Deciding which to buy

[pwsl100]

I am trying to decide which Phantom to buy the P4P or the P4P v2.0. I would prefer the newer model due to the ocusync and the quieter ESC and props, however I've been reading a lot about drifting during hover on the version 2, which is not present in the V1.

I know that there is probably going to be a firmware fix for the drifting, but it is not clear when (of if) that is going to happen.

If the hover can't be fixed, the drone would be useless to me for both video and still photo work.

Right now it appears that both are the same price.

I guess the real question is, is waiting to see if there is a firmware fix worth it or just buy the V1 and get the immediate gratification of flying now?

 

[mikey_golds]

i was in the same boat as you. but it was a p4 pro + or p4p v2.0. i live in a very urban area and read a lot of articles that said lightbridge 2 and occusync transmission wise is very similar its the wireless for goggles vs not

 

[Fly Dawg]

I am trying to decide which Phantom to buy the P4P or the P4P v2.0.

Each to their own choice and this is not a bash on the P4's. They are excellent aircraft, BUT from my point of view at this point in time, I personally would be very wary with the P4 series ( Not including the V2 ), due to the far too many instances that have occurred in relation to the battery. If you were not aware, there is an issue of some sort and no one is definitively certain as to exactly what this is but it is an issue.
This is either in relation to the latching mechanism or the contacts in some form or fashion which cause the aircraft to suddenly shut down in flight. I personally have looked at more than 25-30 sets of flight data in relation to this and these have occurred with P4s', P4A's and P4P's. This is not an issue with every P4 obviously, and I have yet to see any with the V2. I just wanted to throw that bit of information out for consideration purposes. It is a risk, but most likely a low risk. It is there none the less.

 

[mikey_golds]

Each to their own choice and this is not a bash on the P4's. They are excellent aircraft, BUT from my point of view at this point in time, I personally would be very wary with the P4 series ( Not including the V2 ), due to the far too many instances that have occurred in relation to the battery. If you were not aware, there is an issue of some sort and no one is definitively certain as to exactly what this is but it is an issue.
This is either in relation to the latching mechanism or the contacts in some form or fashion which cause the aircraft to suddenly shut down in flight. I personally have looked at more than 25-30 sets of flight data in relation to this and these have occurred with P4s', P4A's and P4P's. This is not an issue with every P4 obviously, and I have yet to see any with the V2. I just wanted to throw that bit of information out for consideration purposes. It is a risk, but most likely a low risk. It is there none the less.

I would guess if this occurred it would 100% be on DJI to completely replace?

 

[Fly Dawg]

I would guess if this occurred it would 100% be on DJI to completely replace?

Not so in every case. They will require the aircraft to verify the issue. Several of these that I have verified were over open water and not recoverable. They would want to see the aicraft's flight log itself.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Just on a similar note as above. On the V2 series, DJI added a battery latch sensor which will not allow takeoff unless the battery is fully seated. To me obviously they recognized there was an issue and took the position of pilot error by not fully inserting the battery properly. The design itself was not changed. Only time will tell if any of the V2's exhibit similar dislodges, or disconnects whichever is the case.

 

[African wildlife]

In our experience, the P4P+ is excellent and very reliable. We use it only for work purposes, in a demanding/tough environment.

As for any concern with the batteries, it’s a simple matter of making sure they’re inserted properly (as in hearing a “click” and using your eyes). To us, this is a piece of technological equipment - not a toy.

The stable hovering capability is superb.

 

[Fly Dawg]

As for any concern with the batteries, it’s a simple matter of making sure they’re inserted properly (as in hearing a “click” and using your eyes).

This is true, however as I mentioned it is still unclear if these were insertion errors, a latch failure issue, or a connection point issue. It is clear however that it is happening more frequently than a simple insertion error. There is a failure point someplace, possibly even within the battery itself. There are just far too many of these occurrences. Not all have this issue, but it is frighteningly frequent.

 

[mikey_golds]

may pickup a p3 and wait for the 5 in the meantime

 

[Meta4]

may pickup a p3 and wait for the 5 in the meantime

The P4 pro makes the old P3 series look like it came from the stone age.
They are great machines despite the unjustified scaremongering that's been posted here.

 

[Fly Dawg]

unjustified scaremongering that's been posted here.

I agree they are excellent aircraft. The content of the post was just to point out a noted and well documented fact ( Around here anyway ). Not that every aircraft will exhibit the issue, it was merely a point from my own prospective,as if I myself were purchasing a new aircraft. I would want to know any and all experiences, pro and con. I prefer to know any known issues before hand before making a purchase decision. "Scaremongering" was not the purpose. A well informed consumer can make their own decisions. That was all I was attempting to convey.

 

[Meta4]

I agree they are excellent aircraft. The content of the post was just to point out a noted and well documented fact ( Around here anyway ). Not that every aircraft will exhibit the issue, it was merely a point from my own prospective,as if I myself were purchasing a new aircraft. I would want to know any and all experiences, pro and con. I prefer to know any known issues before hand before making a purchase decision. "Scaremongering" was not the purpose. A well informed consumer can make their own decisions. That was all I was attempting to convey.

About all that could be said with any confidence is that out of hundreds of thousands of P4 series drones, some have come down.
The number involved isn't enough to be alarmed about and the actual causes are far from certain.

 

[Fly Dawg]

The number involved isn't enough to be alarmed about and the actual causes are far from certain.

There are numerous causes, many are pilot error which are mostly irrelevant to the issue of discussion. Agreed that the shutdown and crashes of P4's ( And I have yet to see this quantity in any other variant ) are unresolved as to the "exact" cause, other than a complete aircraft shutdown in flight. The best one can gather from the many data files that have been analyzed is a battery issue, disconnect or shutdown for some reason. The number in total percentage wise may be low, which is why I said "low risk" but the issue is still out there yet to be fully resolved. We will see if there are any with the V2's which I have not seen as of yet. It is possible, but not likely that the new latch sensor may indeed reveal that these issues were indeed battery insertion errors. Only time will tell on that.

 

[African wildlife]

The P4 pro makes the old P3 series look like it came from the stone age.
They are great machines despite the unjustified scaremongering that's been posted here.

I totally agree. We were only prepared to start using a drone professionally when the P4P came out and had been road-tested for a while.

Pilot error is to blame far more often that some like to admit. Mental self-discipline and attention to detail is grossly or partly limited in the vast majority of people, who often fail to fully appreciate the potential scope and benefits of these qualities. (And this statement applies to almost every aspect of human existence, not just the flying of drones. Genuine excellence is sadly a rarity.)