Anyone flying with gimbal cover on?
Anyone know hwats the weight of it?
If found it may be better solution for my Mini2 when flying close sport mode just practicing steering, no filming.

Never fly with it on. Will it even take off with it still on?

Hello there fateofangel. Thank you for reaching out and for sharing these information with is. Just a friendly reminder to always remove the gimbal protector on your DJI Mini 2 before powering the said DJI drone on for it not to damage the said gimbal of your DJI Mini 2. Have a safe and a happy flying always.

These two hoods protect for gimbal damage. I looked at lens protectors. Many people use a UV filter, but it means deciding on a pack and wondering about CP and ND filters, and they may fall off. You can also get lens glass, like for a phone.

The weight of the standard protector is 5.12g

Why on earth would you want to try this?


I imagine that DJI are smart enough to have thought of people doing this accidentally and write corresponding code to  deactivate the gimbal in order to prevent the motors and electronics etc. from being cooked but anytime I have done it, by accident, I am pretty sure there was a warning shown in the app telling me that the gimbal was jammed and tha I should check that the cover had been removed.
Why would DJI go to the bother of writing the code to do that if flying with the cover on was a wise thing to do?

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 8-28 22:32
Why on earth would you want to try this?

yes, the gimbal stuck error will occur, im not sure if it going to start
i feel gimbal cover could  protect gimbal and cam from frontal crash

There was a film once that had a bunch of drones go out for high tech surveillance and they all had the gimbal guards on,  man did the drone community laugh.

i feel gimbal cover could  protect gimbal and cam from frontal crash. Whilst, if DJI haven't written protection into the software, simultaneously running the risk of cooking motors and electronics. Hmmmm? Good thinking.
And what does post number 3 say to your 'feeling'?

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 8-29 00:51
i feel gimbal cover could  protect gimbal and cam from frontal crash. Whilst, if DJI haven't written protection into the software, simultaneously running the risk of cooking motors and electronics. Hmmmm? Good thinking.
And what does post number 3 say to your 'feeling'?

so there is a software protection or it does not?

TRIGGER WARNING : I have been advised that my original reply below appears arrogant and may offend.  Please consider it an opinion only and does not mean to offend or detract from fully enjoying your drone in any way you wish, including flying with a gimbal guard on.  Your right to fly any way you wish is paramount, and I do not wish to cause injury to another persons feelings.

The entire of concept of this post proves that just when you think you have seen it all....

Seriously.  Take the gimbal guard off.  This is beyond ridiculous.

TonyPHX Posted at 8-29 06:00
The entire of concept of this post proves that just when you think you have seen it all....

Seriously.  Take the gimbal guard off.  This is beyond ridiculous.

i dont think that is ridiculous, if i dont want use the cam, why should i not protect it from demage while flying risky?

fateofangel Posted at 8-29 06:27
i dont think that is ridiculous, if i dont want use the cam, why should i not protect it from demage while flying risky?

The most obvious reason would be so that the air can flow through the drone and not overheat.  No fan on the Mini2.  it is cooled by air.  Gimbal cover blocks some of the flow.  

Is this really a serious thread about leaving a gimbal cover on?  

Zoooom Posted at 8-28 19:53
[view_image]

These two hoods protect for gimbal damage. I looked at lens protectors. Many people use a UV filter, but it means deciding on a pack and wondering about CP and ND filters, and they may fall off. You can also get lens glass, like for a phone.

This would be a better option than the cover on

I would think if you plan to crash in sport mode at full speed it matters not that the Gimbal will survive really.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 8-29 09:13
The point is, if you yourself do not know........why run the risk?
Personally I do not know but I won't run the risk of there not being such software nor do I disregard any warnings seen.

i cannot disagree with you, and all of that during 6 weeks with 2 weeks of pause  I spend hours to learn flight technique i want progress quickly and start fpv soon
Please dont forget i've made also BVLOS certification please doont accuse me of abusing, now im performing 60 hours of BVLOS missons to claim INS entitlements.
I hope ill start teach people even this year
I am also preparing documentation to take permission tomake 2km height flight mission, i will achieve this sooner or later.
I need to take a risk in controlled environment to be prepered for everyting in unexpected situations, all mistakes ive made were in secluded areas, i took no demage to anyone but myself,
i prefer to loose few Minis and learn how to NOT to fly, that is the cost of experience, than i will be ready for greater products and fly them safe every situation, im learning some ...ty aircrafts everyday aswell
Im not sure if Mavic Pro dome gimbal cover can be more situable for my case

Rockbyter Posted at 8-29 08:46
I would think if you plan to crash in sport mode at full speed it matters not that the Gimbal will survive really.

its huge differance in cost of repair to break a proppeler or arm than the gimbal or cam
im sure there is no need of full speed crash to make a gimbal dead

TonyPHX Posted at 8-29 06:30
The most obvious reason would be so that the air can flow through the drone and not overheat.  No fan on the Mini2.  it is cooled by air.  Gimbal cover blocks some of the flow.  

Is this really a serious thread about leaving a gimbal cover on?

yes it is, that convinced me, thanks for reply,
i would be really happy to have a solution to fly close agressively by without video transmission and other time fly to make great a video with the same drone

fateofangel Posted at 8-29 11:51
i cannot disagree with you, and all of that during 6 weeks with 2 weeks of pause  I spend hours to learn flight technique i want progress quickly and start fpv soon
Please dont forget i've made also BVLOS certification please doont accuse me of abusing, now im performing 60 hours of BVLOS missons to claim INS entitlements.
I hope ill start teach people even this year

There are few basic things you should have learnt with all the certification you received: first of all, each drone MUST be used following the instructions from the Manufacturer's official manual. And the DJI Mini 2 manual tells that you must remove the cover before flying. It's not so important to understand why. A drone pilot is not expected to discuss the design specifications of a commercial drone, he just need to follow the instruction. If you are experienced enough, you can build your own drone (I did it in the past) and then you can write your own technical manual, because you know all the design decisions.
Second: you should have learnt that BVLOS operation must be performed in a controlled environment (limiting the access to non informed persons) and using drones with the right capabilities to insure the safety of the operation. And the DJI Mini 2 is not such a drone: a front camera is not enough because it does not allow you to detect potential fixed obstacles or the other flying vehicles.
Now you're here talking about BVLOS operations with the Mini 2 and asking if the instruction from the manufacturer can be violated ...
The piloting skills does not increase destroying drones ... but making any effort to avoid all kind of incidents, also with quite inexpensive drones.

FabioV Posted at 8-29 23:49
There are few basic things you should have learnt with all the certification you received: first of all, each drone MUST be used following the instructions from the Manufacturer's official manual. And the DJI Mini 2 manual tells that you must remove the cover before flying. It's not so important to understand why. A drone pilot is not expected to discuss the design specifications of a commercial drone, he just need to follow the instruction. If you are experienced enough, you can build your own drone (I did it in the past) and then you can write your own technical manual, because you know all the design decisions.
Second: you should have learnt that BVLOS operation must be performed in a controlled environment (limiting the access to non informed persons) and using drones with the right capabilities to insure the safety of the operation. And the DJI Mini 2 is not such a drone: a front camera is not enough because it does not allow you to detect potential fixed obstacles or the other flying vehicles.
Now you're here talking about BVLOS operations with the Mini 2 and asking if the instruction from the manufacturer can be violated ...

• Operator have a duty to acknowledge aircraft instruction but is not obliged to apply it
• DJI Mini2 is such a drone beacause i have my BVLOS missions accepted, following you, such a DJI's drones does not exist
• Please dont mixed two subjects i not going to take a BVLOS flights with gimbal cover on
• I am not intending to crash drones, but if i train emergency situations i am aware of risk of breaking it
• If you dont train emergency situations you will fail if something unexpected is going to encounter you - i will be prepered,
• You thing if you take a course of car training on a skid plate, you do this to fail in slip on a highway and crash few cars OR to train yourself to know how to behave in case of meet such a circumstances?!
  

I am going to have certified category aswell and fly above gatherings of people in huge events, probably not this year but i will, im not going to stay only recreational user like you and i will progress as fast as possible taking essential time, you may be envy cuz ill be better after half a year then you after 10 years but i dont care, if i start doing something im going to do this as profesional as im capable - if i fail ill try another things, simple is that - fabioV

fateofangel Posted at 8-30 00:46
I am going to have certified category aswell and fly above gatherings of people in huge events, probably not this year but i will, im not going to stay only recreational user like you and i will progress as fast as possible taking essential time, you may be envy cuz ill be better after half a year then you after 10 years but i dont care, if i start doing something im going to do this as profesional as im capable - if i fail ill try another things, simple is that - fabioV

You don't know anything about me and about the certifications and skill I holds ... . But I can guess the yours, based on the contents you're posting ...
And frankly speaking you don't look so skilled: you collected a sequence of incidents (trying to justify them as technical failures ...) and some of your questions reveals that you're missing the basics about how a drone works (physics and engineering). I'm not only talking about the papers you can collect, but about the real knowledge you need to become a subject matter expert.

FabioV Posted at 8-30 01:21
You don't know anything about me and about the certifications and skill I holds ... . But I can guess the yours, based on the contents you're posting ...
And frankly speaking you don't look so skilled: you collected a sequence of incidents (trying to justify them as technical failures ...) and some of your questions reveals that you're missing the basics about how a drone works (physics and engineering). I'm not only talking about the papers you can collect, but about the real knowledge you need to become a subject matter expert.

i started few weeks ago, i confirm i am still noob but with papers i was posting my opinion here
https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=271137&pid=2816812
papers you can get easily and fast, 90% people without papers much more skiled than me flies BVLOS illegally and probably safer than me with all gathered permissions.My first lost of drone was the mix of technical failure ( not the UAS but the smartphone) and pilot irresponsibility. I still have overheating iphone issues (it apperas after depletion of 1st drone battery)  but now i learned how to handle this
Im sorry fabioV and rest for being annoying i just cant hold back to do so i wish you good luck anyway

Probably our different views on how a drone should be operated depend also on the regulations of our countries and on the training we received. In my country (Italy) and also in Spain (the country from which I received the STS theorical certification) there are only two NSTS, one of them allowing BVLOS missions. The BVLOS missions without an observer can be performed up to 1 Km distance and must occur in a controlled area (i.e. an area where the access of non involved people can be forbidden). In addition, the drones must have the technical specification corresponding to  C6 marks. The goal is to define since now scenarios similar to the European STS-01 and STS-02 that will start on 2024. For that reason I was telling that the DJI Mini 2 is not good for BVLOS missions (in the same way as all DJI Phantom and Mavic series).  
I understand that in Poland the regulation is more relaxed (probably because there are large unpopulated areas) and after receiving the NSTS certification you can run BVLOS missions in a non controlled area with a Mini 2. In the most of EU countries this is not possible. You're lucky ...

FabioV Posted at 8-30 04:31
Probably our different views on how a drone should be operated depend also on the regulations of our countries and on the training we received. In my country (Italy) and also in Spain (the country from which I received the STS theorical certification) there are only two NSTS, one of them allowing BVLOS missions. The BVLOS missions without an observer can be performed up to 1 Km distance and must occur in a controlled area (i.e. an area where the access of non involved people can be forbidden). In addition, the drones must have the technical specification corresponding to  C6 marks. The goal is to define since now scenarios similar to the European STS-01 and STS-02 that will start on 2024. For that reason I was telling that the DJI Mini 2 is not good for BVLOS missions (in the same way as all DJI Phantom and Mavic series).  
I understand that in Poland the regulation is more relaxed (probably because there are large unpopulated areas) and after receiving the NSTS certification you can run BVLOS missions in a non controlled area with a Mini 2. In the most of EU countries this is not possible. You're lucky ...

Now i see.
In PL NSTS-1 is for FPV up to 500m and with NSTS-5 you can perform BVLOS mission up to 2km with max 4kg aircraft, outside dense populated area so it mean it can be performed in loose structure of buildings areas aswell, non-controlled area, observers are optional
https://edziennik.ulc.gov.pl/DU_ULC/2020/73/akt.pdf
I was sure my entitlements will be valid to  Jan 2024 but they are to Dec 2025
For now there are no info if some could be automatically converted for STS-1/2 (as was with A1/3 categories) - i feel they should not be, i've learned how it differ
For now there are no STS certifing organizations as far as i know in my country but its probably the matter of time
Myabe after unification in 2024 there will be STS entitlements witch will give right to perform VLOS/BVLOS standard flights anywhere in EU also in your country, but still NSTS  will give you right for regional sceanrios to be performed in the local area, on the other hand they nSTS may disapear aswell

What else, with this NSTS-5 i have permission to fly in Open Category(VLOS) with safe distance defined by myself (pilot) from uninvolved people / buildings up to 4kg aircrafts.
With NSTS-6 the same but up to 25kg

My previous post contained some mistakes. In Italy it's possible to run PDRA BVLOS missions with an inoffensive drone, but without observers a NOTAM must be requested and it cost € 94 each time ... Generally speaking Specific operations are intended for business purposes, not for the recreational ones.

The obvious answer here is to cover the drone in bubble wrap.

FabioV Posted at 8-30 06:04
My previous post contained some mistakes. In Italy it's possible to run PDRA BVLOS missions with an inoffensive drone, but without observers a NOTAM must be requested and it cost € 94 each time ... Generally speaking Specific operations are intended for business purposes, not for the recreational ones.

So it is the same ones which in PL, but for me s01 or s02 may be legitimate if i need to fly above 4kg (while  NOT having NSTS-6,7,8) or BVLOS 120-150m (g-01) f.e.
If i use standard scenarios i do not need operational permission with risk assesment
I need acceptation for all BVLOS missions without risk assesment (standard NSTS-5 scenario) and VLOS in CTR areas, i do NOT for FPV (without observer) outside CTR

https://kursnadrony.pl/pdra-pred ... za-ryzyka/?pdf=7536

In PL you also cannot perform BVLOS mission for recreational / sport reason, but you do not to be legal entity to apply
You may do this for specialistic, documentary (amateur aswell), teaching, automatic, transportation purpose.
What i did i started form drought documentation
If you are bussiness entity you can apply for LUC certification and fly specific category  standard scenarios with permanent permission

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- ... :32020R0639&from=EN
https://www.easa.europa.eu/domai ... tegory-civil-drones
i dont see c5-6 desription
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- ... ri=CELEX:32019R0945
it posponed to 2025
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- ... :32021R1166&from=PL
thats why i have NSTS entitlements for now to 2025
https://ulc.gov.pl/pl/aktualnosc ... zakresie-nsts-i-stshttps://www.ulc.gov.pl/pl/aktualnosci/5858-przedluzenie-okresu-przejsciowego-dla-systemow-bezzalogowych-statkow-powietrznych

So until there is no c5-6 class STS-1/2 cannot by applied?

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 8-28 22:32
Why on earth would you want to try this?

Whenever I forgot mine, I got a notice of overheating.  Now - removing the lens cover is first at all times.  Although, I have heard about some that drill holes in the lens cover for air circulation while flying, and that was on other models beside the Mini2.  

You should not.

Bob-Mini-2 Posted at 8-30 09:27
Whenever I forgot mine, I got a notice of overheating.  Now - removing the lens cover is first at all times.  Although, I have heard about some that drill holes in the lens cover for air circulation while flying, and that was on other models beside the Mini2.

wow
ok, i feel i need another toys to practice, and leave the mini 2 for handy filming
no gimbal cover flying - understood,
thx you all

fateofangel Posted at 8-31 01:52
wow
ok, i feel i need another toys to practice, and leave the mini 2 for handy filming
no gimbal cover flying - understood,

This is my training machine:


It can be assembled with less than 200€ and it features GPS, multiple flying modes, automatic RTH. And when it fall down, you can repair it spending few €€.
In addition, assembling, configuring and troubleshooting it will provide a very good knowledge about the technical components of a drone. But I was never able to obtain good videos from it, also mounting a gimbal. For filimg purposes DJI drones are unbeatable.

FabioV Posted at 8-31 02:55
This is my training machine:
https://youtu.be/ryh1nOj8L_A

hell yeah, but i expect it to be impetous beast hard to control, isnt it?

fateofangel Posted at 8-31 04:49
hell yeah, but i expect it to be impetous beast hard to control, isnt it?

No, it isn't. If you fly using GPS and barometer assisted modes, you can control it in the same way as a DJI drone. With the sticks centred, it keeps the position and the altitude as your Mini 2 does. I used it for the A2 practical self training.
It features the most relevant safety features (RTH on signal lost and on battery low, GEO fencing) and it it sends back telemetry flight information (position, speed, altitude, battery level).  
Of course it can be used only for A3 operations ...

FabioV Posted at 8-31 05:49
No, it isn't. If you fly using GPS and barometer assisted modes, you can control it in the same way as a DJI drone. With the sticks centred, it keeps the position and the altitude as your Mini 2 does. I used it for the A2 practical self training.
It features the most relevant safety features (RTH on signal lost and on battery low, GEO fencing) and it it sends back telemetry flight information (position, speed, altitude, battery level).  
Of course it can be used only for A3 operations ...

great piece of tech!

FabioV Posted at 8-31 02:55
This is my training machine:
https://youtu.be/ryh1nOj8L_A

Looks like you could learn and have fun with it.  Thanks for the information.

NEVER DO THAT. IT WILL RUIN THE GIMBAL.

Jake Andrew Posted at 3-7 07:07
NEVER DO THAT. IT WILL RUIN THE GIMBAL.

thhanks a lot