Basic Questions for New P4P+ / Mavic 2 Owner

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Hi all,

I have been flying the Phantom 4 pro plus for a little while now for my employer but have never owned by own drone.

That is about to change though as today I am purchasing either a new P4P+ or Mavic 2 Pro of my own (yet to decide which one).

I have a couple of questions though as a soon to be drone owner that I haven't had to deal with yet as other staff at my job maintain our drones and was wondering if I could please get some advice.

1) I live right next to the coast and a large portion of my flying will no doubt be over the surf/ocean. Is there any standard maintenance procedures you would recommend as far as maintaining the drone when flying a lot in the ocean salt air breeze? I'd imagine quite a lot of mist/spray would get on the drone if flying even mildly low and that couldn't be good for its life span in the long term, is there a method you would recommend for cleaning the motors etc. or are these drones pretty resilient in that regard?

2) I intend to buy a few batteries for whichever drone I purchase, what is the best way to store these to preserve their life, charged or un-charged? Whenever I use our drone at work I need to pre-book it and it is brought out with fully charged batteries, but I am not sure if they are charged just prior to use or always left that way.

3) Are the controls for the P4P+ and the Mavic 2 Pro the same? From what I have seen on youtube they look almost identical so I'm guessing as somebody who has only flown the P4P+ there shouldn't be any issue switching if I decide to go that way... Having said that, would you recommend buying the DJI controller?

4) Is it true that the Mavic 2 Pro gets significantly more range than the P4P+, especially when amongst trees etc. or is this a myth?

Thank you for any help it is much appreciated.


Cheers.
 
That is about to change though as today I am purchasing either a new P4P+ or Mavic 2 Pro of my own (yet to decide which one).
DJI haven't made the P4pro since last year so it might be difficult to find one.
1) I live right next to the coast and a large portion of my flying will no doubt be over the surf/ocean. Is there any standard maintenance procedures you would recommend as far as maintaining the drone when flying a lot in the ocean salt air breeze? I'd imagine quite a lot of mist/spray would get on the drone if flying even mildly low and that couldn't be good for its life span in the long term, is there a method you would recommend for cleaning the motors etc. or are these drones pretty resilient in that regard?

2) I intend to buy a few batteries for whichever drone I purchase, what is the best way to store these to preserve their life, charged or un-charged? Whenever I use our drone at work I need to pre-book it and it is brought out with fully charged batteries, but I am not sure if they are charged just prior to use or always left that way.

3) Are the controls for the P4P+ and the Mavic 2 Pro the same? From what I have seen on youtube they look almost identical so I'm guessing as somebody who has only flown the P4P+ there shouldn't be any issue switching if I decide to go that way... Having said that, would you recommend buying the DJI controller?

4) Is it true that the Mavic 2 Pro gets significantly more range than the P4P+, especially when amongst trees etc. or is this a myth?
1. You do what you can to stay above the active splash zone but if you do a lot of salty flying, be prepared to write-off the drone one day.
My main drone has been flown at sea for most of its 2.5 yrs and is still going well but screw heads etc show some corrosion.
2. The main principle is that you don't want to leave the batteries sitting full or empty.
Somewhere in the middle is ideal.
DJI take care of that by having the batteries self discharge to storage level after a few days.
Always fully charge before flying.
3. The controls are the same
Not sure what you mean about buying a DJI controller since you can't fly without one.
If you specifically mean the Smart Controller or the P4pro+ controller, that's a personal choice but if you want to run 3rd party apps (for mapping etc) you should check that they will run on the controller before committing.
4. Range should be similar
 
DJI haven't made the P4pro since last year so it might be difficult to find one.

1. You do what you can to stay above the active splash zone but if you do a lot of salty flying, be prepared to write-off the drone one day.
My main drone has been flown at sea for most of its 2.5 yrs and is still going well but screw heads etc show some corrosion.
2. The main principle is that you don't want to leave the batteries sitting full or empty.
Somewhere in the middle is ideal.
DJI take care of that by having the batteries self discharge to storage level after a few days.
Always fully charge before flying.
3. The controls are the same
Not sure what you mean about buying a DJI controller since you can't fly without one.
If you specifically mean the Smart Controller or the P4pro+ controller, that's a personal choice but if you want to run 3rd party apps (for mapping etc) you should check that they will run on the controller before committing.
4. Range should be similar

Thank you for the response :)

One more question if you don't mind, do these drones require servicing after a certain amount of flying hours?

If so, is this something you can do yourself with instruction or should it only be left to a professional?

Thanks!
 
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One more question if you don't mind, do these drones require servicing after a certain amount of flying hours?
If so, is this something you can do yourself with instruction or should it only be left to a professional?
They are very low maintenance machines.
Keep them clean, replace props if they are damaged, don't leave batteries lying around with a low state of charge after flying .... that's about it.
 
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They are very low maintenance machines.
Keep them clean, replace props if they are damaged, don't leave batteries lying around with a low state of charge after flying .... that's about it.

Thanks! That is the answer I was hoping for lol.
 
I have a MP2, a P4Pv2 and a Mav Air.
I am having a hard time justifying keeping the P4Pv2 or Air.
The MP appears to do everything the later 2 can do and is much, much quieter. There might be some justification for the Air since it is somewhat smaller, but the noise it makes is gawd awful
I don't see any advantage with the P4Pv2 over the MP2. Perhaps someone and give me some that I am too new to see.
Bottom line I'd say go for the MP2.
 
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Which ever one you choose (I fly the Phantom P4’s, with wet suits by PhantomRain) you will enjoy. I also use the + RC with screen, in conjunction with the standard RC with iPad. The iPad is easier to install 3rd party apps and larger.

Welcome, and enjoy the company of like minded friends.

PhantomRain makes products for Mavic also.
 
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Well, Mavics are very popular these days but as far as the quality of the image and video Phantom still leads.
Not much but it's better. If this is not your prime interest then it doesn't count.
About the noise Mavic is unbelievale silent. The noise of my Phantom sometimes annoys me but when I lost it out of sight it is very relaxing to hear it where it comes from.
 
Main difference is the P4P has a mechanical shutter so if you want to lessen the chances of motion blur- like when creating orthomosaics in Drone Deploy or similar software the P4P is my choice.
 
If portability is the biggest of all concerns, as already stated, Mavic would top the list. Otherwise, if you can afford and justify its costs; (also) for the reasons stated above, I'm firmly in the P4P camp. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

RoOSTA
 
Everyone can find its own pros and conts depends on what a drone will be used for. If priority it is portability and low noise then the Mavic of course is the first choice. If the picture quality is the prime interest the Phantom is perhaps better choice.
So there can't be a general answer to questions like: 'which one should I buy'.
The best decision is both if you can afford it. Otherwise a Mavic Air can be OK too.
 

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