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Spark Appreciation Week

Hank

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Jan 7, 2018
Messages
8
Age
58
I recently shipped an out of warranty controller for my Mavic Air to a service center to address the constant loud beeping, the constant yaw, the sluggish and poor accuracy with the joysticks. From day 1, it always required calibration and prompts for updates. So, I went back to my first drone which is a light blue Spark. I quickly remembered why I liked this little guy. Wi-fi connection without a cord to the phone. Bright, easy to see colored lights beneath each motor. The way the battery charger connects with the batteries lying flat instead of standing up and popping off the Mavic Air's charging stand. Precision control. The sound of the drone in flight is smoother and quieter. Even the aftermarket MC case fits around it all better. Why did they discontinue this proven, reliable design? No, it doesn't have foldable arms like the Mavic Mini or 4K, but it's a little workhorse for sure. Do you prefer an earlier drone over another after your upgrade?
 
I got my M1P first, and like the Spark it's just reliable and good enough for my needs (usually shoot in 1080 for that too).
Then some year or two later, I inherited the Spark from my son who just never had time to fly it, and that was a whole other level of fun, and ease to travel with.

I love the way it doesn't fold, just simpler again to get in the air.
The Spark is actually smaller in the air than the mini, did you know that ?

Have accumulated some great kit for it now, 5 great batteries, flymore package, filters, MAS props (so quiet) and the latest addition the charging / storage station, I could just about fly for a couple of hours easy there if I wanted 8 batteries total value, but spreading out flights on a day drive (car charger is brilliant), I can fly many sights all day . . . take the M1P and its 6 batteries and I can almost fly non stop !!

Yeah, the Air 2s is very tempting, but that's another thing I love about Spark and M1P, Go4.
Heck, I'd need a bigger computer to store and edit higher res anyway, lol.

Unless one of these drones drops from the sky, I don't think I have another need for a new DJI type drone.
A traditional FPV drone ? That's another story, that looks like a hoot.

Keep enjoying the Spark Hank, and the Air, they are a pretty good drone for sure, brother in law has one.
You know DJI has discontinued the batteries for the Air now too ?
Just like the did for the Spark and M1P.
 
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SPark_South_Oz, Thank you for sharing your story. You educated me. I did not know that they discontinued the batteries on the Air. I did not know that the Spark was smaller than the Mini. It is easier to get in the air. We shall see how the Air does when the controller comes back from the repair shop. Cheers!
 
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I recently shipped an out of warranty controller for my Mavic Air to a service center to address the constant loud beeping, the constant yaw, the sluggish and poor accuracy with the joysticks. From day 1, it always required calibration and prompts for updates. So, I went back to my first drone which is a light blue Spark. I quickly remembered why I liked this little guy. Wi-fi connection without a cord to the phone. Bright, easy to see colored lights beneath each motor. The way the battery charger connects with the batteries lying flat instead of standing up and popping off the Mavic Air's charging stand. Precision control. The sound of the drone in flight is smoother and quieter. Even the aftermarket MC case fits around it all better. Why did they discontinue this proven, reliable design? No, it doesn't have foldable arms like the Mavic Mini or 4K, but it's a little workhorse for sure. Do you prefer an earlier drone over another after your upgrade?
Hi Hank. Interesting question. I just purchased the Mini2. I haven't flown it yet. We'll see if I end up liking the Spark better for all of the valid reasons you have mentioned. The ONLY two negative points about the Spark are the relatively short battery life, and (not limited to Spark), but the need to register it with the FAA, and the impending need to purchase the tracking device that will soon be required.
 
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The thing I like about the Spark system was that it can charge 3 batteries simultaneously. Ready to go in an hour. Love my M2Z, but spontaneous outings aren't possible when it takes 4 hours or more to charge up all 4 batteries. Don't trust the non-DJI aftermarket chargers.
 
I’ve been through the other drones, Holy Stone was my entry level quad. I had/have a Bugs5, JJRC 907, and a few under $50 birds but it wasn’t till I bought a Tello that I started to appreciate what a good quad could do. Primarily hold position, not crash and shoot watchable video with decent resolution pictures. The Spark does all that exceptionally well. L this makes the DJI Spark a very capable drone in experienced hands and just plain fun to operate and fly.E9BD3FD6-32AE-447D-8D9A-093F143612BC.jpeg
 
SPark_South_Oz, Thank you for sharing your story. You educated me. I did not know that they discontinued the batteries on the Air. I did not know that the Spark was smaller than the Mini. It is easier to get in the air. We shall see how the Air does when the controller comes back from the repair shop. Cheers!

Hope the controller repair works great for you Hank.
 
The thing I like about the Spark system was that it can charge 3 batteries simultaneously. Ready to go in an hour. Love my M2Z, but spontaneous outings aren't possible when it takes 4 hours or more to charge up all 4 batteries. Don't trust the non-DJI aftermarket chargers.
That is a great feature. Those LED's really light up and pulse when charging.
 
I love and appreciate my Spark too, like many who still frequent this forum. It along with my Phantom 3 Standard are still my 2 main drones. I have 3 batteries for my Spark (just recently bought a new one). I had 4 for a long time but two of them started to swell and had a high number of charge cycles so they have since been retired. I also have the charging station which I also love - makes the Spark the only dockable DJI drone.

Lately though, the difficulty in finding reasonably priced batteries for the Spark, its short battery time and the frequent gimbal sticking in cold weather (less than 0ºC) has made me long for an upgrade. I use my drones mostly for photography with occasional videos. I have no need for 4k video and when I do video most of the time it is in 1080p or 2.7K. I would love to upgrade to a Mavic 2 Pro but with an adjustable aperture, but am not willing to pay the price for a drone that hasn't gone down in price for 3 years. I am also considering the Air 2s

The recent release of the Mini SE is tempting me because it seems like it might be a good replacement for my Spark - long battery life, good camera, small, light and compact and I don't have to register it and doesn't have things I don't need like 4K video.

Regardless, I wish DJI would have done something more with the Spark design - every time I fly it, I marvel at its capabilities and feature set.

Chris
 
I love and appreciate my Spark too, like many who still frequent this forum. It along with my Phantom 3 Standard are still my 2 main drones. I have 3 batteries for my Spark (just recently bought a new one). I had 4 for a long time but two of them started to swell and had a high number of charge cycles so they have since been retired. I also have the charging station which I also love - makes the Spark the only dockable DJI drone.

Lately though, the difficulty in finding reasonably priced batteries for the Spark, its short battery time and the frequent gimbal sticking in cold weather (less than 0ºC) has made me long for an upgrade. I use my drones mostly for photography with occasional videos. I have no need for 4k video and when I do video most of the time it is in 1080p or 2.7K. I would love to upgrade to a Mavic 2 Pro but with an adjustable aperture, but am not willing to pay the price for a drone that hasn't gone down in price for 3 years. I am also considering the Air 2s

The recent release of the Mini SE is tempting me because it seems like it might be a good replacement for my Spark - long battery life, good camera, small, light and compact and I don't have to register it and doesn't have things I don't need like 4K video.

Regardless, I wish DJI would have done something more with the Spark design - every time I fly it, I marvel at its capabilities and feature set.

Chris
Yes, I remember watching reviews from Drone Valley before I decided to buy a Spark. I remember the person who has the channel saying he was convinced that this or another DJI drone was designed by aliens. I just like the simplicity, the stability of it, the bright lights and accuracy in flying. So much better than my Mavic Air.
 
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Yes, I remember watching reviews from Drone Valley before I decided to buy a Spark. I remember the person who has the channel saying he was convinced that this or another DJI drone was designed by aliens. I just like the simplicity, the stability of it, the bright lights and accuracy in flying. So much better than my Mavic Air.
Yah, I watched a YT video a few days ago (can’t remember who did it) about the new Mini SE. He compared the Spark to the original Mini, the Mini SE and the Mini 2. Other than the Mini 2 the Spark is still more fully featured. That goes to show you how powerful the Spark is. With the release of the Mini series it is not hard to see why DJI killed off the Spark and is not making more batteries for it - they don’t want it to cut into sales of the Mini series.

Chris
 
Yah, I watched a YT video a few days ago (can’t remember who did it) about the new Mini SE. He compared the Spark to the original Mini, the Mini SE and the Mini 2. Other than the Mini 2 the Spark is still more fully featured. That goes to show you how powerful the Spark is. With the release of the Mini series it is not hard to see why DJI killed off the Spark and is not making more batteries for it - they don’t want it to cut into sales of the Mini series.

Chris
Spot on Chris and unfortunate for us Spark owners.
 
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I've had my Spark for just over two years, logging 132hrs over 906 flights and the only parts I've ever replaced are the props. I've got four batts for it including two of the originals which are still healthy enough for a 9 min flight. I certainly feel I got my money's worth and then some. 👍 I especially like how Sparky's small size makes for an easy hand catch and how it doesn't get the same level of public attention that his bigger brother (P4) does. At some point before the batteries are toast I'll probably replace it with a Mini but I'll still be keeping my Spark and the memories it gave me forever.
 
Hi spark pilots I have two sparks first one was new second one second hand , haven’t owned any others , had them for more than 2 years, done over 700 flights and 95 hours have got two dead batteries four good ones , while I am here I would like to give tell of my experience with the gimbal motor overload, it has happened about four times over the years ,what has happened when it overloaded I found that turning spark off change batteries has fixed the problem for me hope this will solve this problem for others. Hope we can find someone to refurbish spark batteries. Bets Regards ..Engie.
 
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I’ve been flying DJI products since my first purchase back in 2016 (Phantom 3 Advanced). Since then, I’ve also bought a Spark, as well as my current Mavic Mini 2. To this day, the Spark is easily one of (if not) my favorite drone.

It’s just so reliable and well-designed. After 3 years of owning it, everything still works like it’s new (the aircraft, RC and 3 batteries). In fact, it’s my “go to” drone when I’m teaching my students the dynamics of flight and UAV photography/videography. It’s built like a tank, stable, reliable, has tons of features, and has certainly stood the test of time. I’ve literally traveled all over the country with it. Is it currently my preferred drone for long flights, 4K video, RAW shooting, and other new features? Obviously not. However, I still fly it all of the time. It might be the most underrated drone that DJI has built to date. I have no plans to get rid of it, and certainly no plans to stop using. Little Sparky certainly has a soft place in my heart…..
 
@RPL I agree. The Spark is definitely well designed, underrated and full of features! I love my Spark and have had mine for almost 4 years. Almost every time I come in for a landing, I shake my head because I can't believe how amazing the thing is and what it can do. But, I am now considering a drone upgrade since finding reasonably priced batteries for the Spark is now getting next to impossible. I have 3 good batteries right now and once they go, I will not be replacing them.

I have been considering both ends of the drone spectrum from the Mavic Air 2s to the Mini SE. I do mostly photography - lots of panoramas and have no need for 4K video. I also use lots of 3rd party flight software so that is a factor. Right now, I am leaning toward the Mini SE because there is more flexibility where I can fly it here in Canada. Anyway, lots to think about!

Chris
 
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@RPL I agree. The Spark is definitely well designed, underrated and full of features! I love my Spark and have had mine for almost 4 years. Almost every time I come in for a landing, I shake my head because I can't believe how amazing the thing is and what it can do. But, I am now considering a drone upgrade since finding reasonably priced batteries for the Spark is now getting next to impossible. I have 3 good batteries right now and once they go, I will not be replacing them.

I have been considering both ends of the drone spectrum from the Mavic Air 2s to the Mini SE. I do mostly photography - lots of panoramas and have no need for 4K video. I also use lots of 3rd party flight software so that is a factor. Right now, I am leaning toward the Mini SE because there is more flexibility where I can fly it here in Canada. Anyway, lots to think about!

Chris
Agree. As a photographer, I need the capability to shoot RAW, hence the reason I typically shoot with my Mini 2 (or P3A when it’s windy). However, the Spark still renders really solid images/videos for what it is. If/when I want to have fun, I fly the Spark. If/when I aim to capture higher quality photos/video, I use my Mini 2. Each has their place…..
 
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