Curious about how to elevate your drone flying hobby?
We know drones have blown up in popularity recently. FAA Drone registrations currently sit just over 850,000 units with recreational flyers accounting for almost two-thirds of all drone registrations.
But here’s the thing…
Purchasing a drone and flying it straight out of the box is only scratching the surface of what’s possible. If you want to get the most out of your UAV experience, there are certain drone gadgets and accessories you should consider.
The best part is these accessories won’t cost you thousands of dollars. In fact, most of these recommended accessories are quite affordable.
Let’s go through all the drone accessories you should own…
Post Contents
Topics we’ll cover:
- Essential drone gadgets for beginners
- Advanced drone accessories for more serious hobbyists
- How to shop for quality autonomous vehicle components
- Safety drone gadgets that are still super useful
Why Drone Hobbyists Need Accessories
Remember when you bought your first drone? Probably did everything straight out of the box, right?
Jump forward to today. Your drone isn’t the same drone it was when you got it. You’ve probably accessorized it with stickers or even some new tech.
When you buy new gadgets or drone accessories that enhance the flying experience, you start to realize your drone isn’t your drone without these accessories.
Whether it’s new….
- Batteries
- Propellers
- Cameras
- FPV Goggles
- Landing Pads
The right drone accessories allow you to…
- Fly farther and longer
- Take better quality video footage
- Fly more safely
- And even navigate more accurately
Flying drone(s) exposes you to a whole new industry of UAV specific components. Shopping for quality autonomous vehicle components can be difficult. Companies like NW Blue specialize in designing and manufacturing components that fit the rigorous needs of unmanned vehicles. Don’t hesitate to research and buy your drone components from the right suppliers.
Here are all the drone gadgets every hobbyist should consider…
Essential Drone Gadgets for Beginners
These drone accessories are your absolute minimum. If you don’t own these yet, start here.
Extra Batteries
Don’t underestimate the power of throwing a couple extra batteries in your drone backpack.
Consumer drones come with roughly 20-30 minutes of flight time per battery. That’s not a lot of flying time when you’re getting those epic shots or trying to find your favourite drone flying location.
Here’s the advice.
Always have at least 3 batteries with you when you fly. That gives you right around an hour to 90 minutes of flight time before you have to go home and charge everything back up. Nothing is worse than looking up and seeing your drone run out of battery.
Landing Pad
This one isn’t very glamorous but it’s helpful.
A drone landing pad protects your drone from debris, grass, dirt, etc. when taking off and landing. They also give you a nice visual target for setting your drone down. Most pilots don’t realize how dirty their boots are making their motors until they start using a landing pad.
Look for one that folds up small and is easy to carry around with you. They won’t set you back much either.
Carrying Case
Don’t be that person that tosses their drone into a bag with all their gear.
Invest in a good carrying case for your drone, batteries, controller, and accessories. Many cases come with custom cut foam inserts to secure your drone and gear into place.
Pro tip: Hard cases offer more protection but are bulkier. Soft cases are better for hiking and traveling.
Advanced Drone Gadgets for Serious Hobbyists
You’ve got the basics down. Let’s look at some gadgets that take your flying experience to the next level.
ND Filters
Your GoPro doesn’t come with ND filters? Neither does your drone!
ND filters allow you to use lower shutter speeds while filming with your drone. Lower shutter speeds = smoother video footage. If you’re filming without a ND filter your video will always look Amateur.
ND filters essentially act as sunglasses for your drone camera. They reduce the amount of light entering the camera lens.
Every serious drone pilot carries around a few ND filters ranging from ND4 to ND32. Which filter you should use depends on the light available.
FPV Goggles
Looking for the most immersive drone flying experience?
FPV goggles allow you to see what your drone sees in real-time. Instead of watching your controller’s screen, you’re literally looking through your drone’s camera.
The result?
You have a better awareness of your surroundings. You fly more accurately. And it’s just downright fun.
Range Extenders
While stock antennas are great for the average hobbyist, there’s a limit to how far you can fly your drone.
Don’t worry, aftermarket range extenders can help.
Range extenders boost your control signal allowing you to push your drone farther while maintaining a reliable connection. Just remember to always obey your local UAV laws. Always fly within visual line of sight!
Safety Drone Gadgets You’ll Love
Safety gadgets might not be the most exciting but they’re worth considering.
Prop Guard
Prop Guards serve a couple of purposes.
First, they protect your drone’s propellers from damage. Second, they can protect other people’s property (or even people) if your drone were to crash.
This is especially useful if you fly indoors often or like to fly in tight spaces.
Strobe Light
Flying during Golden Hour? Make sure everyone else can see your drone too.
A strobe light increases your drones visibility to other aircraft. It also helps you keep visual contact with your drone in low-light environments.
Some countries now even require you have your drone lit for certain flights. If your local laws don’t require a drone strobe light, it’s still recommended to get one. They’re cheap, easy to install, and incredibly helpful.
GPS Tracker
This one might not seem useful at first but it’s worth the investment.
What happens if you lose your drone out in the middle of nowhere? A GPS tracker can help you find your drone if it were to crash and not respond anymore. The best GPS trackers will operate separately from your drone’s electronics. That means they’ll continue to broadcast your location even if your drone loses power.
How to Buy Quality Drone Accessories
When it comes to drone accessories, you get what you pay for. The market is flooded with cheap China made accessories.
That cheap drone battery you bought for $15? That’s probably going to be the battery that dies on you mid-flight.
When buying drone accessories, keep these tips in mind:
- Read reviews and buy from other hobbyists
- Go with trusted brands
- Double check compatibility with your drone model
- Don’t always purchase the cheapest option
Quality drone components will last longer and perform better. Saving that extra $10 on a charger might cost you your drone if that brand you never heard of doesn’t stand behind their products.
Final Takeaways
Building out your dream drone kit will take time. There’s no need to run out and buy all these gadgets at once.
Start with the essentials. Cases, extra batteries, and a landing pad will take your drone experience to the next level immediately.
Once you start taking your hobby more seriously, that’s when you should look into higher-end drone accessories. ND filters, FPV goggles, range extenders, and extra batteries are game changers.
Let’s recap real quick:
- Get more drone batteries
- Protect your drone with a landing pad
- Boost your video quality with ND Filters
- Don’t forget about safety drone gadgets
- Try and buy quality when it comes to drone accessories
Drone sales are expected to reach USD 46.1 Billion by 2033, meaning more quality drone gadgets become more affordable as the market grows. There’s never been a better time to fly drones.
Get out there and fly safely fellow drone hobbyists.