Huge apologies to all genuine FPVers out there; I know this will be painful to watch.... And to DJI FPV owners, how are you getting on with Manual Mode? Cheers Ian
Forget about that: you did your best, we had the same issues and feelings and results My buddy had crashed his first on day 1 and got a second on day 3 we are sharing. It is an entire different world like the move to RC planes too. I like to see that we sit in the "same boat" and suffer similiar issues like lost connection at specific spots and pretty short range compared to dji gps drones we are used to. And as you said: stay high to save the most I could say I feel lucky that you are stumbling into the same or similiar pitfalls and challenges I had faced - except crash and getting it fixed (we sold the whole kit and bought a new one: before you ask how we fixed it - no chance to get it fixed soon, so we had torn it down and sold it piece by piece cause a lot had crashed and asked for parts on day 2 and 3 already). Keep going on the good work in such a beautifull landscape - even though I always ask myself where the heck that "London" is cause I have different memories to that giant city without farm land around.
I found on the simulator it is easier to control pinching the sticks rather than using the thumbs. Hats off to you Sir for being brave enough, A- to do it and B- to film it.
Doing well, in time acro (manual mode) will just 'click' and you'll start enjoying it. Once you can happily fly in acro, flying in normal mode will feel restrictive and slow.
You are making very honest and no bullshit first flight video's. These are very helpful for new fpv flyers and gives us a realistic sense of what to expect You have balls to fly it in full M without simulation I'd be buying a 2nd iPhone or iPad just to.practice on when I am ready I just ordered the drone
Don't apologise Ian :) You were very brave to have attempted manual mode on such an expensive piece of kit! Well done for having a go. It took me about a year to muster enough courage to attempt manual mode on my home-built drones back in the day. As you've figured out it's all about small movements and staying high to get some sort of comfort blanket to recover. Some folks find it easier to pinch the sticks whilst resting your palms on the controller ... this dampens jerky movements when overcompensating for changing attitude. Others swear by just using their thumbs. As mentioned in the comments, 'Liftoff' on Steam for Mac/PC is a pretty good FPV simulator which allows both stabilised and manual flight modes. You can crash until your heart's content and won't have to spend a penny on repairs ;) Works with XBox / PS controllers as well as traditional RC transmitter units. it becomes second nature after a while but I'm still useless on the drone racing courses!
@@IaninLondon You're welcome sir. I'm switching from FPV to the Mini 2 so I'm on the reverse learning curve ... no FPV goggles, mobile phone for video/telemetry feed, smooth cinematic moves, etc ;) Keep those video coming!
I needed this video. My fpv arrived yesterday tried manual today, wow very different to what I am used to! I’m glad I’m not the only person struggling with a new skill
One of the things that also helped me transition into manual mode besides the sim, was to get a toy drone off ebay, one that fly's manual and fly it everyday. You would be surprised how flying one of the toys helps with coordination. Good stuff there mate !
You can tell you felt uncomfortable flying in manual mode so thanks for sharing that experience, I do hope you continue to learn manual flight, super interesting to see you progress, it seems the dji is very helpful learning fpv (apart from the lack of app support).
Hay man you did really dam good for your first time. Learning how to recover your mistakes is half the battle practice in sport mode and then try manual your doing really good man great job.
@@UnderTheBar I just don’t find fpv footage that useful for what I normally do video wise honestly. Kind of takes away from my other flying for me so figure out of sight out of mind.
It's so great to have a drone like this where you can test out full acro mode and have a pause button to press when you get stuck. Yes you can sort of set this up on regular fpv quads but the dji system is soooo damn refined that you know its just going to hover in place and give you a chance to recover!!. Practice on the DJI sim its really good. I've done a couple of videos on my progress as well. Glad you are enjoying it.😎
great job pushing yrself, it reminded me of learning to fly rc helicopters, lots of pant wetting moments! We had no panic buttons though, it’s a brilliant safety feature.
Nice! You're crazy man. I thought I was such a good drone pilot until I started flying FPV... reality check, I wasn't even "flying" drones until I flew FPV.
I have had my DJI FPV for 4 mos or so and never yet flown in manual mode. I believe I would have practiced a lot more before making a video like you did here, but you did show how its not a walk in the park, so kudo's for that, mate.
I flew a phantom 3 for ages and remember my first FPV drone. It had stabilised options and the first time I flew it in full acro mode it was like learning to fly all over again. It’s worth persevering though as once you get the hang of it the flying feels so much more involved and fluid. Watching your videos has made my mind up and I am going to have one of these drones
Hey Ian I just purchased this drone, with very limited acro experience. I laughed with you when you said you would be lying if you said that was fun. You had me so nervous, don’t try that no more get another simulator DJI isn’t the only one lol. Thanks for the good laugh.
Ian, I've realised that it's very much like flying a helicopter, I too got confused about the controls and how flying in the simulator was just like speaking a foreign language. I just watched your video and went straight onto watching how to fly fpv, the way the guy explained it was bringing all my helicopter flying days back. Think of it as a drone that your translating helicopter controls to. Good luck
@@IaninLondon I know what you mean, ive just made a video thats encoding right now, i explain the difficulties about flying this drone in manual mode. I did mention your video and channel and ive put a link to your channel so hopefully people come to watch your content. Hopefully youll watch my video and give it a like, moreso i hope it helps you understand how this drone works in manual mode. Hope you have a good day buddy, keep up the good work.
This is a great video to show Camera drone pilots (Mavic and things) that flying in manual (FPV Acro) is a lot harder than you may think, and you could end up with a very expensive box of broken bits. I have to say you did everything right for your first attempt, (kept her up high) and was always ready with the panic button. However, the most important thing you did right was to practise in an open field well away from building and people. I'm sure you would have heard about all the different simulators you can practise on. However, I suggest you try a small 3inch mini quad in that open field after you get used to flying acro with something that won't smash to bits in a crash, you will gain the confidence & skill to fly the DJI FPV Drone in manual / acro ... Great video buddy wish you all the luck in your future fights. 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks George. It's amazing to be able to practice in the real world; that panic button is a great help and now I have three batteries, I should be getting more practice in... Cheers for the good words. Ian
I loosened both screws under the left stick to remove the y-axis spring and practiced flying around in normal like this. Once I was used to the centering spring force removed I went up high like you did and went manual. No crashes. I was feeling brave so I tried it at 3 ft altitude. Bounced and hit the brake button to recover. I tried it again and knew to throttle up. Lasted about 5 seconds before hitting brake. There's really nothing to fear with the pitch/roll limits. It can actually fly faster in normal mode than in manual with the pitch limit turned on.
That brought back some memories of trying to learn manual mode. I used a field with long grass to cushion the crashes 😅 You did really well without any simulator practice, I spent ages on DRL sim and still crashed! Another great vid, looking forward to seeing your progression.
Well done Ian for an honest review showing the problems you had. Unlike some other sites particularly the Americans who practise a lot before filming. Manual flight is not easy for normal drone pilots but practise makes perfect.
Well done Ian, it’s still alive. That pause button is awesome how quickly it sorts itself out. Practice is all you need, I thought the simulator was broken(seriously)when I first started practicing it was that hard to get used to😂. I look forward to seeing you progress with this drone, and then you’ll be hooked, there’s no going back from FPV😎 Have fun, when the weather allows you to.
Just think like: In full manual nothing re-centers, it stays in the position where you put it, if you bank left it will stay banked left until you correct with right bank. push down it will keep going down until you pul back up, etc. It also helps to reduce, eliminate the centering spring tension on the throttle stick.
With manual mode you need to loosen the tension on the throttle stick so the default position is at the bottom instead of the centre. That’s why you kept “drifting”
Brave man Ian.. I could not cope with that.. 😂😂 .in a couple of weeks you'll be flying through the house! Download a drone SIM. They must be pretty generic. Good luck ! Great vid as always.
Ian as a comparison it would be nice if you had a go at the Litchi app and a cheap VR Headset that you put your phone in and flew one of your normal DJI drones (Mavic Air for example) as FPV. would make a very interesting comparison video
Hey Ian. Dont be shy. Its normal, as a Starter of manual flying, thats a little bit tricky. Stay safe, fly safe - do some practice. And all would be fine.
Great video Ian,I used to fly collective pitch helicopters but stopped because of anxiety and cost when I crashed! This is a lovely drone but I prefer the calming camera drones like my mavic air 2. But appreciate you showing people how hard manual flight is to master! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
thanks for a really valuable video to those of us new to FPV. this is the first video, Ive seen which shows clearly how difficult manual mode can be, how disorientating it can be. Im not planning to jump into M mode, and can practice on similuator - but still this video is a fantastic demostration on what the first time might be like. thanks for sharing the difficult times, as well as the fun times - and I'm sure you'll progress really quickly though!
@@IaninLondon are you planning on removing the spring on the throttle next time - if so, I'll be interested to hear how you find flying GPS mode with it'loose. I guess the main disadvantage is you cannot just let go, to hover.
A good and funny video. I think all fpv acro mode pilots know that feeling from the first times in manual mode. Regarding no sim time before first flight that wasn’t that bad. But as you mentioned simulator is very helpful but also loosen up the left stick. If you had allowed full acro you would probably had crashed so takeoff it step by step is smart. This is a long time ago now so I think you have gotten very good. But this is a good and important lesson for those who just got their DJI fpv. 👍
Enjoyed the this one as I just witnessed what I will experience with my first manual FPV flight :) I'm in the same boat as you in that I have only Android devices so I'm hoping DJI gets the Android version of simulator out soon.
When making coordinated turns you need to give both yaw and roll input. Push both sticks left or right to turn. As you pitch in any direction part of your thrust vector is pointing down and part in the direction you are pitched, so you need to adjust your throttle
Yep I fully get that Ian and can relate to that kind of nervousness when I first started flying my brand new DJI Inspire Mk1 a few years ago !!!!!!! 😅😅 - you might have guessed - I don't own it anymore, too stressful $$$ to enjoy flying it 😆😆
Great review.. Just received mine but don't think I will be going into Manuel mode for awhile. Hopefully they come out with an Android simulator.. I thought there was one when I bought but guess just got to excited watching all the FPV reviews.. Dave...
The video I was watching before yours said DRL simulator works with the DJI FPV controller. Gonna try that one as I just bought a brand new Android phone and not switching to Apple ever.
Awesome job Ian👍 I can't wait to try it out next week. I've been doing the simulator without the controller and have a pretty good idea of how difficult manual mode can be for a non FPV guy like myself. I think I'm going to do the same thing and take it into the wide open. Anyways great job, I'm sure you'll have it mastered in no time 👍 Cheers from Montana
I just bought the fpv drone I have been using the dji fpv app to practice. I used to fly rc planes so it's not been that hard so far on the simulator. It's definitely a whole different world when you switch into manual. I dont it until Friday so we will see how it goes!
It wasn't painful to watch, you did just fine. As someone that's been in FPV for a couple years now, I highly recommend you checkout Velocidrone or Lift-Off as proper FPV simulators, instead of a rushed offering from DJI. I prefer Velocidrone of the 2, but they are both highly regarded in the FPV community. I recommend all newcomers spend some time in a proper sim. I still use sims all the time to work on new tricks, it's the way to go. Just trying to save a you a few bucks from unnecessary repairs. Happy flying :)
Still not going to purchase, so far I have seen no fun in flying this drone. I love your videos and have huge respect for you trying to work it all out, I'm sure you will end-up liking this new gizzmo eventually. Hopefully DJI will learn and bring out an updated model this year. Keep up the good work Ian. Thank you
@@IaninLondon I agree Ian, you need to be very dedicated and have the patience of what I don't know. Still not happy that we also need a spotter too, I can see the reason but, it's just not practical as a hobbyist.
I’ve already put in several hours on the simulator. Hoping for good weather tomorrow to try It out with the drone. I’ve owned DJI Drones for years and was shocked with how different/difficult manual mode is. Although I have been getting the hang of it through the simulator. Hoping that it translates when I’m up in the sky. Great vid. Also, what a beautiful place you live in.
Fair play for giving it a go - manual FPV is hard. Generally learning FPV means crashing - a lot of crashing! Learning how to turn is a big step as you need to use both sticks at the same time. Don't know about the DJI app, but using something like LiftOff is a big help, not so much as it's "reaslistic", but it helps you to learn the muscle memory and crash as much as you like :)
mate,get lift off or velicadrone.they are windows/mac based games.lift off is available on the steam platform,u can connect your dji fpv controller to ur computer via usb and use that to control it.helped me alot.
The main thing is: You gave it a crack! It was interesting! Definitely not a drone I would use, but I could see people who love chasing vehicles, or taking high speed videos enjoying it
Rather you than me 😂 That will take time to master but will be worth it in the long run, watching the experts doing this makes it look amazing fun, you make it look it’s going to be expensive 😂 Great bit of kit and video 🤘
I am an Android user with the new DJI drone too, without any FPV experience. I got the simulator called Liftoff for my PC, the DJI radio works perfectly with it, throug USB connection. It is a really nice way to get used to full manual controll.
I’ve only flown in Sports and normal mode, but did my first hour in manual in the dji virtual flight app yesterday and it was well fun. I’m guna try and do an hour a day for a fortnight in the app and see how I feel. I was literally clueless but it started resembling some sort of flight and the hour went by well quick. I can’t wait to be ready to be ripping around the bay in manual mode doing barrel rolls and stuff. I do worry though as I don’t have any care refresh on the fpv! I deffo wouldn’t say to let this first experience put you off though. Just get one of the other apps that fpv guys recommend, and get a good few hours in and you’ll be doing power loops around that tree and flipping over the fields in no time!
Appreciate the video! I got the DJI FPV last month and luckily they have the simulator on Android now! However, I can't get mine to go forward, I let loose the left stick, but the right stick just makes the drone go left/right and up down tilts the drone. On normal.or sport, I have no issue going forward. Thanks!
Good first effort.. Yes height is your friend for sure... No self leveling in Manual (Acro) mode... So every input you apply to the sticks requires more than one input from the other stick or sticks to keep it level... or bank and turn... The stop button is certainly a better friend as long as your quick enough to hit it. I would still recommend buying a small quad (whoop) set up to practice on rather than risk the price of a new DJI drone.. Especially with the excellent flying facilities you have on the other side of your garden fence... Good luck.
Did you have a whiskey in that tea 😆. Give me my Mavic air 2 any day Ian.That is one noisy little bugger. Respect to people who fly them but not my cup of tea.
Not even touching FPV but loved how you posted this as a honest video. Found it funny in parts as i owuld be the same. Great vid sure will crack it in no time Ian
Hi Ian , wow bet your stress levels went up there. Reminds me when I used to fly fixed wing models certainly not as chilled out as flying GPS camera drones. At least there is a brake button 😊😊
Looks very much like my first acro flight, except ridiculous good HD video (v's analogue), and I learned on a $150 quad with no safety "oh s&@" button. Acro is like learning to ride a bicycle, frustrating, scary and often many grazed knees... however once learned, you never forget and you'd never go back to riding with training wheels. Am glad you could start learning acro and be able to save the quad. The first 10 or so packs of acro is more heart racing than fun, but I assure you the ratio does change with practice.
you Sir have some balls! haha. i just got home from flying my drone, and i tired manual mode, OMG i almost crashed it right away. it took off when i switched into manual. Thank god for that pause button. i need to practice on a simulator.
Great Job showing how good that pause button works. It's ridiculous DJI still has not released the Android Simulator. To be honest though Liftoff for $20 is so much better and you can still use your controller.
you have to combine roll, and yaw in order to turn. it looks like you're just using yaw. You have to remember that the drone is tilted forward, and if you just use yaw your going to end up looking at the sky. Also, " liftoff" is a good simulator to practice on.
Once you get used to Acro you won’t go back. It just feels wrong when you’re in any other mode lol. Stick coordination and throttle control will kick in once you put in a few hours. Simulators are the best place to build this muscle memory
Believe it or not that is a very forgiving quad . That "safe" button is just a great help. The different "variables" you have while in manual mode is the wind , gyro over and lower correcting/ overcompensating . Going forward on a steady throttle help a lot and give you time to breath . Good luck But I would try and learn on a 100 pounds model first . ;-)
Ian, when your drone hits the flight ceiling, it automatically goes in to "NORMAL" mode. That's what was happening. In manual, stay below the altitude ceiling, unless you need it.
Nice video, but you need to disable the left stick centering. There is a small screw on the back of the controller, under the rubber. That's why your gaining height all the time when you let go of the stick. Keep the videos coming
Well done. I have android as well and no big open area like you have so I haven't gad the balls to try manual yet. I am sure its a blast once the tension is removed but its like taking training wheels off a bike for ac2 year old who has never ridden. I hope they will release Android simulator soon. Thanks
I know I'm a month late, but you might want to check out Liftoff for your PC as a simulator. I have an iphone but still prefer the sim on PC. You can plug in your DJI controller with a USB-C cable to use it as well. Really boosts the confidence after putting in a few hour
I recommend trying out the Liftoff simulator, it has a module for DJI FPV. Also, for manual mode try using a pinch hold on your sticks rather than just the thumbs, you get much more precision this way.
Get the 'liftoff' or 'velocidrone' simulator, no need to wait for the android dji version. Costs you a spare pair of props. You can use the DJI remote for those sims. Remove the center stick with the screw and loosen the tension of the left 'throttle' stick, make is loose. Good luck and take your time! ✌️🙂
Please try liftoff, that is one of the simulators I can recommend. The DJI one is not very good to actually practice. Since you have no access to that anyways, there is no reason for you to wait. Good video and exactly what I also think about the DJI FPV! Have a good rest of the day! (maybe you have intent in my videos)
Lift Off is a great sim and it's available on Steam (and elsewhere I imagine). Took me from 'OMG' to being able to fly an FPV quad and do some aerobatics without hitting the ground too much. Of course, a freestyle quad is deigned to crash and a DJI FPV one isn't so your height advice needs heeding by everybody jumping in.
Oh man.... I'm soo struggling watching this! First well done on setting the limits to how much the drone will roll in manual mode.. (we have something very similar on our configurators for the drones it's called Acro Trainer) If you hadn't of done this I honestly believe you would of crashed a number of times. Doesnt take long for 800grams to hit the ground even from high up! If after posting this video you keep trying, then my advice is to slowly slowly allow the drone to pitch and roll more and more in the settings as you get used to it. But dont rush to do a full roll or flip... the rolls can be fairly easy but catching it after the roll can sometimes catch people out. Yes you have the break but once the drone loses control pictures on the web show that people dont always have enough time to react. Also it seems the drome itself doesnt always react as quick as needed... depending on signal strength at the time. But you stayed high so very good, very wise infact. As for simulators you dont need to wait for dji. You can use the others available by plugging into usbc And definitely, definitely set your throttle stick to how it should be for full manual mode. The manual mode on this drone is for many of us fpv freestyle/racers a very unwise choice. Too quickly people will do exactly as you have done and just wanted to "test its capabilities" before the operator has the capabilities. The biggest thing we've also learnt is that technology can fail... even dji's "break" so keeping a good distance from roads even with minimal traffic on is wise. And perhaps the biggest issue here is that this full manual acrobatic capable drone is made from plastic! It has the capabilities but it doesnt have the capability to cope with the inevitable crashes... Granted your flying over soft land so you may be lucky but I certainly would encourage others to try full manual unless they first put in the hours on a simulator!!! How long many ask until they are ready to fly a real quad? How many hours? I say as long as it takes for you to get bored out of your mind because you can fully control and react subconsciously to scenarios to prevent crashes.
Hey fella; really appreciate the help and detailed reply. Yes, sadly this drone is not designed for crashing despite FPVs having to crash a lot.... No carbon fibre; just metal and plastic.... I'm happy to keep trying my training high up in the sky but you're right, you woudln't want this anywhere where it could crash can cause issues..... PS - You don't sound like a wannabee any more.... :)
@@IaninLondon Thanks Ian. Been in the hobby now a few years. Always learning.... I've actually today just bought my first camera drone! So I'll be coming to you for advice next. 😉😉😉😉 I got a mini 2.... waiting for it to fully charge. My fpv batteries take around 20 mins.... lost count of the hours that have passed so far! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Huge apologies to all genuine FPVers out there; I know this will be painful to watch.... And to DJI FPV owners, how are you getting on with Manual Mode?
Cheers Ian
Can’t afford one at the moment. Looks sooo much fun. Maybe once I earn some
Money. Cheers for the video man. Love them
Forget about that: you did your best, we had the same issues and feelings and results
My buddy had crashed his first on day 1 and got a second on day 3 we are sharing. It is an entire different world like the move to RC planes too. I like to see that we sit in the "same boat" and suffer similiar issues like lost connection at specific spots and pretty short range compared to dji gps drones we are used to.
And as you said: stay high to save the most
I could say I feel lucky that you are stumbling into the same or similiar pitfalls and challenges I had faced - except crash and getting it fixed (we sold the whole kit and bought a new one: before you ask how we fixed it - no chance to get it fixed soon, so we had torn it down and sold it piece by piece cause a lot had crashed and asked for parts on day 2 and 3 already).
Keep going on the good work in such a beautifull landscape - even though I always ask myself where the heck that "London" is cause I have different memories to that giant city without farm land around.
I fortunately have Apple phone so have tried it on manual on the simulator and immediately crashed it. You are a brave man
I found on the simulator it is easier to control pinching the sticks rather than using the thumbs. Hats off to you Sir for being brave enough, A- to do it and B- to film it.
Oh and take tensioner off
Doing well, in time acro (manual mode) will just 'click' and you'll start enjoying it. Once you can happily fly in acro, flying in normal mode will feel restrictive and slow.
You are making very honest and no bullshit first flight video's. These are very helpful for new fpv flyers and gives us a realistic sense of what to expect
You have balls to fly it in full M without simulation
I'd be buying a 2nd iPhone or iPad just to.practice on when I am ready
I just ordered the drone
Cheers for that.... That's exactly what I'm trying to do 👍🏻👍🏻
You're braver than me dude. I'm going to go where no one can watch when I switch mine to manual for the first time.
Don't apologise Ian :) You were very brave to have attempted manual mode on such an expensive piece of kit! Well done for having a go. It took me about a year to muster enough courage to attempt manual mode on my home-built drones back in the day. As you've figured out it's all about small movements and staying high to get some sort of comfort blanket to recover. Some folks find it easier to pinch the sticks whilst resting your palms on the controller ... this dampens jerky movements when overcompensating for changing attitude. Others swear by just using their thumbs. As mentioned in the comments, 'Liftoff' on Steam for Mac/PC is a pretty good FPV simulator which allows both stabilised and manual flight modes. You can crash until your heart's content and won't have to spend a penny on repairs ;) Works with XBox / PS controllers as well as traditional RC transmitter units. it becomes second nature after a while but I'm still useless on the drone racing courses!
Cheers for the good words and advice..... 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@@IaninLondon You're welcome sir. I'm switching from FPV to the Mini 2 so I'm on the reverse learning curve ... no FPV goggles, mobile phone for video/telemetry feed, smooth cinematic moves, etc ;) Keep those video coming!
I needed this video. My fpv arrived yesterday tried manual today, wow very different to what I am used to! I’m glad I’m not the only person struggling with a new skill
I love your candid experience with this FPV drone. No doubt your proficiency will come with time.
One of the things that also helped me transition into manual mode besides the sim, was to get a toy drone off ebay, one that fly's manual and fly it everyday. You would be surprised how flying one of the toys helps with coordination. Good stuff there mate !
You can tell you felt uncomfortable flying in manual mode so thanks for sharing that experience, I do hope you continue to learn manual flight, super interesting to see you progress, it seems the dji is very helpful learning fpv (apart from the lack of app support).
Hay man you did really dam good for your first time. Learning how to recover your mistakes is half the battle practice in sport mode and then try manual your doing really good man great job.
Don't think FPV is ever going to be my thing but I'm staying tuned to see when Steve has to dive for cover. :-)
Ditto. I don’t think will ever be kine as well. Fpv fun drone for sure, but returned mine after a week.
Have you ever tired it?
@@AtortAerials why returned it?
@@UnderTheBar I just don’t find fpv footage that useful for what I normally do video wise honestly. Kind of takes away from my other flying for me so figure out of sight out of mind.
It's so great to have a drone like this where you can test out full acro mode and have a pause button to press when you get stuck. Yes you can sort of set this up on regular fpv quads but the dji system is soooo damn refined that you know its just going to hover in place and give you a chance to recover!!. Practice on the DJI sim its really good. I've done a couple of videos on my progress as well. Glad you are enjoying it.😎
great job pushing yrself, it reminded me of learning to fly rc helicopters, lots of pant wetting moments! We had no panic buttons though, it’s a brilliant safety feature.
Nice! You're crazy man. I thought I was such a good drone pilot until I started flying FPV... reality check, I wasn't even "flying" drones until I flew FPV.
It's like saying you can ride a motorbike because you can drive a car well.... 👍🏻👍🏻
I have had my DJI FPV for 4 mos or so and never yet flown in manual mode. I believe I would have practiced a lot more before making a video like you did here, but you did show how its not a walk in the park, so kudo's for that, mate.
That stop button is a godsend
I flew a phantom 3 for ages and remember my first FPV drone. It had stabilised options and the first time I flew it in full acro mode it was like learning to fly all over again. It’s worth persevering though as once you get the hang of it the flying feels so much more involved and fluid. Watching your videos has made my mind up and I am going to have one of these drones
Hey Ian I just purchased this drone, with very limited acro experience. I laughed with you when you said you would be lying if you said that was fun. You had me so nervous, don’t try that no more get another simulator DJI isn’t the only one lol. Thanks for the good laugh.
Ian, I've realised that it's very much like flying a helicopter, I too got confused about the controls and how flying in the simulator was just like speaking a foreign language.
I just watched your video and went straight onto watching how to fly fpv, the way the guy explained it was bringing all my helicopter flying days back.
Think of it as a drone that your translating helicopter controls to.
Good luck
I wish I could fly it with the joystick motion controller..... That really would be like a helicopter...😀👍🏻
@@IaninLondon I know what you mean, ive just made a video thats encoding right now, i explain the difficulties about flying this drone in manual mode.
I did mention your video and channel and ive put a link to your channel so hopefully people come to watch your content.
Hopefully youll watch my video and give it a like, moreso i hope it helps you understand how this drone works in manual mode.
Hope you have a good day buddy, keep up the good work.
This is a great video to show Camera drone pilots (Mavic and things) that flying in manual (FPV Acro) is a lot harder than you may think, and you could end up with a very expensive box of broken bits.
I have to say you did everything right for your first attempt, (kept her up high) and was always ready with the panic button. However, the most important thing you did right was to practise in an open field well away from building and people. I'm sure you would have heard about all the different simulators you can practise on.
However, I suggest you try a small 3inch mini quad in that open field after you get used to flying acro with something that won't smash to bits in a crash, you will gain the confidence & skill to fly the DJI FPV Drone in manual / acro ... Great video buddy wish you all the luck in your future fights. 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks George. It's amazing to be able to practice in the real world; that panic button is a great help and now I have three batteries, I should be getting more practice in... Cheers for the good words. Ian
I'm expecting mine this week! Probably starting with just the normal mode first without the simulator.
Leme tell you normal mode is nothing. Absolutely nothing like Manuel mode the controls are totally different
Interesting experience very sensitive by the looks of it. Lot of respect to how those fpv drone pilots fly👍
I want to see some hardcore fpv pilot fly this in manual mode.
I loosened both screws under the left stick to remove the y-axis spring and practiced flying around in normal like this. Once I was used to the centering spring force removed I went up high like you did and went manual. No crashes. I was feeling brave so I tried it at 3 ft altitude. Bounced and hit the brake button to recover. I tried it again and knew to throttle up. Lasted about 5 seconds before hitting brake. There's really nothing to fear with the pitch/roll limits. It can actually fly faster in normal mode than in manual with the pitch limit turned on.
Thanks for sharing, I got mine this week. Have not yet dared manual mode, I had to take medicine for vertigo with only sports mode. LOL
That brought back some memories of trying to learn manual mode. I used a field with long grass to cushion the crashes 😅 You did really well without any simulator practice, I spent ages on DRL sim and still crashed! Another great vid, looking forward to seeing your progression.
Cheers 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I guess it's true, this drone makes you speechless!
Maaaate, I was in the exact same scenario as you. Android phone, but wanted the full FPV experience. Awesome video 🔥
Well done Ian for an honest review showing the problems you had. Unlike some other sites particularly the Americans who practise a lot before filming. Manual flight is not easy for normal drone pilots but practise makes perfect.
You Broke your cherry congratulations.
thanks so much for the work you are doing with this drone. It's helping so many of us DJI GPS noobs gain the courage to fly like this.
Great stuff 👍🏻👍🏻
I like to think I can fly FPV, would love to have a go of this DJI FPV drone, looks fun, great effort.
This video provided me with some great insight on my future purchase. thank you!
Well done Ian, it’s still alive. That pause button is awesome how quickly it sorts itself out. Practice is all you need, I thought the simulator was broken(seriously)when I first started practicing it was that hard to get used to😂.
I look forward to seeing you progress with this drone, and then you’ll be hooked, there’s no going back from FPV😎
Have fun, when the weather allows you to.
Cheers Kev! Will be plugging away 👍🏻👍🏻
Just think like: In full manual nothing re-centers, it stays in the position where you put it, if you bank left it will stay banked left until you correct with right bank. push down it will keep going down until you pul back up, etc. It also helps to reduce, eliminate the centering spring tension on the throttle stick.
With manual mode you need to loosen the tension on the throttle stick so the default position is at the bottom instead of the centre. That’s why you kept “drifting”
I'm still learning my Mavic Air 2. Will wait for the FPV. Great info, thanks for sharing!!
Brave man Ian.. I could not cope with that.. 😂😂 .in a couple of weeks you'll be flying through the house! Download a drone SIM. They must be pretty generic. Good luck ! Great vid as always.
Ian as a comparison it would be nice if you had a go at the Litchi app and a cheap VR Headset that you put your phone in and flew one of your normal DJI drones (Mavic Air for example) as FPV. would make a very interesting comparison video
Thanks Ian!! This was a great beginner overview of the DJI PFV manual mode. Thanks for taking the risk and showing how easy it is to get it going.
always remember... a sim is cheaper than new parts ;)
been flying FPV for just over a year, it takes a LOT of getting used to but you done well !!
My first flip into M mode looked just like yours. Gained altitude right away. Stick disable on throttle is a must.
If I make it so the stick disable is on I won’t fly up randomly in the middle of mannual mode?
Hey Ian. Dont be shy. Its normal, as a Starter of manual flying, thats a little bit tricky. Stay safe, fly safe - do some practice. And all would be fine.
A brave attempt, without simulator time. Be careful.
Great video Ian,I used to fly collective pitch helicopters but stopped because of anxiety and cost when I crashed!
This is a lovely drone but I prefer the calming camera drones like my mavic air 2.
But appreciate you showing people how hard manual flight is to master! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
thanks for a really valuable video to those of us new to FPV.
this is the first video, Ive seen which shows clearly how difficult manual mode can be, how disorientating it can be.
Im not planning to jump into M mode, and can practice on similuator - but still this video is a fantastic demostration on what the first time might be like.
thanks for sharing the difficult times, as well as the fun times - and I'm sure you'll progress really quickly though!
Cheers for the good words 👍🏻. Always good to show bad as well as good results 😉
@@IaninLondon are you planning on removing the spring on the throttle next time - if so, I'll be interested to hear how you find flying GPS mode with it'loose.
I guess the main disadvantage is you cannot just let go, to hover.
A few great tips . Thank you 😊 👌🇬🇧🇬🇧
A good and funny video. I think all fpv acro mode pilots know that feeling from the first times in manual mode. Regarding no sim time before first flight that wasn’t that bad. But as you mentioned simulator is very helpful but also loosen up the left stick. If you had allowed full acro you would probably had crashed so takeoff it step by step is smart. This is a long time ago now so I think you have gotten very good. But this is a good and important lesson for those who just got their DJI fpv. 👍
Well looking forward to watch your follow up videos on that first manual experience.
Confusing to say the least, you did really well.
I too am on android so am practising using the LiftOff simulator. Love your videos.
Great vid. Thanks. Answered a lot of questions for me
Enjoyed the this one as I just witnessed what I will experience with my first manual FPV flight :) I'm in the same boat as you in that I have only Android devices so I'm hoping DJI gets the Android version of simulator out soon.
Just dive in....😎😎
When making coordinated turns you need to give both yaw and roll input. Push both sticks left or right to turn.
As you pitch in any direction part of your thrust vector is pointing down and part in the direction you are pitched, so you need to adjust your throttle
Yeah, coordinated turns are a completely new thing for me...
You sounded very nervous Ian - the shaky voice gave it away - you weren't that nervous during your Live Radio Interviews !! LOL 😂
There wasn't £1000 of drone at stake during those interviews 🤣
Yep I fully get that Ian and can relate to that kind of nervousness when I first started flying my brand new DJI Inspire Mk1 a few years ago !!!!!!! 😅😅 - you might have guessed - I don't own it anymore, too stressful $$$ to enjoy flying it 😆😆
Great review.. Just received mine but don't think I will be going into Manuel mode for awhile. Hopefully they come out with an Android simulator.. I thought there was one when I bought but guess just got to excited watching all the FPV reviews.. Dave...
The video I was watching before yours said DRL simulator works with the DJI FPV controller. Gonna try that one as I just bought a brand new Android phone and not switching to Apple ever.
Awesome job Ian👍
I can't wait to try it out next week. I've been doing the simulator without the controller and have a pretty good idea of how difficult manual mode can be for a non FPV guy like myself.
I think I'm going to do the same thing and take it into the wide open. Anyways great job, I'm sure you'll have it mastered in no time 👍
Cheers from Montana
Montana is the place to fly this bit of kit...... 👍🏻 :)
I just bought the fpv drone I have been using the dji fpv app to practice. I used to fly rc planes so it's not been that hard so far on the simulator. It's definitely a whole different world when you switch into manual. I dont it until Friday so we will see how it goes!
Really informative and honest video, thanks for sharing. You also live in a very beautiful part of the UK! Clearly not central London! lol
No, working from home for many months now, but work in central London :)
It wasn't painful to watch, you did just fine. As someone that's been in FPV for a couple years now, I highly recommend you checkout Velocidrone or Lift-Off as proper FPV simulators, instead of a rushed offering from DJI. I prefer Velocidrone of the 2, but they are both highly regarded in the FPV community. I recommend all newcomers spend some time in a proper sim. I still use sims all the time to work on new tricks, it's the way to go. Just trying to save a you a few bucks from unnecessary repairs. Happy flying :)
Thanks for that..... Will check out the Sims 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@@IaninLondon 👊👍
Thanks for sharing 🙈 practice makes perfect they say. It looks like a lot of hard work.
It was supremely difficult Karen! 😀
@@IaninLondon well done I'm sure you'll get the hang of it 👍
Still not going to purchase, so far I have seen no fun in flying this drone. I love your videos and have huge respect for you trying to work it all out, I'm sure you will end-up liking this new gizzmo eventually. Hopefully DJI will learn and bring out an updated model this year. Keep up the good work Ian. Thank you
It's definitely not for everyone this model...👍🏻
@@IaninLondon I agree Ian, you need to be very dedicated and have the patience of what I don't know. Still not happy that we also need a spotter too, I can see the reason but, it's just not practical as a hobbyist.
I’ve already put in several hours on the simulator. Hoping for good weather tomorrow to try It out with the drone. I’ve owned DJI Drones for years and was shocked with how different/difficult manual mode is. Although I have been getting the hang of it through the simulator. Hoping that it translates when I’m up in the sky. Great vid.
Also, what a beautiful place you live in.
@Kyle Stephens How did it go?
Fair play for giving it a go - manual FPV is hard. Generally learning FPV means crashing - a lot of crashing! Learning how to turn is a big step as you need to use both sticks at the same time. Don't know about the DJI app, but using something like LiftOff is a big help, not so much as it's "reaslistic", but it helps you to learn the muscle memory and crash as much as you like :)
mate,get lift off or velicadrone.they are windows/mac based games.lift off is available on the steam platform,u can connect your dji fpv controller to ur computer via usb and use that to control it.helped me alot.
The main thing is: You gave it a crack! It was interesting!
Definitely not a drone I would use, but I could see people who love chasing vehicles, or taking high speed videos enjoying it
For me FPV is more about the enjoyment of flying than getting footage. I think it's a mind shift for people coming from camera drones...
@@bandobandit353 Yes, but I purchased my Drone for the specific task of taking photos. I have three model planes and a glider for the other part 😂😂
I really dont no what to say about that review Ian, FPV
Dance with the Devil sounds about right, moving from
moped to a Ferrari most likley for me.
Rather you than me 😂
That will take time to master but will be worth it in the long run, watching the experts doing this makes it look amazing fun, you make it look it’s going to be expensive 😂
Great bit of kit and video 🤘
Lets get that gentleman a drone as well in background
I am an Android user with the new DJI drone too, without any FPV experience. I got the simulator called Liftoff for my PC, the DJI radio works perfectly with it, throug USB connection. It is a really nice way to get used to full manual controll.
Thanks for that 👍🏻👍🏻
No doubt it is a fantastic piece of kit but I have no ambition to buy one. Very informative video.
I’ve only flown in Sports and normal mode, but did my first hour in manual in the dji virtual flight app yesterday and it was well fun.
I’m guna try and do an hour a day for a fortnight in the app and see how I feel.
I was literally clueless but it started resembling some sort of flight and the hour went by well quick.
I can’t wait to be ready to be ripping around the bay in manual mode doing barrel rolls and stuff.
I do worry though as I don’t have any care refresh on the fpv!
I deffo wouldn’t say to let this first experience put you off though.
Just get one of the other apps that fpv guys recommend, and get a good few hours in and you’ll be doing power loops around that tree and flipping over the fields in no time!
OMG you live in a RC paradise. THX for the video!
Yes I do! :)
You are a very brave man,with a lot of luck!
Appreciate the video! I got the DJI FPV last month and luckily they have the simulator on Android now! However, I can't get mine to go forward, I let loose the left stick, but the right stick just makes the drone go left/right and up down tilts the drone. On normal.or sport, I have no issue going forward. Thanks!
Good first effort.. Yes height is your friend for sure... No self leveling in Manual (Acro) mode... So every input you apply to the sticks requires more than one input from the other stick or sticks to keep it level... or bank and turn... The stop button is certainly a better friend as long as your quick enough to hit it.
I would still recommend buying a small quad (whoop) set up to practice on rather than risk the price of a new DJI drone.. Especially with the excellent flying facilities you have on the other side of your garden fence... Good luck.
Did you have a whiskey in that tea 😆. Give me my Mavic air 2 any day Ian.That is one noisy little bugger. Respect to people who fly them but not my cup of tea.
Just the footage I was waiting for! As usual awesome review from a non FPVer. Cheers Ian, keep up the good work bud
Cheers Ben 👍🏻
Not even touching FPV but loved how you posted this as a honest video. Found it funny in parts as i owuld be the same. Great vid sure will crack it in no time Ian
Hi Ian , wow bet your stress levels went up there. Reminds me when I used to fly fixed wing models certainly not as chilled out as flying GPS camera drones. At least there is a brake button 😊😊
Looks very much like my first acro flight, except ridiculous good HD video (v's analogue), and I learned on a $150 quad with no safety "oh s&@" button. Acro is like learning to ride a bicycle, frustrating, scary and often many grazed knees... however once learned, you never forget and you'd never go back to riding with training wheels. Am glad you could start learning acro and be able to save the quad. The first 10 or so packs of acro is more heart racing than fun, but I assure you the ratio does change with practice.
you Sir have some balls! haha. i just got home from flying my drone, and i tired manual mode, OMG i almost crashed it right away. it took off when i switched into manual. Thank god for that pause button. i need to practice on a simulator.
Great Job showing how good that pause button works. It's ridiculous DJI still has not released the Android Simulator. To be honest though Liftoff for $20 is so much better and you can still use your controller.
you have to combine roll, and yaw in order to turn. it looks like you're just using yaw. You have to remember that the drone is tilted forward, and if you just use yaw your going to end up looking at the sky. Also, " liftoff" is a good simulator to practice on.
Yes, that combination is what's catching me out...
Once you get used to Acro you won’t go back. It just feels wrong when you’re in any other mode lol. Stick coordination and throttle control will kick in once you put in a few hours. Simulators are the best place to build this muscle memory
It was brave move. I will like the video for that
Believe it or not that is a very forgiving quad . That "safe" button is just a great help. The different "variables" you have while in manual mode is the wind , gyro over and lower correcting/ overcompensating . Going forward on a steady throttle help a lot and give you time to breath . Good luck But I would try and learn on a 100 pounds model first . ;-)
Yep. Loads of variables all messing with eachother.....😀👍🏻
Ian, when your drone hits the flight ceiling, it automatically goes in to "NORMAL" mode. That's what was happening. In manual, stay below the altitude ceiling, unless you need it.
Yep, I learned that later...... Would have been good to know on the day! :) Cheers, Ian
That looked scary!! Good luck. In no time you will have that beast dominated 😉
Nice video, but you need to disable the left stick centering. There is a small screw on the back of the controller, under the rubber. That's why your gaining height all the time when you let go of the stick. Keep the videos coming
Yes, I menitoned that; trouble is, I'm unsure how that would affect me taking off in Sports Mode.....
Well done. I have android as well and no big open area like you have so I haven't gad the balls to try manual yet. I am sure its a blast once the tension is removed but its like taking training wheels off a bike for ac2 year old who has never ridden. I hope they will release Android simulator soon. Thanks
I know I'm a month late, but you might want to check out Liftoff for your PC as a simulator. I have an iphone but still prefer the sim on PC. You can plug in your DJI controller with a USB-C cable to use it as well. Really boosts the confidence after putting in a few hour
I recommend trying out the Liftoff simulator, it has a module for DJI FPV. Also, for manual mode try using a pinch hold on your sticks rather than just the thumbs, you get much more precision this way.
I remember making the decision to fly my RC 3d helicopter in sports mode. I sense the same nerves here ! ha !
Get the 'liftoff' or 'velocidrone' simulator, no need to wait for the android dji version. Costs you a spare pair of props. You can use the DJI remote for those sims. Remove the center stick with the screw and loosen the tension of the left 'throttle' stick, make is loose. Good luck and take your time! ✌️🙂
Cost you a spare arm.
I believe you can use your controller with the pc/Mac game liftoff. It’s a go to simulator for fpv pilots
Please try liftoff, that is one of the simulators I can recommend. The DJI one is not very good to actually practice. Since you have no access to that anyways, there is no reason for you to wait. Good video and exactly what I also think about the DJI FPV! Have a good rest of the day! (maybe you have intent in my videos)
Someone created the DJI FPV drone in liftoff and it feels very similar.
@@StevePhillips1890 Sweet! Definitely worth to check it out, thanks for letting me know.
Lift Off is a great sim and it's available on Steam (and elsewhere I imagine). Took me from 'OMG' to being able to fly an FPV quad and do some aerobatics without hitting the ground too much. Of course, a freestyle quad is deigned to crash and a DJI FPV one isn't so your height advice needs heeding by everybody jumping in.
Oh man.... I'm soo struggling watching this!
First well done on setting the limits to how much the drone will roll in manual mode.. (we have something very similar on our configurators for the drones it's called Acro Trainer) If you hadn't of done this I honestly believe you would of crashed a number of times. Doesnt take long for 800grams to hit the ground even from high up!
If after posting this video you keep trying, then my advice is to slowly slowly allow the drone to pitch and roll more and more in the settings as you get used to it. But dont rush to do a full roll or flip... the rolls can be fairly easy but catching it after the roll can sometimes catch people out.
Yes you have the break but once the drone loses control pictures on the web show that people dont always have enough time to react.
Also it seems the drome itself doesnt always react as quick as needed... depending on signal strength at the time.
But you stayed high so very good, very wise infact.
As for simulators you dont need to wait for dji.
You can use the others available by plugging into usbc
And definitely, definitely set your throttle stick to how it should be for full manual mode.
The manual mode on this drone is for many of us fpv freestyle/racers a very unwise choice.
Too quickly people will do exactly as you have done and just wanted to "test its capabilities" before the operator has the capabilities.
The biggest thing we've also learnt is that technology can fail... even dji's "break" so keeping a good distance from roads even with minimal traffic on is wise.
And perhaps the biggest issue here is that this full manual acrobatic capable drone is made from plastic!
It has the capabilities but it doesnt have the capability to cope with the inevitable crashes...
Granted your flying over soft land so you may be lucky but I certainly would encourage others to try full manual unless they first put in the hours on a simulator!!!
How long many ask until they are ready to fly a real quad? How many hours?
I say as long as it takes for you to get bored out of your mind because you can fully control and react subconsciously to scenarios to prevent crashes.
Hey fella; really appreciate the help and detailed reply. Yes, sadly this drone is not designed for crashing despite FPVs having to crash a lot.... No carbon fibre; just metal and plastic.... I'm happy to keep trying my training high up in the sky but you're right, you woudln't want this anywhere where it could crash can cause issues..... PS - You don't sound like a wannabee any more.... :)
@@IaninLondon Thanks Ian. Been in the hobby now a few years.
Always learning....
I've actually today just bought my first camera drone! So I'll be coming to you for advice next. 😉😉😉😉
I got a mini 2.... waiting for it to fully charge.
My fpv batteries take around 20 mins.... lost count of the hours that have passed so far! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Well, that I can help on..... Check out my set up and tutorials on the Mini and Mini 2 👍🏻👍🏻
@@IaninLondon Brilliant!!!