How does the P3P compare to the Yuneec Q500?

Joined
Jul 10, 2015
Messages
208
Reaction score
92
Age
55
Just wondering how these two quads compete against each other? I've watched a few Youtube videos of the Q500 and it seems to be a nice copter. So I'm wondering if anyone has had the chance to own both of these.

Opinions?
 
Here is my quick review of the 2 drones:

Pros P3
Fit and Finish on the entire package and accessories
Updating Software - no pulling out little connectors - had drone, transmitter, battery updated in 20 minutes.
Ability to get 3rd party gimbal, camera protectors
App is great
Camera Settings
4K
Speed of bird
Lightbridge
Big Display - iPad Air2
Smaller size
Range
Altitude

Negatives P3
When and if I have a service issue - time to fix and repair through DJI vs Yuneec.
By the time I add up backpack, extra battery, iPad lots more money than Yuneec

No comparison in my opinion. Went from Q500 to P3 and would never go back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Luis Cajiga
I can tell you exactly the differences, I own both the Q500+ and P3P. Here's my top 15 observations from both craft.

Q500+
1. Has follow me mode and watch me mode. P3 doesn't, yet.
2. Top speed is 15mph with GPS enabled. Better for beginners.
3. It's super quiet, less than half the prop noise of the P3P
4. It's about 50% bigger than P3P, won't work in a backpack and legally be allowed a carry-on for any airline. You'll absolute have to check the Q500 and carry-on your Li-Po batteries. You CANNOT check LiPo batteries, they must be carried on.
5. It's very reliable, virtually no reports of fly aways.
6. About the same flight time.
7. Doesn't have the convenient battery LED's on the batteries like the P3P to determine which are spent and which are charged (minor, but extremely convenient if you have 3 or 4 batteries).
8. Comes with a nice case, but I'm not sure it's sturdy enough to check for airplane travel.
9. Camera is good. The 4K has white balance adjustements, the 1080 doesn't. The 1080 can oversaturate colors at times. I have no experience yet with the 4K camera on the Q500+.
10 The wifi video link isn't as good as LightBridge on P3P. It's good to about 1000', however that can be improved with the FPVLR.com directional external antenna, will do about 2000' in the city. That antenna when installed won't fit in the provided case. I don't recommend removing it because turning on the controller with no antennas will blow the RF components.
11. The controller has a built in 5" display. You're pretty much limited to the small display, but there's nothing else to buy and the app works good without any hangups (unlike P3P)
12. Service and Support from Yuneec is very good. I've spoken with them about 5 times by phone, usually always get through. They also replaced my gimbal-camera setup when I got it, a defective unit. I got the replacement in 4 days after I submitted my complaint, they sent an advanced replacement with a label to return the bad one. GREAT SUPPORT in my book.
13. The craft if very docile, much harder to get in trouble since it's slower.
14. The styling of the craft is very cool looking, I like it, kinda Star Wars looking
15. Comes with two batteries. Batteries are $100/ea.

P3P
1. Fits into a backpack that's within the 22X14X9" airline size for carry-on. For me this is a HUGE advantage.
2. Top speed of over 30mph with GPS enabled. It flies great.
3. Much more responsive craft, lighter, more nimble.
4. The software is way more sophisticated, much more capability to control the camera. Ability to select the video channel and adjust the RTH flight height, which Q500 doesn't have.
5. Has a weak gimbal, very well known to break easy with minor crashes. Be careful.
6. Has an HDMI out option, which is a HUGE plus, as the app doesn't need to be active to fly the craft and there is NO app needed with FPV googles. HDMI out also minimizes latency.
7. You have a variety of displays you can provide for a display. The iPad mini or iPad Air is what seems to be working the best. Androids work but are more quirky in the apps from my experience, and I would much rather have an Android over an iPad. However iPads just work.
8. You get no case with the bird, another $50 to $200 to spend, depending on what you'd like to have. The larger cases for $200 allow you to store the craft with props installed. You can't do that with Q500+, it's just too big with 13" props versus 9" props on P3P.
9. Lightbridge video connection is the BOMB! This is HUGE. You can easily go out past 2000' in the city, and over a mile in the country where there's little 2.4Ghz interference. I believe LightBridge is a ONE DIRECTION link, which makes it more reliable than the WiFi used on the Q500+. TCPIP handshaking in Wifi of Q500+ causes more latency in the video, not to mention, if you lose a video signal with Q500+, due to the TCPIP handshaking, to reconnect can take a minute or more. When Lightbridge reaches it's limite it takes only seconds to re-establish a connection.
10. Service for DJI sucks, but I think they're trying to fix that. I dread the day I have to call DJI with a problem, that's why I'm keeping my Q500+.
11. The P3P prompted me for an immediate firmware upgrade when I got it, which I did. However most folks say NOT to upgrade because many report the latest firmware isn't as good, such as inoperable VPS. Q500+ came ready to fly, no FW upgrade was needed, however about a month later an upgrade came out which I promptly programmed. It's worked with no problem, making the watch-me and follow-me features easier to turn on and off.
12. P3P has VPS, vision positioning system, which helps with indoor flying, if that's important. It has sonar to position height, and a bottom facing camera to position XY. The Q500+ doesn't have this kind of system at all, so if you need to fly indoors the P3P is technically far superior, if VPS works ;-)
13. P3P costs less with 4K versus Q500+ with 4K, however if you don't have an iPad Mini, that will run the price up higher than Q500+, but you'll have a much nicer display. You also won't have a case like Q500 provides, and only one battery vs 2 for the Q. So in reality it may be a wash, depends on your ipad situation.
14. P3A is a bargain if you don't care about 4K, but the P3A charger is about half the power of the P3P charger. If you buy a P3A you'll want to spend $60 for the 100 watt charger. The 100W charge will charge your batteries WAY faster than the Q500+.
15. Comes with one battery. Batteries are $150/ea.
 
Last edited:
looks like a nice bird. And interesting opinions. While searching for the Yuneec, I cam across the "walkera voyager 3". Can anyone throw opinions in on the "walkera voyager 3" Looks just like the inspire.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,354
Members
104,933
Latest member
mactechnic