Drone 101 – What You Should Know BEFORE You Buy!
Not all drones are alike. That’s by far the most important piece of information in this post.
Sure, most drones do look the same, often having 4 spinning propellers, a body and lights of some sort, quad-copters or “quads” are all essentially the same type of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle).
But the similarities typically end there.
Drones look the same, but trust me, they do not all perform at the same level and that should come to you as no surprise since this applies to pretty much every other type of electronic device out there.
The main basic factors that differentiate one drone from the next are:
- ? Pricing
- ? Functionality and Features of the drone
- ? The drone’s Camera(s)
- ? The corresponding Mobile Phone App.
Of course, most drones can fly “line of sight” without a phone or App, that’s always your call.
But one factor that’s really critical to consider is Functionality and Features of the drone BEFORE you buy, for obvious reasons.
For example, if you’re a beginner, you’ll need a drone with automatic altitude control (auto-hover or hold & hover) and automatic takeoff and landing.
Why?
Because trying to control a flying object that’s constantly in motion on 3 axis with no prior training is all but impossible!
But instead, imagine that at the push of a button on your controller/transmitter, your drone that takes off and hovers 3 feet off the ground on it’s own, then you can easily fly the quad left and right, forward and backward, even up and down… Now that’s fun! And, simplifying your first few drone flights is the key to enjoying flying UAVs.
Flying a drone with cool automated features doesn’t mean you’re never going to crash your drone. Everyone I know has crashed – a lot! :P
And that’s precisely why you should start your UAV adventure with a cost effective, proven flyer like the Eachine E58 ($60) or the Visuo XS809 ($89).
I’ve been flying drones for longer than I can imagine, and I’ve reviewed some pretty decent entry level drones recently including my 11 year old daughter Faith’s Visuo Siluroid, hailed as one of the best alternatives to the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, the world’s most popular cinematic UAV out there. So I’m partial to the Visuo because it costs under $100 and since it’s foldable, we can take it with us anywhere – and fly anytime!
So there you have it! A sure fire way to ensure you get the most out of your drone experience, without spending thousands of dollars on a fancy drone that ends up perched on top of a tree or worse, lost in Neverland!
Got questions? Contact me for answers… :D
#TGBATG
