Please don't laugh. Well I guess you can but I'm kinda bummed

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So 2 weeks ago my pro 3 arbitrarily plummeted to earth. It's at Dji now getting repaired hopefully

I loved my drone so much I couldn't wait and bought another one last week. Yesterday I wrecked it trying to get a picture I had no business trying to get.

My fault 100%.

I've seen folks whining about DJI offering them only 30% discount after crashing. Is this only when pilot blames the problem on DJI or is there a chance they will offer me that deal? If I can get a discount whom would I ask?

Thanks
 
you have crashed 2 in the space of 2 weeks?

WOW!

You must have a highly paid job lol :)

Discount, I have no idea, but I do have a feeling DJI regularly come here to view posts, and if it was your fault, why should you get a discount?
 
1. Not demanding a discount. I just wondered since i had seen people bitching that they had " only " been offered a 30% discount. I think I see tons of people bitching that their crashes are DJIs fault when in fact it's operator error. I won't lie about my stupidity

2. I make a very decent living. I have started 3 businesses and all are doing well. I'm blessed to make a good living and am healthy
4. I figured I'd sell one after I got my first one fixed
3. I was dropping in on an elevated railroad track to get a shot of the track running parallel to a river heading straight for downtown Richmond
ImageUploadedByPhantomPilots1435686216.794375.jpg
ImageUploadedByPhantomPilots1435686231.820621.jpg
 
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I hit a beam like the one in the picture about 150 yards in front. Honestly too distressed to examine it closely but the body is cracked, the camera mounts are loose and it appears that it landed on one of the prop motors.
 
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Sorry for your crashes. Were you flying under the trestle?
 
No I was flying over it and went to drop down closer to the track. Apparently my depth perception is not what it once was
 
Sorry this has happened to you in all seriousness, not a cheap item to buy, and to have lost two in two weeks isnt funny :(

Sorry if I sounded flippant, it wasnt meant to be, just got in from work, food on, should have reworded it, but hopefully you can maybe get a discount?
 
@teamwilson,
Very sorry, in fact double sorrow, reading about those two downed Phantom's. That was a very expensive photography day/week for you.
Perhaps, and I'm only guessing, aerial photography isn't for you. You will have to really think about this hobby, before going forward, and continuing on. Perhaps to though, from here forward, your luck will have changed for the better. If you do plan on buying a third Phantom, buy a lottery ticket too. Your luck may have turned, completely around.


I hope both of you folks have a much brighter day tomorrow. And a better week ahead.

RedHotPoker
 
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Just a little background on me @RedHotPoker

I've gone from a bankrupt drug addict in rehab to a clean and sober part owner of 3 successful businesses and a start up that has more upside then any of my current business's. I'm about to sell one and my share before taxes will have 3 commas in it.

Not bragging. I've made my life tough. I've also apparently got a gift for business. I can afford to buy another. And from a personal health standpoint - droning is a great release and a rock solid sober activity.
 
Yes, you make your family & friends proud. And that includes your new friends here, on the forum. Obviously the fear of failure isn't something that stops you from progress. If you feel that another Phantom is in the cards, by all means, go out and purchase the third bird.
Just be a little more cautious, and perhaps practice flying at much closer quarters, until you have it down pat.
Nothing wrong with persistence, even at $1K a shot... ;-)
Wishing you much better luck, the third time will be the charm...

If you lose the third Phantom. We'll never mind, that's on you.

RedHotPoker
 
No I was flying over it and went to drop down closer to the track. Apparently my depth perception is not what it once was

Sorry for your loss, but don't beat yourself up over lack of depth perception. Anything over 30 feet away is virtually impossible to perceive depth based on two well working eyes spaced only a few inches apart. Plus, if you're looking at your display, you'll have NO depth perception at all--unless you found a way to hook up a second camera and using a phone/tablet with a 3D display...

I consider myself a pretty careful and meticulous person, yet I'm still kicking myself for a bad mistake I made last night. I was going to film some brick siding (for lens correction and chromatic aberration correction purposes); then decided to "periscope up" and check out the sunset above the treeline in my back yard and try a mid-flight gimble callibration--as slanted horizons have been plaguing me from the beginning despite the many times of refrigerating and calibrating IMU. In the past I've kept a mental note to stay away from the west side of my yard due to a SW HF antenna I have stretched from the roof to the alley way. However, this time I forgot until I descended only to notice the aerial at the same height as my drone. I told my fiance standing next to me... "uh oh, forgot about my antenna [20 feet off the ground]." Relieved that I had missed it during my descent, I brought it over towards me--except that the aerial was actually between me and the P3. The next second or two seemed to last a lifetime as I witnessed my P3 yaw violently then roll inverted then kick sideways, ricocheting off my wood fence and landing in a small patch of grass between my pool and concrete pad for the pool pumps--had it fallen straight down, it would have landed in the 10' deep end of my pool. I cut the power and just stood there stunned, while my fiance ran over to recover what I figured would be a mangled piece of technological carnage. Instead all that seemed to be damaged was one broken prop, one gimble shock absorber had popped out (that she promptly re-inserted before returning it to me where I remained frozen in disbelief). Two of the other props had minor nicks at one tip--which I replaced as well; as I figured it might interfere with the aerodynamics / balance. Re-calibrated the gimble on a level surface, started the motors to see if they'd make any weird noises, then performed a test flight. To my amazement not only did it seem no worse for wear, but for the first time I have no horizon slant issues--no matter what direction I'm facing!
 
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No I was flying over it and went to drop down closer to the track. Apparently my depth perception is not what it once was

I noticed that there are a delay between the reality and what you see in the screen... so sometimes this can be very dangerous... because you think that the drone are in one place as it is a little bit far... this can finish in a crash... I notice this issue doing some footage near from the objects filmed like this...
https://youtu.be/2DmNyzu1PYM


Actually to avoid a crash you need to have a visual flight also.
 
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That's not the suggested way to correct horizon being off kilter.
But, hey, if it worked for you, way to go...
Congrats on the little to no damage, other than a broken prop.
I hope you realize how very lucky you were. Please take more precaputions in the future.
That must have soiled your boxers... ;-) it would have mine...

I enjoy reading threads such as this, as it gives me hope for my own Phantom mortality, in case It should ever fall down, and break its crown.

Enjoy safe flights and happy landings.

RedHotPoker
 
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With a 20mm wide angle lens, objects are much closer than they appear. Combine that with the slight delay in the FPV transmission, and you have the recipe for a disaster. Sure does look cool, though, when your video has the Phantom flying inches away from your subject matter! Just be very careful and close by, make sure you can see the Phantom in real time, fly very slowly, speed it up in post, and have a large wallet, just in case things go horribly wrong! Also, watch out for those rebar strips on the roof that are hard to see! Never fly behind yourself! Almost lost mine that way! Thought the tree was much farther behind me! At 35 mph, that's 48 feet per second! Slow down! ;-)

As someone wrote earlier, "The BOX might say Ready To Fly. But that doesn't make the OWNER Ready To Fly!!" Some lessons are learned the hard way, but, trust me, you'll remember them better! :cool:
 
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To my amazement not only did it seem no worse for wear, but for the first time I have no horizon slant issues--no matter what direction I'm facing!

LoL.

Such a happy ending! A blessing in disguise too. Many a video I watched before getting the P3 show those slanting horizons, and now that I have one, it turns out mine has them too, even after calibrating the gimbal a few times...

Maybe I should consider a little crash eh?
 

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