New P2V+ member

Dozer · Apr 27, 2014

Hi fellow P2V pilots.
Tomorrow, the postman will wake my dog sleeping on our front porch, and instead of telling him to shut up, I'll leap from my seat and run to greet the delivery.
Yes, my P2V+ arrives.

Hi, I'm Dozer, you're going to see me around here a bit.
Having said this, does anyone have any advice for a new phantom owner? What do I need to upgrade? Do I need carbon fibre props?
I'm getting 2 batteries, and hopefully they will do around 20 minutes each.
I was concerned about the camera, reading and watching about the flickers and exposure adjusting, and the quality of the compression, but most of what I see online looks acceptable for good hd video.

Anyone willing to share video settings for best results?
If I want to slow my footage down, do I use 1080 60i ?

I am pretty excited about this.

Thanks.

XL-Studios · Apr 27, 2014

Welcome to the addiction! :-D

Prepare to walk around with a huge smile on your face all day after a flight.
Many posts suggest that the original DJI props are the best. They can break on impact but are inexpensive and better a broken prop than more severe damages to your Phantom and surrounding.
You might want to upgrade before first flight. Just plug the USB to your Phantom/computer and start he Phantom assistant. It will tell you what to do.
Manual setting on the camera will prevent exposure adjustments etc but don´t worry to much. You will find out what works best for you.
Many find 720p 60fps best for slow motion. You have to consider your computer power when handling 1080i/60 but basically it should also be good.

My P2V+ will(hopefully) arrive with DHL tomorrow as well :-D

doug86 · Apr 27, 2014

I just got mine 3 days ago, so perhaps I'm just that far ahead in the learning curve.

- Use the stock props. I broke one on the first day, but the V+ comes with spares.
- Get prop guards. My research said to buy the stock DJI ones, which I did. Broke one on second day, but easily repaired with glue
- Read the manual about 26 times....
- Make a little checklist of things to do just before you fly, and in which order.
- I bought a small quad for $30 two weeks ago as a trainer, and I think it was the best $30 I spent this month. REally helped me get ahead of the flying part, and the Phantom seems docile compared to the toy.
- Don't remove the SD card unless the phantom is off and the battery is out.
- When in doubt, (assuming trouble on the ground) turn everything off and reboot each item in order. Manual says: TX, then WiFi extender, then the Phantom. I capture the wifi signal before I turn on the phantom, but I don't open the DJI App until the phantom is on for a few seconds.
- Fly low and close for your first two flights. I stayed under 50' altitude and not more than about 100m away.

Good luck!
d86

Dozer · Apr 28, 2014

Thanks guys for the reply. I went down town for a little while and returned with a postage delivery tag, so I have to wait until this afternoon. I thought this was going to happen as soon as I went out.
I'll stick to the stock propellers, and have a play around with the camera settings. I have a decent iMac 27 inch, so editing won't be too much stress to use the high res files. I'm excited about the RAW still photos too, I have some experience in photography, so having RAW will be great.

I read on these forums that waypoints will come to the P2V+ as a firmware upgrade, noting more to add…. Is that true?

Dozer · Apr 28, 2014

doug86 said:
I just got mine 3 days ago, so perhaps I'm just that far ahead in the learning curve.

- Don't remove the SD card unless the phantom is off and the battery is out.
- When in doubt, (assuming trouble on the ground) turn everything off and reboot each item in order. Manual says: TX, then WiFi extender, then the Phantom. I capture the wifi signal before I turn on the phantom, but I don't open the DJI App until the phantom is on for a few seconds.
- Fly low and close for your first two flights. I stayed under 50' altitude and not more than about 100m away.

Good luck!
d86

Thanks for the tips Doug. I'll get it all connected and plan to only hover and test for a while (perhaps up to 10 batteries usage) before venturing further than the back yard.

RedRyderMedia · Apr 28, 2014

Dozer said:
Hi fellow P2V pilots.
Tomorrow, the postman will wake my dog sleeping on our front porch, and instead of telling him to shut up, I'll leap from my seat and run to greet the delivery.
Yes, my P2V+ arrives.

Hi, I'm Dozer, you're going to see me around here a bit.

Anyone willing to share video settings for best results?
If I want to slow my footage down, do I use 1080 60i

Thanks.

I think you're gonna want the 1080 30p or one of the 720 settings if you want to watch on your computer rather than an interlaced tv. I usually shoot in 720, but that doesn't give you a FOV choice. I suggest trying each and see what you like. I'd suggest the 60i last.

Dozer · Apr 28, 2014

10-4 Red Rider, copy that.

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Dozer · Apr 28, 2014

Ok, delivered. I have had no problems setting it up. I read the manual, understanding everything, put the props on and.. It's dark now. LOL.

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Dozer · Apr 28, 2014

[attachment=-1]uploadfromtaptalk1398678580197.jpg[/attachment]

So, the software asked me to update the firmware, which I did with no issues. The only confusing thing is when the P2V+ starts up, rudder seems to steer the gimbal. Does this do that in the air. I have not armed it and spun up the props. I don't want yawning the the phantom to be actuating the gimbal.

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RedRyderMedia · Apr 28, 2014

Dozer said:
So, the software asked me to update the firmware, which I did with no issues. The only confusing thing is when the P2V+ starts up, rudder seems to steer the gimbal. Does this do that in the air. I have not armed it and spun up the props. I don't want yawning the the phantom to be actuating the gimbal.

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That's not how mine works, but I didn't do any firmware updates......didn't get asked to.

happydays · Apr 28, 2014

The rudder will cause the gimbal to follow the yaw - that's normal. Take a look on the Phantom Vision board - some of the guys on there have put up stickies for maintenance and startup procedures.

Best bit of advice (I'm waiting for delivery of my third Phantom), get used to this thing slowly. Stay close to the ground and learn how everything works. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT take off without getting the single green flash following the fast pulsing green lights that let you know that home point has been established.

Learn how to get it back to you in one piece - don't descend straight down as you will get stuck in your won prop wash and you could crash, always descend while going forwards or sideways. I tend to come down in a big spiral.

Don't fly anywhere near people or traffic until you are a very competent pilot.

Most of all enjoy it! It can be very frightening when it's a dot in the sky and you don't know how to control it and get it back safely. Learn quickly and don't be afraid to take the baby steps first.

Enjoy!

CBS

Dozer · Apr 28, 2014

So Red Ryder Media, do you have no movement on the yaw of the gimbal when the Phantom is on but idle (not armed) using the rudder?

Alib · Apr 28, 2014

its normal

RedRyderMedia · Apr 28, 2014

Dozer said:
So Red Ryder Media, do you have no movement on the yaw of the gimbal when the Phantom is on but idle (not armed) using the rudder?

Can't say the gimbal doesn't move, I'm just saying my yaw control doesn't control my gimbal.

Dozer · Apr 28, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjEglIN ... ata_player

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jimdenburg · Apr 28, 2014

I believe the Plus has the option to fly in camera mode or fpv, you'll should find it on the settings page of your phone ap. Could this be the result of having that option selected (or deselected)? Might want to check it out anyway.

One other thing I would add if you are new to flying is to concentrate on flying line-of-sight without the screen on your phone first. Get comfortable putting the craft where you want to put it, knowing where it will go if you change orientation, etc. Also, try...just try flying this thing without a smile on your face--bet you can't!

Dozer · Apr 28, 2014

First flight was great. No problems or issues. Camera was turned on but it was near a streetlight, and it was quite dark. I think that this movement of the gimbal is to compensate for deadband when yawing. It's morning, so will try more flights today between working. I'm lucky I have my own business.

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