What next after the phantom?

[wbrownj]

Ok so perhaps this is sacrilege in a forum called phantom pilots but I am interested that after you have had fun with the phantom, what is the logical next step up the food chain. I am not thinking mega bucks but say up to £1000 max. I live in the UK local availability is a plus but all options are open.

I appreciate your thoughts

Jonathan

 

[Yeager]

Ok so perhaps this is sacrilege in a forum called phantom pilots but I am interested that after you have had fun with the phantom, what is the logical next step up the food chain. I am not thinking mega bucks but say up to £1000 max. I live in the UK local availability is a plus but all options are open.

I appreciate your thoughts

Jonathan

The Phantom Menace is the next version ... Just kidding. Maybe it should be. I keep hearing about a Phantom II, but not confirmed as of yet I think. I was thinking of picking up an F450 or F550 as a next step. Lots of deals at the moment with the with F450/F550 ARF, Zenmuse H3-2D gimbal and Naza V2 as a combo. Not sure if this means something else on the horizon, but seems like a good deal and been thinking of picking one of these up myself. Still loving my Phantom! I took it out this weekend with my wife and she even flew it for the first time and did very well. When the Phantom is retired it will go up into my RC hall of fame! LOL! £1000 should get you a lot of kit.

 

[Gizmo3000]

I stepped up to a semi robust F450.
Such a more solid flying platform! (I went with big 3110-15 T motors and 10" props.
weighs a lot more, but flys for 10 minutes on a 4s battery.

 

[miskatonic]

The Phantom Menace is the next version ...

heheheheheh.

 

[Ksc]

I picked up my F450 from my local shop today. I've flown it twice and love it. I would think that would be the next step. Its a 450 with zenmuse, FPV, iosd, ios ground station. So far I've only flown it from my ipad and from the futaba. It was actually a pretty low cost step up. I bought the zenmuse/450/naza v2/landing gear as a package for $839 (http://www.intelligentuas.com/ZENMUSE-H ... SKID-COMBO) and then the ground station with iosd and can bus hub as a package for $299 (http://www.intelligentuas.com/DJI-IOS-G ... For-NAZA-M). The Futaba T8J and the FPV and battery and install at the hobby shop was an addition $500. I know you said under $1000. Its $1640 but if you back out the ground station and the FPV it drops it down to $1200. If you know how to install everything yourself then you're looking at $839 for the one package and $270 for the Futaba and battery. So far its extremely stable (its been very windy today in Florida and it flew better than my phantom on a calm day).

I do like the lights on the phantom. My second flight with the 450 was at night and it was a little hard to see it on such a dark night. I guess you can add lights for like $25 but still. I went back on forth about if I should go with the 450 or the 550 but I like having 2 less motors to repair and maintain as well as a smaller footprint for traveling.

Oh and I ended up putting a different landing gear on it that also doubles as a platform for holding all my junk and it doesn't show up in the gopro footage nor do the blades like on a phantom.

Also keep in mind that if you have a zenmuse already or are going to use a tarot, you can sell the zenmuse and drop the whole package to a grand. Sell the zenmuse for $400 (it would sell fast at that price) and your 450 was only $439 plus $275 for Futaba and battery and $300 for the ground station. Personally, I like the zenmuse but now that I type this out and see the savings I could have had, if I did it again, I would sell the zenmuse for $400 or $500 and get a tarot and been only into it for $1100.

 

[Audaciter]

You didn't mention what you're interests are, but if a stable aerial video platform, with FPV thrown in is, you may want to
look at the new TBS, Discovery Pro.

It's pretty much an elongated FW450, with a built in brushless gimbal. Being elongated, it has room to mount the electronic
components, keeping the video transmitter, and the receiver as far apart as possible.
You can use larger batteries, but you could also use 2 of your Phantoms batteries, until you can afford the larger ones.

I believe Team Black Sheep is U.K based, with their warehouse in China.

 

[Roadkilt]

From what I can see, the 450 is basically a phantom with 30A ESC, and a stronger frame to carry more weight. Same motors, NAZA, GPS. can I just migrate my phantom over to a new frame, buy some ESCs and good to go? Would seem a no brainer.

 

[Audaciter]

From what I can see, the 450 is basically a phantom with 30A ESC, and a stronger frame to carry more weight. Same motors, NAZA, GPS. can I just migrate my phantom over to a new frame, buy some ESCs and good to go? Would seem a no brainer.

The GPS/Compass from the Phantom could present a problem. I would recommend a new GPS. But essentially, yes, you can
easily transfer your existing hardware.
Also, you would want to step up to a 14.8v battery.

 

[Roadkilt]

From what I can see, the 450 is basically a phantom with 30A ESC, and a stronger frame to carry more weight. Same motors, NAZA, GPS. can I just migrate my phantom over to a new frame, buy some ESCs and good to go? Would seem a no brainer.

The GPS/Compass from the Phantom could present a problem. I would recommend a new GPS. But essentially, yes, you can
easily transfer your existing hardware.
Also, you would want to step up to a 14.8v battery.

The tower mounted GPS? Makes sense, plus the rx from a Futaba. I though the battery voltage stays the same, just bigger, like 5000 maH. It can go to a higher voltage? That would screw up my aeroxcraft gimbal.

 

[Gizmo3000]

The tower mounted GPS? Makes sense, plus the rx from a Futaba. I though the battery voltage stays the same, just bigger, like 5000 maH. It can go to a higher voltage? That would screw up my aeroxcraft gimbal.

There're a lot of little things to take into account when bumping up to a a larger quad..

The larger 450/550 Flamewheel's can run of either 3s or 4s batteries (maybe even more? tho I haven't heard)
motors run a bit different at higher voltage, DJI recommends only 8" props if using 4s with their stock motors.
(which is why I went with larger motors).

I also installed a voltage regulator/UBEC that converts my 4s down to 3s power so that I can run both my gimbal and FPV off the 4s.

 

[linter]

i started off with an f450, then went to a tbs disco and then a phantom when they first came out. right now, i'm selling everything but the phantom. i just like the smaller form factor and the simplicity of the phantom, and the fact that i can fit everything into a smallish pelican box, throw it in my car, and be done with it, no fuss, no muss. i've got a gopro on my ph, of course, as well as fpv gear and an iosd; iow, everything i want except for one thing: more flying time. guess i'll have to get the bigger battery version of the ph, but no way am i going back to the world of larger quads. ymmv, obviously.

 

[wbrownj]

Wow, thanks for all the responses, they make interesting reading. I must admit I am very interested in the dji woo kong x650v4 but ooo it's a lot of money

I'll just have to sell one of the kids :lol:

Jonathan