FAQ

If you are experiencing this issue, try switching the tablet to airplane mode and then turn the wifi back on. If this doesn't work, please contact us and we can see if we can further assist you to solve this issue.

We find that an Android Tablet (min 7") or iPad works best (iPad Mini works okay as well!).  We use refurbished Ipad Mini 2's for our face to face programs as a cheaper and reliable option that fits nicely in kids' hands. If you already have iPads at your school though, that's great.

If the drone is always going to be used with the same set of tablets we recommend adding a name and password to each drone/tablet combo. This will stop any unwanted connections when using multiple drones at once i.e. a student on one side of the classroom connecting their tablet to another student’s drone on the other side of the classroom.

Yes, you can 3D print a mirror attachment from somewhere like Thingiverse (this is the one we use)! Then buy some mirror sheets (like these ones) and cut small squares to attach to the 3D print. The Tello EDU app and DroneBlocks app has the functionality to take photos during automated flight. Check out our videos on how to code for camera control with the DroneBlocks app and with the TelloEDU app.

Which app are you using, the Tello app (black) or the Tello EDU (orange)?

The black app streams the video from the drone to the tablet, and essentially uses a lot of bandwidth and 'blocks the pipe' causing wifi interference when two or more drones are flying.

Use the Orange Tello EDU app, as there is a manual flight option in there too, but it doesn't stream the video so there is no wifi interference issues.

Unfortunately Tello microdrones do not come with lego adapters/ grabbers. There are a number of 3D printed options to help carry small payloads, have a look at Thingiverse.

If your drone is behaving strangely, try the following:

1. Check that the battery is sufficiently charged.
2. Check that the propellers are all in good condition.
3. Check that all attachments (including propeller guards) are secure.
4. Take the drone to a safe area that's relatively small and perform a check flight to isolate whether it is the pilot or drone. If it flies off (hopefully not too far), perform a hard reset. Hold the 'on' switch for approximately 20 seconds until the lights flash. Continue to hold while it goes through various light sequences. It will turn off when finished. Update the firmware and start up as normal. Follow any instructions to calibrate. Repeat test flight.
5. Sometimes areas with lots of wifi can cause interference, and simply moving to a different location will rectify the problem.

Propellers: If the propellors come off your Tello but are undamaged you can simply clip them back on (but ensure they are attached in the correct formation!) To remove a damaged propeller you can use the special tool for the Tello included in the box.

Propeller Guards: If the propeller guard comes off but is undamaged you can simply clip it back on. If it has been damaged you should replace it. 

If you're finding that your drone is flying for a significantly shorter amount of time than you expected, try the following:

• Check for over-heating of motors.
• Attachments decrease flight time - check that they are connected properly!
• Take care of the batteries! If they are discharged below 20% their lifetime will be rapidly reduced.

Make sure that you check that the propellers are all on the right way.

Each prop has a 'leading edge' - a higher side, and it is this edge that 'leads' the rotation. For a quadcopter to fly it must have two props that rotate clockwise, and two that rotate anticlockwise. Identical props are fitted diagonally opposite. The front and back motors are designed to rotate in towards each other, i.e. front right and back left rotate anticlockwise; front left and back right rotate clockwise.

Pay attention to the position of the marked propellers and unmarked propellers.

There are a number of reasons why your Tello might drift. Try these solutions or watch our video!

1. Shiny floors or single colour or repeating pattern tiles/carpet will cause this issue. Even with some coloured folders out, it might not be enough. Let's see your set up. We recommend using an image mat to avoid this issue, you can order an image mat of your choice through our website.
2. Lighting can cause a reflection off tiles/carpets. We have found that the drone will follow a shadow, for example if a person is standing near the drone, and with a shiny floor/tile it will see the shadow and then as the person moves away the drone will follow them as it has locked onto their shadow.
3. Is there a breeze coming through from low level windows, fans, or air conditioning? Try redirecting this breeze or flying in a different spot.
4. Try doing an IMU calibration in the Tello app.

In regards to manufacturer specifications,  DJI does not publish this information as the drones are not set up for third party attachments.

There are plenty of people who have made attachments for the Tellos, but we believe that if an attachment was put on the drones, and it crashed, then this would void the warranty too. 

We have made our own attachments out of pipe cleaners etc to hold very small items such as the mini bonus shopping items received from supermarkets, but we have not tested the payloads ourselves.

Yes. We recommend that every drone pilot conducts a safety check before they fly.  By conducting a safety check before each class it means that it will become a part of the routine of drone flying whether its a mini drone or something bigger.

If you have access to our She Maps membership, then you get access to our recommended checklist. 

If the drone is always going to be used with the same set of tablets we recommend adding a name and password to each drone/tablet combo. This will stop any unwanted connections when using multiple drones at once i.e. a student on one side of the classroom connecting their tablet to another student’s drone on the other side of the classroom.