Yes, cracked propellers should be replaced. They don’t wear out easily unless they hit something. Manual landing is recommended because Return to Home (RTH) might not be perfectly accurate—it can land a few feet off from the takeoff spot.
Also, the beeping sound you hear is likely due to collision detection. If there’s nothing obvious around the drone, try cleaning the sensors. I keep lens cleaner in my bag for situations like this.
Yes, replace the cracked propellers. They don’t really wear out unless you hit something.
I’d recommend manual landing over RTH, as it gets close but might not land exactly on the spot. Glad to see you got it working!
As for the beeping, it’s likely the collision detection system. If there’s nothing visibly in the way, clean the sensors. I keep lens cleaner handy for this reason.
@Amory
Thanks! I’ll clean the sensors soon. I’m a little worried because I hit a wall earlier, and later that night the drone fell during takeoff. That’s when I noticed the cracked propellers. Also, a light on the bottom came on. Luckily, I got DJI insurance before anything major happened, but I hope I won’t need it.
I’ll stick to manual landing, but I’m curious—how does RTH work?
@August
To use RTH, hold down the ‘home’ button, and the drone will return and land within a couple of feet of the takeoff spot. It also activates automatically when the battery gets low.
The light on the bottom is the landing light, so no need to worry about that.
@Amory
Thanks! Does it matter if I get replacement propellers from Amazon, or should they be OEM?
August said:
@Amory
Thanks! Does it matter if I get replacement propellers from Amazon, or should they be OEM?
OEM is the safer bet. Third-party props can be hit or miss—some work fine, but others might confuse the drone’s sensors.
The biggest issue with OEM props is the tiny screwdriver that comes with them, which tends to strip screws easily.
@Amory
That tiny screwdriver is so frustrating! I’ll look for a longer, better one since I’ll probably need to replace the props myself often. Thanks for the advice!
To answer your questions:
Should you replace the propellers? Yes. A good rule of thumb is if you’re wondering whether they need replacing, they probably do.
Do propellers wear out over time? Even if you don’t crash, dust and dirt can cause erosion. It may take hundreds of hours of flying, but they’ll eventually need replacing.
Why does the controller beep when hovering? It’s likely the collision detection system warning you about a nearby object.
What do the red and orange lines mean on the screen? They indicate obstacles and their proximity to the drone.
Can RTH land on uneven surfaces? RTH may struggle with uneven surfaces like rocks and might not land in the exact same spot. Manual landing is more precise for tricky surfaces.
YouTube channels for beginners? Check out Pilot Institute. They have tutorials for new drone pilots and might offer free courses on their website.
@Ozzie
Thanks for the detailed response! I’ll test the drone again today. Regarding the rocks, they’re in a park near me. Some are large with mostly flat tops, so I’m thinking of testing those for landing. If all goes well, I’ll try to get some video and share it!
Legend!
