Flying in snow???

[Phantom 3 Cole]

ok so I'm heading up to the snow and looking to get some cool footage how does it do in the snow and at freezing temperatures

 

[msinger]

It's possible to fly in colder temperatures with some special precautions. Check out DJI's cold weather flying tips here.

 

[Neon Euc]

I did but.... I only did it for about 5 mins and covered the vents up

Neon Euc

 

[dougsteph]

I have flown a lot in the snow, your batteries will drain fster as it gets colder. check this out.

 

[solentlife]

There's a lot of rubbish spread about flying in snow ...

All the RC world does it ... and no-one has trouble of serious nature ... motors get covered in it ... radios etc. etc. ... amazingly they all survive to work next winter !!
The motors and most electronics / batterys on the models run warm - so they tend to dry themselves ... second the prop wash is such that the snow will be blown down and away ...

I've been modelling for over 50yrs and winter holds no fears for me with anything we use.

Snow in fact is water vapour frozen - so its actual water volume is miniscule. Its also virtually non-conductive being fresh water vapour ... it only has a tiny electrolytic capability from carbon dioxide absorbed before its freezes.

I do not suggest flying in blizzards ! but I fly in very light snow falling ... Sometimes I start flying and its clear ... before I land - its started to snow again. Any problems ? None at all.

Here's flying in winter :

Just make sure you brush off all snow and wipe down.

If we did what some people croak on about - we'd lose most interesting flight times !!

Nigel

 

[Phantom 3 Cole]

Thank you I'd rather be safe then sorry though


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[solentlife]

Fair enough .....

Nigel

 

[Neon Euc]

You haven't lived untill you tried a snow flight [emoji6]

Neon Euc

 

[solentlife]

You haven't lived untill you tried a snow flight [emoji6]

Neon Euc

True !

 

[grin factor]

There's a lot of rubbish spread about flying in snow ...

All the RC world does it ... and no-one has trouble of serious nature ... motors get covered in it ... radios etc. etc. ... amazingly they all survive to work next winter !!
The motors and most electronics / batterys on the models run warm - so they tend to dry themselves ... second the prop wash is such that the snow will be blown down and away ...

I've been modelling for over 50yrs and winter holds no fears for me with anything we use.

Snow in fact is water vapour frozen - so its actual water volume is miniscule. Its also virtually non-conductive being fresh water vapour ... it only has a tiny electrolytic capability from carbon dioxide absorbed before its freezes.

I do not suggest flying in blizzards ! but I fly in very light snow falling ... Sometimes I start flying and its clear ... before I land - its started to snow again. Any problems ? None at all.

Here's flying in winter :

Just make sure you brush off all snow and wipe down.

If we did what some people croak on about - we'd lose most interesting flight times !!

Nigel

Cheers for that, bit of common sense, which has helped me

 

[Sky Wombat]

I have flown a lot in the snow, your batteries will drain fster as it gets colder. check this out.

Hey Dougsteph like the video but then l'm sitting in 32c so any cool vids look good Well flown as I would have taken out five trees an the squirrel.

 

[Travisimo]

ok so I'm heading up to the snow and looking to get some cool footage how does it do in the snow and at freezing temperatures

You are basically asking two overlapping questions:

1) How does it do in the cold? Best advice is to keep the battery warm before flight and hover for about a minute before taking off. This gives you a little time to check the battery voltages and to make sure the drone it operating properly before you fly off. It also gives the drone time to warm up. Many owners fly in temps below the recommendations without issue, but you make be responsible and take extra precaution. Be aware that the battery voltage could drop, resulting in loss of power or sudden failure, so plan your flights accordingly. Also be aware that your hands can get dangerously cold very quickly, so invest in some capacitive gloves, hand warmers, and dress warmly.

2) How does it do in the snow? Well if there is a lot of snow on the ground, you may need to increase your exposure compensation a bit. Snow throws off most camera metering systems and they tend to underexpose a scene with a lot of snow (which makes everything look dark, dingy, and gray). Bumping up the exposure will offset that and make the snow look whiter. Just don't overdo it because then you will lose all detail and clip the highlights. Experiment with the settings before executing your planned flight.

Regarding flying when it's actually snowing, there is some risk. There is a counter relationship between the cold and moisture: usually when it's colder, the snow is lighter and less apt to accumulate on your drone, but when it's warmer (closer to freezing temperature), the snow is wet and heavy, which will have a greater tendency to accumulate moisture. Flying for extended periods of time while it's snowing can cause a great deal of moisture to enter the vents and accumulate on the motors and/or camera. I have also seen videos of ice accumulating on the propellers, resulting in erratic behavior or a crash. There are things you can do to try to weather-proof your drone, but there is always going to be increased risk. In addition to the tips above regarding camera settings, you will likely need to do something about the front element of your camera lens as well. I use a lens filter, of course, but there are things you can apply to the front of the camera that will help deflect the snow from spotting up your view (do a search).

Hope that helps... I plan on flying mine for a short flight during the next light snow, but I will ensure I am

 

[solentlife]

OK - let's talk about this warming up bit .....

Battery's in your pocket - that solves that one. If not - then a beer cooler bag helps to maintain warm battery's.
I also have a Turnigy Lipo warmer bag - uses 12v source to run heater in the bag and you select temp.

The AC - it will not fly until it has warmed sufficiently after putting in battery and switching on.
This actually means you don't have to hover for a minute before flying.

Flight time - yes - this can be reduced in cold weather - I am experiencing about 18 to 19mins max flight time at times down to -10c

It is highly unlikely that any battery will just fail and AC fall out of sky. There would need to be another reason for this.

If snow is falling while flying - then I keep reasonably close and flights shorter. That way - I can dust of the AC frequently and if need be land out close by where I can find it.

Nigel

 

[Phantom 3 Cole]

So I tried flying it and it didn't connect to my phone or gps it was scary


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