Frequently Asked Questions
What licensing is required to operate a DJI agricultural drone?
Please see the section entitled LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, accessible through the home-page drop down menu.
How hard is it to fly a DJI agricultural drone?
DJI agricultural drones are designed to be easily operated easily by virtually anyone when flown in fully autonomous mode. Yes, they fly themselves after you establish a boundary and other parameters. If you wish, you can also take full manual control.
How do trees, utility poles, etc. affect the flight of DJI agricultural drones?
The T10, T30 and T40 features a 360° obstacle avoidance radar that will cause the drone to stop and alert the operator, or automatically fly around the obstacle. No more YouTube videos of spectacular drone crashes!
How accurate is the GPS system?
DJI agricultural drones use GNSS, GLONASS and Galileo sources and up to 26 satellites simultaneously to provide accuracy to within inches. For the ultimate in precision, you may purchase the RTK (real-time kinematic) base station and appropriate dongle. The aircraft themselves are already fully RTK capable.
How many acres per hour can you spray?
There are many variables that can affect how many acres per hour you can effectively spray using an agricultural drone. Generally, two (2) gallons per acre is the rate most commonly used for drone application. The table below represents the maximum efficiencies at this rate you can achieve with the various DJI aircraft.
• T10 – 10 acres per hour
• T30 – 25-30 acres per hour
• T40 – 40-45 acres per hour
As you gain experience and work on your payload, battery and workflow efficiencies, you will be able to obtain numbers on higher end of the listed spectrum.
How large is the tank on a DJI agricultural drone?
The tank size is dependent on the model. The table below details the tank size of each unit.
• T10 – 2.6 gallons
• T30 – 8 gallons
• T40 – 10.5 gallons
What is the swath of a DJI agricultural drone per pass?
Due to prop wash, the atomized liquid will cover a swath wider than the drone itself. The coverage area is also affected by application height, tip selection (where applicable), spray rate and speed. The table below gives the maximum swath width for each model when flying at 10’ – 13’ above the crop canopy.
• T10 – Up to 16.4 feet
• T30 – Up to 29.5 feet
• T40 – Up to 36.1 feet – 30 feet is the most commonly reported width.
What is the application rate for an Agras series drone?
You will refer to the aerial application guide for your chosen chemical. Typically, you will be in the 2 to 3 gallons-per-acre range. Aerial application via drone is more efficient and yields better penetration, thus the lower rate compared to your ground rig.
How long do the batteries last?
Many conditions affect the battery life per charge. Temperature, weight, wind and application rate can all have an impact on the life. You will need to determine the discharge rate for your particular application on any given day. For this reason, we recommend having three to four batteries available per drone and swapping batteries each time the drone returns home to refill.
Flights times of up to 20 minutes have been reported, but remember, it all depends on the variables you
have in play.
How long does it take for the batteries to charge?
If you use a recommended setup, you will be able to keep pace with the needs of your drone easily, with charges typically ranging between eight (8) and nine (9) minutes.
• T10 – four (4) batteries, one (1) charger and a 4,500 watt continuous generator and a 30-amp, 240-volt twist lock plug.
• T30 – three (3) batteries, one (1) charger and a 9,000 watt continuous generator and a 50-amp, 240-volt four prong plug.
• T40 – three(3) to four (4) batteries, one (1) charger and a 12,000 watt continuous generator and a 50-amp, 240-volt four prong plug. There is a generator/invertor charger option available from DJI that takes all the guess work out your set-up (model D12000iE)
NOTE: It is extremely important to use the correct wattage generator. Failure to do so may result in damage to the battery and/or charger. Please also take into consideration any additional power you may need, such as running pumps, etc. It is always better to have more available wattage.
When running multiple drones, you will either need multiple generators, or invest in a larger commercial generator.
Can one operator fly multiple drones (swarm) at one time?
Yes, however at this time only the T10 and T30 are approved for use by a single pilot from one controller. To do this, you will need to obtain a swarm exemption from the FAA, in addition to the part 107 license.
It is highly recommended that swarm operations have additional personnel on hand to help with tasks such as refilling the drones, mixing chemicals or charging batteries.
Will Bestway Ag be offering a tender trailer to operate DJI agricultural drones from?
Yes. Contact sales@bestwayag.com for information and customization options.
Where can I buy parts, or have my DJI agricultural drone serviced?
Contact Bestway Ag for all your parts or service needs.