How Heavy can a Phantom get before...

[PJA]

I'm reading all the posts on here about people adding Gimbals, FPV equipment, two batteries, different landing gear...

When does a Phantom get too heavy to handle all these different configurations?

I've been flying for a few months now and and everything was stock. I've caught the bug and bought a cheap Gimbal to see if I can eliminate many shakes in my video. The Gimbal hangs beyond the stock landing struts, so I invested in a Simensays Foldable Landing gear. I got the Gimbal to work while attached to the Phantom, but for now I'm grounded until I get a compass pad for the landing gear which was accidentally not shipped with the kit.

Question is: My Phantom is SO heavy now, I can't see it lifting off with this kind of weight. And I was thinking of adding an FPV set up in the future, not to mention adding a headlight for night flights so I can see the Phantom better. Isn't the weight and lights, even adding an FPV system, an extra drain on the battery? Will I need a two battery system (more weight) like I've seen on some threads?

I was averaging around 8 minutes a flight after warm up and Satellite lock. What will my time of flight be now? Sorry to sound so ignorant, but this site has been great for advancing me to new 'heights' in this hobby... Just a few more clues would be great!!!

Thanks!

 

[martcerv]

How heavy is your phantom? likely not as heavy as my 3D setup which I just flew today at my new record weight of 1305g. This wouldn't take off with regular props at all but using 9x5 triblades it still flys fine. I did my last flight with just a single camera at 1157g and sure it fly's faster but with my setup I think 1.3kg is the max I would fly, using regular props its running out of puff anything over 1150g and DJI max weight recommendation is 1.2kg.

At 1150g my phantom is a rocket-ship and I will put up a video from that last flight to show how it can do when quite heavy and will also upload some videos from my 2x hero3 black FPV setup.

 

[fizzviic]

My Phantom config stands at 1272 grams and it flies just fine on stock props. Will test tri-blades because I eventually want to add FPV.

 

[fizzviic]

Anybody know the "stock" config weight of the average Phantom? I didn't weigh mine before modifying it so would like a "guesstimate" of the weight I have added.

Thanks

 

[rilot]

800g I think is the stock weight with battery.

 

[fizzviic]

800g I think is the stock weight with battery.

Thanks, all I could find on the other sites was < 1000g.

 

[gazchap]

Mine is currently 1,143g with a Turnigy 2.2A battery, AeroXCraft gimbal and FatShark Predator 2 FPV kit, but I'm using carbon props rather than the stock props. It seems to handle it just fine, although it definitely comes down to Earth a bit more "rock" like.

Have got some T-Motors on the way which will make for an interesting comparison.

 

[PJA]

If Stock weight with battery is 800g and I added a Simon foldable landing kit (which is slightly heavier than the stock legs) and a Gimbal weighing @275g... I'm already up to @ 1100g... How much does a GoPro weigh? 150g?

I'm also using Carbon Fiber Props... I guess I'm at my limit with this set up...

I might have to revert back to just a Gopro/Anti-jello set up for anything FPV... Unless I get the Tiger Motors first and possibly a 9X5 Tri-blade Prop System, like martcerv has on this thread...

 

[martcerv]

I found using stock props it was starting to struggle lifting at 1150g and overall very sluggish quickly draining battery, if you ever get to auto land it also comes down like a rock. Using the triblades gets much more lift and performance or longer flight times in slower flying.

Here is a video flying at 1150g with a single camera in manual mode to show what this can do with a fairly heavy setup.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqWkaNL0JQM[/youtube]

Here is an ATTI mode 3D flight with the 1300g setup, a bit slower flying here but I am uploading a couple manual flights in 3d also, though not as fast as the lighter 1 cam setup its still pretty quick if you want it to be at 1300g.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFHL0YtVWxE[/youtube]

Flying regular props I don't dare push it this hard when heavy and much less lift means shorter flight times and slower performance too.

Here is the first slower manual mode 3D flight should be up soon

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynyl3fTyIRI[/youtube]

 

[PJA]

My Phantom Friend.... I have watched all three of your videos, FULL SCREEN 1080p, on YouTube. And Your expertise in flying the Phantom puts many of us pilots to shame. I can almost bet that you are from a place, far, far away in some other Galaxy where you are definitely top of your Phantom class...

In regard to the "Slower Videos" with the heavier set up... I think what you call 'slow' to me (and excuse the term) is actually "FLYING" through the air like a bat out of hell. Not one of your videos to me is considered a slow video. You certainly have mastered the ins and outs of Phantom Flight with all that weight on it... Impressive!

I put my 3D glasses on for the 3D flights and they started off well, until you gained too much height and lost some of the perspective the 3D look has to offer... When you were lower, going in and out and around trees, the 3D effect looked real cool! I think weaving in and out of trees and up and over them makes the 3D effect more enticing and realistic...

(Did I see a Kangaroo jump away At the 3:36 mark, on the right side of your first 3D Video?)

I must say though that your level of flying I won't see myself doing for another year... I'm just taking it easy making slow, short and possibly boring videos... I just wanted to add some extras on the Phantom to bring me up to a competitive level...

WATCH:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31yoKlHOl2U[/youtube]

If you can, would you list some of the upgrades you added besides the Tri-Blades..?

 

[MrMediaGuy]

You can actually pack a fair amount of gear in there before it gets very heavy. Mine is hauling:

Zenmuse H3-2D with GoPro Black
Immersion 600mw VTX + SpiroNet CP antenna
Skylark Trace IV OSD w/ GPS and current sensor

...and is still a svelte 1080g all up. Doing the main board upgrade to eliminate the PMU-V2 and the GCU was a big help -- those two are encased in some kind of mil-spec aluminum housing that feels like a small gold ingot and weighs about as much.

 

[UTR]

My Phantom is 868g with the battery and prop guards installed, my hero 3 is 75 3g inc battery, the stock DJI mount for the GoPro is 23g stock, however the waterproof case is 119g inc the sticky pad. I should have the Dominator FPV system hopefully next weekend the thing that does concern me a little is the weight of the gimbals I was looking at an aluminium one and that was stated at 400g which sounds an awful lot to hit the 1.2kg weight limit I'll need one half that size,

 

[MrMediaGuy]

My Phantom is 868g with the battery and prop guards installed, my hero 3 is 75 3g inc battery, the stock DJI mount for the GoPro is 23g stock, however the waterproof case is 119g inc the sticky pad. I should have the Dominator FPV system hopefully next weekend the thing that does concern me a little is the weight of the gimbals I was looking at an aluminium one and that was stated at 400g which sounds an awful lot to hit the 1.2kg weight limit I'll need one half that size,

That's the most awesome thing about the Zenmuse -- it's only 230g *with* the GoPro. Amazing piece of engineering -- if you get one that works.

 

[rilot]

400g? Jees, whats it made of, iron? Even the heavy aluminium GoodLuckBuy one is only 275g with the GoPro.

 

[runeste]

Someone must have been filling my Phantom 2 with rocks, cause with zenmuse, gopro and dji videolink i am at 1312g, 12g over "max" takeoff weight. And I havent even added the iOSD mini and GPS tracker yet. So I'll probably clock in at around 1400g.

:shock:

 

[EMCSQUAR]

Someone must have been filling my Phantom 2 with led, cause with zenmuse, gopro and dji videolink i am at 1312g, 12g over "max" takeoff weight. And I havent even added the iOSD mini and GPS tracker yet. So I'll probably clock in at around 1400g.

:shock:

I'm in the same class - mine without battery weighs 1220. Add the P2 battery and it's in the 1520 range. It still flys well just not as agile as it did when it was just a stationary GoPro hanging under it.