Hello from Upstate New York...

[mano]

...Binghamton, NY to be exact.

I've been checking out the site the past few days and have gained a lot of info already from this forum...I ordered a Spark combo (yellow) from Newegg this week as they had a decent sale, so am able to get a 3rd battery for free with the bonus "eggpoints", all for $499 delivered to my door, tomorrow supposedly!

And I actually tried to cancel the order after reading a lot of horror stories about all kinds of problems and glitches on a few different forums, plus the fact my smartphone might not be compatible, but it had already been shipped, and now I think i have decided to take the plunge...think. We'll see when the Fed-Ex truck pulls in tomorrow...I may just tell them to take it back, but I think I am going to go forward and try. Hell, it's only money, right?...lol...and my nerves if i can't figure the beast out! But after watching a boatload of videos I feel more confident. I'm not very tech savy, but I do own a smartphone and get around a computer ok so hopefully i can do this.

This is my first "real" drone. I've had a few toys, the last being a F100 Ghost, which was just a cheap Chinese toy. Since I don't have much experience, I think I am going to get the DJI Care Refresh program, then when (not if) I crash it into a hundred small pieces I can get a new one for $49. DJI Select sounds good too, especially since I'm hoping this will be the start of a new hobby with more DJI products to follow. Hopefully I won't be crashing this one, but better safe than sorry.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Hello,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the SparkPilots forum.
I hope that you will be able to use the forum to further your safety knowledge and for the exchange of innovative ideas and as a resource for current developments in DJI Spark quadcopter’s.
Enjoy!
*DJI Spark Manual: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/Spark/Spark User Manual V1.6-.pdf

 

[msinger]

Welcome to Spark Pilots!

 

[Spark 317]

Hello from the Hoosier Heartland, mano.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[James Lummel]

The Spark is a good choice for getting into more sophisticated and capable multirotors, and there is LOTS of information on how to use it on YouTube and other places on the web. You'll likely end up wondering why you didn't get one sooner!

Also, keep in mind that people who are not having problems with their Spark are too busy flying to be posting online, and if they're happy then there's no incentive either. So you are much more likely to hear about the problems with any product when you go online, it's the nature of the beast.

Even with solicited reviews, people having problems are much more likely (orders of magnitude more likely) to post their experiences than people not having problems. So when you see a product with a lot of good reviews (and they aren't fake reviews, see Fakespot | Analyze and identify fake reviews), it's usually a pretty good endorsement of the product (just be careful to read between the lines though).

But take the time to absorb as much as you can about the Spark before you maiden it!

James

 

[mano]

Thanks, Very true and I needed to hear that. I bought my Spark because of all the positive YouTube reviews and it wasn't til I hit the forums I saw all the problems.

My FlyMore pack arrived yesterday morning...It still sits unopened while I decide whether to go forward with it. Honestly, it's not the money but the potential frustration that scares me, but isn't that how ALL new hobbies are, lol...

Man, I am sounding / getting OLD!!!!

 

[James Lummel]

Just remember anything worth doing comes with it's own built in frustrations, they seem to go hand in hand! And remember you aren't in this alone, you got ton's of resources at hand to deal with most if not all of the problems you might encounter.

When you first start to use the Spark you need to activate it, so make sure you watch a few of the videos on YouTube about how to do that before jumping in. And then it's going to want to update the firmware on the Spark and the controller, and then the batteries, again it's worth reviewing a few videos on that as well.

And that's the hard part, the rest is a piece of cake! There's a lot to learn with flight modes and such, but there are tons of tutorials out there and you can fly in the wind so are able to do a lot more with it than some of the previous drones you've owned. Just pace yourself and you'll do fine.

Welcome to the wonderful world of smart drones!

James

 

[mano]

Thanks for the encouragement, and you are very true. I think of some of my other hobbies and the pitfalls along the way, but honestly that's part of the fun of it, is overcoming problems and figuring out better ways to do things(once they are figured out at least)...And hell, flying is just cool! I've always wanted to fly...Took a couple private lessons when i was young, but only a few. I'm hoping when I die i'll be reincarnated as a bird, but for now a drone might have to do!

 

[mano]

I DID IT ! My Spark is activated, firmware updated, "insured" with refresh care, and i just burned up both batteries flying around my yard for the first time...in beginner mode of course, but still was fun. I have a lot to learn and need a lot of practice but I never could have gotten this far without the help and encouragement of this forum, so a BIG THANK YOU to ALL of you! Just goes to show, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

 

[mano]

My 8th flight this morning, and I braved taking it out of beginner mode. Sooo much fun, and i'm getting the hang of it. I tried sport mode for about 30 seconds, but not quite ready for that yet...holy cow.. .like being on a bike with no brakes!