Your First Drone: What to Seek and What to Avoid (Drones Intro #5/6)

By: Teddy Nedelcu 16 April 2025

Short Answer: Grab a used DJI Mini from Facebook Marketplace — the cheaper, the better.

Why? DJI is the “Apple” of the drone world: reliable, polished, and nearly foolproof. A used drone costs less, and you’ll likely crash early on. No shame there; it’s all part of getting comfortable with the controls.

What to Look For

• Physical condition: Check for cracks, dents, or worn propellers. If anything looks seriously damaged, think twice. Best way to do this is to run your fingers along the body, arms, and propellers.
• Digital (software) status: Power on the drone and remote, confirm the camera feed works, and look for errors like compass or IMU issues.
• Battery usage: More than 20 cycles on a single battery is moderate use, not new but not old either. Over 50 total for all batteries hints at heavier mileage on the drone (think ~70000 km on a car). ProTip:Use high cycles to negotiate a lower price.
• Controller included: Avoid buying a drone without a remote unless you already own the exact model’s controller. Some listings seem really good until you notice it is only the drone.
• DJI Account Binding: DJI drones are linked to the original owner's account as a privacy and theft-prevention measure and DJI will only go as far as contacting the previous owner for you. If they can’t or won’t, it could mean trouble — or even that the drone was stolen.

Final Word

The DJI Mini is small, legal in most places, and an excellent teacher. Start with something secondhand, keep it simple, and embrace the turbulence along the way.

Lucian Nedelcu (Teddy), IT consultant
📧 teddyn@teddytech.net
📱 Signal (secure): @teddy.59
🔗 Linkedin: teddynedelcu

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