Can we talk about drones?

[Rick E]

I would like to buy a drone that our group and myself can use for on-the-move videos.

I have a few questions:

What are you using and why?

What would you do differently if you were to buy another one?

What about the DJI or the Mavic Mini?

Do most of these offer the "follow me" feature?

I am an iPhone user, and I carry it with me while riding.
Perhaps that makes a difference regarding Blue Tooth...... I don't know.
We typically ride Central Oregon where the trees are a bit further apart.

I'd be willing to spend around $400 to $500.
Is that a large enough budget?

Rick E.

 

[rab]

I'm interseded in this as well , i will be following this thread ,

also how much does the cold affect the battery life per mission ?

 

[jcjc1]

I would like to buy a drone that our group and myself can use for on-the-move videos.

I have a few questions:

What are you using and why?

What would you do differently if you were to buy another one?

What about the DJI or the Mavic Mini?

Do most of these offer the "follow me" feature?

I am an iPhone user, and I carry it with me while riding.
Perhaps that makes a difference regarding Blue Tooth...... I don't know.
We typically ride Central Oregon where the trees are a bit further apart.

I'd be willing to spend around $400 to $500.
Is that a large enough budget?

Rick E.

I think that's a pretty low budget if you're wanting the most capable and trouble free experience. Drones that offer proper follow me capability are pricey plus you're going to need extra batteries, a hard case, etc and you also don't want to get these drones wet so those are all some points to think about. I researched this awhile back but after talking to a few people I ended up just buying a GoPro Hero 9 and while it obviously can't do "follow me" type shots, it's so much simpler and quicker to use and these cameras have incredible video quality. I'm still interested in doing the drone thing one day but I'm gonna give the GoPro a shot first.

 

[Rick E]

I'm seeing that many of these will tolerate getting wet, but it certainly something to look into.

Also, I can certainly increase my budget.

 

[BirdmanID]

I played around with a lot of drones, if you want the follow me features and things like that and weatherproof you’re gonna have to step up your budget quite a bit. Something else to keep in mind is that the more winter weather you’re operating in the worst they perform. Cold is the enemy of batteries and performance life so don’t expect them to last anywhere near what the manufacture specifications are because those are under ideal temperatures.

Cold-weather and drones is an effort and frustration in my experience.

 

[Idahodoo]

My buddy has one that automatically follows him and takes amazing videos, avoids obstructions, haven't used it out sledding but it took some great videos up camping. It automatically comes to home location when battery gets low or loses communication.

 

[christopher]

We fly a DJI Mavic Pro Zoom
Carry 4 batteries
Do not use it in self tracking mode, but always pilot it.
Results are STUNNING..

You will need to keep a close watch on your iPhone.
As it chills down it will SHUT OFF on you!
So I carry the control phone in an insulated slip cover with external heaters in my handlebar bag.
Losing control of your drone kinda sorta sucks hard

 

[Stimpy97c]

Does anyone have experience with the Skydio 2? Seems like for the follow feature, this would be the way to go. But not sure how it worked in the cold.

Saw this video from Ben Birk. I think I remember him saying somewhere to get the beacon with it.

 

[Remmy]

Hard to beat the DJI technology. I have a Mavic 2 Pro and an Inspire 2 with a micro 4/3s gimbal. The latter is to much drone for someone not doing professional work IMO which means it's to much drone for me Haha.

 

[farmboy84]

I had a DJI Phantom 3 for several years and it was easy to operate but difficult to pack with riding because of it's size. I haven't upgraded yet but it will be either a Mavic or Mavic mini 2. I am really intrigued by the mini's size because i could fit it into my avy bag an alway bring it with me and have it at the ready when the conditions are right.

 

[turbolover]

Does anyone have experience with the Skydio 2? Seems like for the follow feature, this would be the way to go. But not sure how it worked in the cold.

Saw this video from Ben Birk. I think I remember him saying somewhere to get the beacon with it.

looks like it does a pretty good job of obstacle avoidance

 

[Pitabroed]

.

 

[Rick E]

OK... what about the DJI Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo?
Apparently these are price controlled @ $988.
Does not include the SD card.

Buy DJI Mavic Air 2 - DJI Store

Mavic Air 2 takes power and portability to the next level, offering advanced features in a compact form factor. Get yours at the DJI Online Store now!

store.dji.com

 

[farmboy84]

I think those look like a good buy for the money.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[Rick E]

I think those look like a good buy for the money.

I do also.
As mentioned, they are price controlled.
$988 for the complete system.
No no SD card....... no big deal I guess.

I spoke with a knowledgeable Big Box Store sales person yesterday.
While we were talking, a customer approached us and said that he also has the DJI Mavic Air 2 fly more combo, and loves it.
Ironically, he was a snowmobiler as well..... and a Skidoo G4 to boot.

I'm thinking that it would be smart to cover most of the body with bright orange vinyl.
I know a sign shop owner who would do that for me.
Perhaps he could include my name and phone number on the decal.


I'll be taking all of my pop and beer cans in today.


.

 

[GoBigParts]

I still use my DJI Spark and I use gopro 7 for helmet. I decide both in 1080p to save on the amount of storage and editing power. Work very well for what I used them for. Not high end or commercial but most people say they look great.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Shortline]

Does anyone have experience with the Skydio 2? Seems like for the follow feature, this would be the way to go. But not sure how it worked in the cold.

Saw this video from Ben Birk. I think I remember him saying somewhere to get the beacon with it.

That is some pretty amazing footage. Do you know if the drone was in follow-me mode? That's some impressive obstacle avoidance. I may have to look into the Skydio if that is the case.

 

[law.74]

That is some pretty amazing footage. Do you know if the drone was in follow-me mode? That's some impressive obstacle avoidance. I may have to look into the Skydio if that is the case.

I’m sure it was. That’s the way it is intended to be used. I’ve been waiting for one for over a year.

 

[RS_Rider]

The Skydio 2 seems pretty sweet with their follow me technology.
I recently picked up a crashed DJi Mavic Air 2, to repair and get back in the air. That will be my weapon of choice this winter. I’ve been out of the drone game for a while, but it’ll be fun to capture content that way again.
Another DJi product to look into if you want to stick to your $500 budget would be the Mavic Mini. Very small, so it’s easy to pack with you, but my concern would be how it handles the wind.
Finally, buying used can help out on the budgetary side of things, and you can potentially recuperate most of the cost if you end up not liking it and want to sell it.

 

[mrclueless]

I have brought along a Mavic Pro 2 while snowmobiling for a couple years now. It’s small enough to fit well in a backpack. It has exceptional video and still photo capability, obstacle avoidance sensors and is good at tracking moving vehicles. As others have noted, both the drone and phone batteries need to be kept in an inner pocket to keep them warm. This drone may be more than most users need but is great in all sorts of applications and I also take it while hiking and off roading. You can get pics that are not possible with a ground camera.
Whatever drone you choose it’s best to get familiar with it before heading out on your snowmobile. YouTube has lots of helpful tutorials.