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Mavic Pro quiet props


Andrew Garrard

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Hi all. Sanity checking here, since DJI didn't sound very authoritative...

 

I have an original Mavic Pro (well, I say original, I don't know if it has the updated camera with better 1080p behaviour - it was bought this summer, anyway). I've just picked up the "low-noise quick-release propellers" (8331), and on the second attempt was clever enough to ensure I had two pairs. I've updated the Mavic firmware to the latest, which I believe was required.

 

Does anyone know whether I have to do anything to tell the Mavic that it's running different props? I'm guessing one of the following applies:

  1. You don't have to do anything and the Mavic doesn't even know, it just balances dynamically.
  2. The Mavic changes its flight profile for the new props (hence the need for a firmware update) but automatically detects that they're present, presumably by flight characteristics.
  3. The Mavic changes its flight profile for the new props, but you need to tell it it's got them.

I'm just worried about (3). I can't see anything in the app, but the leaflet in the props says "Please refer to DJI - The Future Of Possible to learn how to use this product." - and there's nothing obviously there. I tried tech support chat, but they told me that I had to call after-sales support.

 

I called after sales support, and was told:

  1. DJI only support one kind of props for the Mavic Pro. (They don't, as I pointed out - the 8331s are officially supported.)
  2. I'll get an email when I need to updated the app. (I said I was up to date.)
  3. I don't need to do anything. (Which I'd be more confident in had (1) had a different answer.)

I'm 95% sure I'll be fine, I can just switch the props and fly. But since it'll be a little expensive if I'm wrong, and I couldn't find a clear answer online, I thought I'd see if anyone here knows.

 

Cheers!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Update: well, I flew with the new props. They are indeed quieter, or seem so. I've no idea whether the motors were treating them optimally, but they worked.

 

Of course, I proceeded to clip a (local) power line and trash all four props in the subsequent crash, which is deeply embarrassing given that I'd practised on previous drones (having clipped a bag testing the Mavic indoors afterwards I'm confident I won't have damaged the power line). Other than teaching me not to get too near to something before looking at the live view to check how close I am, and a minor case crack from the impact, not the end of the world. More props ordered - I can't really blame them for my incompetence. Having scuffed them on a bag indoors, though, I will say the tips of the quiet rotors are more delicate than most props, although I didn't do much more than aesthetic damage.

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I wonder whether 3 or 4 bladed props will appear? I know they are not as efficient as 2 or 1 bladed props and harder to make, but the rotational speed v lift v dB should quieten it down considerably.

 

Interesting thought. I did find this (an unofficial version); I'm not sure whether it's quieter, but by your logic it should be. I'm mildly tempted to try it, since my Mavic is already cracked. (I've paid for the insurance, but don't plan to claim until I do more extensive damage!)

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I've just seen an episode of Mythbusters in which (spoilers) the team managed to crash an Inspire into another drone - trashed props, dropped like a stone onto apparently hard desert, trashed Zenmuse. I'm a little amused they seem only to have been trusted with a Phantom after that.

 

I feel so much better about my relatively gentle Mavic crash (onto soft grass from a lower height), even though I have a crack to show for it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
I think frequency can play as big a role in 'annoyance' as overall sound level. Some of the drones used for agricultural analysis are as loud or louder than a Phantom 4 but are a low midrange tone rather than higher pitched and so, to me, less annoying.
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  • 4 weeks later...
I witnessed the use of a Mavic Pro, equipped with "quiet" props. They are very effective. The drone is inaudible beyond 30 feet or so, even on a windless day in a bucolic environment. Unless you are playing around, the altitude will usually be greater than 100', which renders the drone not only inaudible, but invisible even if you know where it should be. It's a great way to get stunning shots of scenery and landmarks, as long as it is legal to do so, and doesn't annoy nor endanger others. The homing function returns it within inches of its takeoff point, through a combination of GPS and optical recognition.
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