In the market for a Drone.

[Tunedfrog]

Ok guys, as the title says, any Drone flyers out there that can give me some ideas of a good but budget Drone.
I want it for our camping/fishing trips.

 

[luke66]

dji. look at those. some are pretty pricey but they are pretty nice.

 

[Tunedfrog]

Thanks Luke, I've checked them out but too pricey for me.
I know nothing about them so I've watching all I can on youtube.

 

[Doom!]

From what I've read is it's worth saving for the DJI, most people end up ditching their first drones for a DJI eventually.

 

[Tunedfrog]

Definitely some good reviews on the DJI.

 

[WickedFog]

From what I've read is it's worth saving for the DJI, most people end up ditching their first drones for a DJI eventually.

+1 man. The DJI Mini's are decent. I know you'll probably be out in the sticks using it, so who cares about laws, but the Mini is 249g, which is below the limit you have to register it (I believe).

There are other brands out there, and I am sure you are seeing some on YT. But everyone I know who has bought the "other" brands ended up regretting it and bought a DJI. My cousin did that. He now has 3 DJI drones.

I know it would suck to buy a used one and get a dud, but a lot of people do buy used DJI drones. A lot of people buy them and decide they don't use them enough. So they sell them. So you can find good deals on gently used ones, and usually they will have the fly more combo with extra batteries and such.

This is the one I would get. Fly More combo, with screen controller for $798
https://m.dji.com/product/dji-mini-3?vid=128091&from=store-nav

 

[Tunedfrog]

That one is definitely nice but a little too much for me.
I actually like the mini that is $340 I think it was.

Is Holy Stone any good?

 

[WickedFog]

That one is definitely nice but a little too much for me.
I actually like the mini that is $340 I think it was.

Is Holy Stone any good?

The Holy Stone ones are supposed to be OK. But that is one my cousin had before he got the DJI. He sold it I believe.

 

[Tunedfrog]

Going into summer, I have to keep it strictly budget or I won't be able to play all summer.
I actually like the reviews on youtube of the Holy Stone's.
I'll keep watching videos before I buy for a few days.

 

[Edfrombama]

Good morning to all-

Well, let's see. I have 2 DJI MINI 2 drones and I have four different Holystone drones. The Holystone HS 620 is a big, powerful drone with good camera optics, but it costs as much as a DJI Mini 2. And the Holystone is over 250 grams in weight, so it needs to be registered in order to be legal. All drones over 250 grams must be registered- no big deal, but a PIT.
I have not flown any of my Holystone drones for over a year since I bought the DJI Mini 2 drones. DJI drones are superior in every way.
The DJI doesn't have to be registered, it is very small and portable, and it is a superb flier and has great optics for both photo and video use. I have used my Mini 2 drones to get many overhead photos for use with the fishing articles I write. Very good little drone for backpacking and fishing use.
The Mini 2 drones can be obtained on ebay for about $350 for refurbed units. This label is not accurate- these drones are new- they are just left over stock- not rebuilt. I bought both of my Mini 2 drones this way, and they work perfectly.

Brother, you can do what you want, but in my opinion, buying anything other than DJI is really a waste of time and money.

Good luck.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

 

[Jamr]

I have a DJI Mavic Mini I got for under 300$ last year before Christmas.
I do not like how their fly phone app limits how high I can fly it and where you can fly it. if you are any where near an airport, their software can limit you from flying at all to how high you can fly it.
I was In AZ a couple of months ago and out in the sticks, no where near an airport and it still limited me to a 100 feet.
I am not an expert and have only used it a handful of times but I am really dissatisfied on how their software limits you.
I need to look into if there is other software I can use to fly it or am I locked into their world.
Other than the distance problems, It is a great little QC.
Look into that before you buy.

 

[Edfrombama]

Good morning to all-
Jamr- please check and see what settings your drone is using. sounds to me like you're not on the settings which allow long distance and high flight. My Mini 2 drones will fly out over three miles and over 1000 feet high- I've done this from my backyard- not perfectly legal according to certain people, but I don't worry much about that.
Your drone should go much farther out and higher especially when out in the boonies.
And yes, the DJI Flyappwill not let you take off in restricted areas- and that's a very good thing, IMHO.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

 

[DavidB1126]

I don't have experience with any drones (well besides the cheap walmart ones) DJI is a nice brand (besides their software it looks like - @Jamr )
Traxxas has their latrax drone but its cheap and looks cheap and junk. I actually saw a few videos on youtube on FPV drones. Not sure on what they are but they do cool FPV stuff in abandoned buildings (malls, factories ect. ) And another video I saw is that they were seeing how many G's a drone can pull. They got up to 10 G's with going in the air and full throttle into the ground. And at my old LHS, there was a drone guy there. He had a little FPV drone thing and chased the cars on the track and he had his camera connected to the tv there. Pretty cool stuff.

 

[Edfrombama]

Good afternoon to all-
FPV drones are a whole 'nother thing. These are aerobatic, super fast, super quick little drones. and they are not cheap. FPV drones don't have long flight times, either
FPV drones would not be at all suitable for the OP's stated purpose- fishing and other outdoor activities.
Drones can be very useful tools for a wide range of purposes, but it's necessary to know what you want to do with a drone before you buy a drone.

you all be ssafe and keep well- Ed.

 

[Tunedfrog]

Thank you much Ed, I really appreciate it.
Also to everybody that responded.

I am leaning towards the DJI, it will take me a bit longer to save some cash but I'll get one.

 

[DavidB1126]

FPV drones are a whole 'nother thing. These are aerobatic, super fast, super quick little drones. and they are not cheap. FPV drones don't have long flight times, either
FPV drones would not be at all suitable for the OP's stated purpose- fishing and other outdoor activities.
Drones can be very useful tools for a wide range of purposes, but it's necessary to know what you want to do with a drone before you buy a drone.

Yeah samething like a car. You gotta figure out if your going to be like full sending it, bashing, speed run, or racing before you get one. I was just talking about my knowledge about drones. Forgot to take in the purpose for what he is doing.

The one video I watched, his FPV drone was like all carbon fiber, 4s lipo, go pro on it. Very expensive.

 

[Robert Droner]

Good morning to all-
Jamr- please check and see what settings your drone is using. sounds to me like you're not on the settings which allow long distance and high flight. My Mini 2 drones will fly out over three miles and over 1000 feet high- I've done this from my backyard- not perfectly legal according to certain people, but I don't worry much about that.
Your drone should go much farther out and higher especially when out in the boonies.
And yes, the DJI Flyappwill not let you take off in restricted areas- and that's a very good thing, IMHO.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

Not wanting to play drone police here, but be very careful about your drone flights. To fly one legally in the US, you must have at least a Trust Certificate, no matter the weight. LLE's will be enforcing FAA rules. 400' is the max height in non-controlled airspace. Be careful fellas...
DJI will allow takeoff in certain 'restricted' areas providing you have the authorization already in place. It can be a PIA but they will unlock it if you go through the hoops.

 

[Tunedfrog]

I appreciate the info. Is there restrictions from using it in remote camping areas or along the banks of a reservoir?

 

[Robert Droner]

I appreciate the info. Is there restrictions from using it in remote camping areas or along the banks of a reservoir?

It only depends on the airspace you are in. If it is 'in the boonies' then you will likely be in Class G airspace and can fly to 400ft. Get the Aloft app on your phone to check for LAANCE requirements before you fly. You can not fly in a National Park and other similar areas, there is a lot to know to fly legally as a recreational flyer. Come September 16th, RemoteID takes affect. Stand-by....

 

[Edfrombama]

Good morning to all-
Tunedpipe- If you're in national park and SOME state parks, there will be drone restrictions in place- be sure and check .If you're in remote and non- federal lands, you'll probably be OK.
There's a lot of confusion about where you can and can't fly your drones, but in general, if you're on federal land, you probably can not fly there. You CAN fly over the land, but not take off/land on the federal lands.
I've had very little problem flying from most waterways both freshwater lakes and along the coasts. However, if you're near an airport, military base, prison- you might not be able to take off from that location.

It's not that bad in most places

you all be safe and keep well- Ed