Hello, drone enthusiasts! Welcome to my Holy Stone HS175D review.
The Holy Stone HS175D is one of the first advanced drones created by the Holy Stone brand. It is not super expensive and is adequate for beginners and professionals alike.
Holy Stone is a Chinese drone manufacturer known for selling consumer drones at low prices to the general public.
The Holy Stone HS175D’s user interface is perfect for beginners, and it comes with helpful features you will not find in other toy-type drones. Its accessories, like GPS, “return to home” headless mode, and altitude hold, are super elite and updated, so you don’t get to miss out on a lot of fun.
It is a great budget drone for people who do not want to break the bank when buying their first drone.
In this Holy Stone HS175D review, I will go over the features and benefits of this beginner drone to show you if the drone is the right choice for you before you go ahead and purchase it.
- Quick Overview of the Holy Stone HS175D
- What’s Inside The Holy Stone HS175D Box
- Holy Stone HS175D Specifications
- Features and Benefits of the Holy Stone HS175D
- Holy Stone HS175D Pros and Cons
- Holy Stone HS175D Set Up
- Best Alternatives to the Holy Stone HS175D
- Holy Stone HS175D Safety Tips
- Final Thoughts on the Holy Stone HS175D
Quick Overview of the Holy Stone HS175D
The Holy Stone HS175D comes equipped with an amazing 4K camera (more like 2.7K) that captures those special moments. It is able to stream and store videos on your phone through the app or on its SD card. With its “return to home” button, the chances of you losing your drone are almost non-existent.
The Holy Stone HS175D is one of those drones that skirts the border between professional and recreational. This drone is ideal for beginners because it is simple to operate. The flight controls figures will undoubtedly prepare you for a fun and adventurous flight.
What’s Inside The Holy Stone HS175D Box
- 1 x HS175D RC Drone
- 1 x Transmitter
- 1 x USB Charging Cable for Transmitter
- 2 x Batteries
- 2 x USB Charging Cables for Batteries
- 8 x Propellers
- 1 x Manual
- 1 x Screwdriver
Holy Stone HS175D Specifications
- Weight: 215 g / 7.58 oz
- Dimension:145*90*60 mm(Folded); 360*300*70mm(Unfolded)
- Max Flight Time: 23 minutes per battery
- Max Transmission Distance: 984feet/ 300 m
- Max Flight Distance: 1640 feet/ 500 m
- Camera Frequency: 5Ghz
- Camera Angle: Tilt range 0° to -90°; Lens: FOV 110°
- Photo Resolution: 4096x3072PP (stored in TF card); 4096x3072P(stored on a mobile phone)
- Video Resolution: 2688x1512P(stored in TF card); 1920x1080P(stored on a mobile phone)
- Max Expansion: 64GB TF Card (Not Included)
- Charging Time: 150 minutes
Features and Benefits of the Holy Stone HS175D
Let’s go over the features of the Holy Stone HS175D and its benefits to users.
Design and Build
The Holy Stone HS175D has a similar design and dimensions to other HS175D. just a little bit bigger. This drone can be classified as a small drone with a measurement of 360*300*70mm.
Just like most Holy Stone drones, this one weighs less than 250 grams; its design adds to its mobility in the air, and it’s also a pretty fast drone. Since it weighs less than 250 grams, you do not need to register it with the FAA before flying. See, it’s already saving you some stress.
To be honest, the HS175’s size may be an issue when flying in windy conditions; however, the HS175D can handle moderate wind and will drift less due to its altitude hold, GPS, and powerful propellers.
The detachable battery fits in a hole that can be found on the side of the drone, while the camera is fixed underneath the drone to give it enough clearance to capture footage from different angles.
Battery Flight Time
The Holy Stone HS175D is powered by a 7.8V 1700mAh Li-Po battery that gives it a 20-minute flight time, which is different from the 23-minute flight time that’s advertised on the sales page.
After testing, the Holy Stone HS175D battery takes around 2 hours to charge completely, which is impressive compared with other drones of similar size and battery that usually take 5 hours to charge completely.
You can always have two batteries on hand; that way, you get up to 40 minutes of flight time, so purchasing extra batteries may be the way to go.
Camera
The Holy Stone HS175D is equipped with a 4K camera (although when I tested its flight capabilities, it was more like a 2.7K camera). In all honesty, because there are phones with quality cameras nowadays, the drone footage may not be up to par. The camera not only streams video but can also record, which can be stored on its SD card.
The wide-angle lens has a 110-degree field of view that can capture maximum details in your shot. While the 90-degree adjustable camera lens can capture photos and videos from different perspectives,
The photos can be saved on your phone, while videos can be stored on your SD card. However, do not expect the videos to be of the same quality as those from other, significantly more expensive drones.
Remote Control
The Holy Stone HS175D remote is great to handle; it has a similar design to the HS260 drone remote controller.
The remote control is not difficult to figure out; it’s pretty straightforward, like the power button, take off button, auto take off, speed, camera, and gimbal button.
First, you have to unfold the controller. the phone holder, and at the lower part are the grip handles.
The first things you notice are the dual joysticks and the power button. Then, after opening the central lid, you will discover the auto take-off button on the left, the speed button (for high and low), and at the right, the headless mode button. At the back of the remote are the gimbal buttons to move your camera up or down, and to the left are the buttons for camera and video recording.
The remote comes with its own battery. You have to download the Holy Stone drone app, which is available for both Android and iOS devices, to connect your smartphone to the drone and also utilize the FPV feature.
Control Range
The Holy Stone HS175D has a maximum range of 300 meters before it loses connection with your smartphone and remote control. The good thing about this drone is that it will continue to record footage even after it loses connection and save it to the SD card attached to the camera.
Another advantage of the Holy Stone HS175D is that it saves you money on repairs and replacements by automatically activating its Return to Home function during low battery, weak signal, or when flying out of range and returning to its initial launch position so you don’t lose it due to crashes and damages.
GPS-Assisted Flight Experience
The GPS-assisted flight feature provides you with accurate positioning details for your drone. If the GPS is on, it enables the return home function, just in case you lose sight of the drone.
Speed and Power
The Holy Stone HS175D comes with a 2-speed mode, which can be adjusted by pressing the speed button on the controller to vary your speed during flight. Holy Stone doesn’t give a direct specification of the speed on the sales page, but many people who purchased the drone on Amazon have attested to how far it can go.
You should be careful about going into full-speed mode because it doesn’t have an obstacle avoidance mode. Plus, you’re more likely to collide with obstacles if you’re a beginner drone pilot. so, avoid places with trees
Durability
Like most other drones, the Holy Stone HS175D is made of plastic (reinforced plastic). The drone is light and very easy to carry.
The Holy Stone HS175D is fairly durable, despite being made of light and strong plastic; it can even stay together after falling one or two times. However, you should take precautions
Holy Stone HS175D Pros and Cons
Here, I’ll go over what I like and don’t like about the Holy Stone HS175D
Pros: What I Like About the Holy Stone HS175D
- The take-off is pretty simple.
- The GPS signal is very strong and does not lag
- Its user interface is pretty basic, and novice fliers will quickly catch up.
- Very reliable and fun to use for beginners
- Doesn’t have glitches or problems.
- It comes right out of the box ready to use
- Very super simple to calibrate
- GPS mode enables precise positioning and prevents losing the drone
- Built-in altitude hold function allows the drone to fly while its height locked
- It has amazing specs like GPS, a “follows me” mode, a return to home, and intelligent batteries.
- Instruction manuals are easy to follow (they did a great job transmitting from Chinese to English)
- It records and saves your footage on both the SD card on the drone and your phone’s memory.
Cons: What I Don’t Like About The Holy Stone HS175D
- It can be difficult to fly during windy periods
- The drone doesn’t have a gimbal attached to it, so your footage can be shaky during windy conditions.
- The follow me button can have a lag in response time
- It doesn’t have obstacle avoidance mode. This means you have to fly the drone in open areas without lamp posts, tall buildings, electricity lines, trees, and other obstacles.
Holy Stone HS175D Set Up
I’ll go over some basic setups for the Holy Stone HS175D if you’re a beginner drone pilot who doesn’t know how to set up the drone. However, you’ll have to exercise patience so you don’t screw things up.
1. Charging the Holy Stone HS175D
The first step is to charge the Holy Stone HS175D remote control and the drone battery with the USB cord. Unfortunately, only one USB cable is provided in the package, so you’ll either have to wait for one of them to get full before charging the other or simply buy another USB cable
2. Assembling the Holy Stone HS175D
Putting on the propellers: This shouldn’t be too difficult. Holy Stone provided a magnetic screwdriver to help in attaching the screws to prevent them from falling off. They also provided extra screws in case you misplaced some while attaching the propellers to the body of the drone.
Install the propeller guards if you want
Insert the charged battery in the battery slot of the drone
3. Pairing the Holy Stone HS175D With Your Smartphone
The next step is to pair the Holy Stone HS175D drone with your smartphone
1) Download the Holy Stone app on your phone – free
2) Turn on the controller.
3) Switch on the drone’s battery. The battery’s lights will show the charge level; four lights indicate a full charge. Before successful pairing and calibration, the drone’s lights will flash white and pink/red.
4) Go to the WiFi section of your phone’s settings and choose the Holy Stone WIFI signal.
5) Click the “Enter Device” button in the app’s first page’s center after launching the Holy Stone app.
4. Calibrating the GPS of the Holy Stone HS175D
This is the final step you have to take before you can begin flying the drone.
Step #1: Switch on your drone and the remote controller, and flip the joysticks upwards when everything is on.
Step #2: Rotate the drone counterclockwise while it is on the ground by standing above it, looking down at it from above, and rotating it while it is on the ground as if you were turning off a faucet. When this is successful, two of the drone’s lights ought to cease flashing and go blue.
Step #3: Turn the drone 90 degrees so that it is on its side, then spin it so that the propeller guards are perpendicular to the ground and rotating in a plane that is parallel to the ground. The second time you correctly spin the drone, the second pair of lights will cease flashing and turn white. So, the drone’s four lights—two of which are white and two of which are blue—are all solid and not flashing.
Step #4: Press the joystick in and flip it down to switch on the propellers. With that, your drone is ready for flight.
NOTE: The GPS button (the one with the image of a compass on it on the controller’s left side) must be turned off if you are inside because you cannot get GPS inside (unless it is a very large space, which I don’t recommend doing).
Simply step outdoors and choose a space free of obstructions like telephone or power wires.
Best Alternatives to the Holy Stone HS175D
In this section, I’ll share with you three alternatives to the Holy Stone HS175D to give you more options:
1. Holy Stone HS720E (Best Overall Holy Stone Drone)
In my opinion, the Holy Stone HS720E is the best holy stone drone. It’s easy to use, has advanced flight mode, & comes with dual batteries for a more fun time and a 4K EIS anti-shake camera with a Sony sensor
2. DJI Mavic Mini (Best DJI Alternatives)
The DJI Mavic Mini is my best DJI alternative to the Holy Stone HS175D. What I like about the Mavic Mini is that it has a long flight time of 30 minutes. Not just that, it comes with a triple battery for triple the fun and a 2.7K HD camera attached to a 3-axis gimbal that provides camera stability and smooth footage.
3. Holy Stone HS430 (Best Budget Holy Stone Drone)
The Holy Stone HS430 is my best-budget Holy Stone drone. It’s pocket-sized, easy to use, and comes with all the basic features and functions of premium drones on the market without the expensive price tag.
Holy Stone HS175D Safety Tips
Below are some safety tips you should be aware of before flying your Holy Stone HS175D to ensure a fun and safe flight for you and everyone around you:
- For your safety and that of the drone, avoid flying near or over obstacles, high-voltage power lines, crowds, trees, water bodies, and airports.
- The minimum recommended flying age for the HS175D is 16 years.
- You’re advised to fly in open areas, where you can maintain a line of sight and preferably below heights of 120 meters.
- Be careful with rotating motors and propellers, and keep a distance to avoid ear damage by the drone’s nose.
- Avoid flying in extreme weather conditions such as rain, fog, snow, and strong wind.
- Avoid flying the drone when tired, under the influence of alcohol, under medication, or when in any physical discomfort.
- Keep the drone clean and well-maintained.
- Read the user manual thoroughly before flying the HS175D.
- Follow the battery safety rules as outlined in the user manual.
- Fly the drone with a fully charged battery, and perform all the recommended pre-flight procedures before takeoff.
- Follow your local laws on drone flying, and avoid flying in No-Fly zones.
- Always check the drone, controller, and battery for damages and correct installation before a flight.
- The onboard compass can be affected by electromagnetic fields near base stations or power lines.
Final Thoughts on the Holy Stone HS175D
The HS175D is far from perfect, but its price and flight capabilities make up for a lot of its imperfections. Overall, the Holy Stone HS175D is an awesome drone for both beginners and professionals alike. Its advanced GPS technology makes it easy to handle, and the flight is seamless.
Remember that this is a toy drone with amazing features that are also found in professional drones. Its flight time, flight handle, camera, and several other tweaks make it one of the cutting-edge toy drones out there.
As an added plus, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg (lol) to get this drone. The Holy Stone (175 D) is worth its price and more. If you want to become a professional in aerial photography, I recommend getting a more professional drone (see the alternative above). Overall, the Holy Stone H175D gives you great value for your money.
You can also check out the best Holy Stone drones to see the reviews of various drones from the Holy Stone series to see the benefits they have in store for you.
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