Swapping a dead battery?

[Slone Starkey]

Noob here! Im curious how much time it will take to swap out a dead battery. Heres why...I plan to use my P3A to film my High School football games. But, I'm concerned about the process of swapping out batteries. What does that process look like? Do I simply land the P3, swap the battery and take off again (only taking a few seconds)? Or do I have to land, reboot, re-calibrate the compass, wait for GPS signals...etc, etc, etc? How long will it take? I dont want to miss any action on the field!?!?

Any input would be awesome!

So excited to get my new eye in the sky!!!

 

[gfredrone]

Land, remove battery. Insert new battery, launch. On an open field you should have gps sats by the time you are ready to launch.

 

[Slone Starkey]

Land, remove battery. Insert new battery, launch.

So it should take less than 60 seconds?

 

[gfredrone]

So it should take less than 60 seconds?

I'd think so. Go out and run a test before the game to be sure. I had 4 bats on my P2 and would land and launch like you are wanting to do all of the time, and the GPS in the P3 is much faster at obtaining sats.

 

[Kingfish28]

I'll be one one to say it, I don't think the phantom is a good choice for filming a football game.

 

[Slone Starkey]

I'll be one one to say it, I don't think the phantom is a good choice for filming a football game.

Well honestly, its more for filming our practices...and really, just short 10-15 min segments of practice. But the idea of filming games would be really cool if we can make it happen. Why do you say the phantom is not a good choice?

...in fact in one of the Phantom promos they show a short clip of a football game being filmed by the Phantom.

 

[Kingfish28]

1. Flying in a very crowded area.
2. Flying where it would be easy to get hit with a football.
3. Major distraction.
4. Flight time.

Renting a lift of some sort and filming from that works out much easier.

 

[Slone Starkey]

1. Flying in a very crowded area.
2. Flying where it would be easy to get hit with a football.
3. Major distraction.
4. Flight time.

Renting a lift of some sort and filming from that works out much easier.

Yea the chances of it working out are slim. Right now we use a "flagpole" camera system that is located behind the field goal post. So the idea is to hover the Phantom in the same spot as the current system (about 20 ft off ground behind field goal post). At that spot on the field, it wouldn't be in danger/distraction. Flight time is the biggest concern, tho. I would need like 5 batteries in rotation.

Wish me luck.

 

[Kingfish28]

So, what would the phantom be giving you that the current system is not?

 

[Slone Starkey]

So, what would the phantom be giving you that the current system is not?

A stiffy...JKJKJK...couldnt resist.

The current flag pole system is a real pain to deal with. It weighs about 100 lbs, its hard to transport, its old, its takes the strength of HULK to raise the flagpole...etc.