PROP GUARDS OR NO

JKDSensei · Feb 2, 2016

Yep, prop guards are bad news!!!

Just ask these people who also don't like them......well....didn't....

ewwww.....that eyeball almost got it!! Dude...You been messing with Freddie Krueger cause you startin to look like him a bit there?

Hey sport! How many toes and fingers again ???

They were lucky, they didnt have carbon fiber props

Oh, I also took all the airbags out of my Chevy Cavalier cause they were slowing it down and heavy..

ok ok...just being your friendly neighborhood ball buster lol

Jussaguy · Feb 2, 2016

There is definitely a time for guards. If you ever find yourself flying low with lots of things around you and you tap the basketball pole instead of sending your bird and camera to the ground, you'll be happy you have them on for a slight bump.

Don't care how "good" you are. Everyone can tap something.

Time and place and there is definitely a time and place for prop guards.

JKDSensei · Feb 2, 2016

I never really saw all that much difference either way. Some say it's night and day but that hasn't really been my experience.
Maybe I don't fly crazy enough?

Jussaguy · Feb 2, 2016

JKDSensei said:
I never really saw all that much difference either way. Some say it's night and day but that hasn't really been my experience.
Maybe I don't fly crazy enough?

No, you're not wrong. If this was an FPV 250 racing copter stability is the last thing you want. You want to be able to move around on a dime so to speak.

Don't get me wrong, the Phantom, the Typhoon, The Blade, (less so but still) are built first as video devices and while they (especially the Phantom) are highly agile where they need to be, you certainly don't need the agility that is required of a racer and guards won't take that away from you.

If you are flying far distances to get your shot for some reason, it can certainly very noticeably reduce your per battery time but other than that, it might feel different but this thing is such a tank compared to others that I build for racing that it's far from night and day. It's more like late afternoon and early evening, IMO.

I would also get the Gimbal protector as well. I know many people that have been saved by that. A 8 foot drop on a toy drone can mean nothing at all but a 8 foot drop on this could be the difference between nothing, not much, and complete disaster and you can help out those causes with guards, and a gimbal protector.

The only reason I see to travel farther distances than your area that your are shooting in is for high up shots that you need and one of my guilty pleasures is to fly from near my house and fly one of my UASs close enough to someone that they are not in any danger (don't worry, not over them or anywhere near them), just close enough to get their attention and see their reactions. Sometimes they go get their whole family. It's a blast. Highly recommended if you can fly.

pete76uk · Feb 23, 2016

I just fitted snap on prop guards to my p3a and they make themselves known to the camera and make the p3 shake more .I posted a video of the flight
.

I've took mine off.

JKDSensei · Feb 23, 2016

pete76uk said:
I just fitted snap on prop guards to my p3a and they make themselves known to the camera and make the p3 shake more .I posted a video of the flight

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.

I've took mine off.

If prop guards make your make your P3 "shake" I would be looking closely at your shell for cracks, loose motor bolts or some other issue. Maybe you need to balance your props?

Prop guards should not cause your P3 to "shake" at all.

But it is normal for the prop guards to be seen occasionally in the upper corners of video

turbulence · Feb 23, 2016

I bought some and only used them once. I think they are too heavy and cause too much drag.

souldronedlyer · Feb 23, 2016

gringorio said:
I say no to prop guards... I used them with my Phantom 1 and 2 and the only time I broke both props and prop guards was when landing on the ground. I soon there-after learned to hand-catch (In GPS mode) rather than to attempt a ground landing where I would every now and then break props and prop guards when the Phantom tipped over. Prop guards are actually not very strong and break easily resulting in broken props as well.. With my P3P I've always hand-caught for landings, again in GPS mode for safety, and have never broken a prop.

Other benefits for not using prop guards are less weight the Phantom has to carry (longer flight time) and less aerodynamic interference (longer flight time)...

My two cents ...

Imo hand caught in landing is always a bad idea unless in a absolute emergency

All it take is a one in thousand time when a gust of wind will bring you I a world of hurt.

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Air Ontario · Feb 23, 2016

I could see guards for some here that fly in, over and among non participants and fly/film in close quarters.

I have used them indoors in the past. I don't like them, however to each his own as it should be.

JKDSensei · Feb 23, 2016

I was about to say something similar.
Folks who like to fly way out a lot like 2000ft+ probably do a little bit better without them.

Flying style and personal preference. No right or wrong.

But I'd bet you a the guy in the photo above with his nose sliced is a bit more careful. That HAD to hurt.

oakmeadows · Feb 23, 2016

No guards for me either but i did use them when i was learing to fly inverted ...........Not

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Rothgarr · Feb 23, 2016

I have a set of quick-release prop guards installed on my P3P. But I only attach the actual prop guards maybe 2% of the time. But I really enjoy the fact of knowing that I can install them when I need to. For example when I shoot things like this:

(flying through the arbors)

(A couple close quarter scenes I did in this one, too)

In the interest of full disclosure... I shot those videos above on my Phantom 2. I haven't had to use the prop guards on my P3P yet, but I sometimes don't know ahead of time if I'll need them so I like the quick release option.

ChaneRZ · Feb 23, 2016

I have the quick release one. I put mine on when flying indoors and garden. They are off once I fly outside.

Highlife57 · Feb 23, 2016

Amen to that...

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UASDRONE · Feb 23, 2016

Those look nice and quick to remove.

Drone Wolf 69 · Feb 24, 2016

The best benefit of using the snap on prop guards is the added support to the bottoms of the motor. The combination of the extra support & longer motor mount screws,.seems to have helped greatly with stress fractures. A vast majority of stress cracks on our phantoms is near the motors. You can be the best **** Phantom Pilot in the world,.& still take comfort in the protection you get from the base of these snap on prop guards. I don't usually use the guards,.but I ALWAYS leave the base on for that added protection. The little bit of extra weight for the added protection of using the base of the snap on prop guards,.Is worth it in my book!!!

Mark The Droner · Feb 24, 2016

That makes a certain amount of sense, especially if you have a P3 model which has a known history for developing stress cracks. What I don't like about most prop mount designs is you have to remove sixteen extra screws every time you want to take the top off.

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