Any First Drone Recommendations?

[BiggBeans]

Looking to buy my first drone. Not looking for anything fancy. Probably in the $400-$500 range? want to learn to use one. Fly it around my house. Just Have a little fun. Nothing serious. Been looking at DJI Mini 2 Se and some of the exo stuff. What would yall recommend?

 

[hkguns]

That is a good starter model. Probably won't find one better at that price point. I own a couple of their higher end models and the one you chose checks most of the boxes for safe flight and return.

Doesn't make me feel good it is Chi-com, but theirs are currently the market leaders. Take precautions against sharing your personal details with them.

 

[lariat]

The FAA now requires drones to have tracking on them. If you buy used either make sure it can log you tail number or buy a small unit that attaches to your drone. Also be sure of the class of airspace around your house, even if you live in the country.

 

[BiggBeans]

The FAA now requires drones to have tracking on them. If you buy used either make sure it can log you tail number or buy a small unit that attaches to your drone. Also be sure of the class of airspace around your house, even if you live in the country.

even if they are under that 250 grams weight?

 

[kl3309]

PQM-102B, but not sure if there ae any left on the market.

 

[earthquake]

DJI mini Mavic 2. That's what I have and started with. 250g and under don't need FAA registration. It's a neat and easy to fly aircraft. Great camera too. Get the fly-more bundle or at least extra batteries. They eat them fast and take forever to recharge.
They are restricted where you can fly. If you're in a no-fly zone, it won't even let you lift off. Mainly near airports and military bases.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

DJI for sure.

 

[mikeb127]

I have a mini mavic 2 and am reasonably happy with it as a first one. My only real gripes are related to the app:

1. Every time it updates (and sometimes just randomly) it logs you out of 'DJIfly' and you have to log back in before you can fly. Which isn't a big deal if you operate in areas with phone service. Otherwise you are f*%ked and have to go home and login again.
2. It seems to use alot of resources on your phone. I get overheating and sometimes freezing from it. So make sure your phone is relatively beefy.
3. It seems to take ages to find a GPS signal sometimes (even with a clear view of the sky). Once again, wouldn't be a big deal if it let you take off and fly without the stupid geofence thing running. I mean I can understand why they do it, but it needs to work properly otherwise your drone is a paperweight.

Maybe all these things can be solved with the RC Pro, I don't know. I'm already looking into a custom build for the next one and relegating the mini to a 'backup' status though FWIW.

 

[lariat]

Hopefully this helps everyone out.

https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id

Over 250 grams is the rule for remote ID. That’s only just above a half pound which makes most drones subject to the regs.

 

[Maggot]

DJI mini Mavic 2. That's what I have and started with. 250g and under don't need FAA registration. It's a neat and easy to fly aircraft. Great camera too. Get the fly-more bundle or at least extra batteries. They eat them fast and take forever to recharge.
They are restricted where you can fly. If you're in a no-fly zone, it won't even let you lift off. Mainly near airports and military bases.

What knd of range do they have? could you fly it out to check your target hits (or misses) at 1000, or a mile?

 

[K470]

Are there any US made drones?

 

[Friday]

Looking to buy my first drone. Not looking for anything fancy. Probably in the $400-$500 range? want to learn to use one. Fly it around my house. Just Have a little fun. Nothing serious. Been looking at DJI Mini 2 Se and some of the exo stuff. What would yall recommend?

DJI is incredible I wouldn’t call anything DJI a starter I love my mini. I make videos and it travels a long long ways. Battery life if about 30 minutes per flight. Excellent user friendly abilities.

 

[mikeb127]

What knd of range do they have? could you fly it out to check your target hits (or misses) at 1000, or a mile?

Yeah, pretty comfortably under most conditions. Fog or misty rain seriously effect range though.

 

[Maggot]

Yeah, pretty comfortably under most conditions. Fog or misty rain seriously effect range though.

When its foggy or misting, or God forbid, snowing or icing, Maggot be by the fire with a glass of bourbon.

 

[FWoo45]

I bought a Mavic pro before I hated everything chi-com. It's older but works well. Have gotten some awesome pics with it. I'd love to put a flir on it but think I'll wait to find a two camera option. I'm certainly not up to date with all the regs and new options. There was a time that I unlocked it and could do pretty much whatever I wanted. Not as easy to do now, not that I would. I mostly use it to take pics of my flagpole in the front yard while drinking on the patio in the backyard. That's how you run them into trees.

 

[mikeb127]

Are there any US made drones?

I think Skydio is all American. And maybe some of the Autel/Parrot models as well.

There are also a few smaller more specialised companies

 

[lariat]

Are there any US made drones?

Yes. But you need to define US made. Almost all drones have Chinese made motors and ESCs at a minimum. There are few quality US made options for those components at the moment. There are also those that claim they are US made but have outsourced quite a bit of the component manufacturing to China or other countries and assemble it in the US.

 

[lariat]

You guys talking about flying in the rain: make sure your drones are rated for it. I’m talking about the IP rating.

 

[K470]

Yes. But you need to define US made. Almost all drones have Chinese made motors and ESCs at a minimum. There are few quality US made options for those components at the moment. There are also those that claim they are US made but have outsourced quite a bit of the component manufacturing to China or other countries and assemble it in the US.

(Tin foil hat on) I'm looking for something that I don't have to be concerned about being a spying device for the Chicoms. I know any electronic device can be used for that but why make it easy for them.

 

[lariat]

If that’s a main fear, you are not alone. The USG has the same concern. That knocks out DJI.

 

[bdubmkg]

My personal is a dji Mavic mini. Took it out today actually. Fun little flyer and it can get some speed in sport mode but nothing crazy. It's a very stable platform and easy system to run. Hate to break it to others here, but the China thing is real, and a lot more apps are sending your info to China and elsewhere as well. If it's of concern to ya, and you want to do a bunch of flying, use an older phone with nothing else on it.
I flew autel drones at my last job for border operations. Sweet machines with amazing cameras... all with a sticker price SYARTING at 10k. They rip when you drop the safety settings!

For the serious drone guys, look up dronesense for an operating platform if you're concerned with China stuff. That's what the state of Texas uses.

 

[MK20]

I know that Parrot has had its stuff issued out to US sof forces because it is not Chinese made. I would take a look at them.

 

[mikeb127]

I know that Parrot has had its stuff issued out to US sof forces because it is not Chinese made. I would take a look at them.

I think they only make a few specific models in the USA (probably only solely so they can get the government contracts). The rest is .ch

 

[mikeb127]

(Tin foil hat on) I'm looking for something that I don't have to be concerned about being a spying device for the Chicoms. I know any electronic device can be used for that but why make it easy for them.

The only real solution to this one it to use an open flight controller system (pixhawk + ardupilot) or something similar. That pretty much eliminates everyones spyware. Probably not a 'first drone' thing though

 

[lariat]

I know that Parrot has had its stuff issued out to US sof forces because it is not Chinese made. I would take a look at them.

In order to sell in the DoD you need to have a certain percentage of the drone made in the US, not totally made here. But I think US made and not sending info to China are being thought of as the same exact thing, they are not.

If you are truly looking for those kind of drones go look at the UAS Blue List - these are all the drone models that have so far been cleared for use by the DoD, HS and other agencies. They have been cyber tested for ensure there is no sending info to unwanted parties, among other things. Not all of these are available to civilians, obviously.

 

[Maggot]

Nothing really constructive to say so fuck the chinese

 

[45cal4life]

$400 - $500 without all the DJI nanny state restrictions = Fimi X8 - then which ever model works best for you. I have the SE 2022 V2 and like it. Can also get the remote controller with the built-in screen, very convenient.

 

[alchrisr]

I got a Contixo F35 for Christmas. It is not my first drone, but the first that I still own after flying it for a few hours! Amazon has them for less than $300 with one battery and $329 with two. Get the two battery deal...Pretty good range, decent daytime camera, and GPS to bring it back in case of a failure. It does meet the FAA guidelines needing a license and registration, even though in true .gov fashion, they still don't have standards available as far as I can tell. DJi and Autel are probably the gold standard, this one is pretty close for the money. Not a fan of Chinesium either, but most of us aren't going to fly around any sensitive areas. YMMV

 

[missed]

We have built our smaller drones, Speedybee flight controller, Walksnail Avatar HD video, and Radio Master radios. We have a couple of real small 1S Nanos like the Flywoo Firefly, a 5" and 7" . Also have a couple fixed wing FPV planes, one of them we have setup with the thermal camera on it and use it to find where the hogs are at night. It can fly routes over the ranch we can hunt on without hand flying it and stay in the air for about 2 hours up to 15mph winds. 20mph winds seem to cut flight time in half.

I agree with trying to avoid China. The Modal, ARK, and PixHawk are supposed to be assembled in the USA, with components from allies. The Cube pilot is made here with Taiwanese components and is an Australian/ Singapore company.

We have the 7" drone and one fixed wing with the Pixhawk gear and Ardupilot, they are pretty badass. Those two builds cost thousands more than the Speedybee / Walksnail builds. The cheaper built is about 90% of what the Pixhawk can do short of the radio system. If you have to have the NDAA cert you have to step up to the expensive components.

 

[lariat]

We have built our smaller drones, Speedybee flight controller, Walksnail Avatar HD video, and Radio Master radios. We have a couple of real small 1S Nanos like the Flywoo Firefly, a 5" and 7" . Also have a couple fixed wing FPV planes, one of them we have setup with the thermal camera on it and use it to find where the hogs are at night. It can fly routes over the ranch we can hunt on without hand flying it and stay in the air for about 2 hours up to 15mph winds. 20mph winds seem to cut flight time in half.

I agree with trying to avoid China. The Modal, ARK, and PixHawk are supposed to be assembled in the USA, with components from allies. The Cube pilot is made here with Taiwanese components and is an Australian/ Singapore company.

We have the 7" drone and one fixed wing with the Pixhawk gear and Ardupilot, they are pretty badass. Those two builds cost thousands more than the Speedybee / Walksnail builds. The cheaper built is about 90% of what the Pixhawk can do short of the radio system. If you have to have the NDAA cert you have to step up to the expensive components.

There are multiple versions of the Pixhawk. The Blue Cube is made in the US and is significantly more expensive, but is required for some end users. The others are made in Tiawan and some do not conform to the Pixhawk Standard, with proprietary connectors, etc. Never really had an issue with them though. The Cube really is a good unit, no real complaints, and plays well with the TAK offerings.

100% agree on the costs, but the results have been worth it if you can fit it into the drone platform.

 

[fpgt72]

Are there any US made drones?

Years ago when I was building them I used these

3D Robotics Pixhawk Flight Controller - Not Chinese Clone

– Advanced 32 Bit ARM Cortex® M4 Processor Running NuttX RTOS – Works In Variety Of Models, Fixed Wing Drones To Quadcopter Drones – Abundant Connectivity Options For Additional Peripherals – See Detailed Description Below! We can answer any questions via the Live Chat at the bottom right of...

uavsystemsinternational.com

They are not Chinese, but you are in the deep, as in DEEP end of the pool, with a strong current. Unless you want this to be a fairly big "hobby" I would not go this way. But that all said building them is fun.

All other things aside, this channel on YT is pretty good. He is not TOO much of a shill IMHO.

There are some good choices out there past DJI/Wookong, that is the real name of the company, but that sounds too chinese don't it.

Check out this guys channel, it will be a good source of reviews on "plug and play" models.

https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTAINDRONE798/videos

 

[Maggot]

$400 - $500 without all the DJI nanny state restrictions = Fimi X8 - then which ever model works best for you. I have the SE 2022 V2 and like it. Can also get the remote controller with the built-in screen, very convenient.

Cool, how much does a frag grenade weigh? Asking for a friend......

 

[45cal4life]

349g, almost like the 350 limit was intentional

 

[sandhiller]

DJI Mini 2 here, totally satisfied

It's a blast learning how to fly

Small enough to keep everything needed with you

 

[lariat]

DJI Mini 2 here, totally satisfied

It's a blast learning how to fly

Small enough to keep everything needed with you

I have herded cows with a drone. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. It helps to get down as close as possible. I have also used old carbon fiber rotors that were damaged and noisy, seems to be off-putting to them for some reason. Flight time goes down a bit but it does appear to work.

 

[sandhiller]

I have herded cows with a drone. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. It helps to get down as close as possible. I have also used old carbon fiber rotors that were damaged and noisy, seems to be off-putting to them for some reason. Flight time goes down a bit but it does appear to work.

It works until they quit being scared of it (the sound mainly, I think) then there ain't much you can do.

Another thing I would mention is the cell phone I use to see the camera view is kinda small
My BIL has a tablet and I am thinking of getting one also. Downside is dealing with more size and weight for the controller

 

[Alphatreedog]

MIC approves this thread .

 

[missed]

View attachment 8317863
MIC approves this thread .View attachment 8317863

One of the fixed wing drones we fly that's made from foam board is a flying wing it's pretty awesome, but a bit draggy. Super easy to fly, it can fly faster than the big twin. Big advantage of the flying wing is it's only 40" wing span can just throw it in almost any vehicle and go.

The big twin can carry way more stuff and the differential thrust it's more stable and can provide much better video feeds. It can easily make 2 hours of continuous flight. You have to take the truck and a ton of support gear. Almost need two people until you have it off the ground.

 

[davesa]

Also something to consider is if you want a traditional or FPV ( First person View ) drone - it is a little more but I have a DJI Avata and it is very fun to fly but not as good as a traditional drone for photography.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

Forgot to say, get more than one battery. I did four for my DJI Mavic Air.

 

[lariat]

Forgot to say, get more than one battery. I did four for my DJI Mavic Air.

This is the freaking truth. And stop fast charging unless you really need to.

 

[K470]

Thanks for all the sources for non chicom drones. I'm not concerned about sensitive areas but in my past life I learned the chicoms would be interested in images of industrial locations and facilities. Pieces of a puzzle can create a very good image.

 

[lariat]

Thanks for all the sources for non chicom drones. I'm not concerned about sensitive areas but in my past life I learned the chicoms would be interested in images of industrial locations and facilities. Pieces of a puzzle can create a very good image.

This is correct. But most of those areas are controlled airspace. I said most.

 

[Scrubsr1]

What knd of range do they have? could you fly it out to check your target hits (or misses) at 1000, or a mile?

I shot this short video a few years ago after purchasing a Mavic Air 2. It was my first day flying the drone and tinkering with the editing software, hence the poor quality. Regardless- they work great for spotting/checking targets at long range.

 

[marsgoose]

I strongly recommend the DJ Mini 3. It has 4K HDR video too so you can shoot some cool shots as you practice. Great drone to practice with without spending a ton of money yet.

 

[roostercogburn98]

I ran a Yuneec Typhoon Q500 for a long time. It was pretty nice and flew good. As bullshit as the FAA registration is, it’s only like 5 bucks and write the number inside the battery tray in sharpie.

I’ve also flown smaller FPVs like the Blade Nano, Mach25, and some other faster ones. I built a huge one a few years back that I never really have a chance before I sold.

 

[fpgt72]

Why does everyone that makes a video want to put the horrid music with it.

I don't want to single out one video, so I will single out two.

Apocalypse Now, ahhhh ok sorry to me not interesting or funny.

Video two, who here would not rather hear the crack of the rifle and the smack of the plate.

Yes I do know about wind noise and you can reduce that with editing, bug generally I don't bother.

Turn down the volume the wind noise is bad. But IF you watch it, what is more enjoyable, quiet, or the very low noise of the wind, or the music so many stick in the videos.

Perhaps I am wrong, just my feeling.

These videos are roughly 10 years old, before all the "rules". I still have my planes, but all my batteries are long dead.

 

[Charmingmander]

Doesn't DJI have a super sketchy privacy policy?

I have a friend who builds them himself. No auto stabilization or anything. Been doing it for awhile using parts kits and making his own parts with CNC and 3D printing.

 

[fpgt72]

Doesn't DJI have a super sketchy privacy policy?

I have a friend who builds them himself. No auto stabilization or anything. Been doing it for awhile using parts kits and making his own parts with CNC and 3D printing.

I have a feeling he is using some kind of "controller".

Now I do know some people that manually control all 4 motors manually, but the best they can do is a hover, and perhaps a circle. It is really hard to do.

The Pixhawk is pretty popular in the DIY market, I think there is one more, and at the time I was doing it you could even buy the DJI controller on its own for your home build, but again this was 10-ish years ago.

It is really fun building them, I always did kits as 3d printing was not really a "thing" yet. But it is fun.

I still have kits in the rafters in the basement, I never toss anything.

 

[Charmingmander]

I have a feeling he is using some kind of "controller".

Now I do know some people that manually control all 4 motors manually, but the best they can do is a hover, and perhaps a circle. It is really hard to do.

The Pixhawk is pretty popular in the DIY market, I think there is one more, and at the time I was doing it you could even buy the DJI controller on its own for your home build, but again this was 10-ish years ago.

It is really fun building them, I always did kits as 3d printing was not really a "thing" yet. But it is fun.

I still have kits in the rafters in the basement, I never toss anything.

I think his interfaced with his phone using some kind of app and a controller you attach to your phone.

He could fly it all over the place without issue. Sent me some pretty cool videos from around his AO.