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How cold is too cold to fly
4281 14 2017-11-7
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MBrown
First Officer
Flight distance : 619790 ft
United States
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Now that winter is starting to set in on the northern half of the  planet, I was just wondering how cold is too cold to fly?   Looking for information from people with real experience in cold weather.   Is pre warming the batteries an absolute requirement?  What is the No-Go  point?

Thanks and Happy Flying

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2017-11-7
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hallmark007
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Ireland
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Battery warming is needed if you don’t you will get a warning, there are temp warnings in the manual but only a guide .
Battery usage will be greater in cold weather and I have seen some problems with ice gathering on props.
I would think short flights short distances would be the order of the day.
2017-11-7
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A CW
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United Kingdom
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-10c though I think zero should be lowest - as said earlier, fly close, low and be prepared to knock 10% of the flight time + let the props spin for a minute or two before take off to warm the battery and drone.
2017-11-7
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Drone-Mike
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United Kingdom
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Useful post here: https://www.heliguy.com/blog/201 ... ur-drone-in-winter/

What temperature was it in your picture?

I pretty much stick to the manual guidelines on battery temp and make sure I carry batteries in my inside pockets when I'm not using them.
2017-11-7
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M.C. Pilot
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Was out there today 50 degrees with 14 mph winds which made it colder ...about what I can tolerate.  Uncomfortable after running through several batteries b/c again you're stationary. Different if you running in place but kind of hard to do that if you're focusing on the controls/flight.
2017-11-7
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dronist
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Batteries need to be warmed up to at least 24C. I flew last year when temp was around 5F and i had to warm up the battery for around 4 minutes on the ground with the props running. Rule of thumb if your can't feel your fingers then don't fly!
2017-11-7
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DJI Thor
Administrator
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Hi, the operating temperature range of Mavic is 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C). Please kindly follow this instruction. For more specific, please visit :http://www.dji.com/mavic/info#specs
2017-11-7
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Chison.Wu
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Woo, It's very cool and cold.
2017-11-8
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Woe
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Look lik a nice video in the making
2017-11-8
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WolfgangStiller
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I regularly fly in cold conditions. It's key to keep the batteries and phone warm but let the Mavic acclimate to the cold so you don't suddenly drop the temp of the camera and gimbal.  I have flown down to 5 degress F (-15 C) with no issues provided I take these precautions.  The Mavic generates enough heat that if the batteries start out warm they will be fine.
2017-11-8
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eyecapture
Second Officer
Flight distance : 517848 ft
Canada
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I flew in Ft McMurray (Alberta) last February in temps as warm as -20C and temps as cold as -29C. I kept the drone in the car until I was ready to fly.
The same with spare batteries. The only problems I had were more with my fingers freezing and maintaining dexterity.

2017-11-8
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Chison.Wu
inner-tester
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Woo, It's very cool and cold.
2017-11-8
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MBrown
First Officer
Flight distance : 619790 ft
United States
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Thanks for posting that link from the Heliguy. Very good article with good advice.

Temp in the picture was about 15F.  The drone worked and flew fine, my fingers did not last very long in the cold.
2017-11-9
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Drone-Mike
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MBrown Posted at 2017-11-9 05:45
Thanks for posting that link from the Heliguy. Very good article with good advice.

Temp in the picture was about 15F.  The drone worked and flew fine, my fingers did not last very long in the cold.

It's probably colder than the guidelines but as long as you keep a close watch you should be fine!
2017-11-9
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