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Newbie Questions

Kevmiller1488

Active Member
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May 8, 2019
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38
Loc
Wisconsin
Hi guys. I am a VERY new newbie (like 2 weeks with my first drone ever new) and I have a few questions. Thought I’d just put them in one thread so as not to clog up the board...
1) What is the benefit of the lightning to micro usb cable between controller and phone/tablet? I am currently just using iPhone 8+. And would you recommend it for a newbie?
2) Anbee OEM blades. Yay or nay?
3) I live in LaCrosse WI and have been flying over the river and some lakes. I’ve seen some “floaty” attachments that theoretically would save the aircraft from total loss should it go for a swim. Anyone have experience using these and are there better brands/models that you would recommend?
4) Any other accessories you guys would consider “must have”?

Thanks guys. I appreciate any and all feedback. Have a great day!
 
Hi guys. I am a VERY new newbie (like 2 weeks with my first drone ever new) and I have a few questions. Thought I’d just put them in one thread so as not to clog up the board...
1) What is the benefit of the lightning to micro usb cable between controller and phone/tablet? I am currently just using iPhone 8+. And would you recommend it for a newbie?
2) Anbee OEM blades. Yay or nay?
3) I live in LaCrosse WI and have been flying over the river and some lakes. I’ve seen some “floaty” attachments that theoretically would save the aircraft from total loss should it go for a swim. Anyone have experience using these and are there better brands/models that you would recommend?
4) Any other accessories you guys would consider “must have”?

Thanks guys. I appreciate any and all feedback. Have a great day!

I'm sure all those questions will get answered in due time. They are each very common queries.

If you want detailed answers immediately just become familiar with the Search Tool on this forum. It's the best way to find everything quick and easy.

There are several threads addressing each of those. Everything you need to know is already there.
 
I use OEM blades from Amazon and they are fine. Forget the name.

The benefit of connecting the controller to the phone or tablet is apparently better connection between them. Less lag and no wifi dropouts. I use an OTG cable on my Android tablet.

I live by the coast in the south of England, and there is lots of water round here. I fly without floats as I think if it drops into the sea it's lost with or without floats. I do wonder if they affect performance and stability anyhow. To be honest I'm not nervous about flying over water - trees is my nemesis!
 
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I use OEM blades from Amazon and they are fine. Forget the name.

OEM literally means that DJI themselves are the supplier (Original Equipment Manufacturer). The Anbee props he's referring to are considered "third-party parts" (knock-off copies of the original).

They work fine too.
 
Hi guys. I am a VERY new newbie (like 2 weeks with my first drone ever new) and I have a few questions. Thought I’d just put them in one thread so as not to clog up the board...
1) What is the benefit of the lightning to micro usb cable between controller and phone/tablet? I am currently just using iPhone 8+. And would you recommend it for a newbie?
2) Anbee OEM blades. Yay or nay?
3) I live in LaCrosse WI and have been flying over the river and some lakes. I’ve seen some “floaty” attachments that theoretically would save the aircraft from total loss should it go for a swim. Anyone have experience using these and are there better brands/models that you would recommend?
4) Any other accessories you guys would consider “must have”?

Thanks guys. I appreciate any and all feedback. Have a great day!



Okee dokee, here we go....

1) OTG CABLE.
It's not necessary to have, but it may help if in a WiFi congested area such as apartments, resorts, or your own neighborhood. The cable provides a secure connection between the device and controller. If you are experiencing excessive video lag, pixelation, etc. when flying, than a cable may work for you.


2) ANBEE PROPS.

3) FLOATS.

4) ACCESSORIES.


All from the search function of the Forum. :)

You can take it from here.

Good luck.:)
 
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1) What is the benefit of the lightning to micro usb cable between controller and phone/tablet? I am currently just using iPhone 8+. And would you recommend it for a newbie?
You won't have to connect your mobile device to the remote controller via Wi-Fi. It could save you time since you won't have to make the Wi-Fi connection each time and could eliminate interference with that wireless connection (if you're facing that issue). I usually fly with Wi-Fi and all works okay for me.

2) Anbee OEM blades. Yay or nay?
Nay. Stick with OEM DJI props. They work just fine and won't void your DJI warranty.

3) I live in LaCrosse WI and have been flying over the river and some lakes. I’ve seen some “floaty” attachments that theoretically would save the aircraft from total loss should it go for a swim. Anyone have experience using these and are there better brands/models that you would recommend?
It could be something to consider if you're flying low and slow. If flying higher up in the sky (where the wind is stronger), they might have a negative effect on the Spark's performance.

4) Any other accessories you guys would consider “must have”?
Check out my must-haves list at Spark-Help.com.
 
Welcome to the forum, I live in Kendall, WI just down the road from La Crosse.

I have experience with floats as I was also concerned about flying over water when I first got my drone. I flew with them once and found that they are more of a detriment than an advantage. Even in low wind conditions they act as sails and make the drone unstable and hard to fly. I wouldn't recommend them unless you plan to do very low elevation flying over water where the chances of taking a dip are greater. Even then the floats raise the center of gravity and it seems possible that in a bad landing situation the Spark could float upside down.

Enjoy your drone!
 
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Hi guys. I am a VERY new newbie (like 2 weeks with my first drone ever new) and I have a few questions. Thought I’d just put them in one thread so as not to clog up the board...
1) What is the benefit of the lightning to micro usb cable between controller and phone/tablet? I am currently just using iPhone 8+. And would you recommend it for a newbie?
2) Anbee OEM blades. Yay or nay?
3) I live in LaCrosse WI and have been flying over the river and some lakes. I’ve seen some “floaty” attachments that theoretically would save the aircraft from total loss should it go for a swim. Anyone have experience using these and are there better brands/models that you would recommend?
4) Any other accessories you guys would consider “must have”?

Thanks guys. I appreciate any and all feedback. Have a great day!
just use your oem blades there is no diffrence on cables they all transmit signal and power the same no matter whats in between them.... and dont fly over lakes unless you are willing to accept a loss of craft buying floaty things does not garantee it wont hit the water hard then dive down and bob up... they dont hit the water like concrete then bounce they tend to go under the water first so the products are useless... sun sheilds for phones etc... and a tablet holder is all you really need
 
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Nay. Stick with OEM DJI props. They work just fine and won't void your DJI warranty.

In my opinion, it's highly doubtful that 3rd party props will void the warranty. DJI does include language that covers this topic, but for all practical purposes it's unlikely that quality props such as Anbee's will be the cause of a malfunction. Should you have to return the Spark to DJI for service, removing the props prior to shipment would be prudent anyway.

Here's a link to the warranty. The specific condition is "Damage caused by reliability or compatibility issues when using unauthenticated third-party parts." It would have to be proven that a bad prop actually caused the issue for DJI to disallow warranty service. And if we were to assume that this exclusion completely prohibited the use of 3rd party equipment, it would also have to exclude the use of battery retainers (including o-rings and rubber bands), skins, landing skids, lens hoods, ND/polarizing filters, etc.
 
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It would have to be proven that a bad prop actually caused the issue for DJI to disallow warranty service
You got it. The fact that you're using any kind of 3rd party accessories will not instantly void your warranty.
 

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