Drone deploy vs. Map made easy

Aerialmotion · Feb 18, 2016

Just wondering if anyone here has used map made easy. It appears to do everything drone deploy does. It also seems to offer a more economical price point.

I will test both, however I'm looking for input from those with experience using both products.

Thanks

pixl45 · Feb 18, 2016

My research indicates a much wider array of services from Drone Deploy, but they really come at a price. They seem to be geared to volume industrial clients. Particularly in the AG space, there is the most buzz about them.

Aerialmotion · Feb 18, 2016

Thanks, have you worked with both products? Just wondering from a software point do they both work well with the dji go app for setting up your waypoints etc...

Outta Control · Feb 18, 2016

Photogrammetrics is the up and coming industrial solution and I expect there will be some serious competition within this and next year.

Being so, Drone Deploy seems to be the only one that actively listens to their customers especially us Beta users.

John Alan · Feb 18, 2016

I have used Maps Made Easy app and like it... Have done one 63 pic/ 8+acre test run... they processed...
I flew a quick hop with DJI Go App to be sure my UAV was good... landed...
Killed Go and loaded the MME app with the plan saved already...
Hit start... it Autotakeoff'd... flew the pattern snapping pics... did a Return to Home... snapped one more pic at touchdown (MME uses for reference on altitude against master)... then said done...
I just watched as it did all that...

TestMap1

The above is a public version... what I can see/get is more in depth...
Be sure to click the icon upper right and select the elevation version...

And I think MME is cheaper then DD... from what I have seen...
Have not used Drone Deploy yet... the price scared me to try MME first...
I have plans to do some more areas this weekend and see how they turn out...

Aerialmotion · Feb 18, 2016

That's great, thank for the info. Once I get some decent weather I will give MME a try.

Please share your results if you don't mind after further testing. This weekend isn't looking very flyer friendly for me. I would be mainly using the service for NDVI processing.

I just ordered the OSMO so I can get the black camera instead of the white X3 and ordered a NDVI lens to do a lens swap. I will make use of the OSMO handle with the X5 when adapter is ever released. I have the pro black edition so I don't want a white X3 camera hanging off it

John Alan · Feb 18, 2016

I will share a few more... once I do more...

I am in the middle of changing all my X3 camera lenses right now...
Have 3 units... changing all three with IRpro 4.35mm (72* fov replacements)
Did the RGB version last night... and started the IR (730nm up) one...
Leaving the NDVI-7 for last... as it cost the most $$...

I too am going to be doing a lot of NDVI surveys this year...
The just bought Matrice (see sig) is going to be tasked for this use... Dual battery and X3 setup
Use MME app and let er rip...

Aerialmotion · Feb 18, 2016

That's great sounds like you are off to the races full tilt.

I went and ordered the 4.35mm from peau so I am hoping the quality is there. I will be mainly doing NDVI images for full crop cycles throughout the season from bud break to leaf fall.

It will be nice to have the matrice added to your fleet I'm sure. My areas are not overly large in nature and can run them will single batteries.

southerndoug · Feb 18, 2016

I have been using MME for a few months now on test flights, up to 10 hectares. Very happy with the results and the speed of processing. Price is good too. Will be interested to see how you guys go, especially with the Matrice.

seanmclean · Feb 19, 2016

I use the MME app for capture, but since I don't need any of the advanced processing, I just let photoshop stitch it together. This is a 23acre plot. Captured in about a nine minutes flight at an altitude of 60m.

Aerialmotion · Feb 19, 2016

Hope to give a whirl this weekend. Your capture must be for a insurance purposes? I hope it's not your property...

Phatzo · Feb 19, 2016

seanmclean said:
I use the MME app for capture, but since I don't need any of the advanced processing, I just let photoshop stitch it together. This is a 23acre plot. Captured in about a nine minutes flight at an altitude of 60m.

PS can stitch??? pleSe share info on pluging or how to

thanks.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

seanmclean · Feb 19, 2016

Phatzo said:
PS can stitch??? pleSe share info on pluging or how to
thanks.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's built-in. Open all the photos that you want to merge. Then go to File>Automate>Photomerge, and add all the open files.

seanmclean · Feb 19, 2016

Aerialmotion said:
Hope to give a whirl this weekend. Your capture must be for a insurance purposes? I hope it's not your property...

Just a local redevelopment project. Tearing out the old and building new.

Jeremy Kern · Feb 21, 2016

We currently use mme for our company while it does work we do see a lot of issues with the ca,era not connecting and have to restart the app. Also a lot of problems. With it just stopping taking photos. One of my personal biggest complaints is that here where it's cold it does not go off the percent of battery it just has a programmed time. I had a battery go to 30 percent and it kept flying at 20 same thing. So you have to be on top of it.

Aerialmotion · Feb 21, 2016

Thanks for that info ecspecially the battery monitoring. I am in a cold climate also. I assume you are using the most current version of app?

Jeremy Kern · Feb 21, 2016

Yes we have the most updated version. Don't get me wrong it does work pretty well. But there's still quite a few bugs in it. I just bought drone deploy to try. I have a shoot next Monday and can let you know how it compares.

licensed pilot · Feb 21, 2016

Aerialmotion said:
Just wondering if anyone here has used map made easy. It appears to do everything drone deploy does. It also seems to offer a more economical price point.

I will test both, however I'm looking for input from those with experience using both products.

Thanks

I only use MME. much more cost effective. DD went off the deep end with their pricing....

Aerialmotion · Feb 21, 2016

Jeremy Kern said:
Yes we have the most updated version. Don't get me wrong it does work pretty well. But there's still quite a few bugs in it. I just bought drone deploy to try. I have a shoot next Monday and can let you know how it compares.

That would be great!

John Alan · Feb 21, 2016

Jeremy Kern said:
We currently use mme for our company while it does work we do see a lot of issues with the ca,era not connecting and have to restart the app. Also a lot of problems. With it just stopping taking photos. One of my personal biggest complaints is that here where it's cold it does not go off the percent of battery it just has a programmed time. I had a battery go to 30 percent and it kept flying at 20 same thing. So you have to be on top of it.

Agreed... playing with it today it's a bit buggy at times... (is latest version with I1 pro additions)

40+ acre 2 battery survey, 240 pic plan...
It missed 71 pics... just did not take them... working to figure out why now...
I could see the app not taking pics at times... looking at output to confirm now...
Count and timestamps confirm an est 71 missing... as in never taken...
Squarish area ended up with hourglass shaped coverage... first glance...

Also... did not stop at right point to switch batteries... had to force it to do so...

I would call this app... midlife beta... not something to trust at this time...
With a bit of work... it would be fine... just fix the bugs...
Has worked fine on two small plans... big plans not so much...