Yep the P3 is really like a flying camera (minus the Aperture control, but frankly that's not a big deal when dealing with aerial wide angle landscape stuff) and I'm still getting used to it after the P2 + GoPro. In fact I'm still using the P2 combo in some conditions such as last weekends windy weather where I didn't want to risk loosing the P3.
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Carl Sagan
Very nice shots Archangel! I'm assuming you have a Phantom 2?
There have been some reports of cracks on the motor arms and a few people have reported the batteries becoming disconnected. I have to wonder though if the cracks are due to people flying too aggressively, putting extra strain on the arms, or landing hard. As for the battery problem, some were not making sure it was clicked into place properly. I don't know, maybe I have just been lucky with mine. I baby it though with smooth power application and I manually land it every time (I did one test auto-land and while it will get the Phantom on the ground, it wasn't exactly a smooth touchdown).
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Carl Sagan
I've been reading about those rare occurrences of Phantom 3 battery fires so I picked up 3 Li-po battery covers from Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Fireproof-Explosionproof-Battery-Storage-185x75x60mm/dp/B00T01LLP8? ) I plan to travel with my P3P in the coming months. I've read the TSA is cool with it as long as the batteries are stored separate and in a Lipo protective bag. And as carry on, NOT with checked baggage!
Now, I don't plan on driving nails through my batteries, but it shows how fragile these things can be. I certainly don't want to risk dropping a battery and causing enough damage to see something like this:
Seems like sound advice regarding charging, discharging and maintaining the P3 batteries:
These things scare the hell out of me. I don't worry about ISIS, or big meteors, or global climate change (well, ok, a little). But drones sharing our airspace without being part of the "see and avoid" requirement represent a negligible danger now but within a few years...
I think there will be some regulations coming our way before too long. See and avoid is going to be tough. Most off the shelf drones are pretty small and hard for a pilot to see. They are quite capable too and the technology allows them to be controlled well out of visual range. For example, the Phantom 3 is advertised at being controllable out to 1.2 miles from the operator but in reality people have been pushing out much farther than that. The limiting factor seems to be the battery life.
I think the 400ft ceiling is a good thing and in the future I can see a requirement for a transponder (maybe constantly transmitting) that would show up on TCAD/TCAS systems on full size aircraft. The genie is out of the bottle so to speak. The technology is only going to get better and cheaper which means we will see more of them. Flown responsibly I don't think they pose a threat. The problem is that not everyone will see it that way.
Last edited by Paul Rix; 08/10/1503:15 AM.
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Carl Sagan
One thing that makes me crazy is the word "drones". THESE ARE NOT DRONES. THEY'RE *QUADCOPTERS*
The problem is that people are getting in the (BAD!) habit of labeling everything that flies as a drone. This is going to do nothing but screw us R/C pilots when the Nervous Nellie Coalition start yammering on about banning and regulating "drones".
I think that it is a bit too late to change that though. In the eyes of the general public and media, they are drones. Apart from the negative connotation that seems to be attached to the word drone, it is a far more catchy label than UAV, UAS or Quadcopter (which is only accurate when there are 4 motors anyway).
I think that it is unfair to both RC fliers and UAV/UAS/Drone operators to bundle them into the same category when it comes down to rulemaking. These craft are very different both in capabilities and the skills required to fly them.
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Carl Sagan
For example, the Phantom 3 is advertised at being controllable out to 1.2 miles from the operator but in reality people have been pushing out much farther than that. The limiting factor seems to be the battery life.
Have you seen the video of the guy that flew his P3P 7568 meters (24829 feet)in Taiwan? Claims stock equipment, no mods. Watch the battery at the end!
Originally Posted By: f15sim
One thing that makes me crazy is the word "drones". THESE ARE NOT DRONES. THEY'RE *QUADCOPTERS*
I have the same backpack Chaz, just a different label on the back.
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Carl Sagan
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Carl Sagan
Thanks Dave! Here is a shot of the sunset that day. The terrain is kind of flat here but we certainly have great skies.
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Carl Sagan
Paul, great pics. you've definitely hit the sweet spot with the camera settings.
Changing gears for a minute. When I upgrade the battery firmware, for example I have 3 batteries, do I upgrade the aircraft and at the same time it upgrades the first battery? Then it completes the firmware upgrade, shut it down. (check .txt file for success) Insert the second battery, turn it on, and let it do its thing? How long does it take to update just the battery?
Hi Chaz, thanks. I have started using ISO100 and then adjusting the exposure setting so that the sky looks good. I am using the Exposure Bracketing feature a lot when shooting sunset/sunrise. It works great, especially when using RAW mode. You can pull out a lot of detail from quite dark areas, but if the sky is over-exposed then you can't do much to fix it.
As for updating the battery, yes, the process is just how you described it. It's very quick.
Last edited by Paul Rix; 08/14/1512:28 AM.
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Carl Sagan