Will I be forgiven?

[Northwood Mediaworks]

Well, to coin a song lyric, (an old one for sure) "There is something in the air" .. or more accurately, there is something in the mavic air 2 tonight.... I just pushed go on the order.... but I am keeping the Spark at least for a while... So, time to up the resolution.

Posting this in the Spark forum almost feels dirty! lol

 

[Haggi]

... So, time to up the resolution.

Good for you!
Well deserved upgrade, and I would prob do the leap myselves.
Be prepaired for some proxy edit, those 4k/8k mpeg's can and will be a nightmare to edit, even on top notch computers.

 

[Tglass0000]

Well, to coin a song lyric, (an old one for sure) "There is something in the air" .. or more accurately, there is something in the mavic air 2 tonight.... I just pushed go on the order.... but I am keeping the Spark at least for a while... So, time to up the resolution.

Posting this in the Spark forum almost feels dirty! lol

We expect a full report!

 

[Justcoz70]

Many of us have More than the Spark. But many of us like the Spark over the others too. Lol They are an Awesome little drone with lots of uses.

 

[Spark 317]

Posting this in the Spark forum almost feels dirty! lol

Take a cold shower and it will pass.?

Congratulations on pulling the trigger and we will be looking forward to your content here.?

 

[Spark^]

One is not the limit..?I'm sure you'll love it. Looking forward to seeing some footage. ??

 

[Roland]

Because many mavic owners are bitten by the air2 hype, they sell their drones. So I bought in the weekend a second hand mavic pro combo in alpine white, a year old for a very reasonable price,
If you are used to a spark “ gocart” , flying a mavic pro is very simple , but if you are only used to a big stable drone it will be another piece of cake To fly the sensitive spark.
Don‘t buy a mavic pro for its videoqualities . Unless you do
memoryeating 4K , quality is about the same even photo.
Modding it to FCC with the fake app is impossible because occusync works completely different.
After 2 days searching on the www. I found a way to force FCC by reprogramming the firmware ???
Why I didn’t bought a mavic air2 ?
No litchi, no USA transmit power , and big brother will be watching soon. The mavic 2 goes to 906 grammes, bad for the new CE certification of max 900 grammes.
Anyway, I never sell my spark because it is even smaller in the sky than a mm , allmost invisible .video and photo quality are on a high standard and it is still a horse best friend .
I don.’t think they will like my noisy mavic pro airliner even if it is in an exlusive white finish.

 

[RotorWash]

Congrats Robin! Looking forward to your thoughts on flying the new bird.

 

[twickers14]

You have been such a great help to us clueless old boys and we’ll miss your regular input-unless you do both (says he hoping you will). The MA2 looks awesome and I said a week or so ago that I would have looked at it seriously when on our Florida trip but that’s off and now the airline we always use Virgin Atlantic is cutting 3000 job-will they survive, hope they do as they have my AirMiles!! I digress, sure you will have fun and our hope is that you’ll share your work and thoughts (and help). Dji need to be considering how to manage the Forums imaginatively taking on the fact that flyers will probably upgrade to the MA2 rather than the MMini-my eyes would lose it after 300mtrs. Anyway have fun and sure you’ll love it.

 

[Spark^]

I started out with a phantom 4 pro about 11 months ago as my first drone and have been hooked ever since. I then bought a tello so I could have a little flyer to throw in the air anytime without any hassle (surprisingly good for $100) and still use it quite a bit. I loved the size but it is limited. Well hello Spark. Small and quite a capable little guy for really decent video and stills. $350 for fly more. Un opened Mavic mini for $380 ( I still haven't flown). People buy or get drones as gifts that dont get used. Then they're for sale. Crazy low prices and if you ask the right questions and do your research can come across some awsome deals.

 

[ol' Sparky]

Nice score...congrats.
I got my Spark as a training drone to learn how to fly. Loaded with tech, decent price, acceptable range, lots of add-ons available. Decided it was time to upgrade I recently got myself a Mavic 2 zoom. No regrets. Keeping Ol Sparky as well. Invested too much in accessories to let er go. Besides, I did go thru withdrawals when my first Spark went insane andI had to send her back for psychoanalysis. 3 weeks without caused quite the separation anxiety. Nice to have a spare.
First thing you will notice is flight time. After about 10 minutes out, you will get the feeling it's time to start heading back for a battery change, look down at your controller and see you are still at 75%. Love it, but it does take getting used to and a while to shake the time anxiety. Got a fly more kit and now with 3 batteries I'm good for almost an hour and a half.
Next is the speed. I sent it out over the bay and suddenly it was 2K feet out without sport mode. Sweet!
Which leads to distance. Went 5K+ feet out with no worries about losing connection (get yourself a strobe) and still had tons of distance to spare. My best distance with Sparky was somewhere around 5500 ft ,using a parabolic reflector, before she lost signal and came home.
There are more options in the GO App as well. I haven't even started to play with them yet, but I did notice waypoints are now available.
Firing the system up is also less finicky. It was made for and comes with an OTG cable.Just turn everything on and away you go. Sparky could be a bit finicky first thing in the morning. Bit particular on how to connect everything together in the proper order. .
Anyway...enjoy your new toy...I certainly am. Ol'Sparky was my first REAL drone and an excellent bird to learn to fly with. Will always have a soft spot for her, but totally LOVING my Zoom right now. Just haven't picked out a name yet. Hope you will enjoy your Air just as much....and don't forget to exercise your Spark once in a while. She's the jealous type.
Happy flying!

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

Thanks fellas.... As the MA2 will not likely do waypoints anytime soon, if ever, I will keep the little Spark for that very reason, I quite enjoy Litchi, and whilst its not that expensive, I have it and all the other accessories which wont apply to the Air2, and looking at resale on the Spark, it seems to make sense just to keep it, preserve the investment. Both my sons are too busy or not inclined to get certified, so cant really pass it on in the family.

I think besides the tripled flight time, that third axis on the camera gimbal and zippy bitrate has been a long time coming for me. I agonized over this purchase versus spending way more, either the Mavic 2 Zoom/Pro or the Evo 2 pro. Thanks to covid tanking the economy I had to reel in my spend somewhat, or risk incurring the wrath of Mrs. Northwood. Being recently retired, it just made sense.

That said, I have and will continue to enjoy and participate here. Great bunch of folks here. (I have to chuckle though, the age of all who responded is pretty similar.... 57.5 is the average! - so not older, just better!) And those guys who dont list their age, we know, we just know! Ha ha!

 

[Rwarrior]

Glad to hear you've pulled the trigger on the MA2, and I'll be very grateful to hear your feedback here. It looks like a great all rounder, and I'll probably get it myself once it's out in the shops. There's a DJI store just across the road from my office, but of course everything's shut down now, hopefully we'll be able to get out around early June.
I'm so looking forward to the longer flight time, 3 axis gimbal and Ocusync... to me, these are the standout features that makes the upgrade worthwhile.
As for my Spark, it'll still be my first love, and a backup drone or sort of a training drone if my kids or friends want to give drone videography a try....
Cheers, and stay safe [emoji4]

 

[Tentoes]

Well, to coin a song lyric, (an old one for sure) "There is something in the air" .. or more accurately, there is something in the mavic air 2 tonight.... I just pushed go on the order.... but I am keeping the Spark at least for a while... So, time to up the resolution.

Posting this in the Spark forum almost feels dirty! lol

hehe I did too.

 

[twickers14]

You lucky guys. Will have to wait for mine until next year. Have fun.

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

Thanks again..., Sorry Twickers, your situation is more rough than for many. I hope you can get out soon!

Okay, so not to rub salt in it for anyone, but of course I have been watching every review I could find of my new machine, and stumbled on this French one, which has no dialogue, but really exposes the power of the MA2's various modes and specs.

I am pretty sure an English search of YT would not find you this one, so shared it over at Mav Pilots too...

 

[Chrislaf]

Congratulations Robin on your purchase. Did you order it from OmniView Tech? I just made an order for two Spark batteries from them - should arrive tomorrow. Found out about them from one of your postings, so thanks. They seem to have the best prices I could find for a Canadian retailer for Spark batteries.

When I bought my Spark it was to be a back-up to my Phantom 3 Standard and a travel drone. Instead, I use both about the same amount. When I want longer flight times and RAW images, I use my P3S. If I want to quickly launch or want to travel light (when I am cycling), I use my Spark. They both have their uses and since I have two drones I won't have any downtime if I ever crash one of them.

I have been contemplating an upgrade to the Mavic 2 Pro as I do mainly photography, but have been watching the news/reviews of the new MA2 with interest.

Anyway, enjoy your new drone and I look forward to reading about or watching some of you videos either here or over at MavicPilots.

Chris

 

[ol' Sparky]

That said, I have and will continue to enjoy and participate here. Great bunch of folks here. (I have to chuckle though, the age of all who responded is pretty similar.... 57.5 is the average! - so not older, just better!) And those guys who dont list their age, we know, we just know! Ha ha!

LOL!
A - The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys
B - I have to grow old but I don't have to grow up

Perfect hobby for all us old guys with more time than money

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

Congratulations Robin on your purchase. Did you order it from OmniView Tech? I just made an order for two Spark batteries from them - should arrive tomorrow. Found out about them from one of your postings, so thanks. They seem to have the best prices I could find for a Canadian retailer for Spark batteries.

When I bought my Spark it was to be a back-up to my Phantom 3 Standard and a travel drone. Instead, I use both about the same amount. When I want longer flight times and RAW images, I use my P3S. If I want to quickly launch or want to travel light (when I am cycling), I use my Spark. They both have their uses and since I have two drones I won't have any downtime if I ever crash one of them.

I have been contemplating an upgrade to the Mavic 2 Pro as I do mainly photography, but have been watching the news/reviews of the new MA2 with interest.

Anyway, enjoy your new drone and I look forward to reading about or watching some of you videos either here or over at MavicPilots.

Chris

Thanks... Yes, we got the Spark from them 2 years back, the wife did that deal, so it seemed natural just to continue with them. You've just reminded me that I should grab at least one more Spark battery... thanks. Before they become extinct. I considered the Mavic 2 zoom and pro, but gladly the MA2 came along with its great feature set and half the price! The Mavic 3 will be coming along within the next year I am fairly certain, you may want to hold off until then.

Cheers.

 

[twickers14]

Thanks again..., Sorry Twickers, your situation is more rough than for many. I hope you can get out soon!

Okay, so not to rub salt in it for anyone, but of course I have been watching every review I could find of my new machine, and stumbled on this French one, which has no dialogue, but really exposes the power of the MA2's various modes and specs.

I am pretty sure an English search of YT would not find you this one, so shared it over at Mav Pilots too...

Wow wow wow. What a piece of kit. You are so lucky to be getting one. Fabulous footage and so clever. Obstacle Avoidance looks amazing, they’ve obviously worked very hard on that. Love the bit at the end where he’s attached a camera to the A2. Just makes me want one even more but will have to wait. Will look forward to your posts but will they be here or on the Mavic Forum? Have fun.