Switching a P2V+ to work with a gopro...!

[DJIClint]

So I currently have a P2 vision plus. I love the machine with it's onboard ability to stream FPV down to my iPhone with telemetry on the screen and everything! I love how it is a turn key setup! However, I hate the built-in camera! It is total crap! The quality of the video is so poor! So much artifacting and noise in the image, even on clear sunny days! The image will skew sometimes if the son hits it and even the camera auto changes the exposure when the lighting changes! All around it is worthless using as a camera platform for filming...! So my question is: if I wanted a turn key setup like this where I could use a Gopro instead what would it entail? I want to be able to take my existing P2V+ and switch out the gimbal to work with a gopro, but still be able to view the image on my iPhone and also see all my telemetry stats, like battery level, GPS, altitude, distance, camera control, etc...! So what all would I need to do this???
Thanks for any info and tips you can give me!
Cheers!
-Clint

 

[Mako79]

Bread crumbs starts here
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthre ... 15&page=27

Some notes..
The IOS/iphone does work but no telemetry. You will need to enable GS and swipe back for FPV.
I'd suggest you get a android or do an IOSD mod if you want to use IOS/iPhone. The mini IOSD requires the canbus and soldering skills.

In all in all...
It's easy and 100% reversible.
You don't feel restricted as you are no longer tied to the proprietary camera and you can now attach the gopro to your dog and see what its sniffing when you're not around. Try that with the vision plus camera.
I'd sell the vision plus camera and gimbal and call it a bonus. Its so fragile!.

Read the post from RCgroups. Then ask here or there..

 

[saltire]

Best of both worlds but expensive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTpuFLdJ2hU

 

[DJIClint]

Ok, so help me understand. If you don't go theses routes with a P2V+ how are the guys who are filming with a Phantom, say a regular P2 using the go pro and zenmuse gimbal seeing their video feed live (FPV)? They just be monitoring what they are filming somehow, so what are the options and do most of these guys have a way of also seeing theor telemetry on screen as well??? I'm sorry! I'm new to the DJI and world of aerial filmmaking like this and don't understand how guys are doing these shoots with gopro setups and monitoring what they are doing without a setup like the P2V+ has...????

 

[landmannnn]

By adding a video transmiiter on the phantom and a receiver & monitor at the ground end.

 

[Mako79]

By adding a video transmiiter on the phantom and a receiver & monitor at the ground end.

Nah - Its a $10 cable if your know what you are doing. The gopro acts as eyes, and you just piggy back off the DJI phone app.

 

[knowonecares]

By adding a video transmiiter on the phantom and a receiver & monitor at the ground end.

Nah - Its a $10 cable if your know what you are doing. The gopro acts as eyes, and you just piggy back off the DJI phone app.

Enlighten our feeble mind Grasshopper.

 

[knowonecares]

I want to install a H4-3D Zenmuse on my P2V Plus and use my GP4 Black for short flight videos. The original DJI Camera is completely uninstalled. I would like the easiest way to do so. Not necessary to have telemetry, FPV, Ground Station etc, can I do it?

 

[Mako79]

By adding a video transmiiter on the phantom and a receiver & monitor at the ground end.

Nah - Its a $10 cable if your know what you are doing. The gopro acts as eyes, and you just piggy back off the DJI phone app.

Enlighten our feeble mind Grasshopper.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthre ... 15&page=27

You will need the long 15cm 8pin zenmuse cable in the ebay link below. $10 from my local.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dji-phantom- ... 3aa09e1c0b

You will need to remove vision plus camera/gimbal/mounting plate.
Take off top shell and remove the usb port so you can remove the double sided tape and pull the wires back into the phantom. The cables are joined together. You will need to split them. Take the widest (circled in green) cable that is still plugged into the wifi module and plug that end into the CAM port on the main board.

Take the ebay 15cm 8pin zenmuse cable and plug that into either the zenmuse port or interference board (I chose zenmuse port). Run the zenmuse 8pin cable down the leg and into the H33d or H43d. You will now have 2 sets of cables are no longer needed.

Results below

 

[knowonecares]

Pefect, thanks.

 

[DJIClint]

And this allows you to hit the shutter button and the video record stop/start from the app???

 

[Mako79]

And this allows you to hit the shutter button and the video record stop/start from the app???

You can no longer do settings on fly.
You can no longer take photos on demand.
You will need to hit the record before take off.
Everything else should still work the same.

Hints and tips:
Leave the GoPro OSD on and to indicate settings and indicate if you are recording or not.
If your gopro charges during flight, it will always have interference lines. You can disable charging with tape.
If you want to frame your shot, adjust settings in mid air, you can use the GoPro Wifi and app and stream. This has a realistic limit of 75ft.
You can do simultaneous video and interval stills with the 3+BE (I'm sure other models can do it). This will capture 1080p and take nominated intervalled 7/5/2mpx proper stills (not screen grabs).

 

[DJIClint]

Oh. Hmmm... For some reason I thought you were saying that your method at least allowed the real time streaming of the video (FPV) down to the DJI iOS app, but it in fact does not? So basically I would be flying blind with this setup and it would not allow me to click shutter or hit record?

 

[Mako79]

Oh. Hmmm... For some reason I thought you were saying that your method at least allowed the real time streaming of the video (FPV) down to the DJI iOS app, but it in fact does not? So basically I would be flying blind with this setup and it would not allow me to click shutter or hit record?

You will have fpv via the dji app. This means gs dhp radar etc still works the same. You just wont have the ability to stop/start recording or change settings like iso/exp/resolution etc whilst in flight.

 

[DJIClint]

OHHHH. Ok! Great! For some reason on your last post it sounded like you were saying I wouldn't be able to see any live feed from the camera either, so I'd have to use the gopro app to frame my shot. and using that app and range from the gopro is horrible and useless! If I can still see the FPV live feed on the iOS DJI app from the gopro, then that makes doing this mod worth it and not having the shutter control or record button not that big of a deal! I just want to still be able to live frame my shots and see all my telemetry info like height, speed, distance, GPS, battery info, etc...!
So I guess if it's still giving me the live feed from the gopro then there must be some kind of cable connecting to the HDMI output port on the gopro camera that then feeds into some kind of connection on the P2V+...??? Is this accurate?

 

[Mako79]

OHHHH. Ok! Great! For some reason on your last post it sounded like you were saying I wouldn't be able to see any live feed from the camera either, so I'd have to use the gopro app to frame my shot. and using that app and range from the gopro is horrible and useless! If I can still see the FPV live feed on the iOS DJI app from the gopro, then that makes doing this mod worth it and not having the shutter control or record button not that big of a deal! I just want to still be able to live frame my shots and see all my telemetry info like height, speed, distance, GPS, battery info, etc...!
So I guess if it's still giving me the live feed from the gopro then there must be some kind of cable connecting to the HDMI output port on the gopro camera that then feeds into some kind of connection on the P2V+...??? Is this accurate?

Yeah sorry. Too much info that it became ambiguous.

Side port USB cable and not HDMI port. This will also charge your gopro also.

And a question for you.. does the name DJIClint imply that your name is Clint and you work for DJI?

 

[DJIClint]

LOL! Well, my name is Clint but I most certainly don't work for DJI! I just figured it was a good enough name on a forum that's about DJI products…!
Thanks for all your help! I'm going to check out doing this mod a little further…

 

[Scampaboy]

Hi caterpillar,


I've just ordered a zenmuse to make this mod. I have a couple of questions about the picture and your instructions.


On the picture you show cables joined between the two plugs green wires etc. Are these actually joined in the mod ? Or is it just shown to show the different connections. I would need to buy the little wires to connect these together as well as buying the extra zenmuse cable.

On the picture it shows video camera cable to go pro (it's a white silver cable) how is that attached to the go pro?

It seems your instructions lead me to believe it is plug and play using the existing connections, there is no need to connect as shown in the diagram, can you confirm this? I was reading your instructions on the other link I it didn't mention joining the cables like that although in the picture I can see a joined cable inside the phantom on your picture it's outside.

And last question assuming I get this to work, what is the range? If I am recording on my go pro at 1080 and 60fps surely the range is going to be very short as the app is only for 640. So realistically I can only record at 640 or 320 is this correct?

 

[Scampaboy]

Sorry another question does ground station route planning still work ?

 

[Mako79]

Hi caterpillar,


I've just ordered a zenmuse to make this mod. I have a couple of questions about the picture and your instructions.


On the picture you show cables joined between the two plugs green wires etc. Are these actually joined in the mod ? Or is it just shown to show the different connections. I would need to buy the little wires to connect these together as well as buying the extra zenmuse cable.

On the picture it shows video camera cable to go pro (it's a white silver cable) how is that attached to the go pro?

It seems your instructions lead me to believe it is plug and play using the existing connections, there is no need to connect as shown in the diagram, can you confirm this? I was reading your instructions on the other link I it didn't mention joining the cables like that although in the picture I can see a joined cable inside the phantom on your picture it's outside.

And last question assuming I get this to work, what is the range? If I am recording on my go pro at 1080 and 60fps surely the range is going to be very short as the app is only for 640. So realistically I can only record at 640 or 320 is this correct?

Who the fk is caterpillar?

Can you show me what pictures you are talking about?
Its straight forward and all plug and play. The 15 cm cable goes from the zenmuse port to the back of the h33d gimbal. The gimbal mount has a flex cable with a USB plug. This plug will provide audio visual and power to the gopro.

Range of FPV and RECORDING on the gopro is independent of each other. The range should be same as what you get normally with the standard vision plus. All you are doing is changing the eyes and stabiliser. It will record in whatever setting you set the gopro to. The fpv is just a "rough" lower res output of what it is seeing/recording.

And finally, all the dji functions that do not relate to changing camera settings on the gopro side will still work. So therefore, ground station will function as normal.