which drone???
- Thread starter synders3664
- Start date
My advice is to answer for yourself the following questions
1. What do I want to do with it? Just fly it around? Race it? Embark on aerial photography?
2. Given the certainty that I am going to crash it at an early stage do I expect to repair it myself or do I have the access to a repair facility?
3. Will I be able to locate and retrieve it when it disappears into the trees?
3. Given all the above, how much do I want to spend?
I speak from experience. My first rubber-powered aeroplane did a tree landing first time out. I have since progressed through diesel motors and electric motors in fixed-wing planes and helicopters and am now into drones (though I'm still eyeing a twin-rotor Chinook model helicopter)
LoudThunder
Well-known member
I hope you are referring to drones...
Most people who are just stating out only want fly a bit and take some photos and videos.
Most Drones that have GPS capability have relatively nice and adequate cameras.
Google "GPS capable drone" if you do not know what I am referring to…
GO to YouTube and watch videos on the various "inexpensive drones" usually more than $200. Then depending on your location, I am guessing the UK because you wrote "Kent" and expect everybody to know where that is…
Then based on what you want to do, how much you are willing to spend, and the location, you need to pick it yourself… some locations do not have very good support and you need to do some footwork yourself.
When you've got more, come back with questions that we can answer…
Otherwise, I would recommend you buy a DJI Matrice 350 RTK, It's a steal at $23,000 US… It can do things that R2D2 with the help of 3-PC0 will never be able to do… L o L . . .
what i am basically looking for is a drone which has the capability of flying roughly for 1km to aerialy drop a golf ball (from above) onto my husband’s golf match to suprise him for his birthday?????
would this be possible at all and if so what would be the best equipment to buy????
many tia…..simone
would this be possible at all and if so what would be the best equipment to buy????
many tia…..simone
LoudThunder
Well-known member
I still do not know where you are located, but here in the states, it is illegal to drop anything from a drone that might injure a person and a golf ball dropping from that height would certainly cause damage and if you are located in the UK, it is illegal there too.. I cannot help you.
Why don't you just sneak out there and toss to ball yourself or have a friend do it… That way you know you will not kill your husband and he'll enjoy many more birthdays…
As others have stated, what you intend to use the drone for will dictate the type of drone you should buy. I tend to support smaller companies but you can't go wrong with DJI brand drones. Autel, Anafi, Yuneec, Powervision, FIMI all make good to great UAVs also. Now the type of drone is important too. For example, an FPV drone is fast and fun to navigate around a course or obstacles, they're designed to be very rugged because learning FPV style racing will result in many crashed. Drones like the Avata are very tough but they also have less control range, shorter battery life, no collision avoidance, and typically a very basic camera. If you are purely a recreational drone pilot and don't want the hassle of registration, sub 250g drones are probably the way to go. Drones like Autel Nano or DJI Mini 3/4 can do most of the things larger UAVs can but are less expensive. If you live in a particular windy area get a larger drone. I own a couple of FIMI X8 drones and a DJI Air 3. These drones weight about 800 grams and they can handle higher winds than sub 250g models. Tha Air 3 is a spectacularly good UAV with over 12 mile control range, wide angle and medium telephoto cameras, up to 4k/100 fps, all directions collision avoidance and 46 minutes of battery life per charge. The downside being it cost me over $1800 after taxes. If you intend to do serious cinematography, the Yuneec line of hex drones or the DJI inspire are good choices with features specific to film making. Definitely do your research. Fimi, for example, has some great products at good prices but their quality control is hit or miss. DJI has great quality but is on the expensive side and has geo fencing that can be very frustrating depending on where you fly your drone.
It's a fun hobby, good luck with whichever UAV you buy.
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!
G'day, How long is a Chinaman, or maybe a piece of string. There are too many answers, but it's a question I'm sure we've all heard many times.
I'd advise you to be careful. Watch a ton of YouTube reviews of Quadcopters. Watch out for those where the presenter was presented with a freebie. Their reviews can tend to be a little (a lot) biased. Look out for those who give glowing reports on a specific quad when the majority report it as rubbish. Try to stick to a recognized brand, one which offers a genuine warranty and parts are freely available.
The easiest answer would be, "BUY A DJI" but they are expensive and can suffer problems like any tech. If you have the money I'd still advise you to go for a middle of the road quad. Believe it or not many people buy their first beast and after a couple of flights they discover it's not what they thought it would be. Sadly many of these people tend to think flying is dead easy and a quad with all the bells and whistles won't crash. Some people simply can't operate today's technology, so a lot of that money is down the drain.
Also be careful with Chinese advertising of quadcopters. China doesn't have Retail laws or advertising laws such as "Truth In Advertising" Let's just say their claims can be over the top and at times are downright lies. If you can't afford a reasonable quad I suggest you hold off until you've saved enough. Nothing better to put a newbie off flying for life than to buy a cheapie and have it become attracted to a slab of concrete because the quad lost contact with the controller.
One quad which has had good reviews lately is the Potensic Atom. I purchased one a few weeks ago, but I haven't flown it yet, so I can't give a personal nod.
You could buy a used quad and that's how I buy about 60% of my squadron. There are hundreds on Ebay which have flown a few times, but sometimes this can be lied about. To get value for money ask a friend or perhaps a friend of a friend, someone you can trust to help you find something suitable. If there's a flying club nearby, members are usually very helpful plus you may be able to see a number of quads flying. This could give you an idea of what's reliable.
If all that fails, and you've found something you like, ask here, there's a good chance a member owns what you're looking at and they will be happy to advise you.
Personally, I'd be looking for a good used unit. Sellers will happily show you a demo flight. If they won't walk away. I'm about to purchase a DJI Phantom 3 with goggles, carry case, 3 batteries, and 2 GoPro cameras. The complete package in great condition for only $300 AUD. about $200 US. It's an older machine, but it has very low airtime hours and it's been looked after. I don't really need it, I have 2 others, but at that price I couldn't refuse.
Good luck with your search, if you have any questions I'd be happy to help and If I can't help you I'm sure someone else will . Stu.
I'd advise you to be careful. Watch a ton of YouTube reviews of Quadcopters. Watch out for those where the presenter was presented with a freebie. Their reviews can tend to be a little (a lot) biased. Look out for those who give glowing reports on a specific quad when the majority report it as rubbish. Try to stick to a recognized brand, one which offers a genuine warranty and parts are freely available.
The easiest answer would be, "BUY A DJI" but they are expensive and can suffer problems like any tech. If you have the money I'd still advise you to go for a middle of the road quad. Believe it or not many people buy their first beast and after a couple of flights they discover it's not what they thought it would be. Sadly many of these people tend to think flying is dead easy and a quad with all the bells and whistles won't crash. Some people simply can't operate today's technology, so a lot of that money is down the drain.
Also be careful with Chinese advertising of quadcopters. China doesn't have Retail laws or advertising laws such as "Truth In Advertising" Let's just say their claims can be over the top and at times are downright lies. If you can't afford a reasonable quad I suggest you hold off until you've saved enough. Nothing better to put a newbie off flying for life than to buy a cheapie and have it become attracted to a slab of concrete because the quad lost contact with the controller.
One quad which has had good reviews lately is the Potensic Atom. I purchased one a few weeks ago, but I haven't flown it yet, so I can't give a personal nod.
You could buy a used quad and that's how I buy about 60% of my squadron. There are hundreds on Ebay which have flown a few times, but sometimes this can be lied about. To get value for money ask a friend or perhaps a friend of a friend, someone you can trust to help you find something suitable. If there's a flying club nearby, members are usually very helpful plus you may be able to see a number of quads flying. This could give you an idea of what's reliable.
If all that fails, and you've found something you like, ask here, there's a good chance a member owns what you're looking at and they will be happy to advise you.
Personally, I'd be looking for a good used unit. Sellers will happily show you a demo flight. If they won't walk away. I'm about to purchase a DJI Phantom 3 with goggles, carry case, 3 batteries, and 2 GoPro cameras. The complete package in great condition for only $300 AUD. about $200 US. It's an older machine, but it has very low airtime hours and it's been looked after. I don't really need it, I have 2 others, but at that price I couldn't refuse.
Good luck with your search, if you have any questions I'd be happy to help and If I can't help you I'm sure someone else will . Stu.
