Excellent New Drone for Boating - DJI Mini 2

Hurricane said:
Thats a neat idea.
But I think you would need the care package as well.
When my Mavic Pro went in, we recovered it within seconds but the water damaged it immediately.
I'm sure that those floats would work but the drone would almost certainly get wet or even flip over.
That said, as a handle to grab it - sounds good.

BTW
Catching any of the DJI drones.
Apparently, if you just grab it and turn it upside down (in one movement), it switches its motors off.
It requires some confidence - I've only done that once - didn't hurt either.

One last comment about my Mavic Mini.
It regularly complains of a motor problem - always its port aft prop (you can tell - because it "twitches" that prop after it has landed).
I'm sure that those particular props are getting bent in the case - if I change those props it is fine for a while - then it complains again after it has been back in the case for a while.
I think that the case might need some editing!!
Anyone else with the same problem?
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I have landed it a few times in my pond on the floats and 100% it has stayed upright and landed dry. Obviously depends on sea conditions etc in real world use.

With regards to the under 250 gram issue with the floats. They take about 30 seconds to put on, so all urban and land flights are performed without floats, only time I use them is when out at sea. I have an over 250g license anyway...but would have no issues flying it out at sea anyway.

I do have a Spry Plus too...which is 100% waterproof, but the 2 axis gimbal produces completely shit video footage.
 
Paul_S123 said:
...but would have no issues flying it out at sea anyway.
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My issue at sea is the range.
I've hit the range limit on shore a few times and it returns to where it took off - then lands!!!
All as it should but no good at sea.
This is where the new Mavic Mini 2 comes into its own.

I've never hit the range limit of my Mavic Pro which has the longer range radio system.
So, it would make sense to upgrade to the Mavic Mini 2 for this reason.
My Mavic Pro works with the DJI Goggles - would the new Mavic Mini 2 work with the Goggles?
 
Hurricane said:
My issue at sea is the range.
I've never hit the range limit of my Mavic Pro which has the longer range radio system.
So, it would make sense to upgrade to the Mavic Mini 2 for this reason.
My Mavic Pro works with the DJI Goggles - would the new Mavic Mini 2 work with the Goggles?
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I agree, I am thinking of upgrading for this reason too.
 
One more point about the under 250g drones ...

As of next year all pilots have to be registered (even Mini pilots because the thing isn't classified as a children's toy) - When you register you are assigned an EU wide electronic registration number.

German law states that Drones over 250g must have the transmission of this number switched on so the drone pilot can be identified by an authorised 3rd party while it is in the air. (You can find the settings in the Go Fly App). I suspect other EU countries will have similar regulations.

The Germans are also doing away with the fire-resistant plate with name/address and replacing it with a sticker showing the e-ID number - can be anywhere on the drone, but is a legal requirement if you have e-ID transmission switched on.
 
Baggywrinkle said:
Just a few points about drones which doesn't seem to be discussed ...

The Mini 2, and the Mavic Mini are both under 250g - this is quite important with regard to flying in urban areas - when compared to drones over 250g - and this is take-off weight (MTOM Maximum Take Off Mass), so the floats will take the drone over 250g and put it in the next category. This has been confirmed by the CAA in the UK - it is take-off weight under 250g that matters.

The Mavic Mini 1 is 249g - so be careful even with motor covers, landing legs, and any other accessories you add to the drone, the Mini 2 is actually around 242g so there is some scope for accessories.

The following are the EU EASA Drone rules which are going to come into force across Europe (and the UK CAA has said they will adopt EASA rules even with Brexit) from 01.01.2021

All drones used for leisure use are flown in the "open" category - max altitude 120m, visual line-of-sight at all times, or using a spotter if flying FPV. Drones are further divided into sub-catagories A1,A2,A3 of the "Open" category which determines how close to people you can fly - this is where drone weight is important.



View attachment 102593
If you are flying for non-commercial, hobby use then in the open category.

A1 is the under 250g (Mavic Mini, Mini 2)

Rule: You are required to minimise flying over uninvolved people.

A2 is 250g-900g (Mavic Air 2)

Rule: In subcategory A2, which means in urban environments, you are required to keep a safe distance from any uninvolved people. As a rule, this minimum distance should be equal to the height at which the drone is flying (e.g. if you are flying at a height of 30 m, make sure that the closest uninvolved person is at least 30 m from the position where the drone would vertically fall in the event of an incident). In any case, this distance must never be less than 5 m. In addition, you can also fly in the conditions defined for subcategory A3.

View attachment 102605

What are the requirements under the subcategories of the ‘open’ category? | EASA

So, with the Mavic Mini or Mini 2 as of 01.01.2021 they will be Open A1 .... this has a few formalities ....

1. You will need to register as a drone pilot with the relevant authority in your country of residence. Once you have UAS operator registration number it is unique within Europe and applcable to all EU countries.

Exemptions to pilot registration are ...

1. Drone weighs less than 250g and has no camera or other sensor able to detect personal data; or​
2. even with a camera or other sensor, weighs less than 250g, but is a toy (this means that its documentation shows that it complies with ‘toy’ Directive 2009/48/EC);​

Unfortunately, while being under 250g, the Mavic Mini and Mini 2 probably do not qualify as toys under Directive 2009/48/EC - there is some debate but the consensus at the moment is that they are not marketed as children's toys so are unlikely to qualify.

2. The country where you fly your drone may require compulsory third-party insurance. This is true of Germany where I live and insurance here costs anything from €26-€100 Euros.

3. Once registered, you will need to attach an identifying plate to your drone (in Germany it must be fireproof) with your UAS operator registration number - the UAS operator registration numbers are unique across Europe so once you have one, it is valid across Europe.

Obviously you also need to acquaint yourself with the no-fly zones and any local rules in the country where you want to use the drone.

Drones (UAS) | EASA

PS: Obviously out at sea there will not be any "uninvolved" persons, but I use my drone for landscapes, and aerial photos of harbours, towns etc. so for me <250g is essential. I have also been accosted by angry people threatening to call the police, demanding that I don't photograph them, and complaining about the noise of the drone (basically the last argument once the rest has been explained with relevant web links) .... so <250g gets you out of potential legal usage problems around urban areas or people.

PPS: .. and then on top come privacy laws which are another nightmare in themselves.
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My Advice would be to Just be sensible and fly your drone with respect and common sense. While all this stuff is generally true Be mindful that in real life very little of it applies and no one to police it.

If you want to study all this then fine but life is kind of too short.......................... So many people love to quote the rules and often ignore that god given thing called common sense
 
Bigplumbs said:
My Advice would be to Just be sensible and fly your drone with respect and common sense. While all this stuff is generally true Be mindful that in real life very little of it applies and no one to police it.

If you want to study all this then fine but life is kind of too short.......................... So many people love to quote the rules and often ignore that god given thing called common sense
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As with everything, it's all fine until it's not, and nothing is policed until it is - some peoples purpose in life seems to be to act as an example to others, and life really is too short to get caught up in legal wrangles over something as stupid as flying a drone. Complying with the rules isn't difficult so why would you choose not to?

PS: The police and the public are getting much more drone aware than they used to be, especially with so many people buying hobby drones and doing stupid things - some people caught by their own footage on YouTube.

Lets hope the EU are as sensible as the Americans.

 
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But then there are the people on the other side who don't understand the rules.
An example.
We had a street party to celebrate VE day.
I put both the Mini and the Pro up to make a video later.
No problem with the neighbours in our street - they loved it.
But down the hill, well away from where I was flying, someone caught sight of my drones in the distance.
Then, later on a Facebook page they complained, saying that Drones are illegal and shouldn't be flying anywhere.
Just plain ignorance.
Everyone in our street agreed that I was flying in accordance with the Drone Code and a good video was produced for all to remember.
 
Baggywrinkle said:
As with everything, it's all fine until it's not, and nothing is policed until it is - some peoples purpose in life seems to be to act as an example to others, and life really is too short to get caught up in legal wrangles over something as stupid as flying a drone. Complying with the rules isn't difficult so why would you choose not to?

PS: The police and the public are getting much more drone aware than they used to be, especially with so many people buying hobby drones and doing stupid things - some people caught by their own footage on YouTube.

Lets hope the EU are as sensible as the Americans.

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Well you do it your Way and I will do it mine. Keep copying and pasting the rules if it makes you happy .... As I said life is too short for such nonsense. If people want to know the rules they can easily do a search. Posting them on here is simply pointless.

If you think people are becoming more drone savvy about the rules and know then correctly I am afraid you are deluded......... Why would anyone be interested
 
seastoke said:
You can see why people dont like them over their house though.
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Why is that then.......... Think they might take a photo....... Have you heard of Google Earth.

If the Mini 2 was hovering above your house at the max legal Height you would simply be no wiser they are so quiet and small
 
PalmaTarga said:
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?
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No, I just updated my post to say that total loss of drone is not covered.

The reason I mentioned this care package is that I am recovering from a drone incident which did involve the seabed. That was without a care package in place. DJI support have been brilliant. Now I’m going to ensure that I have cover in place for future drone activity.

Also note that the auto land, when automatically returning home, will touch down up to 30 metres from the take off point. The moral is not to take off within 30 metres of water unless you have those nice floats referenced in an earlier post. If all is behaving, you can take off anywhere and go anywhere. If something goes pear shaped the 30 metres from water guideline may save the day.
 
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Bigplumbs said:
If people want to know the rules they can easily do a search. Posting them on here is simply pointless.
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On the contrary. Rules are constantly changing; I wasn't aware of the new rules and am grateful to Baggywrinkle for posting them with links.

Anyone who unilaterally asserts that another member's posts are pointless should make certain of the construction materials of their own house.
 
LiftyK said:
No, I just updated my post to say that total loss of drone is not covered.

The reason I mentioned this care package is that I am recovering from a drone incident which did involve the seabed. That was without a care package in place. DJI support have been brilliant. Now I’m going to ensure that I have cover in place for future drone activity.

Also note that the auto land, when automatically returning home, will touch down up to 30 metres from the take off point. The moral is not to take off within 30 metres of water unless you have those nice floats referenced in an earlier post If all is behaving, you can take off anywhere and go anywhere. If something goes pear shaped the 30 metres from water guideline may save the day.
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After my seabed incident with my old Mavic Pro, I eventually sent it to DJI for repair (no care package). As you say, they were very good but the cost of the repair was as high as buying another drone so I told them not to bother to send it back. However, they did send it back and IIRC, all the carriage charges were covers by them. Service like that was the reason why I replaced it with another DJI Mavic Pro.

Return home.
Never experienced 30m inaccuracy on a RTH.
Always been within a couple of metres and usually within 500mm
 
Bigplumbs said:
Well you do it your Way and I will do it mine. Keep copying and pasting the rules if it makes you happy .... As I said life is too short for such nonsense. If people want to know the rules they can easily do a search. Posting them on here is simply pointless.

If you think people are becoming more drone savvy about the rules and know then correctly I am afraid you are deluded......... Why would anyone be interested
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I will keep posting useful information thank-you, you can always put me on ignore or skip my posts - you don't have to read them ?

I've met many drone pilots and people considering buying one to know that many are unaware of the rules, or even what they should be googling for - especially in the sub 250g category because they think under 250g gets them off the hook for everything - the rules, IMO form a very important part of any purchase decision.

There is a major alignment coming in Jan next year where many countries own rules will be replaced by the uniform EASA rules, I believe it is worth knowing what they are - because googling at the moment throws up a mix of both current country specific and EASA - this is confusing IMO.

EASA is not hard:
  • register as a drone pilot - most online registration will go live in December, some may be live now dependent on country.
  • mark the drone with your e-ID - you can buy a label online for a few euros.
  • have 3rd party insurance (country specific) - pretty cheap, €25-€80
  • have remote identification turned on if your drone is over 250g MTOM - it's in the GoFly menu
  • complete online training and exam if your drone is over 250g MTOM - provided by the CAA in your country of residence
  • Complete the written test with the CAA if your drone is over 900g - eg Phantom
The other point is that once you have a drone, you will eventually come across angry members of the public who threaten to call the police (been there, done that) - often they have already been googling on their smart-phones and have out-dated or false information - it helps to be able to point them at the definitive rules before they call the police - there is always the issue of privacy legislation, which are very country dependent and may involve the police going through the contents of your memory card to see what you have been filming - a polite and informed discussion will often diffuse the situation in a few minutes. Germany is particularly bad on the privacy front, and as you keep saying, life is too short - I'd rather be flying than arguing with Mr. Angry and Plod - worse still, I don't want to end up with a fine or in court, over something so trivial it could easily have been avoided.

The rules might be a deal breaker over and above the specs of the drones themselves to some people - anything over 250g can't fly over populated areas where you are unable to guarantee the necessary distance from uninvolved persons - so those panoramas of towns, harbours or cities are easier with a Mini or Mini 2

I'm sure you will be fine doing things whatever way you like, and that if you are unfortunate enough to run into any trouble, then I'm sure your big plumbs will be more than enough to persuade the authorities not to fine you or confiscate your toys ??? ..... but why not just let others decide if they want to know about the rules, everyone is free to skip my posts if they want to (y) ... life's too short ?
 
Hurricane said:
The online/test course is easy.
Open one window with the questions and another window with the answers.
Then Copy/Paste - simple.
Oh yes - I got one wrong :oops:

I suppose thats not the point - its about getting you to read the code and the online test just forces you to do that.
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This is not the test that is referred to in the new CAA rules. The new test from December (you can take it now, I have) is more stringent. Although it is taken at home it is remotely moderated. The Moderator takes over your desktop and closes all applications. You then have to use a camera to show there are no materials on your desk, walls, floor etc and no mobile phones around. You are then watched through the camera whilst you take the exam. The exam questions are detailed (however they match the sample questions in the training material so make sure you concentrate during the "learning checks" in the training) so its not that straight forward.
 
mlines said:
This is not the test that is referred to in the new CAA rules. The new test from December (you can take it now, I have) is more stringent. Although it is taken at home it is remotely moderated. The Moderator takes over your desktop and closes all applications. You then have to use a camera to show there are no materials on your desk, walls, floor etc and no mobile phones around. You are then watched through the camera whilst you take the exam. The exam questions are detailed (however they match the sample questions in the training material so make sure you concentrate during the "learning checks" in the training) so its not that straight forward.
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Thats a big mistake in my view.
Fewer people will now take the exam because it is more of a faf.
This should be "carrot and stick" approach - the "carrot".
We will just end up with loads of people with drones that won't take the exam.
At least with a simple test, you have the assurance that they have read the criteria.
Bureaucracy rules - again.
 
Has anyone tried flying the mavic mini/mini2 at night?

I ask because the tello which my son has does not like flying at night because the optical sensors that help it hover in one place dont work in low light, and it starts to drift rather than hover in place.

I know the mini/mini 2 has gps in addition to the optical sensors, so was wondering if this will fly in the dark , or whether it only really works in daylight?
 
julians said:
Has anyone tried flying the mavic mini/mini2 at night?

I ask because the tello which my son has does not like flying at night because the optical sensors that help it hover in one place dont work in low light, and it starts to drift rather than hover in place.

I know the mini/mini 2 has gps in addition to the optical sensors, so was wondering if this will fly in the dark , or whether it only really works in daylight?
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It's very difficult to determine the orientation of the drone at night, although the Mini 2 has 2 LEDs on it instead of one so should be easier, haven't tried yet.
The camera in the Mini is not really good enough to get your orientation from the video when it is really dark ... and the camera isn't really up to night photography.

It will fly though and is stable.

This is the best I've managed from a Mini approx 90 mins after sunset and facing west .... just after the street lights came on - you can see some banding on the left, and the detail is missing from most of the foreground. There were also some unwanted colour castes.

May be able to get more out of raw images on the Mini 2 in post processing - again, not tried yet.

Unbenannt.JPG
 
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