Chrislaf
Well-Known Member
The Neo reminds me of the Spark batteries but a much better design. I used to have to have a battery clip for my Spark to prevent the batteries from accidentally coming loose.
Chris
Chris
Neo 2: Notes, observations, surprises as I test and learn
- Thread starter Droning on and on...
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RcHawks
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That shouldn’t be a problem the the neo 2 for sure. I’m sure after several times of changing the battery it won’t be a big deal. I’m opting for a case as well because of the bug like antennas worry me. It seems like it could be damaged easily trying to say put it in a jacket pocket. I took my first flight awhile ago and I miss using a lanyard. I’m need to look for the clip style I think for my RCN3. I like the way it feels right out of the box so far. It really expands the ability of what the neo is with it’s extra features. Looking forward to reading this thread.
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Chrislaf
Well-Known Member
There are lots of these antenna protectors on Aliexpress. Not sure if they are just a gimmick or not but they might work when you don’t want to carry a case around. I don’t know why DJI didn’t make the antennas able to fold down.
As for a lanyard clip for the N3 controller, this is the one I have from Amazon. Works perfectly. When you have a phone in the controller it is top heavy and there is only one connection point so it spins if not holding it.
Chris
As for a lanyard clip for the N3 controller, this is the one I have from Amazon. Works perfectly. When you have a phone in the controller it is top heavy and there is only one connection point so it spins if not holding it.
Chris
RcHawks
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Thank you I'll add that to my list. I’m looking to get a 3D printed case as well that holds the drone with the antennas attached. I think that would put my mind at ease more when I use it for walks. The other being case that holds the RC N3 and neo 2 together. It’s been a long time since I used my phone with a drone and the setup was very fast as well as sat. positioning. It was peppy and had more zip than the neo. I might try the follow mode next time to see how it compares to the neo. I’m really glad I made the purchase. It’s always fun to try something new and different.
Chrislaf
Well-Known Member
Just using my engineer spidey sense, the antennae sure look designed to flex quite a bit without damage.
I'm not worried about it.
I'm not worried about it.
One important upgrade from the Neo is the 2 now sets a Home Point with phone-only app control, and supports RTH.
Essential if you're over a frozen lake and something goes very wrong (Chris
)Or you just stupidly forgot to charge your phone. Not something I've ever done, oh no. Never. Never never ever. Nope. Hasn't happened.
More notes...
Neo 2 supports Precision Landing.
Does not support the more advanced RTH introduced with the Air 3S, where the drone follows a complex outbound path that can go under trees, through buildings, etc. without GPS. That would be asking a lot from the lowest-end drone in the lineup.
Neo 2 supports Precision Landing.
Does not support the more advanced RTH introduced with the Air 3S, where the drone follows a complex outbound path that can go under trees, through buildings, etc. without GPS. That would be asking a lot from the lowest-end drone in the lineup.
More...
Odd thing: Neo 2 supports Mastershots feature, but only on the phone via wifi... When flying with the RC-N3 or RC2, Mastershots is not available. Nor are a few Quickshots that can only be selected from phone/wifi or via the drone on-board display and buttons.
Odd thing: Neo 2 supports Mastershots feature, but only on the phone via wifi... When flying with the RC-N3 or RC2, Mastershots is not available. Nor are a few Quickshots that can only be selected from phone/wifi or via the drone on-board display and buttons.
Chrislaf
Well-Known Member
I do like a lot of the features that the Neo 2 has especially the improved Direction track which is something that I use frequently. The addition of obstacle avoidance really does not make much of a difference for me as the original Neo does an excellent job of following the path I take. It might reduce the chance of having a crash where it gets knocked to the ground but in most cases it just bounces off the obstacle and continues.One important upgrade from the Neo is the 2 now sets a Home Point with phone-only app control, and supports RTH.
Essential if you're over a frozen lake and something goes very wrong (Chris
Or you just stupidly forgot to charge your phone. Not something I've ever done, oh no. Never. Never never ever. Nope. Hasn't happened.
The biggest area where the Neo 2 might be significantly better is with the improved VPS in complex low light environments but this is hard to determine if there is a significant improvement since all the videos from influencers I have watched for the Neo 2 have been in early winter with freshly fallen snow where lots of vegetation is still visible. For example I did a walk on a bush trail a few days ago with my original Neo on a bright sunny day. The area was covered in deep snow and the trail had recently been driven over by a snowmobile which gave the Neo a patten for the VPS to see. The Neo followed me perfectly in Active Track with the controller and on the way back it had no problem with Direction Track from the front (using my phone) until I walked into a heavily shaded area. At this point the Neo went into Atti mode and started swinging from left to right so I landed it before it crashed. Note the trail has little or no GPS signal.
In addition to the completely new battery system which is a downside for upgrading, my biggest question is, is the VPS that much better. Obviously it is better, but is it enough to handle snowy environments where the lighting conditions might change suddenly and there is little for the VPS to see. The Neo being a drone that is often flown low to the ground is in environments where GPS may not be available and therefore relies on VPS more often.
Chris
My son and his GF bought the full all in kit for me for Christmas, he has about 4 or 5 drones himself. I was going to get one after Christmas but as a semi invalid who walks with a rollator I was worried I would not get full use of it. Heck, I love it indoors a s much as out. I can fly it room to room when the weather is bad. Outside is what used to be a grass banking, now plants and flowers, with really high trees on top. My drone can go way above them and I am highly impressed. It follows front, side, back, hovers really well even in a breeze holding its place.
Voice command, gesture, RC, mobile only. Heck, I used to run out of things to get through the day before I went on the puter at night. Now I run out of hours to just play. I am hooked, at 66 I have a new hobby and it's so exciting. Next year I move on to a 3d printer and may be able to make some parts for my drone (both the drone and 3d printer were planned purchases for me anyway). I am so in awe at the way it holds its place and even dries my washing and increases my daily steps
Rieder
Voice command, gesture, RC, mobile only. Heck, I used to run out of things to get through the day before I went on the puter at night. Now I run out of hours to just play. I am hooked, at 66 I have a new hobby and it's so exciting. Next year I move on to a 3d printer and may be able to make some parts for my drone (both the drone and 3d printer were planned purchases for me anyway). I am so in awe at the way it holds its place and even dries my washing and increases my daily steps
Rieder
@Chrislaf, A direct comparison is complicated, because the hardware and method has changed substantially.
The Neo VPS camera is a limited FOV pinhole type that only uses Optical Flow processing for positioning.
The Neo 2 has no dedicated VPS camera. Instead there is a 180 camera on top and bottom, used for OA, and the bottom image also serving as the VPS input.
So there's a lot more imagery of the environment below the drone than with the neo, a much better camera, and a lot more going on in terms of processing the environment than just Optical Flow.
All that said, let's simplify. The Neo 2 flies just fine around my house, through dim hallways that challenged the neo's pinhole VPS camera. I haven't had it go ATTI on me yet, the neo can easily be confused.
I suspect the LiDAR on the front helps a bit too.
The Neo VPS camera is a limited FOV pinhole type that only uses Optical Flow processing for positioning.
The Neo 2 has no dedicated VPS camera. Instead there is a 180 camera on top and bottom, used for OA, and the bottom image also serving as the VPS input.
So there's a lot more imagery of the environment below the drone than with the neo, a much better camera, and a lot more going on in terms of processing the environment than just Optical Flow.
All that said, let's simplify. The Neo 2 flies just fine around my house, through dim hallways that challenged the neo's pinhole VPS camera. I haven't had it go ATTI on me yet, the neo can easily be confused.
I suspect the LiDAR on the front helps a bit too.
Chrislaf
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your reply. It is very likely that the Neo 2 would perform much better in the same environment I fly in where the original Neo had difficulty. There are a number of upgrades on the Neo 2 that I am interested in but weighing those upgrades against the downsides (for me) which include a completely different battery system and the fact that the digital transceiver is not even included in the drone only Fly More combo. I don't need another controller and don't want to be bothered with the hassle of trying to sell an extra one.
I think I'm going to try the snap on bottom night light that I have to see if it helps when the Neo finds itself in low light (shaded/overcast) situations and see if that helps.
Chris
