Hi everybody out there,

  

  

I shared some feedback earlier and this is an update.

  

The M300 and M30 are very powerful tools. However, some inconveniences, potential bugs, and also a future wish list of mine:

  

  

1. M30, M300 BVLOS flying -external antennas RC plus

  

One of the main points in flying UAVs is to get a view on something you cannot do otherwise (without huge effort and budget increase). DJI developed a set of tools to do the job. But: it is missing a very important part of pro missions. The future of pro flying is BVLOS or at least from within a weather/sunlight protected space such as vehicles. In order for inspections and surveys to be efficient we need to fly BVLOS (apart of the working environmental issue with standing in the sunlight or freezing 8 hours a day)
I know that DJI doesn't hear that first time ;-) DJI could get to the next level without compromising anywhere and without stressing the budget.
Antenna connectors are only useful if there are also cables adapters available. We, and I assume a lot of others require to connect external antennas.
Please DJI come back to us with how DJI thought this should be done.
We need connectors, cables, adapters, etc.. Something DJI can even earn extra money on...Antennas is not an issue, but pro antennas usually have got N-type or similar sturdy connectors. Just selling the connectors (soldering version) that the RC+ antennas have got would do the job.

  

  

2. (G)UI design is a crucial part of every system (myself with 26 years experience in the field). Especially when it comes to real time operations. The pilot 2 app wish list for that:

  

Empower the users by giving more flexible options on what should be displayed on the screen and how. Did DJI ever test to operate the M300, M30 a whole day out in the field with direct sunlight and by users with not 100% eye sight on wide and close same? Even the best glide view glasses have limits. Also flying on top of a white surface (or green for some figures): Some figures become unreadable depending on the image background The numbers of downwards OA as example. This is actually a no go in GUI development. Suggestion: Allow Font sizes and background contrast settings to be changed or at least create different modes of GUI (dark mode, sunlight mode, contrast mode, number mode, etc..)  Also why are no numeric number display for the forward OA available (only the radar type of graphical element)? Laser rangefinder is good but sometimes I would like to see those numbers very big or with better contrast.

  

IF you want to keep same distance to an object during inspection than this number might be more important than anything else.

  

3. T- mode adjustments. I still cannot find adjustable max speed. It would be great to have a max speed setting for inspections. Sometimes 1 m/s is too fast and holding the joystick in balance  with your fingers for several hours a day is tedious.

  

4. P1 camera: Autofocus and exposure issue still not solved. The AF of the P1 works for many things, but for certain inspection jobs such as rotor blades of wind turbines it is not working properly.  Same for the EV. It is jumping between dark and light and also I have to turn down the illumination of the monitors to somehow match the actual image exposure.  The M30 camera at least seemed to have not that EV issue. AF I couldn't test yet sufficiently to give feedback.

  

5. M30 vertical image.  The Mini 3 pro allows the gimbal to be turned 90 degrees. This would be actually perfect for inspections of power lines or rotor blades.

  

Definitely on the wish list.

  

6. M300 vs M30 - I'm not aware of what DJI planned for the current or their future pro systems. However, I assume the M300 was planned as a all-round  “work-horse” and M30 as niche product for inspections.

  

To me it seems that the M30 should be further developed as the new work horse and the M300 retired. In short: Lean and efficient (M30) vs cumbersome and inefficient. This includes the practical handling in the field. Only if you require specific payload options the M300 wins the comparison. For 75% or so I would assume the M30 to be the better options.

  

The issues I see:

  

1.     Overall handling of the M300 is a lot more cumbersome. The M300 requires a lot more charging  power (and has got that noisy fan!), is larger, no gimbal transport lock, no quick snap arms. The M30 wins that category.

  

2.     M300 has got more powerful camera options. However, the P1 with issues of AF and EV, the H20(t) is fine but soon little outdated specs wise (sensor, etc.) and also has got AF issues for exactly that job they are supposed to be made for.  I see only slight advantage there for the M300.

  

3.     Gimbal: It seems the M30 is not designed with the gimbal to be changed by the user.

  

The M300 is. However, the 360 degree gimbal option of the M300 is mostly unusable. The none-retractable legs of the M300, the rotors downwards. Smart move to make the M30 limited. Nowadays I see only few reasons why not turning the drone instead of the gimbal. - at least for inspections and surveying. Apart of that I don’t like to run into the risk of flying into the wrong direction when the gimbal turned aside at the end of a long inspection day when concentration is maybe less. The re-center button is the most used button a day after all.

  

7. Focus settings: As mentioned in the earlier point with GUI and AF issues: The manual focus option is a solution for this problem. At least a work around. However, the control wheel on screen is not made for larger fingers… and no numeric values are visible! Sometimes it happened that by accident the screen was touched and the Focus was gone. Very annoying when inspecting in burst image mode.

  

  

Feedback would be great!

  

Hi everybody out there,

  

  

I shared some feedback earlier and this is an update.

  

The M300 and M30 are very powerful tools. However, some inconveniences, potential bugs, and also a future wish list of mine:

  

  

1. M30, M300 BVLOS flying -external antennas RC plus

  

One of the main points in flying UAVs is to get a view on something you cannot do otherwise (without huge effort and budget increase). DJI developed a set of tools to do the job. But: it is missing a very important part of pro missions. The future of pro flying is BVLOS or at least from within a weather/sunlight protected space such as vehicles. In order for inspections and surveys to be efficient we need to fly BVLOS (apart of the working environmental issue with standing in the sunlight or freezing 8 hours a day)
I know that DJI doesn't hear that first time ;-) DJI could get to the next level without compromising anywhere and without stressing the budget.
Antenna connectors are only useful if there are also cables adapters available. We, and I assume a lot of others require to connect external antennas.
Please DJI come back to us with how DJI thought this should be done.
We need connectors, cables, adapters, etc.. Something DJI can even earn extra money on...Antennas is not an issue, but pro antennas usually have got N-type or similar sturdy connectors. Just selling the connectors (soldering version) that the RC+ antennas have got would do the job.

  

  

2. (G)UI design is a crucial part of every system (myself with 26 years experience in the field). Especially when it comes to real time operations. The pilot 2 app wish list for that:

  

Empower the users by giving more flexible options on what should be displayed on the screen and how. Did DJI ever test to operate the M300, M30 a whole day out in the field with direct sunlight and by users with not 100% eye sight on wide and close same? Even the best glide view glasses have limits. Also flying on top of a white surface (or green for some figures): Some figures become unreadable depending on the image background The numbers of downwards OA as example. This is actually a no go in GUI development. Suggestion: Allow Font sizes and background contrast settings to be changed or at least create different modes of GUI (dark mode, sunlight mode, contrast mode, number mode, etc..)  Also why are no numeric number display for the forward OA available (only the radar type of graphical element)? Laser rangefinder is good but sometimes I would like to see those numbers very big or with better contrast.

  

IF you want to keep same distance to an object during inspection than this number might be more important than anything else.

  

3. T- mode adjustments. I still cannot find adjustable max speed. It would be great to have a max speed setting for inspections. Sometimes 1 m/s is too fast and holding the joystick in balance  with your fingers for several hours a day is tedious.

  

4. P1 camera: Autofocus and exposure issue still not solved. The AF of the P1 works for many things, but for certain inspection jobs such as rotor blades of wind turbines it is not working properly.  Same for the EV. It is jumping between dark and light and also I have to turn down the illumination of the monitors to somehow match the actual image exposure.  The M30 camera at least seemed to have not that EV issue. AF I couldn't test yet sufficiently to give feedback.

  

5. M30 vertical image.  The Mini 3 pro allows the gimbal to be turned 90 degrees. This would be actually perfect for inspections of power lines or rotor blades.

  

Definitely on the wish list.

  

6. M300 vs M30 - I'm not aware of what DJI planned for the current or their future pro systems. However, I assume the M300 was planned as a all-round  “work-horse” and M30 as niche product for inspections.

  

To me it seems that the M30 should be further developed as the new work horse and the M300 retired. In short: Lean and efficient (M30) vs cumbersome and inefficient. This includes the practical handling in the field. Only if you require specific payload options the M300 wins the comparison. For 75% or so I would assume the M30 to be the better options.

  

The issues I see:

  

1.     Overall handling of the M300 is a lot more cumbersome. The M300 requires a lot more charging  power (and has got that noisy fan!), is larger, no gimbal transport lock, no quick snap arms. The M30 wins that category.

  

2.     M300 has got more powerful camera options. However, the P1 with issues of AF and EV, the H20(t) is fine but soon little outdated specs wise (sensor, etc.) and also has got AF issues for exactly that job they are supposed to be made for.  I see only slight advantage there for the M300.

  

3.     Gimbal: It seems the M30 is not designed with the gimbal to be changed by the user.

  

The M300 is. However, the 360 degree gimbal option of the M300 is mostly unusable. The none-retractable legs of the M300, the rotors downwards. Smart move to make the M30 limited. Nowadays I see only few reasons why not turning the drone instead of the gimbal. - at least for inspections and surveying. Apart of that I don’t like to run into the risk of flying into the wrong direction when the gimbal turned aside at the end of a long inspection day when concentration is maybe less. The re-center button is the most used button a day after all.

  

7. Focus settings: As mentioned in the earlier point with GUI and AF issues: The manual focus option is a solution for this problem. At least a work around. However, the control wheel on screen is not made for larger fingers… and no numeric values are visible! Sometimes it happened that by accident the screen was touched and the Focus was gone. Very annoying when inspecting in burst image mode.

  

  

Feedback would be great!