Set Up for Flying - Start Here!

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Welcome to DroneDeploy! This is a document to help you get set up and fly with the DroneDeploy app for flight automation. Please see our Supported Drones and Supported Devices articles for information on compatibility with your aircraft and operating system.

 

Check compatibility with your DJI drone and your mobile device
Please see here for a full list of supported drones. Please see here for a full list of supported mobile devices.

 

1. Check that your mobile device OS and DroneDeploy and DJI Apps are fully Updated

First, please check for any iOS or Android updates for your mobile device.

Then, please check the App Store or the Google Play store for updates to DroneDeploy and DJI. We recommend turning on automatic updates.

Get it on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

 

2. At Home, Check Drone Firmware in the DJI App

To use DroneDeploy, you will need to upgrade to the latest firmware for your aircraft and make sure your aircraft is fully calibrated. Uncalibrated hardware and out-of-date firmware are the two most common issues that prevent people from flying or cause unexpected behavior.

You'll want to check for updates before you leave home. Checking for updates out in the field is a recipe for waiting too long for a download or flying with out-of-date firmware.

 

How to check firmware
Connect your controller and drone to your mobile device and open up the DJI App. The first screen that is shown will also load firmware updates as it first searches for those updates. Enter your drone if it appears there are no pending firmware updates, and ensure that the aircraft status is 'Normal - Ready (GPS)'
(You can also check out additional information on how to update firmware using the appropriate DJI App and the link here.)

 

3. In the Field, Confirm Flight Readiness

At this point, you've confirmed that your drone is updated and you're now out in the field at your takeoff point.

 

You're set to fly with DroneDeploy after 'Ready to Go - GPS' status in DJI
Just make sure to hard-quit the DJI App before opening up DroneDeploy!

Before opening up DroneDeploy, we highly recommend opening up the DJI App first to ensure that the compass and IMU do not need to be recalibrated (travel can cause these instruments to become uncalibrated) and that you have ample satellite coverage before takeoff.

 

Manually Fly to Check the Altitude of your Highest Obstacle
Obstacle Avoidance is not 100% safe proof and cannot be relied upon to avoid crashing into objects. It is important to plan your mission with altitude at top of your mind. Before opening up DroneDeploy, use the DJI App to fly to the highest obstacle in your mission area and take note of its altitude. We recommend flying a minimum of 50 feet higher than the highest obstacle within your mission area.

 

4. In-Flight Safety Precautions

You are always in control

When flying with DroneDeploy, you'll be prompted to switch to:

  • P mode for Phantom 4 series
  • P mode for Mavic Pro
  • "Normal" for Mavic Air and Air 2S
  • F mode for Inspire series

If at any point you are feeling uncomfortable, take manual control of the drone:

  • Switch to S mode for the Phantom 4 series
  • Switch to S mode for Mavic Pro
  • Switch to P mode for Inspire series
  • Switch to "Sport" for Mavic Air 2 and 3S

Or initiate a Return to Landing using the remote controller or home button on the app.

S-Mode-P4P.jpeg

Position the mode switch on the remote controller (Phantom 4 Pro pictured).

 

5. Help Promote a Strong Signal between Drone and Controller

Distance, physical barriers (a big building, a hill, a tree), and electromagnetic interference (such as power lines, reinforced concrete, or large metal objects) are the most common reasons why your drone can disconnect from the controller's signal.

In order to help avoid this, we recommend:

  1. Taking off from the high point of the map. A vantage point has a good chance of the signal propagating strongly throughout the whole area.
  2. Take off as centered within the area as possible
  3. Avoid sources of interference, examples given above
  4. Avoid flight plans that take the drone out of the line of sight
  5. Walk with the drone if necessary if the flight plan must take the drone out of your line of sight
  6. Adjust flight direction and flight shape, especially near the specific problem area.
  7. Stay within the advertised range of drone.
No Fly Zones/Restricted Areas
DJI's NFZ unlocking SDK is very unreliable and buggy. Mapping in and around an NFZ even with proper authorization may not work. Read more about it here.

Using the app

Where to from here?

After you've flown, your images can be uploaded for processing via an automatic Mobile Upload (if available) or can be added to the existing map or a fresh map by following the How to Process Datasets article for instructions to upload images from your SD card to your DroneDeploy dashboard. Processing of images is a feature only reserved for our paid users on our Lite, Individual, Advanced, Teams, or Enterprise subscriptions.

Resources
Webinars and case studies: All webinars are recorded and posted here. Check out our Forum to connect with over 1000 drone pilots, our troubleshooting guide, or email support@dronedeploy.com for further assistance.

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