Hey everyone,

Im new to this site and alao to drones.
I just purchased a spark on sunday however im yet to take it out.

Previously I bought a cheap and cheerful quadcopter however afyer literally 3 hours i had sunk it to the bottom of the sea! Epic fail.

Anyway now I have my little spark, ive started it up, read the manual and tried out the simulator. I dont know if its due to sinking the last device or the fact ive paid realatively a fair bit of money for this but I am super anxious about taking the drone out. Obviously after getting used to the controls it won't be so bad but does anyone bave some last minute advice? Im hoping the weather is good enough tonight for me to try and work the controls (dont yet jave a control, just my phone).

Thanks and I look forward to speaking to you all

Welcome to the forum, mate. You can also watch some tutorials first before your first flight, pay attention to the flight environment, beginner mode is suggested for beginners. Be cautious and enjoy your flight.

G'day,

My best advice is to read this forum & get the remote controller. The DJI shop is currently selling the Spark with a free Remote Controller.
Create a pre-flight checklist & after-flight checklist.
Check that the battery is properly locked. Don't touch the tabs on the side when inserting the battery & listen for a double click. Double check that the battery tabs are fully forward towards the camera - a gentle press forward from the rear thick edge of the battery tabs should finally lock it in.  Then grab the front of the battery & gently check pull back. Unless you touch the tabs or apply unreasonable force, it should remain in place.  You can search the forum by keywords for similar questions or subjects. Example: I searched the forum using the keyword 'advise' and found the following threads that may answer your last minute advice question -
https://forum.dji.com/thread-140737-1-1.html
https://forum.dji.com/thread-128031-1-1.html

Also check the forums at https://sparkpilots.zone .
You can search Facebook for DJI Spark groups  - https://www.facebook.com/groups/225796337887146/
There are plenty of quality YouTube tutorials to help visualise everything. Many of the YouTube videos are referenced within the forums/threads.

Good luck & happy flying!

Don't sweat it, these things are made to be flown outside. It's unfortunate that you don't have the Remote Control, you don't get all the features without it, i.e. you don't get sport mode, which means your drone won't be able to go full speed. So don't go out on a windy day, you might need sport mode to "fight against the wind."

Apart from checking that the battery's safely locked (see post #3), I only do three checks in the software every time before I take off: In the settings, under Main Settings (or General Settings), scroll down to Sensors, there you will see IMU and Compass: both of them should have values in the green. You can recalibrate the IMU if the values are high (like in the double digits), but the compass shows you interference values, meaning if it is high, you must move the Aircraft elsewhere, do not recalibrate the compass. Most of the time, a few meters away is enough, usually there was a metallic object nearby, even if you didn't see it.
After that, wait for the GPS giving you a green light, you can manually set a home point in General Settings, if you get a success message, you're good to go. That way, if you lose contact, it will come back to you automatically. Be sure to check in the menu the RTH (Return to home) altitude :it should be at least a little higher than the highest trees and buildings in the area where you're flying (I've set mine to 125m, to be on the safe side). In some cases (if it's far enough away), it's coming home without obstacle avoidance.

KurtVD Posted at 2018-5-9 23:35
Don't sweat it, these things are made to be flown outside. It's unfortunate that you don't have the Remote Control, you don't get all the features without it, i.e. you don't get sport mode, which means your drone won't be able to go full speed. So don't go out on a windy day, you might need sport mode to "fight against the wind."

Apart from checking that the battery's safely locked (see post #3), I only do three checks in the software every time before I take off: In the settings, under Main Settings (or General Settings), scroll down to Sensors, there you will see IMU and Compass: both of them should have values in the green. You can recalibrate the IMU if the values are high (like in the double digits), but the compass shows you interference values, meaning if it is high, you must move the Aircraft elsewhere, do not recalibrate the compass. Most of the time, a few meters away is enough, usually there was a metallic object nearby, even if you didn't see it.

Hi. I agree 100%, Sports mode helps in higher winds... Too fast for me normally... The main feature of the RC is the extra distance & better control, compared to a touch screen app.

djiuser_RojfSW97etD9 Posted at 2018-5-9 23:54
Hi. I agree 100%, Sports mode helps in higher winds... Too fast for me normally... The main feature of the RC is the extra distance & better control, compared to a touch screen app.

Personally, without the RC, I would have lost interest in the Spark after a very short time, but if your main interest is photography, I guess you can do without it.

Good luck, take your time, my first 2/3 flights I was in beginner mode. The difference between flying with a Remote controller and a Phone is massive. Jeven Dovey has some great tutorials on his Youtube channel, I watched the spark ones over and over.

Thanks guys, there is some great advice from you all. I will invest in a controller soon. The shop didn't have controllers or bundles so I couldn't get at the time.. I'm super excited but totally nervous

Welcome to the spark forum and congrats on your purchase.  Like me, flying the spark for the first time was very nerve racking to say the least.  My first advice is to educate yourself by watching many youtube tutorials and videos on the spark; there are tons of them out there.  Secondly, take it slow, learn to take off and land and fly around close to you (within 100ft).  Only and i do mean only, when you've mastered the basics should you venture out farther.  It's like learning to drive a car; start slow and keep in control.  Best of luck to you and we are here to help if you have any questionis; most of them are probably already in some post somewhere .. cheers,

100% ditto to Sparky_17

I think being nervous is a good sign that you're aware of the complexity of your drone and its potential consequences (heavy on potential). That's a good place to start from.

I'll add that you should follow the advice here and be as prepared as possible, but it still takes a final leap of faith to take off for the first time. I just had to trust that the Spark would operate the way it's supposed to, and miracle of miracles, it did. I've been on Sparky_17's program ever since and now I'm flying over water. Just shallow ponds so far, but baby steps...

I thought I'd maybe attempt it tonight but it is pretty windy again. *sigh* guess it's more simulator for me tonight.

I appreciate everyone's advice, it's nice to see everyone is friendly and sharing their hints and tips. I will order a rc soon I think.

After that said the wond died down and i took it into the garden and gave it a short flight around the perimeter. To say I'm ecstatic about how easy it was for me to control would be an understatement.   

I was nervous on my first few flight and started in beginner mode.  But turns out the drone is super easy.   just get out and fly it.  The thing basically stays locked in place and goes exactly where you tell it to.

Outlier22 Posted at 2018-5-10 09:50
I was nervous on my first few flight and started in beginner mode.  But turns out the drone is super easy.   just get out and fly it.  The thing basically stays locked in place and goes exactly where you tell it to.

It's definitely a great feature having the drone stay in one place. I love this feature.

My first 3 crashes were inside.  Fly outside is my advice.  You'll learn faster and it's safer.  Good luck.  

Blellow Posted at 2018-5-10 11:01
My first 3 crashes were inside.  Fly outside is my advice.  You'll learn faster and it's safer.  Good luck.

I decided against the flying indoors. Don't think the OH would be too amused if I took chunks out of our new walls.... personally I'd be more upset about the 4oo odd pound drone but oh well.
Thanks for your post

All good advice and great tips!

#1 Breathe it’s gonna be OK.  
#2 get a controller as already stated.
#3 Don’t learn to fly over water!  LOL

Seriously, educate yourself!  Read the manual (easier to read if you download it from online) HaHa.  Read the forums, watch YouTube videos on the Spark, ask questions!  And go out and have fun, fly, learn, and build your skills!  Beginner mode is a great place to start and to get comfortable with it. You’ve purchased a good and well mannered drone. If you treat it with respect it will fly the same way in return. The flip side to this is if you decide to get crazy with it, it will show you crazy real quick!  

Coming from a background of non-stabilized RC airplanes and helis, the Spark is stupidly easy to fly. It sorta feels like cheating to me! Haha However, when the purpose of the platform is to get photos and video, it should be that easy to fly so you can concentrate on getting the shot rather than piloting the aircraft. When you get the RC, Sport mode will allow you to spice things up a bit!