The General Drone-Related Thread

Seems to be a lot of chatter over this potential leak of the mavic mini 2 on the net. I don’t think I’ll be upgrading for a while though. No gas here, keep it moving. Will be great if you’re in the market for a 2nd hand mk.1 by the looks of it as everyone rushes to upgrade.
 
Wow it was cold up on the rocks this afternoon. I had a message flash up to say battery performance would be reduced because of the temperature. The wind was howling too, much stronger on the updraught than even just 20 yards from the edge. I hummed and haa'd for a while but decided I wanted to see how the drone would cope with the wind! It was very capable in actual fact and even managed to take panoramics successfully, occassionally saying it couldn't. I didn't go very far, because I was wary of the battery disappearing fast in the tempearture - after 2 batteries my hands were seized up. I managed to land the drone, but I couldn't put it away I was that cold. It was the wind chill and my fingers wouldn't work. I had to ask a couple who happened to being doing a walk to take it apart for me, I was very glad of their help, otherwise I would have just had to bundle it all into my rucksack loose and sort it out later.

I will get the card out some time this week and start to play with the pictures to see what I got. This is one from work the other week. I hope I have resized it properly, the original is 26MB and the system complained!untitled-0435.web.jpg
 
So looking at getting a2 cofc, pigscanfly have this for £99 which is a great price. Anyone used them as always like to make sure using decent providers!
 
Not heard of them tbh. I did mine with UAVHUB. They have a popular YouTube presence with Matt (MrMPW) and the course was very well run. Think I paid £149 but they are always on offer. Currently £139.
 
DJI have been put on the US company economic blacklist (like Huawei).

DJI Blocked by the United States, Added to ‘Economic Blacklist’

DJI has found itself on a list of companies that the United States Department of Commerce has blocked from being able to conduct business with U.S.-based companies. American companies cannot export parts to DJI, and it’s possible that U.S. consumers will find it harder to purchase DJI products.

The Department of Commerce added 78 companies and individuals to the list – which includes Huawei – such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, China’s largest chipmaker. DJI has found themselves added to that list now as well.

Dozens of Chinese companies have been added to the list for enabling “wide-scale human rights abuses within China through abusive genetic collection and analysis or high-technology surveillance” according to a report on Reuters.

Additionally, in some cases, companies have been added to this list for facilitating “the export of items by China that aid repressive regimes around the world, contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests.”
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petapixel.com

DJI Blocked by the United States, Added to 'Economic Blacklist'

DJI has found itself on a list of companies that the United States Department of Commerce has blocked from being able to conduct business with U.S.-based
petapixel.com petapixel.com
 
I received an email yesterday from the CAA about the changes to drones coming in on 1st January. I’ve held off getting a drone because the new rules were coming into effect soon and didn’t to purchase a drone to get only a few months use before being restricted as it wasn’t a certified model. Thought it was best to wait to see what certified models came out. anyone have any thoughts on what the new rules will bring? I saw dji have released the mini 2 which looks good as it resolves the minor points I didn’t like with the mini. if they were certified I’d get one now but I’m holding off until the certified drones are out (I guess that may be up to two years away).
 
All current drones have a two year transition where they fall into a special category within the new rules, so you may as well just get one if you want one.
The new rules are already well established and allow more freedoms once you’ve taken the a2cofc or gvc.
No more distinction between commercial and hobby, no more separation between people and structures, you can fly up to a structure as long as there aren’t people underneath you. Once the certified drones show up, you can fly within 5 meters of people in slow mode.
Loads more but they are the main points.
The a2cofc is so easy you might as well just do it and then you are covered to fly anything upto 4kg
 
TCR4x4 said:
Not heard of them tbh. I did mine with UAVHUB. They have a popular YouTube presence with Matt (MrMPW) and the course was very well run. Think I paid £149 but they are always on offer. Currently £139.
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Currently on offer at £99.00, do you know if they charge for a resit if needed?
 
TVRTim said:
Currently on offer at £99.00, do you know if they charge for a resit if needed?
Click to expand...
I think there is a small charge yeah, maybe £20-30. I’d be very surprised if you fail though. You’d have to go in completely dumb and not done any of the course or not listened to the last online classroom part to fail. They pretty much tell you all the answers you’ll need on the online classroom part.
 
TCR4x4 said:
All current drones have a two year transition where they fall into a special category within the new rules, so you may as well just get one if you want one.
The new rules are already well established and allow more freedoms once you’ve taken the a2cofc or gvc.
No more distinction between commercial and hobby, no more separation between people and structures, you can fly up to a structure as long as there aren’t people underneath you. Once the certified drones show up, you can fly within 5 meters of people in slow mode.
Loads more but they are the main points.
The a2cofc is so easy you might as well just do it and then you are covered to fly anything upto 4kg
Click to expand...
I had looked at the A2 CofC when I first read about the new drone rules. I did the online flyers test which was ridiculously easy.

At the moment there is no rush to buy a drone as I won't get a chance to use it even if I buy one. I can't see me going far in the next few months for photography, especially when we've just gone into tier 4 (we were only in tier 2 for less than 24 hours before going tier 4). I think I will take a look again towards the end of 2020 when hopefully things on travelling are a bit better.
 
TCR4x4 said:
I think there is a small charge yeah, maybe £20-30. I’d be very surprised if you fail though. You’d have to go in completely dumb and not done any of the course or not listened to the last online classroom part to fail. They pretty much tell you all the answers you’ll need on the online classroom part.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom
 
TCR4x4 said:
I think there is a small charge yeah, maybe £20-30. I’d be very surprised if you fail though. You’d have to go in completely dumb and not done any of the course or not listened to the last online classroom part to fail. They pretty much tell you all the answers you’ll need on the online classroom part.
Click to expand...

Tom, what worries me is the computer aspect of it - actually having to do the test on a computer. I can watch ther videos, but I had to do an H&S test for work the other day and my computer wouldn't link in to the system, apparently I am on the wrong system to use it, same for the UAVHUB thing. You have to do something and load 'Chrome' to make it work apparently. I don't understand all that and have no idea how to get this 'Chrome' malarky - will it upset what is already set up for me? My wife went to get her webcam working for some video meeting thing and her emails stopped working as a result.

We really are computer dummies here, hence why I am so reticent to fiddle with anything. having paid to get it set up, I don't want to mess it up. I went to the industry test centre to do my H&S course in the end. I still needed help with how to work the computer to answer a couple of questions. I am not worried about the test, it is the abilty to use the computer that worries me.
 
Lensflare said:
Tom, what worries me is the computer aspect of it - actually having to do the test on a computer. I can watch ther videos, but I had to do an H&S test for work the other day and my computer wouldn't link in to the system, apparently I am on the wrong system to use it, same for the UAVHUB thing. You have to do something and load 'Chrome' to make it work apparently. I don't understand all that and have no idea how to get this 'Chrome' malarky - will it upset what is already set up for me? My wife went to get her webcam working for some video meeting thing and her emails stopped working as a result.

We really are computer dummies here, hence why I am so reticent to fiddle with anything. having paid to get it set up, I don't want to mess it up. I went to the industry test centre to do my H&S course in the end. I still needed help with how to work the computer to answer a couple of questions. I am not worried about the test, it is the abilty to use the computer that worries me.
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They recommend chrome, but I don’t think it has to be. Chrome is just another internet browser, made by google, so it works better with the online meeting software they use.
Usually it would be a physical course in a class, but obviously they can’t do that in the current climate, so have adapted it to online.

You can download chrome here.. if you don’t want to use it as you main internet browser, make sure to look out for a check box during the installation asking you if you want it to be the default.

www.google.com

Google Chrome – Download the fast, secure browser from Google

Get more done with the new Google Chrome. A more simple, secure and faster web browser than ever, with Google’s smarts built in. Download now.
www.google.com www.google.com
 
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Chrome is just another internet browser, like Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, etc., developed by Google.

Edit: TCR4x4 beat me to it :)
 
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Thanks guys - it might sound easy to you, but I paid someone to make my new computer work for me. He has put 'Nikon Capture NX2', 'Lightroom', 'Davinci Resolve' 'email' and 'internet' on the front screen... that is about as complicated as I can manage. I have asked Pigs can fly if their system will work with my computer. I need to do this certificate with someone... I would much rather it was in a classroom with pen and paper. I can cope with that much better.
 
Any online classroom will use an internet browser or a online meeting software Like zoom Or google meet. Im pretty certain UAVHUB will work with whatever browser you have installed as they use google meet. You probably have either internet explorer or MS edge. Both should work fine, however installing chrome really isn’t difficult. If you can operate a camera or a drone, you can install a piece of software.

Click the link I pasted above to download the file. Once it’s downloaded, (you can open it from your downloads folder in windows ) simply follow the process. It’ll be a few clicks of the mouse. It’ll put a new icon on your desktop labelled chrome, so it’s easy to find.

Thinking about it now, I actually Used safari when I did the online classroom part as I was on my MacBook, so I didn’t even use chrome myself.

I think UAVHUB now has a free taster course you can try, so might be worth doing that. The actual course is just videos and webpages, so you don’t need anything but a web browser to complete it, it’s only the actual online classroom and test you need to connect to google meet via your browser.
 
@Lensflare

Try this, click the link below and it will take you to a google meeting that I set up. Once on that page, click join now. If it connects, then it all works on whatever browser you are using now, so no need to download anything extra. When you book your UAVHUB course, they will send you a link like the one below to use when your online classroom is booked. You simply open the link a few minutes before your class is due to start. You will receive another link once you’ve booked the test also.

meet.google.com

Meet

Real-time meetings by Google. Using your browser, share your video, desktop, and presentations with teammates and customers.
meet.google.com meet.google.com
 
TCR4x4 said:
@Lensflare

Try this, click the link below and it will take you to a google meeting that I set up. Once on that page, click join now. If it connects, then it all works on whatever browser you are using now, so no need to download anything extra. When you book your UAVHUB course, they will send you a link like the one below to use when your online classroom is booked. You simply open the link a few minutes before your class is due to start. You will receive another link once you’ve booked the test also.

meet.google.com

Meet

Real-time meetings by Google. Using your browser, share your video, desktop, and presentations with teammates and customers.
meet.google.com meet.google.com
Click to expand...

Thank you very much. I have never seen any of this before.
The whirlygig went round and the camera turned on... it said I will be joined when someone lets me in - but it didn't go through. I am not sure if it was meant to.
 
Yep that’s fine, it works. On the day, the instructor will let you join and it will show his camera and all the other people’s. It will also show a presentation he is running with all the slides. You just sit back and watch.
On the exam day, it’s the same thing, except just you and the examiner. He will ask you to share your screen, but he will tell you how to do it, it’s just a couple of button clicks in the meeting screen. He will then tell you how to get to the exam, it will be in your account you set up when you started the course. You then have a multiple choice test, you just click the right answer and click next on the screen. He will sit and watch you do it. Once you finished, he’ll mark it and tell you your score.
 
Just a quick question if I may. Looking at doing the A2COFC at the Xmas Sale price. Happy with learning on pooter but, on this course, is there a classroom element as the instructions don't mention this? Thanks.
 
Giblets said:
Just a quick question if I may. Looking at doing the A2COFC at the Xmas Sale price. Happy with learning on pooter but, on this course, is there a classroom element as the instructions don't mention this? Thanks.
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If you mean the uavhub course, there is an online classroom you do after going through all the modules by yourself.You book this when you pay for the course at the start. Can’t speak for other providers, but I can’t imagine any are doing physical classrooms at the moment.
 
TCR4x4 said:
If you mean the uavhub course, there is an online classroom you do after going through all the modules by yourself.You book this when you pay for the course at the start. Can’t speak for other providers, but I can’t imagine any are doing physical classrooms at the moment.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's the one. The instructions on the web site for that particular course just mention that one watches the dedicated revision module (4-5 hours of video learning), complete as many mock theory exams as you want and then book the theory examination when ready. No mention of online classrooms.
 
Ah, just seen. they have changed it since I did it. It’s now called fast track.
When I did it, I booked the classroom several months down the line, did all the online video course, then did the classroom, then after that booked the test.
Seems like they have streamlined it somewhat and cut out the classroom bit.
 
Lensflare said:
Not sure which to plump for now: UAVHUB or PIGSCANFLY
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I’d say UAVHUB but then I’m biased as it’s who I used. The website looks more professional to me and it seems easier to book the test as it’s an online calendar, you don’t have to email them or anything. Not sure how pigscanfly provide the learning material, but if it’s all written, I think that might get pretty heavy. I prefer the video format UAVHUB use. I just learn better from watching than reading.
 
TCR4x4 said:
I’d say UAVHUB but then I’m biased as it’s who I used. The website looks more professional to me and it seems easier to book the test as it’s an online calendar, you don’t have to email them or anything. Not sure how pigscanfly provide the learning material, but if it’s all written, I think that might get pretty heavy. I prefer the video format UAVHUB use. I just learn better from watching than reading.
Click to expand...

Certainly UAV have been very good on the telephone and answering my stupid questions... if that video thing you hooked me up to is the same as they need, then I am convinced they are the correct choice. They are only the other side of Stoke too - my Bonsai club is based in Keele and we used to go every other week up there, it is only about 20 miles.
Thanks very much for your help.
 
Passed by A2CofC today, 97% so one question wrong and annoyingly cant think which one it was. Anyway, pretty easy with a lot of it being common sense.

Cant praise UAVHUB enough, currently £99 and great material, very helpful and overall, brilliant!
 
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