drone for the money. That's really the only FIMI product I can recommend. It's the only UAV manufactured by that company that actually has a FAA Declaration of Compliance. FIMI claims the X8 Pro and the X8 Tele are RID compliant but they aren't. At least not yet. Also the X8 2022SE V2 has been around a few years and FIMI seems to have worked all the various issues with this model. Their X8 Pro has a lot of problems and I wouldn't touch any new model they market for at least a year after it's introduction. I bought my X8 2022SE V2 from Amazon and it's always performed well. However FIMI'S warranty service is terrible. You have to pay to ship it to China and unlike DJI and Autel, FIMI doesn't have a specific carrier. They offer general guidance but there are several customs pitfalls and they do not have a service plan like DJI's Care Refresh. I've heard good things about the newest Flightelf drone which has an optional built in screen remote controller. It's about $450 for the 2 battery with built in screen RC package. It even has lidar obstacle avoidance! I have no personal experience with Flightelf drones so do your research. If you're okay with a used UAV, you can buy Mavic Pro or Mavic 2 drones for $300-$400. I would stay away from Exo. They are just overpriced Hubsan drones and there are a lot of complaints on pretty much every UAV forum I've seen. Autel makes good stuff but nothing under $700. I'm sure there are other options but that's my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps.
 
@Brutalwarpig love your name. That being said, I really thank you for the insight to the different drones and what they have and don't have. Let me check out the one's you mention and I'll get back to you. I guess I should of mentioned why I wanted a drone in the first place as I will NOT be flying it that much. First I live on a farm (6 acres). On this farm I have an old barn and home. After a heavy down pour and windy as hell, I like to send up my drone (when I get one) and check out the roof. Making sure they are okay. And they other time (maybe), check out the surrounding area making sure that no coyote's have decided to make their home next to mine. I do own 16 cats that go out during the day, and I know they love cat breakfast. And the other time is to check on my friends home. Other than that it's in the closest until the next time (maybe 6 months).
 
Most likely a Dji Mini 4k or Potensic Atom would be more than enough for your needs. I'm not sure about Potensic, but I fly mostly DJI drones specifically because of Care Refresh and Care Refresh Plus. That and the fact they have multiple service centers in the U.S. The Mini can handle light wind just fine and it has more than enough battery life for your intended purpose. There are plenty of pilots on this forum with way more knowledge than I have but I'm happy to help in any way that I can.
 
Well, that drone sounds like it's a winner, the Dji Mini 4k. But since I live in country, do they make a drone that will avoid trees or props guards? I would be going through props like mad .
Thanks
 
I know that the original DJI mini shipped with prop guards and I'm sure they are available for the mini 4K. If you want a drone with obstacle avoidance the DJI mini free Pro is a good choice and to be had for just a couple hundred dollars more. Keep in mind however that things like power lines and smaller tree branches often are not detected by Optical collision avoidance. My DJI air 3 and DJI Mini 4 both have a function that's really useful if you have to fly in tight spots. It gives you the ability to see forward backwards and either side of the Drone using the collision avoidance cameras. So you can have the main camera aimed at whatever and without moving the main camera see in several directions with an on-screen picture in picture function. On the downside, these drones were more expensive I think the Mini 4 is about $800 for the basic package. The air 3 is about 1200 for the basic package. Prop guards would be economically a better choice and the prop guards will protect some extent from small branches and power lines. Also there's a new DJI drone called the Neo that is just now being released it is similar to the hover air drone it's built in a square box of sorts includes prop guards it's small inexpensive and I'm sure quite capable although I don't know a lot about this particular drone.
 
#Brutalwarping - Actually, the voice text worked great. Long time ago, I use to demo a think Dragon Speaking (goes to show you my age). I got it to do almost everything I wanted too, but I type way faster than it could print. I'm still looking at the drones believe me, even tho I might be able to get my 2 Phantom 3 up and running. I forgot that I broke the camera cable on them, so I've order them and waiting for them to come in. But since DJI doesn't support them anymore (not at all), I'm going to have to get another one. I just watched about the DJI Mini 3. What info do you have on that one?
 
timlab55 said:
#Brutalwarping - Actually, the voice text worked great. Long time ago, I use to demo a think Dragon Speaking (goes to show you my age). I got it to do almost everything I wanted too, but I type way faster than it could print. I'm still looking at the drones believe me, even tho I might be able to get my 2 Phantom 3 up and running. I forgot that I broke the camera cable on them, so I've order them and waiting for them to come in. But since DJI doesn't support them anymore (not at all), I'm going to have to get another one. I just watched about the DJI Mini 3. What info do you have on that one?
Click to expand...
I actually own the standard DJI Mini 3 (not the Mini 3 Pro). I have been extremely impressed with this sub 250g UAV. The camera isn't as good as what's on the Pro and it does not have the collision avoidance system but it's control range is greater than the standard battery flight time. It does a good job dealing with light to moderate wind and a very stable hover. No horizon tilt and good battery life. (The Mini 3 Pro flight time is about 8 minutes less due to the increased electrical demand from the collision avoidance system). With a clear line of sight the mini 3 can fly 5+ miles away and never have any control or video feed issues at all unless there's strong interference near by. It wouldn't have enough battery to make the return trip but that's impressive control/video range. Even in urban areas where a lot of interference is common the Mini 3 control and video signal far exceeds VLOS. I live in a rural area of Tennessee with tall trees all around my house and the Mini 3 will still fly way beyond VLOS. When I first got my Mini 3 I was ignorant of many UAV laws and did various range tests that are absolutely not legal. Since that time I've acquired my TRUST certificate. So I'm now aware of most if not all UAV laws and I DO NOT break them anymore. The FCC is getting very serious about violations.
 
Nope it's not you, the Government is broke LOL. I did find the prop guards for the DJI Mini 3. Saw a few video's of the Mini 3 and was sold. Now have to wait for christmas to get it. I wanted to give you a clear sense of what I would like to do with this new drone once I get it. Drone.png
The total mileage is 4,080 feet, not miles. But I have to go high. I plan on going around these 3 houses, shot some video and upload them to my friends so they can check on their homes that day. I through of another reason to use the drone as well. If you see that barn, across from it is a back stop for my shooting. If you go from that spot and look down you'll see a skiny tree (250 feet) away from that frence that is in front of the barn. I will be sitting there, and once I get finish shooting my groups (3 rounds) instead of me walking all the way up there, just send the drone to see if my groups are good or bad. Wild hu? So do you think for the distances and the coverage I want to do, I believe the 38 min battery will work, What do you think?
 
I would think the standard battery would be plenty. You have the option of using the larger capacity Mini 3 battery as well. The only downside is I'd you do use the higher capacity battery, the Mini 3 will be well over the 250 gram limit. The Mini 3 will recognize the battery and automatically activate the onboard Remote ID function and you will have to register it with the FAA. Personally I think RID is a bad idea. One of the main reasons many people support various idiotic gun control measures is ignorance. 50 years ago no one cared if private individuals had guns or not. Unfortunately, since that time the bulk of the U.S. population shifted from rural areas where guns were in every household to urban areas where gun use and ownership is much less common. Ignorance leeds to fear. The same applies to UAVs. UAV technology was all but non-existent 10 years ago and even now a relatively small portion of the population has or is around drones at all. Combine that fact with all the sensationalized media coverage of consumer drones being used to drop bombs in the Russian/Ukraine war. The result is a lot of fear and misinformation. As a consequence there's a growing number of people who have an unrational fear of any UAV platform. There are several apps for cellphones that will show any drone being operated in a couple mile radius that these paranoid individuals use to find and confront recreational pilots. There have been assaults, police called as a means of harassing drone enthusiasts and even some people shooting drones out of the sky. Remote I.D. only enables these individuals.
Regardless it is the law I guess. But that's why I often fly my Mini 3 if I'm in a heavily populated area unless I need the greater capabilities of my Air 3.
Coincidentally, I am a long range rifle and IDPA pistol competitive marksman and I have 8 acres behind my house with a 400 yard firing range. Before I got into drones, my wife bought me the Caldwell Balistic Precision LR target camera system. I use it so I don't have to have an expensive high power spotting scope or have to go back and forth to see my shot placement. However I don't really use my drones for this purpose because of battery life and concern about excessive heat build-up. It's fine to fly out and check your groups but not for a live streaming feed of the target. I tried once landing my Mini an a small platform near the target and off to one side so I could use it as a stationary target camera. Unfortunately, with no airflow the Mini got real hot real quick. It works okay if it's hovering but I take my time and wait for ideal wind conditions for the sake of accuracy. This resulted in maybe three 3 or 5 shot groups before I had to bring the Mini back and swap batteries. The Caldwell system gives me a few hours of target time on a single charge. I do always fly my drone before target shooting to make sure no hunters or kids are behind my targets or near the line of fire. Drones are perfect for that purpose. I hope my ramblings have been helpful in your search. If I can be of further assistance, I'm happy to help.
 
LOL, I love your Caldwell Balistic Precision LR target camera system. In fact, LOL, I have something similar to that. Let me explain. When we moved here from PA, I told my wife that seeing is believeing meaning if someone broke into our house we need video cameras around the place. Now days I have 33 CCTV around my property. Mostly between the house and barn. We use to have horses around here and of course when ever the vet came out and had to sedate one of the horse's, we would do it in the barn. So it was no problem as my barn was loaded with CCTV cameras and we could watch from from the house just in case. So anyway, since we don't have horses anymore, I took one of the cameras and working to put it on my backstop. So when I go out to the 250ft marked I can bring it up on my tablet or phone. It's funny how perfect minds work hu? Your lucky in the since your have a 400 yard range in your back yard. But I'm not a killer, I've seen to much as I was in the Army for 14 years. I know what a 5.56 NATO round will do to a body. I only have 2 for th coyote's and if anyone gets funny. I don't even carry when I go out and in SC, you can carry open or close. Opps cats calling got to go.
 
I got into long range precision target shooting a few years back. There was a surge in the popularity of that sport and I love the technical side of loading my own precision rounds. I, too, am not a killer. At least not by choice. However in 1991 I was forced to use deadly force when 2 guys attempted to rob me and the little carry out/delivery pizza restaurant that I was the manager of. I was also shot in the process. It was a grazing wound to the right side of my neck that didn't hit the artery but a quarter of an inch over, I would have died. There's nothing I can say to express what it's like to essentially be shot in the face by a .38 Special from 10 feet away. I couldn't hear or see. My face was on fire and when I instinctively grabbed my neck then looked at my hand covered in blood. I was quite certain it was going to be the last moments of my life. I was fortunate that I was armed and the assailants behavior was setting off alarms in my head. Had the shooter not fumbled his draw, I would have died. I shot perhaps a fraction of a second before he did. The detective in the case said that also probably saved my life. I hit the guy in the stomach and I'm very glad he survived. I hope I'm never forced to kill anyone or even draw my EDC. Because of that experience, I'm nearly always armed. I live in Tennessee which has constitution carry but I have Tennessee's Enhanced carry permit and self defense insurance as well. I don't hunt and I don't like to kill things. The competitive marksmanship competitions I enjoy are a sport that I enjoy and have little to do with my self defense experience. Carrying every day is a different matter. Truly I hope I never have to draw my weapon against another human being but if I'm forced to defend myself or family, I'll do what I must. I'll never willingly be a victim.
I think my initial interest in drones was at least partially due to my now heightened sense and need to be aware of any and everything in the immediate vicinity of my home. I live in a very rural area. The closest house is half a mile away. My farm is 107 acres and the only effective way to quickly inspect my place is with a drone. My house is near the top and slightly to the right of center. The property lines aren't a perfect rectangle but nearly all of the land in the pic is mine. This was once a family homestead comprised of 3 farms but all of the structures were beyond repair. My house is the only remaining structure but I had to strip it down to the frame. I actually used the salvaged barn wood as siding and for some interior walls. In my case the Mini 3's battery life is just enough to fly the perimeter. I've actually used my Air 3 to locate and autonomously track hunters who trespass on my land. I love nature and don't want some dumb-*** killing animals on my land. Not to mention there are a lot of hunters who think the .300 WinMag round they haphazardly shoot at something in a field or woods just magically stops if they miss. Last year I found a fresh bullet hole through my deck railing. I used my Air 3 to locate the trespassers, photograph them and their vehicle which was literally parked right in front of one of my NO HUNTING/NO TRESPASSING sign. I got the sign, truck and license plate in one pic. The sheriff's department sent 2 cars and arrived before the trespassers left. I showed up at their truck just as the deputies did. I brought them and the deputies back to my house and showed them the bullet hole. It really shook one guy who apologized over and over. The other guy thought it was no big deal (total idiot). My point is drone technology is wonderful for security. My Air 3 tracked one of the hunters while I drove to meet the deputies. I know that's technically not legal but under the circumstances I felt it was necessary. Sorry for the long post. It's not often that I get to interact with someone who can appreciate the situation. Also thank you for your service to our nation. I never served but I wish I had. Have a blessed day brother.
 

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No problem about the long post, I've had my days as well. 107 acres you can have as only 6 with all this rain we are getting I can't find time to cut my grass. If you don't mine where in TN? Funny story is, my high school was CHS (Clarksville High School). I didn't mind Clarksville at all, but I chose SC because of the heat during the summer time. What I didn't like was all the ice storms we had and knocking out power during the winter. Man did it get cold during the wintern. Well, got to run, PT time, talk maybe nore on the rebound.
Dan
 

#Brutalwarpig​

I'm back and no grass to cut :). I guess because I don't have any gas until the end of the month. Anyway how can I get a camera ribbon installed on one of my drone? I have a Phanton 3 standard and that camera cable is shot. I have the new cable.
Thanks
Dan
 

#@Brutalwarpig -​

Okay I guess Santa Clause is coming early this year and I've got the green light to get another drone. So, with that being said, I've got two questions for you or anyone else.
#1: If you have a choice between the DJI Mini 3 and DJI Mini 3 Pro which one would you get and what are the differences?
#2: I want to get the controller without the screen built in. So how do I attach my phone or tablet onto the controller (just to view what the camera sees)?
Thanks
Dan
 

@Brutalwarpig - I tried to edit my last post, but couldn't. So here is something for ya. Target 1 and Target 2 are both from 250 feet. Just messing around with the CCTV camera that I have out next to my backstop. Target1 is before and Target 2 is after.​

 

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