For drones \u2014 or any hobby in general \u2014 learning the ropes should be a fun and engaging experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is why many drone manufacturers try to incorporate as many features into their UAVs as possible. But only a few come out usable \u2014 most of them end up adding to the electronic junk piled in people’s homes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a beginner craft, the right balance of functionality and user-friendliness is critical for it to sell like hotcakes and deliver a good experience for the customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Holy Stone HS200D is Holy Stone’s bet against the entry-level competition in the market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With an RRP of below $100<\/a>, the Holy Stone HS200D positions itself snugly in the toy-grade unit bracket, but are the features and functions it packs an easter egg for our newbie brethren? <\/p>\n\n\n\n We’re going to take a look to see if the craft justifies its price and purpose in this Holy Stone HS200D review, or if you’re better suited to add a little bit more to your budget to upsize and up-spec.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No products found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To help reduce the nerves of amateur pilots, especially on their maiden flight, the Holy Stone HS200D offers a One Key Takeoff and Landing function, giving you instant takeoff and landing maneuvers right at your fingertips. This also saves the pilot from unnecessary damages from crashes caused by human error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Holy Stone HS200D has as safety Return To Home function that allows it to go back to the transmitter’s position. This is done by homing in on the signal frequency. This is can be manually pressed to recall your drone, and it is also automatically triggered when the battery level is low or when the signal transmission is cut off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another beginner-friendly feature is the Holy Stone HS200D’s Headless Mode. What this does is have the drone completely ignore its front-end’s position and respond to the controller in a straightforward manner. This means that the directional lever input is translated into actual movement regardless of the drone’s 3D placement, like right means right, left for left, and so on, no matter which way the ‘head’ of the drone is facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Altitude Hold places the Holy Stone HS200D in a stationary position, hovering in the air at a fixed altitude. This is handy when you’re about to lose control of the drone, making it stay put, or for selfies and videos, giving you a more stable platform to capture your preferred media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Holy Stone HS200D has a neat function that makes use of the smartphone app and your phone’s gyroscope to translate its actual movement into the drone’s maneuvers. When this mode is active, you just have to tilt or turn your smartphone while the drone is in the air. It will then mimic your every move (well, almost).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Holy Stone HS200D also has party tricks up its sleeve, with the 3D Flips function giving you a one-button exhibition for you and your friends to enjoy. Simply activate the mode and push the directional lever to the desired direction. This will have the drone initiating a 360\u00b0 barrel roll in the air, safely returning back to position in a jiffy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Holy Stone HS200D has a 1000 mAh LiPo battery capable of supplying up to 9 minutes of flight time, which can vary depending on your flight settings and environmental conditions. This is totally acceptable \u2014 if not on the positive side \u2014 in this price range, as we aren’t expecting beefy battery packs in toy drones any time soon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n About charging time; the battery pack refills with an hour of charging. This is not bad in our books, considering some cheap toy drones have three times the charging time for the same amount of juice. Also, it never hurt a drone head to secure extra battery packs, as some of you might find the flight time a bit limiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQuick Specs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Weight<\/td> Unloaded: 145 grams<\/td><\/tr> Size<\/td> Length: 12.6 in
Width: 12.6 in
Height: 4.7 in<\/td><\/tr>Speed<\/td> Three-speed mode<\/td><\/tr> Signal<\/td> Range: ~100 meters
Operating Frequency: 2.4 GHz<\/td><\/tr>Battery<\/td> Flight Time: ~9 mins
Capacity: 1000 mAh<\/td><\/tr>Recording<\/td> Camera: 2-MP 720p, 120\u00b0 FOV<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n Holy Stone HS200D Features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
One Key Takeoff\/Landing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Return To Home<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Headless Mode<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Altitude Hold<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Gravity Sensor<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Barrel Rolls<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Battery Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Camera<\/h3>\n\n\n\n