Any DR1 Camera Droners?

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
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Who flies camera drones and what do you fly?

Any advice for noobs?

I'm getting the bug to up my video game and looks like drone tech is within reach of most pocketbooks nowadays...
 

mobrouser

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
2,339
98
48
Get in touch with jahjahwarrior (sp?). He's got an awesome thread here with pictures from his trips around the northeast of the island.
 

jahjahwarrior

New member
Mar 14, 2017
137
5
0
Don't sell me too short Mobrouser! My adventures span the entire north and south coasts at this point...and my drone has been with me for almost all of them.

I really like flying here, more than the US, because people here aren't worried about you invading their privacy. They think it's a cool machine and want to see more. Only once was I told to land, in POP mountain, at the top. No problem, next time will fly from below...

I use a Mavic Pro and I really like it. It has been all over the EU, north america, some central america. It can fit in a cargo pants pocket if you don't mind looking weird. The range is way better than the Air, and I think sport mode flying is a little faster. Important for windy days here, I use sport mode frequently.

There is also the Pro Platinum, which has better motors and speed controllers, but same camera and batteries. And the Air, which has a few minutes less flying time. Theoretically, it has a better sensor for video but in practice it's not noticiable. If you are getting paid for the flights and you don't have to travel with it, go for a phantom with the 1" sensor.

The Air has a more durable gimbal than the Pro, and fits in a pants pocket. But, the range is not nearly as good as the pro in terms of video. If you will really, really always fly in sight then its not a problem. If you want to fly 7km away, then the Air won't work for you.

If I could, I'd love to try an air to see just how reliable the video feed is, because I really am jealous about how small it is.

The Mavic 2 is always rumored to be around the corner, but I would pay attention for an Amazon Warehouse Deal, you can save 25% easily.

Of course, buy in US, fly it a few times there (after registering!), then bring it here sans box, clearly used, to avoid import taxes.
 

ramesses

Gold
Jun 17, 2005
6,672
809
113
A video a buddy of mine made. It is Rio San Juan and Cabarete. He brought the drone down from Canada. I am not sure what model it is but I could find out.

[video=vimeo;206718481]https://vimeo.com/206718481[/video]
 

DR Solar

Bronze
Nov 21, 2016
1,626
365
83
You need a permit?

We had one flying around our place, right in our face at times. The airspace above us is also the flight path for POP. 2 off duty police were here out of uniform but had IDs and guns, went over to the guy to talk to him and another guy with him. The operator told them that he could do what he wants since his sidekick was a cop, that they did not know. They showed their IDs and asked for his. He had none. The operator lost his drone and the fake cop was taken to jail.

1. No permit to operate the drone.
2. Flying in a flight path.
3. Invasion of privacy and recording without consent.
4. Being rude??? lol
5. Impersonating an officer.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
Don't sell me too short Mobrouser! My adventures span the entire north and south coasts at this point...and my drone has been with me for almost all of them.

I really like flying here, more than the US, because people here aren't worried about you invading their privacy. They think it's a cool machine and want to see more. Only once was I told to land, in POP mountain, at the top. No problem, next time will fly from below...

I use a Mavic Pro and I really like it. It has been all over the EU, north america, some central america. It can fit in a cargo pants pocket if you don't mind looking weird. The range is way better than the Air, and I think sport mode flying is a little faster. Important for windy days here, I use sport mode frequently.

There is also the Pro Platinum, which has better motors and speed controllers, but same camera and batteries. And the Air, which has a few minutes less flying time. Theoretically, it has a better sensor for video but in practice it's not noticiable. If you are getting paid for the flights and you don't have to travel with it, go for a phantom with the 1" sensor.

The Air has a more durable gimbal than the Pro, and fits in a pants pocket. But, the range is not nearly as good as the pro in terms of video. If you will really, really always fly in sight then its not a problem. If you want to fly 7km away, then the Air won't work for you.

If I could, I'd love to try an air to see just how reliable the video feed is, because I really am jealous about how small it is.

The Mavic 2 is always rumored to be around the corner, but I would pay attention for an Amazon Warehouse Deal, you can save 25% easily.

Of course, buy in US, fly it a few times there (after registering!), then bring it here sans box, clearly used, to avoid import taxes.
Excellent stuff.

I'm a noob. I'm thinking of going Spark to gain some experience, then move to one of the Mavics.

What do you think of that route?

My goal is to get some good footage for MotoCaribe tour videos which will be rendered to 1080p/720p.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
We had one flying around our place, right in our face at times. The airspace above us is also the flight path for POP. 2 off duty police were here out of uniform but had IDs and guns, went over to the guy to talk to him and another guy with him. The operator told them that he could do what he wants since his sidekick was a cop, that they did not know. They showed their IDs and asked for his. He had none. The operator lost his drone and the fake cop was taken to jail.

1. No permit to operate the drone.
2. Flying in a flight path.
3. Invasion of privacy and recording without consent.
4. Being rude??? lol
5. Impersonating an officer.
Permitting, great tip!
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
We had one flying around our place, right in our face at times. The airspace above us is also the flight path for POP. 2 off duty police were here out of uniform but had IDs and guns, went over to the guy to talk to him and another guy with him. The operator told them that he could do what he wants since his sidekick was a cop, that they did not know. They showed their IDs and asked for his. He had none. The operator lost his drone and the fake cop was taken to jail.

1. No permit to operate the drone.
2. Flying in a flight path.
3. Invasion of privacy and recording without consent.
4. Being rude??? lol
5. Impersonating an officer.

I expect if the flyer wasn't near POP he might have had no problems...
dumb to fly near an airport IMO
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
12,577
6,331
113
We had one flying around our place, right in our face at times. The airspace above us is also the flight path for POP. 2 off duty police were here out of uniform but had IDs and guns, went over to the guy to talk to him and another guy with him. The operator told them that he could do what he wants since his sidekick was a cop, that they did not know. They showed their IDs and asked for his. He had none. The operator lost his drone and the fake cop was taken to jail.

1. No permit to operate the drone.
2. Flying in a flight path.
3. Invasion of privacy and recording without consent.
4. Being rude??? lol
5. Impersonating an officer.

Most of the police here (in uniform) are impersonating an officer
 

rafael

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
1,633
28
48
61
www.dr-tourist.tv
Excellent stuff.

I'm a noob. I'm thinking of going Spark to gain some experience, then move to one of the Mavics.

What do you think of that route?

My goal is to get some good footage for MotoCaribe tour videos which will be rendered to 1080p/720p.

Have a spark and Mavic. Spark has flown away uncontrollably a few times. Mavic has been very stable. I need to fly it more than twice though! I also have an Inspire 1 which has flown all of 2 minutes, lol.
 

Ducadista

Member
Nov 7, 2011
175
0
16
Valeu Cara!
I fly a DJI Spark and I love it. Compact, ease of transporting make it ideal for traveling. I just shot some footage in Palma de Ocoa. A good place in Santo Domingo that I practice is in El parque Mirador Norte. Lots of open area, few people and has a beautiful lake.

I would ask if anyone has footage in DR to post it here, I will try to post mine.

My 2 cents........
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
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Have a spark and Mavic. Spark has flown away uncontrollably a few times. Mavic has been very stable. I need to fly it more than twice though! I also have an Inspire 1 which has flown all of 2 minutes, lol.
Do you have the controller for the Spark, or just the cell phone app? My understanding is there is a world of difference in Spark performance and responsiveness when the controller is used.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
I fly a DJI Spark and I love it. Compact, ease of transporting make it ideal for traveling. I just shot some footage in Palma de Ocoa. A good place in Santo Domingo that I practice is in El parque Mirador Norte. Lots of open area, few people and has a beautiful lake.

I would ask if anyone has footage in DR to post it here, I will try to post mine.

My 2 cents........
I'd like to see your Spark footage...

Do you use a controller or cell phone app?
 

jahjahwarrior

New member
Mar 14, 2017
137
5
0
A lot of people have the idea of learning on a starter drone. But the thing is, the Mavic and Spark have the same brains. And the brains are good! You don’t have to give much input, the drones almost fly themselves. It’s not like remote control helicopters where you have to give it input to hold it steady, the drone wants to just sit there, perfectly steady.

Not to speak badly about the Spark, but if you later upgrade, I don’t think you will find yourself using the spark at all. The arms don’t fold, so it takes up the same amount of space as a mavic, in terms of going in a pocket. The gimbal is 2 axis instead of 3, and the battery life isnt’ as good.

If you want to start with one and later upgrade, I would start with the Air. It’s basically Pro quality, but with less range. That way, you might even find that the range is ok for you, and never “upgrade.” Or, if you do upgrade, then you might find that you carry the Air with you on any sort of trip or vacation, and save the Mavic for dedicated long distance runs. For example, when you want to take photos of Cayo Levantado, but from Samana Port, which the Air won’t do.


Regarding getting in trouble… look, if you fly well, you won’t have problems here. And I don’t know what sort of idiot would have his drone confiscated. First thing first, be polite and apologize for causing problems. If they still want to take the drone, offer them $500 pesos. If they don’t accept, try mil pesos, maybe dos mil. Then if all else fails, of course you insured your drone with State Farm, right? Well, all of that negotiation beforehand should happen with the drone in the air. If they insist on confiscating it, crash the drone into a nearby tree and let them take it…

I have only had one angry confrontation in the US or DR, a lady mad that I was taking pictures of her kids at the beach. I wasn’t taking pictures of her kids and offered to show her the photos, but she stormed off after my friends rallied behind me to ask what the problem was. But I work hard to stay polite and inconspicuous. The drone sounds annoying, so I get it up and away as soon as possible. For example I have flown at Cayo Levantado often. No problem, no complaints, just up and away so no one notices it. The only time I was told to land, the guy admitted it was cool and he was just doing his job, no malice, no anger, no confiscation. Just don’t be a jerk, and life goes better for you in general.

The limit in US is 5 miles from an airport. I wouldn’t fly too close to airports, not because of the rules, but because of common sense. If you have a drone on the newest firmware, in the US atleast, it will block you from flying in a lot of places because of airports. I think Canada just changed it to 1km, which is better. 5 miles is way too far of a restriction considering the 400 foot height limit.

One more thing to be careful of here in towns or beaches even, is low flying helicopters. My advice: Know the maximum height of buildings around you, and if you ever hear a helicopter, descend to that height ASAP. Flip the gimbal up and spin 360 degrees while you lower yourself to see if you can spot the aircraft, while descending.

Also, turn off the downward facing sensors if you fly over water. They get confused too easily and can crash. Remember that the RTH doesn’t take into account any wind. I am pretty comfortable flying in crazy wind, the type where in GPS mode, it won’t stay in one spot, and you have to use Sport.

I have almost 100 flights with the Mavic Pro, 18 hours covering almost 250,000 meters. In sport mode, during windy days, I have gotten her up to almost 79 kilometers per hour. With an old Phantom, by now the batteries were puffed up and useless, but the Mavic batteries seem fine. Most of my flights are 20 minutes and I land with 20% remaining.

If you want to fly outside, I recommend you google the “wonder phone” that Walmart sells for $50 or so. Has a brighter screen than an iphone.

If you want to take photos, use Raw in 4:3 mode, and pay the $10 a month for Lightroom CC Classic. The Classic is important, it has panoramic stitching. Lightroom CC does not do stitching. Litchi will take 27 photos to stitch into a true 360 but for me, normally I flip the camera into portrait mode, and take 3-12 photos, and that’s enough for a nice wide angle photo, plus it’s much, much faster. Litchi is still nice for the circle flying modes. For example, set it to circle you while you are swimming at the beach, or to spin around the Monument in Santiago. I would say Litchi is worth the money but I really only use it when I’m only there for photos. If I’m at the beach to enjoy the beach, I use 1 battery and take a few shots and that’s it. I rarely use all 3, but I rotate so I don’t use the same one all of the time. The bag in the Fly More kit is nice, not worth buying on it’s own but it does a pretty good job. Also once it fell into the ocean (or the ocean fell into me. Depends who you ask) and it was zipped up, nothing inside got wet.
 

Ducadista

Member
Nov 7, 2011
175
0
16
Valeu Cara!
Cobraboy,

I use a controller with range extender on the antennas. The only time I almost lost my Spark was in Jarabacoa, Salto Baiguate, to much magnetic interference. Will not do that again.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
Cobraboy,

I use a controller with range extender on the antennas. The only time I almost lost my Spark was in Jarabacoa, Salto Baiguate, to much magnetic interference. Will not do that again.
Magnetic interference at Salto Baiguate?
 

jahjahwarrior

New member
Mar 14, 2017
137
5
0
Nope. I don't know why people fly around houses. Pictures of houses don't get Instagram likes! Only time I was flying around a house it was because I needed to see if it was suitable for a wedding and the property owner canceled our morning meeting as she was stuck out of town. I knew no one was home and it was a 4 minute flight, no fingers observed.