Drone recommendations for a 12 year old

Questions & Answers
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Hi all.

I’ve tried doing a search but couldn’t find what I was looking for.

As someone completely new to the world of drones, I am looking to buy my 12 year old son his first drone for Christmas, and I was wondering if someone could either point me in the direction of where this information is on the site, or alternatively offer some advice on a suitable purchase please.

My budget is around £400. My requirements are (or at least what I think they are) for it to automatically return and land, and to be able to view the camera through an iPhone display (unless that’s not a good idea!!).

Any help, advice or suggestions would be most gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Andy.

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Hi @dregsy , it looks as though you’re quite new here :wave:t2:

Why not nip over to the Introductions page, and say hello properly and tell us a bit about yourself. :+1:t2:

Is this genuinely for your son, or will you end up using it more? :smiley:

Check out the DJI Mini 4K, an incredibly capable drone which will do everything you need for around £270 quid.

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What Mr Ping said, Mini 4K all the way, even if you Son grows bored of it, you can use it so win win :+1:

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Thanks Ping, I appreciate that. I’ll take a look now :+1:t2:

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Thanks for the validation Raider :+1:t2:

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I forgot to say, of course I will be heavily involved in both the testing and training phases of the roll-out :joy:

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Considering you say you are new to drones, you have successfully identified two very significant basic requirements, RTH (return to home position, which requires gps positioning, which in turn greatly improves the drone’s stability, hovering abiltity, and course holding) and camera view monitoring through a smartphone app (though some DJI controllers come with built in screens), You’ve already sussed that the sort of cheap drones advertised on Amazon or Temu are not worth bothering with; I didn’t, and wasted cash, and (more importantly) time on them. They are next to impossible to control accurately and the cameras are pathetic.

The mini 4K is a superb piece of kit and excellent value for money, but a few subtle inquiries with your lad about what he wants from a drone might be worthwhile before committing. I’d have at least a look at the DJI Neo; not as good a camera or gimbal as the 4K, smaller, lighter, shorter battery time, and not as adept at handling high winds, but a very capable and flexible little drone all the same.

The bare drone retails at £189, but does not include a controller at that price. It can easily be hand-launched and be flown without even a smartphone by pressing buttons on top, which will enable it to perform set manoevres which are ideal for vlogging and selfies, and can be controlled for more freestyle and complex flying by an app on a smartphone. Spending more and buying the one of the various RC controllers it can be paired with will enable it’s full flying potential to be realised, and it has comprehensive obstacle avoidance sensors, so is particularly good for indoor flying, ‘follow me’ on mountain bikes, and that sort of thing. It also has a propeller guard bodyshell, which means that minor collisions with obstacles are more survivable.

It is worth buying the ‘fly more’ drone packs, which will give you 2 extra batteries, a charging hub for them, and a carrying case. Budget for DJI ‘Care Refresh’, which will provide a replacement drone if anything bad happens to yours, well worth it, a set of lens filters if you are going to be doing serious photography with it, and a propeller holder (these are cheap but very useful, stops your props flopping about and potentially being damaged in the bag).

£400 should get you a pretty comprehensive set-up, but budget another £400 because it is almost certain that you are going to want a drone for yourself, and then you can race them…

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@TheJohnster has gave a great in-depth post.

I would also recommend mini 4k but you did say for your cub, so a question also should be asked is what phone will be used as some will not work with DJI fly app.

I never looked at the 4k drone but I’m sure none of the controllers with screens will work.

So to overcome this and no phone needed I would look at mini 3 with RC with built in screen.

Second hand try dji refurbished or MPB for safe buy

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Thanks Ziceman. I’ll check regarding the phone comparability if I do go down that route. Something else I hadn’t even considered!!

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Thanks Johnster. I’m officially blown away! You should get a job working for Which!
A lot of very useful info there, so I’m extremely grateful. Loved the last comment about budgeting another £400 :joy:

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At the time, I had no intention of getting a drone but my better half bought me a dji mini 2 for my birthday and the bug got me. I subsequently purchased a mini 3 (by accident as I thought I was buying the mini 3 pro - dah) thinking it had optical avoidance. I now have a mini 4. Of the three the mini 4 is definitely top dog for what it can do but on quality of build the mini 2 has it - it’s more sturdy. As I understand it the mini 4K is effectively a rehashed mini 2 and if this is true and is of the same build quality I’d be tempted to go for it. I’m sure it will do everything you want of it and your son will be dead chuffed.

As for the Neo, Ian of London has a video reviewing the Neo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUdHTMNQL4s) but is not too impressed with its high pitch whining noise. The mini 2 is a little more noisy than the 3 or 4 (shorter props.) and perhaps the 4K is similar to the mini 2 but I’ve never found it to be annoying or troublesome to neighbours.

Just a thought, good luck.

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I think I’d find the pitch of the Neo’s prop noise a bit irritating, but it’d spend enough time being far enough away from me for this not to be too much of an issue; my hearing is deteriorating in my dotage, espectially for higher frequencies. That said, a Neo is more suitable
than my minis for indoor flying and that would increase the noise nuiscance…

I don’t like the whirrywhizzy prop noise from my minis much, but can live with it. Once the drone’s more than about 20’ away it’s not too bad anyway. The Squeeze, however, finds it horrible, and it seriously freaks her out.

I hate high-pitched whines, like from Flymos, street-sweepers, & Karens, and don’t mind the hearing loss so much…

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Hi Andy. Thanks for pointing me in the direction of Ian’s video. There’s a considerable difference in pitch and volume that even my old cloth ears would struggle to block out.

I feel this has all but sealed my decision to go with the Mini 4k.

Again, I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone for the advice. I really do appreciate it.

Regards,

Andy.

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Hmmm now a decision has now been made my friend my advice to you now is if you’re getting the 4K for you’re 12yo i would definitely invest in more props and make note of how they go on :laughing: and please get the care refresh sorted out
Also please keep us all updated with some progress videos

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Thanks for the advice Bullet - will do :+1:t2:

Should I get an operator’s ID if I do purchase the Mini 4k?

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Only if you intend on flying outdoors, which I assume is your plan? I’d head back to the introductions page and have a read of the beginners resources page. All you need to know to get legal and fly safely is in there.

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Thanks Joe, much appreciated. I’ll do that :+1:t2:

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No worries. If you have further questions just ask

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It looks like you are opting for a DJI Mini of some sort - great choice. One piece of advice - go for the flymore combo whichever flavour of Mini you buy. That will give you three batteries instead of one plus various other bits and pieces at a price rather lower than buying batteries individually after your initial purchase.

Believe me, if the flying bug bites either or both of you then you will want the flight time three batteries give!

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ABSOLUTELY!!!
And the flying bug WILL get at least one of you so you might as well get the batteries cheaper in the flymore combo

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