Now the initial hype from the release of the DJI Matrice 30 Series is over, we’re here to answer all of your questions about the product so that you have the information you need before you buy!
What is the DJI Matrice 30 Series?
The Matrice 30 series are two drones (Matrice 30 and Matrice 30T) that harness the power of the DJI Matrice 300 RTK and DJI Zenmuse H20 series payloads inside of a Mavic style frame, making them 2 of the most powerful, yet portable, drones on the market.
What’s the difference between the DJI Matrice 30 and Matrice 30T?
Both drones include a 12MP wide-angle camera, 1200m laser range finder, and 48MP Zoom camera with 200x max zoom. The difference is the T – standing for thermal. The M30T has a top-of-the-range 640 x 512px camera integrated into the payload, making it an invaluable tool for roof inspections and search and rescue.
How long can the DJI Matrice 30 Series fly for?
The Matrice 30 Series has a flight time of 41-minutes as quoted by DJI.
How much does the DJI Matrice 30 Series weigh?
The DJI Matrice 30 has a take-off weight of 3.7kg, just over half of the weight of the DJI Matrice 300 RTK!
Is the DJI Matrice 30 Series waterproof?
The DJI Matrice 30 Series is IP55-rated. This means that it is protected from total dust ingress and high-pressure water jets from any direction.
So, what does this mean?
While the DJI M30 Series cannot be classed as ‘waterproof’, the drone is resistant to water spray. You’ll be able to rest assured knowing that if you get caught in a shower, or need to get the drone up in an emergency, your drone will be protected as long as you dry it before storing.
Can the gimbal and camera of the Matrice 30 Series be replaced with other payloads?
The gimbal and camera are fixed to the drone and, therefore, cannot be replaced. This is the trade-off that was required by DJI to slim down the H20 series payload by over half (in weight) and attach it to Matrice 30 Series drones.
Can you add payloads to the DJI Matrice 30 Series?
The DJI Matrice 30 Series has a mount on the top side of the unit, with a port that will allow you developers out there to create your own 3rd party payloads.
Just remember you’ll only have around 685 grams of additional payload capacity to work with!
Is the DJI M30 Series arm-locking Mechanism the same as the DJI Matrice 300 RTK?
One sticking point that operators had with the DJI Matrice 300 RTK was the arm locking system. On this system, you would fold the arms out and lock into place using a rotational cuff. The DJI Matrice 30 series have brand-new arm locking functions. Simply fold the arms out and they’ll clip into place. To release, just press the button in and then fold.
What redundancy features does the DJI Matrice 30 have?
During a flight, if one motor of the aircraft stops working due to a runtime failure, the aircraft will automatically switch to the Three-Propeller Emergency Landing Mode. The flight control system will try to maintain the stability and control of the aircraft’s altitude and velocity, and make the aircraft descend automatically in this mode.
The allows sufficient time for the user to fly the aircraft to a safe area suitable for landing, avoiding a fall of the aircraft and its payloads from a high altitude, and preventing losses, personal injury, and property damage on the ground.
When the aircraft enters the Three-Propeller Emergency Landing Mode, the controller will vibrate to alert the user. At the same time, the aircraft will rapidly spin and automatically descend by default.
The stick that controls the backward and forward movements of the aircraft will be adjusted to control movements in north and south directions, and the stick controlling the left and right movements with be adjusted to control east and west.
It is recommended to operate the sticks and move the aircraft to a safe location suitable for landing as soon as possible. When the aircraft approaches the ground, the user may enable the emergency propeller stop function to land the aircraft. Reducing the chances of the aircraft crashing or spinning and minimising any losses.
What batteries does the DJI Matrice 30 series use?
The DJI Matrice 30 series use TB30 Intelligent flight batteries, and the controller, the RC Plus, uses WB37 batteries – the same batteries that were used by the Enterprise Smart controller that came with the Matrice 300.
The TB30 batteries have a self-heating mechanism meaning they operate in temperatures ranging from 20°C to 50°C. However, please do bear in mind that they will have a shortened battery life compared to the regular 41-minute flight time.
The Matrice 30 Series also comes with an all-new BS30 Intelligent Battery Station. The battery station offers space for 8x TB30 batteries and 2x batteries to be charged at any one time.
This station has three smart charging modes that work as follows:
- Standard Mode: Each battery pair is charged to 100% in sequence – this takes roughly 42-minutes to complete
- Storage Mode: Each battery pair is charged to 50% in sequence and kept at 50% after charging
- Ready-to-fly mode: Each battery pair is charged to 90% in sequence and kept at 90% after charging – this takes about 30 minutes to charge from 20%-90%
Can you hot-swap batteries in the DJI Matrice 30 Series?
You’ll also be pleased to know that the DJI Matrice 30 Series utilises a similar hot-swapping function as the Matrice 300 RTK. To change batteries, simply release the locking mechanism, swap one battery out and replace it with the new battery and repeat for the other battery.
The benefits of this are apparent to operators in all industries, reducing downtime by removing the need to turn the drone off during battery changes, and restarting the setup process.
Does the BS30 Intelligent Battery Station need to be plugged in?
Yes – the battery station needs to be plugged into mains electricity or a car to charge the batteries inside.
What Smart features are available on the DJI Matrice 30 Series?
The Matrice 30 Series is compatible with all the same Smart features that were capable on the DJI Matrice 300 RTK, and more!
These include:
- High-Resolution Grid Photo – Frame an area of interest in a wide-camera view, and the zoom camera will automatically capture a set of 20 MP images of the area. These images are stored together with an overview image that can be viewed in greater detail.
- AI Spot-Check – Automate routine inspections and capture consistent results every time. Onboard AI recognises the pre-marked subject of interest in subsequent automated missions to ensure consistent framing.
- Pinpoint – A quick tap marks an object in view, and advanced sensor fusion algorithms immediately deliver its coordinates
- Smart Track – Identify and follow moving subjects like people, vehicles, and boats with the auto-zoom function, while continuously acquiring the subject’s dynamic location
- Smart Low-Light Photo – Capture bright, clear images in low-light conditions
- Smart Inspection – An upgrade to live mission recording brings an optimised user interface, convenient task recording and target point marking, saving 90% of operation steps. Gimbal angle and photo settings can be adjusted between waypoints, improving flight and mission efficiency.
- Live Annotations – Highlight objects or areas of interest for efficient mission management and resource distribution. Annotations are visible to ground teams, pilots or any team member for timely project alignment and task distribution.
- Waypoints – Create up to 65,535 waypoints and set multiple actions for your payload.
- More!
Does the DJI Matrice 30 Series have RTK?
M30 Series have built-in RTK modules inside of the unit. The Network RTK service allows the aircraft to withstand strong magnetic interference from metal structures and high-voltage lines, ensuring safe and stable flights.
What controller is compatible with the DJI Matrice 30 Series?
The only controller that is supported by the Matrice 30 Series drones is the new DJI RC Plus.
The RC Plus offers a 7-inch ultra-bright display, with each WB37 battery lasting for around 6-hours each. Another great feature of this controller is that, just like the drone, the batteries are now hot-swappable. This means that you won’t have to land the drone when you have low power in your batteries, you can simply switch one battery out for another and carry on operating.
Does the DJI Matrice 30 Series support dual control?
This is a question that we have been asked a lot since the M30 Series launched. Dual control is a feature that was introduced on the DJI Matrice 200 Series and was further developed for the DJI Matrice 300 RTK.
M30 series aircraft Advanced Dual Operator mode allows two pilots to operate an aircraft simultaneously with remote controllers A and B. In this mode, both remote controllers have equal control of the aircraft. The roles of both remote controllers operating the aircraft are not assigned in advance. Instead, either pilot may gain control of the aircraft, or the gimbal camera as needed, allowing for more flexibility during the operation. Control over the aircraft is independent of control over the gimbal camera. When a remote controller gains control of the aircraft or the gimbal camera, the user can use the controller to operate the aircraft or control the movement of the gimbal camera respectively.
This reduces the strain on operators and increases flight efficiency and safety by allowing them to focus their full attention on their flight path.
‘Daisy-chaining’ controllers is also possible via the Advanced Dual Operator mode.
Does the DJI RC Plus Controller work with the DJI Matrice 300 RTK?
Currently no – but this is a development that DJI are looking to manage in the future, with the Matrice 300 RTK still being their flagship drone.
Is the DJI RC Plus waterproof?
You’ll be pleased to know the DJI RC Plus is DJI’s first water-resistant controller, rated to IP54. Traditionally it’s been difficult for pilots who get caught in spells of bad weather to feel confident flying their IP-rated drone back whilst staying undercover. Now you can feel confident in completing your operations in less than ideal weather conditions.
If you have any more questions about the DJI Matrice 30 series drones, make sure to get in touch.
We have a team of experts on hand that are ready to help you through your journey of adopting new technologies, or upscaling an existing drone team.
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