Has anybody thought about attaching a GoPro to the top of a Phantom 3.

[kennedye]

D'oh!
Were you using a standard GoPro or a Session? In theory the Session should be lighter and more compact.

I think the keychain cameras that folks are always attaching to their RC planes or even Hubsans might be a good alternative. Anyone try one of those yet?

 

[N017RW]

I've used lipstick style digi-cameras on my cp-helis for about a decade but never on top of a Phantom.

 

[natvtrader]

D'oh!
Were you using a standard GoPro or a Session? In theory the Session should be lighter and more compact.

I think the keychain cameras that folks are always attaching to their RC planes or even Hubsans might be a good alternative. Anyone try one of those yet?

It was actually the first gopro style camera they came out with so by far the heaviest of all gopros. I don't see any need to attach another camera to phantom I just got it in my head that it might be cool. Didn't turn out so good! lol.

I just weighed it and it is 8.15 oz.

 

[Theo450]

I have been contemplating this for vertical inspection above the aircraft. Knowing the gps is on top of the aircraft and sticking a go pro on that will cause interference, what about mounting a sticky mount on the side or front, and then using an extender arm to get the camera pointing up and clear of the props. Was weight the issue? I have slung around a pound of weight below my P4 on a 10 foot string without effecting flight characteristics very much at all.

 

[Richard R]

Don't think the cg would make much difference. Us battery modders are strapping 350+ grams of dead weight under the vps which makes it unbalanced. No real issues. I'd be more concerned about GPS being affected.

Adding weight below would actually lower the CG and increase stability. Look at many stabilizers for handheld video cameras. Putting weight on top would be the problem. Controller might be able to handle it, but I wouldn't be surprised that it would create a lot of jitter as the controller tried to deal with the changes.

 

[Theo450]

Adding weight below would actually lower the CG and increase stability. Look at many stabilizers for handheld video cameras. Putting weight on top would be the problem. Controller might be able to handle it, but I wouldn't be surprised that it would create a lot of jitter as the controller tried to deal with the changes.

I suspected that. maybe I will rig the go pro to hang below the bird 5 feet or so and point it up. I can use two lines to stop it spinning, the aircraft will be in the shot, but the wide view of the go pro should give plenty of view above. Then we can zoom in post collection.

 

[Richard R]

I have been contemplating this for vertical inspection above the aircraft. Knowing the gps is on top of the aircraft and sticking a go pro on that will cause interference, what about mounting a sticky mount on the side or front, and then using an extender arm to get the camera pointing up and clear of the props. Was weight the issue? I have slung around a pound of weight below my P4 on a 10 foot string without effecting flight characteristics very much at all.

I have a mobius camera (Home) that I got for my Syma X8 that might work too. Only looks straight ahead, so might mount it to the side looking up.

 

[varangian]

I'm thinking a Möbius in one of those tracker holders that mount on the side of the quad. My mobius is about the same thicknesses as my TK102b and you mount is vertically and shoot through the spinning props.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Theo450]

I have a go pro session. Are the möbius cameras that much smaller?

 

[Richard R]

I have a go pro session. Are the möbius cameras that much smaller?

1 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 3/4 inches

 

[Theo450]

1 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 3/4 inches

About the same volume, different dimensions. Thank you! I am gonna see about a session mount on the landing gear collecting data through the props.

 

[FunN4lo]

I built and flew DJI F450s back in the olden days. (like 3 years ago, a life time in drone years) . My avatar is an IR pic of my F450 hovering after a long summer time flight

GoPros are NOTORIOUS for interfering with DJI's GPS. In the days when the F450 was the "it" drone, there was a different daily thread to the effect... My F450 flew perfect until I added a GoPro, then I crashed.

I think some of the post here confirm the issue still exists. On the F450, if you put the center plates between the GPS stalk and the GoPro you were generally good. A line of site between the two, even if a bit of a distance, was bad. But there is no material on the Phantoms like the center plate of an F450 to block GPS interference.

Putting the GoPro under the drone would be better. But think long and hard about that, and watch your satellite numbers

 

[Theo450]

I built and flew DJI F450s back in the olden days. (like 3 years ago, a life time in drone years) . My avatar is an IR pic of my F450 hovering after a long summer time flight

GoPros are NOTORIOUS for interfering with DJI's GPS. In the days when the F450 was the "it" drone, there was a different daily thread to the effect... My F450 flew perfect until I added a GoPro, then I crashed.

I think some of the post here confirm the issue still exists. On the F450, if you put the center plates between the GPS stalk and the GoPro you were generally good. A line of site between the two, even if a bit of a distance, was bad. But there is no material on the Phantoms like the center plate of an F450 to block GPS interference.

Putting the GoPro under the drone would be better. But think long and hard about that, and watch your satellite numbers

Is it a wifi issue? The session does not have wifi.

 

[Monte55]

Is it a wifi issue? The session does not have wifi.

mine does

 

[FunN4lo]

Is it a wifi issue? The session does not have wifi.

Wifi would mess with the video and or tx feed on the F450, so definitely a good idea to keep the wifi off if you are going to fly. But it wasn't the primary cause of the GoPro/GPS issues

 

[Theo450]

mine does

Oh yeah, mine does too, I have just never turned it on.