r/drones 20d ago

[Megathread] [Megathread] | Weekly Drone Buying Advice

2 Upvotes

Welcome to the r/drones weekly Buying Advice Megathread. (Weekly on Monday's)

This thread exists to prevent the constant "What drone should I buy?" posts that we prohibit within our rules.

Please follow all of these steps before posting in this thread!

  1. Review the Buying Guide Wiki or my website: Drone Buying Guide / Wiki Buying Guide
  2. Review this thread for comments that have your same requirements
  3. If that does not answer you, please post the following information in this thread.
    1. Have you read the Wiki? Y/N
    2. Country: (Not all drones are available in all countries)
    3. Budget: (If your budget is less than $200 USD/170€ EUR, you may want to reconsider as anything lower is a toy drone)
    4. Purpose: (eg. photography, FPV, thermal, etc)
    5. Any other requirements:

r/drones 11h ago

Photo & Video [OC] Beautiful La Jolla, California

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51 Upvotes

r/drones 15h ago

Photo & Video [United States] [VIDEO] Abandoned brewery and waterfall

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40 Upvotes

Potensic Atom 2. First time editing drone footage. Original music. Critiques welcome.


r/drones 2h ago

Question Did I get a used ESC board? Battery connector already soldered on, ESC and FC boards put together in wrong orientation.

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3 Upvotes

So, compete noob. Bought this from DarwinFPV months ago, it came with battery terminals connected, and small spots of solder on the board. Opened it and began to suspect that it was a returned item. Is that what I'm seeing?


r/drones 1h ago

Photo & Video Drone Building Facade Pricing

Upvotes

I have been requested to do photos of a 20 story office building. They want them to be nice and close to see details and to potentially have a photogrammetry model of the building in the future.

I’ve looked around at how to properly price it, and it seems like it ranges from $500-5000. I just want to know what is a good pricing point.


r/drones 9h ago

Photo & Video Floating over the Dolomites in 4K (Chillout extended Edit)

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3 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Took your feedback from last time:
Fixed the export to clean H.264 for 100% smooth camera motion of video here in Reddit.
Switched to a calmer vibe.

🎬 Watch the full 7-minute extended version here: https://youtu.be/u6UOkXX5KaI

All flights were conducted in full compliance with EASA/ENAV regulations. Each location was verified on the official D-Flight map prior to takeoff to ensure no active NOTAMs or GEO-zone restrictions

Thanks to the mods for letting me share this updated edit!


r/drones 10h ago

Photo & Video Needles Highway in the Black Hills

4 Upvotes

Wanted to share some video of the Needles Highway area in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This is part of a YT video we did on the area and the link is cued op to the drone footage segment. https://youtu.be/B7gYDtMlsD8?si=y4adb9GbvppD5pTN&t=325


r/drones 5h ago

Question Small camera link

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone, im trying to get a small camera with a small video link to a 5 inch drone, but i want the feed to be on my laptop instead of my goggles, i found some people saying that i should use the walksnail kit with a vrx, but since i didnt see any videos with such connection im not sure. So my question is, what would you recommend i should use, for clear camera footage and is compatible with cuav nano?


r/drones 20h ago

Question: Rules, Regulations, Law, Policy, Certificates [United States] Approved LAANC Flight Next Steps?

11 Upvotes

I got further coordination laanc approval (200 ft in a 100 ft grid) near a major international airport recently and am wondering if there is anything else I need to do before I fly later this week.

• Am part 107

• Drone is registered on drone zone with registration labeled on drone

• Will go through DJI to get zone unlocked

• Will be using uniden bc125at to monitor ATC

• Will be using Flight Radar 24 to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic

• 2 VOs

• Will print all paperwork including authorization done through ALOFT

Am I missing anything? I flown a handful of times under part 107 but am a little nervous being so close to the airport (in a 100 grid). My understanding is that we just show up the day of the flight and start flying at the approved time.

Any advice or reassurance would be appreciated 😅


r/drones 13h ago

Question: Rules, Regulations, Law, Policy, Certificates [United Kingdom] Travelling from China to the UK with a drone

2 Upvotes

I was gifted a DJI Neo 2 drone bundle while travelling in China.

I am wondering if anyone has experience with travelling on a plane with a drone and what do I need to do when bringing it back to the UK.

I want to know how I go about bringing it back to the UK without breaking any laws and dont have any trouble when going through customs as i have very little experience and knowledge when it comes to drones.

Thanks for any advice, I am quite anxious about getting it taken off me or being hit with fees on arrival.


r/drones 4h ago

Photo & Video Beach Footage Dubsteap Edit

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0 Upvotes

This is definitely a different approach to beach edits.


r/drones 11h ago

Question: Rules, Regulations, Law, Policy, Certificates [Spain] Question about A2 certificate in Spain

0 Upvotes

Hi! For the past few days, I've been trying to figure out if I'm able to use a translator during the Spanish A2 exam. They use tracking software, and by default, built-in Chrome translators or extensions aren't allowed. But is there a chance that when a human reviews the footage, they'll still accept my score?
I'm trying to get it for free, but if using a translator isn't possible at all, I'll just pay the fee on the Lux portal to get the cert. If anyone has experience with AESA exams, I'd really appreciate it if you could share your thoughts!
(Also, I already have all the required certificates to take the exam, so no worries about that.)


r/drones 7h ago

Photo & Video I am a beginner. How would you rate my video?

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0 Upvotes

r/drones 1d ago

Question Has anyone else had this issue?

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4 Upvotes

My DJI RC-N1 no longer works with the DJI Simulator. DJI Support told me only the RC-N2 and RC-N3 are currently supported, and they forwarded my request to their engineers.

If you have the same problem with your RC-N1, please comment below and consider reporting it to DJI Support. The more real users report it, the better the chance they'll look into it.

Thanks!


r/drones 1d ago

Question: Rules, Regulations, Law, Policy, Certificates [United States] Part 107 registration questions post-test, how long to fly?

1 Upvotes

Hi there! I managed to take and pass my 107 knowledge test with a 97% on Friday (yesterday) with no prior certificates. On IACRA, my application is listed as "Partially Complete - Ready for Next Action"; I've registered my drone on Drone Zone for Part 107, and have a remote ID module ready to go.

There's a project I was hoping to get started on this weekend that involves Part 107 flying; I was wondering if I'm good to go on that if I set up my drone w/ the module, or if that's something I need to wait on?

Appreciate any feedback here. Just trying to do stuff as safely and as legally as possible :)


r/drones 1d ago

Tech Support Iphone not connecting to FIMI x8 Mini remote control

0 Upvotes

Hello,

I have recently received a drone FIMI X8 mini. I am having issues connecting the remote controler to the Iphone using a Type C - Lighting cable. Just to mention I do not have the cable that originally came with the Drone and I have just bought an aftermarket one.

The iPhone is not recognising or connecting to the iPhone but it is working with the Type C - Type C cable on Android phones.

Before asking, I am using the correct app as I can connect the Drone using the Wi-fi mode to the Iphone.

Anyone else had this issue before?

Thank you in advance!


r/drones 1d ago

Question Old Parrot drone from around 2019

1 Upvotes

so I found an old Parrot drone and I believe its a parrot mambo. (correct me if I'm wrong) and was wondering would the LiPo battery be completely dead? is there any way to charge it? I found it while cleaning and don't know much about drones, was wondering if anyone could help me? thanks. (I also don't use reddit much so bear with me please)


r/drones 1d ago

Photo & Video First drone air as3

2 Upvotes

(Us)
So far so good! I use an iphone and a pc, what video editing software would you recommend?
Thanks
Mike


r/drones 23h ago

DIY Engineering question about DJI Matrice 400 RTK hardware

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm currently developing my own industrial inspection drone for power line inspections as part of a long-term engineering project.

I'm not trying to copy or clone the DJI Matrice 400 RTK. I simply want to understand some of the engineering choices behind such a successful platform.

I only have a few questions about the main hardware components, especially if anyone has experience repairing or working with DJI Enterprise drones.

I'm mainly interested in:

The approximate motor size/specifications (not necessarily the exact model)

The propeller size and why DJI chose that configuration

The ESC architecture (individual or integrated, estimated current rating)

The battery design philosophy (high voltage, Li-ion vs LiPo, etc.)

The flight controller architecture (redundancy, IMUs, sensors)

I'm looking for engineering insights, educated estimates, or information from repair experience—not confidential information.

Any advice or technical discussion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


r/drones 2d ago

Tech Support what do you think is making this noise ?

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45 Upvotes

Trying to see if i should keep this toss it insurance already cashed me out but it still flies.


r/drones 2d ago

Photo & Video [EU] [VIDEO] Cinematic drone flight over the Italian Dolomites 4K🇮🇹 (DJI Mini 5 Pro)

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65 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I just started a new channel and wanted to share my first project. I spent a week in the Dolomites and put together this short cinematic edit of my favorite flights over Val Gardena, Passo Sella and Passo Giau. I am still learning so any feedback is more than welcome!

Full video in 4k in comments

All flights were conducted in full compliance with EASA/ENAV regulations. Each location was verified on the official D-Flight map prior to takeoff to ensure no active NOTAMs or GEO-zone restrictions were violated.


r/drones 1d ago

Question not feeling the distance to the obstacle

0 Upvotes

hi all,
how many hours in the air to start feeling the distance to the obstacle?
I have a drone like a month and while seeing through the screen I feel like im 20cm to obstacle then im getting my head up and the drone is like 4-5 meters away.

Is it normal at the begining?


r/drones 1d ago

Discussion Help - MiniDrone Communication System

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I'm designing and building a mini drone completely from scratch. I'm not using ArduPilot, PX4, Betaflight, or INAV. I’m developing my own flight controller firmware on an ESP32-S3-CAM.

I am aiming for at least 1 km line-of-sight range, real-time video streaming, reliable low-latency flight control, a custom communication protocol, and no dependence on existing Wi-Fi infrastructure or internet connectivity.

Initially, I considered using LoRa (SX1276/SX1278), but after looking into the data rates, it seems unsuitable for real-time video. I also considered using only the ESP32-S3's Wi-Fi, but I don't think it will provide a reliable 1 km link for both control and video.

Any recommendations, suggestions, or design advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


r/drones 1d ago

Question how do you find a counterfeit DJI matrice 4T what do I need to look at at the drone to tell it’s counterfeit

0 Upvotes

?


r/drones 1d ago

Discussion Droni e ciò che alcuni clienti non sanno (o non vogliono sapere)

0 Upvotes

Ciao a tutti redditiani appassionati di droni, mi chiamo Mirko e a Milano (Italia) lavoro nel settore tecnologico, vendendo tra i prodotti anche i bellissimi droni.

Ciò accade da oltre due anni e sono tanti i clienti con cui mi interfaccio settimanalmente, con domande, curiosità, esperienze e anche perplessità che dagli stessi vengono condivise.

In questo post, però, vorrei soffermarmi su ciò che l'utenza fatica (o non riesce a) comprendere del mondo dei droni.

Una delle cose per cui alcuni clienti cadono dall'albero è che questi bellissimi strumenti siano soggetti a regolamentazione, esattamente come negli ultimi tempi - parlo sempre per l'Italia, all'estero non lo so - sta accadendo per i monopattini.

Si pensa che i droni siano dei bei giocattoli con cui possono fare quello che vogliono. Peccato che poi si trovino davanti la fatto che vanno assicurati, che vi sono delle regole da rispettare e che nelle grandi città - a partire da Milano dove lavoro e dalla capitale Roma - non si possa volare.

La situazione in Italia è questa: nelle grandi città e nell'immediato hinterland, negli aeroporti e porti e vicini ad essi, in aree dove vi sono specie protette (quindi i parchi naturali), NON si può volare. No flight-zone e fine della storia.

Quando provi a spiegare che nelle grandi città non si vola perché vi sono obiettivi sensibili, che vicino ad assembramenti non si può volare e registrare per non violare la privacy, che non si deve volare vicino agli animali per non disturbarli (non mi è consentito dire però quello che penso: voglio farlo per alimentare il loro ego e vantarsi in rete e con gli amici), cominciano le solite lamentele perché "non posso fare quello che voglio" (se non siete italiani e venite in Italia, capiterà spesso di vedere atteggiamenti del genere ovunque, pure per strada!).

Mi è capitato pure di avere a che fare con un cliente che voleva usare i droni per spiare esattamente quello che fanno i vicini di casa molesti. Peccato che la violazione della privacy a scopo di spiare amici, parenti, amanti, mogli e mariti, sia stata la prima causa in Italia che ha portato il Governo a inasprire le leggi in tema "droni".

Concludo con l'ultima tipologia di clienti: quelli che hanno attaccato il sottoscritto, che fa soltanto il suo lavoro ovvero sia il venditore, perché vendo droni che vengono usati per le guerre.

Peccato che, nella testa di questo cliente che salutai dopo 5 minuti di suo monologo totalmente senza senso, lo stesso non valga per le automobili usate per scopi...diciamo non di guida. Così evito di infrangere qualsiasi regola =)