DJI Phantom and Drone Section

eBook – Buying and Flying DJI Phantom 3 and 4 Quadcopters – Chapter 5

September 11, 2016 by craigi

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5(this page)

Your First Flights- Orientation and Startup

New pilots will find it easier to learn by facing in the same direction as the Phantom while standing behind it. Using this orientation, the controls on the transmitter will feel more natural – that is, if you move the right stick forward, the Phantom will travel forward, etc.
If you have no familiarity at all with Quadcopters it is usually suggested that you fly some of the toy models first…just to get the basic idea of how things work. You can find more information in our beginners section.

Assuming you have calibrated the compass earlier, place the Phantom 3 on the ground in front of you with the nose facing away and go through the startup process of turning on the transmitter FIRST and then turning on the smart battery. The Phantom will sing a startup tune. Make certain the 3-way mode switch on your Transmitter is set to the right (P mode).

Open the DJI Go App (see: DJI Go App info for more) on your smart device (it should already be connected via USB to your Remote) and hit the Camera icon. This screen should display a yellow banner on the top which says Aircraft Warming Up. Within about 2 minutes it should turn green and display Ready to Fly (GPS). Check the map screen to make certain that your Phantom knows where it is – the triangle representing the aircraft should be at your current location. This is often referred to as the Home Point since it’s where your Phantom will fly back to if the RTH function becomes activated.

Starting and Stopping the Motors – IMPORTANT

Note – it it the author’s opinion that budding pilots should learn how to take off and land manually rather than using the automatic features. This will allow you to become a safer and more capable operator.

[Read more…]

eBook – Buying and Flying DJI Phantom 3 and 4 Quadcopters – Chapter 4

September 10, 2016 by craigi

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 (this page)

Preparing to Fly

NOTE: This book is not intended to replace or supplement the DJI quick start guide or manual, rather it is to familiarize the reader with the basics of the aircraft before a potential purchase. After you have finished this book and decided on a model, please download and read the manual and watch the official DJI videos. Continuing education is needed to get the most out of your Phantom – and also to avoid mishaps!

Safety Warnings and Topics

Please become familiar with the many safety issues which apply to this hobby. An outline of some major safety points is below:

Spinning Propellers can injure humans and animals – Phantom propellers could cause deep wounds or worse. Be cautious – do not fly near or over people, moving vehicles or animals. Make certain you are familiar with the startup process (arming) of your quadcopters. Newer pilots may want to consider propeller guards which are sold by DJI.

LiPo Batteries can ignite as well as cause shocks. Do not charge batteries near combustible materials and do not charge unattended. Use specially made LiPo battery charging sacks or charge in a metal or ceramic container. Make certain there are smoke and CO detectors in the areas where you charge and store your batteries. Make certain that water and other fluids do not come into contact with your LiPo batteries. A guide to traveling (flying) with your DJI Phantom is covered later in this book.

Falling or Crashing quadcopters can injure or kill. As stated before, do not fly over or near people, animals or moving vehicles. Use common sense in planning your flight path. Do not fly out of your line of sight (LOS).

FAA Registration and Use of your Phantom

[Read more…]

eBook – Buying and Flying DJI Phantom 3 and 4 Quadcopters – Chapter 3

September 9, 2016 by craigi

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 (this page) – Part 4

Buying your DJI Phantom

DJI Sales Outlets

DJI sells through various outlets – from online giants such as amazon.com to many local hobby shops. In between these two are many online shops – from one-person operations to more sophisticated outlets. In the USA, the vast majority of Phantoms are sold online through one of these outlets. DJI even offers their own online store – linked directly from most pages of their web site at dji.com.

The best advice we can give is to consider what the support will be after the sale. Ask some questions – such as:
What if the unit arrives and is defective?
What if I ordered the wrong model – can I return it while brand new?
If I crash it and break something – or if it needs warranty work, who do I call first and how do I obtain such service? [Read more…]

eBook – Buying and Flying DJI Phantom 3 and 4 Quadcopters – Chapter 2

September 9, 2016 by craigi

Chapter 2 – Guide to Current DJI Phantom 3 and 4 Models

The P3 and P4 build upon the platform and successes of earlier models. The price/performance (value) has increased – DJI is now building in more goodies for less money!

Phantom 4
$1199 (approx.)

The Phantom 4 comes in a single model easily recognizable by the lack of decals and colors – it is bright white.

Phantom 3 – 4 models as of Fall, 2016
DJI Phantom 3 Standard -$499
DJI Phantom 3 4K -$599
DJI Phantom 3 Advanced -$799
DJI Phantom 3 Professional – $999

The Phantom 3 is not available “bare” – it comes complete with the camera and transmitter (remote). All that is needed to fly is your phone or tablet (IOS or Android). [Read more…]

eBook – Buying and Flying DJI Phantom 3 and 4 Quadcopters – Chapter 1

September 9, 2016 by craigi

Dear Friends,

We are now publishing our best-selling Phantom eBook here on the Droneflyers.com site – and removing it from sale on Amazon. The book will be published in sections, each of which can be read online or downloaded as a PDF (see button at bottom of article). Note – all material is copyrighted, so please do not redistribute online or in bulk (lending and passing on is OK).

Although the book will be 100% free you can still help the site and author by using one of our affiliate links (ads in the articles and at the bottom) to make purchases. In that case we receive a small commission – but you don’t pay any more!

The entire book will be published – along with updates – by September 15 – so please start your reading now and watch for new chapters!

Chapter 1 – Introduction to Author, DJI and the Phantom Camera Drones [Read more…]

From Hollywood Set Designer to Worldwide Drone Guru

August 30, 2016 by craigi

HOLLYWOOD FILMMAKER FLIES DJI TO THE VERY TOP

Just two years ago, Tim Browning was a concept artist designing military aircraft for sci-fi blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The brief from the Directors stated that the aircraft should be ‘multirotored’, so that it closely resembled a Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor, a U.S. military aircraft designed in 2007.

The other thing it resembled? A drone — four sexy rotors providing incredible stability.

Tim knew a bit about drones. Having already been captivated by a friend’s stunning Phantom 2 footage, he had heard good things and knew how easy they were to operate and fly.

“I figured that it would be useful within film and art departments; for capturing unusual angles to use in illustrations or for location scouting,” says the 42-year-old father of three, “but mostly it was just for fun.”

Tim has worked in set design and construction within the film industry for nearly 20 years. Honors include concept, art direction credits for Alice in Wonderland, Skyfall, Spectre, The Force Awakens and the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII.

In the end, he bought a Phantom 2 ‘for research purposes’. It was love at first sight. He took it to Greece that summer and — apart from “annoying the hell out of my family” — ended up playing with it constantly. He slung a short edit up on YouTube. What followed? The start of a new and entirely unexpected career.

“It was below freezing and we were living in Gers or Yurts alongside a nomadic family out on the steppe,” he recalls of his first trip to Mongolia for BBC’s Earth’s Natural Wonders.

Two young boys were in training for a local horse race and the BBC crew filmed them for a few days leading up to the race.

“The purpose of the drone was to capture the huge expanse of the grasslands and to keep up with the galloping horses,” he says. Weirdly — or coincidentally — Tim’s Phantom at full throttle turned out to be exactly the same speed as the Mongolian horse’s top speed. [Read more…]

DJI Phantom 4 – Computer Vision – Part 3 of our Review/Rating

August 28, 2016 by craigi

In part one and part two of our first look at the DJI Phantom 4, we explored the improved construction and upgrading of the various assemblies. At first glance it would appear a Phantom 4 is a “perfected” Phantom 3 Pro. However, there is one major new innovation which makes this a revolutionary model- Computer Vision! This feature – and the current and future ramifications – will be explored in this post.

Computer Vision, Artificial Intelligence, Obstacle Avoidance – what does it all mean? [Read more…]

Yuneec Typhoon H Hexacopter – First Look and Rating

August 9, 2016 by craigi

Yuneec Typhoon H Hexacopter Camera Drone – Droneflyers Review and Rating
Prelude – If you are a drone newbie or beginner and/or technically challenged we would caution you that this model – and, in fact, most delicate and complex camera drones over $1,000, are not for your first attempts at flying. The exception would be if you have a local hobby shop or dealer who is willing to do setups, troubleshooting and education. Most beginners should consult our series of articles and recommendations and start with the basics.
Introduction

The Yuneec Typhoon H created excitement at the 2016 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. Much of the buzz was about the Intel Realsense obstacle avoidance system slated to be included on the H. However, Yuneec was late in delivering Realsense (they are just starting to sell the Pro models now – August, 2016) and instead released the Typhoon H at a lower price of $1299 (about $1125 discounted on Amazon) without the Realsense module. Although they promised an easy upgrade, they are not currently offering this…the full Realsense H “Pro” (about $1899+) is currently the only way to get the full OA (Obstacle Avoidance) system.

Our Typhoon is the standard model which also comes with a “Wizard” controller – a hand held wand that can substitute for the Remote controller in certain situations.

Some customers have been confused by Yuneec shipping the H without the RealSense. There is a so-called “obstacle avoidance” front facing sonar built into even the base model but it is not very useful (low range, only front..not on aircraft bottom, not “vision” but sound, etc.).

To clear up this matter, here are the three Yuneec H models and approx. prices as well as features.

Base model – this is the basic hexacopter unit sold from launch until beginning of August, 2016. It comes with a single battery and no Wizard wand. Current “street price” is approx. $1100.
Base model with Wizard – this is the same as #1 but includes the Wizard wand. Current “street price” is approx. $1180.
YUNEEC Typhoon H PRO Hexacopter with Intel RealSense and Backpack- this is currently selling for approx. $1899.

The H is a consumer level camera done which features a 4K camera capable of video or still pictures and a large remote controller with a built-in 7″ screen. The OS (screen) runs on Android. In terms of other offerings in the same segment, here are the current popular choices:

DJI Phantom 3 4K – $599
DJI Phantom 3 Pro – $899
Autel X-Star – $699
DJI Phantom 4 – $1250 (street)

Only #4 above has true “computer vision and obstacle avoidance”, and so can be compared to the H Pro. All units have 4K cameras. At the end of our review we will offer specs, suggestions and opinion on the pros and cons of the various units.

The H is marketed as having three main selling points: [Read more…]

DJI Phantom 4 – First Flights and Rating – Part 2

July 30, 2016 by craigi

Note – Part 1 of this review is at this link.

Part 3 of this review is here

DJI Phantom 4 – First Flights and Rating – Part 2 – Camera, Gimbal and Propulsion System Improvements and Differences over Phantom 3 and earlier models.

Thousands of articles and videos have detailed the features and workings of the Phantom 3 series of Camera Drones. Rather than repeat these details, we will note the improvements in the Phantom 4.

As we often note, the Phantoms are “Flying Cameras”…and so improvements over the existing models should be in the imaging (camera) and flight systems. The Phantom 4 features a completely redesigned Gimbal and camera body – both of which are designed to provide more stability and a better image quality.

Phantom 3 (L) and Phantom 4 (R) Gimbals

The Phantom 3 had the gimbal and the associated electronics mounted below the main body of the quadcopter. The pictures above (L) show that the camera is held in place on one side only – the left when looking at the Phantom from the front. A small metal arm then connects the gimbal/camera assembly to the external gimbal electronics.

The Phantom 4 features a refined design where the gimbal holds the camera on both sides – see the lower right P4 picture above. The gimbal electronics have been moved to inside the Phantom body and are connected by much more robust shaft.

The Phantom 4 camera also has an improved lens. [Read more…]

Counting Drones – How many? Which ones?

July 29, 2016 by craigi

As a “thought experiment” today I wondered how many camera drones have been sold worldwide in the last 3+ years. I quickly put fingers to keyboard and made some wild guesses which turned out as follows.

The time frame for these sales is 2014 onward – being as that was arguably the start of the “consumer camera drone” market. I also excluded models which were sold without a camera and/or gimbal (Phantom 1, Blade 350QX, etc.). Only units under $2K are listed.

My “back of the envelope” results look like this:

Guestimates on Consumer Camera Drones

These numbers line up fairly well with other estimates. Highlight of the data:

2.5 BILLION dollars at retail of consumer camera drones have been sold.
DJI may have sold 80% of the DOLLAR amount – at retail.
Yuneec is the ONLY other company with more than 5% of the sales volumes at retail dollars.

[Read more…]