Beware that DJI's software to control these craft is super sketchy to install and use. It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection.
Not surprising from a Chinese company
DJI Mini 4 Pro
171–180 of 452 posts
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#172Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you have a recommendation of a drone with similar features that doesn't require jailbreaking?
Autel drones tend to fall around a generation behind DJI's in terms of capability, and they don't have geofencing. Unfortunately, they are much more expensive like-for-like and if you are also concerned about China, they share the same China-problems. There are no US or European drones that really come close, unfortunately. Parrot are 2-3+ generations behind DJI in terms of capability: wireless link, camera, and even…
I think it's also worth pointing out that DJI's first-party app isn't required to operate many of their drones. Most of their drones, apart from all but the most recent (i.e. the one this announcement is about probably won't have support for a while, but the previous gen will) has support through apps like Litchi and Dronelink via the developer API, which have additional features and don't have the exact same permissions/data requirements as DJI's first-party apps.
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#173I've been looking forward to the release of the Mini 4 Pro so I can hopefully get a Mini 3 Pro on the cheap. I want something that can autonomously follow me on my mountain bike or follow my RC car as it goes over jumps for under $500.
I read the article and watched the video, I'm not sure that the Mini Pro 4 or 3 have true "follow me" ability. I saw the Mini Pro 4 has "Active Track 360", but I think that is just going to fly a 360 around whatever you choose and follow it as it goes. I have the OG mini, and it certainly can't just "follow me" as I ride my mountain bike wherever. It's purely a software limitation to offer segmentation for their more…
My mini 3 pro follows me… I’m not sure what you what you mean
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#174Whoever developed this website was probably told "We want it to look like Apple.com" and didn't veer one inch from that request. Not to say it looks bad, but it does feel unoriginal to me.
I came here and hit command-f "Apple" to see if others had the same opinion.
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
> there's no way to be sure that every second of GPS-tagged video shot by a DJI drone isn't going into a giant server farm owned by the Chinese intelligence service. I checked your source and it didn’t back up this claim. I’m not a networking specialist but isn’t it possible to detect if something is transmitting a massive amount of data (such as video) to an undetermined destination? seems like this type of blatant…
You do not need to transmit the video first. But coordinate or interested person. Even a sport watch can be a security threat as demo by some exercise army personnel. They just know who and when and where these places are. For the transfer part it is much harder as said and easier to detect in peace time. But then what happen in war or proxy-war time. You have to know how many senior Russians are killed by using a ph…
> Even a sport watch can be a security threat as demo by some exercise army personnel.
In the early days of the Afghan (or was it Iraq?) war, people used Strava to figure out the locations of American bases. They'd see a bunch of smart watches suddenly wake up in the morning and start exercising at the same time, a dead giveaway.
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#176>Take off whenever inspiration strikes. Weighing less than 249 g, Mini 4 Pro was designed for convenience on the go, [1] and the drone's weight means there's no need for training or examinations in most countries and regions. Wasn't this loophole basically closed by the US FAA a couple years back?
Yesterdays compromise is today's loophole.
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#177Beware that DJI's software to control these craft is super sketchy to install and use. It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection.
>>It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection. I think the real issue is more complicated than that, but, whatever. I use their software only for administrative tasks - updates, etc. For routine use I would recommend something like Litchi.
Fwiw, Litchi is based on their SDK, so you're not really avoiding their software by using it.
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#178Earlier quoted context omitted.
would love to get an alternative but it doesn't seem like anyone else is getting anywhere near the flight times that dji has. all the non dji drones I've seen list 8 min while dji is saying 15-20 min.
There are lots of them like the Explorer LR that are under the 250g limit, and get 30-40 minute runtime. That said in the hobbyist community power is more interesting than range. I have a DJI mini 2 and the technology is impressive but honestly, it puts me to sleep compared to my 100MPH mini quad. Every time I use it (once every few months) I have to update the app, use a trash remote, and install all this spyware on…
That’s almost exactly what my friend says.
He has this tiny little quad, about half the size of the DJI, that does about 90.
He has pretty fancy video gear. He uses a VR-style headset. It’s pretty cool.
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#179Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not a loophole, it's a deliberate exemption!
Makes enough sense to me but curious why specifically? Are they quieter or less dangerous below that size / weight?
There isn’t much of an actual reason, the FAA has been all over the place without much logic when it comes to drone regulations.
Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro
#180Beware that DJI's software to control these craft is super sketchy to install and use. It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection.
I downloaded the apk file and installed it, but for some reason I can't fly app to work on the S20. It just says can't connect to controller.