Quadcopter/Drone Thread

airborne said:
What are the salient points in terms of drone laws in Sa?
Can they be flown above residential properties?
Over private property(that's not your own property)?

What are the main benefits of extreme range, do people really fly drones 5km away from the operator well out of sight, isn't that asking for trouble?
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DBAD

Don't be a ****.
 
airborne said:
What are the salient points in terms of drone laws in Sa?
Can they be flown above residential properties?
Over private property(that's not your own property)?

What are the main benefits of extreme range, do people really fly drones 5km away from the operator well out of sight, isn't that asking for trouble?
Click to expand...
I know you have to be within line of sight in some countries, not sure if SA is one.
I'm a fan of using them for mapping... have to love the eBee for that:
[video=youtube;NuZUSe87miY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuZUSe87miY[/video]
 
koeksGHT said:
DBAD

Don't be a ****.
Click to expand...

Actually I'd gladly sign up to give permission to a public crime fighting drone to patrol our neighborhood at night... just a pity FLIR is so flipping expensive!
 
Brawler said:
I am actually seriously thinking of going for it.
All reviews say it is an absolute bargain at normal price (13k) so to get it for R6.7k it seems like a no brainer.

All reviews seem to suggest brilliant camera quality, 500m easy to 1km range, easy to fly etc. It flies to start point if it get disconnected. Smartphone app seems very good.

I can live with that range.

Edit: It seems SA law says you cant fly the drone more than 500m away from you anyway (unless you have the license)
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Definitely a good deal for that price.

As for range, first question - who is going to enforce those laws? Not trying to be "that guy". IMO if you fly safe and don't do anything stupid it is fine. If get disconnects then you know you aren't flying safe.

Ok secondly, more of statement- flown 2km away with p4 without issues- clear line of sight and was over the sea without any disconnects at all. Any area like CBD and residential area will get disconnects as there is interference. With p3 std this is more the case as using 2.4ghz I believe (correct me if I'm wrong). 2.4ghz only has 11 channels so it is congested as it is at the moment if dense areas. Open fields and areas will be fine as don't need more than 1km range. Most of my flights are within 500m.

For 6.7k I would of already bought it if was you. That's cheaper than Parrot drones. The camera can do 2k 30fps as far as I remember. Then get all the tools you would need with dji go app. So worth it.
 
Hey guys - I just pre-ordered and paid for the DJI Mavic pro from ORMS direct. Pricey, but appears super awesome kit. With Rand/USD so volatile, that price could change quite a bit.
 
xeslaro said:
Hey guys - I just pre-ordered and paid for the DJI Mavic pro from ORMS direct. Pricey, but appears super awesome kit. With Rand/USD so volatile, that price could change quite a bit.
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Looks like it's the standard price in SA at the moment. Would be keen to see what ORMS prices the extra kit at.
 
xeslaro said:
Haha, thnx, I just needed a second opinion :D
Click to expand...

In the box:

DJI Mavic Pro
Remote Controller
Intelligent Flight Battery for Mavic Quadcopter
3 x 8330 Quick-Release Folding Propellers for Mavic Drone
Gimbal Clamp
Charger
AC Power Cable for Charger
16GB microSD Card
Micro-USB Cable
RC Cable with Lightning Connector
RC Cable with Micro-USB Connector
2 x RC Cable Slider
Click to expand...

I see batteries for around $90, doesn't seem too bad.
 
Randhir said:
In the box:



I see batteries for around $90, doesn't seem too bad.
Click to expand...

Seems like the only extras in the combo kit is the carry bag, 1 extra battery and some other intelligent charger gadget. Probably cheaper to just order a battery separate, if required.
 
xeslaro said:
Seems like the only extras in the combo kit is the carry bag, 1 extra battery and some other intelligent charger gadget. Probably cheaper to just order a battery separate, if required.
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Plus propellers. Is that one or two extra batteries?
 
HApyM3al said:
Definitely a good deal for that price.

As for range, first question - who is going to enforce those laws? Not trying to be "that guy". IMO if you fly safe and don't do anything stupid it is fine. If get disconnects then you know you aren't flying safe.

Ok secondly, more of statement- flown 2km away with p4 without issues- clear line of sight and was over the sea without any disconnects at all. Any area like CBD and residential area will get disconnects as there is interference. With p3 std this is more the case as using 2.4ghz I believe (correct me if I'm wrong). 2.4ghz only has 11 channels so it is congested as it is at the moment if dense areas. Open fields and areas will be fine as don't need more than 1km range. Most of my flights are within 500m.

For 6.7k I would of already bought it if was you. That's cheaper than Parrot drones. The camera can do 2k 30fps as far as I remember. Then get all the tools you would need with dji go app. So worth it.
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Thanks man. I have a friend with the Phantom 2 (same radio as the 3 std) and he happy with the range / signal. No complaints with interference.
 
Brawler said:
Thanks man. I have a friend with the Phantom 2 (same radio as the 3 std) and he happy with the range / signal. No complaints with interference.
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Has he used it over built up areas/suburbs etc? There's so many wifi networks these days wouldn't be surprised there may be some interference issues.
 
airborne said:
Has he used it over built up areas/suburbs etc? There's so many wifi networks these days wouldn't be surprised there may be some interference issues.
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Truthfully not really but I have seen him fly along the promenade which is very busy.

After hours of googling it seems the main issue with the 3 std is that the latest firmware is giving hundreds of people range grief with no way to downgrade.
 
At last, somebody that actually knows what's going on. In Contrast with the many other rushed reviews regarding image quality.

[video=youtube;v7V5K_-0Un4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7V5K_-0Un4[/video]

/also hoping he isn't a shill.
 
xeslaro said:
At last, somebody that actually knows what's going on. In Contrast with the many other rushed reviews regarding image quality.

[video=youtube;v7V5K_-0Un4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7V5K_-0Un4[/video]

/also hoping he isn't a shill.
Click to expand...

Didn't know about the focussing. That's definitely a game changer!

Wonder how the colour and sharpness of image compares to p4. If same or better might just sell the p4

P4 is definitely an event to take out. Draws a lot of attention as well.
 
HApyM3al said:
Didn't know about the focussing. That's definitely a game changer!

Wonder how the colour and sharpness of image compares to p4. If same or better might just sell the p4

P4 is definitely an event to take out. Draws a lot of attention as well.
Click to expand...

I think once the public get their hands on the mavic, then we should see real-world objective reviews.

I'm cautious to take too much from this video. For one, that close-up shot is not fairly comparable, the P4 is fixed-focus and any close-up comparison with a camera that has focus capability is, well, just dumb - it is optically impossible to attain focus at such close distance on a fixed-lens camera designed for aerial photography. So, that alone informs me that there may very well be some bias involved. Not to mention the comparative video scene - it surely cannot be that vastly different without some post editing or deliberate camera settings manipulation.

But, at the very least, the video does illustrate the mavic is not afflicted (when set-up properly) with the 'soft-image' issue as initially believed.

/edit: it is difficult to conceive bias where two products are manufactured by the very same company. Perhaps, the bias is to be found in this new compact-drone market. With the imminent release of the GoPro Karma, perceivable mavic's direct competition, DJI (with sponsoring/influencing/lending the use of the mavic in the above vlog) is trying to maintain a competitive edge, even if that entails trampling over its own P4 product.
 
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