Latest DJI Drone

[MapisM]

I wasn't aware of it, but I don't think it's a feature that makes a lot of sense.
What happens if you can't reconnect the controller, it keeps hovering till the battery lasts, and then falls from the sky?

 

[Hurricane]

I wasn't aware of it, but I don't think it's a feature that makes a lot of sense.
What happens if you can't reconnect the controller, it keeps hovering till the battery lasts, and then falls from the sky?

Better than it returning to where it took off - and you aren't there anymore.

Assuming that it was just out of range, at least if it just hovers, you can drive the boat back to it and regain control.
Also, I think these drones keep track of the amount of battery power that is required to get them home so if you are still close to it and the home point is miles away, it might decide to ignore you and go home anyway.
As the guy in the video and @Hooligan said, it would be nice if it could be set up to regularly reset its home point.
IIRC, DJI did have an option like that in their early drones but it caused a lot of "fly aways".
I think they were resetting the location of the controller as home and the location was being corrupted in transmission to the aircraft - I read that somewhere.
I believe that there is a menu option to reset the home point but I've never had the time to experiment.

So for us boaters, we all just live with the consequences.

 

[Alicatt]

In my P4P there is an option to reset the home position, or make the controller the home position. Whether that has been removed in the latest firmware or not I don't know as I am using the previous firmware to that, there is nothing in the latest firmware that I need or want, just more restrictions.

Belgium has some very strict regulations on using drones, much tougher than in the UK, I cannot justify the cost of doing the training and then the licence here, so I go to Holland to fly as they are much more relaxed in their regulations. I believe as of 1st Sept. you will need a way of transmitting your data in a format that can be read by others on your drone, the P4P does not have that capability and DJI has said that it will not be able to do it, therefore I will have to strap on an external module that transmits the location and pilot details.

I did the CAA licence a few years ago and have kept it updated, I and my drone are registered with the CAA.

 

[MapisM]

Better than it returning to where it took off - and you aren't there anymore.

I don't think it's really better, M.
I only experienced a loss of connection once, and I got a message saying that RTH was starting in 10 seconds.
Which was fine for me, since I took off from the dock in that occasion .
But I was pleasantly surprised to notice that as soon as the drone was closer, the connection was re-established and I gained control of the thing without even needing to stop the automatic RTH.
So, I would think that if you fly it while anchored, RTH is always preferable to static hover.
But I see your point if the drone is flown while cruising, possibly at some speed!

 

[Hurricane]

I don't think it's really better, M.
I only experienced a loss of connection once, and I got a message saying that RTH was starting in 10 seconds.
Which was fine for me, since I took off from the dock in that occasion .
But I was pleasantly surprised to notice that as soon as the drone was closer, the connection was re-established and I gained control of the thing without even needing to stop the automatic RTH.
So, I would think that if you fly it while anchored, RTH is always preferable to static hover.
But I see your point if the drone is flown while cruising, possibly at some speed!

As far as I know, after RTH has been triggered, you have to press the RTH button to regain full control.
I didn't press that button once and it was a bit like forgetting to disengage the autopilot when entering a marina in a motor boat!
If you know what I mean - of course, we never make that mistake do we!!

 

[MapisM]

Interesting. On which drone model did that happen to you?
I can positively confirm that with the Mk1 Mini, when it went automatically on RTH after losing the remote connection, I did absolutely nothing to regain control. When I heard it above my head (after having lost sight of it, and with just a frozen image on the mobile phone - a bit scary!), I moved the joystick up instinctively, and immediately realized that it had regained full control.
Which makes very good sense, I think.
Maybe it makes a difference whether you pressed the RTH yourself, or it goes on RTH alone, after losing the connection?
But that's just a shot in the dark, 'cause I never use the RTH, normally!

 

[Hurricane]

Maybe it makes a difference whether you pressed the RTH yourself, or it goes on RTH alone, after losing the connection?
But that's just a shot in the dark, 'cause I never use the RTH, normally!

You could be right there, P
I once had an automatic RTH with my Mk 1 Mini (they only have a few hundred metres range) and it did simply respond when it got close enough for me to regain control.
Recently, it was my Air 2 that when I pressed the RTH button and had that weird experience when I tried to control it with the RTH beeper still running.
I think the answer is to listen to the beeper - if it is beeping and you want to regain control, cancel the RTH by pressing the RTH button.
All simple stuff if you use these things a lot - I don't use mine as much as I would like so I forget stuff that I have learned.
Same for driving a boat - I think it is an old age thing!!

 

[MapisM]

I like to think that (at least in a few fields) I forgot more than most people will ever know.
Sounds like a sort of appreciation for experience...
...and it's better than admitting I'm old and bonkers, anyway!

 

[Hooligan]

Did you know that the DJI drones can be set up to hover rather than RTH when they loose connection with the controller.

No I didn’t. I definitely need to set that up!!

 

[Bigplumbs]

Is this model legislation exempt thanks to size? Thanks.

No it is way over the weight limit. Excellent drone though

 

[Hurricane]

No it is way over the weight limit. Excellent drone though

Are you tempted?
That zoom camera is a fantastic improvement.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Are you tempted?
That zoom camera is a fantastic improvement.

Yes I was very tempted but I have the Phantom, Spark, DJI 6 Rota large one (x2), DJI 4 Rota (x2), Mini, Mini 2, Min 3 Pro, Air, Air 2, Air 2S and it is getting a little much even for me . I also predict the Mini 4 Pro is right around the Corner and I think that might be another one for me.............. The Air 3 is however an amazing Drone

 

[Hurricane]

Yes I was very tempted but I have the Phantom, Spark, DJI 6 Rota large one (x2), DJI 4 Rota (x2), Mini, Mini 2, Min 3 Pro, Air, Air 2, Air 2S and it is getting a little much even for me . I also predict the Mini 4 Pro is right around the Corner and I think that might be another one for me.............. The Air 3 is however an amazing Drone

Wow
I knew you has more than one but thats quite a collection.

The jump that DJI did from the Air to the Air 2 was significant which, for me, determined that "sweet spot" in their range.
Soon after I bought an Air 2, they launched the Air 2S which, IMO, really established that range.
So the Air 3 is a natural improvement confirming that place in the market.

For me, it is a bit like buying a DSLR.
You can buy cheap plastic cameras and you can buy the really expensive alloy body professional cameras.
But, for me, I always bought something in between - good enough camera body which could carry some good lenses.
Where you would pay a few hundred quid for the cheap cameras and a few thousand for the professional cameras, I would be paying something in between.
DJI's concept of the drone market seems the same to me.

Incidentally, these days, I don't use any of my DSLRs
The cameras on modern mobile phones produce a great quality.
My latest is the Samsung S23 - the camera on that phone is excellent.
I'm not going to but, rather than buying another DSLR, I would but the S23 Ultra (and use it only as a camera) - the extra camera/lens on that device seems fantastic.
The camera technology in the drone seems similar.

 

[wonkywinch]

Looks like the UK CAA want to tighten up legislation ..

 

[Bigplumbs]

Looks like the UK CAA want to tighten up legislation ..

They do indeed. They cant leave us alone..... Just constant attacks on Peoples Freedom by People who are paid for by the very people they seek to attack.

 

[Hurricane]

There is a small problem at the moment with videos.
I use KDENLive to edit which, at the moment, doesn't allow DJI MP4 files to be imported.
Running the files through ffmpeg seems to sort it though.
Being a new product, I'm sure this will be fixed either by DJI or KDENLive.

Just had a big upgrade to my Manjaro Linux system (now using Linux 6.5)
The upgrade came with an upgrade to KDENLIVE.
Well, it seems that the KDE Team have fixed that issue and I can now open DJI videos without passing them through ffmpeg first.
I didn't think it would take long - the KDENLIVE project is very active.