Fairly simple question.
Do you own one? What do you have? A DJI, Parrot, Zero-X etc?
There's rarely deals for drones (except for that banging Bunnings bargain) so it's not often discussed.
I personally fly an FPV quad that I built myself. Here's a link to the build guide I followed if you're interested.. My drone doesn't look as nice as that (it's been crashed a lot).
yes dji spark
one got lost by itself and let me tell you getting the extra warranty does nothing and dji customer service is the worst in the world by far
bought the second one when they were on clearance at jb (still has all the old accessories)
did they ask you to submit a fly record?
what was the result of their analysis?
Yes I did they determined that it was windy even though it would fly perfectly in one direction (towards the wind) but not with the wind
was in contact with dji for over a year and a half and in the end just settled for a discount on an accessory
(just makes me appreciate apple customer service more)
Their Customer service is very inconsistent. Sometimes they are happy to believe customers, sometimes they come up with the most mind boggling explanation to reject their claim
I fly them for photographs. There hasnt been much opportunity to go to remote areas so havent flown them for a while.
OzBargain drone racing competition when?
DJI Mavic 2 Zoom. I had a Mavic but couldn't resist a cracking deal on the Mavic 2 a while back (which was posted here) and I duly upgraded. Lockdown has meant I haven't flown in over six months and I really can't wait to go flying again. I love DJI products as they're just beautifully designed with a level of quality that has surprised me (and I've since bought other gear from them like the Ronin S…and now an RS 2). And despite my initial fears about flying a drone (namely, concerns about losing such an expensive gadget), I found it relatively straightforward which is largely due to the DJI controller app. Funnily enough, I have flown over water for the majority of my flights and have no legitimate fear of it falling in the sea or a lake.
In saying that, I had a scare early on when I first started flying. The Mavic lost contact with the remote control while it was over the water and I crapped myself! The screen went grey and I thought the drone had simply fallen out of the sky. Once I moved position, away from some trees which created a level of interference, the connection was re-established and I was able to keep flying. I later discovered that it was set to hover in case of connection drop outs, by default. You can also set this so that the drone returns to home, if you are more cautious. How cool is that? So I've always felt a sense of comfort when flying anywhere and I trust the gear wholeheartedly.
Drones are not the spying/prying/invasive tools that fearmongers and technophobes make them out to be. While some drones are clearly designed for fun, most users of the more serious drones (i.e. the more expensive ones) are merely looking to broaden their photo/video options, for personal or commercial use. The perspective you get from aerial shots with a drone is often spectacular and unique and so, in my view, as someone who also loves photography and videography, it's worth paying for a drone that delivers great results.
Yes, Covid has delayed me as well. It's also been winter where the weather is cold and wet. Plus the days are shorter. Hopefully summer we have some great weather for the gorgeous scenery.
Unfortunately all it takes is a handful of people out there doing the wrong thing (invading privacy, flying in dangerous/illegal places) that tarnish the good users like ourselves.
When I fly I always make sure nobody else is around for ages and check the app to see if I can fly in the area.
I've yet to use a DJI product, but they have designed the current best HD system for FPV drones. I'm still stuck on analogue, as it's a $1000 leap to go digital.
As they say, it only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch. This applies to motorbike riding too. But that's a separate topic…
I've not paid any attention to FPV drones previously but after reading your post, my interest has been piqued. I may have to investigate further.
Before we say if they are spying, let us consider a few factors
While I do not think that they are currently using the data I have acquire for nefarious means, I am aware that there is a possibility that they can.
My reference to spying was more in relation to the users, not DJI as a company. But you raise some interesting points.
I see. Sorry I misunderstood.
I try not to fly where there are people around, like beaches. I think: "Would I like someone flying a drone overhead me right now?":
Have a mini - loved it. Really handy sized and did a lot of shoots in the Japanese alps.
Bunnings was a price error, not a bargain.
But if people successfully bought the item at the mega-reduced price, isn't it still a bargain to them? :)
It was a bargain in the sense that I unfortunately didn't get a brand new mavic, but I got $250 instead.
Surely at this point some people knowingly purchase things which are price errors just for a beneficial reimbursement?
I clearly remember seeing that deal come up here within minutes of being posted. I deliberated, then decided not to because 'obviously it's a ridiculous price error and it'll never get honoured'
I still can't believe they not only honoured it for many, but even gave compensation to others who didn't get it. Bonkers stuff
Reasonably cheap marketing and goodwill…
@MrBear: According to Tightarse's audit after the fact at least 440 people were given a $250 voucher.
That's over $100,000 of "cheap" marketing.
The original deal had 41,000 clicks. I reckon a lot more people bought it and the poll doesn't reflect that. Bunnings lost a lot of money on the deal.
@SnowDragon: You could wind that figure back a little when looking at COGS rather than retail value…
Still, I find it insane they would shrug off an unplanned $60-80k as goodwill. Surely some heads would have rolled on that.
@SnowDragon: That is extremely cheap marketing!
The company's revenue is ~$15 billion a year, $100K and we are all talking about it on ozbargain is mud off the bottom of their boots.
Do You Own a Drone? No however I am looking for a GPS blocker.
If the drone from this deal counts, yes I own a drone and only paid 99c
Can't say it's amazing though…
Yeah, those ones were rubbish.
Build & fly my own FPV drones. Tried a stabilised drone, found it boring, but I can see the appeal for photos & videos though.
Gone digital yet? I'm only flying maybe an hour a week if that so i can't justify it. Using some Dom v2s and they are good.
No. I’m flying all micros, less than 100g. I think my lightest is 23g. No space there for digital & the financial queen will panic if I spring for the gear for digital at the moment. My goal has been to teach my 11-year-old padawan to fly FPV, and this year he learned acro mode through racing gates so I’m happy for now.
23g? That's amazing!
Phantom 3 (X2), Spark, Inspire, Xero, Tello, custom race quad.
You'd be a certified pilot already from the time you spend in the air.
A lot of them I cant use any more because of the new CASA laws. I am working out if it is all worth it to get them registered and get the proper qualifications or just fly them without it and risk getting fined… The Inspire I have not flow in years, the same with the Phantoms. I still use the Xero, Tello and Spark for jobs I do or to teach others how to fly. The race drone is way to fast for me to use for anything useful. The old man has a Mavic, and even at full speed, my racing drone make the Mavic look like it is standing still.
waiting for my first. hopefully mavic mini 2
I own a drone and take drone photography and video as a side gig. I have a DJI Inspire 1, and I have made enough money to easily cover the cost of the drone and more drones if I wanted to buy more. So yeah, you could say I have a drone.
Nice! What are your main clients? Wedding photography, real estate, council?
How many bought one to "use later"?
These things so often end up on the garage shelf along with radio controlled cars and old computers and other tech. They seem to be everywhere in shops but you don’t see them buzzing around your neighbourhood so much and if you do they piss you off. The old school thing of clubs for things like this is what is needed so that kids get introduced to them in a healthy way so the ones with an aptitude to them can carry that forward into their futures. Drones are an amazing technology that will have many more practical and recreational uses but the proliferation of cheap toys is just bad. I see my Twitter feed being invaded at the moment with a drone-like toy that will end up on the junk pile by January. Unlike puppies they don’t have feelings though ;)
It's quite rare I see someone flying a drone. The high-end stuff is out of reach for most people as a toy and generally is only used by amateur photographer/videographers. The cheap stuff is horrible and breaks/is discarded very quickly.
Unfortunately where I live there aren't too many people flying in groups. Been trying to get my friends into it so I have someone to fly with but it's an expensive hobby starting up.
Yep, I do two kinds of flying - a Mavic Pro when I want to do photography and video (let's be honest, DJI's are generally flying cameras) and FPV when I feel like doing something fun and adrenaline-pumping.
I build my own FPV quads, got about 15 or so when I include my sons (who are on hiatus - put that down to teenagers being non-committal). I fly a range of FPV quads from 2" right up to 6" although the 5"/6" is my preferred quad size due to its ideal balance between footage quality, tuneability and nimbleness. My current favourite quad is my Armattan Marmotte.
Currently using Fat Shark HD3 goggles - I haven't jumped on the DJI digital video hype train yet as I've built up a decent selection of gear. Strongly considering getting out of the FrSky ecosystem for control though - what they've done to the market in the last 2 years is frankly disgraceful.
I'm currently invested into the FrSky R9 system with a few remaining FrSky 2.4's. Running off a FrSky QX7 although I have to say that the RadioMaster TX16S and TBS Tango 2 are quite interesting to me. I might look at a multiprotocol setup in future but the sticking point for me is that most of my quads are now on R9 so that'll be a pain.
Have been experimenting with 6S as well and I'm a bit underwhelmed - in my opinion, the cost does not justify the small difference.
The main thing that holds me back from flying is finding people to fly with and secondly, finding decent places to fly in and around Sydney. I have a few spots but I don't like flying there on my own as it's important to be able to see people. Further, my favourite spot has been invaded by greenies and they're basically bushing it up which reduces my line of sight even further (even though this particular park has plenty of bushland, for some reason they want to totally bush up the remaining green space). Got a couple of mates I fly with but family duties has reduced availability, basically.
Wow thanks for your response. It's interesting to find out what other people are up to. You must have burned a hole in your wallet to have 15 quads! I've been looking at getting a toothpick just for flying around the house (maybe workplace?). I know there are some indoor racing leagues around as well, so perhaps a dual purpose.
Could you elaborate on what FrSky have done? I'm guessing because they are the biggest brand they bully other smaller brands into submission?
I'm still on 4s packs at the moment as well. Maybe if 6s were the same price or just slightly more expensive they may be worth it.
I 110% agree it's hard to find places to fly. I try to go to local ovals and parks to fly. It's a bit easier now during spring, but during summer it's basically impossible to find a time where there aren't people about. So many times I have gotten setup and get through half a pack before I see someone and a dog rock up so I pack up and leave. I don't mind flying when I have my partner or a friend with me since they can look out. But flying alone is scary because anyone can come up to you.
I'm jealous of the people in the US who seem to have boundless areas to fly. Bardwell's backyard would be great to rip around on.
Absolutely, Bardwell's yard would be great. I often lobby Mrs. Symowallo for a country move for that reason (and a few others).
I've been doing quads since 2015 and my kids got into it back then (on and off) and once you've built a few, building extra ones is relatively inexpensive due to the spare parts I typically amass. Compared to other hobbies, it's not too expensive really (I was trying to get a private pilot's licence and jetskiing before this, now they're expensive hobbies!)
I'm not into racing - it's a young man's game. I've done some carpark flying etc, I'm more into freestyle but I have been to a couple of local events. There's an indoor one that used to run in Sydney at a go cart track. Probably good for toothpicks etc. I've dabbled in brushed micros but nothing too extensive. A mate has a couple of brushless micros and they're fun, plus they can also be flown outside - worth getting into I guess.
FrSky came out with the Access protocol because they wanted to stop other companies from releasing multiprocotol modules. The problem is, they didn't add support for all of their RX's. Consequently, many of us have half of our RX's supporting Access and half only supporting their earlier protocol (ACCST). Also, older (>2 years) transmitters don't typically support it, so they're essentially forcing an upgrade just to protect their own IP. Finally, they made it very complicated and confusing even for an IT guy like me to keep firmware versions consistent as there's backward compatibility issues, even within the same protocol. Ie. the R9 module, if flashed (even on ACCST) requires the RX's to be flashed with the same version and it's quite fiddly and time consuming - often requires desoldering of the RX to do so. But the icing on the cake was when retailers were told that if they sell the competing multiprotocol TX (Jumper or Radiomaster) they would no longer be supplied with FrSky gear to sell. That topped it off for me as such anti-competitive behaviour should not be tolerated in this country.
I'm going to be staying on 4S because the benefit of 6S is not enough for me to justify the changing of motors and higher battery cost. 4S still has plenty of power - the main difference between 4S and 6S is sagging at the end of the pack. I'm also considering the Radiomaster TX16S so I have freedom of RX choice as I have collected some Spektrum and FlySky gear over the years as I tried various systems. A multiprotocol radio would allow me to put the spare RX's into service.
What city are you in? Sydney has a few spots but exactly as you said - having someone there, even if they're flying with you, helps a lot for spacial awareness. I would also recommend trying out flying at the beach. Less obstacles, sure, but it's really exhilarating in my experience although dedicated proximity flyers might find it a bit boring. Failsafes at distance can be fun to deal with… not.
Oh I didn't know FrSky were doing that. I have ACCESS on my QX7 but never really knew what it was for. TXs have heaps of features but all I use it for is arming and disarming and flying. My previous TX was a FlySky one I got with my first quad - X220 Wizard. How shocking that thing was.
I'm down in Hobart so it's hard to find both people and places that aren't taken. I've seen a few nice beaches where nobody was at that I wouldn't have minded flying. I've hit the failsafe a few times but that was before I had a stack that allowed it to be displayed on screen so it hasn't happened since.
I'm also more into the freestyle type of flying. Usually have a gopro strapped for my greatest hits (i.e crashes) and nice looking footage. I'd like to get to film some drift cars down at the track but I'm still getting better at flying. In my past 20 odd packs I've only hit the deck once so I'm getting there.
DJI Mavic Mini
I had spark, mavic pro, mini and the latest i have was dji mavic air 2. Among all, mavic air 2 is my favorite.
Boring piece of kit used by ignorant people with no respect for the the people around them.
I think if you read the comments you'd find most people are respectful when it comes to using them.
Its the 1% who ruin it by invading privacy and flying near airports or something.
I have been looking to get a drone but dont want to spend too much money. I just want a drone to carry out roof inspection of my own property.
Any recommendation?
Shouldn't a roof inspection be done in person by a professional?
If you still want to drone, have you considered renting?
https://www.d1store.com.au/drone-hire.php
https://justdrones.com.au/whats-the-best-drone-for-roof-insp…
Rental seems like a waste of money to me, especially once you factor in insurance.
Yes a roof inspection should be done by a professional but sometimes I just want to inspect to see which part of the house gutter is filled with leaves and how bad it is…that sort of things.
And wow I didn't even know there is such a thing as drone rentals. I might consider. That said I am hoping to get a drone in the $200-300 region so I do not mind to actually own one.
Still looking to get some recommendation if anyone is keen to share.
Dji mavic air.
Havent flown it in years. Probably should check batteries. In sure they're forked.