Our Rating - 3/5
Intermediate Level Drone
An overall solid intermediate level drone equipped with a decent camera and good build quality at a fair price
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PROPEL CLOUD RIDER HD 2.0 REVIEW
This post was updated on: Monday, March 1, 2020
Propel Cloud Rider HD 2.0 is intermediate to advanced level drone with a lot of features, and very affordable price. That is a sentence that could best describe this product from Propel, a US-based company that specializes in a category of flight and radio controlled devices. A dedicated team of experts and enthusiasts seems to be a perfect match to make a perfect best-buy camera drone, Propel Cloud Rider HD 2.0. The built-in flight assist features and an HD streaming camera will make flying this drone a pleasure, or at least that is what we are lead to believe.
We are going to see if the Propel Cloud Rider HD 2.0 can satisfy high expectations that are naturally rising when reading the signs on the box.
| Key Features |
Flight Time | 10 minutes |
Camera | 720p |
Control Range | 500 feet |
Battery | 3.7V, 1200mAh Li-Po |
Charge time | 50 minutes |
Special features | one key take off/land, 3 speeds |
PROPEL CLOUD RIDER HD 2.0 REVIEW – QUICK GLANCE
DESIGN
This is an a mid-sized drone, capable of carrying an HD camera. The body of the drone itself is small, but the long arms that hold the blades give it dimensions of 19 x 4 x 21 inches. The weight is 2.85 pounds. It has four rotors and shields for the blades. For landing it has large struts, giving it the height necessary to protect the belly and the camera. Underneath the rotors, there are 4 LED lights, two green ones, and two red ones. The drone seems to be sturdy and well built. On the back of the drone, there is a place to place the battery that has a simple plug & play socket.
Read next: UPAIR One Drone 2.7K Review
PROPEL CLOUD RIDER HD 2.0 CAMERA
The drone has a High Definition Onboard Camera. It enables Live Streaming Pictures or Video. Those can be stored on the SD card which is standard in the package, or streamed to your phone. This means that you can enjoy FPV flying. You can see what the drone sees. Wide Range Digital Radio will send footage and video up to 350 Feet. The 6 Axis Gyro and Air Pressure Sensors make the drone stable enough to produce good quality photos and videos. For taking photos, press the corresponding button once, for taking videos, press and hold.
TRANSMITTER
The 2, 4 GHz transmitter has good ergonomics, everything is where you would be expected it to be. Naturally, the drone with this much features can’t really have simple controls, but the manufacturers kept it as simple as possible. There are two sticks, for vertical and horizontal control and throttle. Besides that, you will find an auto take off and land button, a 360-degree flip button, and camera function buttons. The controller requires 6 X AA batteries, so when loaded, it can be a little bit heavy.
Read next: Promark Virtual Reality Drone P70-VR Review
PROPEL CLOUD RIDER HD 2.0 BATTERY
The drone is powered by 3.7V, 1200mAh battery, and you get two of them in the standard package, which is a good thing. The manufacturer claims up to 10 minutes of flight time, it is mostly in ideal conditions. In reality, it can span up to 10 minutes, but less if you are doing flips and some other stunts. The battery is placed inside the drone, easily accessible, and uses an easy plug&play system.
PROPEL CLOUD RIDER HD 2.0 ADDITIONAL FEATURES
AUTO TAKES OFF AND LAND
With one push of a button, the drone will take off. When the same button is pressed while it is in the air, it will land by itself. You can still use direction commands while using these features, in order to avoid obstacles.
FPV CONTROL
The video streaming feature allows you to have the experience of the pilot, and see what the drone sees. This will make it easier to fly the drone if you lose it out of your site, but you should always try not to lose it.
VR MODE
The FPV function will enable you to enjoy a VR experience by using the VR glasses, which are not part of the package. You will have to provide them yourself.
FLIGHT ALTITUDE LOCK
It will make easier to use the camera while the drone maintains the given height.
SPEED CONTROL
The drone has 3-speed settings, which is useful for beginners, and also in periods of low winds. It is never recommended to fly the drone in strong winds.
STUNTS
TIt can do a 360 flip with just one press of a button. Keep in mind the necessary height and that stunts drain the battery.
Flying Experience
The drone is pretty easy to fly, thanks to the autoland and take off function, 6 axis gyro, and air pressure sensors. You might say that it is forgiving for beginners. 3-speed settings on this drone are what beginners will also appreciate. There are no surprises while flying and the drone is stable. Of course, you should avoid flying the drone when snowing, raining, or when a strong wind is blowing.
What Do We Like?
- Large size. Drone measures about 15 x 15 x 7.5 inches,
- Remote Controller. Large ergonomic transmitter with LED screen to keep you informed of the drone’s status
- HD camera. The 720p camera is decent enough
- FPV mode. Download the Promark VR app from Google Play or iTunes and fly the drone in FPV mode
- Auto-hover. When you press the camera button, the drone goes in the auto hover mode
- Headless mode. Turn it on to fly the drone more easily
- Adjustable speed. Three-speed settings are available
- Additional. VR goggles come standard in the package
What Don't We Like?
- Camera. It is an HD, but it could be better
SUMMARY
Good build quality, good camera, and streaming features and well-balanced price are what make this drone a good buy. Even though it is intended for experienced users, the beginners should not be afraid. Its sturdiness and flight assistant features make it suitable for them too.
About the Author: Ruan Nelio
When I'm not geeking out over the newest drones, I'm busy flying my DJI Mavic 2 Pro all over Oslo. The coolest part about this job is I get to keep some of the drones I review, which happens to be how I got my Mavic 2!
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Last update on 2020-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API