Excellent New Drone for Boating - DJI Mini 2

[Bigplumbs]

I have several DJI Drones and today bought the new DJI Mini 2. It is very small quiet and can apparently handle wind well. I also have the Mini 1 which is not so good at this.

If you would like a small drone very suitable for taking off from your boat. I would seriously consider the new DJI Mini 2 (£549 Combo Package and Argos got them in stock)

Tried it today and it is a lovely piece of kit

 

[Mistroma]

Yes, quite a bit on it last week in this thread:

https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?threads/to-all-those-interested-in-drones-and-sailing.553126/

More than 20 posts and some useful information.

I had considered the original version but decided there wasn't much point before first lockdown. I suspected that it would be better to wait for a later model when lockdown lifted. Oh well, still looking a bit premature.

 

[vas]

there's probably going to be a mini4 at 300quid by the time we get rid of all the lockdowns and are safe to go boating

 

[Bigplumbs]

there's probably going to be a mini4 at 300quid by the time we get rid of all the lockdowns and are safe to go boating

Now Now your glass is half full not half empty

 

[vas]

blimey you consider that half full???
?

 

[jrudge]

My kids have drones (£50/£80).

I would not trust myself with an expensive one. How much easier are they to fly ? They have a lot of automation etc.

 

[julians]

My kids have drones (£50/£80).

I would not trust myself with an expensive one. How much easier are they to fly ? They have a lot of automation etc.

They're dead easy to fly, really stable, totally idiot proof, it's actually very hard to crash them, the software is that good.


Was thinking of getting the dji mini 2 myself.

The toy drones (don't know which ones your kids have) are usually a bit unstable and quite easy to crash and don't like wind, but the proper drones from the likes of dji are amazing.

The best toy drone is the dji tello, it's only around 80 quid, but is amazingly stable and easy to fly for the money, I got my son one for Xmas last year, it's a quality bit of kit for the money, but the camera is low quality and the range is small, hence thinking of a mini 2.

 

[vas]

had a dj phantom 4 or something in a box under my desk for the last 9m. Bought as part of a research project and I could use it if I wished. Knowing it was over a grand (here at least) I was afraid I'll have to fork out when I crash it and never even took it out of its box, not even a remote thought of taking it onboard.
Plan to buy a 100euro one to learn and then a better later, unless dj catch me and release a 300euro one soon

 

[MapisM]

They're dead easy to fly, really stable, totally idiot proof, it's actually very hard to crash them, the software is that good.

Are you sure it's the Mini that you have in mind?
This summer, my marina's office bought one of them, and I had a chance to play with it a fair bit.
It is indeed easy to fly, very stable and predictable, but it doesn't have ANY of the anti-collision sensors included in the bigger DJI drones.
And neither does version 2, due to the weight restrictions, as I understand.

It's still a very nice toy that can produce good results, but I wouldn't call it fool-proof at all.
In fact, one day when I was out at anchor, they asked someone else to fly it and film a big Perini while they were busy mooring her, and the pilot crashed it against a shroud.
The boat came out unscathed of course, but the Mini went down on the deck like a lead baloon.
And I must say, being a total beginner myself, that I can see why that happened - It never occured to me only because I was always VERY careful.
But it ain't the sort of thing that you can fly relying on its own capacity to avoid obstacles, because it just doesn't have any.

 

[julians]

Are you sure it's the Mini that you have in mind?
This summer, my marina's office bought one of them, and I had a chance to play with it a fair bit.
It is indeed easy to fly, very stable and predictable, but it doesn't have ANY of the anti-collision sensors included in the bigger DJI drones.
And neither does version 2, due to the weight restrictions, as I understand.

It's still a very nice toy that can produce good results, but I wouldn't call it fool-proof at all.
In fact, one day when I was out at anchor, they asked someone else to fly it and film a big Perini while they were busy mooring her, and the pilot crashed it against a shroud.
The boat came out unscathed of course, but the Mini went down on the deck like a lead baloon.
And I must say, being a total beginner myself, that I can see why that happened - It never occured to me only because I was always VERY careful.
But it ain't the sort of thing that you can fly relying on its own capacity to avoid obstacles, because it just doesn't have any.

Of course if you tell it to fly into something, it will. I didn't mean you couldn't crash it, I meant that unlike the kids toy drones that you have to fight to keep in the air, the dji drones will happily just go where you tell them to, and will sit in a solid hover even in quite strong winds.

 

[MapisM]

Ok, I agree all that.
Otoh, there are other drones that you can't "fly into something", because their onboard sensors prevent that from happening, automatically.
Which imho is a very convenient feature, particularly for beginners but not only.
My guess is that sooner or later they will find a way to squeeze those sensors in a 250g drone.
But not yet on the Mini 2, based on what I read.

 

[cherod]

thats quite a price drop from the previous 1k£

 

[markc]

I thought about buying a drone for a while and bought a Mavic Mini with the extra batteries etc for about £500. I shot quite a lot in the summer, but this was my very first attempt flying it from the boat, and it was dead easy. When I get round to editing the main summer stuff I'll post it here.

 

[MrB]

I thought about buying a drone for a while and bought a Mavic Mini with the extra batteries etc for about £500. I shot quite a lot in the summer, but this was my very first attempt flying it from the boat, and it was dead easy. When I get round to editing the main summer stuff I'll post it here.

First attempt? The editing was cool as was the music, looking forward to your next vid!! Nice job.

 

[Hurricane]

Ok, I agree all that.
Otoh, there are other drones that you can't "fly into something", because their onboard sensors prevent that from happening, automatically.
Which imho is a very convenient feature, particularly for beginners but not only.
My guess is that sooner or later they will find a way to squeeze those sensors in a 250g drone.
But not yet on the Mini 2, based on what I read.

Actually, P, none of the avoidance sensors would be able to pick out a boat's shrouds.
So sensors wouldn't have helped in that case.

I have had a few drones in my time - and lost some as well!!
I have the original Mavic Mini which IS dead easy to fly.
It flies without GPS as well - indoors for example.
You just take off and it will hover without moving unless you move one of the joysticks - it is that simple.

The Mavic Mini is as good as any of the others because, I can just throw it into a case and head off somewhere on holiday.
I have the "fly more" combo which has a small case with everything inside it.
Just like cameras, the best one is the one that you have with you.
The results from this little drone (even with the lower resolution camera) are really great.
I've flown it out of range several times and it has returned on its own so the new one with the better Ocusync feature will be a real bonus.
A small drone that can fly as far as my Mavic Pro - should be great.

That said, I won't be upgrading to the Mini 2 because the best results are taken much closer up than you would think.
Think of it more like a remote "selfie" camera.
It needs to be quite close to get useful images.

Here is a video made with the Mavic Mini (old one)
It is about the only boating drone video that I took this year!!!

EDIT
When you run this video - click the little square to go full screen.
And then click the little red cog and select the highest resolution.
I think you will be impressed.

And this is a photo taken using the same drone.
The image size has been reduced so that it will upload to this forum's stupid photo uploader.
But, I think you will agree that even with its 2.7K camera, it is perfectly acceptable.
Especially for a drone that you can sling in your case when yo go away.

 

[LiftyK]

DJI make superb drones. If you intend to fly over water, do consider taking a DJI care package (insurance). I was only made aware of these recently. Drones don’t float. With a care package you get peace of mind wherever you go. The cost seems reasonable relative to the price of the drones.

update
- the care package covers water damage but not total loss of the drone
- the care package should be in place before you setup the drone. I.e. it is offered only on new drones at time of purchase

 

[MapisM]

And this is a photo taken using the same drone.

Hi M, the new deck on JW definitely looks the part, congratulations!
I hope to see her in flesh next year. Fingers crossed for the sh!tshow to come to an end ASAP.

Back to the point, I have no first hand experience on how effective the avoidance sensors of the bigger models can be in all circumstances.
So, if you say that they wouldn't "see" a boat shroud, I take your word for it, of course. Still better than nothing, I suppose?
In the few experiences with the Mini of this summer, I never had any problem to avoid collisions, because as already said the thing is very stable and predictable.
But I did feel that a fair share of my attention was absorbed by constantly checking where the drone was going and what was around it - also because I mostly flew it in the marina, with several sailboats masts potentially interfering.
That's what made me guess that an automatic collision avoidance could allow the pilot to concentrate a bit more on the video composition.
Maybe not when there are sailboats around, but probably in many other occasions where obstacles are more clearly noticeable by the sensors, I suppose.

Anyway, FWIW, this is a short video that I made this summer in the marina...
...before someone else crashed the Mini on the big sailboat, that is!

 

[MapisM]

When I get round to editing the main summer stuff I'll post it here.

Looking fwd to that, but also the first attempt is quite remarkable, well done!

Out of idle curiosity, did you possibly refit/change the settee arrangement on the flybridge?
In some other F165 that I've seen, I don't think there were those facing seats on port side.

 

[PalmaTarga]

DJI make superb drones. If you intend to fly over water, do consider taking a DJI care package (insurance). I was only made aware of these recently. Drones don’t float. With a care package you get peace of mind wherever you go. The cost seems reasonable relative to the price of the drones.

With the care package, if they don't float are you still covered. ie, do you need the water damaged unit to get a replacement or are you also covered if it's sitting on the sea bed?

 

[Paul_S123]

With regards to the care package...you have to be able to give them back the drone...so I bought the care package and these:


Effects the stability a bit and not great to land in water.....but

A: Better than fair chance of recovering the drone.
B: Makes a great handle to catch the drone on a moving boat.

Shot the following video of my friends trader...with floats attached: