Please read the manual. It states to not use the drone over water or reflective surfaces in the autonomous mode. This video is a good demonstration of what happens when you don’t.
@roninr8199 What they're saying is correct. When you launch the drone from your hand, the drone has no GPS lock on. It uses the bottom firing positioning sensors only. With only those sensors, it has no data as to how high it is from the ground when it can't recognize things over water or high cliffsides. It does not know which way is forward, etc. Its like a PC mouse, but you cover the laser on the bottom. The only way it follows in water is when it gets a GPS lock, and using its front camera recognition software. Which is not perfect or infalliable without the bottom firing sensor data.
Damn! That's so brave (and little irresponsible) of you to test it for the 2nd time above the water, after the first mishap. However, by doing this review video you have saved the lives of many drones out there.
After some other vidoes that didn’t even involve the water I figured this thing is NOT SAFE around it 🤭 I like to skate by the harbor and I’m thinking maybe that’s not a great spot
haha true.. I tested it the 2nd time because I really wanted the hand held mode to work because that's the function that would be the most beneficial for me. I really hope it helped others to see some of the limitations!
Great video! Thanks! So like you (and many others) I have ordered the Neo to video over water on my jet ski. Having no idea that it wouldn’t work over water in autonomous mode. Those “read the manual “ comments are great, so you get to find out it’s not fit for purpose after you buy it. :) I’ve had too many drones, controllers and cameras end up in the bottom of the ocean and thought this was my answer, a drone that can land on my hand without a controller. Like kayaks and moving water, jet skis constantly move. I do some video from a pontoon boat occasionally when I want the occasional top down view to add dimension and perspective. Those shots are usually done with the drone operators at least 500 ft away. The short runtime of the neo doesn’t meet that need either. Looks like the mavic still has a job. Thanks again, you likely saved more than your own drone in this video!
Thanks for the video. As far as I know, when the drone is in the autonomous mode, you're not supposed to fly it over water / reflective surfaces and cliffs because the drone only uses its downward sensor to position itself in this mode, when it can't detect anything below it, it goes into ATT mode and land right away. I am happy that you didn't lose your drone.
That makes complete sense.. I suppose I was hoping it would've worked over water. I really like the handheld function so that it's easier to record my paddling trips. Maybe I'll find some way to use it better. Thanks for watching!
That's definitely incorrect. Even in autonomous mode, the Neo will use GPS positioning to determine its position. It only goes into Attitude mode if it loses the GPS positioning. It does NOT only rely on downward vision sensors.
@SceneryFromSky some guy tried to take off at the end of a runway, when the Neo was in autonomous mode or connected via WiFi, he was able to take off, but once it was hooked up to the RC, he got the NFZ message and wasn't allowed to take off. Based on this, I assume that GPS is only enabled when it's connected to the RC
@@lingoting no that’s not it. He just didn’t wait long enough for the drone to get gps lock before taking off. If he had waited a longer time between turning on the drone and taking off, he wouldn’t have been able to because the drone would recognize its location via gps. This has already been proven by another TH-camr. This also explains why sometimes the drone would land unexpectedly during autonomous mode over water, and other times it’s completely fine.
Sometimes YT recommends something when you need it. In a couple of weeks, I planned to use my Neo while Kayaking. I think I'll stick to shots from the shore. Thank you very much for uploading this.
Hello fellow paddler! I think the reflection from the ripples will always make it difficult for the sensors.. maybe there will be improvements in the future.
@@Fishaholicboy There was a video about the upcoming HoverAir X1 Drone. The maker claims they’ve solved that problem with something they call ‚multi terrain‘ which includes water and snow. They will publish in November. Let’s see what they can do.
Thanks for risking your drone for us. I thaught about buying this drone for my packraft adventures, but the „not over water“ warning concerned me. Now i know, that this drone is not the right one for watersports. Thanks again for this test! Cheers from Germany!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have used my DJI mini 3 pro for Kayaking for over 2.5 years approaching 100 trips and it has generally worked okay. When the water is reflective, it does sometimes lose tracking but I just have to lock it back onto us. Very occasionally, it will zoom in and out if I am tracking our kayak very close up but that happens very frequently. I was going to buy the Neo to also use for Kayaking but having seen your video, the Neo seems to very unreliable over water. I think it may work a bit better using a controller? However, it seems that the sensors on the Neo cannot cope with the reflective surfaces. You often times get on the water. Instead I will wait for the DJI mini pro 5 to be released and buy that as my next drone for Kayaking .
The Mini's are great drones.. I have the Mini 2 and I love it. However I love the function of the Neo. I am waiting for the Hover X1 Max Pro.. It's been advertised to work on water so it might be the one for us kayakers!
@@Fishaholicboy Did you give up on using the Neo over water? I had not heard of the Hover X1 Pro Max but will check it out. It seems to be more able to fly over refelective surfaces like snow and water from what I gather.
Thanks for your video. I think it’s not your fault. My Neo landed itself in the water, performing a Dronie turn back initiated form a boardwalk, but drifting to one side and landing in the water instead of on my handpalm on the boardwalk. It looked like it got confused by the water. Luckily I had DJI Care+. Returned it friday (using basic option) and received a new one just today (tuesday). No crossing water (without a remote) for me. Just as DJI advises: stay away from water with this NEO. I think thats true for the auto-moves & gsm remote. I saw dji remote videos performing fine above water.
Had the same. First day. First dronie. It flew back and up and then it lost ballance. Hit a branch and fell in the river. Ups picked it up on Thursday DJI care.Tuesday now and have the new one.
Same with me as my comment above. Paddleboard, autonomous circle and landed to the water 2nd day after purchase. The point is that DJI is advertising this on Neo advert where guy is doing the same... Luckily had a Care but Flyaway which cost 89€
Good video. I am waiting for my drone to arrive and contemplating if it would work autonomously with my canoe. I am not yet confident I won’t lose it in the water.
Thank you for this test, it’s exactly what I was looking for! I also wanted to buy this drone for shooting over water, but it looks like I’ll have to look for something else
Appreciate it! Not many tests out there for paddlers out there.. really hope it helped. I think what I will do is use it when I am paddling near the shore and land it when I get back to shore
Kind of reminds me of hearing people out in the wilderness, screaming "GoPro off" who are they yelling at ? I got a mini pro around may, but it got too hot to use it, now with cooler weather ahead of us, I hope to figure it out more.
@@khimy0514 , unfortunately not. As of now there are already several attempts you can find here on YT, with one exception the NEO rather sooner than later got confused and malfunctioned since it needs a solid and non-reflective surface for orientation, even with GPS. So far the only alternative price-wise would be to pay up am minimum of 50-100$/€ for a second-hand DJI Mini 2 or 3.
It's a common thing with small drones. I was speaking to a guy the other day who has a different brand of drone & he said that his one won't land when he's on his kayak as the drone can't judge the distance to ground zero when over water. He's had to put floats on his just in case of a water landing
Yes I know.. I wanted to test it either way because the mode without using the phone and controller was a gamechanger and it would make things so much more convenient for the user. I suppose I have more chances to try it out.
Thanks for the test... It just perfectly shows how Bad tracking Kaykas is! I Tried it in Whitewater and it got even worse. Tracking foam instead of Bright Orange/Red/Blue boats!
Yeah, if you try from palm and it can't find you again you can't connect it with your phone and get it back. It happened to me, flew straight up and after the battery died it crashed and broke. Get the repair service as soon as you buy a drone.
I think the probem was that Neo was controlled by wifi with the phone and not a controller. 20~50m is the most you will get out of it that way. The one being filmed have to bring the phone and controller with you to be more safe if the Neo loses contact. Otherwise it will most likely land in the water. Maybe you can try it out with the controller?
Yes it definitely was the problem.. I left my phone on the shore and had to go back to try and connect to the drone again, but it was too far away and couldn't connect. Luckily I had my friend with me
Thanks for doing this. I currently have a Mini Pro 3 and an Avata 2. Was think of adding the Neo to my fleet but not so much anymore. The $200 price point will definitely increase accessibility but I don’t think it’s for me. Tangent question: do you use Filmora to edit your videos?
The price point is what’s attractive to most people I believe, and people would use it over land mostly so for them, it would make sense. I’m using Davinci Resolve to edit my videos. It’s free to download!
Lucky you have a controller to regain control. For those who don't have a controller and when you lose signal from mobile connecrion then it will hover and land at the lake after losing battery power. Or you need that phone in your kayak to get a connection back. Anyway it is risky, however for the price paid it is worth the risk to demonstrate .You are very brave bro.
Funny thing.. My RC controller is the old version so it didn't connect! I was wondering why it didn't work haha. I wanted to test the limits of the DJI Neo so that it could save many other DJI Neo's out there haha
the drone was not trying to attack him, it happenned that because he was the last person tracking, so after the footage if something happen while is recording , then the neo wants to get back to his owner inmidiately :)
Hi, Very good test and I did the same two weeks ago with paddleboard. Just took all family and started autonomous circle but during maneuver Neo just landed to the water 😢 and I've lost him forever just 2nd day after purchase. Very disappointing but luckily evening before I have purchase Care Refresh so already applied for cost of 89€. A lot of people will say you can't fly over the water, read the manual is there but look at the DJI's NEO advertisement where is guy on paddleboard lunching it in autodomus mode as well... Looking forward for your further testing 😅
I had the DJI Mini 2 before and only tried the controller.. this was my first time using the phone. Still learning how to use it but good to hear from your experience. I will be extra careful
This is a useful video.. not a great result unfortunately. I'm interested to see if you find a way to make it behave. It would be great to get it following on a wave 🌊 but it doesn't look reliable enough for an adventure
I wasn’t sure what to expect when using it while kayaking. If you take it on adventures on land, I’m sure it’ll work much better! I have to say I was probably part of the problem by not using it correctly
@@Fishaholicboy I hope you find a way, but I can't think what you could do differently. I looked like lucky saves. If you'd been further out and not able to recover it.. oops
Oh wow.. there’s plenty out there. I’m actually waiting for the Hover Air X1 Pro Max. Should be an interesting drone as it’s supposedly to be ok above water!
Yesterday I flew my dji neo drone for the first time, over land, near the beach, 5 meters from the sea and when activating the RTH from the RC control, when the drone was over me (near the water), more than three H or landing points appeared on the screen. Then the drone moved away over the sea, which was 5 meters from the Point of Origin, so I canceled the RTH and managed to make it return manually. But I got a good scare. Conclusion: It is not good to fly it over water, or near water.
DJI’s manual says it shouldn’t be used above water… but it seems it can be controlled better with RC remote. I would be careful like any other drone above water
Neo has some issues with the take off and the landing in Palm Control. So: no. Just don't use it for water sports or high-altitude activities. Use it somewhere where you can recover it from a failed take off. At least until the software gets better. Pretty sure DJI will iron out these problems.
Yes I know.. I wanted to sense the follow mode using the camera (hand held mode) instead of sensors. I believe the only challenge would be the landing on top of water and that's when the sensors are used
@@Fishaholicboy Not true. The bottom sensors are always active and work with the barometer, gps. etc to maintain the drone in 3d space. DJI clearly advises against using Follow Mode over water. Obviously, you can do whatever you want but when your drone drops into the water. I don't want to see a video angry with DJI...
Ive had no problems with Dronie and Circle over water, however it took off from land. I also now know not to launch from the very edge of water or mountain as it moves back a couple of meters to scan the subject and this is the point it returns to, not you!
Good for you. Most other attempts found here on YT proved what DJI says manual all along: the NEO will sooner than rather later become confused when over moving or reflecting surfaces (aka malfunctions). In the best case it then just hovers up there until it reaches 15% battery power and "lands" on the water.
I can confirm that the DJI Neo should not be used over water. Just two days ago, mine fell into Lake Davos while I was performing a “Circle” maneuver from the lakeside. The Neo got confused by the water’s reflections and ended up landing in the lake while still tracking me.
That’s was cool … I am going to use it for fishing on boat. The funny part I’m just thinking that there’s gonna be a lot of people saying that a eagle or an owl snatched there dji neo 😅
Neo cannot fly above the water autonomously. You can read it in the drone papers. I just got Hover Air X1 Pro. This drone can fly above water and snow.
I saw people are starting to receive the Hover Air X1 Pro! I ordered it as well but a late backer.. so I don't think I will receive it until the end of the month. How are you finding it?
I did similar tests with DJI Mavic Air six years ago. It didn't work well. I was wondering if the tracking improved over time, but it seems it has not.
For kayaking you should use a waterproof case for the Neo 😂 Now seriously: with the phone, if you loose connection you have to paddle back quickly to recover the drone before is "landing".
Ahh.. I think it should still work ok but from what I feel, you should change the setting to "High" when it follows.. I believe it gets less confused from the water reflection. Also, I've seen videos where it stops past a certain speed. Hope you have fun with it!
Very unfortunate! I wanted this to record fly fishing sessions, quick launch when I'm waist deep in a lake or river and land just as easy. I'll pray that it's upgrade has sensors to make it more water friendly!
Be very aware! My Neo decided to land when i executed a dronie from the side over water expecting for the Neo to return to me after 10 meters. Unfortunatly after a couple meters in my Neo decided to land....in the water. Before i knew it my Neo was swimming on the bottom of the lake. So watch out with quickshots on water!
Oh no. I hope you had DJI Care! Thanks for the tip. The Neo did almost hit the edge of the rock wall.. but then I realised I had the drone on Low setting.. Will keep trying to use!
lesson learned: dont try to fly a 'newly' released drone above water even when its tempting....just be satisfied to use the 360cam...but I'm looking forward for the front and side tracking of the neo...
I would say it would be difficult for sensors to analyse the ripples and waves.. I was hoping that the camera following me would not impact the sensors so much until landing that is
I bought the DJI Neo because there is a mode where you can use it without a phone or remote. It can fly from the palm of your hand and it uses some technology to follow you by using the camera. I tried it on land and it worked well.
Lol you lucky, think the GPS and sensor thing issues best not fly neo autonomous over water, thus why there advisory on neo for not flying over water. If want best fly high coz fly low the sensor may cause the drone land into water. If using controller you won't have that issue when flying over water.
Another TH-cam confirmed with DJI that without a manual control the drone uses the sensors on the bottom to determine height and the sensors do not work over water due to reflectivity. For the same reason you should not fly it over a cliff. In manual control it is apparently fine. th-cam.com/video/dsXOxbbUZL4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xGMntj0MpRMcD2vn
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Please read the manual. It states to not use the drone over water or reflective surfaces in the autonomous mode. This video is a good demonstration of what happens when you don’t.
That's only during landing I guess you would have issues.
@roninr8199 What they're saying is correct. When you launch the drone from your hand, the drone has no GPS lock on. It uses the bottom firing positioning sensors only. With only those sensors, it has no data as to how high it is from the ground when it can't recognize things over water or high cliffsides. It does not know which way is forward, etc. Its like a PC mouse, but you cover the laser on the bottom. The only way it follows in water is when it gets a GPS lock, and using its front camera recognition software. Which is not perfect or infalliable without the bottom firing sensor data.
@@TechInspected with controller it locks home point.
@@roninr8199 they're launching without it. That's the point. No gps if you launch from your hand. That's the test. Pay attention.
@@roninr8199 He isn't using a controller.
This is actually a test that we've been hoping to do but didn't have the courage to do it 😂
Many will be grateful for this video 👍🏼
Agreed!
Luckily I still have my Neo.. (for now). Appreciate your comment!
Yup, it had same trait with DJI Tello.
Damn! That's so brave (and little irresponsible) of you to test it for the 2nd time above the water, after the first mishap.
However, by doing this review video you have saved the lives of many drones out there.
After some other vidoes that didn’t even involve the water I figured this thing is NOT SAFE around it 🤭 I like to skate by the harbor and I’m thinking maybe that’s not a great spot
haha true.. I tested it the 2nd time because I really wanted the hand held mode to work because that's the function that would be the most beneficial for me. I really hope it helped others to see some of the limitations!
Great video! Thanks! So like you (and many others) I have ordered the Neo to video over water on my jet ski. Having no idea that it wouldn’t work over water in autonomous mode. Those “read the manual “ comments are great, so you get to find out it’s not fit for purpose after you buy it. :) I’ve had too many drones, controllers and cameras end up in the bottom of the ocean and thought this was my answer, a drone that can land on my hand without a controller. Like kayaks and moving water, jet skis constantly move. I do some video from a pontoon boat occasionally when I want the occasional top down view to add dimension and perspective. Those shots are usually done with the drone operators at least 500 ft away. The short runtime of the neo doesn’t meet that need either. Looks like the mavic still has a job. Thanks again, you likely saved more than your own drone in this video!
Thanks for the video. As far as I know, when the drone is in the autonomous mode, you're not supposed to fly it over water / reflective surfaces and cliffs because the drone only uses its downward sensor to position itself in this mode, when it can't detect anything below it, it goes into ATT mode and land right away. I am happy that you didn't lose your drone.
That makes complete sense.. I suppose I was hoping it would've worked over water. I really like the handheld function so that it's easier to record my paddling trips. Maybe I'll find some way to use it better. Thanks for watching!
Setting it to Follow-High must be safe. The time is the mayor risk
That's definitely incorrect. Even in autonomous mode, the Neo will use GPS positioning to determine its position. It only goes into Attitude mode if it loses the GPS positioning. It does NOT only rely on downward vision sensors.
@SceneryFromSky some guy tried to take off at the end of a runway, when the Neo was in autonomous mode or connected via WiFi, he was able to take off, but once it was hooked up to the RC, he got the NFZ message and wasn't allowed to take off. Based on this, I assume that GPS is only enabled when it's connected to the RC
@@lingoting no that’s not it. He just didn’t wait long enough for the drone to get gps lock before taking off. If he had waited a longer time between turning on the drone and taking off, he wouldn’t have been able to because the drone would recognize its location via gps. This has already been proven by another TH-camr.
This also explains why sometimes the drone would land unexpectedly during autonomous mode over water, and other times it’s completely fine.
Stumbled on this thank you for the risk and the test!
Was fun to test it.. and nerve wrecking haha
Sometimes YT recommends something when you need it. In a couple of weeks, I planned to use my Neo while Kayaking. I think I'll stick to shots from the shore. Thank you very much for uploading this.
Scary how this happens all the time. If you ever do use it while paddling, would love to hear how it went!
Those were all questions I had for my Neo when I receive it. I am glad the answers came from your Neo.
Lucky I still have mine.. (For now)
I’m so glad you made this video. I’m a kayaker myself and was considering to get this drone. But now I see it’s not ready for prime time (yet).
Hello fellow paddler! I think the reflection from the ripples will always make it difficult for the sensors.. maybe there will be improvements in the future.
@@Fishaholicboy There was a video about the upcoming HoverAir X1 Drone. The maker claims they’ve solved that problem with something they call ‚multi terrain‘ which includes water and snow. They will publish in November. Let’s see what they can do.
@@SteffenRoller thanks for this! I am very curious about this!
@@Fishaholicboy I wished I had a drone with me while doing this type of video th-cam.com/video/V1G-gI6CkHQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for risking your drone for us. I thaught about buying this drone for my packraft adventures, but the „not over water“ warning concerned me. Now i know, that this drone is not the right one for watersports. Thanks again for this test! Cheers from Germany!
Welcome! I’m waiting for the Hover Air X1 Pro.. it seems to have an Omni terrain function that can work on the water!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have used my DJI mini 3 pro for Kayaking for over 2.5 years approaching 100 trips and it has generally worked okay. When the water is reflective, it does sometimes lose tracking but I just have to lock it back onto us. Very occasionally, it will zoom in and out if I am tracking our kayak very close up but that happens very frequently. I was going to buy the Neo to also use for Kayaking but having seen your video, the Neo seems to very unreliable over water. I think it may work a bit better using a controller? However, it seems that the sensors on the Neo cannot cope with the reflective surfaces. You often times get on the water. Instead I will wait for the DJI mini pro 5 to be released and buy that as my next drone for Kayaking .
The Mini's are great drones.. I have the Mini 2 and I love it. However I love the function of the Neo. I am waiting for the Hover X1 Max Pro.. It's been advertised to work on water so it might be the one for us kayakers!
@@Fishaholicboy Did you give up on using the Neo over water? I had not heard of the Hover X1 Pro Max but will check it out. It seems to be more able to fly over refelective surfaces like snow and water from what I gather.
Thanks for your video. I think it’s not your fault. My Neo landed itself in the water, performing a Dronie turn back initiated form a boardwalk, but drifting to one side and landing in the water instead of on my handpalm on the boardwalk. It looked like it got confused by the water.
Luckily I had DJI Care+. Returned it friday (using basic option) and received a new one just today (tuesday). No crossing water (without a remote) for
me. Just as DJI advises: stay away from water with this NEO. I think thats true for the auto-moves & gsm remote. I saw dji remote videos performing fine above water.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I will have to be extra careful! I also got DJI Care just in case but I hope I don't need to use it.
Had the same. First day. First dronie. It flew back and up and then it lost ballance. Hit a branch and fell in the river. Ups picked it up on Thursday DJI care.Tuesday now and have the new one.
Same with me as my comment above. Paddleboard, autonomous circle and landed to the water 2nd day after purchase. The point is that DJI is advertising this on Neo advert where guy is doing the same... Luckily had a Care but Flyaway which cost 89€
Thank you for your demonstration 😉
Hope it helped!
So much suspense! More videos like this please.
haha thanks. I don't know if my heart can take it anymore
I've also heard that for that kind of shot, it's best to set it to "high" for follow distance.
You're right, I believe this is the best method.
It was great to see somebody testing it in more challenging circumstances
Haha thanks.. it was extremely challenging and nerve wrecking. Happy I still have the DJI NEO :)
Good video. I am waiting for my drone to arrive and contemplating if it would work autonomously with my canoe. I am not yet confident I won’t lose it in the water.
I will test it out more on the water.. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to use the Neo
Thank you for this test, it’s exactly what I was looking for! I also wanted to buy this drone for shooting over water, but it looks like I’ll have to look for something else
Appreciate it! Not many tests out there for paddlers out there.. really hope it helped. I think what I will do is use it when I am paddling near the shore and land it when I get back to shore
Thank you for testing. Appreciate it. this is helpful.
Appreciate it!
Whoa thats very brave but very insightful thanks for this... More neo vids please
I'll try and do a few more videos after what I've learnt from the first time
Kind of reminds me of hearing people out in the wilderness, screaming "GoPro off" who are they yelling at ? I got a mini pro around may, but it got too hot to use it, now with cooler weather ahead of us, I hope to figure it out more.
Haha I’m always saying “GoPro stop recording!”. I sound like a broken record sometimes..
This is interesting. Pls try with manual launch with handphone and launch with RC. It may actually work quite well
For sure.. I tried with the phone and it worked well in the manual mode. I have the old RC controller so I can't use that.
Everyone knows that drones in autonomous mode should not fly over water.
But I still have to thank you for testing it out.
Appreciate it!
Hi. How about in Manual mode? Would it be safe to fly at certain feet? Like around 10-20ft above water?
@@khimy0514 , unfortunately not.
As of now there are already several attempts you can find here on YT, with one exception the NEO rather sooner than later got confused and malfunctioned since it needs a solid and non-reflective surface for orientation, even with GPS. So far the only alternative price-wise would be to pay up am minimum of 50-100$/€ for a second-hand DJI Mini 2 or 3.
thank you for your report !!!
No problem, I hope it's useful!
It's a common thing with small drones. I was speaking to a guy the other day who has a different brand of drone & he said that his one won't land when he's on his kayak as the drone can't judge the distance to ground zero when over water. He's had to put floats on his just in case of a water landing
That's a good idea to put floats on it!
Dji says to avoiding using it in environments such as water surface where it is not suitable for flying DJI Neo.
Yes I know.. I wanted to test it either way because the mode without using the phone and controller was a gamechanger and it would make things so much more convenient for the user. I suppose I have more chances to try it out.
Great testing… I was wanting to use while I am kayaking in water. Now, it is not convenient for landing , have to wait for more updates. Thank you
Thanks for the test... It just perfectly shows how Bad tracking Kaykas is!
I Tried it in Whitewater and it got even worse. Tracking foam instead of Bright Orange/Red/Blue boats!
Ah that's a shame, i was thinking of buying it maybe but the camera quality and the tracking in the kayak doesn't seem reliable at all...
If you have someone to control it, would be amazing to capture your rolls!
Intense stuff, you're braver than me! 😮😳😁
I would say I am more stupid than brave 😂
omg - I'm already quite nervous watching. Great video
You and me both!
Yeah, if you try from palm and it can't find you again you can't connect it with your phone and get it back. It happened to me, flew straight up and after the battery died it crashed and broke. Get the repair service as soon as you buy a drone.
ouch.. I hope DJI replaced your Neo. I have the DJI care just in case also!
Brave test. Good video.
Thanks! Appreciate it.
I think the probem was that Neo was controlled by wifi with the phone and not a controller. 20~50m is the most you will get out of it that way. The one being filmed have to bring the phone and controller with you to be more safe if the Neo loses contact. Otherwise it will most likely land in the water. Maybe you can try it out with the controller?
Yes it definitely was the problem.. I left my phone on the shore and had to go back to try and connect to the drone again, but it was too far away and couldn't connect. Luckily I had my friend with me
Good real world use test. Wonder if it would work better following a SUP…
I would imagine it would as you would be higher up and the whole body will be in the frame.
Thanks for doing this. I currently have a Mini Pro 3 and an Avata 2. Was think of adding the Neo to my fleet but not so much anymore. The $200 price point will definitely increase accessibility but I don’t think it’s for me.
Tangent question: do you use Filmora to edit your videos?
The price point is what’s attractive to most people I believe, and people would use it over land mostly so for them, it would make sense.
I’m using Davinci Resolve to edit my videos. It’s free to download!
Bro the only thing Neo is perfect at is flying in bright indoors. And flying full manual acro the mode in windless environment
Thanks for your great work, so it looks like tracking me while I'm swimming is a pipe dream.😂
Imagine if there was a drone that would follow a swimmer! Who knows right? Tech advances so quickly these days and we can only hope for it :)
Lucky you have a controller to regain control. For those who don't have a controller and when you lose signal from mobile connecrion then it will hover and land at the lake after losing battery power. Or you need that phone in your kayak to get a connection back. Anyway it is risky, however for the price paid it is worth the risk to demonstrate .You are very brave bro.
Funny thing.. My RC controller is the old version so it didn't connect! I was wondering why it didn't work haha. I wanted to test the limits of the DJI Neo so that it could save many other DJI Neo's out there haha
Obrigado pelo teste! Ia comprar aqui no Brasil 🇧🇷 e agora mudei de ideia… ia ser muito bom para minhas pescarias de caiaque!
Welcome! I'm sure there will be more videos out there testing the DJI Neo while kayak fishing and it will help you to decide later.
the drone was not trying to attack him, it happenned that because he was the last person tracking, so after the footage if something happen while is recording , then the neo wants to get back to his owner inmidiately :)
haha yes it makes sense.. I thought it was funny how close it got to my mate. Maybe the Neo missed him :)
Hi,
Very good test and I did the same two weeks ago with paddleboard. Just took all family and started autonomous circle but during maneuver Neo just landed to the water 😢 and I've lost him forever just 2nd day after purchase. Very disappointing but luckily evening before I have purchase Care Refresh so already applied for cost of 89€. A lot of people will say you can't fly over the water, read the manual is there but look at the DJI's NEO advertisement where is guy on paddleboard lunching it in autodomus mode as well...
Looking forward for your further testing 😅
I would've loved to have seen the footage of you on the paddle board. Also lucky you had DJI Care.
Good demo of where not to fly the drone over... but this a good video nonetheless..
Thanks for watching! I hope others won’t lose their Neo by watching this video :)
Learning from dji spark and mavic air. Phone control was one of many cause of drone runaway.
I had the DJI Mini 2 before and only tried the controller.. this was my first time using the phone. Still learning how to use it but good to hear from your experience. I will be extra careful
This is a useful video.. not a great result unfortunately.
I'm interested to see if you find a way to make it behave. It would be great to get it following on a wave 🌊 but it doesn't look reliable enough for an adventure
I wasn’t sure what to expect when using it while kayaking. If you take it on adventures on land, I’m sure it’ll work much better! I have to say I was probably part of the problem by not using it correctly
@@Fishaholicboy I hope you find a way, but I can't think what you could do differently.
I looked like lucky saves. If you'd been further out and not able to recover it.. oops
@@GoneKayaking oh for sure I would’ve lost it if I was out further!
wow, thanks for showing, these are questions I think all of us want to know and see, please keep testing and posting this kind of actions! THX ¶ ; - )
More tests will come! I’m trying to figure out the best way to use on the water.
@@Fishaholicboy there's this new FW update, maybe things will get better?
@@Sir_Hubris will download it! Thanks!
Ive wanted too do this for a while...whats the best under 250g for canoeing
Oh wow.. there’s plenty out there. I’m actually waiting for the Hover Air X1 Pro Max. Should be an interesting drone as it’s supposedly to be ok above water!
I laughed hard when the drone attacking him😂😂.
The time has come…
@@Fishaholicboy Yes. I FELT THAT TOO, but it's a little freaky. 👾🤯
Well done producing this- was considering it for this very use case, but that’s just stressful! Hahah - prob still want one tho
It definitely was stressful haha. I will keep trying it to see if it gets any better!
Yesterday I flew my dji neo drone for the first time, over land, near the beach, 5 meters from the sea and when activating the RTH from the RC control, when the drone was over me (near the water), more than three H or landing points appeared on the screen. Then the drone moved away over the sea, which was 5 meters from the Point of Origin, so I canceled the RTH and managed to make it return manually. But I got a good scare. Conclusion: It is not good to fly it over water, or near water.
Happy you were able to retrieve your drone! Must've had a heart attack!
I don’t understand one thing, CAN I USE IT ABOVE WATER?? I understand is not good in autonomous modes, but with the manual mode and rc its all good?
DJI’s manual says it shouldn’t be used above water… but it seems it can be controlled better with RC remote. I would be careful like any other drone above water
@ thanks, so it’s the same than the other using rc, but with the other modes no recommended
This is So useful test. I kind of guessed it would be something like that though. LOL. I miss my Neo.(signal lost and lost it. )
Oh no.. how did you lose it?
@@Fishaholicboy Signal lost when flying around a large tower :)
@@littlfire ouch. Hope you had DJI care!
Neo has some issues with the take off and the landing in Palm Control. So: no. Just don't use it for water sports or high-altitude activities. Use it somewhere where you can recover it from a failed take off. At least until the software gets better. Pretty sure DJI will iron out these problems.
I'll definitely use it when I am on land.. it works extremely well. On the water, it will be a different story
DJI Neo User Manual, Page 23 Do Not Fly Over Water.
Yes I know.. I wanted to sense the follow mode using the camera (hand held mode) instead of sensors. I believe the only challenge would be the landing on top of water and that's when the sensors are used
@@Fishaholicboy Not true. The bottom sensors are always active and work with the barometer, gps. etc to maintain the drone in 3d space. DJI clearly advises against using Follow Mode over water. Obviously, you can do whatever you want but when your drone drops into the water. I don't want to see a video angry with DJI...
@@londenard that’s good to know! Haha.. yeah I won’t be angry with DJI as it will be a user issue more than anything else.
Ive had no problems with Dronie and Circle over water, however it took off from land. I also now know not to launch from the very edge of water or mountain as it moves back a couple of meters to scan the subject and this is the point it returns to, not you!
That actually happened to a mate of mine.. launched by a cliff and it just fell for some reason.
Good for you. Most other attempts found here on YT proved what DJI says manual all along:
the NEO will sooner than rather later become confused when over moving or reflecting surfaces (aka malfunctions). In the best case it then just hovers up there until it reaches 15% battery power and "lands" on the water.
So cool.. enjoy your videos...
Appreciate it!
I can confirm that the DJI Neo should not be used over water. Just two days ago, mine fell into Lake Davos while I was performing a “Circle” maneuver from the lakeside. The Neo got confused by the water’s reflections and ended up landing in the lake while still tracking me.
Oh no… did you get DJI care?
@@FishaholicboyI didn’t think it was worth getting one before, but I bought a new Neo yesterday and might now consider getting DJI Care.
Cool
Thanks!
That’s was cool … I am going to use it for fishing on boat. The funny part I’m just thinking that there’s gonna be a lot of people saying that a eagle or an owl snatched there dji neo 😅
haha it happens!!! I had a bird attack my Mini 2 before.
@@Fishaholicboy haha 😅 I guess they look like a small predator for the birds and eagles and owls
@@nickfranco7362 very true! Especially the neo is even smaller!
Neo cannot fly above the water autonomously. You can read it in the drone papers. I just got Hover Air X1 Pro. This drone can fly above water and snow.
I saw people are starting to receive the Hover Air X1 Pro! I ordered it as well but a late backer.. so I don't think I will receive it until the end of the month. How are you finding it?
If U're using a RC controller, can U fly it above water?
Hi, yes the manual modes are better to control the DJI Neo.. but it is still advised not to fly over water.
The issue is caused by the machine’s positioning mechanism, and it can only be resolved through manual control for now.
I suppose that’s how I will use it going forward while paddling :)
If it’s in manual mode, can it fly above water? Like 10-30ft above?
@@khimy0514 Of course, you must use a specialized remote control.
Great vid
Appreciate it!
I did similar tests with DJI Mavic Air six years ago. It didn't work well. I was wondering if the tracking improved over time, but it seems it has not.
I think on land it should be ok… but I believe the challenge is on top of the water with the reflection and the ripples from waves!
For kayaking you should use a waterproof case for the Neo 😂
Now seriously: with the phone, if you loose connection you have to paddle back quickly to recover the drone before is "landing".
Lucky I had my mate to help me catch it together with me
Nice video. Where is this at?
Hi.. This place is in Sai Kung, Hong Kong.
Good job !!!
Thank you! Cheers!
I should have seen that before buying mine. lol Im going to use it while moving in a ding
Ahh.. I think it should still work ok but from what I feel, you should change the setting to "High" when it follows.. I believe it gets less confused from the water reflection. Also, I've seen videos where it stops past a certain speed. Hope you have fun with it!
That was entertaining. Lol…. Stressful for you…..
It sure was!
An accident waiting to happen! I don't think will be long before the Neo turns into a submarine.
I’m pretty sure there are already many submarines in the water 😂
試著不要動，停止動作3秒，偵測到以後，就會靠近你，再伸手接回即可😂應該是如此
Thanks for the tip!
Fantastic video 😅😅🎉
Appreciate it!
You gained a sub with that test! 😂
Then the test was worth it! haha. Appreciate it
Very unfortunate! I wanted this to record fly fishing sessions, quick launch when I'm waist deep in a lake or river and land just as easy. I'll pray that it's upgrade has sensors to make it more water friendly!
I think the Neo could do what you want it to do for fishing but better to be safe than sorry. I’m sure the tech will get better
Yo bro, the moment I saw your video I was like that was so damn risky man HAHAHAA
haha thanks.. was nervous the whole time
Be very aware! My Neo decided to land when i executed a dronie from the side over water expecting for the Neo to return to me after 10 meters.
Unfortunatly after a couple meters in my Neo decided to land....in the water. Before i knew it my Neo was swimming on the bottom of the lake. So watch out with quickshots on water!
Oh no. I hope you had DJI Care! Thanks for the tip. The Neo did almost hit the edge of the rock wall.. but then I realised I had the drone on Low setting.. Will keep trying to use!
@@Fishaholicboy DJI is sending me a new Neo. It's shipping atm 🥳👍🏽 They adviced me to not use the Neo near water when using the manual quickshots.
Good video...thanks
Glad you liked it!
lesson learned: dont try to fly a 'newly' released drone above water even when its tempting....just be satisfied to use the 360cam...but I'm looking forward for the front and side tracking of the neo...
hehe.. I believe I will test the directional (front) tracking next time but I will land it on the shore.
Wow that was bad, i really hoped it would return home on low battery not just land in water
I still need more experimenting :)
Which was the Firmware on the Neo when the Video was created?
I was using 01.00.0200 when I was using it
thanks for showing us not to use it over a body of water.
how about using a racket to catch it on the air ^^
haha.. fishing net would be safer 😂
I have problems with the reflection of the water
I would say it would be difficult for sensors to analyse the ripples and waves.. I was hoping that the camera following me would not impact the sensors so much until landing that is
Going to a remote place. Can the drone work without wifi or data?
I bought the DJI Neo because there is a mode where you can use it without a phone or remote. It can fly from the palm of your hand and it uses some technology to follow you by using the camera. I tried it on land and it worked well.
Will make sure will not do what you did 😂😂😂
You were lucky. How will dji mini 4 pro perform over water
Yes I was lucky! The other drone I have is the DJI Mini 2 which had limited functions so I can't compare
I'm the one who is scared. Huh.
Haha
Hilarious the way AI takes over. We lost a fighter jet in the states-! A “misshap”
I found that when the drone is set on "high mode", it does better. Definitely a misshap waiting to happen 😉
Lol you lucky, think the GPS and sensor thing issues best not fly neo autonomous over water, thus why there advisory on neo for not flying over water.
If want best fly high coz fly low the sensor may cause the drone land into water.
If using controller you won't have that issue when flying over water.
I believe flying high will help for sure.. it's just the landing bit on my hand that will be a problem.
you need the controller above water as the drone needs gps to avoid crashing into the water
Yes, I believe that is the best way above water
Ku kira ke cemplung dji na bro😂
haha yes it was. My friend was underneath it the whole time
Errr... Its too late to see this video, already bought 😢
It’s a fun drone and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! I think I was part of the problem hehe.
First person with balls enough to do it over water
Or stupid enough to try it 😂😂
Top
Thanks!
Wow, scary!
haha.. It definitely was for me
remember its a selfie drone not for a sport or cinematic drone 😅
True.. I wanted selfie mode for kayaking :)
According to DJI, it is not recommended to fly on the water
Yes.. I know.. My curiosity got the better of me
you make me nervous
Haha I was very nervous
Another TH-cam confirmed with DJI that without a manual control the drone uses the sensors on the bottom to determine height and the sensors do not work over water due to reflectivity. For the same reason you should not fly it over a cliff. In manual control it is apparently fine.
th-cam.com/video/dsXOxbbUZL4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xGMntj0MpRMcD2vn
Thanks for the link!
Wow, you sure it can fly over water surface 😂
I think it’s gets a bit confused over the water… but worked fine on land 😂 I’ll test it more
@@Fishaholicboy Good try, support 🤟🏻
Follow mode will not come close to you when you stopping, read the manual please.
Yes it is supposed to when you're using the hand held launch (without phone or remote). That was the test.
Better get a remote controller.
Hey West! I have the RC controller but not the easiest to use while kayaking. Anyway.. I am sure I'll get better at using it.
@@Fishaholicboy Nice. Look forward to play DJI Neo with you next time!
nightmare a joke a toy
In a way, it is a toy especially for the price.. but a FUN toy