DRONES

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Drone buyer suggestions (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 weeks ago by redlemace@lemmy.world to c/drones@lemmy.world

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So, years ago (2018 or 19 I guess) I bought a Symax X15W to try a drone. Funny thing, but not suitable outdoors. Even when it looks there is no wind, when you go up a bit .... away it goes on the wind. But okay, that was to be expected. So after a year I passed it on to a coworker for his kids to play.

Still it was real fun to take pictures above the tree tops, so buying another drone is still a thought that keeps lingering. My requirements aren't high, i want to be able to fly outdoors without having to worry (too much) about winds. I wanna take pictures/films and a range of 1 Km is surely enough. With that range you quickly think flight time like 30 min?

Is there anything you could recommend without braking the bank? Given the amount I expect to use it I'm thinking of spending up to 200 ( maybe 300 if it's seems worth it to me) Euro.

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[–] placatedmayhem@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If you're looking for "camera" drones (not DIY acrobatic or racing drones), DJI is unfortunately the only real option these days. The Neo is around $300 without the controller. Don't expect stellar performance in wind, though.

Autel, Parrot, and Skydio have all moved out of consumer segments into professional, industrial, and governmental.

[–] redlemace@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I know my way around electronics, programming and have a shitload of tools so diy is an option......

[–] placatedmayhem@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Ok, cool. That's more my speed.

If you want to build a camera platform, a build with Ardupilot software or maybe iNav are your best options. They have very specific hardware requirements, though. Ardupilot has pretty exhaustive documentation, though.

If you want to get into racing or acrobatics, you can get either build an FPV quad from parts, or buy a "bind-n-fly" (BNF) -- Joshua Bardwell on Youtube is probably the place to start learning. You can get a tiny quad, called a tiny whoop, to fly around inside the house. If you want to do non-FPV, you basically just build an FPV quad but ignore the video system.

Be warned, DIY drones is a huge hobby.

[–] curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 weeks ago

So what I was looking at for practice was a Holy Stone 360s. If you catch it at the right time, its decently under $200 (about a week and change ago it was $160). Its unfortunately gone over $200 now as of the last time I checked.

Its been very well reviewed, I suggest watching yt videos so you can see the camera in action for comparison.

Personally I'm skipping it as a friend is giving me one of their higher end older model drones (they used to work in the industry, and have several spares for me to learn with).

Once youre ready for the DIY territory there are options, but not really under $200/300. Most you'll be looking at $400 and up, but play nicely with ardupilot and offer a lot of flexibility.

If you dont mind vendor lock-in, DJI is a great option.

[–] venusaur@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Try to find a used DJI Mavic Mini. The first model should be in your price range and they have kits that include batteries and such. Maybe wait until the holidays for a sale. It’s not the highest quality video, but good enough.