I'm upgrading to a Phantom 3 standard

[jjpetroski]

John Locke: You're a good person and it's not the beer saying that.
rrmccabe: I have heard Yuneec will have a GoPro gimbal set up coming out and it too should allow control of the GoPro settings remotely. This is "stuff" from my inquiring on a purchase of either the DJI or Yuneec. The package will be with a Q500 and a gimbal together. When true? When it's for sale.

 

[Meta4]

You are not using the term line of sight correctly. As you can see below, it does not say anything about maintaining a visual of your aircraft.

He used it correctly. And the definition from Merriam-Webster you used does say something about maintaining a visual.
"a line from an observer's eye to a distant point".

SteelGator is correct.
Line of sight is all about the line, not the visual.
The term has been around since long before the days of quadcopters and it's about having an uninterrupted line between two objects. ie. no trees, buildings or mountains in between.
If you have your Phantom in visual range it will be in line of sight but it's very easy to send it well beyond visual and still have a clear line of sight.
They are two different things

 

[rrmccabe]

You can bet before its done they will come up with a number or say something about having visual.

Because there are definitely a couple different descriptions of LOS. Playing with amateur radio LOS means something totally different. Line of site can be a LONG way with radio.

 

[kenjancef]

heavy customization? All you need is an Itelite Antenna on the Tx of my P2 and you get even better range than your P3. AND I get a better images with the better gopro camera than your P3.
AND most people here to like to customize so that is a plus.
Now go and fry an ESC on your P3 and you go buy an entire board for your bird, while I just buy a new ESC.

Just checked their site, says it's only for Phantom 2 Vision.. Not good for a Non-Vision?

 

[kenjancef]

that's why I have bought all of my phantoms from Amazon 30 days no questions asked just send it back
had to send 2 back from bad gimbal and one cracked screw holes sent me a new one day of return

Yea, I hear ya there... Oh well... I still like what I have anyway...

 

[acherman]

I think the big throw back on most phantoms is the camera. You can't upgrade it. That is why DJI launches so many models, so it can keep up with the fast evolution of cameras.

Isn't this the same business model as GoPro? Don't they release a new model, in multiples, every year? How many current GoPro models are there right now? And the newer ones have minimal new features. Plus the cost - if you're upgrading or buying the latest and greatest GoPro every year, why not upgrade to the latest and greatest flying platform every year?

Unless you are flying outside, and get onto an hanger midflight, I dont see the need to change exposure settings during flight.

Are you flying primarily indoors? With perfect lighting in all rooms?

- decentralized components you can change if they fail (if you burn an ESC on a all-in-one P3 board, you have to change the entire board);

An experienced electronics guy could swap components on that board in a few minutes. [emoji6]

- 3km range (with an Itelite antenna on the TX and exernal antennas on the bird)

The P3 gets that range with zero mods/accessories. And with closer to realtime FPV.

I have never owned any other Phantom, but have built plenty of multi rotors in the past, all with GoPro's, so I can't really comment on your flying platform comparisons.

 

[Khyber]

When its safe to do so I easily fly farther than .5 miles. When I had my vision long distance flying wasn't an option, but now that I have the ability I use it on a daily basis. If any of my friends or family asked which one they should get I would encourage them to shell out a few more $100's for the advanced or even the pro. .

 

[Bryce]

I just filmed a Rugby tournament last month. I hate working in 4K as a rule but it was perfect for a sports event.

First of all it allowed me to keep some distance and not distract the players. I could zoom in during post to 1080 so felt like I was closer. Also it allowed me to zoom and and then pan the frame. In the end it looked like I was a really good pilot keeping on top of the ball. So I tried my best to keep up and then zoomed and panned in post so it looked like the ball had follow me mode where I chose to do that.

I've been doing this... but the render times have been killing me... even with 8 cores and 64 gigs of RAM and a 4xxx quadro.... I would pay a lot of money to have a zoom on this pro.

 

[Bryce]

I posted this a while back trying to show someone the advantage of 4K. Sorry there is water on lens as it was raining off and on and I splashed the lens on takeoff.

But anyway this is two 15 second clips back to back. Same footage. First 15 seconds is right from camera. The second is zoomed to 1080 and panned to correct for me not keeping the ball framed well.

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They let you fly over the players??? Wow... it's a constant battle to get the other side to let us do this... when they see the footage they are all on board. They hear "drone" and the uninformed go apesh*t. I love the panning with the original 4k footage... I need a quicker way of doing it.

 

[dirtdobber903]

It looks like you have flown both the P2 and P3 - was the addition of GLONASS satellites a big difference in terms of stability of the aircraft?

Realistically no, I still get the same 15-17 sats on both. I never just take off and go. I hover for a min get a good sat lock. For me my p2/p3 sat still in the air. I will say the p3 imu sensors or much better
I'm sorry.... Imo

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[phantom13flyer]

Just ordered one, upgrade from p2 will let has know how she flies

It's made from leftover p2 parts . We'll worth the extra 200 bucks for a p3 advance but it's your money !!

 

[happydays]

I just filmed a Rugby tournament last month. I hate working in 4K as a rule but it was perfect for a sports event.

First of all it allowed me to keep some distance and not distract the players. I could zoom in during post to 1080 so felt like I was closer. Also it allowed me to zoom and and then pan the frame. In the end it looked like I was a really good pilot keeping on top of the ball. So I tried my best to keep up and then zoomed and panned in post so it looked like the ball had follow me mode where I chose to do that.

They play rugby in Iowa?

 

[kenjancef]

They play rugby in Iowa?

They do in Rhode Island...

https://flic.kr/p/vRuC1E

 

[rrmccabe]

I've been doing this... but the render times have been killing me... even with 8 cores and 64 gigs of RAM and a 4xxx quadro.... I would pay a lot of money to have a zoom on this pro.

Yes, I feel your pain. I even tried a $1200 video card on top of my i7, 16 gig, SSD machine with no change. Best thing to do if you can is to convert the video to 1080 (copy), do all your post work and then swap out the 1080 video with the 4K for final render.

They let you fly over the players???

The Des Moines Rugby Club called me and asked if I would do it for them. Was a charity event for Toys for Tots so I offered to donate my time of flying and video work.

They play rugby in Iowa?

Was a shock to me. I am not a sports fan to start but they have a really nice club and field here in Des Moines. I have never been around the sport but have to admit was pretty cool. Those boys get after it.

 

[macsoft]

Have you actually flown a P3 or just read about them?
It's hard to imagine how you would think that the P2 is better if you had tried the P3.

Have you read my points?
Where am I wrong?
MY neighbor has a P3 and I'm teaching him how to fly it, so yes I do fly a P3 a lot, and still all does points that make P2 better are still valid

 

[macsoft]

Just checked their site, says it's only for Phantom 2 Vision.. Not good for a Non-Vision?

No sure, I only have 2xVisions. But I guess since non vision are 2.4Ghz and vision units are 5.8, it probably needs another antenna.

 

[sergekouper]

Ok... so I'm 2 weeks in as an owner of a Phantom 2 NV with Zenmuse H4-3D for my GoPro. I am REALLY tempted to exchange it for the 3 Standard. Do you all think it's a worthy option? The only reason I went with the P2 was because I didn't want to think I was wasting the GoPro (and that I couldn't afford the P3 anyway...).

Thoughts?

Don't forget you have to get an Ipad air2 (the royal choice for many reasons) Which badly add to the bill. But for an Ex P2NV Gopro user the difference is like day and night, and not only about stability but practicality and general quality. Obvious choice. Sell your gopro and its fisheye lens... (Well, I haven't sold mine, you never know when you might need it again... )

 

[rrmccabe]

Have you read my points?
Where am I wrong?
MY neighbor has a P3 and I'm teaching him how to fly it, so yes I do fly a P3 a lot, and still all does points that make P2 better are still valid

Your points about ESC's etc, are valid but for me the gains from the P3 offset this.

Total camera functions, histogram, way better gimbal control, better map setup, extra buttons that can be programmed not to mention the thumb wheel where you can control camera exposure on the fly. Better battery life. 720 FPV, controllable WifFi channels. Its a pretty long list and I am just getting started.

Regarding range I come from modded V+ and have flown 10,000' with them but does not compare to my out of the box range on the P3. Now add my DBS panel to the P3 and its amazing. 3 miles is nothing.

Both are great rigs and you are right about cost/repairs being cheaper on the V+.

I also think you do not realize all the extra features that come along with each model upgrade. It was not just a better camera. The bird improved as well.

 

[macsoft]

Your points about ESC's etc, are valid but for me the gains from the P3 offset this.

Total camera functions, histogram, way better gimbal control, better map setup, extra buttons that can be programmed not to mention the thumb wheel where you can control camera exposure on the fly. Better battery life. 720 FPV, controllable WifFi channels. Its a pretty long list and I am just getting started.

Regarding range I come from modded V+ and have flown 10,000' with them but does not compare to my out of the box range on the P3. Now add my DBS panel to the P3 and its amazing. 3 miles is nothing.

Both are great rigs and you are right about cost/repairs being cheaper on the V+.

I also think you do not realize all the extra features that come along with each model upgrade. It was not just a better camera. The bird improved as well.

You keep talking about the P3 camera, but I'm using a GP hero4 black, so we both agree there is possible comparison, right?

Range wise, I'm not talking out-of-the-box. I'm talking with an Itelite antenna on the Tx, and I get better range than the P3 with it (twice as what I really need.. so no problem 4 me there).

Better gimbal control on the P3? this is news to me, please elaborate. I never had a gimbal problem with my P2V+ and I keep reading about level problems on P3 gimbal.

cost/repair is important to me, and I guess to us all, because we know somthing is always gonna happen sometime.

But the biggest problem on the P3 for me is it still at the testing stage, and all early buyers are the testers. That is why so many problems are appearing with it.

The other big advantage on my rig is, I can upgrade the camera! I dont have to buy a new bird when the camera gets obsolete.

Bu t these are my reasons, I totally understand if you have different reasons and different opinions.

 

[sergekouper]

DON'T exchange.
The major problem on these phantoms is you can't upgrade the camera! with your system you can.

There is very little choice of upgrade a P2 NV camera. Mostly new camera = new gimbal not mentioning the lens problem on the Gopro.
+ the P3 is far superior in flying characteristics and many other points.. So I would say, because I know both.... DO Change!