What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

You NEED a DRONE, Dude > $50 with HD cam? Unpossible! (2 Viewers)

fantasycurse42 said:
Thanks, so is the one I linked basically two dudes sitting in a garage putting them together as an order comes in?

the specs all seem great, but I’m not sure if they’re a real company. The Holy Stone HS720 seems to be a slightly more legit company, but idk.

I need something delivered by Thursday and I’m between those 3. I like the one I linked bc it comes with two batteries, has a long flying time, and appears to have some “autopilot” type features.  
Click to expand...
Sorry I have no experience with the drone you linked.  The DJI is going to be the best of the 3 you have mentioned.  Figure the battery run time is roughly 75% of what is listed.  That number and range are almost always exaggerated.  Be sure you fly it for the first time in an area with a lot of space.  Are there any Youtube videos for the model you linked?

 
fantasycurse42 said:
Can I get a drone recommendation?

Simplicity of use and flying time are important. Kids want to play with and it will most likely end up getting destroyed, so cheap is good.
Click to expand...
My GF and I bought my dad the DJI Spark for Christmas 2018.  It's very compact and easy to handle.  It takes good enough video and is easy to fly.  It has an auto-pilot back to home when the battery is running low.  The expected battery life is between 12 and 15 minutes.  I would go with DJI as like others have said, its a very reputable brand.  They are a ton of fun to fly and take videos with.

 
Teddy Stickles said:
My GF and I bought my dad the DJI Spark for Christmas 2018.  It's very compact and easy to handle.  It takes good enough video and is easy to fly.  It has an auto-pilot back to home when the battery is running low.  The expected battery life is between 12 and 15 minutes.  I would go with DJI as like others have said, its a very reputable brand.  They are a ton of fun to fly and take videos with.
Click to expand...
Just to add.  12-15 mins is plenty of time to fly.  As a new flyer you won’t be going that far out.  Also DJI offers coverage to replace it if you crash it.  So if you are even close to the spark price point it’s a no brainer.

 
Ok, but to be clear here, the DJI unit with extra batteries, warranty, and accessories costs almost 2x this Ruko unit I posted, so this is def worth $550-$600 versus $275-$325?

 
WDIK2 said:
How old are your kids?  Be prepared to crash or lose it.  Also be wary of the reviews for the drone you linked from Amazon.  Fakespot.com did not like the reviews.

The DJI is more money and it can still be crashed or lost, but DJI is at least a "name brand" drone.  The higher priced drones are going to be easier to fly, but I understand the issue with younger kids.

Just flew mine (Autel Evo) for the first time in town.  It's amazing how stable and easy it is to fly compared to the $75 drone I had previously.  I'm sure the less expensive ones have gotten better in the last few years though. 
Click to expand...
Is that the Tello I saw posted earlier? My company uses that kind of drone when we're in school programs. 👍

 
Man, glad I looked at the rules before I purchased. Apparently anywhere I want to fly this thing is a no fly zone. 

Well, just saved myself $600. 

Can I get a cheap recommendation to take on vacation just for some arial videos and photos of my family on the beach. $50-$100, small/easy to use... If it doesn't have to be registered with the FAA even better. 

 
fantasycurse42 said:
Man, glad I looked at the rules before I purchased. Apparently anywhere I want to fly this thing is a no fly zone. 

Well, just saved myself $600. 

Can I get a cheap recommendation to take on vacation just for some arial videos and photos of my family on the beach. $50-$100, small/easy to use... If it doesn't have to be registered with the FAA even better. 
Click to expand...
Looked at DJI Fly zone, was slightly confused. I downloaded the b4ufly app and it showed me some areas as no fly while the DJI app did not. 

https://i.imgur.com/E5mQxyU.png

I called DJI and they told me I could fly in certain areas.. The map is from the DJI site fly safe zone. My questions:

1) Why does the DJI map and the b4ufly app not match up? 

2) Can I fly with no issue in the areas between the black square on the bottom left and black rectangle on the right (excluding the red areas of JFK by Valley Stream and West Babylon)... DJI said I could, but if I'm into something I've never done before for $600 and then the thing won't take off, I'm going to be super heated. 

Thanks again!

 
Almost took a few fingers off. As it stands, I've got some bad cuts from trying to land on my hand and I put this thing into a metal garage and a tree. Glad I bought the DJI refresh warranty, I get the sense I'm gonna need it. 

 
I know nothing about this, so I’m gonna make an assumption here; nobody uses those propeller guards, right? My Mavic came with them, but they’re tremendous... The small case this game with holds 3 batteries, the dock, remote, and Mavic. It’s an awesome little case, can’t imagine carrying around another box that’s the same size just for propeller guards, especially since I have 8 spare propellers and the replacement warranty.

Am I correct with this line of thinking?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
fantasycurse42 said:
I know nothing about this, so I’m gonna make an assumption here; nobody uses those propeller guards, right? My Mavic came with them, but they’re tremendous... The small case this game with holds 3 batteries, the dock, remote, and Mavic. It’s an awesome little case, can’t imagine carrying around another box that’s the same size just for propeller guards, especially since I have 8 spare propellers and the replacement warranty.

Am I correct with this line of thinking?
Click to expand...
I believe you are correct.  I don't think most people use the prop guards.

 
WDIK2 said:
Be sure you fly it for the first time in an area with a lot of space. 
Click to expand...


fantasycurse42 said:
I put this thing into a metal garage and a tree. Glad I bought the DJI refresh warranty, I get the sense I'm gonna need it. 
Click to expand...
;)  

ETA:  I've watched videos of people hand catching their drones.  Not sure I would try it.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
My kids march in marching band for their HS, and it's funny because my kids aren't very athletic (although I'd say marching around carrying a sousaphone while playing is athletic) we treat it as you would a sports team, meaning we are "all in".

My daughter is thinking about getting a drone, and that got me thinking if I had a drone, would I be able to fly it in a way to get a decent overhead shot of a football field (they usually go 20yd line to 20 yd line, maybe the 30)? The shots wouldn't need to be clear enough to identify the individual marchers (you can tell, based on the timeframe, who is supposed to be where) I was just thinking it would help to have a different view of the performance during a practice

Does that make sense?

 
Mr. Ected said:
My kids march in marching band for their HS, and it's funny because my kids aren't very athletic (although I'd say marching around carrying a sousaphone while playing is athletic) we treat it as you would a sports team, meaning we are "all in".

My daughter is thinking about getting a drone, and that got me thinking if I had a drone, would I be able to fly it in a way to get a decent overhead shot of a football field (they usually go 20yd line to 20 yd line, maybe the 30)? The shots wouldn't need to be clear enough to identify the individual marchers (you can tell, based on the timeframe, who is supposed to be where) I was just thinking it would help to have a different view of the performance during a practice

Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
I agree you could get some cool shots, but there are rules about flying over people/crowds.  From this site:  https://www.airmap.com/rules-to-fly-recreational-drones/

3. Don’t fly over people.
While you might think a popular beach might be a great place to capture a stunning view with your new drone, flights over people are not permitted. This can include over a group of people or even a single person not part of the associated flight crew. Practice good judgment and make sure to stay away from stadiums, public events, and community events where large groups of people may congregate.

I thought it would be cool to get video of a football game at a local high school under the lights, but right now it is against the rules.

 
WDIK2 said:
I agree you could get some cool shots, but there are rules about flying over people/crowds.  From this site:  https://www.airmap.com/rules-to-fly-recreational-drones/

3. Don’t fly over people.
While you might think a popular beach might be a great place to capture a stunning view with your new drone, flights over people are not permitted. This can include over a group of people or even a single person not part of the associated flight crew. Practice good judgment and make sure to stay away from stadiums, public events, and community events where large groups of people may congregate.

I thought it would be cool to get video of a football game at a local high school under the lights, but right now it is against the rules.
Click to expand...
And for good reason.  Imagine it crashes and kills somebody.

you might still be able to get cool shots from away from the stadium though.  

 
fantasycurse42 said:
Is this a good map to determine where I can and cannot fly?

https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad
Click to expand...
I have a DJI spark (actually on my 2nd :bag: ). It will give you a warning and not allow you to take off if you are somewhere you absolutely should not be flying (ie: near an airport). Otherwise, I just use common sense. Trees have been my biggest obstacle. Especially when out of sight. They sneak up on you. 

PS - the DJI spark has a mode just for hand launching and landing. To launch, you just put it on your palm and point it at your face. It revs up and hovers in place. To land, you just put your hand out, it hovers over and it recognizes it, locks in, and slowly lowers down and turns off. Pretty slick.

 
WDIK2 said:
Mr. Ected said:
My kids march in marching band for their HS, and it's funny because my kids aren't very athletic (although I'd say marching around carrying a sousaphone while playing is athletic) we treat it as you would a sports team, meaning we are "all in".

My daughter is thinking about getting a drone, and that got me thinking if I had a drone, would I be able to fly it in a way to get a decent overhead shot of a football field (they usually go 20yd line to 20 yd line, maybe the 30)? The shots wouldn't need to be clear enough to identify the individual marchers (you can tell, based on the timeframe, who is supposed to be where) I was just thinking it would help to have a different view of the performance during a practice

Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
I agree you could get some cool shots, but there are rules about flying over people/crowds.  From this site:  https://www.airmap.com/rules-to-fly-recreational-drones/

3. Don’t fly over people.
While you might think a popular beach might be a great place to capture a stunning view with your new drone, flights over people are not permitted. This can include over a group of people or even a single person not part of the associated flight crew. Practice good judgment and make sure to stay away from stadiums, public events, and community events where large groups of people may congregate.

I thought it would be cool to get video of a football game at a local high school under the lights, but right now it is against the rules.
Click to expand...
I understand what you are bringing up, I am not talking about doing this while the band is performing in front of the crowd at half-time or during a competition. I was thinking about doing it during a practice, when the stands are empty and it is just the band (~50 students/staff) on the field, so that the band could get a different perspective on the group to see if the marchers were in the positions at the right times.

 
Mr. Ected said:
I understand what you are bringing up, I am not talking about doing this while the band is performing in front of the crowd at half-time or during a competition. I was thinking about doing it during a practice, when the stands are empty and it is just the band (~50 students/staff) on the field, so that the band could get a different perspective on the group to see if the marchers were in the positions at the right times.
Click to expand...
Oh for sure.  If you had permission from the band director and for that use it would be no problem.  A buddy of mine used one for a pee wee football practice to show the kids an overhead view of how plays should develop.  The only issues is the kids wanted to watch the drone fly more than remember their assignments.  :)  

 
WDIK2 said:
Mr. Ected said:
I understand what you are bringing up, I am not talking about doing this while the band is performing in front of the crowd at half-time or during a competition. I was thinking about doing it during a practice, when the stands are empty and it is just the band (~50 students/staff) on the field, so that the band could get a different perspective on the group to see if the marchers were in the positions at the right times.
Click to expand...
Oh for sure.  If you had permission from the band director and for that use it would be no problem.  A buddy of mine used one for a pee wee football practice to show the kids an overhead view of how plays should develop.  The only issues is the kids wanted to watch the drone fly more than remember their assignments.  :)  
Click to expand...
If I could do it, she would love it.

So back to my initial question, what sort of drone would be good for doing that? I'd be looking for an area 40-60 yards by 30-40 yards.

 
Mr. Ected said:
If I could do it, she would love it.

So back to my initial question, what sort of drone would be good for doing that? I'd be looking for an area 40-60 yards by 30-40 yards.
Click to expand...
Can't say I'm a drone expert by any means.  I've owned 2.  One was less than $75 with extra batteries, my new one was $1100 with extra batteries.  Quite the range of quality and performance.  

Really depends on what you want to spend and what else you might like to use it for.  I don't think covering the area you are talking about would be a problem for most of them.  You can see a pretty large area once you are up in the air.  I think you would want to take stability (almost like an elevated tripod) and flight time into consideration.

After watching a couple of videos, that DJI Mavic Mini looks pretty tempting for not a lot of money.  I would recommend comparing cost and features then watch some Youtube videos to see if you think they would do what you want it to do.

 
fantasycurse42 said:
Looked at DJI Fly zone, was slightly confused. I downloaded the b4ufly app and it showed me some areas as no fly while the DJI app did not. 

https://i.imgur.com/E5mQxyU.png

I called DJI and they told me I could fly in certain areas.. The map is from the DJI site fly safe zone. My questions:

1) Why does the DJI map and the b4ufly app not match up? 

2) Can I fly with no issue in the areas between the black square on the bottom left and black rectangle on the right (excluding the red areas of JFK by Valley Stream and West Babylon)... DJI said I could, but if I'm into something I've never done before for $600 and then the thing won't take off, I'm going to be super heated. 

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
No. Cannot fly in that area. Gateway National Recreation Area is considered a National Park. Cannot fly a drone in any National Park.

 
Mr. Ected said:
If I could do it, she would love it.

So back to my initial question, what sort of drone would be good for doing that? I'd be looking for an area 40-60 yards by 30-40 yards.
Click to expand...
Considering your intention, you would want something with a decent camera. You can get a Parrot Anafi with 21 MP sensor for $600 new or used for less than $500.

 
fantasycurse42 said:
So easy to use. Go onto DJI's website and buy the protection plan... $39 and they'll replace it if you crash. 
Click to expand...
I got that. have you crashed yours?  it doesn't have the side front and upper sensors but it still has the bottom for landing.  So as long as you are staying clear of stuff it should be difficult to crash.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
beer 30 said:
Did I read that this thing only operates with WiFi? Is that correct?
Click to expand...
No, you don't need to be on wifi. Just attach your phone to the remote and you're good to go. Mine is 3 months old, got it in late Jan. It's a top notch entry level drone to see if you like it. No need to register with the FAA since it is 249g (250g and it has to be registered). I've decided I like these things and want a new one. I'd let this one go for $400 all-in. I'm far from home, so I have the drone, remote, iphone connector, case, 3 batteries, spare propellers, and charging dock for the 3 batteries. I also have the DJI upgraded warranty with two replacements still available until Jan 2021. All-in I was just under $700. I'm ready to upgrade, if you or anyone is interested. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
scottybo said:
Evo 2 is very enticing. Put the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom in one package with more battery life for less than the price of both together.
Click to expand...
Feels like DJI is a better run company. Evo 2 was supposed to be released April 20th, but it still isn't available and on Autel's site, it states "availability information coming soon."

The specs are amazing. From my Mavic Mini, I now know I enjoy flying a drone and am ready to step up for something new. I'm undecided if I roll the dice on Autel, not sure how good their warranty is? With DJI, I mail mine in and I get a replacement.

Specs on the Mavic Air 2 are nice, and at a much lower price point with a company I kinda trust more (regardless of this patent stuff they're fighting about). 

ETA: think I just talked myself into the Mavic Air 2. Starts shipping next week.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mavic 2 Air isn't compatible with the DJI Goggles :kicksrock:

Those things are sick, but not sure it is worth the extra $1k for the Mavic Pro Zoom with goggles.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

GregR
Greg's Useless Trivia #50 - 100 questions (75 greatest hits, 25 new)
Replies
19
Views
2K
GregR
GregR
C
Hawk versus Drone
Replies
0
Views
557
Christo
C
TheIronSheik
I just laid a guy out on the floor at work
Replies
35
Views
969
TheIronSheik
TheIronSheik

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Top