Newbies #1 P3 Mistake

[marko1953]

Be careful about watching those massive flight distance videos. I can see a major newbie mistake being "I'll see how far I can get today just like that bloke on youtube who flew a couple of miles out to sea". (And he landed with 4% battery left!)

Only after becoming very experienced should you venture long distances. For the first few weeks stay close and in sight distance. I practiced on a P2 with the camera removed on a sports oval for a couple of weeks before I got my P3 to get used to just flying without worrying about the camera at first.

The local UAV training people here have P2's with camera removed for training purposes. The P2 without camera and gimbal is very light, it can even usually survive a crash from small tree height onto grass with no damage. (I said usually)

 

[Indy_Mike]

I'm a new person at it. Got my P3P around Dec 2 . I took it out today, but that was only the 7th time in the air. I'm taking it slow. Plus it's winter here. So I'm going slow and reading a lot and watching videos. From reading the post on this forum I have learn a lot on what to not do.

 

[Readester]

I downloaded this PDF file when I started. It is basically the user manual but with with far more detail and explanation for each section. It really is fantastic, even down to the camera settings and what filters to use etc. I would recommend anybody from the inexperienced to the experienced flyers to read. It was done by a guy called Mr Fantomas. Have a read and let me know your thoughts.


Dropbox - DJI Phantom P3 Summary Guide.pdf

 

[m0j0]

You may need "mechanic's feel". In the DEA Lab, we had some people who were forbidden to install new glass columns into Gas Chromatographs because they lacked it and would over-tighten and break them. Hope this helps.

Nice.... Did you work in the Dallas lab. You guys did.. do great work. Thank you from an old Customs Agent.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[owen35]

sure

BTW all bought used at B&H this past 13 months:

bought a vision plus first at Xmas 14, crashed it with immediately but with little harm but I realized cost of real crash.
also needed to keep plus till July wedding at beach for daughter.

so I bought a basic P2 v2 to just learn to fly, had a ball ,
bought a used p1.1.1 for fun as well ,
added a cheap 5mhz camera to base p2v2 for short range fpv

sold p1.1.1 as did not use much- sold for what I paid for it

used the 2 p2's all summer and got wedding site etc (in wedding could not fly) and stuff I wanted at Sanibell Is.

sold the base p2v2 with cam at thanksgiving for about what I paid
bought p3a
bought p3 pro for better Lightbridge

sold p2vision plus day after xmas 2015 for 590 with case 3 battery and in great shape

returned p3a

dam near bought a p3 standard open box today just for the battery

each one sold in great flying condition === proof they all don't fly away lol

good luck and have fun flying

I'm glad to hear you didn't have any problems selling your used items. I impulse bought a p3pro today also for the Lightbridge, with the plan to sell my also new p3standard online after I do some research for the best place to list it, and I am worried that it will be hard to sell.

Anyway, thanks for your response. I was trying to decide weather to upgrade to the pro and I just wanted to know if you were having bad experiences with the dji products.

Thanks,
Owen35

 

[Nighthawk]

Most important thing i found (after knowing how your drone works) is being aware of your surrounding and knowing the layout, what are my obstacles and hazards e.g. power lines, trees, buildings...
If i get disoriented i stop the drone , look around, check map and check the height of the drone and then usually even go a bit higher then i think i need too avoid obstacles of my surrounding till i am very confident that i have full control again.

 

[kirk2579]

I'm glad to hear you didn't have any problems selling your used items. I impulse bought a p3pro today also for the Lightbridge, with the plan to sell my also new p3standard online after I do some research for the best place to list it, and I am worried that it will be hard to sell.

Anyway, thanks for your response. I was trying to decide weather to upgrade to the pro and I just wanted to know if you were having bad experiences with the dji products.

Thanks,
Owen35

I hit the timing amazing perfect it appears.
weeks later it would not have happened as well if at all!

I bought my used p3p at 850---great deal correct and it is
can buy today for 750 and these are like new

I bought used standard at 399 so resale isn't much ,
I would keep just keep for battery!
used standard to practice and have FUN with it doing things a little less restricted.

save the pro for when you need the extra distance , etc
good luck and have fun flying

 

[kirk2579]

Most important thing i found (after knowing how your drone works) is being aware of your surrounding and knowing the layout, what are my obstacles and hazards e.g. power lines, trees, buildings...
If i get disoriented i stop the drone , look around, check map and check the height of the drone and then usually even go a bit higher then i think i need too avoid obstacles of my surrounding till i am very confident that i have full control again.

+1

2 things are your friend when learning and get confused or unsure.

1. take your fingers off the RC and let it stop/sit -- then regroup
it will stay there until you get back at it!

2. Height is you friend as well if it looks bad and you are going to hit or crash,
Pushing it up fast may help get over or out of problem.

if the tree looks 80 foot figure it is 2x that for luck.

I was training a guy a week ago with his new p3a and he kept asking why isn't it getting closer?
I said look at it and what you are doing!
he kept doing what he was doing, still not realizing what it was he was doing.
HE WAS GOING UP .
I then told him it wasn't closer because he was going up and away, NOT towards him and down.

it takes a while to get the feel for what you are seeing when they get a bit away.


good luck and have fun flying!

 

[phantom1972]

A little trick of the trade for flying VLOS. To help with avoiding objects at distance, always keep some sky between the object and your aircraft and you will never hit it. You may have to increase altitude as you near the object to keep the sky in between, but if you do you won't hit it. I also look for its shadow if available to check its clearance from objects as well.

SD

This is a priceless trick that I saw used at the Torrey Pines Glider Port in California. RC Gliders weighing 20lbs share the area with paragliders. Someone told me the blue sky rule, and I could see it was essential. A 30lb glider with a pointy nose doing 60mph could ruin your day.

BUT, I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD BE FLYING BY VLOS WHEN YOU HAVE THESE DIFFICULTIES. FPV only is the way to go. You have a wide field of view, an HD feed, and useful telemetry data. You can hover and check your surroundings. Looking at a spot in the distance, and trying to control it is dangerous! It's safer to not be distracted, and use the awesome FPV that is provided. Mixing the two can be disorienting and more dangerous. The rules require that it be in sight (Why the FAA thinks that's a big deal is a mystery to me) not that you fly a spec by VLOS only. That's actually very difficult and should be practiced. A monkey can fly FPV only. He better be careful, because there are dangers.

 

[phantom1972]

I plan on tightening them pretty tight (by hand), Id rather loose a prop, than the whole craft by under tightening then having the air brake throw them off.

YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING. As long as you do it by hand, holding the motor hub in two fingers, and tightening the prop near the hub isn't going to strip threads.

I spun a new set of props down until they stopped, and incredibly 3 days later flew, without any further tightening. I actual made it 5 minutes before near disaster. I hit a big red, "ENGINE BLOCKAGE" followed by ENGINE AT IDLE. Luckily I could land quickly. I found the props as tight as if you just tightened them a tad, after resistance was felt. It was the self tightening system at work. I found the problem idling on a coffee table indoors. A violent resonant vibration started and began to get violent. I grabbed a landing skid and it stopped. I tightened the props firmly, but only by hand and never had a problem again. Don't barely tighten the props, and count on self tightening to save you. It won't!

Blade Quadra was recommending just a little snug down after a rubber washer was contacted. LOTS OF PROP LOSS CRASHES. The solution, tighten them firmly by hand.

 

[phantom1972]

Well, take this as a guide for less-than-extreme low-stress flights from an old fart at 75 with arthritic thumbs; about as much as you can stand without extreme pain has worked for me.

For youngs, until it feels solid tight and no more lest you damage the threads.

It would be nice if DJI could publish torque standards to be used with mini-torgue wrenches for those who want to use them.

You may need "mechanic's feel". In the DEA Lab, we had some people who were forbidden to install new glass columns into Gas Chromatographs because they lacked it and would over-tighten and break them. Hope this helps.

Perfectly said IMHO. Slightly tightened props can bring the bird down. A mechanical engineer sounding guy said getting reliable torque values was difficult with plastic threads. Firm but not trying to a gorilla is perfect. Gripping the motor hub with a couple of fingers kind of acts like a torque wrench. With bare skin, how tightly can hold it? LOL I think hard enough to get the prop on snug but not much more.