Best DJI Ryze Tello Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

Fruit of the collaboration between the Chinese start-up Ryse, DJI and Intel, the Tello is a quadrotor mini-drone designed to ” be as much fun as possible “, according to its creators. For this, it has several assistances which make it accessible to beginners, which does not prevent it from integrating more advanced functions.

Presentation

A real gateway to the world of recreational drones, the Ryze. Tello could almost be described as an entry-level DJI mini-drone. It is also no coincidence that it is precisely offered in the latter’s online store, bridging the gap left under the € 499 Spark. We understand better why DJI agreed to provide its flight controller to the young shoot. Ryze, which he welcomes under his wing. At 109 €, the Tello is in any case an interesting proposition for novices who want to try the drone experience and have a versatile device. Whether it’s simply discovering the surroundings seen from the sky and making some videos or photos, just having fun with the prerecorded aerial figures or, a little more seriously, discovering the little world of programming thanks to a development kit, the Tello seems capable of meeting many expectations.

Sold from 109 € (drone with a battery, 8 propellers and 4 propeller protections), the Tello is also available in several packs. We thus find the Tello Boost Combo, adding two batteries and a charger, as well as a micro-USB cable. Additional batteries are charged 25 €, the set of 4 propellers 4 € and the 4 propeller guards 6 €. Some resellers also associate the drone with controllers ( Tello + Gamesir T1D or Tello + Gamevice iOS ).

Best DJI Ryze Tello Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Ryze Tech Tello – Mini Drone Quadcopter UAV for Kids Beginners 5MP Camera HD720 Video 13min. Flight Time Education Scratch Programming Toy Selfies, powered by DJI, White

2. Ryze Tech Tello – Mini Drone Quadcopter UAV for Kids Beginners 5MP Camera HD720 Video 13min. Flight Time Education Scratch Programming Toy Selfies, Powered by DJI, White

3. RYZE Tello 8520 Coreless Genuine CW CCW Motor for DJI Tello 720P Camera WiFi FPV Mini Drone. Quadcopter Repair Accessories (Genuine M1 Motor (Long Black/White Line))

4. DJI Tello Ryze – Mini Drone Ideal for Short Videos with EZ Shots, Vr Goggles and Game Controller Compatibility. 720P HD Transmission and 100 Meter Range

Getting started

If its design can vaguely think of a mixture between the Spark and the Mavic. Air , the proportions of the Tello (177 x 177 x 40 mm) especially evoke the Mambo of Parrot. The Ryze mini-drone however adopts more consensual forms and, above all, turns out to be better finished than its French competitor. Plastics seem indeed much more robust and more careful assemblies, giving the impression of having in hand a drone of higher range and not a toy. Feeling reinforced by the care given to the aesthetics, the absence of apparent wire and the presence of a small front camera well integrated in the body of the device.

The comparison stops there, however, the DJI Ryze Tello is indeed a mini-drone with a fun vocation. It weighs 89 grams with its battery and its propeller guards installed, you can really take it anywhere and fly it indoors without problem. Because once careened, the Tello tolerates small rubs against walls, for example, keeping a certain stability. So to speak, we only lost propellers during slightly too violent contact with plants and the fairing never jumped. The same cannot be said of that of the Mambo, for example, which is less well fixed.

Before getting there, however, it is advisable to have a smartphone, the Tello cannot function without. Head to the Google or Apple Store to download the homonymous application, then in the Wi-Fi options of the smartphone to connect to the device that does not ask for a password (you can however assign one). We will of course have previously pressed the small button on the right edge of the drone to turn it on.

Flight

Equipped with small 8520 brushed motors on which 75 mm propellers are mounted, the DJI Ryze Tello takes off with a simple swipe of the finger on the smartphone screen, from a flat surface or directly from our hand if we activated the ‘corresponding take-off option. It then stabilizes automatically at a little over a meter above its take-off position and endeavors not to move from it while awaiting an order.

He uses his lower sensors for this, but sometimes he loses his position and moves a little, horizontally as vertically. Nothing really annoying, but it is better to keep the controls at hand and not to take your eyes off it for too long. It is also possible to take it off in the conventional way by orienting the virtual sticks towards each other, which proves to be just as simple. Conversely, for landing, we are free to lower the throttle so that the aircraft lands on the ground or activate the automatic option, the engines then shut down as soon as the drone is landed.

The device is controlled by default via the touch controls of the Tello app. Two virtual sticks are offered and arranged in mode 2 by default (gas on the left). But they can be reversed in the options. Despite the intrinsic imprecision of the touch controls, it is clear that the control of the Tello remains quite pleasant. We can probably say thank you to the DJI flight controller and the various integrated assistance systems which allow a flight which is admittedly quite slow, but smooth and fairly safe. Perfect for beginners.

More

For more precision and comfort, it is better to opt for a Bluetooth controller like the Gamesir. T1d that we were able to test with the DJI Ryze Tello. Specifically designed for this drone, it is similar to a DualShock 4 controller. Its finishes are fairly correct with a coating to the rubber touch quite pleasant in hands and its mass is reasonable, at 208 g (built-in battery) on the scale. The smartphone is installed in a clamp mechanism (max. Width 8 cm) with two angles of inclination ensuring good support. On the other hand, we found its triggers a little too firm and its analog sticks are notched on 8 directions. Making their handling less fluid than with those of a joystick for game console, for example.

With such a controller, switching to “fast” mode proposed in the parameters allows you to feel a semblance of driving sensations. Only a semblance, since it is not the vocation of the Tello, which willingly lends itself to a small obstacle course, but not to a real race. Is not  racer  who wants. We can nevertheless enjoy an immersion flight mode thanks to a VR view compatible with virtual reality masks for smartphones, which is always nice. Beware of motion sickness, however, the significant latency and the lack of depth (a single camera) can quickly overturn the stomach of the most sensitive.

The application integrates several automated flight modes, allowing for example to film with a 360 ° rotation or by flying around a fixed point. However, the lack of recognition of objects or people limits the value of these options. Don’t wait for modes as advanced as those of DJI drones, to name a few. 

Image quality

The image captured by the camera is transmitted via Wi-Fi on the smartphone screen with a rather satisfactory quality for a mini-drone. In slow mode, the image is digitally stabilized on two axes, ensuring satisfactory video capture at short range and indoors. But at the cost of reducing the size of the image (stabilization by cropping). It is more delicate outdoors when there is a little wind, the drone then shaking much more. Registering and even controlling the device also gets more complicated as the distance to it increases – or as the partitions multiply, indoors. More and more cuts occur then, sometimes even from ten meters. 

In addition to adversely affecting piloting, they directly impact the recording of sequences. Since they are done on the smartphone and not in the drone itself! In other words, it is the video that is observed on the smartphone that is recorded, with its transmission faults. Not that captured by the camera of the drone at its source. We would have preferred to be able to record on a microSD installed in the drone. Even if it means post-production stabilization.

To improve things, we can equip ourselves with a Wi-Fi repeater which amplifies the signal and therefore increases the range. For this we used the Xiaomi Repeater 2 which can be connected to an external battery via USB. The result is better, but everything is not perfect and it is better to point the antenna towards the drone to keep a good quality of connection.

Autonomy

The DJI Ryze Tello is powered by a proprietary LiHV 1S 3.8 V 1100 mAh battery. Its installation and removal are very simple and it stays in place in its housing despite the inevitable collisions. That the drone ends up suffering. Charging is done directly from the micro-USB port of the device, with a smartphone charger (2 A) or via the. USB port of a computer. You have to be patient, the operation requiring almost an hour and a half! Once fully charged, then count about ten minutes of autonomy in slow flight, a little more hovering, which is quite good for a mini-drone. However, we have not reached the 13 minutes promised by the manufacturer. We can only advise the purchase of additional batteries or even the Boost pack (3 batteries and a charger).

STRONG POINTS

• Very accessible.
• Well built and robust.
• Safe flight stabilization.
• Touch control more pleasant than usual.
• Satisfactory autonomy for a mini-drone (ten minutes).

WEAK POINTS

• Insufficient range / Clippings in the video broadcast.
• Video recording on the smartphone and not in the drone.
• Battery recharge too long (around 1h30).
• Reduced number of compatible controllers.
• Limited programming possibilities.

CONCLUSION

Well constructed, easy to handle, the DJI Ryze Tello looks attractive at first sight. Unfortunately, he misses his target by betting too much on his camera. Even though he suffers from a reduced range causing jerks in retransmission and video recording. Difficult under these conditions to really use it for shooting or even to try out the drone race. There remains a rather complete device which represents a good entry into the universe of the drone, provided that one is aware of its limits.

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