Aldi drone test: photo, video, range, flight time

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Average 0/5

The Aldi drone is an entry-level drone at an affordable price with a large scope of delivery. The drone is very simple, compact and with a weight of only 160g also a lightweight.

In addition to the copter there is of course a remote control with mobile phone holder and there is an app. In addition, an 8 gigabyte SD card for the copter, battery and charger, spare rotor blades, a mini USB charging cable for the copter and three years manufacturer’s warranty.

There is a lot on offer here for 50 Euros and the drone also convinces against the competition, such as a Syma X5C.

But more in the test report.

In the following video review we show you how the drone performs in practice:

Technical features

Here the most important technical features are summarized at a glance:

  • Camera: photo 2MP, resolution 1280x720px
  • Video resolution: 1280×720 with approx. 12.25 Mbit/s video bit rate
  • Range 30 to 50 meters (remote control)
  • Range of the image transmission 30 meters – without interference
  • Battery 3,7 Volt/1100mAh – Lithium Polymer
  • Flight time: 8 – 10 minutes
  • Charging time: two hours
  • Dimensions: 285 x 275 x 60 mm (unfolded)

Photo and video quality

The photo and video quality of this camera is of course not comparable with more expensive drones and in my opinion the only weak point of this drone.

The video recordings have a resolution of 1280x720px and a bitrate (12Mbit/s).

However, this camera doesn’t take such nice snapshots as with models from higher price ranges.

This is for me the clearest disadvantage of this drone. Note at this point that it is a beginner drone for just under 50€.

The camera has to be panned manually and cannot change its angle in the air.

The copter has no gimbal and no electronic image stabilisation, so that the video recordings will always be a little shaky. The best way to fly this copter is to fly only with little to no wind, then you can achieve the best results.

Here is an example photo of the drone camera:

Drone photo

Flight time and functions

The flight time of ten minutes is average in this price class. But I would like to point out that you can buy spare batteries on the manufacturer’s website of Maginon and with three spare batteries for 30 Euro you can theoretically achieve a flight time of 35 to 40 minutes. The only disadvantage is the long charging time of two hours.

There are very few functions including a non-functioning Return To Home system, which is because the copter has no GPS and therefore cannot determine its position.

The drone will simply land somewhere within a radius of 10 to 15 meters when using Return To Home. The same behaviour is also valid for very weak batteries, before the copter crashes it will make an emergency landing.

Then there is the headless mode, in this mode the drone always steers itself the same way, no matter in which direction the nose of the copter is positioned. This is a good thing, especially for beginners, because it is much easier to handle the controls if you have little or no experience in flying drones.

There is also an “art function”, where the drone performs a somersault in the air. This works well and looks nice. The drone also loses quite little height and a flight altitude of two to three meters is already enough for this little interlude.

Drone flip

Controls

The drone controls itself very simply. The remote control is kept simple and the position of the drone in the air can be adjusted very easily by so-called trim buttonsMaginon remote control

In windy conditions the drone can get its problems, which is of course reflected in a shortened battery life in adverse weather. Arriving against the wind does the drone very well despite its lightness.

However, you should read the supplement in the operating manual, because in some cases the drone does not connect automatically to the remote control.

In this case a code must be entered on the remote control via the joysticks so that both devices can be connected to each other. When the operation is successfully connected to the drone the LED’s on the copter will light up permanently.

The range can be seen again in the test video on YouTube or further above in the text. The manufacturer states a range of about 30 meters. In the test, however, 50 meters on flat terrain can even be extended by one, two or even three meters.

The live image of the app on the smartphone, on the other hand, is influenced by interference and should also be about 30 meters away. In practice, it went a bit further again, but not quite as far as remote control of the drone.

In addition, the drone may not want to connect to the smartphone in some cases. In this case you have to deactivate mobile data of the mobile phone or go into flight mode, activate WLAN again to establish a connection again.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages are:

  • Good price performance ratio
  • large scope of delivery (8Gb SD card, USB cable, batteries, remote control)
  • Stable and clear App
  • compact and lightweight

This is countered by the following disadvantages:

  • HD video recording
  • No image stabilization
  • No GPS on board

Conclusion

The drone is worth a consideration for anyone who is not sure if drones are something for him and of course for all those who do not want to spend a lot of money on a drone. The scope of delivery is very extensive for 50 Euro. You can unpack the drone so to speak and fly with it after the battery has been charged.

Despite weak shots, a good drone for its price and slightly better than the competition in this price range. If you prefer flying rather than filming, this model is a good choice.

You can buy the drone here.

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