I hate my Phantom 3 Pro

[damitjim01]

My iPhone 6+ has no issues with overheating, my wife's iPad Air 2 gets warm, depending on outside air temp

 

[JKDSensei]

If anyone thinks that all the Phantom 3's that have come off the assembly line have exactly the same hardware, they are sadly mistaken.
As a manufacturing engineer for many years, I can tell you that several different revisions of hardware have made it into production. These include everything from integrated circuits to memory chips, GPS chips to ESC components. A manufacturer must have second and third sources for components because not all components are available at all times. Component manufacturers are constantly updating their products, sometimes they tell you about it, other times not.
Even a simple component revision, that is not supposed to effect form fit or function, may not play well with existing hardware/software.

That is more likely that reason some of us have issues using DJi supported devices, and others do not. Although unknowncaller's LG device is non-supported, it is still plenty capable of running the app.

THAT, sir is an excellent point !!!!

 

[UnknownCaller]

Thanks for all your advice but I have enough money in this thing as is. I have a FPVLR 3000mw sunhans boosted half sphere rig on one controller I have an itelite dbs rig on another controller 3 batteries and a P3 flytrex. I think I can sell my P3 and downgrade to a P2V+ and have money left to get it up to spec for 4 mile plus runs.

 

[n6vmo]

The problems being presented here have nothing to do with the Phantom, so even though your thoughts are true, they arent valid.

I believe they are...here's why.

This is a test I ran using my Samsung Tab 4. It shows me tilting the P3A camera throughout its range. You can see that the P3 app is displaying 13 satellites and the video lags and stutters.

Then, at the 25 second mark in the video, I cover the P3 with my free hand. It blocks all GPS satellites and the FPV video gets a lot smoother.

GPS data is processed on the bird, not the app. The app only displays the GPS co-ordinates calculated by the P3.

By not having any GPS data to process, seems to have caused the video from the bird to smooth out. My guess is that the processor or other component on the P3 gets overwhelmed processing GPS data and diverts priorities from video processing and other lower priority tasks. Over whelmed because?....I don't know. Maybe a slower component in my bird versus yours?...I don't know.

 

[cowboycctx]

My first P3 had lag and really caused my IPAD 2 Mini and my Ipad Air 2 to overheat. After the 10th flight the P3P got a stress crack so since I bought it on Amazon I sent it back. After 3 weeks I bought another P3P and I am please to say it work 100%, my tablets are not overheating and my range is twice the rance the previous P3 was. I think it is possible to get a unit that is not 100%. Why it would cause overheating is beyond me but the new one works and I'm glad, I was tempted not to try another P3P after my first experience was not as everyone else was reporting.

 

[damitjim01]

Maybe a slower component in my bird versus yours?...I don't know.

Maybe your phone can't handle all the information it's receiving, still doesn't prove "It's the bird"

 

[III% Streve]

Ok... That I could except. What happen when in atti mode? No video lag at all? And how is that tied to tablet overheating? The other strange part is that your hand blocks all satellites, but the house doesn't?

 

[tcope]

I'd agree that it appears that P3s are not all created equal. I can be in the middle of nowhere and my max flight range is about 8200. Other people easily get 10,000 or more.

Of the OP has not upgraded the software I'd recommend lowering the bit rate of the video. May very well solve all of the issues.

 

[td619]

I have a iPhone 5s and it runs perfect with my P3a! I'm a complete newbie and I'm super impressed with mine! I have read a lot on this forum and have learned a lot on how to have successful flights. Wish you luck!

 

[n6vmo]

Ok... That I could except. What happen when in atti mode? No video lag at all? And how is that tied to tablet overheating? The other strange part is that your hand blocks all satellites, but the house doesn't?

I have not tried ATTI mode...but that would be another good test.

Yes, I consistently get anywhere from 10 - 13 satellites with the P3 sitting on the living room table.

I feel for the OP.

DJi marketed this product such that it can be used with an iOS or Android device.
Soon after release, that changed their tune and said they only supported certain iOS and Android devices.

It took users that were having issues to partially solve the FPV lag. That 'fix' was to dedicate an iOS or Android device to the P3 app only. (me included)
Basically, users had to stop everything except for the app and downgrade Google Play Services, rendering the device useless for doing other things.

DJi sold us, me included, a pig.

I fly mine with a stripped down, dedicated Android device (Samsung Tab 4 - more than enough CPU power to run the app), but I am far from happy with my P3.

 

[III% Streve]

I followed the P3 from introduction. I never saw anywhere that they blindly stated taht it would work on all devices. That simply cant be the case. There is probable NO app that runs on all device. Google Play wont even run on my Tab 1! And I run absolutely fine on my Tab 4 without neutering it at all. It just doesnt fit the cradle.

No matter how many physical changes happened in the production life of the P3, the data sent to the table/phone comes from the controller. Sure, there could be some hardware variations there as well. But at the end of the day, the only known variable is external hardware! Even a USB cable could easily cause all of the trouble people are having.

 

[damitjim01]

Even a USB cable could easily cause all of the trouble people are having.

This.

 

[REBELimgs]

Thanks for all your advice but I have enough money in this thing as is. I have a FPVLR 3000mw sunhans boosted half sphere rig on one controller I have an itelite dbs rig on another controller 3 batteries and a P3 flytrex. I think I can sell my P3 and downgrade to a P2V+ and have money left to get it up to spec for 4 mile plus runs.

Did you buy a P3P just for long range flights?

 

[DaGunn]

Maybe your phone can't handle all the information it's receiving, still doesn't prove "It's the bird"

It has to be the bird, if you lost connection to controller or app crashed there would be no GPS available to bird. Nor could the bird RTH when signal is lost. Maybe, we need to determine the CPU in the bird and see if we can upgrade to faster CPU.

 

[REBELimgs]

Maybe, we need to determine the CPU in the bird and see if we can upgrade to faster CPU.

That sure is wishful thinking.

 

[damitjim01]

Nor could the bird RTH when signal is lost.

That's exactly what the bird does. The GPS receiver is in in the bird, not the phone. The phone's GPS is used for the maps in the app, not RTH. That's why you don't need a GPS enabled device to fly, but if you want maps, you have to pre cache them.

 

[DaGunn]

That's exactly what the bird does. The GPS receiver is in in the bird, not the phone. The phone's GPS is used for the maps in the app, not RTH. That's why you don't need a GPS enabled device to fly, but if you want maps, you have to pre cache them.

Yes, that was my point, that GPS and other functions are controlled by the bird. Either the cpu is overloaded by all of this or the bird's firmware is not as efficient as it could be.

 

[DaGunn]

That sure is wishful thinking.

Well, probably so for the P3. Intel CPU in the matrice or whatever its called.

 

[envisionabove]

Hang in there we are just a few steps away....
It can Only get better we hope.
If you look at Firmware and Pilot App release dates they all seem to be even numbered Months, so we are due.

We all get this way once and a while.

 

[tommybear]

Show me a RTF quad that can do this straight out of the box.