News

Written By Daryl-Leigh Preuss

To All Our DJI Mavic Pro Customers,

As most of you know, DJI frequently release updated firmware for your drones in order to improve functionality and some times add features.

DJI have just released a new firmware for the DJI Mavic Pro, v.01.03.0550. This firmware improves it's hovering performance as well as optimizing it's Return To Home function.

We advise, all our DJI Mavic Pro customers to update their drones to this new firmware before their next flight.

Before upgrading your Mavic, you'll need to download the latest version of the DJI Go App from the Google Play Store or Apple App store. Ensure your mobile device, Mavic Pro drone and remote controller are all fully charged. Your Mavic will also need a formatted memory card in it.

Once the firmware update is complete, you'll be ready to fly!

Please feel free to forward us your awesome Mavic Pro footage. Looking forward to it.

If you're interested in other firmware updates, select "firmware" under the tag section below. You can also sign-up to our newsletter and we'll email you the latest news & updates.

We're now excited to have joined the likes of Red Bull, Tesla Motors, LA Lakers and many other eCommerce experts who have launched a Shopify based eCommerce store.
Many of the improvements and advancements of having Action Gear based on this new platform are improvements in workflow processes behind the scenes so our internal team shared endless stoke about how easy it is and how much better our processes have now become. The seamless workflows mean that we can process orders quicker with minimal chance of errors and the courier tracking is much improved. All of this adds up to a better user experience for our valued customers.

With us being based on this new platform we can also be much more responsive to customer suggestions. Many of our new products and website changes in the past have originated from customer requests and suggestions so please don't hesitate to get in touch with further suggestions and recommendations.

Share your thoughts on our new site in the comments section below. Happy browsing!

By Warrick Kernes

The Lily Drone rocked the internet with this video released nearly two years ago but even until now we've not been able to get our hands on any. Despite it never coming to market I still get people asking me for the Lily Drone by name or at the least people ask about that drone you can throw off a bridge to start the flight or that drone which you can launch out of the water. Now sadly though Lily is never going to fly... 

The bright guys behind this tech have stated that despite their huge crowd funding success and having searious amounts of cash injected to get their production started they needed yet another round of funding and haven't been able to get a funder to back them this time around. Here's an exert from the email they sent out: 

"We have been racing against a clock of ever-diminishing funds. Over the past few months, we have tried to secure financing in order to unlock our manufacturing line and ship our first units – but have been unable to do this. As a result, we are deeply saddened to say that we are planning to wind down the company and offer refunds to customers" 

We've been saying for a while that this video which was such a success for them was also going to be their downfall. They showed their cards early and were then slow to deliver allowing their competitors time to see what the consumers were looking for and how they could build this into their own drones. As yet there aren't any other drones which you can throw into the air to start it up but there are plenty of water proof drones and plenty of their competitors adopted the follow-me feature and quickly implemented it into their own tech.

It's sad to see an internet sensation like this tumble but they have taken the honourable decision to refund all of their crowd funding customers in full. Thankfully this will go a long way to keep the faith in crowd funded ideas in the future. 

Take a look at our range of drones which are very much on the market and ready to fly. 

[Update: 02 May 2017] The Karma Drone is here! Order now while stock lasts.

[Update: 29 March 2017] The Karma Drone is available for pre-orders. Delivery will take place end of April.

[Update: 23 March 2017] - The GoPro Karma Drone is coming soon! Stay tuned for the date announcement. The Karma drone is retailing for R14 999 without the Hero5 Black camera (includes Karma Drone, Karma Grip, mounting ring and Hard Case)

You can also read about the delay due to the recall back in Nov 2016.

[Update: 08 March 2017] - GoPro have re-released the Karma Drone but their production capacity isn't enough to sell worldwide just yet. The drone is on sale in the US currently and it will be in South Africa in the coming weeks. The arrival date in South Africa and the SA retail price are yet to be confirmed. For updates please email sales@actiongear.co.za to be added to our waiting list - this means that we'll send you email updates with any info which we hear from GoPro. Being on the waiting list will also give you first choice on placing a pre-order once pricing is confirmed. 

Written by Warrick Kernes 

 GoPro's brand took a bit of a knock last November when they had to recall the Karma Drone which had just been launched a few weeks before. A few Karma users had experienced power failures mid-flight which caused their drones to drop out the skies and this is something that GoPro couldn't hide from, they had to do the recall and ask all customeras and shops to return their drones. This is basically the worst case scenario when launching a new product but thankfully no one was hurt by one of these falling drones. 

Since that big decision was made GoPro have been keeping super quiet about any possible re-release. Finally Nick Woodman, GoPro's founder and CEO, broke the silence but still didn't give too much away. In a recent statement Nick said that they would be making an announcement in February about when they'll be sending out the new and improved Karma. 

Yes, the new and improved GoPro Karma Drone... GoPro took this opportunity to improve the Karma drone so when it does come back onto the market there will be some noticeable improvements. This move is probably due to the fact that DJI launched the DJI Mavic drone just days after the release of the long-awaited Karma by GoPro. [Read our comparison of the GoPro Karma vs the DJI Mavic]

This will be a critical time for GoPro as they need to do something amazing to rebuild the trust and brand perception of theirs which has been riding so high for so long. We really hope that they pull one out of the hat and blow us all away. 

What do you think? 

Comment below to say whether you would get a Karma drone or if you think that GoPro has fallen too far behind their competitors in the drone space. 

Written by Daryl-Leigh Preuss

Have you travelled to Thailand yet? If not here is my experience and recommendation for you to travel there. 

After two days of travelling, we finally arrived in Thailand. From the busy beach of Aunang, we took a long-tail boat to the secluded beach of Tonsai Bay. As you arrive and walk up the stairs, you are greeted by the friendly staff of the Freedom Bar; a small bar just off the beach with wooden decks, music and 200m high limestone cliffs towering above you.

After a mandatory drink at the bar, we settled into our accommodation at the Dream Valley Resort. (This is the only resort in Tonsai with a swimming pool. A must, considering the extreme heat and humidity!)

Small bars, restaurants and shops are all connected by one long street. Every local greeting you with a smile as you walk past. The thick forest made the every day hikes an adventure. The adventure was spiced up even more with the snakes on the trails or bathrooms; monkeys stealing your nuts and a giant squirrel (I’m convinced I saw it!).

Climbing in Thailand is definitely different from what we have here in South Africa. Big moves between good holds made it out to be quite a sweaty and challenging experience. The slippery, overhanging limestone, with giant toofers on it, made it obvious that I need to do some pull-ups. Although the climb was challenging, there was always a 5 star view waiting for me at the top, making it all worth it.

On our rest-days, we used the time to try out the other activities Tonsai had to offer. These included kayaking through the eroded cliffs; snorkeling; as well as stand up paddle boarding.

My favourite part about my Thailand trip was meeting other climbers from around the world.

Sharing drinks and talking war-stories from the day’s adventures. Everyone knew and got to love the “South African group”. We made more friends than I could ever imagine. The local and travelling community really made the trip all the more special.

I’m already missing our Tonsai family. I can’t wait to go back, fitter, stronger and ready to tackle those beautiful limestone cliffs.