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Mavic Mini in snow? Any tips?
20080 19 2019-12-2
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MatthewW28
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Flight distance : 11460925 ft
United States
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I am looking to fly my Mavic Mini in light snow.  Is it safe and what should I do to ensure that I don't break it?  I did buy Care Refresh just in case if anything goes wrong.
2019-12-2
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DJI Paladin
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Hi, Thank you and welcome to DJI Forum. I hope that our valued DJI members can provide you the best response for this inquiry. In addition, I will be posting a link ( https://www.dji.com/mavic-mini/specs  ) for the specification for your DJI Mavic Mini. Thank you for your valued support.


2019-12-2
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hallmark007
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Ireland
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It’s not waterproof neither are most drones, I’ve seen one person flying in -5 degrees with no problem, if you get water inside, well electronics and water don’t mix.
I have flown all my drones in snow and rain but not for long periods, lens gets full of rain drops and snow so filiming is no use, some good practice for flying in winter below.


Particularly for new Mini Users, most of this will be applicable to both Newbies and enthusiasts, hope it helps creat some awareness.


Ensure batteries are fully charged: Some drone batteries include technology that automatically discharges battery power after a certain period of inactivity. This maintenance feature helps extend the battery life, but if you haven’t flown for a few weeks it can be easy to forget that your batteries may no longer be at the levels you expect. Before you head out the door, take a minute to verify that your batteries are fully charged.


Minimize heavy control inputs: Flying at high speeds or at full throttle requires a heavy current from the battery and can cause a sudden voltage drop. Avoiding full throttle, especially during the first few minutes of your flight, and minimizing heavy control inputs will help extend the flight time.

Avoid draining the battery: Under normal weather conditions, maxing out the flight time and flying to a low battery level is common. But when you’re flying in cold weather, completely draining the battery can be risky. Fly until the battery drops to 30-40 percent capacity, and then bring the drone back down. Pack a few spare batteries if you know you’ll need a lot of time in the air.
Bring a portable charger for your mobile device: Many popular drones stream live video to a mobile device on the controller. Remember that the battery in this device will also be impacted by cold weather. You may want to purchase a small portable charger to power up your mobile device if needed.





Steer clear of precipitation

Most drones aren’t waterproof and precipitation of any kind can damage the camera and gimbal, short out a motor, or cause other malfunctions to the drone or controller. If your drone does get caught in the rain or snow, land it as soon as possible. Make sure to dry off the props and body of the drone. In particularly cold weather.
2019-12-2
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Montfrooij
Captain
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Netherlands
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I have flown the Mavic Pro in mild rain for about 20 minutes, but it was a desperate measure as my subject was arriving and I only had one shot.
The MP did great, but the footage was 'so so'.
(water on the lens) .

Snow is another matter probably, but if it gets into the body, the effects might be equally bad.
2019-12-2
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davidms
lvl.4
Flight distance : 428186 ft
Canada
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-15c and did fine.



2019-12-2
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MatthewW28
lvl.3
Flight distance : 11460925 ft
United States
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I was thinking of placing tape on all of the cracks on the top and the sides, leaving the bottom since nothing would really be able to make its way there.
2019-12-2
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StefanMalloch
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Canada
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hallmark007 Posted at 12-2 08:23
It’s not waterproof neither are most drones, I’ve seen one person flying in -5 degrees with no problem, if you get water inside, well electronics and water don’t mix.
I have flown all my drones in snow and rain but not for long periods, lens gets full of rain drops and snow so filiming is no use, some good practice for flying in winter below.

Lots of great info thanks
2019-12-2
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REMOVE DC NFZ
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United States
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2019-12-2
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jonny007
lvl.4
Germany
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For landing I have found something for you. Maybe it works even if you let the drone slide down a small hill, 100 feet or so, and then ascend.

2019-12-2
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6arret
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Canada
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REMOVE DC NFZ Posted at 12-2 12:02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKDkP3NLOzU

You have balls sir LOL. I've seen people fly Mavics in snow storms before... not something I do or would recommend. I don't fly my MP below -10. I found the gimbal doesn't really like it past that point and becomes jittery. IMO I wouldn't be flying in any snow or precipitation. +1 for what hallmark said.
2019-12-2
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Porktree
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REMOVE DC NFZ Posted at 12-2 12:02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKDkP3NLOzU

I've flown my MP2 in light snow's before, but it seems more robust.  Lots of exposed ports on the Mini, I'll keep it in the bag.  I think the prop wash protects the motors during flight, but they seem pretty exposed.

Was this done with a Mini?  
2019-12-2
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davidms
lvl.4
Flight distance : 428186 ft
Canada
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Awesome video but not shot with a mini.

2019-12-2
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REMOVE DC NFZ
lvl.3
Flight distance : 942671 ft
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No sir this is a Mavic2 zoom...I was showing him I did put my m2z into extreme element and upon close inspection..no water intrusion. I also do this with my P3P
2019-12-3
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djiuser_Bg69yPrvKiTx
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United States
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Hi, my mini2 dropped out of my hands and into the snow, but landed upright. I took it into the house and dried it off, but now it won't connect to the controller. The controller says "navigation error "!!  with error code 30008 and a gimbal error code 40011. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
2020-12-21
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MatthewW28
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Flight distance : 11460925 ft
United States
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djiuser_Bg69yPrvKiTx Posted at 12-21 14:50
Hi, my mini2 dropped out of my hands and into the snow, but landed upright. I took it into the house and dried it off, but now it won't connect to the controller. The controller says "navigation error "!!  with error code 30008 and a gimbal error code 40011. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Not sure why, maybe contact DJI on this one.  How long did you let it dry for?  Any moisture in the drone should be let to dry for a couple of days to be sure.
2020-12-21
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djiuser_Bg69yPrvKiTx
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It's been drying for a few days.
2020-12-22
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stuka75
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Flight distance : 85682 ft
United States
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djiuser_Bg69yPrvKiTx Posted at 12-21 14:50
Hi, my mini2 dropped out of my hands and into the snow, but landed upright. I took it into the house and dried it off, but now it won't connect to the controller. The controller says "navigation error "!!  with error code 30008 and a gimbal error code 40011. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Try packing in rice for a week to dry it out.
2020-12-26
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stuka75
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Flight distance : 85682 ft
United States
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Regards flying in cold weather, keep your batteries warm until ready to fly and hover for a few moments after starting to let the battery's normal discharge keep it warm. Some keep the battery in their pockets before flying, or in a cooler to maintain temp before flying.
2020-12-26
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djiuser_BD6bvdG5nDxc
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United States
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davidms Posted at 2019-12-2 10:48
-15c and did fine.

https://youtu.be/_0ly71rSQxg

I think he was more asking about flying while it’s snowing, not just cold temperatures.
2021-3-14
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djiuser_PURl1C3TXy19
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United States
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MatthewW28 Posted at 2019-12-2 11:22
I was thinking of placing tape on all of the cracks on the top and the sides, leaving the bottom since nothing would really be able to make its way there.

did it work?, and what type of tape if so?
2022-12-4
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