Just like any other technical equipment, your drone requires some regular maintenance work to make sure it keeps on giving service to you for a longer period of time. Maintaining a drone is very crucial especially for the reason that you’re paying a significant amount of money to buy one. Here are some basic drone care tips and techniques of how to maintain a drone so that you can give your drone the longest life.
Pre-flight Checklist
Nothing hurts more than losing your drone due to a silly mistake that you know you could have avoided if you were a bit more careful. A pre-flight checklist is nothing but a list of some important details that you should check before you fly your drone.
The lists may include checking the propellers to ensure they are not broken or damaged and attached firmly on the wings of your drone. Checking the batteries to see if they are fully charged so that they don’t drain out suddenly during the flight.
Your pre-flight checklist may also include checking the weather if it is suitable for flight, also the wind speed and direction. You may also want to set the home point before flying the drone so that it can return safely in case of an emergency. Finally, you should hover the drone for a moment to be sure enough that everything is fine and it is all set to have a good flight.
Cleaning Your Drone
Even when your drone looks clean and shiny, there may be sand grinds and residues present inside the intricate parts. Heavy dust particles can hinder the performance of your drone by making it slow and making the sensors dull. They can also damage the drone in the long run.
If you are a drone owner, cleaning your drone should be included in your daily routine. All you need to do is manage a suitable micro-fiber clothe for the task, soak it into the water to make it wet and use the cloth to clean up the surface of your drone.
For the intricate parts, you can use an air blower to blow off the dust. In addition to that, it is recommended to avoid dusty areas as much as you can when flying your drone. We have a detailed article on how to clean your drone.
Keep Your Battery Healthy
Making sure that your drone battery is in good health before flying is the most important task when it comes to drone maintenance. You should never allow your drone to fly on a low battery. Charge it up 100% before flying. Give your battery some time to cool before putting it inside the drone. Do not let the battery to drain below 20% and do not leave it on charge after 100%.
You should always store your battery in a dry place and away from any flammable materials. Never use damaged batteries and whenever you see anything unusual with your battery, dispose of them correctly and safely. Also, you may read how to extend drone battery life.
Carry Your Drone in a Quality Case
Always carry your drone in a good quality backpack or protective case so it remains safe and protected. You can find many of such backpacks in the market, but it is recommended that you use one with a hard shell.
Keep Your Camera & Gimbal Clean
The camera and gimbal are the two most fragile parts in a drone. You need to make sure that they are always clean and free of dust particles. Check the wirings on a regular basis to ensure that no grind particles and residues. Use an air blower to blow off the debris from the wirings, lenses and other intricate parts.
Use Up to Date Firmware
Just like a smartphone, your drone also needs update every now and then. All computer operated equipment are prone to bugs and malfunctions. So, before you fly your drone, you should check for the latest firmware update and install if any.
Better yet if you can make ‘searching for firmware update’ a routine work for you. Using up-to-date firmware does not only fix the bugs or malfunctions that your drone may have but also protect you from unexpected embarrassment in front of the customer.
Understand the Basics of the Components
A drone consists of multiple components which work together to enable the vehicle to fly and capture photos. It is important therefore, to understand the basic principles of all the components and how they work.
The basic components of a drone include propellers, motors, main body, battery and gimbal. Along with all these, you also need to develop some basic understanding on how to use speed controllers, flight controller and GPS module. Once you have developed an understanding of the components, it will become easier for you to operate and maintain your drone in a safe manner.
Fly in Safe Places
Knowing where not to fly a drone is just as much important as knowing where to fly a drone. There are number of things that can go wrong if you do not follow the instructions well. For the safety of people, vehicles and buildings around you, you should avoid flying your drone near airports, over places where public events or festivals are held, over the No-Fly zones and housing states.
You should also be extra careful when flying your drone over water bodies such as an ocean, lake, etc. It is also recommended that you do not fly your drone over woodland areas because that would increase the chance of getting your drone crashed and even if it survives, you will have a hard time finding your drone because it literally means, searching needle in a haystack!
Fly in Safe Weather
Check the weather condition before flying your drone. If it too windy outside, you may not control the flight of your drone well. If there is a chance of rain, you must hold your thoughts back. Check the amount of solar flair from the weather report. If there is too much solar flair, chances are, your drone may get burned and crash.
Repair Your Drone
Last but not the least, if you experience anything unusual with your drone, do not hesitate to visit a drone repairing shop. Even if your drone looks great from the outside, it may have issues which you may not be able to identify.
It will be even better if you do conduct routine checkups to examine your drone to see if everything is fine. If any part is not OK or damaged, repair it immediately. If it’s broken, replace. Make sure you’re flying a healthy vehicle over your head.
Regular maintenance of drone can increase the effectiveness of the vehicle and maximize their output. When you buy a drone, you’re not just buying an aerial vehicle, you’re buying a technical equipment that requires a good amount of servicing to extend its longevity beyond expectation. If you follow the drone maintenance tips well, you can expect your drone to last for a longer period of time without having to invest any additional amount of money.
Feature Image by DJI.com
