What DJI Got Wrong With the Phantom 4

I've been flying the P4 since it was released and had to put a clip together covering a few of the details I think they missed. I LOVE the drone but hope they correct these with the Phantom 5.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
Wouldn't putting the battery in a bag cause the battery to heat up more making it more likely that it would catch on fire?
 
I'd like to see the gimbal easily detachable and the legs foldable, so you could travel with a reasonably flat package. I realise the gimbal part might be difficult but folding legs should be easy. The internal antenna cables should be flexible enough to last.
 
I wouldn't discount anyone who has 25 - 30 years of flying experience. I you put down his longevity in the sport/hobby, you show your own ignorance.

Maybe you didn't read his comments, so here they are below. He took my Dirty Harry - one liner joke - like a man and moved on. I'm sure your not his mommy, so you have no need to act like her. No matter how many years we have at RC experience, from flying planes on strings back in the 60's to flying the plane's and the helicopters we have today, those other RC experiences are still nothing like flying a DJI Phantom 3. Yes, I have hand caught my old RC helicopter a number of times also, but that in no way compares to how easy it is to hand catching a Phantom.


Did you actually encourage that extremely dangerous behavior on a public forum?

I don't really care what you do. That's your business, but please don't encourage that here. That's the kind of thing that's going to continue to give our hobby a bad name.

FWIW, as a range safety officer in my local club, you would only be warned about that about 2 times. Maybe Continuing would likely get you expelled from our club.

Catching a rotary aircraft, or any aircraft for that matter, is a dangerous behavior and should never be attempted under any circumstances and for any reason. Lose a couple of digits and you'll understand. How do I know? I have. Not doing anything related to RC, but it only takes once.

It's one thing to be careless. Recklessness is entirely another thing.

I'm not new to RC and the AMA. I've been flying RC for 25 years and full scale for 30. I've also been an AMA regional officer. I'm a CFI and instrument rated.

What are your qualifications?

Hand Catching is totally safe.
I rest my case -
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
Last edited:
Well as far as AMA being welcoming and I am a member...in the beginning just a few years ago most of the old timers (as you call them) were anything but welcoming. They hated drones.

Of course as time past and we were actually saving their declining ranks with newcomer Drone pilots many have changed their tune and even joined us. They're flying their own newly acquired drones!

You are absolutely free to voice your opinion but since you've been around awhile you should realize your way off to the cost of the Phantom 4 relative to previous models.

I spent almost 3 times as much to fix up my Phantom 1.1 to make it ususable professionally.
It still did have HD down link or 4k recording let alone 3 axis gimbal.

Most of you argumentshould are petty. The Phantomsecond have always been an easy catch. Something I won't suggest with the Inspire.

That said...please send a link to anyone who has lost a finger to a Phantom stook prop.
 
What I don't understand is programming waypoints in the Go app. I have to launch and fly my multi rotor then take my attention off it and program waypoints. Good way to hit something glad the thing flys itself.

HDMI should be standard as well as dual operator so you can make challenging flights and have some one operate the camera. Another safety issue.

Positioning sensor is useless.

New clip on props props look Like a nice way to upcharge the customer.

Having to close a stupid ad everytime I open GO
 
Aside from the op's video, it's really here nor there to me except, I really prefer to have full control of my video function. I don't start recording right away, I fly to what I want to record and then record it. Then when done, I stop recording, set up for the next shot and turn the camera on again, and so on. I will fly down a river as far as I can, then turn around and start recording while flying upstream. Pushing the button on my tablet is my preferred way as is looking at it change from round to square along with the count timer to make sure that everything is working properly. Every time I look at the tablet, it's easy to see the red square when the camera is on. If auto on was a menu choice, that would be ok, but I would never want it automatically on all of the time for just shooting the ground or blue sky by itself. When I first bought it, I would start the UAV and then the camera before take off and record the whole flight. But now I pick and chose what shots to take or I just fly for fun with the camera off.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sergekouper
I've been flying the P4 since it was released and had to put a clip together covering a few of the details I think they missed. I LOVE the drone but hope they correct these with the Phantom 5.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
Good stuff! Nice fun vid. Loved it.

My favorite part was at the end when you said "I don't have any complaints about the drone!" and millisecond before you realized what you said juxtaposed to what had already been said was priceless. :) All seriousness, great stuff. I think I agree in most.
 
sorry you feel that way but I got 8 like for my comments how many you think you will get 0
Some need to chill a bit here guys, we have more in common than u think. What happened to focus on sharing and working together ?
BTW ... I have a Ph.D. In WTF !
 
Maybe you didn't read his comments, so here they are below. He took my Dirty Harry - one liner joke - like a man and moved on. I'm sure your not his mommy, so you have no need to act like her. No matter how many years we have at RC experience, from flying planes on strings back in the 60's to flying the plane's and the helicopters we have today, those other RC experiences are still nothing like flying a DJI Phantom 3. Yes, I have hand caught my old RC helicopter a number of times also, but that in no way compares to how easy it is to hand catching a Phantom.





Hand Catching is totally safe.
I rest my case -
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Spoken from a true layman. You have no idea what experience can tell you even if 30 to 50 years ago.
Wouldn't putting the battery in a bag cause the battery to heat up more making it more likely that it would catch on fire?

That is not true. Have you ever felt the heat of a battery after charging? There is no heat. I was amazed. But there is no heat. Check it for yourself.
 
That is not true. Have you ever felt the heat of a battery after charging? There is no heat. I was amazed. But there is no heat. Check it for yourself.

There is substantial energy deposited as heat during the charging process, which is really inevitable since the process is inherently quite lossy. Intelligent charging systems often monitor battery temperature and adjust charging rates to mitigate that issue. You should try reading the literature if you are interested in the physics.

Chen, Yufei, and James W. Evans. "Thermal analysis of Lithium‐Ion batteries." Journal of the Electrochemical Society 143.9 (1996): 2708-2712.
 
There is substantial energy deposited as heat during the charging process, which is really inevitable since the process is inherently quite lossy. Intelligent charging systems often monitor battery temperature and adjust charging rates to mitigate that issue. You should try reading the literature if you are interested in the physics.

Chen, Yufei, and James W. Evans. "Thermal analysis of Lithium‐Ion batteries." Journal of the Electrochemical Society 143.9 (1996): 2708-2712.

I appreciate the article. I did read the first paragraph. But feel the rest of it is over my pay grade in the area of thermal analysis. I use the layman's way of checking for heat. I touch it. Here are my findings which may back up your research. The DJI batteries feel as though they are at room temperature during and after a charge. My cell phone on the other hand can get quite hot. Possibly the electronics in the smart batteries and the longer time to charge may account for the temperature difference. Either way, I have never felt any of the DJI batteries to be hot or even close. That's my layman's analysis. Not disputing you, just sayin.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ray rokni
I wouldn't discount anyone who has 25 - 30 years of flying experience. I you put down his longevity in the sport/hobby, you show your own ignorance.
Without discounting anyone, the "25 years on the sticks" guys are probably showing a great experience in flying aircraft models, but when it comes to the phantom, it would be good to remember that what they are is flying cameras, which is totally different. This is not the same purpose, definitely not the same way to pilot it, and I don't think the experience in one serves the other in any way. Phantom users are photo/videographers and their piloting expertise is all built around this activity. What some don't understand is that you can't fly a Phantom like you fly a model aircraft. If you try, you can't film. And vice versa, if you're filming, you're not going to fly it like a model. Just to say, even with experience in the model aircraft hobby, which again is not comparable to the camera drone hobby, the learning curve still exists and "veterans" looking down to rookies phantom pilots miss their target.
 
Not everyone uses the phantom3 to video or take pictures, it is an assumption by you photographers that it is a "flying camera" and therefore it is supposed to be used as such!
I am thinking there is a vast number of people who buy the phantom3 for its range and capabilities, not for its video and picture capabilities.

Without discounting anyone, the "25 years on the sticks" guys are probably showing a great experience in flying aircraft models, but when it comes to the phantom, it would be good to remember that what they are is flying cameras, which is totally different. This is not the same purpose, definitely not the same way to pilot it, and I don't think the experience in one serves the other in any way. Phantom users are photo/videographers and their piloting expertise is all built around this activity. What some don't understand is that you can't fly a Phantom like you fly a model aircraft. If you try, you can't film. And vice versa, if you're filming, you're not going to fly it like a model. Just to say, even with experience in the model aircraft hobby, which again is not comparable to the camera drone hobby, the learning curve still exists and "veterans" looking down to rookies phantom pilots miss their target.




Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
 
I have to agree with nrj, regardless of the study, the phantom3 battery does not feel hot or even warmer than room temperature.


There is substantial energy deposited as heat during the charging process, which is really inevitable since the process is inherently quite lossy. Intelligent charging systems often monitor battery temperature and adjust charging rates to mitigate that issue. You should try reading the literature if you are interested in the physics.

Chen, Yufei, and James W. Evans. "Thermal analysis of Lithium‐Ion batteries." Journal of the Electrochemical Society 143.9 (1996): 2708-2712.




Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: NRJ
Not everyone uses the phantom3 to video or take pictures, it is an assumption by you photographers that it is a "flying camera" and therefore it is supposed to be used as such!
I am thinking there is a vast number of people who buy the phantom3 for its range and capabilities, not for its video and picture capabilities.






Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
It is not an assumption, but a fact that the Phantom is a flying camera. It has been specifically designed for that. If not, what would be the point to have a 3 Axis Gimbal, 2GPS to stay still when hovering, and a 4K cam highly adjustable to match professional requirements? Not mentioning automated flights. For what other purpose would you use it? to draw some 8 in the sky at 22mph? quite boring and expensive for that kind of hobby. Really, a P3 or a P4 have no other purpose. FYI, except racing drones, all decent civil drones sold now are mainly designed for film and photography... What else do you have in mind with a P3/4?
 
Last edited:
I have to agree with nrj, regardless of the study, the phantom3 battery does not feel hot pie even warmer than room temperature.

Yes - but that misses the point. You are not charging in a bag. Heat is generated during the charging process and that heat is dissipated to the surroundings via convection. The charging scheme most likely assumes that convective cooling takes place. If the battery is enclosed in a bag then that cooling mechanism is substantially reduced, and the battery will end up hotter.

How much hotter, and whether that will be a problem is hard to say (depends on the design of the bag and other thermal factors), but temperature management during charging is a key component in battery life, so it may either shorten battery life or increase charge times if the charging circuitry reduces the charging current to keep the temperature down.
 
Love the idea of lens protection and auto record....

I'm not in that camp. Just something else to degrade my video. No thanks. Take the filter off and replace it with the filter of choice.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
I have charged in a bag also.
I don't doubt that there is heat generated due to the chemical reaction while charging, all I'm saying is that it hardly feels warm to the touch, whether in a bag or out.

Yes - but that misses the point. You are not charging in a bag. Heat is generated during the charging process and that heat is dissipated to the surroundings via convection. The charging scheme most likely assumes that convective cooling takes place. If the battery is enclosed in a bag then that cooling mechanism is substantially reduced, and the battery will end up hotter.

How much hotter, and whether that will be a problem is hard to say (depends on the design of the bag and other thermal factors), but temperature management during charging is a key component in battery life, so it may either shorten battery life or increase charge times if the charging circuitry reduces the charging current to keep the temperature down.




Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
I have charged in a bag also.
I don't doubt that there is heat generated due to the chemical reaction while charging, all I'm saying is that it hardly feels warm to the touch, whether in a bag or out.

Any feel for whether charging in the bag took any longer, or did it seem the same as out of the bag?
 
Any feel for whether charging in the bag took any longer, or did it seem the same as out of the bag?

I haven't timed it but it seems to take the same amount of time, I have over ten batteries and only one bag, which was sent to me with a battery. I used it once just to see and it was charged at the same time the one out of the bag was charged. Both batteries were down to %5.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 

Recent Posts

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,357
Members
104,935
Latest member
Pauos31