ribit:
Re: “a drone he paid $1500.00 bucks for. He can fly it up to a point and put it on auto and it will stay right there til he moves it.”
You didn't say when he bought it. Drone technology has improved hugely in the last five years. The model I bought for $150 has features such as auto return (just push a button and it will come back to you), hovering (what you've described your friend's drone as doing), following - which means that it will hover relative to you as you walk, auto return if the transmitter signal is ever lost or the battery grows weak, auto landing (just push a button), etc. Unless there is a very strong gust of wind or a malfunction, there's no reason why this thing should ever crash.
I'm not trying to claim that this $150 drone is as good as your friend's. His undoubtedly has a longer flight time (I can only do 20 minutes) and greater range (mine can do 300 meters, but with a mod to the transmitter's antenna, it can do .75 miles.) His likely has higher quality videos. It probably flies faster and is more maneuverable. And I bet it's a larger drone. Maybe it can even carry a payload.
The better ones have r/c camera control - so you can turn the camera while the drone is in flight. One thing I don't like about most of the cheaper drones including mine is that their cameras are aimed ahead. I'd rather it be aimed DOWN. The camera angle is usually not adjustable even by hand. That's pretty stupid imo.
But $1,500? That's a lot of money for something that is essentially still a toy.
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