Ruko F11 GIM Review 2023 (Everything You Should Know)

Hello, drone enthusiasts! Welcome to my Ruko F11 GIM review.

The Ruko F11 GIM has to be one of the best Ruko drones. The Ruko brand is known for creating some of the best toy-grade drones. The Ruko F11 GIM can be considered an affordable alternative to more expensive advanced drones.

Ruko is a Chinese drone manufacturer known for selling consumer drones at low prices to the general public. The Ruko 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 Ruko F11 GIM can be considered an advanced drone due to its advanced features. The F11 GIM can be viewed as one of the best beginner drones, as beginners and professionals alike can enjoy flying this drone. You do not have to break the bank before you buy a drone.

In this Ruko F11 GIM review, I will go over the features and benefits of this drone to show you if it is the right choice for you before you go ahead and purchase it.

Quick Overview of the Ruko F11 GIM Pro

Ruko F11 GIM Pro Review

The Ruko F11 GIM comes equipped with a 4K camera capable of taking pictures and videos in crisp quality. The camera has a 2-axis gimbal and an EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) for image stability.

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The Ruko F11 GIM is a GPS drone with multiple intelligent flight features like Altitude Hold, Obstacle Avoidance Mode, Geo-Fencing, Headless Mode, Way Points, and many more.

With its “Return to Home” button, the chances of you losing your drone are almost non-existent unless you are actively trying

As I wrote earlier, the Ruko F11 GIM blurs the line between toy-grade drones and professional drones. However, this drone is perfect for professionals and beginners because of its easy user interface.

If you are in the market for a drone that you can practice with before moving on to a more professional drone, then the Ruko F11 GIM is the drone for you.

What’s Inside The Ruko F11 GIM Pro Box

• 1 x Ruko F11 GIM Drone
• 1 x Rechargeable Transmitter
• 2 x Batteries
• 1 x Carrying Shell Case
• 4 x Propeller Blades
• 1 x Camera Cover
• 1 x Allen Wrench
• 1 x User Manual
• 2 x USB Cables
• 1 x Gift Box
• 8 x Screws

Ruko F11 GIM Pro Specifications

• Weight：559 grams/19.75oz
• Max Flight Time: 28 x 2 min. (Charging Time: about 4.5hours for each battery)
• Dimension：7.48×4.13×3.15 in (Folding)/17.72×15.94×3.15 in (Unfolding)
• Camera：4K camera with 2-axis gimbal (2-axis mechanical gimbal plus EIS anti-shake) (Adjusted angle -80°+0°)
• Photo Resolution：4K(3840 x 2160) stored in SD card
• Video：[email protected] stored in SD card
• Max Control Range：4921ft
• Max FPV Transmission Range：2624-3937ft (Depends on mobile device and environment)
• Max Supported TF Card:128GB (not included)
• Max Height：393ft
• Transmitter: Rechargeable

Features and Benefits of the Ruko F11 GIM Pro

Let’s go over the features of the Ruko F11 GIM Pro and its benefits to users.

Design and Build

The Ruko F11 GIM has a very sleek and solid design. The Ruko F11 GIM camera has a 2-axis gimbal lodged underneath with a vibration-damping system that helps camera stability. This drone can be classified as a medium-sized drone with a measurement of 17.72 x 15.94 x 3.15 in.

Just like most advanced Ruko drones, this one weighs more than 250 grams; this helps the Ruko drone stay balanced in windy conditions, and even with its weight, the F11 GIM is pretty fast. Given that it weighs more than 250 grams, you will have to register it with the FAA before flying.

In the spirit of honesty, most drones are going to be difficult to fly in windy conditions. The Ruko F11 GIM is not in that category, and with its powerful brushless motors, you are sure to have a stable and balanced flight.              

The detachable battery fits in a hole that can be found on the back 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 Ruko F11 GIM is powered by an 11.1V, 2500mAh Li-Po battery that gives it a 27-minute flight time, which is different from the 28-minute flight time advertised on the sales page.

After testing, the Ruko F11 GIM battery takes around 4.5 hours to charge completely, which is one of the few cons of purchasing a Ruko F11 GIM. However, the F11 GIM comes with two batteries.

You can always purchase an extra battery; that way, you have three batteries on hand. You get up to 54 minutes of flight time with two batteries, so purchasing extra batteries may be the way to go. The Ruko F11 GIM batteries have cool lights to indicate the battery power level  

Camera

The Ruko F11 GIM is equipped with a 4K camera with an operational frequency of 5 GHz 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 120-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 F11 GIM camera is equipped with a vibration-damping system to give the camera some stability for overhead shots. Videos recorded on the drone SD card will have a higher resolution than those streamed and saved on your phone.

However, do not expect the videos to be of the same quality as those from other, significantly more expensive drones.

Remote Control

The Ruko F11 GIM remote is great to handle and easy to maneuver. The remote control is not difficult to figure out; it’s pretty straightforward, like the return home button, power button, take off button, and land button.

First, you have to unfold the controller. At the upper part are the antennae for Wi-Fi, then your phone holder, and at the lower part are the grip handles.  

The back of the remote controller holds the left-hand side of the camera, and underneath it is the camera zoom dial. The right-hand side has the video record button, and underneath it is the gimbal dial.

The front of the remote controller houses an LCD screen that displays signal strength, power levels, a GPS signal, and other signals. Both joysticks are visible, while to the left-hand side, there is the speed button and emergency stop button (a long press is required to initiate this, but only in an emergency).

The right-hand side has the “power” button (short press to switch on the transmitter and long press to switch off) and the “Return to home” (your drone returns to the point of take-off).

The remote control comes with a battery and charger. You have to download the Ruko 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 Ruko F11 GIM has a maximum range of 1000 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.

The Ruko F11 GIM also saves you money on repairs and replacements by automatically activating its Return to Home mode during low battery, weak signal, or when flying out of range and returning to its initial launch spot so you don’t lose it due to accidents 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 Ruko F11 GIM comes with a 3-speed mode that can be adjusted from the remote controller to vary your speed during flight. Ruko 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 Ruko F11 GIM is made of plastic (reinforced plastic). The drone is light and very easy to carry. The Ruko F11 GIM 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.

Ruko F11 GIM Pros and Cons

Here, I’ll go over what I like and don’t like about the Ruko F11 GIM Pro

Pros: What I Like About the Ruko F11 GIM Pro

• 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 and professional
• 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 the home button, 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 Ruko F11 GIM Pro

• It does not come with a 3-axis gimbal
• The 4k camera drains the battery power faster
• The battery takes a long time to fully charge
• The drone is over 250 grams, so you have to register it with the FAA
• It doesn’t have obstacle avoidance mode, which means you have to fly the drone in open areas without obstacles like lamp posts, tall buildings, electricity lines, trees, and others.

Ruko F11 GIM Pro Set Up

I’ll go over some basic setups for the Ruko F11 GIM 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 Ruko F11 GIM Pro

The first step is to charge the Ruko F11 GIM drone battery with the USB cord. Fortunately, it has two USB cables, so you can charge the batteries and the remote controller at the same time.

2. Assembling the Ruko F11 GIM Pro

Putting on the propellers: This shouldn’t be too difficult. Ruko 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 Ruko F11 GIM Pro With Your Smartphone

The next step is to pair the Ruko F11 GIM Pro drone with your smartphone

1) Download the Ruko 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 Ruko WiFi signal.

5) Click the “Enter Device” button in the app’s first page’s center after launching the Ruko app.

4. Calibrating the GPS of the Ruko F11 GIM Pro

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, flip the right joystick 45 degrees upward, and then release. When the drone becomes still, it indicates successful gyro calibration.

Step #2: While the GPS is on, rotate the drone 360 degrees vertically and horizontally two times to connect the drone with the satellite.

Step #3: Press the joystick in and flip it down to switch on the propellers. With that, your drone is ready for flight. Simply step outdoors and choose a space free of obstructions like telephone or power wires.

Best Alternatives to the Ruko F11 GIM Pro

In this section, I’ll share with you three alternatives to the Ruko F11 GIM Pro to give you more options:

1. Ruko F11 GIM 2(Best Advanced Ruko Drone)

In my opinion, the Ruko F11 GIM2 is the best Ruko drone. It’s easy to use, has advanced flight mode, & comes with dual batteries for a more fun time and a 4K camera with EIS technology.

2. DJI Air 2s (Best DJI Alternatives)

The DJI Air 2S is my best DJI alternative to the Ruko F11. What I like about the Mavic Mini is that it has a long flight time of 30 minutes. Not just that, it comes with double batteries for double fun and a 4K camera attached to a 3-axis gimbal that provides camera stability and smooth footage.

3. Ruko F11 Mini (Best Budget Holy Stone Drone)

The Ruko F11 Mini is my best-budget Ruko 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.

Ruko F11 GIM Pro Safety Tips

Below are some safety tips you should be aware of before flying your Ruko F11 GIM Pro 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 Ruko F11 GIM Pro 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 Ruko F11 GIM Pro.
• 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 Ruko F11 GIM Pro

The Ruko F11 GIM is one of the overall best drones released by Ruko. It is fitted with features that can be found in most professional drones. Its advanced GPS technology makes it easy to handle, and the flight is seamless.

The Ruko F11 GIM should not be your very first drone to fly. As a beginner, you should start with a simple drone before moving on to a more professional one like the F11 GIM. Its flight time, flight handle, camera, and several other tweaks make it one of the cutting-edge drones out there. 

You can also check out the reviews of various drones from the Ruko series to see what benefits they have in store for you.

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