6 things DJI doesn't tell you when you get your drone

What does DJI care refresh cover?

When you first activate your drone, DJI offers something called DJI Care Refresh. Majority of first time flyers will skip this part - we highly recommend considering this option. There is a very high chance new drone pilots crash their drone within the first year. Sometimes crashes can be costly with the priciest part of the drone being the camera/gimbal. With that being said, DJI Care Refresh covers: crashes, drops, spills, water damage, and any other physical damages to your drone - even if it is your fault. It is essentially insurance for your drone. Last but not the least, you only have 48 hours after you activate your drone to register for DJI Care Refresh. The window to activate DJI Care Refresh only begins after the drone itself has been activated. 

Image result for dji care refresh

No fly zones will not let you take off.

Since drones are all mapped and built with a GPS, there are restrictions on where you can fly your drone. No fly zones are usually indicated on this website. The red zones are strictly prohibited to fly. So when flying, check where you are able to fly or not able to fly. If you do live near a restricted flying zone and you do want to just fly it within your own property and/or at home, you can disable the GPS. Take caution when disabling GPS, as you will be disabling GPS enabled features such as return to home and the overall hovering stability will be reduced.

Image result for DJI app restricted zone

RC/WiFi mode and how to switch between them.

The Spark, Mavic Air, and Mavic Pro have two modes: WiFi and Remote Controller (RC). WiFi mode allows you to fly your drone with your smartphone with the DJI GO 4 app. RC mode allows you to fly your drone with your physical remote controller. Majority of the issues that may stem from connection errors usually arises from switching between RC mode and WiFi mode. Prior to flying, manually move the switch to ensure you are in the correct mode. The Spark and the Mavic Air have different settings when switching to RC mode from WiFi or vice-a-versa.

Image result for DJI r/c mode and wifi mode

Ensure your microSD card is Class U3 or higher

Incompatibility between the microSD card and the drone can affect how the connection of the drone will work. When the drone has an incompatible SD card it may cause some errors. Since DJI drones above the Spark all shoot in 4K quality, the higher the class in the microSD, the better it is for the video. "Varying speeds make it difficult to make out which card can surely record streaming contents. Recording video require a constant minimum write speed to avoid 'frame drop' during recording for a smooth playback. The SD Association has defined various Speed Class standards to answer a demand for advanced video quality recording." - Source

When choosing a microSD card for your drone, we recommend looking out for the "3" symbol inside a "U" as it appears below:

Image result for class 3 micro sd

Bringing your drone on vacation and what to do.

When you bring your drone on vacation you have two things you can do to ensure your battery won’t get taken away by authorities. It’s a known fact that batteries are not allowed on check in luggage, so if you do bring your drone make sure you have the battery on your carry-on. However if you have a Phantom 4 or larger you might have to check it in. If the situation arises, you must have the batteries in a Li Po bag. If you place your batteries without the Li Po bags in your check in luggage, they may be confiscated. Even if you do decide to bring the smaller batteries like the Spark, Mavic Air, and Mavic Pro in your check in you must have them placed in the Li-Po bags.

Image result for drone battery in carry on

Maintaining batteries warm when in the cold.

When taking your drone on your winter escapades, you must always ensure your battery is not exposed to the cold. If your battery is exposed to the cold, there is a high chance your battery is rendered useless, thus bringing your drone to film your winter adventure completely a waste. In order to prevent this happening we do advise you to put the batteries in a insulated heating bag, and put a heat bag alongside with the battery. Doing this can ensure that you keep your battery warm and unexposed to the cold, which will allow you to have a longer flight time without any battery errors.

Image result for dji battery bag warmer

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published