Drone options - £300 ball-park
Discussion
Mods : Correct forum for this question? Or should it be in the photography section?
I'm looking to try out what may become a new hobby, and that is to do some "drone exploring".
What I am looking for is a drone with a good camera to be able to fly reasonable distance in order to obtain video of scenic areas.
I travel a lot around the UK and Europe in the car, and have always wanted to get some interesting video of scenic areas, such as coast lines, hill tops, vistas, and rural landmarks. (No, not airports before anyone asks!)
But as I'll be a noobie with drones I'm only looking to start off with a ball-park £300 budget.... because I can see one of my initial flights likely having the drone fly off to the moon or possibly impersonating a submarine in the nearest water body!
A drone that has caught my eye so far is the UpAir One.
4K camera, GPS and a range of 1km - for £339
There is also the UpAir One Plus - which connects to your phone instead of using its own screen on the controller.
Question1 - Generally speaking, if the live monitor is in-built in to the controller, would that provide a better connection with the drone?
Or would the mobile phone be more reliable? (I'm thinking that if a mobile phone is not required then also less likely that the drone will be asking for download updates prior to every flight - similar to what DJI drones seem to do)
Question2 - Other drones such as the Potensic D80 also seem reasonable for £239. Any others that you can suggest ?
Cheers guys.
I'm looking to try out what may become a new hobby, and that is to do some "drone exploring".
What I am looking for is a drone with a good camera to be able to fly reasonable distance in order to obtain video of scenic areas.
I travel a lot around the UK and Europe in the car, and have always wanted to get some interesting video of scenic areas, such as coast lines, hill tops, vistas, and rural landmarks. (No, not airports before anyone asks!)
But as I'll be a noobie with drones I'm only looking to start off with a ball-park £300 budget.... because I can see one of my initial flights likely having the drone fly off to the moon or possibly impersonating a submarine in the nearest water body!
A drone that has caught my eye so far is the UpAir One.
4K camera, GPS and a range of 1km - for £339
There is also the UpAir One Plus - which connects to your phone instead of using its own screen on the controller.
Question1 - Generally speaking, if the live monitor is in-built in to the controller, would that provide a better connection with the drone?
Or would the mobile phone be more reliable? (I'm thinking that if a mobile phone is not required then also less likely that the drone will be asking for download updates prior to every flight - similar to what DJI drones seem to do)
Question2 - Other drones such as the Potensic D80 also seem reasonable for £239. Any others that you can suggest ?
Cheers guys.
otolith said:
If you want one, it occurs to me that it might be worth buying one now before knee jerk legislation over Gatwick restricts their sale - though also, that you are gambling that similar knee-jerkery won't also restrict their use.
True.This is part why I am thinking that a drone that doesn't require a mobile phone to operate would be a good option. That way the drone is not likely to be asking for firmware updates all the time - as it wouldn't have a data-internet connection.
I read that the likes of DJI drones are always updating their "geo-fencing" which comes under the description of "firmware update required".
Of course I could just turn off the data on the phone, but the phone app may want the data connection before operating the drone? (happy to be corrected)
As someone who has owned or been exposed to drones ranging from £25 to £1500, depending on what you are trying to achieve I think I would recommend a second hand DJI Phantom 3 professional.
This will give you 4k at 30fps or 1080 at 60fps, a range of just over 2 miles and a flight time of around 20 minutes, no sensors but unless you are flying low in a populated area I wouldnt say they were necessary.
The Xiaomi is a good shout, it was the choice I had to make, Xiaomi 4k or Phantom 3 pro (second hand), I have the Phantom and my uncle bought the Xiaomi, I wouldnt change my mind.
Another choice might be the DJI Spark.
I will likely be called out on this but I think whatever you choose it should be a DJI, new or secondhand, there seems to be little else out there that even comes close.
Regarding your questions:
1 - Its not quite as simple as one or the other, some top end DJI drones have the screen built in but others would use a phone or tablet...one thing to remember is that generally anything under £300 is likely to have a short range regardless of the screen type.
2 - I can only echo what I have said here already, buy a second hand Phantom or new Spark and don't look back.
Just for some context, drones we have in the family...
DJI Spark x 2
Phantom 3 Professional
DJI Mavic pro 1 x 2
Xiamo 4k
Cheerson CX20 (Now crashed)
Hubsan 501S
Wizard X220 (Mid range racing drone - Crashed many times but still alive!)
Happy to answer any questions you might have.
This will give you 4k at 30fps or 1080 at 60fps, a range of just over 2 miles and a flight time of around 20 minutes, no sensors but unless you are flying low in a populated area I wouldnt say they were necessary.
The Xiaomi is a good shout, it was the choice I had to make, Xiaomi 4k or Phantom 3 pro (second hand), I have the Phantom and my uncle bought the Xiaomi, I wouldnt change my mind.
Another choice might be the DJI Spark.
I will likely be called out on this but I think whatever you choose it should be a DJI, new or secondhand, there seems to be little else out there that even comes close.
Regarding your questions:
1 - Its not quite as simple as one or the other, some top end DJI drones have the screen built in but others would use a phone or tablet...one thing to remember is that generally anything under £300 is likely to have a short range regardless of the screen type.
2 - I can only echo what I have said here already, buy a second hand Phantom or new Spark and don't look back.
Just for some context, drones we have in the family...
DJI Spark x 2
Phantom 3 Professional
DJI Mavic pro 1 x 2
Xiamo 4k
Cheerson CX20 (Now crashed)
Hubsan 501S
Wizard X220 (Mid range racing drone - Crashed many times but still alive!)
Happy to answer any questions you might have.
If you can up your budget slightly, you should be able to get a secondhand Mavic Air or Pro.
As above, you might as well go DJI as they’re the best at the moment.
From your description, I’d go for the Air as it packs down into a small bag and doesn’t take up much room when travelling. It’s honestly requires less space than a DSLR
As above, you might as well go DJI as they’re the best at the moment.
From your description, I’d go for the Air as it packs down into a small bag and doesn’t take up much room when travelling. It’s honestly requires less space than a DSLR
MyNewName said:
...
Regarding your questions:
1 - Its not quite as simple as one or the other, some top end DJI drones have the screen built in but others would use a phone or tablet...one thing to remember is that generally anything under £300 is likely to have a short range regardless of the screen type.
2 - I can only echo what I have said here already, buy a second hand Phantom or new Spark and don't look back.
...
Happy to answer any questions you might have.
Thanks for that reply.Regarding your questions:
1 - Its not quite as simple as one or the other, some top end DJI drones have the screen built in but others would use a phone or tablet...one thing to remember is that generally anything under £300 is likely to have a short range regardless of the screen type.
2 - I can only echo what I have said here already, buy a second hand Phantom or new Spark and don't look back.
...
Happy to answer any questions you might have.
Where is the best place to buy drones in the UK ?
Most of the websites seem to point towards having to import them from the USA or China.
I tried looking for a Phantom 3 Pro, but only seem to be able to find the Phantom 4 at over £1,200.
Cheers.
Just my 2c - I had a look for a drone at a similar time last year and ended up buying a Phantom 3 Standard from CeX, cost around £300 with a 24 month warranty which was covered by trading in a couple of old phones I had lying around!
Tried looking at others but kept going back to the DJI because they are fantastic bits of kit and have vast amounts of easily replaceable parts(you can buy literally enough parts to build a new one from scratch). They come with a "beginner mode" which stops the drone flying further than a set distance from the controller and then various flying modes once you have mastered flying it. The amount of detail and information which you get from the app (height, speed, distance from controller etc) The built in GPS is really handy for getting it to hold position whilst taking photos and if you initiate return to home feature, it will fly the drone back to the "home" location (where it took off from unless you set it different) automatically.
I genuinely cannot recommend them enough, as my first "proper" drone, it's been fantastic and very easy to get to grips with. The only downside is that to upgrade its going to cost me over double again!
Tried looking at others but kept going back to the DJI because they are fantastic bits of kit and have vast amounts of easily replaceable parts(you can buy literally enough parts to build a new one from scratch). They come with a "beginner mode" which stops the drone flying further than a set distance from the controller and then various flying modes once you have mastered flying it. The amount of detail and information which you get from the app (height, speed, distance from controller etc) The built in GPS is really handy for getting it to hold position whilst taking photos and if you initiate return to home feature, it will fly the drone back to the "home" location (where it took off from unless you set it different) automatically.
I genuinely cannot recommend them enough, as my first "proper" drone, it's been fantastic and very easy to get to grips with. The only downside is that to upgrade its going to cost me over double again!
I have a DJI Spark and it has been awesome. I've used it loads on road trips or holiday. What I like about it is the compact size - you can easily fit it in any bag so great for when travelling. It can't do 4k video (I think 1080p is the max) but honest I think that is more than enough for the casual enthusiast. Even professional Youtubers don't really use 4k and if you are sending videos to friends or family then it will probably be in 1080p anyway.
I'd recommend checking out Francis Darracott on Youtube as he has a DJI Spark and you can see some of the amazing results you get.
I'd recommend checking out Francis Darracott on Youtube as he has a DJI Spark and you can see some of the amazing results you get.
There may be some cheap ones going on Ebay soon after last night's registration announcement 
A word of warning: I've just picked up a Mavic Pro from Ebay and have found to my surprise that the remote controller is VERY picky about the makes ./ models of mobile device it will connect to as part of the control setup when paired with the latest DJI Go 4 app.
After having wasted a lot of time yesterday trying and failing to connect to my Samsung J5 (2016), I have followed some of the advice online and picked up a £60 acer iconia 7 tablet. That has connected first time.
A word of warning: I've just picked up a Mavic Pro from Ebay and have found to my surprise that the remote controller is VERY picky about the makes ./ models of mobile device it will connect to as part of the control setup when paired with the latest DJI Go 4 app.
After having wasted a lot of time yesterday trying and failing to connect to my Samsung J5 (2016), I have followed some of the advice online and picked up a £60 acer iconia 7 tablet. That has connected first time.
Have been looking for something recently as well so in for a follow. The Parrot Bebop 2 can be bought new for £299 (no controller) from Argos or the full FPV pack (controller and FPV goggles) from Parrot for £379.
Any thoughts on the Bebop?
Edit - correct spelling of "Bebop"
Any thoughts on the Bebop?
Edit - correct spelling of "Bebop"
Edited by geeks on Tuesday 8th January 14:06
Has anyone mentioned the laws to you?
Just in case...
As a hobbyist you must be more than 150m away from built up areas/congested area.
50m away from people not in your control
Within visual range (that means your eyes seeing the drone, not the video on the controller).
Max height 400 ft above ground level.
Just in case...
As a hobbyist you must be more than 150m away from built up areas/congested area.
50m away from people not in your control
Within visual range (that means your eyes seeing the drone, not the video on the controller).
Max height 400 ft above ground level.
surveyor said:
Has anyone mentioned the laws to you?
Just in case...
As a hobbyist you must be more than 150m away from built up areas/congested area.
50m away from people not in your control
Within visual range (that means your eyes seeing the drone, not the video on the controller).
Max height 400 ft above ground level.
So pretty much alone in the middle of nowhere near to sea level lolJust in case...
As a hobbyist you must be more than 150m away from built up areas/congested area.
50m away from people not in your control
Within visual range (that means your eyes seeing the drone, not the video on the controller).
Max height 400 ft above ground level.
I was interested but the new proposed laws about being over 3miles from an airport make it pointless for me
Second hand DJI P3 pro for about that price. Battery might be a bit old, so might have to factor in a new one.
Many of these were taken with said drone.. the rest with the P4
http://stevecarter.com/random/Aerial.htm
ETA... check out the vid quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCbHziHvpRs&fe...
Many of these were taken with said drone.. the rest with the P4
http://stevecarter.com/random/Aerial.htm
ETA... check out the vid quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCbHziHvpRs&fe...
Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 8th January 20:40
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