Thursday, June 15, 2017

first flight...

Since I got it a week ago, I decided it was finally time to launch the drone this morning .  Did 5 short flights in "beginner mode" just to get a hang of the controls. So far so good.  Did a firmware update when I came back inside which took about a half hour.  The app tells you when a new update is available (requiring an internet connection) and DJI can actually update not only the aircraft, but also the batteries, controller, and android app as needed. Tune in tomorrow night for the video.  99,102,77,0,B      

20 comments:

Hollis said...

Hi John, the new toy looks exciting.
A fellow photoguy has a video you might be interested in seeing.
https://youtu.be/0-nWG33BpQI

John Wells said...

Thanks...but that is an old one. I steer clear of reviews from 2016 when the Mavic had just been released. That being said - I have probably watched over 200 current drone videos in just the last 3 months alone.

John Wells said...

FYI - it's a tool, not a toy.

Road said...

Cool, cool, John, looking forward to your creative uses of the Mavic Pro.

Unknown said...

Oh boy ... hope it's a long video.

Larry G said...

re: toy vs tool.. oh I think they have long since left the realm of "toy"... when they
got GPSed and communicated with the cell phone...which is interesting because they're not using the cellular network and I was under the impression that bluetooth was limited in it's distance... so how is the cell phone communicating with the drone? that's not exactly "toy"!

John Wells said...

You can use just a cell phone or tablet with the app loaded to control the aircraft over wifi but range is limited to about 90 yards. When connected through the controller, range is extended to about 4 miles thanks to DJI's proprietary "Ocusync" technology.

Larry G said...

so far longer ranges.. the controller is "talking" to the drone and essentially letting the cell phone control the "controller"?

pretty darn sophisticated ... a marvel of "fused" technologies!



Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Some "Drones for Dummies" questions ....
How high can the drone go?
Can you fly it in the rain?
Can it carry a another item?

Ronald Mahan said...

Looking forward to the view from above the Field Lab!

Larry G said...

Be Careful! Hopefully the hawk was not hurt!

https://youtu.be/AhDG_WBIQgc

Unknown said...

Hot dog ... it's almost movie time!

John Wells said...

Sam...
The drone is able to fly up to 400 meters high but FAA regulations cap the legal altitude at 400 feet. It should not be flown in the rain and it is not built to carry a payload which will put unintended stresses on the aircraft including battery discharge over current. That being said, I have seen a couple of YouTube videos where the Mavic was able to lift 2 pounds but doing so for an extended period would most likely cause damage and void any warranty. The aircraft actually stores telemetry data from every flight so DJI would know if your problems are due to stupidity. One thing I did not know is that a text log and frame captures from every flight are also stored on whatever mobile device you are using with the controller. I flew a few times this morning and on the last flight my tablet suddenly told me I was almost out of storage space and the app shut down (I was still able to land safely using the controller). After the flights I went through my tablet and was able delete a bunch of useless stuff freeing up over 1 gig of room on the drive.

remmij said...

should be an interesting way to explore the territory… so you have a ~4 mile max radius? flight time = ? how active is the FAA on the area?
did you buy a sunshade for the tablet? do you need one?
always more things to spend $$ on
filters & hand held…
luckily you don't have a lot of trees…

Unknown said...

Amazing! That's no toy ... but sounds like a lot of fun.

Larry G said...

Monday and Friday films could become real-time broadcast of whatever is going on at the Field Lab!

Unknown said...

remmij ... that was a most SUSPENSFUL video! Kept thinking what if he gets that hook hung up? A real "white knuckler"!

John Wells said...

remmij...the FAA is not "active" in the area but all it takes is one complaint and you are screwed. That is like saying speeding is OK as long as no highway patrol is "active" on the stretch of highway you are driving. Laws are laws and it doesn't mean you are innocent until you get caught. Range is a little over 4 miles which is way beyond legal line of sight. Flight time is realistically about 25 minutes max. I flew today a few times with the brightness cranked all they way up on my tablet and it was OK as long as I was in the shade. DJI has just introduced a new monitor that is super bright even in full sun. I will wait to see some reviews before I invest in one - and only if I find I can make enough money with the drone to pay for it. I have a filter set and see no need for that hand held option since I already have a gimbal for my GoPro. I don't anticipate ever having to rescue anything from a tree out here although I could probably fly to the highway and hook a pack of cigarettes if I was really desperate.

Unknown said...

Maybe you could do a "carrot drop" to your favorite burro?