Hello, drone enthusiasts! Welcome to my Potensic Atom SE review.
The Potensic Atom SE is known as one of the more advanced drones in the Potensic Brand collection. The Potensic Atom SE is similar in design to the DJI Mavic Mini and it’s one of my best drones under 250 grams.
Potensic is a Chinese drone manufacturer known for selling consumer drones at low prices to the general public. The Potensic brand is known for its excellent customer service. If any part of your drone is damaged or in need of replacement, do not fail to contact the company.
The Potensic Atom SE is still a cutting-edge drone. This drone was made for people who cannot afford to buy an expensive drone or will rather just settle for a more affordable drone that is both cutting-edge and beginner friendly.
The Potensic Atom SE has a lot of the updated features that can be found in more expensive drones. So, purchasing this drone is still a win, and you won’t have to break the bank for it.
In this Potensic Atom SE 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 Potensic ATOM SE
The Potensic ATOM SE 4K camera is capable of taking pictures with crisp, clear quality. The camera has an electronic image stabilizer sensor and an anti-jello motor. The drone sports a powerful brushless motor that ensures air stability even in windy conditions. The ATOM SE is not a WiFi drone but a radio drone, which means it can fly at longer distances than most drones in its category.
The Potensic ATOM SE can be enjoyed by both professionals and beginners. With its cutting-edge feature, this drone blurs the line between a toy-grade drone and a professional drone. This drone would also make an excellent present for loved ones and friends.
The Potensic ATOM SE can be enjoyed by both professionals and beginners. With its cutting-edge feature, this drone blurs the line between a toy-grade drone and a professional drone. This drone would also make an excellent present for loved ones and friends.
What’s Inside The Potensic ATOM SE Box
- Potensic ATOM SE Drone × 1
- Potensic Remote Controller × 1
- Smart Battery × 2
- Pair of Spare Propellers × 1
- Specific Screws of Propeller Blades × 4
- Screwdriver of Propeller Blades × 1
- Data Cable × 1
- Adapter Cable(Micro/Type C/Lightning) of the Remote Control × 3
- Portable Handbag × 1
- User Manual × 1
Potensic ATOM SE Specifications
- Takeoff Weight : 0.55lbs/249g
- Fold Size: 3.46 x 5.63 x 2.28 inches
- Unfold Size: 11.8 x 9.53 x 2.28inch
- Max. Flight Period: 31 mins per battery
- Satellite Positioning System: GPS + GLONASS
- Video Resolution: 4K @30fps; 2.7K @30fps; 1080P @60fps; 1080P @30fps
- Photo Resolution: 4,608 x 2,592
- FOV: 118°
- Micro SD card: 256GB SD card transmission
Features and Benefits of the Potensic ATOM SE
Let’s go over the features of the Potensic ATOM SE and its benefits to users.
Design and Build
The Potensic ATOM SE has a very compact and sturdy design. The ATOM SE camera is lodged underneath the drone with a vibration-damping system. One of the advantages of a drone with a gimbal is that it is very durable in the event a crash occurs.
The Potensic ATOM SE can be classified as a small to medium sizes drone with an unfolded measurement of 11.8 x 9.53 x 2.28 inches.
Just like most Potensic drones, this one weighs less than 250 grams, which means you do not have to go through the hassle of registering it with the FAA, and because of its size, the drone is pretty fast as well.
The Potensic ATOM SE flies well and handles well in windy conditions, unlike other drones in its price category. With a level 6 wind resistance and powerful brushless motors, this drone is sure to give you a balanced and stable flight.
Battery Flight Time
The Potensic ATOM SE is powered by a 7.2V, 2500mAh modular battery, which gives it a flight time of 29 minutes rather than the advertised 31-minute flight time.
After testing, the Potensic ATOM SE battery takes around 2–3 hours to charge completely, which is one of the few cons of purchasing an ATOM SE. However, the drone comes with two batteries.
You can always purchase an extra battery; that way, you have three batteries on hand. You get up to 58 minutes of flight time with two batteries, so purchasing extra batteries may be the way to go. The ATOM SE batteries have cool lights to indicate the battery’s power level.
Camera
The Potensic ATOM SE is equipped with a 4K camera that is sure to take decent shots and record video in ultra-clear 1080p. In all honesty, because there are phones with quality cameras nowadays, the drone footage may not be up to par.
The wide-angle lens has a 118-degree field of view that can capture maximum details in your shot, while the 80-degree adjustable camera lens can capture photos and videos from different perspectives.
The ATOM SE camera is equipped with a vibration-damping system to give some camera stability and help with overhead shots.
Remote Control
The Potensic ATOM SE remote controller is pretty unique. The remote controller has a sleek feel to it.
However, the remote controller features are not different from other drone remote controllers; there are the return to home, camera, and video buttons.
The first thing you notice is the space at the center, which can be expanded to put the phone in it. To the left is the power button for switching on the remote controller, and below this button is the power indicator (the remote controller will beep when it is low).
To the right of the remote controller is the return to home button (press long to activate Return to home and short press to remove from auto flight). At the back of the remote controller is the camera button, facing left (short press to take shots).
On the right side is the record button for recording video, and underneath it is the camera tilt dial for moving the angle of the camera. For an emergency stop, you have to press the camera button and the video button at the same time.
The remote control comes with its own batteries, and the charging port is at the front. You have to download the Potensic 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 Potensic ATOM SE has a maximum range of 3000 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 Potensic ATOM SE 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 Potensic ATOM SE comes with a 3-speed mode that can be adjusted from the remote controller to vary your speed during flight. Potensic 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 Potensic ATOM SE is made of plastic (reinforced plastic) and some aluminum. The drone is light and very easy to carry.
The Potensic ATOM SE 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.
Potensic ATOM SE Pros and Cons
Here, I’ll go over what I like and don’t like about the Potensic ATOM SE
Pros: What I Like About the Potensic ATOM SE
- The drone is pretty easy to fly.
- Its camera is pretty sharp
- 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
- The built-in altitude hold function allows the drone to fly while its height is locked.
- 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 Potensic ATOM SE
- No 3-axis gimbal camera for camera stability
- 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.
Potensic ATOM SE Set Up
I’ll go over some basic setups for the Potensic ATOM SE 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 Potensic ATOM SE
The first step is to charge the Potensic ATOM SE 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 Potensic ATOM SE
Putting on the propellers: This shouldn’t be too difficult. Potensic provided a magnetic screwdriver to help attach 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 Potensic ATOM SE With Your Smartphone
The next step is to pair the Potensic ATOM SE drone with your smartphone
1) Download the Potensic 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) Connect the remote controller to the drone with the USB cables provided, and then proceed to initiate the flight. The Potensic ATOM SE is not a WiFi drone but a radio drone.
4. Calibrating the GPS of the Potensic ATOM SE
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. Your drone is now ready for flight.
Best Alternatives to the Potensic ATOM SE
In this section, I’ll share with you three alternatives to the Potensic ATOM SE to give you more options:
1. Potensic Dreamer Pro (Best Overall Potensic Drone)
The Potensic Dreamer Pro is my best Potensic drone. It has a 4K camera for taking selfies and landscape photography, a 3-axis gimbal for stabilizing the camera during flight, 28 minutes of flight time per battery, and a ton of awesome features that provides a fun flight.
2. DJI Mavic Mini (Best DJI Alternatives)
The DJI Mavic Mini is my best DJI ALternative to the Potensic ATOM SE. The package comes with dual batteries, each having a maximum battery life of 31 per battery. This gives you enough time to explore the sky while capturing your favorite scenes.
3. Potensic T25 (Best Potensic Drone Under 250 Grams)
The Potensic T25 is my best Potensic drone under 250 grams. It saves you from the hassle of registering your drone with the FAA because it weighs less than the minimum weight. Plus, it also has a ton of awesome features without breaking the bank.
Potensic ATOM SE Safety Tips
- For your safety and that of the drone, avoid flying near or over obstacles, such as high-voltage power lines, crowds, trees, water bodies, and airports.
- You’re advised to fly in open areas, where you can maintain a line of sight, preferably below heights of 120 meters.
- Be careful with rotating motors and propellers, and keep a distance to avoid ear damage from the drone’s nose.
- Avoid flying in extreme weather conditions like rain, fog, snow, and strong winds.
- Avoid flying the drone when tired, under the influence of alcohol or medication, or in any physical discomfort.
- Keep the drone clean and well-maintained.
- Read the user manual thoroughly before flying the Potensic ATOM SE.
- 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 take-off
- 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 Potensic ATOM SE
The Potensic ATOM SE is a spectacular drone, that can be enjoyed by both professionals and beginners alike. The Potensic ATOM SE checks a lot of boxes with cutting-edge features and flight capabilities.
The Potensic ATOM SE is affordable and cutting-edge. If you do not want to splash a lot of money on your first drone, then this drone might be the one for you. I consider the ATOM SE a professional drone that is sure to make any drone enthusiast happy.
You can also check out the best Potensic drones to see reviews of various drones from the Potensic series and know what benefits they have in store for you.
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