Finally took my Spark out for it's first ever flight. I must say, I had a grin ear-to-ear the entire time I was flying. I had loved RC as a kid, and getting my first drone flight under my belt just reminded me that I need to get back into this fun hobby. I posted a video link (dont worry, I kept it to 90-seconds) of some 'cut-up's I took from my flight today. Video was taken inside of a soccer field at a sports complex/city park in Fremont, CA (about 30-miles south of San Francisco).
First, some things I learned right off the bat.
a) My ultimaxxx Fly More Bundle included a landing pad . I am really glad I used it. I could have easily done a palm landing or just landing on my black foam box. The wide pad kept all sorts of grass and dirt away from my camera, which I understand can be a issue. Having a clean landing area for begginners is a must IMO. Also, the landing pad gave a landmark to practice touch and go maneuvers while learning the sticks.
b) The Fly More package came with the two batteries, but I've seemed to go through the 1st batt quicker. Maybe due to calabrating, etc? Regardless, I need another battery. Two is not enough IMO, it's just so fun.
c) I need to purchase prop holders similiar to these Penivo . Now that my drone will be in & out of it's case alot, prop damage during transportation seems likely at some point.
d) I need landing gear.
e) I used the DJI Spark charging hub with the Fly More Bundle. It charged both my batteries to 100% in just under one hour.
I have some questions about my first flight; and I'm hoping the forum can help me increase my learning curve quickly. Thanks in advance!
1) I used my iPhone XS Max with my RC, and the screen looks great. However I did experience some black screens (about 3) during my flights, and then the screen would re-appear again. Is this normal for a Wi-Fi connection. Will a OTG cord eliminate this? While I'm on this subject, the vendor (Ultimaxxusa) I purchased my Fly More Bundle also threw in some goodies of their own. One included accessorie is the Range Extender. Are these things legit, any feedback on these?
2. I used Beginner mode for both of my flights today. Does this mode impair Gestures? I know alot of folks dont use Gesture mode, but I still want to try it. I toggled it in the settings right before take off, and it just gave me a warning about obstructions. How can I set this up, and does it conflict with Beginner mode?
3. Right before take off, and once RC and Spark we're linked, the app made an announcement that the RTH location had been set. With that being said, I proceeded to take off for flight until I got my first battery warning. I pressed the RTH icon on my screen, and after a quick lag, it preceeded to descend. I thought 'great it works'. The drone then descended straight down (slowly) from it's current position (about 40 yards away from the landing pad). I was waiting for it to return to the landing pad automatically, but it didnt. At about 1' off the ground I manually took over the sticks and guided it back to the landing pad. Am I doing something wrong? Shouldnt it return to the GPS point it took off from? Whats the point of RTH if it just lands vertically? Please help with this!
4. The drone flew a bit slower than I anticipated. Is this because of Beginner mode?
5. I wanted to view my film immediately after the flights, it showed me my 2nd flight via the app. But I couldnt find the first flight. When I inserted SD card into my laptop, it was there? Any suggestions on sharing a video clip on social media immediately after flight?
Sorry for the long winded post, just lots of questions and I'm looking forward to hearing back from the forum.
I also thought I'd share these pics as well. I'm sure their useful to somebody. This was the RC extender that came with my bundle from Ultimaxxx.
Although not premium level quality (I plan to upgrade in the near future) but for now this is enough to get me orientated to flying on a screen. One thing I learned with this first flight was that I spent more time visually watching the drone instead of the screen. I really didn't look at the screen until it got to a far range. I wanted to get at tactile feel of the sticks and how the Spark responds before I rely on the screen.
Welcome!
1. The parabolic range extender does improve the distance range between the AC and the RC but not the AC to phone.
2. Beginner Mode is slower and does not allow you to switch to Sport Mode.
3. RTH works differently depending on the distance from home: 0-3 meters, 3-20 meters, 20-100 meters, > 100 meters. This is detailed in another thread by a video link and a description.
4. See answer 2.
5. The DL to your phone is very slow and at a lower resolution.
The current recommendation from many in this group is to use a battery clip when flying. While loosing the battery is statistically low, it has happened about 50 times in about 10,000 Sparks.
a. I have one but never used it.
b. Probably yes. And yes, 2 is not enough
c. Wait a little. I never damaged the props during transportation. (again, I did but a sleeve for that, but never used it)
d. Nope. Just hand catch / land on the pad. I would not attach anything to my drone myself. It does affect the stability + battery life a little, plus you don't need it (especially not if you have a landing pad).
e. Nice.
1. Never had that with my MP. But that has a OTG cable.
2. Never used the beginner mode nor the gestures
3. My advice : don't use RTH. It is probably #1 reason for crashes. Set the battery warning level at 30% or so, so you have enough battery to fly back manually. Look at the blue line on your radar at the app. That is where you are (or the RC is) and where you should fly to if you ever loose sight.
4. Yes.
5. Always use the SD footage. It is way better than the cached version on your app.
And ps, take it slow. Step by step.
All above are my opinion of course. Just use them at your own likes
Thanks for all the great information. I'll start digging for that RTH info, but if somebody has a link it would be appreciated. I will look into the battery clips. I can only imagine having one fall off during flight and the drone drops like a rock.
Spark_Raider Posted at 1-3 17:56
Thanks for all the great information. I'll start digging for that RTH info, but if somebody has a link it would be appreciated. I will look into the battery clips. I can only imagine having one fall off during flight and the drone drops like a rock.
~SR
On the app, there is a menu for the manual. You can browse the manual easier on your phone. If I remember right, it lets you jump to the section you are interested in. RTH will land where it is If the drone is close to the home point when you hit RTH.
Don't use RTH as a method of landing. RTH is better thought of as a fail safe for when everything has gone wrong (disconnected, pilot lost the drone, etc.) I have never used RTH. If it is the only way the drone can get home, then fine. Otherwise, there are a million ways the RTH function can mess up and crash the drone. RTH water landings, because the launch boat has moved across the lake, are the most hilarious of the popular RTH accidents.
Spark_Raider Posted at 1-3 17:56
Thanks for all the great information. I'll start digging for that RTH info, but if somebody has a link it would be appreciated. I will look into the battery clips. I can only imagine having one fall off during flight and the drone drops like a rock.
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