As Ive I learned a lot already by positive lurking (with lots more to learn), I thought I had better poke my head up and get Official;) As my kids have shamed me into: “if you take stuff from it, then you should offer a contribution”…
I recently bought (my first drone), a Mavic Air from Leics Drones. Found all the YouTube footage fascinating: esp the bit that said, in effect: “read the manual”
Like most of you, I have had to buy a raft of “essential” accessories and have become a bit of a PGYTech fanboy in the process…
Prob the best bit of kit I have bought so far is the LowePro BP250 droneguard backpack. As I think was stated in a thread, carry options are personal: however this pack has all my accessories in and I just pick it up and go when I fly. Its brill.
Im flying a couple of times a week, still learning all the modes etc. Im amazed at the tech that is in these things.
Ive been a bit disappointed that it is harder to find places to fly than I had anticipated: however I do understand the need for this and I like the general advice of “dont be a d*ck and you should be OK”…
Looking forward to contributing, when I can. I like the constructive style of the forum and the fact that its UK centric (if I can say that…)
Ive PMed a few guys who look local: are there any other locals to “kick the tyres with”?
Many other members also have the Mavic Air, and speak highly of it - so you’re in good company.
Amongst the members there’s a wealth of user experience to draw on if ever you need to ask for help with anything.
If you haven’t already, take a look at the Map of Members. This is a relatively new feature so not everyone is on there as yet, but I’m sure there are other members in your neck of the woods that will come and say Hi.
Hi Steve @Clarkey,
Welcome to our Forum from a fellow Air flyer (among others), nice to have you come out of the shadows, so to speak !, and into the spotlight !.
We are mostly fed 3 meals a day, and most of us don’t bite !.
Seriously, a very big welcome from all the Members of GADC.
Don’t be bashful, ask away questions you may have, get involved in chit chat !.
You will find many useful posts here that will make your flying experience a lot better, I’m sure.
Welcome to the madhouse Steve
Pull up a chair sit a while and enjoy the view as @chrisjohnbaker said if in doubt ask
We all have those moments we can’t find an answer on google but may have happened to someone on here
Enjoy your stay
Jeff
We have no secrets here. please feel free to ponder.
You may find some useful documentation in the “Members Only Area”.
Take a look at the GADC Drone Information pack https://greyarro.ws/t/gadc-drone-information-pack/3696/38
(The information is at the top of the post!)
Printing out a few of these my help in getting you attuned to the ways and means of drones, several members have found this information useful, and I am sure you will to.
Having some of these documents with you when you fly may get you out of a difficult situation, when possibly confronted by someone who does not always know the legislation.
If you’ve got any drone footage of fireworks, enter them in the competition. You could get a badge and and it would give the judges a break from looking at pictures of Norwich.
Chris: thanks for pointing me to the Members Area, Ill have a look. Im starting to understand that these quads get a lot of attention and responses might be “mixed”…so to have a pleasant yet assertive set of words will be useful I think;)
Had a lad come up to me the other day as I was learning the Gesture Control and I think he thought I was a Jedi;) I said in my best (student) pilot voice …“please stand behind the flight line and me, ill land and we can chat”. Then his Mum came over and we had a long chat and I think we added to his Xmas list;)
Papercrane: Im still trying concentrating on how to fly the MA and use the camera as a “display” mostly at the mo. Ive played with the camera and video settings and modes just to see if they work and what they do. Some good youtube vids on slowing down settings etc so this will be one of my next “lessons”. Im miles from Norfolk, and no fireworks pics are imminent - as I dont have the kahunas to flight at night yet;)
Although you have to sift the wheat from the chaff, I have found YouTube brill for most things (as long as you triangulate any views). Ill post my “dummy” questions in the main forum as I go
One of the things that attracted me to “Quads” was that its 50% flying and 50% video/photography (adjust % as you see fit): so theres lots to learn and looking forward to it…
@Clarkey (Steve) yes, you are doing things absolutely right, play with the settings to slow down the yaw rate, gimbal pitch speed, you are the only person who knows “what is right” for your particular needs.
It’s always nice to be able to “Educate” people into our wonderful world of droning.
I personally encourage it, as much as I can, to who ever is interested.
But as I always tell people, “I cannot fly this, and talk to you at the same time”.
I then ask out of courtesy, for them to wait till I have landed ,and turned the drone off.
I have recently in the summer, met people who I have talked to in the past.
And there they are in the Park with there drone, practising madly.
It does give you a “feel good” factor to think that a chat does not always do any harm.
Then there I am on the other end of the stick (so to speak) asking them questions ,and giving tips to them on flying there drone !.
Besides , life’s to short, as I always say, “advice is free”, “expertise comes at a price”
I have to say that I have never even tried the gesture control on my MA. It just seems to focused on the taking video of the flyer, and I prefer to be behind the camera!!! Give the quick shots a try - I think much more fun and a better help in understanding the flying capabilities of this brilliant drone - but whatever you prefer, Enjoy
As a newbie, I just think the tech is amazing. I wanted to see if the gesture control worked as it is funky, if a bit of gimmiky;)
Ive explored the Quickshots and these are cool too. Asteroid seems to be the “dazzler” of the bunch, although I think the Panorama mode in camera settings is impressive
Im a bit miffed cos I was hoping to get out to today and play with Tripod mode and take it through some light wooded areas to see the effect: however its a bit blowy at the mo;)
Keep an eye on GPS status!
Nothing better than wet trees to kill off the signals from the all-important satellites nearer the horizon needed for the most accurate GPS location.
Brian: you may be right but Ive got that newbie itch…it will prob wear off;)
OzoneVibe: night flying isnt on my baby steps list at the moment: but it will get there;)
BTW what is the weather App you have there? I use the Met Office and Im playing with Windy (the App, not a Condition;))
Managed to get out today for 4 batteries worth, had a few high wind warnings but all OK, made sure I had good satellites and HP set. Quite a good learning experience. Into and with the wind.
I got a bit brave and tried some Tripod mode stuff in a little gulley with a little pond/puddle at the bottom (that way I knew i could recover if things went FUBAR). Id done some HW on YT and its still not clear to me if I should turn down sensors off over water or not?
Anyway, I left them on (or whatever the default is in tripod mode) and noticed that when the bird got to about 4ft she started to “sink”: had to correct with the stick both times. I got a nice reflected image of her as she approached the water though;) Next Ive got to learn how to download and edit…
A also did some tripod mode through a tight little path in the woods. I noticed that she detected me several times as I was walking behind.
Also, I deliberately approached a wall (in tripod) mode and thought that she would fly over it or at least try to: however she just hovered, even when I kept forward pitch on. I can see this is the safe option. When I tried again from further away and approached the wall, then she did fly over. Prob or obv something to do with the range and time to react. Anyway, good learning that YOU still have to “think” when (flying and) using obstacle avoidance…
Only slightly scary moment was when she went in RTH mode (with a thicket of branches above us): anyway a quick Cancel sorted that out and I hand landed. All very cool… (by my standards;))
Ill post any new stuff in the relevant Category now, rather than in Intros.
Ah … I was meaning that these nights are associated with calm, windless, conditions … therefore not everything in winter months is windy. The following day is usually brilliant!
My general rule of thumb is if the sensors can only see water, then I turn them off. So if I’m flying near a canal and I know it can see the tow path and trees/shrubs and other stuff, I leave them on. But if I’m flying out over a lake and all it can see is water, I turn them off
