Help with purchase

[azoriandan]

Ok everyone, I am in a bind. I have an option to buy the Phantom 1 with the new firmware and board for 400, but then I can buy the Phantom 2 with the zenmuse gimbal for 860. I don't really see much difference except for plug and play options, self tightening prop, and the battery. Ok, so now its the batteries that is killing me. How long really for the new p2 flight fully loaded versus p1? The thing is the cost of the new batteries are expensive, takes forever to charge. The older system I can get batteries anywhere and lot of them too! Also installing an ebay gimbal on the p1 is it worth just going with p1? Make sense? PLease let me know what you guys think. Thanks.

 

[nwillitts]

get the p1.
it is the cost of the batteries that keep me from buying.
batteries are everything.

 

[Ksc]

I say get the P2. If you want the zenmuse for the P1 you are looking at it being $760. For $100 more you get the P2. I honestly think they are going to work towards getting away from the P1. Its like Apple. When a new iPhone comes out, you never hear them talking about or making improvements to older generation iPhones.

although, if you are just looking to fly around and crash and not really get too in depth with the phantom, the P1 is fine and you'll find a lot of cheap stuff for it once more people switch over to the P2/vision. I haven't touched my P1 in ages. I'll probably end up trading it for another Glock. You'll probably find someone like me near you who has a P2 and the P1 isn't worth anything to him and will trade you for something else.

 

[LeoS]

Usage pattern is the defining factor.

When I fly my PV with my brother's P1, he goes through about 2.5-3 batteries when I just use one up (and usually I land with around 20% reserve).

What kind of shots are you looking to do, how far of a distance do you plan to go, how quick\easy is it to land and re-take off?

Those are the questions you need to answer..

So at 2.5x the flight time, P2/PV battery costs about $30 more per unit than a P1 battery... and if you fly at least 30x with that pack, then that's just about $1 more per flight. I don't know about you, but when I go to new places, my travelling and opportunity costs worth a lot more than that, so I'll take the longer battery..

 

[azoriandan]

Ya that's the thing I am looking at, p1 with gimbal and extra batteries = p2 with gimbal 1 battery. I am travelling down south to monument valley and grand canyon and also going through Bonneville salt flats and want to film my car in the process. So I guess coming in to change batteries all the time especially when out a distance can be a pain.