Hello from New Milford, Connecticut

[Basspig]

First post. New drone, a Phantom 4 Pro 2.0 and a Crystal Sky Ultra display is our current kit. My wife wanted a drone for our anniversary, so I pushed for the Phantom over the Mavic and now she's totally into the Phantom (so am I).

We've flown it a few times, both in our yard and at the local park, which is usually empty. Having a good time with it and can't wait til our replacement 4K Sony projector comes in so we can watch the footage in our home theater.

I'm open to meeting up with other drone pilots in the Brookfield/New Milford area. It might be fun to fly together. Of course, I'm always looking for new places to explore in the local area.

My wife wanted the drone for a trip to some remote islands she is visiting in the South Pacific, specifically, the Philippines, this August. For a once in a lifetime opportunity, I wanted her to have a better camera and pushed for the Phantom. She originally wanted a Mavic. After flying the Phantom, I asked, "do you still want a Mavic instead?" and her response was "No! This is fine." LOL

I guess that means I'll have to buy an Inspire 3 when it comes out, or a Matrix, so I can hoist my big 4K cinema camera aloft.

In the meantime, we're both trying to gain flight time and hone flying skills. I invested about 3 grand into this stuff already, but I say, if you're going to do something, do it properly.

About me, I'm a retired broadcast engineer, who runs an amp repair shop for income and a video production studio. I'm also an avid extreme audiophile, hence my handle. Real name is Mark Weiss. Pleased to meet y'all here!

 

[msinger]

Welcome to Phantom Pilots!

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to the forum .
I hope you will find our site helpful and look forward to any input , photo's/video's you might post .
Don't be shy and ask anything if you can't find it by searching .

 

[Basspig]

Thanks everyone! I'm sure I'll have some questions, as this is a pretty new hobby for me.

My first contact with model airplane stuff was when I was buying a VW bug from some fellow in NY state in 1970. He had a $3000 RC plane he was building in his garage and at the time, that looked so far outside my ability to afford I just mentally filed it under "maybe someday when I get rich". Well that "someday I get rich" never came, but I have lived frugally for many decades and always put my savings into the hobbies I loved. And then along came the advent of the modern drone and its ability to fly a camera aloft, something I'd wanted to do for decades.

Frankly, I wasn't thinking about drones at all, until March, when my wife told me point-blank, "I want a drone for our anniversary." I was like "you HAVE to be joking.. right??" She was serious. So since March, I did my research and finally decided on the DJI product. Once I started flying this thing, it became an instant addiction. Crap.. another thing competing for my precious time!

I'm tickled pink that the drone shoots in DCI 4K, just like my $20K cinema cameras, so it matches the aspect of the 4K production display in my editing suite as well as the 4K projector in my screening room. What more could I want? More flying time, that's what I want!

I've gotten some rather nice footage with it so far and have made some adjustments to the controls. I find the defaults for the Yaw control way too touchy and my early flights were filled with sudden pans instead of graceful ease-in pans. Changing the curves on the remote seemed to help a lot. What continues to run counter to my natural habit is the gimbal up/down wheel. It's opposite of what my natural reaction is and I always end up panning up when I want to pan down. Oh well, in time I'll get used to it.

Here's a little sample of what I shot on Monday, on the way home from daughter's piano class:

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I bounce around between here and the DJI forum, so I'll be around from time to time.

 

[ryantrax]

Welcome to Phantom Pilots from Dayton Ohio, Enjoy that P4P and CS, Fly safe and have fun!

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Hello,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Phantom Pilots forum.
I hope that you will be able to use the forum to further your safety knowledge and for the exchange of innovative ideas and as a resource for current developments in DJI quadcopters.
*GO 4 APP MANUAL: DJI Go 4 Manual

 

[charlieb4]

Hi, and welcome! Sadly, I had to move from Bethel. I sure miss Connecticut.

 

[Basspig]

Hi, and welcome! Sadly, I had to move from Bethel. I sure miss Connecticut.

I lived in Bethel for 8-1/2 years myself. Left it in 1966.
I'm making plans for a permanent move to Japan since 2016. Was there last summer and loved it.

 

[Deleted member 109724]

Thanks everyone! I'm sure I'll have some questions, as this is a pretty new hobby for me.

My first contact with model airplane stuff was when I was buying a VW bug from some fellow in NY state in 1970. He had a $3000 RC plane he was building in his garage and at the time, that looked so far outside my ability to afford I just mentally filed it under "maybe someday when I get rich". Well that "someday I get rich" never came, but I have lived frugally for many decades and always put my savings into the hobbies I loved. And then along came the advent of the modern drone and its ability to fly a camera aloft, something I'd wanted to do for decades.

Frankly, I wasn't thinking about drones at all, until March, when my wife told me point-blank, "I want a drone for our anniversary." I was like "you HAVE to be joking.. right??" She was serious. So since March, I did my research and finally decided on the DJI product. Once I started flying this thing, it became an instant addiction. Crap.. another thing competing for my precious time!

I'm tickled pink that the drone shoots in DCI 4K, just like my $20K cinema cameras, so it matches the aspect of the 4K production display in my editing suite as well as the 4K projector in my screening room. What more could I want? More flying time, that's what I want!

I've gotten some rather nice footage with it so far and have made some adjustments to the controls. I find the defaults for the Yaw control way too touchy and my early flights were filled with sudden pans instead of graceful ease-in pans. Changing the curves on the remote seemed to help a lot. What continues to run counter to my natural habit is the gimbal up/down wheel. It's opposite of what my natural reaction is and I always end up panning up when I want to pan down. Oh well, in time I'll get used to it.

Here's a little sample of what I shot on Monday, on the way home from daughter's piano class:

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Accept third party cookies

I bounce around between here and the DJI forum, so I'll be around from time to time.

Hey Basspig, what are the exact numbers you set your drone to to get another video? I'm just curious.

 

[Basspig]

Hey Basspig, what are the exact numbers you set your drone to to get another video? I'm just curious.

You mean camera settings? I use 4K 24P and D-Log and grade it by hand in CS6.

 

[Deleted member 109724]

You mean camera settings? I use 4K 24P and D-Log and grade it by hand in CS6.

No, your pitch and yaw and gain and exp settings, etc...

 

[Basspig]

Oh, for the Yaw control (this is in P mode) I set them to 0.2 from the original 0.4 defaults. This helped a lot with turning without abrupt starts. I have to check what my elevation setting is, but I think it's in between or 0.3. EXP and Gain are left at default. I haven't enough info to know how those affect flight.

I did find that Yaw control is waaaay too sensitive in S mode though. Just a nudge sends it 45° off original heading.

 

[Jeff Chip]

Hello. Just started reading the various posts through out the forum and saw New Milford. I've recently acquired a P3A, the
price was a 'steal' so I couldn't resist. Hmmmmm, great wife who wants a 'drone' for her anniversary! WOW
I am across 84 off Exit 17 down RT 63 about 5 miles. So far I have been extremely cautious with the P3A, flown in the yard
and at Hollow Park in Woodbury. Really want to get down to the shore in Milford, Stratford, Lordship and West Haven for
starters.
Anyhow, welcome hope to see some more of your videos and photos.
Regards, Jeff

 

[Basspig]

Hello. Just started reading the various posts through out the forum and saw New Milford. I've recently acquired a P3A, the
price was a 'steal' so I couldn't resist. Hmmmmm, great wife who wants a 'drone' for her anniversary! WOW
I am across 84 off Exit 17 down RT 63 about 5 miles. So far I have been extremely cautious with the P3A, flown in the yard
and at Hollow Park in Woodbury. Really want to get down to the shore in Milford, Stratford, Lordship and West Haven for
starters.
Anyhow, welcome hope to see some more of your videos and photos.
Regards, Jeff

Hi Jeff,

That area sounds like it's near Oxford Airport. I've been there several times to film the EAA and Collings Foundation visits with the WWII warbirds.

I used to work at General DataComm until shortly after it moved to the Timex building at exit 17.. that was 34 years ago.

Beach areas are hard to get access to. I've flown over our lake a few times, but from the town park's ball field. Everything on the shore is private property.

Downtown New Milford is pretty good along the Housatonic. Good launch areas, few people.

 

[Jeff Chip]

Hi Jeff,

That area sounds like it's near Oxford Airport. I've been there several times to film the EAA and Collings Foundation visits with the WWII warbirds.

I used to work at General DataComm until shortly after it moved to the Timex building at exit 17.. that was 34 years ago.

Beach areas are hard to get access to. I've flown over our lake a few times, but from the town park's ball field. Everything on the shore is private property.

Downtown New Milford is pretty good along the Housatonic. Good launch areas, few people.

Being new I have to learn the nuances of the emails. The original reply went to the admins! LOL
Yes, I am far enough away from the airport that I can fly, but I do keep it low, couple of hundred feet.
I have been to the WWII Warbird visits and did some photography work myself.
Ah yes GDC. Many folks employed there.
I am still learning where to fly and trying to build confidence. I have read several posts on other DJI
sites that stun me with props breaking at the hub and the copter free falling. Or fly aways and
free fall for no reason!
Maybe you can introduce me to some of the sites in N.M. for launching, that would be fun!
We're close to Hop Brook Lake which is owned by the Army Corp of Engineers. Also up the hill to the
Hop Brook golf course which would be a neat place to fly but have to find a launch area with
little traffic!
Have a good evening.

 

[Basspig]

Being new I have to learn the nuances of the emails. The original reply went to the admins! LOL
Yes, I am far enough away from the airport that I can fly, but I do keep it low, couple of hundred feet.
I have been to the WWII Warbird visits and did some photography work myself.
Ah yes GDC. Many folks employed there.
I am still learning where to fly and trying to build confidence. I have read several posts on other DJI
sites that stun me with props breaking at the hub and the copter free falling. Or fly aways and
free fall for no reason!
Maybe you can introduce me to some of the sites in N.M. for launching, that would be fun!
We're close to Hop Brook Lake which is owned by the Army Corp of Engineers. Also up the hill to the
Hop Brook golf course which would be a neat place to fly but have to find a launch area with
little traffic!
Have a good evening.

That's good. Nobody likes to live near an airport.. noise and can't fly your drone!

I enjoyed watching the B-17 and the P51 flying from Oxford Airport. They were giving rides for $400 a head on the B-17 and $2000 for 30 minutes on the P51!

Yeah, I worked at GDC as a senior tech writer in their publications department. I jumped ship shortly before the whole company went down the drain.

I too have read a lot of horror stories about the batteries falling out of the Phantoms, broken props, etc. It may be possible that those individuals were doing acrobatic flying and hard stops and directional changes, which puts a lot of stress on the airframe. Many people reporting stress cracks in their Phantoms. I for one, fly like an old lady drives, always easing off the stick for a gradual deceleration. I try to avoid a violent stop as the forces are possibly 10X more than just straight line flight. Anyway, we bought ours for cinematic photography. My wife is taking it to the Philippines in August for a two week vacation to some remote islands. That's why I bought it for her. It is her anniversary present that she requested.
Broken prop stories seem to correlate with cheap after market props bought on eBay. This is one area not to skimp on. Buy the genuine parts from DJI. Same for batteries. The props and batteries are the life blood of the Phantom. Even in Sport mode, I avoid going past about 80% power. The Phantom goes fast enough as it is.

Around New Milford, I've launched from the top of Lover's Leap, overlooking the Housatonic. I use the town soccer field in Brookfield to practice and train, and there are some good spots on Young's Field Rd next to the river to launch from. I'm still looking for more places. I was up in Kent 2 weeks ago and found a spot along the Housatonic and flew there, but getting TO the river meant flying through a tiny opening in the foliage and took some skill.

Next year, I'm planning to take it with me on my next Japan trip. I'm headed to Hokkaido next spring.

 

[loyal]

How’s everybody doing I’m also from Connecticut and I been living in Easthaven for a while now and have a phantom 3 professional witch is extremely addicting. I’ve been flying drones for like 5 yrs now and I never get tired or bored of doing it. I’ve found a few nice spots in west haven by the water to fly and there’s not a lot of people and good spots for taking off. I been wanting to either get a p4 or the mavic pro but like you I’ll probably go with the p4 since I’ve owned the p2 and phantom 3 4K witch I did not care for and 2 phantom 3 pros. I did put a few upgrades on the pro and the one I wouldn’t want to be without would be the landing leg attachments witch makes me never nervous about tipping over on any landing anymore weather is in grass or even gravel. It’s nice to see other people around into the same hobby and hope you and your wife enjoy your new found hobby.