Tips for new owners

[highlevel]

The first tip might be totally obvious, but I read of people finding drones and asking what to do. So this means the foundlings do not have a label giving the owner's details. Surely labeling your drone should be done even before the maiden flight!
My second tip is to spray the plastic gimbal lock a day-glow colour. It makes it more obvious that it needs to be removed before flight and refitted after. It also makes it harder to lose. Clear plastic is so easy to lose on location.

 

[jamesb72]

My tip is read the manual then read it again, every page. So many people wait till they have crashed or had a problem, ask on forum to be told it was covered in manual!

Also toss the gimbal guard which comes in the box and buy a better one, even the $3 type are better, the flexi rubber 3d printed are much nicer so worth spending on, I have a 'remove before flight' red tag tied to it with string which I tuck into the battery bay so i cannot forget!

 

[Mark The Droner]

My tip is fly it the first week without using the FPV. Concentrate on learning to fly the aircraft and learn the FPV stuff later...

 

[QuadBart]

+1

To add my own, then use the simulator to become intimate familiar with all the manual functions of your controller and all the functions/indicators on the GO app before ever flying.

My tip is read the manual then read it again, every page. So many people wait till they have crashed or had a problem, ask on forum to be told it was covered in manual!

Also toss the gimbal guard which comes in the box and buy a better one, even the $3 type are better, the flexi rubber 3d printed are much nicer so worth spending on, I have a 'remove before flight' red tag tied to it with string which I tuck into the battery bay so i cannot forget!

 

[NepenthesLucas]

My tip: don't be stupid

 

[regdawg]

My tip: don't be stupid

x50,000!!

 

[regdawg]

My tip is fly it the first week without using the FPV. Concentrate on learning to fly the aircraft and learn the FPV stuff later...

FPV your first time out will only confuse you. You'll pay more attention to the screen rather than where the bird actually is. Trust me!

 

[Air Ontario]

Read the manual several times AND fully understand it. Trust me it is the best insurance available. Being unskilled and ignorant of the operation of your model is a recipe for disaster.

Take it easy at first, it will pay you back in confidence and trust many days later.

Educate yourself on flight rules, weather, etc. and be a good, safe, respectful and responsible operator.

Have fun and help us promote the enjoyment of drone ownership.

 

[SouthernPhantom]

Start out in beginner mode. Go up to 20 feet using auto-takeoff then the vertical stick, then land using auto-land, and watch exactly what it does. Then after a couple of times. do it manually, landing all the way to the ground. Shut off the props by holding the left-stick down for three seconds, never with CSC.

Then 40 feet. then 80 feet, etc. Then start flying laterally in open fields, very carefully, not over groups of people or property, etc.

But most of you know all this.

 

[QuadDoc]

THANKS A LOT ALL of YOU.
I have compiled the ones I needed and are below. I am citing all of you guys. No plagirism !

· Read manual again

· My tip is fly it the first week without using the FPV. Concentrate on learning to fly the aircraft and learn the FPV stuff later

· Start out in beginner mode. Go up to 20 feet using auto-takeoff then the vertical stick, then land using auto-land, and watch exactly what it does. Then after a couple of times. do it manually, landing all the way to the ground. Shut off the props by holding the left-stick down for three seconds, never with CSC.
Then 40 feet. then 80 feet, etc. Then start flying laterally in open fields, very carefully, not over groups of people or property, etc.
But most of you know all this.

· 2. Calibrate your compass EVERYTIME before taking off

· 7. Be aware of orientation and maintain full control

To make it easier for yourself, take off with the aircraft oriented with the green lights facing yourself and the camera facing forward. This way, it will be much easier for you to know where the camera is pointed when you want to capture a video or photo. You can also turn on Course Lock to lock the camera's direction, making it even easier to fly and capture footage.

The DJI Phantom series are incredibly easy to use thanks to the integrated software and hardware and the smart functionality in the DJI GO app. However, you should still make sure to always have full control over your aircraft, even when using automatic functions such as auto-takeoff and auto-landing. Keep both hands on the control sticks to maintain control throughout each flight.

·

 

[Mark The Droner]

· 2. Calibrate your compass EVERYTIME before taking off

...
·

Most experienced pilots don't calibrate every flight. And there's usually no need for a new owner to calibrate every flight either.

 

[QuadBart]

+1

While I'd never go against what the manufacturer recommends, personally, I only do it if I shift more than 150 miles in location. I've been 75 miles away from my initial compass cal. location and experienced no issues.

Compass cal is quick so, its no biggie to do it before you fly every time.

Most experienced pilots don't calibrate every flight. And there's usually no need for a new owner to calibrate every flight either.

 

[Mark The Droner]

...
Compass cal is quick so, its no biggie to do it before you fly every time.

This has been discussed here dozens and dozens of times. In summary, if you have a good calibration, it usually doesn't make sense to calibrate because you risk losing your good calibration and acquiring a bad calibration. Hope this helps.

 

[QuadDoc]

This has been discussed here dozens and dozens of times. In summary, if you have a good calibration, it usually doesn't make sense to calibrate because you risk losing your good calibration and acquiring a bad calibration. Hope this helps.

Thanks, that helpful. I almost messed up not calibrating at all on my maiden flight. So, I guess its ideal for me to do the 'Drone Dance' when moving to new location or battery reinserted. My kids love watching that too !

 

[dirkclod]

Mine do too , I do it like this

 

[QuadBart]

So what if its been discussed ad nauseam. DJI recommends doing this prior to every flight. If one choose to "not follow" what DJI recommends thats up to the owner. I'd never recommend to anyone going against what the manufacturer recommends.

Cause when it comes down to it if they find in the data you didn't do a compass calibration and that had something to do with the crash are YOU going to pay for it? Is the OP going to say, "Well on phantompilots they said it wasn't necessary to do everytime?"

And if I'm having an issue doing a compass calibration maybe its telling me there is something amiss in that area. Maybe there are major steel pipes running just below the ground that I can't see or maybe there is something the bird is having problems with that I shouldn't fly...

QUOTE="Marknmd, post: 727319, member: 34683"]This has been discussed here dozens and dozens of times. In summary, if you have a good calibration, it usually doesn't make sense to calibrate because you risk losing your good calibration and acquiring a bad calibration. Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]

 

[Mark The Droner]

Your manual recommends a compass calibration before every flight? Mine doesn't.

Steel pipes hidden underneath are not going to affect your flight. But they WILL skew your calibration. And that is exactly why you would be better off not calibrating in most cases. The exception is when you know or suspect you already have a bad calibration. Or you're flying in a distant field from the last flight.

If you want to calibrate every flight, hey, more power to you. Just know that most experienced pilots don't.

 

[dirkclod]

Not just him..I only do one when I go in mine or move my tracker to another location on my bird or do an Adv cal. I never go more than 100 miles from where I live to fly and can't count the times I have been up . Has never in 2 years been an issue .
And I fly long range and always almost use RTH to come in .Always has .
so far

 

[MC_]

+1 for read your manual


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[dirkclod]

Always read your manual but also listen to lots of others that have been there and done that if you don't get it .
Then make your own assessment .
That is what this forum is for .
Manual leaves a lot out.