Phantom 3 SE distance

[ravenwalker]

Would like advice on the 3 SE. I am considering this model to use for checking cattle and fences on a Ranch. one of my concerns is that one one part of the Ranch i will need to fly over a hill that will be our of direct line of site with the drone. It will be no more than 1.5 miles away. Will this work if it is out of direct line of sight?

Do the camera and vid have good detail on this model?

How long does it take to recharge the battery? I was told by a DJI rep that it take 8 hours.

Was told the phantom 3 series is best for beginners and should start there.

Thanks for any information!

 

[Fly Dawg]

i will need to fly over a hill that will be our of direct line of site with the drone. It will be no more than 1.5 miles away. Will this work if it is out of direct line of sight?
If you fly over and behind the hill, you will lose contact and auto return to home would kick in.

Do the camera and vid have good detail on this model?
It is 1080P full HD.

Was told the phantom 3 series is best for beginners and should start there.

There are subtle differences in all the Phantom Series aircraft. Not neccessarily one over the other for beginners.
They all have their learning curves and opereate for the most part basically the same manner, pilot wise.

WELCOME ABOARD!

 

[ravenwalker]

If I am flying over the hill the phantom 4 would be the best option? Is is similar to operate?

Thank for the help!

 

[Fly Dawg]

Not really, for your purposes, If you fly behind that hill you will lose contact, regardless....especially at that range, You may be pushing it. And as I said they all operate similarly, flight wise. Although the 3 series Pro and Advanced as well as the 4 series use Lightbridge and do not rely on Wi-Fi signals.

 

[ravenwalker]

is there a disadvantage to using wifi signal?

Sounds like the 3 se would be the best option. I am told it has a further flight range than the 3 standard.

 

[wisker]

I went over a hill today, about a mile, and lowered down on the back side. I got down to about 40 feet off the ground and return home activated. As I got video back, I canceled return and stayed at that height.

They also make zoom lenses for the camera, so you can stay higher.

 

[Doug Rosevear]

If you need to specifically fly at distance and behind things then you need to fly a phantom with light bridge. So a PS3Pro of PS4 The SE is basically a pimped out Standard The video feed once you get out past 1.5. To 2 kms lags really badly If you are from Europe then good luck making it to 1Km and you wouldn’t use it for counting anything I’ve seen very few if any any one with an SE out past 2.8 Kms and then it’s a straight distance flight with the drone a about 100 meters

The PS3SE Batteries take about 90mins to charge If a shop is telling you 8hrs I’d buy my drone somewhere else.

The SE has several video options
4K 2.7k 1080p 720p The camera is Awesome

 

[RunningWithScissors]

ravenwalker,
Depending on your terrain and obstacles, the P3SE might be a cost-effective solution for you. Advertised range is 4 km (2.5 mi) or roughly 4x the range of the Standard, it has a better signal transmission system than the P3 Standard, it can shoot 4k @ 30 fps, and has visual positioning, all for just $100 more than the Standard. It's a lot of machine for only $599 US. You might be able to find a DJI dealer with a new P3 Pro in stock for around $800 US. Although the P4 models would be better yet, the least expensive new P4 model will likely cost around $1200 US. I have a P3 Standard that can routinely get 6000 - 7000 feet of range over relatively flat country terrain, and it even managed to get over 9000 feet once. I have to believe that the P3SE under similar conditions should be able to do 1.5 miles without significant difficulty. Good luck with whatever option you choose.

 

[ravenwalker]

So, it sounds like the p3 pro has the light bridge.and will let me fly behind a hill at 1.5 miles out, correct?

Dumb question but what is the difference between light bridge and WiFi connection?

Tanks for all the info!

 

[RunningWithScissors]

The P3 Pro does have lightbridge, so you get a more stable signal connection at distance. No one can ever promise you that it will fly the mission that you're describing without any issues but, the advertised range of the P3 Pro is a bit over 3 miles (ideal conditions without interference), so that should give you a reasonable chance of accomplishing what you want for quite a bit less than a new current P4 model. It also has a 100 watt charger which charges the battery in about an hour, which is a bit less than the standard charger that comes with the P3 Standard. If you can find a new P3 Pro for a fair price from a DJI dealer, that might be a reasonable choice. Certainly, it's a good investment if you ever decide to sell it and upgrade to something better as there's a high demand for the more advanced DJI drones. Then there's always the option to buy used or refurbished but, those options can carry some risk. Good luck with whichever option you choose.

 

[Mark The Droner]

Sounds like you will need a Part 107 certificate unless you're farming or ranching as a hobby.

You could just fly high and keep the AC within LOS. You will be able to see your cattle from 400 ft AGL, but not a lot of detail on the fences. However, there is the VLOS consideration and legal concerns.

Otherwise, you might consider an autonomous (waypoints) mission - flying to an area where you know you will lose RC connection. This would enable you to keep the AC nice and low. You'd need a third-party flight app such as Litchi, which means you probably don't want the SE because it's not clear Litchi works with the SE, and Litchi states they don't support the SE. With an autonomous mission out of VLOS, you wouldn't be able to watch live, but you could watch immediately after the flight. But again - there would be legal concerns. Carefully research Part 107 rules regarding flying out of VLOS before you decide on any of this. Good luck.

 

[ravenwalker]

Sounds like the P3 pro is the best option and price point for me. Dont mind spending the money for the 4 since it will be a tool.....but if I can accomplish what i need with the pro I will go with that.

Thanks so much! I appreciate it!

 

[ravenwalker]

The valley below is where i would be using it the most. the hill to he left is the one I would want to go behind occasionally. Is this valley good for the drones? it is about 1.5 miles all the way to the end

 

[Fly Dawg]

What you have to consider is the fact that all of the Phantoms are "Line of Sight" based, so to speak. So generally speaking, any obstacle, tree's, buildings, hills, etc....that are between the aircraft and controller will at a minimum reduce signal strength. Buildings and hills are a bigger problem and will more than likely cause signal loss entirely. It doesn't matter if you are flying with Wi-Fi, or Lightbridge. Signals between the AC and RC, basically travel in a straight line between the two. This is another reason you see antenna adjustments necessary when they are not pointed directly at the aircraft. Lightbridge is, in simple terms, a fancy Wi-Fi that has better range and is less susceptible to interference. I personally see this quite a bit, especially so in summer, due to tree's and foliage cover. Standing behind a large group of tree's, I will lose signal at around 1/4 mile or so. In open space, there are no issues at all. Also you have to consider the lay of the land in that as well. Bottom line, if you are wanting to fly this manually, behind that hill,it is doubtful that you will be able to do so without loosing signal.

 

[Doug Rosevear]

Of course if you could get to the top of the hill and fly from there your problems would be solved

 

[DaveD]

This property would be great to setup a waypoint mission that could go behind the hill and out to the 1.5 miles with plenty of battery to spare.

 

[RunningWithScissors]

Adding to all the good information above from Mark and Fly Dawg, be sure your RTH settings are dialed in properly to compensate for any changes in elevation and obstacles between you and your end point.

 

[3putts]

The valley below is where i would be using it the most. the hill to he left is the one I would want to go behind occasionally. Is this valley good for the drones? it is about 1.5 miles all the way to the end

Beautiful shot!

 

[LZJ]

Sounds like you will need a Part 107 certificate unless you're farming or ranching as a hobby.

You could just fly high and keep the AC within LOS. You will be able to see your cattle from 400 ft AGL, but not a lot of detail on the fences. However, there is the VLOS consideration and legal concerns.

Otherwise, you might consider an autonomous (waypoints) mission - flying to an area where you know you will lose RC connection. This would enable you to keep the AC nice and low. You'd need a third-party flight app such as Litchi, which means you probably don't want the SE because it's not clear Litchi works with the SE, and Litchi states they don't support the SE. With an autonomous mission out of VLOS, you wouldn't be able to watch live, but you could watch immediately after the flight. But again - there would be legal concerns. Carefully research Part 107 rules regarding flying out of VLOS before you decide on any of this. Good luck.

Actually the P3se does great autonomous Litchi missions. I've flown it with round trips up to ~6 miles. But, I have only had it work with an IPAD mini.