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Already have your first drone? Skip ahead to our next article about Drone Safety Tips Here. Not interested? Check out other Articles Here! Read to the end for some bonus thoughts that will help finalize your decision on your first drone.
First Drone Considerations :
Starting with something simple, cheap, and easy to get parts for is the best way to begin. Yes, you will break parts, often. Mainly the props as you are learning. Your first drone needs to have an easy and quick way to obtain parts. As you progress, this will become less of an issue. Some drones are what I consider “buy and replace,” meaning they get thrown away when something breaks. Higher quality drones are “Fly and Fix” where it
Where are you going to fly:
Indoors vs outdoors? Multiple drones? Colors for recognition. Size vs wind. A toy for a younger person vs hobby for an adult. These are all considerations to think about when looking at your first drone. When traveling, I bring one or two palm-sized drones to fly in hotel rooms and occasionally lobbies to keep my skills current. Sometimes setting up some type of obstacle course of chairs, tables, and pillows can bring some excitement back into the training.
Markings:
Lights or different colored props have always been my preference. Like all vehicles on the road, can typically have white lights in the front and red lights on the rear. Others have decided to put a light color blade on the front motors, while the rear remains black and barely detectable. Depending on the drone in question, there might be a distinguishable ‘front’ and ‘rear’ to assist in which direction it is facing. These colors are not standards by any means, but there to help you distinguish the direction you are facing.
Motors:
There are 2 types of motors you can find on any drone. Brushed motors are the most common as they are the least expensive. Brushless motors require an Electronic Speed Controller (ESC), as a result, are more efficient but also increases the price. For your first done, I would not be too concerned about motor types.
Flight Times :
How long you can remain airborne is all relative to the size of your battery. Let us equate this to an average mile per gallon (MPG) you expect to obtain from a car. In drones, this is the equivalent of flight time. Most flight times tend to average around 5-7 minutes. If you drive, or in this case fly, hard it will be less.
I’ve noticed as you are learning you are gentle on the ‘gas’ and it feels to me as if you can go a little longer. Once you feel the drone is losing power, even the slightest, this is a sign you need to land to prolong battery lifespan. You can look for larger battery capacities but these are heavier and will need more power to continue to stay in the air. As a result, the best recommendation I can make if this is a concern is to carry a spare battery or two.
Included Transmitter:
Most of these inexpensive drones should be considered toys. Therefore, the transmitter that is included is more suited for a teenager or younger with smaller hands. When you are just starting off with your first drone, use the transmitter supplied as you can change this later. For further and more technical reading, see this article “Drone Transmitter and Receiver Guide” from another website.
Batteries:
All drones need to run off some type of electrical power source. A rechargeable battery of some type. Some are hardwired in and cannot be easily replaced, while others will have a plug that will assist in replacing the battery once it can no longer be charged. As you move up in quality, you will find most drones are able to quickly swap batteries to minimize downtime during ‘pitstops’ and allow the fun to continue.
Charger:
Most drones at the entry level are going to be supplied with chargers. I cannot highly recommend enough that you use the charger it was supplied with. Once you get further along, a higher quality charger can be contemplated. The more advanced chargers can handle charging multiple battery types and the correct
Features:
There are many features that vary from one product to the next. Headless mode is an amazing feature that does not care about orientation, your view of the “left” will always be “left” to the drone. Gyroscopes to help assist you with straight and level flying. Return to home, which automatically comes back to the remote or even possibly where you took off from. Cameras can be another greatly sought after feature. Cameras will allow you to make videos or take pictures. You could document not only your flight, but birthday parties, outdoor activities, or any special event. Or, just chase your cat around and record the mayhem!
Examples For Your First Drone:
I love and highly recommend the Hubsan line of drones. I have been using some of their older models I had purchased as a first drone for a number of years and are still flying strong. The Fatshark is the newest addition I am learning to love.
My Favorite and First Drones
- Hubsan H111 Nano Q4 Review
- Hubsan H111C Nano Q4 with HD Camera Review
- Fat Shark 101 FPV Drone Racing Kit Review
- Hubsan x4 (H107L) Review
** Update **
After looking and reading around, I have to add the Ryse Tello to my list of recomendations. This uses your phone as the transmitter, and comes with a ton of technology built in. This is branded under Ryse, but Intel and DJI jam packed this little beauty full of surprises. Definatly check this one out before you decide!!
The first drone recommendations above are the drones I have purchased in the past and STILL AM FLYING. These might be cheap, but they are quality and for me, they have lasted through my learning and also teaching my kids.
Do I Need To Register?
As long as you stay in the smaller sizes, there is nothing to worry about. Later, you will be hooked and want to get into bigger and better equipment, that is when the regulations begin to take effect. For more info check out the FAA UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) FAQ. Do not let this scare you off on your first drone. You only need to Register if you are interested in making money as a full or even part-time job. Read here to find out more on How To Register Your Drone Here.
Conclusion:
There is a first drone out there for everybody. Consider my thoughts but above all listen to yourself. If your heart tells you something, listen to it. Regardless of which you choose, buy replacement props and search for spare batteries. As a result, having spare batteries and readily available props will allow for less downtime while waiting for a fresh battery to finish charging or having to pick up new parts.
Bonus Thoughts:
Once I was handed a fully automated drone, and it literally flew itself to the point you could put the transmitter down worry-free, yet highly not recommended. This was an AMAZING drone with all of the bells and whistles. It is difficult to even compete with some products offered these days. Start with something simple. Learn to control what you have first, the rest will come with ease later. Systems fail, and you or somebody else could be injured if you can’t manually get it under control and safely on the ground.
Continue on to the next article concerning Drone Safety Tips.
Have some more room in your budget for something better? Have a look at one of these Top 10 Best Drones Under $200 in 2019.
