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What is under the hood :)

It seems like one of the antenna arrays would’ve been better served in one of the front arms. I dunno.

I picked up the new Mini 2 last week, didn’t really need it but the specs were way too intriguing and it was on the shelf staring right at me. When I got home and unboxed it, it was so dinky and light, I thought it was a fake display model minus the internals. I thought I had been scammed. Nevertheless, It is the real deal.

I swear, this thing is using some form of black magic. I have no doubt the signal range exceeds battery endurance. Super solid clear connection as far as I’m willing to send it. I wouldn’t be surprised if the shell material and design are enhancing the signal reception, at the very least not inhibiting it.

Do I need to go that far, no? I have no business flying something that small I cannot see 10+ kilometers out. Obstructions at closer distances are greatly minimized and confidence I’ll remain in control are invaluable.

This tech is the competition, I hope Skydio can get there in future iterations.
How do the Skydio 2 and Mavic Min 2 receptions compare tested one after the other on the same day?

If you have time to do some actual testing please post the furthest distances you achieved for each one.

P.S. Can't really speak to why the Mavic Mini 2 has such a good range without having seen how the antennas are arranged inside.
 
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I'll be the first to admit DJI has superior range technology. The Mini 2 is using OcuSync 2.0; I don't remember but I think the S2 is using some form of Spektrum WiFI(Skydio Link).

I don't think the S2 will compare favorably with any of the DJI stuff, maybe an old P3. At the same time nothing DJI has can compare with the S2's autonomous features.

It would be nice for Skydio to step up to the plate and offer at least the advertised range, seems with their technology it would be easy.

I think at this point in time if you want the best autonomous drone get the S2; if range is important to you then go DJI. But I think your right, the excellent autonomous features outweighs the range for most of us.
 
Unofficial external antenna mods would like interfere with OA.
Be fun to try but I agree with you that such a mod would likely do more harm than good.
Well it would be VERY easy to test. We could easily stick a golf tee on that area of the drone right now and see if it errors out. I would find it unreasonable that a small deviation in the visuals would cause the thing to just barf everywhere. The cameras have to adapt, and they do work even when dirty, etc. It does all depend on what code they have implemented. Obviously they made it work just fine on the X2, so it's clearly possible, and MAY already work. For them not to bake adaptive/learning capabilities into this function would seem like a major oversight. Like someone putting a skin on the S2, or one of those little GPS/tracker units. They have to know people will do those things.

I'm curious what guys expecting 10km+ are doing out there; rather than move closer to the subject and stay within the legal LOS?
I easily lose signal with LOS, especially if I'm flying under 100ft. Typically it happens when I'm panning a shot, or when I turn around. Also no one really cares what the 'law' says on that. There might be virtue-signaling here, but in the real world people get amazing shots when they can't reach something physically by hiking to it, with drones with strong-enough signal. Does this mean 5 miles away? Most likely no, but the ability to do so means that it will be a lot more resistant when it goes in a less-than-ideal area where I lose signal at like 600ft. I think most people respect the rules of not flying in restricted airspace, but that's about it. Heck, there's a guy on my island that flies his Parrot drones with 4G LTE, and goes 25-50 miles away.

Some of us praise the OA/AI abilities, but it would be nice not to need to carry a second drone to get those cinematic shots of say, sweeping along the edge of a beach for a half-mile, etc. Things that are essentially impossible with the S2 unless you're following it in a car.
 
I think at this point in time if you want the best autonomous drone get the S2; if range is important to you then go DJI. But I think your right, the excellent autonomous features outweighs the range for most of us.
The bad part is that DJI could easily catch up on the autonomous portion, and already have the radio/quietness stuff down pat. I think most people here have valid criticisms that will make Skydio a much more permanent player in this space.
 
The bad part is that DJI could easily catch up on the autonomous portion, and already have the radio/quietness stuff down pat. I think most people here have valid criticisms that will make Skydio a much more permanent player in this space.
It has been 2 years since the first Skydio and DJI has not had an answer to it. They may improve obstacle avoidance but as of yet they have not been able to make it full 360 degrees.
With DJI you will always have Geofencing, magnetic interference and data sent to China.
They will not have GPS tracking, a beacon or a camera that can look up. You cannot launch near or fly near larger metal objects. As it stands you cannot fly a waypoint mission without manually flying to each waypoint first, unless of course you use 3rd party apps which void your warranty if you crash or fly away. With DJI, you have to pay extra up front for a crash warranty and pay even more if you use it. If the drone is lost, they won't replace it, in spite of this warranty.
With their latest releases, you cannot fly with just a phone.
Skydio can be improved in some features, but I think there is much they can do to improve range in the current design without physical changes to the model. Hopefully, S3 will be better.
 
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Well it would be VERY easy to test. We could easily stick a golf tee on that area of the drone right now and see if it errors out. I would find it unreasonable that a small deviation in the visuals would cause the thing to just barf everywhere. The cameras have to adapt, and they do work even when dirty, etc. It does all depend on what code they have implemented. Obviously they made it work just fine on the X2, so it's clearly possible, and MAY already work. For them not to bake adaptive/learning capabilities into this function would seem like a major oversight. Like someone putting a skin on the S2, or one of those little GPS/tracker units. They have to know people will do those things.
Being in the camp that it could very well do harm (to add an external antenna), maybe those that think otherwise could do such a test and prove otherwise..... are you able to volunteer?
 
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Being in the camp that it could very well do harm (to add an external antenna), maybe those that think otherwise could do such a test and prove otherwise..... are you able to volunteer?
My concern is that it would see that as an obstacle and fly away trying to avoid it.
 
Being in the camp that it could very well do harm (to add an external antenna), maybe those that think otherwise could do such a test and prove otherwise..... are you able to volunteer?
My concern is that it would see that as an obstacle and fly away trying to avoid it.
If it sees it as an obstacle, I'd imagine it won't take off. I'm going to see if I can rig something up in the next few days. I'm shocked no one has tried this, and how timid people are with these drones in general. You look up other forums and people are doing all sorts of crazy stuff. Like I mentioned the LTE mod on the Anafi stuff.
 
If it sees it as an obstacle, I'd imagine it won't take off. I'm going to see if I can rig something up in the next few days. I'm shocked no one has tried this, and how timid people are with these drones in general. You look up other forums and people are doing all sorts of crazy stuff. Like I mentioned the LTE mod on the Anafi stuff.
I just saw a video where someone mounted a Beacon on one Skydio to track it with another one. So it looks like there is some space in which to add things without causing problems.
 

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I just saw a video where someone mounted a Beacon on one Skydio to track it with another one. So it looks like there is some space in which to add things without causing problems.
Yeah I have seen the same -- a GPS/tracker type thing. I would assume there's some leeway in the obstacle avoidance. Like if a leaf fell on the drone and stuck, it sure as hell better not come crashing down in a firey blaze, haha.
 
Yeah I have seen the same -- a GPS/tracker type thing. I would assume there's some leeway in the obstacle avoidance. Like if a leaf fell on the drone and stuck, it sure as hell better not come crashing down in a firey blaze, haha.
I have actually seen my Skydio lurch to one side to dodge a falling leaf.
 
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