Just wondering what all you guys are using your P3's for? Is it for fun or are you making money with it?
DJI: New P3A Purchaser AFRAID to Fly!
- Thread starter McVenturesRC
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No, it's making money out of me, or more accurately, DJI are. But I'm a happy camper as its a great pastime with something new to think about every day, even when you're not flying!
For beginners, use the left-joystick hold-down 3 second stop option over a clear area; not the two-stick instant stop-pull-center down one to kill the props.[/QUOTE]
Diver Dan or anyone, can you explain this. I'm not clear on what you're trying to say. Thanks.
Diver Dan or anyone, can you explain this. I'm not clear on what you're trying to say. Thanks.
i talked to a DJI tech a couple days ago and he told me to set the compus every flight.
When you are landing, hold the left stick all the way down for 3 seconds on the ground in order to stop the motors.
Do not use the "CSC Method" of bringing both stick in toward the middle and down to stop the motors.
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My comments at the start of my maiden flight video were directly inspired by the posts here:
But, never had any issues with it. It has (for me) just worked as expected.
But, never had any issues with it. It has (for me) just worked as expected.
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Exactly right, I started on a Syma X8C and still fly it for fun and practice flying skills with no GPS and only 6 axis stabilisation.
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Diver Dan or anyone, can you explain this. I'm not clear on what you're trying to say. Thanks.[/QUOTE]
The manual says there are two ways to stop the props on landing; instant and 3-second.
I tried the instant first time I flew and the P3P fell over. That is the instant-kill method, but not good for newbies, takes perfect coordination. You need to pull both both joysticks down/center at the same time. Not for newbs [like me].
If there's no emergency reason to kill the props ASAP, like someone's fingers being amputated, use the second method. After landing, hold the left joystick down [toward you] and hold it until the props stop; then release.
Also, take off and land from soft areas, like grass. Much more forgiving than hard surfaces. Just be sure it's recently mowed and short enough to not interfere with the camera.
Also, another idea. Buy a "cheap" copter like I did today for $70 at a local store: Blade Inductrix, and a couple of extra batteries for about $6 each, Use that to practice controls before risking your Preciouss! Fly indoors or outside in no-wind conditions, and build confidence.
Hi,
I had some of the same concerns after reading about so many crashes.... but then I realized that in many cases they were people not following basic suggestions if your new. In part I attributed their 'boldness' to having more $ than I to repair or replace parts.... or maybe they are just more adventurous...and no doubt younger, I'm a 69 year-old female so I don't have many same sex peers taking to the air albeit most do think it's cool.. At any rate, having watched more than a reasonable amount of 'tips for new pilots' videos I finally broke out and did it (my dog was the only witness)... and now only struggle with finding time to get it more frequently in the air and become more experienced so I can undertake the projects that I find myself dreaming about.....
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If you are concerned about the cost of destroying your high-priced copter, do what I did after flying it four times with no problems, but like a total amateur. Buy a cheaper model to play with.
I bought a Blade Inductrix Monday locally, but I haven't flown it yet. High winds here; not much room inside. BTW, on the instructions at the bottom of the second column, it shows Two Modes.
Mode 2 is the default for the US.
You'd think they'd mention this for a model intended for Beginners, but no.
So go fly what you got. Keep to open areas to start. As the visitor to NYC asked the local, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall"? The answer: Practice, practice, practice.
And see the video made by two brothers on my September Indonesian dive trip, featuring video from a DJI Phantom 3 Pro, that inspired me to buy one.
Wild Shutter Imaging
Paradise Found
No gain without a bit of pain. In other words, learning curves don't come without some effort.
I totally ignored them for quite a while. I have flown rc planes & copters as well as 1:1 scale all my life, but my p3a gives me the fun of flying rc, without the pucker-factor. When I first started rc, I only flew gliders, because I couldn't justify the cost of powered. Having no choice to go-around on a glider certainly hones your skills, as does an unintentional auto rotation in a heli, or a real motor failure in full-size. Let's just say that It certainly changes your priorities. The hard part is the mental switch for the controls when flying towards you. For me, it happened 30 years ago, but the doubt is always there. Flying FPVwas a real eye opener for me. Now I try to fly it as though I am in a heli - it's actually quite difficult, because, despite the very accurate controls, there aren't any aerodynamics, so I have to pretend. The great advantage of the p3 is: in case of uncertainty, do nothing. It will sit and wait for you. FLY, FLY, FLY!
Oh, and Earthwalker, my dog is my greatest fan too!
I just bought a nano quad to amuse kt, my dog. It's much harder to fly than a p3!
Oh, and Earthwalker, my dog is my greatest fan too!
I just bought a nano quad to amuse kt, my dog. It's much harder to fly than a p3!
Got my p3A couple of weeks ago in hongkong and arrived back home in thailand 2 days later, was busting to go out and fly but did,nt have the time, then spent a couple of evenings updating the software, watching tutorials, calibrating, reading through the manual,
Went out to a field devoid of humans and only a bunch of cows hiding in the shade under a tree, as the grass was long i searched for a bald patch, found one the size of a cow pat,
Did the first take off in beginner mode and it jumped into the air without effort and hovered at around 2 meters, think in this mode its limited to 30-40 meters height and distance but it was easy to fly around, as the first battery got down to 40% i decided to attempt my first landing but then realised to my horror that as my concentration had been to fixed on flying, i had,nt noticed the cows had all gathered around me with noses just a meter away...also standing on my only landing place,
I started taking kicks and shouting and slowly they moved away far enough, even landing on the small bald patch was a piece of cake,
Shoved the second battery in and started again but this time not in beginner mode and going through all the intelligent flight modes, all went fine but it takes mental effort to take my eyes off the p3 long enough to fiddle around with the go app using the modes, guess at the moment i dont have full trust in the app..my finger is always poised to switch to p mode,
i been out with it 3 times now...think its gonna take a while before i pluck up the courage to fly over water or let it out of sight.
Went out to a field devoid of humans and only a bunch of cows hiding in the shade under a tree, as the grass was long i searched for a bald patch, found one the size of a cow pat,
Did the first take off in beginner mode and it jumped into the air without effort and hovered at around 2 meters, think in this mode its limited to 30-40 meters height and distance but it was easy to fly around, as the first battery got down to 40% i decided to attempt my first landing but then realised to my horror that as my concentration had been to fixed on flying, i had,nt noticed the cows had all gathered around me with noses just a meter away...also standing on my only landing place,
I started taking kicks and shouting and slowly they moved away far enough, even landing on the small bald patch was a piece of cake,
Shoved the second battery in and started again but this time not in beginner mode and going through all the intelligent flight modes, all went fine but it takes mental effort to take my eyes off the p3 long enough to fiddle around with the go app using the modes, guess at the moment i dont have full trust in the app..my finger is always poised to switch to p mode,
i been out with it 3 times now...think its gonna take a while before i pluck up the courage to fly over water or let it out of sight.
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Just rigged up a neck strap for the rc so might give that a go tomorrow morning,
I live in the burbs of bangkok so the whole area is either surrounded by lakes or swamp, if i attempt to fly any distance it almost certainly means going over water ie canals everywhere, i,m really gonna have to fight this phobia of crossing water with the p3,
As a hangglider pilot with close to 3000 hours its surprising how nervous i am as a phantom pilot, again its down to trusting the software and the range on the rc + battery,
Next trip to hongkong i will invest in a couple of more batteries and lens filters, once i have a grip on the camera i imagine both the dslr and gopro will be gathering dust at home.
You have to realize what forums like this are for: SOLVING PROBLEMS! Don't feel bad, I had the same initial reaction. But if people posted that they installed an update everything is cool, they flew that week and had no problems then (hopefully) the forum would be useless. Think of it as a collection of NTSB airline disaster reports! LOL I want to know WHY someone's P3A fell out of the sky, so I don't have it happen to me. 
FLY IT, THESE THINGS ARE INCREDIBLE. IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE AN OMNIPOTENT EYE IN THE SKY. BUT YOU'RE NOT!!! When you feel that way, be extra careful, and then keep reading through here. I've done some really dumb stuff. Some to dumb to post: When you're flying over a big building, at night, using the map (people cringing already), adjuncts the building might be 100' tall, don't be at 95'. Use 150'! But I actually clipped a peaked roof, at speed, with the wind, HARD (lost my camera and gimble), but it flew on! Tough birds, but a miracle. And the props self tighten, but don't fly if you haven't even hand snugged them first. I STILL got away with it. They tightened, but I got a vibration, engine idle message, landed quick horribly experience. So read the dumb stuff you could NEVER do also. I would NEVER thought myself capable of such atrocities.
FLY IT, THESE THINGS ARE INCREDIBLE. IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE AN OMNIPOTENT EYE IN THE SKY. BUT YOU'RE NOT!!! When you feel that way, be extra careful, and then keep reading through here. I've done some really dumb stuff. Some to dumb to post: When you're flying over a big building, at night, using the map (people cringing already), adjuncts the building might be 100' tall, don't be at 95'. Use 150'! But I actually clipped a peaked roof, at speed, with the wind, HARD (lost my camera and gimble), but it flew on! Tough birds, but a miracle. And the props self tighten, but don't fly if you haven't even hand snugged them first. I STILL got away with it. They tightened, but I got a vibration, engine idle message, landed quick horribly experience. So read the dumb stuff you could NEVER do also. I would NEVER thought myself capable of such atrocities.Somebody posted that DJI had sold 50,000 units, it's probably double that now. Keep that in mind too, when you read this stuff. FLY IT, YOU WILL HAVE A BLAST, THE THING BOGGLES MY MIND HOW GOOD IT IS. Mine got stolen the other day, a long story. Sad, because it has to do with the props, but the bird transmitted to my phone the crooks trip up an elevator, in a concrete rebar re enforced building, then into their condo, and the GPS told me WHICH ONE! Then they said they had it, but it had flown onto their property, and to make a long story short, I had to calm this angry deputy down, and not arrest them! Liars know to stick to their story. If your lie is caught on video, and the cop watched it, and you stick to it, LOOK OUT! But be considerate of your neighbors, and an emergency caused by an idiotic error caused me to annoy a neighbor (peeping tom), else this wouldn't have happened.
I have to agree here. I had an issue but I believe it was me not starting with a fully charged battery. DJI warrantied it and quick turn around on warranty so good on them. This is a flying device, keep that in mind all the time.
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I had a bad time with the Appolo never got to fly so when I got the phantom I had big time shakes I bit my lip pushed the up button an it went up waited for me to tell it what I wanted great feeling play with it get out an fly great feeling after first flight just don't be in a hurry
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Don't know for most guys but for me it's more fun than anything. I've done a couple weddings for friends. Mostly I enjoyed shooting landscapes going to Mountains going down to the ocean. I'm retired twice and this give me something to do with my time. I've got both the inspire one and the phantom three professional and have been into photography for years.
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