Have you made your new year’s resolutions? Unfortunately, we at Droprise can’t help you with the “New year, new me” thing. We can, however, help you make sure you get the most out of your drone programme this year. One way we do that is by getting you ready for 2023 with these drone tips here. 

Perform regular battery maintenance

If there’s one habit you need to build this year, it’s scheduling some battery checks. As indicated in your drone’s battery documentation, even smart batteries need care. Only then will you maximise their functionality and guarantee safe flights. Proper maintenance becomes even more important if the battery is not used for a longer period.

You perform a battery check when DJI Pilot 2 requests it or every three months or 5 cycles – whichever comes first. You do this using the following steps:

• Charge the battery to 100% and let it rest for 24 hours.
• Install the battery in the drone. Fly the drone. When the remaining battery level falls below 20%, land the drone and remove the battery.
• Let the battery rest for 1 hour.
• Charge the battery back to 100% or to the appropriate energy level for storage.

In addition, we recommend you perform the following checks when servicing the battery.

• Insert the battery into the drone and turn on the device. Then view the battery information in DJI Pilot 2. In doing so, check that the cell voltage difference is less than 0.1 V and that the battery’s firmware has been updated to the latest version.
• Visually inspect the battery: is it swollen or damaged? Does it leak?
• Clean the battery terminals with a clean, dry cloth to reduce the risk of connection errors.
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Check the number of battery cycles

Also make it a habit to check the battery level and number of battery cycles on a regular basis. The  TB30 battery in the Matrice 30 series, for example, is rated for 400 cycles. It is not advisable to continue using the battery once this number of cycles has been reached. Another point to remember is that the life of a lithium battery is affected if it is stored at a high level. Therefore, we recommend storing the TB30 for a maximum of 120 days of the first year with a charge of 90% or more.

Calibrate your batteries

Performing a capacity calibration of your battery ensures you get accurate battery percentage information. An essential metric for flying without incident. Ignoring this process increases the margin of error in continuous operations.

Follow the steps below for a capacity calibration:

• Fully charge the battery to 100% and let it rest for 1 hour.
• Insert the battery into the drone and fly the aircraft until the remaining power is less than 20%.
• Land the drone, remove the battery, and let it rest for 1 hour.

For more tips, you can always visit the DJI Enterprise Battery Maintenance Guide.

Setting shortcuts for the remote control

The remote control is your only connection to the drone. With it, you exercise your will over the drone and make sure it does exactly what you want it to do. The more you become familiar with the remote, the more flexibility you get to achieve the best results for your mission.

And then there are times when navigating through a touchscreen menu to select a crucial function is just not feasible. For example, because of weather conditions. That’s why the new DJI RC Plus contains more physical buttons than any other remote control for drones. With a little practice, you can build muscle memory, scroll through different camera views, zoom in and out and even ‘drop’ PinPoints without ever having to take your hands off the control sticks.

Some of these indispensable shortcuts are already built into the controller. For example, holding down the back button while pressing the record button will start screen recording. Want to adjust the screen brightness? Then hold down the back button and move the left rotary knob at the same time.

Other shortcuts can be programmed via the Pilot 2 app. The C1, C2, C3 and 5D buttons on the RC Plus are customisable. Configure the functions for each of these buttons and set up unique combination shortcuts by using the C1, C2 and C3 buttons simultaneously with the 5D button.

Try out the new Terrain Follow function for Enterprise drones

Terrain Follow is an intelligent flight mode that is especially useful when mapping areas with altitude differences. In this mode, the drone maintains a preset distance from the ground and automatically rises or falls with the slope of the terrain.

Some Enterprise models such as the  Matrice 300 RTK and the Matrice 30 require you to upload the Digital Surface Model or altitude data of the flying area before you can use this feature. Mavic 3 Enterprise operators, on the other hand, can take advantage of Terrain Follow since omnidirectional detection is built into their drone. 

Start the free trial of FlightHub 2

Does your team benefit from real-time visibility (and additional input) of drone activity? Then be sure to try DJI Enterprise’s FlightHub 2 management software. This cloud-based solution is suitable for the M300 RTK, M30 and Mavic 3E, and the free trial is available until 30 June 2023. 

FlightHub 2 brings together all ground teams, drones, payloads, pilots, the data they collect and managers in the back office in a single platform. This kind of synchronisation with real-time environmental awareness and the possibility of live annotations can be incredibly useful during public safety and critical infrastructure inspections.

FlightHub 2 brings together all ground teams, drones, payloads, pilots, the data they collect and managers in the back office in a single platform. This kind of synchronisation with real-time environmental awareness and the possibility of live annotations can be incredibly useful during public safety and critical infrastructure inspections.

Regardless of your familiarity with drone mapping, it’s something you should try in 2023. If only to see how simple a seemingly complex process can be. DJI Terra is an extension of DJI Enterprise drones. Compared to similar solutions, Terra has proven to be about four times more efficient. This is because it is free of all the barriers that come with platform switching and data transfer.

View third-party solutions for DJI drones

It is impossible for DJI to develop its own specialised drone solutions for every scenario users request. Therefore, third-party developers have become key stakeholders in the DJI Enterprise ecosystem. DJI consistently improves the core function of its software development kit. This allows drone companies worldwide to develop payloads and applications using their platform.

Sign up for the DJI Qualified Entities Program (QEP)

Are you a DJI Enterprise user? Then you are probably familiar with the security solution Geospatial Environment Online (GEO). That helps prevent drone operators from accidentally flying to high-risk locations without permission. Over the past decade, this advanced geofencing system has helped novice and recreational drone pilots stay away from sensitive areas such as airports, key government agencies, prisons, and nuclear power plants.

But that does not mean that no-fly restrictions should get in the way of critical operations such as firefighting, search and rescue (SAR) and disaster relief. That is why DJI offers long-term unlocking certificates to pre-verified users under the Qualified Entities Program (QEP).

Get familiar with Remote ID

This new year also marks a new era of drone regulation for the United States. On 16 September 2023, all registered drone users in the US will have to comply with the Federal Aviation Agency’s Remote Identification (Remote ID) requirement for UAS.

Remote ID provides authorities with a way to monitor drones in the air and identify who is piloting them. For DJI Enterprise users, this is a possible development because an increase in airborne controllability opens new opportunities for operators to routinely fly in ways previously restricted for safety reasons – such as flying at night or directly above the people.

Create your DJI Enterprise drone wishlist

Do you have a drone wishlist for 2023? Be sure to check out our recommendations below.

• Mavic 3E/T: the  Mavic 3 Enterprise  and  Mavic 3 Thermal  are based on the powerful DNA of the prosumer series. They have a very impressive flight time of up to 45 minutes, a 56x zoom camera, a mechanical shutter that prevents motion blur and an RTK module for centimetre-accurate land measurements.
• Mavic 3M: this other version of the  DJI Mavic 3   features a multispectral imaging system to capture crop growth information and help maximise farm efficiency. It is a must-have solution for those engaged in precision agriculture and environmental monitoring.
• Matrice 30/30T : a powerful tool you can rely on in extreme temperatures, heavy rain, high winds, high altitudes and even in icy and snowy conditions. This drone series integrates multiple high-performance sensors into a single camera payload and yet is compact enough to fit in a backpack.

In short: let 2023 be the year you stay abreast of everything that you can help you in your work with drones. In our blogs , we tell you everything you need to know to master drone operation.