Railfan Technology > Drone for foaming and more

My son and I are looking for a drone and I have no idea what to buy. I know that drones are used by many on this site for foaming. I will use it for that but he has other ideas also. I want 4K but also want something not too terribly expensive.  Any ideas from experienced users? 

I've sort of been thinking about getting one for myself.  I found this review.  https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-drones  There is a company that only advertises on the web,  DroneX.  They have one for under $100.  It's American made.  I'd rather crash a $100 drone than an $800 (or more) drone.  

DJI seems to be the most popular these days but it may be falling out of favor.  I understand it's made in China and a lot of people are trying to avoid products of that nation.  The company, the founder, and headquarters are in Shenzhen, Guangdong , China.

John

I too have watched the web advert for DroneX, and it looks impressive. My drone is coming up to 3 years old, and I bought the DJI Phantom (here in the UK). It certainly wasn't the cheapest option.  What I went for was a built in screen in the hand set ( I didn't want to have to be connecting a tablet or phone everytime I used it), GPS is a must for rock steady operation. The DJI has proved to be idiot proof, I needed that, and never once managed to crash it or lose it! It's registered for the UK, and US, having brought it over a few times. Search 'Railfan Dan' on the web for some terrific drone video.  chris UK

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wa4umr Wrote:
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> There is a company that only advertises on
> the web,  DroneX.  They have one for under
> $100.  It's American made.

I've been reading about this one, it's often referred to as the "Micro Mavic" or the "DJI Mavic Mini". As far as I can tell, it's just the Eachine E58, which is way cheaper than the DroneX version. It is not American made either, China, same as most of them. I've seen it as low as $49.00. Amazon has it for $79, but the deals seem to be on eBay, with the item shipping from Hong Kong. Might be a good starter drone though.

trainjunkie Wrote:
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> wa4umr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There is a company that only advertises on
> > the web,  DroneX.  They have one for under
> > $100.  It's American made.
> As far as I can tell, it's just the Eachine
> E58, which is way cheaper than the DroneX version.
> It is not American made either, China, same as
> most of them.

Yikes. The first non-ad Google result is for a review which dismantles various DroneX claims, includeng "American made" and the quality of the video. Reminiscent of the Nokia ad https://www.theverge.com/2012/9/5/3294545/nokias-pureview-ads-are-fraudulent using footage *not* shot by a Nokia phone.

Perhaps the biggest factor determining which drone to buy depends on your budget.

How much are you willing to spend, or put another way, how much are you willing to lose when something goes wrong?

I would check out DJI’s Phantom series. They’re good middle-of-the-road drones.

You can spend more, if your budget allows. Or spend less, if the Phantoms are too pricey for your situation.

Another consideration is the camera — not all drone cameras are created equally. Pick one that suits your needs.

Posted from iPhone

I am willing to,pay under $1000.00. But with that said I do want reasonably good quality also. 

I would check out some of the DJI Mavic models.

One benefit of the Mavic is that it's small emough to easily travel. 

I think the Mavic zoom is still the only one that allows you to get away from a super wide angle view. 

I’ve been flying a Mavic Mini and I’ve been pleased with the results. The camera is fine, though maybe not the very best money can buy. But the size and ease of control (no drama) are what does it for my needs. The photos respond well in Lightroom.
You can check my posts for the results I’ve gotten this winter.
SR

Posted from iPhone