calling it a day with DJI

[macoman]

Regarding the MI 4K ... here seems to be a fair review ...

TEST: Xiaomi Mi 4K drone - Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!

Nigel

Very good review... I am looking to another brand... I have a standard without any issue but I like to experiment with different drones. I am more interested in the Yuneec 500 4K. It is more cheaper than the Xaomi Mi 4K and have built-in display on the controller. No need to add your phone or camera. The only issue is that they don't offer long range like the Xaomi one. I like also that you can use the camera from the Yuneec for walking or other purposes.

 

[apollo64]

Very good review... I am looking to another brand... I have a standard without any issue but I like to experiment with different drones. I am more interested in the Yuneec 500 4K. It is more cheaper than the Xaomi Mi 4K and have built-in display on the controller. No need to add your phone or camera. The only issue is that they don't offer long range like the Xaomi one. I like also that you can use the camera from the Yuneec for walking or other purposes.

I think there is a stick for the Mi 4k gimbal

 

[solentlife]

I looked at Yuneec ... when going through an airport - they had a demo stand setup and you could try out their system on the sim.

I liked it but when I started to add up a system to suit my wants - it was getting expensive.

Later I was looking through reviews and reports - seems Yuneec has a disgruntled ownership band as well ... so DJI is not alone !!

I'm not sure there is an error free machine out there yet !!

Nigel

 

[apollo64]

I looked at Yuneec ... when going through an airport - they had a demo stand setup and you could try out their system on the sim.

I liked it but when I started to add up a system to suit my wants - it was getting expensive.

Later I was looking through reviews and reports - seems Yuneec has a disgruntled ownership band as well ... so DJI is not alone !!

I'm not sure there is an error free machine out there yet !!

Nigel

Nigel, you are correct on both counts, disgruntled yuneec owners and there is not an error free drone made, any thing can dropped out of the sky, my issue has been with a certain firm laying down the law and putting half baked firmware updates out, and making drones out of toy plastic

 

[Paul Wingfield]

Since its to windy to fly, decided to do some routine maintenance on the P3s gimbal cal, imu cal, and guess what i find.....a second crack on same motor arm, after i found first one i super glued the crack, backed of the motor bollts a tiny bit and reduced air braking to 70% and to be honest i have hardly flown it since, the Quad has sat in its foam case in a temperature stable environment............so i now have a £450 drone that was in mint condition that might just about be worth £200 at a push.......all due to a well known design fault.
Sorry but my time with this brand is over, i am in the market for a new camera drone, so its now going to be a yuneec Typhoon 500 4k or a Xiaomi mi 4k....not the P3SE that i had been wanting

I had a similar problem with my P3Advanced so I attached a gimbal guard. However, when I tried to update the software to the latest issue in July 2017, it failed and screwed up my P3A. I sent it DJI and they said that because I had added a gimbal guard, I had to pay 300 Euros for a new camera!
I will almost certainly sell it now and go for the Mi 4K because the online reviews make it look good and they seem to be keen to support their customers too!

 

[solentlife]

When I rec'd my repaired P3P - all under warranty I add ... I was told that the Camera lock I was using was not recc'd and could damage the gimbal arm.

Its the one that has circular part over lens and a vertical arm that then locks into one of the vent slots in the gimbal base.

Here's an example :

I still find it hard to believe them on this as it sits absolutely straight and good ... and is 10x easier to install than the plastic lock DJI give you ...

Nigel

 

[apollo64]

I had a similar problem with my P3Advanced so I attached a gimbal guard. However, when I tried to update the software to the latest issue in July 2017, it failed and screwed up my P3A. I sent it DJI and they said that because I had added a gimbal guard, I had to pay 300 Euros for a new camera!
I will almost certainly sell it now and go for the Mi 4K because the online reviews make it look good and they seem to be keen to support their customers too!

Man that sucks I keep hearing xiaomi do there very best to keep customers happy, even sending update direct to user

 

[jeffcutler]

Is this something I should worry about? Just got a P3Standard and in my preflight routine I don't look at the landing arms, just the camera, props and battery. Does this happen from flying stress or from landing hard? I've only been flying for three weeks and all my landings are feather soft. Thanks in advance!

 

[lloyd786]

I was out today in the 29 degree weather and the dji app sent me to their website to take some quiz. I can't get through a flight with out updating or loging in for something, getting really sick of the flight time delays.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I was out today in the 29 degree weather and the dji app sent me to their website to take some quiz. I can't get through a flight with out updating or loging in for something, getting really sick of the flight time delays.

We heard about this, but it was supposed to only be in Beta. Guess it has been released into the wild! Thanks DJI, for making flying even more difficult, "when the moment is right!"

 

[John Tarvin]

Bye, bye!

 

[apollo64]

Is this something I should worry about? Just got a P3Standard and in my preflight routine I don't look at the landing arms, just the camera, props and battery. Does this happen from flying stress or from landing hard? I've only been flying for three weeks and all my landings are feather soft. Thanks in advance!

Jeff, make a point of checking the underside of the arms where the motor bolts go in, there is a good chance you wont be affected as you should have the newer shell design, but i would consider fitting the alloy motor mount plates, they are only about 15 bucks for the set

 

[solentlife]

New shell or not ---- makes no difference despite the claims.
My P3S has later shell and has cracks.

Nigel

 

[apollo64]

New shell or not ---- makes no difference despite the claims.
My P3S has later shell and has cracks.

Nigel

Thats not good, when my alloy plates arrive and i go to fit them, i am tempted to put a very thin layer of glue on the underside (mating face) thinking epoxy, then when screwed in place the plate will become an integral part of the arm

 

[Technical Bob]

The problem can be things too stiff and no give when required, so all those stiffening up the arms may actually make the issues worse,
The dji shells may have been too stiff in the first place, which would explain why people suggested loosing of the motor fixings, to allow that bit of give when applying motor inputs,

Think of a car engine with no rubber engine mounts,
If it was bolted straight in the vibrations would be mental, this is why the engine is on rubber or fluid mounts, to absorb the vibrations and movement,

The P3 could be too stiff already . . .

 

[mark99]

This should be a recall, defective not fit for purpose product costing large amounts of cash.
DJI response = IGNORE, the mugs keep buying more and more so why care.

For a better glue mix bicarbonate soda with superglue

 

[solentlife]

I would not epoxy the plates in place.... epoxy does not bond fully with this type of plastic. And as another says - you may be adding hardness / stiffness unnecessarily.

The plates are designed to link all screws together so instead of being individual into the plastic structure - they are now acting together. If one tires to flex or move - the plate with the other screws resists it. It spreads that stress instead of its staying just with one screw.

Nigel

 

[apollo64]

I would not epoxy the plates in place.... epoxy does not bond fully with this type of plastic. And as another says - you may be adding hardness / stiffness unnecessarily.

The plates are designed to link all screws together so instead of being individual into the plastic structure - they are now acting together. If one tires to flex or move - the plate with the other screws resists it. It spreads that stress instead of its staying just with one screw.

Nigel

The plot really thickens....like porridge left in a bowl overnight.......over on the facebook P3s owners page a couple of people are saying they had no cracks, fitted the alloy plates and then in a short time started getting cracks

 

[solentlife]

Well - it takes all sorts.

I know that the cracks in my P3S did not stop when I fitted plates - but they sure slowed down their spread.

My P3P looked fine with no sign of cracks - until I actually lifted the motors to check INSIDE ... then I could just make out the fine hairlines starting.
Plates fitted ... months later ... no cracks appearing outside.

So did those FB people actually check fully or just report an external assessment ? Did they fit the plates properly - I know a couple of people who didn't fit the stand-off tubes or inner two screws ... silly boys !

Its a subject that will never resolve. Like the Ford vs Chevrolet .....

I'm happy to sit on the Pro Plates bench ...

Nigel

 

[apollo64]

Well - it takes all sorts.

I know that the cracks in my P3S did not stop when I fitted plates - but they sure slowed down their spread.

My P3P looked fine with no sign of cracks - until I actually lifted the motors to check INSIDE ... then I could just make out the fine hairlines starting.
Plates fitted ... months later ... no cracks appearing outside.

So did those FB people actually check fully or just report an external assessment ? Did they fit the plates properly - I know a couple of people who didn't fit the stand-off tubes or inner two screws ... silly boys !

Its a subject that will never resolve. Like the Ford vs Chevrolet .....

I'm happy to sit on the Pro Plates bench ...

Nigel

Thanks Nigel, decision made to go with the plates, my P3s is about 2 years old, she is getting to the stage where i can start to expect electronics to fail, so the plates might just help her to see her days out