$3.5K budget ..please help me decide ...

[Bugatti]

Hi all,

I have been following this forum for a couple of weeks now ... lots of useful info! I have decided to get a multi rotor but can not decide which! I was pretty much sold on the Phantoms ...leaning towards the Phantom II with gimbal package from Aerial Media Pros .. see link ..http://aerialmediapros.com/store/home/487-phantom-2-h3-2d-ultimate-dp-fpv-combo.html. This package includes Phantom II with Zenmuse gimbal, 2 batteries, 7" dual diversity screen FPV setup, Futaba 14SG radio for about $2600 .. everything pre-installed and ready to go. I am leary though as I have read about so many Phantom fly aways!!! Is there something else I should look at? I like the Phantoms as they look compact and self contained as opposed to the looks of the DJI 450/550.
I can go up to $4K if there is something better out there ...especially that will not "fly away". Thanks!

 

[OI Photography]

If you're willing and able to build it yourself, you have a lot of options with that kind of budget. DJI makes some great stuff, and you'll probably want to stick with at least a DJI flight controller, but there's tons of other airframes and such that are available. The Phantom can be a worthwhile option for those who want a pre-packaged solution, but if you have the time and skill to build one from scratch, you can do a lot with that much money.

 

[Bugatti]

Thanks OIP. The issue is that I do not have the skill nor really want the bother of building from scratch. That is why I am prepared to pay to have someone do it for me ... I just want to play ..ha ha ... I guess you can say pay and play!

 

[OI Photography]

Nothing wrong with that! As long as you're as mindful of the safety rules and other necessary precautions as the more hardcore enthusiasts, approach it however you want!

For someone in your position, it's hard to beat the value of the Phantom, especially now that there's multiple models available and many great bundle deals through numerous dealers. Just be sure to shop around, it should be easy to find a bunch that don't exceed the budget you quoted.

 

[Dave Pitman]

Thanks OIP. The issue is that I do not have the skill nor really want the bother of building from scratch. That is why I am prepared to pay to have someone do it for me ... I just want to play ..ha ha ... I guess you can say pay and play!

If you have a little patience (I know, it's hard), there are rumors in the air that DJI may have upgrades in the pipeline for the 450/550 class multis that will surely be available as kits, or built RTF by the likes of AMP.
A Phantom is a good option, but the right 450 class multi will easily lift a GP on a gimbal, but will also be able to carry a better camera if desired with flight times nearing 20min.

 

[Sidewinder]

I'm considering one of these for filming and photo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNEn0wFl8ho

For just pure hooligan fun flying this ain't bad but I recommend commitment to building you own machine. It's not that difficult and you go through a giant learning curve pretty rapidly.

http://www.lynxmotion.com/c-165-uav-drones.aspx

I sent the Phantom Vision back and have a Phantom 2 on pre-order. When (and if) that arrives, flys and does what it's suppose to I'll post back. It all depends on what you want to do with it..... These things are a lot like boats. I must have gone through 5 boats before I finally realized what I wanted to do with an finally ended up with a fine boat that served me well for years but it got rather expensive. LOL

If you don't like to tinker and want to pay the price for someone else to put you in the air then the Phantom is just fine although I'm pissed about the Phantom vision. Now I see they are offering an extra battery free and one place is giving $150 off as a "Christmas Special" as if that will over come the damage the company did by shooting itself in the foot with the (IMO) pre-mature roll out of the Phantom Vision.

 

[Dave Pitman]

I'm considering one of these for filming and photo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNEn0wFl8ho

Seems like a quality multi. What is worrying is that Wow Hobbies is the exclusive distributor, and they have a bad rep from what I have been reading.

 

[Sidewinder]

Yeah, I've heard that too but I can be on their door step in Orange Co. from here in Vegas in 4 hours. I won't be just punching a pay pal button on this one. I plan on building it my self and really only want the frame anyway so next time I have 8-10 hours to kill I may just ride that way. Have my own ideas about which motors and esc's I want along with other stuff. I do want to see their gimbal in action before I purchase one anyway.

I spoke with them on the phone and without mentioning names the guy know what he's talking about so I want to touch base with him and see for myself what they put out. The Cinewing or what ever they are calling it looks promising for heavier lift also. All depends on what you want to do with it though.

 

[Ksc]

Hi all,

I have been following this forum for a couple of weeks now ... lots of useful info! I have decided to get a multi rotor but can not decide which! I was pretty much sold on the Phantoms ...leaning towards the Phantom II with gimbal package from Aerial Media Pros .. see link ..http://aerialmediapros.com/store/home/487-phantom-2-h3-2d-ultimate-dp-fpv-combo.html. This package includes Phantom II with Zenmuse gimbal, 2 batteries, 7" dual diversity screen FPV setup, Futaba 14SG radio for about $2600 .. everything pre-installed and ready to go. I am leary though as I have read about so many Phantom fly aways!!! Is there something else I should look at? I like the Phantoms as they look compact and self contained as opposed to the looks of the DJI 450/550.
I can go up to $4K if there is something better out there ...especially that will not "fly away". Thanks!

if you don't really care much about money and like to throw it around, go with aerialmediapros. Here is the breakdown on that package...
Phantom 2 with zenmuse: $870
2 batteries: $290
Monitor: $200
Futaba: $600
Phantom 1 batteries: $50
Case: $50
install charge: $500

Personally, I don't mind paying a little more for something out of the box and ready to fly but the honest fact is that all they did was open the phantom and connect a futaba receiver to it (which comes with the futaba). The zenmuse comes attached (or at least we think it does) from DJI. According to the specs on the phantom 2 the "AV output and video-downlink power cables already installed, ready for upgrade" which means all they did was connect the radio while they had the top off. Honestly, you could save $500 bucks and order all these things and I'm sure you can find someone on here who will install them all for you at no cost and they will just be happy to look inside the new phantom. At the very least take it to a local hobby shop and pay $50 bucks for them to install it.

The big question is what are you trying to do with it. If you just want to chase birds and cats you could get a few original phantoms and have fun crashing them into things. If you want to film a professional academy award winning movie, you might want to consider a S800 or the new S1000 that is coming out. If you want to have fun flying and want an out of the box easy setup to see what you are shooting then go with the vision. If you want something you could get decent enough footage for a youtube video then go with a phantom 2. If you want to blow a bunch of cash, by all means, have at it and buy whatever you want. I personally wouldn't get one of these "package deals" like you see from aerial media or dslrpros. They are charging you an outrageous amount of money for them to throw some stuff together. You have to understand that they have techs putting these things together (paid hourly) and they have to cover that cost as well as make a profit and in some cases rip you off.

I don't know what state you are in but I know of a few hobby shops in Florida that sell the phantom and they will also upgrade it anyway you want. Not only will it be cheaper (or equal) but they will show you how to fly it and you have someone to turn to in case something happens. If it was me, I would buy everything you want in your phantom and bring it to a local shop and ask them to install it. Keep in mind that the phantom isn't like the 450/550 and its not really meant to be loaded with all sorts of stuff. The Phantom 2 looks like it can handle the gimbal/fpv/ground station setup but after that you will really be taxing the battery as well as run out of space for all the junk.

As for fly aways, I think it is a mixture of pilot error and environmental interference. DJI seems to have fixed the issue of the environment so I would say fly aways as of now are pilot error. There is a video on here showing a guy flying with his camera in wifi mode (something you are told not to do) and it crashes. If you follow the directions and do everything correctly, you shouldn't have a problem. If you are not in a rush, it might be smart to wait until after the Jan 7th announcement of what is new. You might find something even better is about to come out.

 

[kenskid]

I would get a non Vision Phantom. Upgrade the radio as you said earlier about the Futaba. Then get a GoPro for about $300. Get the rest of the Phantom with the specs you like...gimbal etc. Now you have something.

 

[Bugatti]

Great post Ksc! It would be wise to wait to see what the Jan 7th announcement brings ...