Drone suggestion

[5030]

Fine with me. Richard caused me to get one, I guess. I was going to buy another firearm but my toolbox is pretty full so I bought a drone myself. Bought one like Richard has. Bought an Autel EVO which at 1300 bucks isn't a toy by a long shot. Have to get my FAA Professional Drone Pilots License yet, I plan on using mine for fun and profit as in aerial field mapping and documentaries concerning planting and harvesting.

The Autel's are Kubota Orange unlike the DJI's which are boring grey and the EVO's don't have Geofencing built in. I'm very adverse to Geofencing myself.

Because I've never flown a drone and because the EVO is so expensive, I bought a second less expensive drone, a DJI Tello, to practice flying with. Cheaper to crash a 150 buck drone versus a 1300 plus drone.

Fly both of mine with a Lenovo 10.1HD Android Tablet with the appropriate Apps installed.

Range on the Autel horizontally is 5.5 miles and vertical ceiling is 2600 feet. FAA rules limit the altitude to 400 however. Distance wise is LOS. The Tello is very limited range but is a 'trainer drone'. Both have camera's on board and both do FPV and record.

Fun, but for me useful and I can make a profit with the Autel, main reason I bought it (other than it's Kubota Orange....)...:laughing:

 

[5030]

Yep, I've heard good things about those Drones.

Autel talked about a controller with screen. Opens like a Laptop with folding joysticks. I haven't checked with them for awhile to see if they offer it yet. Maybe DJI does, not sure.

They do Richard, my EVO came with it. It has a OLED screen and you can fly completely with the controller but to access the Autel Explorer App and use all the features, you need to pair the Smartphone or Tablet with the controller.

My EVO is the 'Rugged Bundle' they offer. Aircraft (TSA Approved) case, 2 spare batteries plus the one in the drone, the controller, charging cables for the controller and batteries, spare props and some other incidentals, all in a nice case with room for a tablet in the bottom.

Nice drone btw.

 

[bunyip]

That Richard is a problem, got me into trouble with my missus.........

 

[ovrszd]

That Richard is a problem, got me into trouble with my missus.........

But it was a good kind of trouble.

 

[5030]

Probably should have went all out and bought an Autel EVO 2 Dual with the thermal imaging....lol

 

[Alien]

After I had a few flights with my buddies Mavic and seeing just how clear the view was, I did a lot of research and ordered a drone. It is NOT a DJI mavic but it does everything the Mavic can do for a fraction the price and service backup is excellent.
Range is 8 klm and flight time is up to 35 minutes. Fitted with a 4K 30FPS video cam.
It is the Xaomi FIMI X8 SE 2020. I will probably sell some of my other drones when this arrives. My neighbour is showing an interest in one of them already.
Sale price was $AU720 with free delivery.
My mates Mavic cost him over $3200 with the accessories.
Spare battery for the Ximi is $AU135 and a set of 4 props is only $23
Another mate reckons if I buy one he will as well.

Now I just have to wait....

 

[dragoneggs]

After I had a few flights with my buddies Mavic and seeing just how clear the view was, I did a lot of research and ordered a drone. It is NOT a DJI mavic but it does everything the Mavic can do for a fraction the price and service backup is excellent.
Range is 8 klm and flight time is up to 35 minutes. Fitted with a 4K 30FPS video cam.
It is the Xaomi FIMI X8 SE 2020. I will probably sell some of my other drones when this arrives. My neighbour is showing an interest in one of them already.
Sale price was $AU720 with free delivery.
My mates Mavic cost him over $3200 with the accessories.
Spare battery for the Ximi is $AU135 and a set of 4 props is only $23
Another mate reckons if I buy one he will as well.

Now I just have to wait....

Good luck to you... drones are fun. The hardest thing is using them enough before they become outdated. Resist the temptation to keep up with the technology. I am on my second DJI. First was a Phantom III Advanced, my current is a Mavic 2 Pro which is a great compact and high res photo/video. Time to charge up the batteries and do some more flying now that summer is full on here!

 

[Alien]

Yes dragoneggs. It is always tempting to upgrade. This one is a relatively new release and can be updated. I have had drones for quite a few years now so I'm not likely to get sick of them LOL This one will enable me to do a lot more interesting stuff not to mention checking my property and checking out smoke sources which is always a concern around here.
Can't get a better tool for that job.
My other drones carried a camera but I had to download it to see the video. This one is FPV.

 

[ovrszd]

Never heard of that brand. Anxious to hear a report from you. And see some pics of the drone itself. Thanks for updating us.

 

[pokey1416]

Always interested in following the drone thread. UAS is one of my duties here at work the last 3-1/2 years so most of my imagery is work related. Really enjoyed the view of the upper NY countryside.