Cyberlayman tests the MJX Bugs 5W drone, suitable for anyone who wants to start flying without giving up first-rate technical features, such as GPS and brushless motors, which are really silent. Here's what it looks like, who it's suitable for, and what it can and cannot do, complete with a demonstration video of the potential of the 1080p camera included in the bundle.
Equipment
First of all, the service equipment. The drone arrives inside a real carrying bag. This is already an appreciable element in itself, because it avoids the user buying a bag, which certainly would have had a price between 20 and 30 euros. Moreover, it is really well made, because it houses and perfectly protects the drone, radio control, and all the cables and accessories included.
Among these, battery charger, spare propellers, smartphone support for the remote control and three batteries. Precisely the latter represent an element of advantage for a pilot, because they extend the flight by a lot. We will return to longevity shortly, but with three batteries the total flight half hour is well exceeded.
How it's done
MJX Bugs 5W is a small to medium size drone. It is smaller, and especially lower than a DJI Phantom, but it is larger than a Mavic Air. It has a classic shape for a drone, it is already mounted when it is delivered at home, and the user will only have to connect the camera to its housing, under the belly of the drone, connect the battery, and start the flight.
Preliminary operation
The only precaution before taking off is to calibrate the drone's compass. If performing the first calibration it will be sufficient to turn on the remote control at the same time as pressing the padlock button on the remote control and, subsequently, insert the battery into the drone.
The quadcopter will immediately enter calibration mode and, at that point, it will be sufficient to rotate the drone as shown in the manual. Without proper compass calibration, the drone will not start. Since this is a drone with brushless motors of good power, the advice is to turn it on in areas without any obstacles, however, this advice is valid for any type of drone, so as to be in compliance with the ENAC regulation.
Characteristics
As already mentioned, MJX Bugs 5W, has brushless motors, and is really quiet in flight, more than a DJI Mavic Air. During our tests we immediately noticed the quietness of the drone, which is practically not heard, even when it is right above the pilot's head.
It is small and light, and this feature makes it absolutely snappy during flight, thanks to the powerful brushless motors. These would also allow to house a third party gimbal, and to support the weight of a GoPro: the drone, however, is quite low, and this would not allow the installation of a gimbal, except for modifications to the landing gear.
MJX Bugs 5W has a GPS module: we noticed that the drone locks on satellites with extreme speed, and this allows the pilot to fly in total safety, knowing full well that the aircraft will return by itself in an emergency.
Moreover, the GPS seems to be working well: despite the strong wind, having tried the drone right next to the sea, the aircraft remained in stable hovering, without accidentally moving. The automatic return to base also worked great: the drone landed automatically a very short distance from its actual take-off point.
From this point of view, and from that of the GPS, MJX Bugs 5W has always shown itself ready and reactive, suitable for starting to fly, simple enough, but with an on-board equipment that is truly unrivaled.
Moreover, the “Point of Interest” and “Follow Me” modes deserve a real applause. These are activated immediately by simply touching the relative icon on the screen. As for the POI option, it is activated without having to set the range or speed: just a simple click on the screen and the drone will automatically begin to rotate around a specific point.
As for the Follow Me, it is sufficient to frame yourself with the drone, and click the relative option on the screen. Even in the latter case, the drone will immediately start following the subject.
As we show in the video, the “Follow Me” mode works quite well, not 100% accurate, but absolutely enjoyable. As already mentioned, we tested the drone on a very windy day, so the result obtained is more than appreciable.
Where the drone fails, unfortunately, is the multimedia department. The camera allows you to record videos up to 1080p, but not stabilized. A gimbal is missing, or some sort of software stabilization, which can still apply with iMovie, or other similar software.
This affects the overall quality of the movie, because you will certainly not be able to enjoy a particularly stable video. The result, however, is not totally to be discarded, and the video bears witness to it.
The flight range is good, which on paper should reach about 200 – 300 meters: this is a good distance, also considering that it already goes beyond the limits imposed by current regulations.
Good battery, small in size, from 1800 mAh, able to maintain the drone flight for more than 10 minutes (probably 12/13 with favorable weather conditions). In any case, the version we tested already includes three batteries, thus guaranteeing over 30 minutes of certain flight.
Application
The app to download to be able to enjoy the images of the flight in real time on your smartphone is Bugs Go, available for free in the App Store and Google Play. For the connection, of course, it will be necessary to connect the smartphone to the WiFi network created automatically by the drone.
At this point, you will have to select the model of your drone from the main screen. By doing so, you will access the main control screen, where you will be able to appreciate the real-time video stream transmitted by the drone's camera.
The interface is simple, but effective. The image of the camera is transmitted practically in full screen, with a bar at the top where there is information relating to the distance of the drone, the battery status of the aircraft and the remote control, in addition to the icons to activate the automatic RTH, the POI mode, Follow Me and flight via waypoints.
Conclusions
MJX Bugs 5W is a good drone, especially for those who want to start flying, but also for those who want to experiment, finding gimbal that can be adapted, so as to mount a GoPro under the “belly”. Good brushless motors, efficient GPS, working automatic take-off and landing button and really effective RTH.
The three batteries included, as well as the supplied bag, serve to justify the price of 176 euros. Good autonomy, easy to drive, you have to compromise a little with the image quality, due to a lack of stabilization.
You can buy it on GearBest for about 176 euros, with three batteries included in the bundle. It is also available in a version with one or two batteries, respectively at 111 and 169 euros. In total sincerity, we do not recommend buying the version with two batteries, considering that the one with three batteries costs only 7 euros more. We therefore recommend the bundle with three batteries or, to save money, the one with only one battery.
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