This the second post referencing the DJI Mini 3 drone. The first is here which starts this adventure.
This will indicate the steps I went through to get the system I wished for a complete experience.
The Mini 3 drone came with the RC controller, which has the built-in display, one battery, and several small accessories. It does not come with a wall wart charger. I had a bunch of Raspberry Pi 4 chargers laying around, which work great! But more was needed for recording videos. The list of items I added for the complete experience are:
- MicroSD cards. I am using the Sandisk Extreme 128 GB cards to handle the data rate for 4k HDR video. And I needed two, one for the bird and one for the controller. Let me say neither card is absolutely necessary just to fly the drone, but recording is not possible. These are available many places, such as Walmart or Amazon. Check around, prices change quickly.
- Batteries. I wanted extra batteries in case I wanted to fly more than one 30+ minute session. So, I decided to spring for the 3-battery charger, and two extra batteries. A battery can be charged while in the drone, so here again, you can do one session if that’s all you want, then charge everything. So, a separate battery charger or batteries are not necessary.
- Case. The drone I purchased came in a square box with the controller, but a case is really necessary for ease of use and to contain any additional accessories. There are available a gigantic variety of cases. The case I decided on was the Skyreat Mini 3 as it had slots for all the accessories I intended to acquire. It’s not waterproof, but as I don’t intend to go swimming or use the drone in the rain, that’s okay. All the parts fit snugly, with no slop. I like that! The only piece that doesn’t fit is the wall wart (see below).
- ND filters. Although not necessary for operation, the neutral density and cross polarizing filters are handy for better video quality, and to reduce overexposed images on bright days. Plus, the BRDRC filters can protect the camera, as the original bezel is just an opening and doesn’t cover the lens at all. The set I decided on contains six filters ranging from ND8 to ND128, plus the CPL filter, and comes in a nice case which fits in the Skyreat case’s zipper pouch.
Let’s talk about the charger in relation to the case. As mentioned above, the wall wart I am using is an AC adapter used for the Raspberry Pi 4 micro computer. It is a 3 amp charger with the same USB-C plug as all the Mini 3 charging ports and data jacks. And since I had four or five laying around, it was a no-brainer. However, it is too big to fit the little space in the case mentioned above. I suppose that was designed for the size of charger commonly used that outputs approximately 0.85 amps. Although that small of a charger will work, it takes significantly longer to charge the batteries or the RC controller. Having said that, I wouldn’t normally need the AC adapter afield, so wouldn’t likely take it along anyway. If I needed to recharge anything, I could use a 12V car charger, or a USB-A to USB-C changer cable, both of which could plug into a modern vehicle.
So now, I have a nice compact little drone kit which would easily fit almost anywhere, so is very portable, with all the parts necessary for an extended outing or trip. Or, just to use around the house or ranch.
We praise God for allowing us to reside in a most beautiful region, with fresh air, stately mountains, quiet surroundings, and plenty of wildlife! Just perfect for a nice small, relatively quiet drone to view the surroundings.
Have a great day, and May God Bless you and yours! If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and His free Gift of Salvation, don’t wait until it’s too late!