Drone Operators Equipment Guide
We invest in research and development to assess and guide our own operations so we can effectively serve our clients, whether as a flight service provider or drone operations advisor. Consequently, we have invested significant time and money using and testing equipment, multiple configurations, including apps and software as part of building our business. As a service to our fellow drone operators, we thought we would share our insight about drone equipment that we like and recommend. Some of the items may be specific to certain project types, but most are simply useful and recommended.
Aircraft
ENTERPRISE CLASS
Autel EVO II Pro V3 6K Enterprise (and RTK module)
DJI Mavic 4 Pro Drone with RC 2 Remote Controller
DJI Matrice 400
DJI Matrice 4 Series
DJI Matrice 30
DJI Matrice 300 RTK
DJI M600 Pro (Only for Oil & Gas Inspections with specialized payload)
PRO-CONSUMER CLASS
Autel EVO II Pro V3
DJI Mavic 3 Pro
DJI Air 3S
Sensors/Cameras
Yuneec H520 Compatible
CGO-ET Camera and Infrared (Thermal) Sensor
E10T High-Resolution Thermal and Low-Light Camera
FILTERS for H520 - E90
Freewell 4K Series Standard Day Filters
Freewell 4K Series Bright Day Filters
FILTERS for Mavic 3
Sandmarc Pro Plus Filters - 6 Pack Variety
FILTERS for Phantom 4 Pro V2
Other Equipment
Aviation Transceiver
Yaesu FTA-550L NAV/COM Aviation Transceiver is an Airband transceiver that enables two-way communications with ATCT and aircraft. Improves safety around busy airports! We recommend the lithium battery version.
RANGE EXTENDER
4Hawks Raptor SR Range Extender Antenna for Yuneec H520 ST16S Controller (improves signal strength by about 30% and claims a 3x range extension)
MICROSD CARD
128GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-3 Card (very fast read/write, high-capacity storage, ideal for 4K/6K/8K recording & images)
CHARGERS
Hanatora Battery Charger for Autel Robotics EVO 2/II Pro V2, V3, Enterprise, RTK - supports all Autel EVO II Series batteries; rapid, simultaneous charging for 3 batteries.
Battery Charger for DJI Avata 2 - Supports Full and Storage Charge, LCD Display, 6 in 1 Multi Hub with rapid, simultaneous charging for 4 batteries
Yuneec DY5 High Efficiency Balance Charger/Discharger
WEATHER GEAR
AcuRite PRO+ 5-in-1 Weather Sensor w/Dual Solar Panels (06014M or 01535M)
AcuRite Lightning Detector Sensor (06045M)
AcuRite Wireless Color Display/Receiver (06046M)
Tru-Find Compass with Lanyard (BR1005)
Tripod for Weather Station with 8ft Height
GEAR CASES
Drone Cases
Pelican 1620 Case for Yuneec H520
DroneWorld Case for Phantom 4
Vivitar Backpack for DJI Mavic
Camera/Sensor Cases
Outdoor.cases - Type 1000
Mobile Apps
Airmap - Pilot profile, aircraft info, request digital authorization (LAANC, where available), get traffic alerts, etc.
DJI4 GO - DJI Flight Control App
Litchi - Flight Control App for DJI Drones (NOTE: DJI may refuse to cover warranty issues if crash occurs during use of non-DJI apps)
Kittyhawk - Flight Control App for DJI Drones (NOTE: DJI may refuse to cover warranty issues if crash occurs during use of non-DJI apps)
B4UFly - FAA Mobile App
DroneMaps - FAA Sectionals and UAS Facility Maps
Verifly - On-demand Drone Insurance
Skywatch - On-demand Drone Insurance
Software
FLIGHT PLANNING for Autel EVO II & Enterprise
Autel Explorer
DroneLink (Autel EVO II V1 & V2 only, 6K and 8K sensors only) - Enterprise has partial support, RTK is not supported and Thermal sensor is not supported.
FLIGHT PLANNING for DJI
DroneDeploy
DroneLink
Litchi
FLIGHT PLANNING for YUNEEC H520
Yuneec DataPilot Planner (Check Version)
Pix4D (Only supports E90 Camera)
LOCAL/OFFLINE IMAGE PROCESSING
Microsoft Image Composite Editor
ONLINE IMAGE PROCESSING
DroneDeploy
MapsMadeEasy
Pix4D, Agisoft, Datumate, Dronifi
Safety
STROBE LIGHTS
Avea PICOMAX Drone Beacon Strobe
PARACHUTE SYSTEMS
YUNEEC H520 COMPATIBLE
DJI COMPATIBLE
GPS DRONE TRACKING DEVICE