Advice please, which quadcopter?

[taxino8]

Hi everyone,
I've been watching this forum for a coupe of months now and want to buy my first quadcopter. I initially ordered a Phantom 2 Vision+ but cancelled the order after reading of camera and gimbal's breaking, apparently very easily.
I decided I would then go down the Gopro route and have bought a Gopro Hero 3+.

Just need some advice as to what platform I put it on, maybe not even a DJI one, there are other makers.
Just want something reliable, cost isn't too important. I live in the U.K.
Many thanks
Bob

 

[IrishSights]

Sounds like P2 with Zenmuse gimbel and possibly an FPV setup with iosd mini for safety. All the gimbels needed treated with care and are the most delicate part of a P2. There would also be the video transmitter and a decent set of matched antennae. And of course the connecting up!

Sent from my Galaxy Note 8

 

[discv]

Reliability is not a given on any aerial platform. It's all down to luck- and the owners commitment to reading and understanding the manuals.

I do not regret the course I had to take. Started with a Phantom 1 original- that's all there was!

Once I felt confident- I bolted my GoPro to the supplied bog standard mount.

From that starting point I was able to chose my upgrade direction- without staking serious folding negotiables.

 

[Nidge]

Hi Bob

You're asking a question for which there is no right or wrong answer as we all have our own individual requirements.

I started off with a Phantom v1 last October and shortly afterward realised that it wasn't ticking all my boxes. Don't get me wrong it is a very capable machine and I still use it but it's not my "go to " multirotor. My primary machine is the F550 hex as it is by far a more stable platform and has a greater lifting capacity. I originally fitted this with a Naza V2 and Datalink Ground Station but at the beginning of April DJI imposed restrictions in the ground station software so I've swapped out the Naza and GS in favour of the APM flight controller. This allows me to incorporate future Arduino projects into the craft and is far more future proof than the Phantom platform, where there has been four more iterations from the original since I purchased mine last year.

As I said at the beginning the Phantom is a capable platform but what will you be wanting to get out of it?
If it's just casual flying with some video/photo capabilities then it will not disappoint. If you want adrenaline pumping FPV then the latest 250 based racing quads will certainly provide that. If you want something for more serious video/photo work with a greater choice of cameras you need to start looking at larger frames.

If you haven't any prior flying experience I would strongly suggest you put the purchase of the Phantom, or any other significantly pricey multirotor, on hold and instead start with something along the lines of the Hubsan X4 and Blade Nano QX. These will help you develope that all important muscle memory and brain to hand coordination. That's how I started and dare I say I'm proud of the fact I have yet to even scuff a prop on the Phantom though I lost count of the number of props I lost off of the Hubsan X4.

Regards

Nidge

 

[taxino8]

Thanks everyone, some good advice there for me to ponder but to be honest I am still scratching my head. I'll just keep on reading as much stuff as I can before deciding.
The good thing is I am not in any great rush.
Cheers
Bob