Drone purchase feedback

I use a Mavic 2 w/Zoom. My first choice is to go on the roof. I feel better being able to see and touch the subject when possible. It’s why I don’t use a robot in the crawlspace but go in myself.

I am FAA Part 107 certified and consider my drone an essential in providing my clients with as much information as possible. I like the zoom capability and the resolution is perfect for the job.

In today’s construction roofs are higher, steeper, and more convoluted. It takes a certain level of awareness and no how to be able to pilot a drone into some tight places. An understanding of aerodynamics has greatly helped to keep me from crashing my drone.

The video is 2.7k, the photo camera is 12 MP.

I would not get a no-name drone from Amazon. Those are acceptable as toys, not professional equipment.

IMO, Mavik Mini is the best choice at the moment. Can you get better? Yea… but that’s extra expensive to replace once you crash it. The Mavik mini is a perfect sweet spot between Cheap & Effective

I suggest getting the “fly more” combo with extra batteries & prop guards

DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo Drone FlyCam Quadcopter Bundle with SD Card and More https://a.co/d/e882UK6

I suggest getting the hard carrying case that you can store it with the prop guards on. It’s a pain in the ass to constantly air them on and off.
Lykus Titan MM210 Waterproof Hard Case for DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo, Store Mavic Mini 2 Unfolded with Propeller Guards On [CASE ONLY] https://a.co/d/50N7wLk

Yes, those are better images. The others were nearly useless.

IMO, drones are just another tool in the tool bag. Much like an IR camera. Both can provide useful information but seldom provide the whole picture. Knowledge and experience will make these tools more useful. Basically you have to be know what the hell you are looking at and what are you looking for.

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I just bought the EXO Blackhawk 2 Pro. Good reviews and good specs. Customer service is not so good. This drone is the same as the Hubsan Ace Pro and I had to go to the Hubsan website to get a PDF of the manual. EXO website has lots of glitzy videos but no downloads, meaning you’re stuck with a 3x4 manual unless you look elsewhere. Second problem is the cheap phone to controller cables which I replaced with an aftermarket cable. Flies good, obstacle avoidance and takes 4K video with zoom which translates into some clear still photos.



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Is that hail damage spots?

Very likely. we’ve had hail twice in the last year, most recently 8-4. Roof is 25-30 years. House I grew up in built in 1911.

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I have a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom I’ve used for years now. Keep in mind, you will get what you for. Plan on spending some good money for a good drone.

Grew up in or born in… :stuck_out_tongue: Just playing Bob… :wink: :+1:

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The DJI drones are real nice but don’t work well for me due our close proximity to two major airports and several military bases.

Their geofencing has caused problems on several occasions. I get authorization from the controllers of any affected airspace and I shouldn’t have to then get permission from the Chinese government as well.

Their geofencing is inaccurate and on more than one occasion DJI allowed me to take off but would let me return to the take off point.

Bought an EXO Blackhawk. It was an ok drone but not really stable enough for close quarters work.

We now use a Autel Evo Lite+ and it works wonderfully. 6k camera and no geofencing.

As for the remote ID you’ll be able to get a small module to place on the drone. If it happens.

BTW we have a few DJI Mavics for sale.

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Fortunately, I inspect in a rural area. I’ve only had one restricted warning “pop” up and it was for the county jail. The jail was 3/4 miles away and I had no problem with the drone after the warning popped up. The drone is a DJI.

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I use the DJI Matrice 210 and Yuneec 520E Drones. They are great awesome drones. But we still walk every roof if it is safe to do so.

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That was a principal reason for not buying DJI.

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I have a DJI Mavic 3 and although pricey, it is an awesome drone.

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Quick question for those who have DJI drones. Do you use the new DJI Fly app on your phone, and is it safe? The DJI Fly app was removed from the Google Play store (I use an Android device), but it’s still available in the Apple App Store. I’ve read conflicting reports/stories on why it was removed/not available, so I’m just curious if it’s a safe app to use. When I do try to download it to my Android device I get all sorts of warnings about how it’s not safe/secure.

Thanks in advance

I have it on several Android phones and have not had any security problems to date that I am aware of. I believe the warnings are due to the fact it is not coming from the Play store.

I use the Mavic 2 with zoom. Having the zoom capability is really helpful. I do walk the majority of roofs. Sometimes it’s not possible though and although a drone doesn’t allow me to move things, it does provide great information when the roof can not be walked.

Warranty inspections are a great use of this technology. When the builder has a clause in the purchase contract that voids the warranty if anyone walks it, the drone gets around this obstacle. I also like to use it if solar is installed on a new build. I always find broken tiles and the drone provides me a cushion if the solar contractor wants to put the blame on the inspector for causing the damage.

Multi story structures sometimes have no roof hatch or accessibility and the drone at least gives me the ability to see what could be considered obvious defects.

Keep your license current and make sure you use your drone frequently even if it’s not for an inspection. I see way too many guys who have drones and have no hours involved in flying them. Practice makes perfect.

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Thanks for the info.

That’s a different drone that i havne’t been able to fly because I crashed it and a motor burned out. I’ll be getting it fixed and using for inspections. The quality is even better than what’s shown because I didn’t have the SD card in that drone. Those pictures are of my own house.

The EXO Blackhawk 2 Pro has two settings to tweak for added stability. The first is flying mode. It needs to be set to F for film. Speed in F is 6 MPH. This is set from a button on the controller. Default is N for normal (speed is set to 20 mph), first click is S for sport mode (35 mph) second click is F film mode. This must be set every time the drone is flown.

The second is anti-wind mode. This adds greater wind resistance but less stable gimbal. I have yet to use this mode so I can’t comment on picture quality, either stills or movie. In the app click the gear and scroll to the last setting. This defaults to the “off” setting.

Hey Bob!
Yeah we set all the different options. To be clear I had the Blackhawk not the Blackhawk 2.

The company support was great if you needed a part but they were truly lacking as far as knowledge about the industry in general and their drones specifically.

I hope it works out great for you. We’ve moved on.