Hello, Gordie here I'm 66 years old and getting ready to buy my first drone.; I was hoping to get some guidance or recommendations. Budget is $200-300.
Newbie looking for recommendations
- Thread starter Gordie
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2022
- Messages
- 461
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- 587
- Age
- 68
- Location
- Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Website
- digitalphotocreations.co
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!
LoudThunder
Well-known member
Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA.
A budget is $200 to $300 leaves you with a relatively small market for drones that are not toys… The best thing for you to do is look at lots of YouTube Videos
For the money, I would recommend a Refurbished DJI Drone, but right now, due to the "Chinese Drone Embargo" there are only used ones for sale by individuals, but I do not recommend these due to the fact that many buyers are not getting "Unbound Drones" and that is like buying a car and never getting the title… (google it…)
So, here is option 2… The Holy Stone HS600 Drones with 4K Camera (it is not a toy!), it has a 10,000-foot Range, it has a 2-Axis Gimbal & EIS Anti Shake, 56-Min Flight Time, Brushless Motors, Foldable GPS Drone and a great choice for Beginners.
Or…
The Potensic ATOM SE GPS Drone with 4K EIS Camera, it weighs Under 249g, it has a 62 Mins Flight time, a 4 kilometer First Person Video Transmission, Brushless Motor, it has Auto Return, it is Lightweight and it is a Foldable Drone for Adults Beginners…
Go to YouTube and watch lots of videos on these drones, then you need to make a choice… one of these or find another make or model, or wait out the DJI embargo issue…
However, in the meantime, If you have not already done so, you will need to get your TRUST Certificate. You can get that at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…).
Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)
FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute
Get your FAA TRUST Certificate of Completion to legally fly drones for recreational reasons in the United States.
trust.pilotinstitute.com
Since you live in Minnesota, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.
Federal Drone Laws in the United States (FAA) - Pilot Institute
44809 is an exemption from Part 107 drone laws. This means that drone pilots fly under Part 107 drone rules by default unless they meet all 9 of the requirements to fly under 44809, the exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft. You can read more about these requirements...
pilotinstitute.com
Once you get your first drone, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…
You paid a lot of money for that Drone, put your phone number on it. If your drone gets lost or stuck in a tree and it finally comes down when you are not around, give the finders an opportunity to contact you so it can be returned.
Now, for the Fun Part, But do not let the excitement of the moment get the best of you. When you are going out to fly, do it slowly and deliberately. Get used to a set procedure and even practice it.
There are so many things I could write but these are the highlights that I feel need mentioning.
Plug in your phone/tablet into your controller; turn on the Controller and DJI Fly App (if it does not start on its own…). On the Drone, open the front legs, then open the back legs, then remove the Gimbal Cover.
The Gimbal is the most delicate item on the Drone and banging or bumping can damage it. I also fastened a short "Remove Before Flight" ribbon to the cover so it's more noticeable and I do not forget to remove it…
Turn on the drone and watch it come to "life." Watching the Gimbal go through its self-check is almost like watching a puppy or kitten opening its eyes for the first time…
Place the drone down (preferably on a Landing Pad) while it finishes its self-test (collecting satellites, etc…).
Check your battery status (Phone, Drone, and Controller), check the Signal Strength, by now the Controller should have reported it updated the Home Point.
Lift off, 6- feet (2-meters) or so, hover a bit, check the controls (move the drone a bit forward, back, left, right, yaw left and right). By now, your Controller will probably report again, Home point Updated.
If you go out in a rush and race thru your start up and take off before the drone has finished it prep, it may update its Home Point over that pond or that old tree you are flying over and in your excitement, you'll fly the drone long past it Low Battery point and when it engages Return to Home and lands in the pond or in a tree; it will be all on you…
Now go have fun, learn to fly the drone by sight before you try to fly it out a distance depending on the video feed, FPV.
I would also advise you to use YouTube and watch a lot of the Videos on flying and setting up the Drone. When it is too dark, too cold, or too wet, you can "fly it vicariously" through YouTube. Also watch some of the Blooper Drone Videos and learn how not to fly your "New Baby."
Fly On and Fly Safe…
I'm 58, so I understand where you're coming from. I started with drones only 2 years ago. Now I build large autonomous drones. I started with a DJI Mini first generation. DJI drones are very well designed, mature drone platforms with great customer service and support. However DJI drones are becoming hard to get in the US. Another excellent starter drone is the Potensic Atom. Both DJI and Potensic offer service plans that will repair or replace your drone for a small deductible. I strongly recommend getting the service plan. If you buy a DJI Mini 3 Pro or DJI Mini 4, you will have collision avoidance systems but these drones are around $700 and up. Most entry level drones don't have collision avoidance systems. Even if they do, it's still fairly easy to crash. So the service plan, IMO, is essential. You may be tempted to buy Ruko or Holy Stone, etc. drones but these are considered "toy grade" drones. However, I don't have any personal experience with these brands.
LoudThunder
Well-known member
Just a point about DJI Drones at the moment. With the "embargo" on Chinese Drones, there are very few New DJI drone still available and only on Amazon or eBay. And if you do buy a new drone from one of these sources, DJI is not writing the Care Refresh Insurance Policies at this time since they cannot import replacement parts or drones… If you do buy one with a "policy" it is from one of the other providers of similar insurance, such as AllState or Square Trade. I am not putting down these policies but if you damage a DJI drone, even they probably cannot get the parts to replace it and if it is so severely damaged that it needs to be replaced, that is not going to happen either…
Please know this, you are hearing this from the horse's mouth… DJI does not have a single drone for sale in the US… I know I looked. I also have my DJI Drone in for service at the DJI Kentucky Facility and it has been there a month and they had me sign a release understanding that due to the parts situation, parts might not be available for up to 90-days… a very long 90-days…
I still recommend DJI, and it is not their doing that this is happening…
Finally, I do not recommend you buy a DJI from outside the US, such as Canada or Mexico… Many have tried and US Customs is often putting the drones on hold with no projected date of release. Additionally, due to firmware configurations in the various drones, a drone sent in for service must be sent to the country that the drone was purchased in…
IF you do buy a used DJI Drone, make absolutely certain the previous owner has unbound it from their account… (Google this so you understand this completely…)
Otherwise it is like buying a car and the previous owner not turning over the title…
I didn't know that about care refresh. I really don't fly consumer drones anymore but thanks for the heads up
USFist
Active member
I like the recommendation from LoadThunder above. " The Holy Stone HS600 Drones with 4K Camera (it is not a toy!), it has a 10,000-foot Range, it has a 2-Axis Gimbal & EIS Anti Shake, 56-Min Flight Time, Brushless Motors, Foldable GPS Drone and a great choice for Beginners". I have the Holy Stone 770 and while it was under warranty HolyStone replaced the drone after I crashed it no questions asked.
As a side note the people in here Know what they are talking about, go on to YouTube watch videos of that they recommend , then make your choice.
As a side note the people in here Know what they are talking about, go on to YouTube watch videos of that they recommend , then make your choice.
My experience with Holy Stone was not so positive. I was given Holy Stone HS600. The real world control range is 3000-4000 unless you are in an absolutely unobstructed line of sight area. One batteries max flight time is 26 minutes but that's flying until it drops. The usable flight time on a single battery is about 20 minutes.
I own a couple of DJI mini 2 SE drones, and love them. You can get these for a couple of hundred bucks. It has great video and pictures, with its 3 axis gimbals.
Unfortunately, one of the very best companies went belly up. Yuneec had a GREAT starter drone that sold for a couple of hundred dollars, but the Q500 drone is outdated now, and you can't get them repaired when broken.
When buying a drone, pay close attention to the camera/gimbal specs. Without a 3 axis gimbal, a camera will have unstable video.
I am with you on this one.
I had a HS 720G and the quality of the video was not that great. I did love the zoom feature, but when you zoom, it makes the video even more unstable.
I don't hate my Holystone, but history shows they have genuinely spotty service, and hard to find parts for. This was even before the tariff wars. I've had one for a while, and feel it's time to give mione to the neighbor kids and move up. The HS720R was supposed to be an intermediate drone, but alas, it was affectively a beginner platform with a decent (but not great) camera.
USFist
Active member
As I read more of these posts I am thinking it may be to my advantage to sell my 2 HS 720 drones and buy some other type. One thing I am considering is the remote with a viewing screen.
There are many options, and I am currently using a second-hand HS FPV drone.
USFist
Active member
I currently have 2 HS 720 drones being sold on consignment at a hobby store. Got a replacement when the first broke a prop are. Was not going to argue with the Amazon seller. When the prop arms are fixed they are being put up for sale.
I am then shopping around for an FPV Budget Drone with Built in Remote screen. If you want an update on pricing for one or both drones let me know. The drones should be ready in about a week.
I am then shopping around for an FPV Budget Drone with Built in Remote screen. If you want an update on pricing for one or both drones let me know. The drones should be ready in about a week.
USFist
Active member
To reboot myself and hone my skills further I am looking around at Contixo with remote screens and other off-brand drones in Amazon, etc. (I previously used a tablet on a holder to view my flights) however, I have vision issues with my right eye. I test a friend's remote with screen it is much better.
I bought a bottom shelf drone to fly in my home to practice avoiding objects (most of the time). Not sure of your specific needs , reply if you need any specifics of the brands I have found that may be worth a look.
I bought a bottom shelf drone to fly in my home to practice avoiding objects (most of the time). Not sure of your specific needs , reply if you need any specifics of the brands I have found that may be worth a look.
