Terrified for my son to buy Phantom 3 Pro Talk me down

[cheddarman]

Good job brewbum, keep him safe!
That link on Amazon is for the DRONE ONLY, you don't get the remote controller which is essential.
Better to look at a reputable drone outlet to get a guaranteed second hand one or even on here, people sell older stuff.

All the Phantom range handle windy conditions pretty well - I have my sons old P3A, I'm 80 years old and have had absolutely no problems with it or learning to fly it - so far

 

[umanbean]

But you ARE older than dirt...

Hold your tongue you young whippersnapper! ?

(us sextagenarians gotta stick up for each other lol)

 

[cheddarman]

and here's an octogenarian stepping into the affray, so WATCH IT!!

 

[Shoot4fun]

????

 

[Shoot4fun]

Nothin but love for ya, old timer. Nothin but love!

 

[Shoot4fun]

and here's an octogenarian stepping into the affray, so WATCH IT!!

Doubt you can catch me...! ?

 

[cheddarman]

Nothin but love for ya, old timer. Nothin but love!

I like that term, old timer. Much nicer than Old Age pensioner or OAP! Feeling loved

 

[brewbum]

Thanks guys! Didn't check this all weekend, too much going on. Son has moved to Mavic Pro/platinum or a P4 buying both refurbished from DJI or now that I know they exist, ebay sellers that are qualified to sell them. I am pushing him to the Mavic route. Curious on insurance, that is what I do for a living, I have never added a drone to a home policy so I need to look to see if someone will do that. I have my doubts with the company I am with or any that I write with so curious who is doing it. It is a good thought if they will. They do cell phones and laptops but those don't fly and wreck. lol

 

[brewbum]

A little nervous on the arms breaking on the Mavic Pro though. Guessing they are more expensive than the phantom body to replace.

 

[Weston Ney]

Alright, my 14 year old son has worked hard all summer, saved his money and is looking to get a nice drone and he has settled on the Phantom 3 Pro. I am reading reviews though and it is scaring me. I am also seeing that as this is not a DJI drone in production that it is unlikely we would get much warranty service on it, especially as it would be from an unauthorized seller.

Am I crazy to talk him out of it?

Are these drones out there for sale new on Amazon legit or are we buying a problem?

We have owned RC stuff before and some much cheaper drones so we understand that stuff breaks, you wreck it, etc. But I am seeing major complaints and things not working at all. Is this a case of a small percentage ruining my vision?

Hate for him to spend $800-$1000 and be out. Life lessons are tough but that would really hurt.

I have another friend trying to talk us into getting a Typhoon H instead, that looks like a good option and I trust the guy but reviews aren't great there and it doesn't have a great camera or interface with the iphone.

Can you help me out?

Here is the link in Amazon.

Amazon.com: DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter 4K UHD Video Camera Drone: Gateway

Buy DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter 4K UHD Video Camera Drone: Quadcopters & Multirotors - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I personally think if he's planning on spending $1,000, he could probably get a refurbished Phantom 4 advanced, which is a much better drowned in the Phantom 3 Pro. The Phantom 3 line is very old, and the Phantom 4 line is getting old as well, but if he is planning on spending $1,000 I think it would be wasteful to get a phantom 3 Pro when he could easily afford a brand new mavic Pro first generation or a phantom 4 advanced or standard that is in very good condition. I personally bought a broken Phantom 4 for $400 and I fixed it and it is working fine for me now. I have had the Phantom 3, and the Phantom 4 is much better.

And please please PLEASE do not buy the yuneec drone!

 

[dronesky]

Hold your tongue you young whippersnapper! ?

(us sextagenarians gotta stick up for each other lol)

He's getting mail from AARP not that young

 

[tunadoctor]

I love mine. Very sturdy and forgiving. Make sure he and you watch the videos for beginners and especially the ones about the top reasons for crashing and/or losing.

 

[LarBear360]

Thanks guys! Didn't check this all weekend, too much going on. Son has moved to Mavic Pro/platinum or a P4 buying both refurbished from DJI or now that I know they exist, ebay sellers that are qualified to sell them. I am pushing him to the Mavic route. Curious on insurance, that is what I do for a living, I have never added a drone to a home policy so I need to look to see if someone will do that. I have my doubts with the company I am with or any that I write with so curious who is doing it. It is a good thought if they will. They do cell phones and laptops but those don't fly and wreck. lol

State Farm is known to cover under a personal articles policy. I was quoted $60 per year for both my drones and some vintage musical equipment. Never went through with it though. A lot of guys here are under the impression they can fly recklessly and take more risks thinking they can just file a claim and get a new drone. If you're in the industry, as is Mrs. LarBear, we know it's not that easy and each claim stays on your "record" no matter where you go for insurance.

The refurbished units may offer DJI Care which is fairly expensive, but offers peace of mind in the event of a crash even in the case of pilot error.

 

[solentlife]

I love my P3Pro ..... bought 2nd hand from a guy ... included 2 batts, hard case .... all I needed do was add my Tablet ... about $700 all in.

That was quite a while back - so today I would not consider more than about $600 for same ...

Maybe one day I will look at a later version unit - but for what I want ? A hobbyists camera platform ? Why ?

I am certainly not a fan of the Mavic - after seeing another guys in the wind. I much prefer my solid heavier Phantom.

 

[cheddarman]

As has been said, and as solentlife says above, you really can't get better than the original Phantom 3 Advance/Pro. especially as a starter drone. They are robust, fly well in the wind and do everything a beginner would need. Who knows, after a couple of months he may change his mind and want something else so no point in spending too much on a beginner. At 80 I was given my P3A by my son and LOVE it! I've flown it indoors during a demonstration to the local Rotary club and it's made the learning curve very easy!

 

[Deleted member 120647]

One other thing to consider, do you and or your son have the screens and devices to watch 4k video etc.?
I have used a P3Pro but can not run the 4k video from it as my equipment is oldish and I had to switch the drone's camera to a lower resolution.

 

[LarBear360]

One other thing to consider, do you and or your son have the screens and devices to watch 4k video etc.?
I have used a P3Pro but can not run the 4k video from it as my equipment is oldish and I had to switch the drone's camera to a lower resolution.

Good point and something to consider. I fly for fun and as such don't need the 4K. The "regular" stuff looks fine and should I ever need 4K, I know I've got it at my disposal.

I would agree with several others that a P3P or even a P3S is the way to go for someone just starting out.

 

[Winnie2019]

I'd like to add this. If you get a P3 Pro with 4K capability, you will need a very fast and strong computer, as well as expensive editing software to render the video to YouTube or Facebook. I have the P3A and I have a 10 year old computer with high end graphics card added to be able to do the job. I use Cyberlink Power Director as the Video Software. If your son will shoot pictures and videos, he's going to need to learn how to edit and produce the video as well. That's part of the fun of owning a Drone. You get to fly, capture awesome footage, but then get to produce a video of your footage and post it to YT and other sites.

 

[cheddarman]

The only editing program I use is the iMovie that comes with my laptop. Agree thought, you just don't need 4K video, IMHO.

 

[dronesky]

I'd like to add this. If you get a P3 Pro with 4K capability, you will need a very fast and strong computer, as well as expensive editing software to render the video to YouTube or Facebook. I have the P3A and I have a 10 year old computer with high end graphics card added to be able to do the job.

Hi what computer specifics would i look for in buying a computer that fills the bill thanks