Just bought a P2V... any advice?

[lazysnowdog]

New to ALL of this, but am a filmmaker, and love the idea of having the opportunity to have elevated shots without having to carry around a jib (plus, let's face it, it looks fun as hell to fly this thing).

Curious as to any advice for a first timer? Do's/Don'ts/Warnings...

Are there any weather restrictions (does it fly ok in the cold)?

I've been watching and reading as much as possible, but the REAL help is usually found on forums, like this.

Thanks so much everyone!
-Jason (in PA)

 

[CheesyWalnut]

If youre new, always let the phantom find gps before you fly it

 

[ladykate]

Jason,

First, welcome! I don't own a P2V but I have a P2 with some additions (gimbal, osd/FPV)

There are tons of answers to new folks. Search on your questions so we aren't always answering the same questions. There are some good YouTube videos about preparing for the first flight with the P2V.

The Phantom seems to fly well in the cold - I have a dozen or more flights since the current cold snap. 0 degrees with 30 below wind chills hasn't stopped it. The flight time is less. You may lose a few fingers due to frostbite ;-}. Seriously, keeping my hands warm is the biggest problem.

Be sure to upgrade your NAZA system (see the manual) with the latest firmware.

Be sure to align the compass as your first step before flight.

 

[BigSky]

New to ALL of this, but am a filmmaker, and love the idea of having the opportunity to have elevated shots without having to carry around a jib (plus, let's face it, it looks fun as hell to fly this thing).

Curious as to any advice for a first timer? Do's/Don'ts/Warnings...

Are there any weather restrictions (does it fly ok in the cold)?

I've been watching and reading as much as possible, but the REAL help is usually found on forums, like this.

Thanks so much everyone!
-Jason (in PA)

Welcome to the boards, and yes, you have found the best source of information for the F2V. Why ? Because here you will have the opportunity to communicate with people that fly the F2V, not just people that boast how great it is from what they've heard. Also, the folks on here are some of the nicest and informative you will find. Not to mention the manufacturers post here also.
My best piece of advice....Watch the videos over and over that actual fliers have done, and also Colin Guin from DJI has quite a fews very good videos on the P2V.

Also, get the online Manual. It has stuff in it that you won't see anywhere else. it's 32 Pages. I actually loaded it onto my iPad Mini I use for my FPV and that way I can refer to it in the field.

Get the manual http://download.dji-innovations.com.../en/Phantom_2_Vision_User_Manual_v1.00_en.pdf

 

[lazysnowdog]

I know one thing I wanted to ask... I saw how to calibrate the GPS and to make sure that it's a green light, etc (from the youtube video), I see a lot of people saying "make sure you have 6 satellites or more" to fly, etc...

HOW OFTEN do I calibrate it? Say I'm flying at my house, and then fly in say, Erie, PA, which is 60 minutes away...should I calibrate then, too? Just curious as to the frequency that it needs calibrated.

It should be at my door on Monday,... REALLY looking forward to playing around with it!

Thanks everyone!
-Jason

 

[enterprise1]

lazysnowdog your going to love the P2V. Flew mine for the first time yesterday. Everything went well. I've been reading everything in this forum for almost 2 months. Printed a pre-flight check list from the forum then added notes. Thought I new everything possible about the PV2 without actually having one in hand. Never had a RC aero before.

Took my manual and notes to the field with me. Glad I did. I was so nervous I forgot everything I read and seen. lol. Follow the pre-flight steps exactly. It took me about an 1 1/2 hours to get off the ground. Next time out I will take notes in the field also.

Word of caution if you have never flown a RC before. Stay far away from tall objects, (trees,building ect.). Give yourself plenty of altitude and stay in easy sight of the bird. My first experience was not being able to see the front of the PV2 after getting a out aways. My iphone screen was useless for flying FPV. I even had it shaded some.

 

[Pull_Up]

Get the manual http://download.dji-innovations.com.../en/Phantom_2_Vision_User_Manual_v1.00_en.pdf

Just to let you know we're on to version 1.12 of the manual now, and it's 50+ pages! This page always have the latest manuals, release notes and firmware - worth checking every so often: http://www.dji.com/download/phantom-2-vision-downloads/

 

[lazysnowdog]

Get the manual http://download.dji-innovations.com.../en/Phantom_2_Vision_User_Manual_v1.00_en.pdf

Just to let you know we're on to version 1.12 of the manual now, and it's 50+ pages! This page always have the latest manuals, release notes and firmware - worth checking every so often: http://www.dji.com/download/phantom-2-vision-downloads/

And thank you, fine sir! Considering the weather is crap here, i'll have plenty of time to read this over and get a good grip on it before my first flight!

 

[socman]

couple things I advise to anyone new:
1) Take it SLOW! Due to the phantom being very easy to fly, it is very easy to get confident too quickly. When that happens, people tend to do things with the phantom they should not do....which can lead to crashing your phantom and/or losing it altogether.
2) Read up on Lipo batteries if you do not know anything about them. They can actually be very dangerous...so take precautions when using and/or charing them.
3) As others have said already....never fly unless you have full GPS signal...especially if you are new. If somehow it gets away from you, you want it to fly back to its starting location...which it wont due if it didnt lock in before you took it up.
4) I recommend you fly in GPS mode...in either Home Lock (HL) or Coase Lock (CL) mode. If you dont now what those are...ready up on it.
5) Most importantly....have fun! Sure you may be using it for work...but they sure are a blast!!!

 

[FSJ Guy]

I'm going to be a pain and suggest NOT using the IOC (Intelligent Orientation Control) first. I'd get used to flying it and get familiar with "nose-in" and "nose-out" flying first. Since I learned without IOC, flying in IOC mode is confusing to me. And if you lose GPS, you may not always have it, either.

My instructor also taught me that if you get into trouble, GO UP for safety. : D

Otherwise, HAVE FUN!!!

 

[socman]

I'm going to be a pain and suggest NOT using the IOC (Intelligent Orientation Control) first. I'd get used to flying it and get familiar with "nose-in" and "nose-out" flying first. Since I learned without IOC, flying in IOC mode is confusing to me. And if you lose GPS, you may not always have it, either.

My instructor also taught me that if you get into trouble, GO UP for safety. : D

Otherwise, HAVE FUN!!!

I have seen too many video's of new people claiming a "fly away", to find out they actually had the orientation of their phantom mixed up...and ended up flying it even farther away from them.

At least with IOC it will react to the direction you tell it no matter if you accidentally yaw'd it.

The ONLY time I do not fly in IOC mode is when I am flying FPV....or I am actually really close to it. It is just WAY to easy to get confused on the direction since it is a QUAD.

however...everyone learns different. Just speaking from my own experience and what i've read from others over the last 9 months.

 

[Pull_Up]

That's certainly true for Home Lock. Course lock could cause a lot of confusion if you don't know what the initial orientation was, or if you accidentally switch it on when you didn't mean to. Of course if you lose satellites for some reason then home lock won't work.

As long as you fully understand these pilot aids - how they work, what they can do for you, and more importantly when they won't work and what they can't do - then it's fine to switch them on. In a way not having home lock available from day one, for example, is probably a good thing if it encourages people to stay a bit closer, be more aware of their attitude and learn some stick flying skills when they are starting out.

You'll never be able to legislate for the person who during their first couple of flights out of the box flies it out to 1500ft away and loses orientation, nor for someone who never bothers to learn to hand fly the machine then can't get home lock due to electronic failure or flying into a satellite reception dead spot.

 

[enterprise1]

I've been flying for 4 days so I'm pretty new to this stuff. Already getting a little too confident. lol. If I get to far alway to see orientation I use the Vision App. compass to get the nose pointed home. My eye sight must be bad. Any more then a few hundred meters I'm lucky to be able to see the Phantom.

 

[iResq]

I know one thing I wanted to ask... I saw how to calibrate the GPS and to make sure that it's a green light, etc (from the youtube video), I see a lot of people saying "make sure you have 6 satellites or more" to fly, etc...

HOW OFTEN do I calibrate it? Say I'm flying at my house, and then fly in say, Erie, PA, which is 60 minutes away...should I calibrate then, too? Just curious as to the frequency that it needs calibrated.

It should be at my door on Monday,... REALLY looking forward to playing around with it!

Thanks everyone!
-Jason

Since this has not been answered, here is my 2cents. I calibrated my compass before my first flight. And I calibrated again after doing full naza calibration. I don't think the second calibration was needed but it made me feel good. I don't think I would calibrate again unless; a) I was seeing weird flying behavior, or b) my physical location was significantly (100 + miles) different.

One thing I picked up from this sight that is part of my normal flight routine; take off, hover. Fly back and forth at eye level. Then side to side. Just to make sure everything settled in.

And be careful when descending. Best to do with some sort of motion fore/aft. Fast straight down deceleration can lead to loss of control. If your rapidly descending at she starts to wobble, let go of left stick (don't climb), and move right stick in any direction. Should only take a moment to get good air again.

 

[chopperflyer]

The best info any one can give is READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST and watch any videos.

 

[lazysnowdog]

couple things I advise to anyone new:
1) Take it SLOW! Due to the phantom being very easy to fly, it is very easy to get confident too quickly. When that happens, people tend to do things with the phantom they should not do....which can lead to crashing your phantom and/or losing it altogether.
2) Read up on Lipo batteries if you do not know anything about them. They can actually be very dangerous...so take precautions when using and/or charing them.
3) As others have said already....never fly unless you have full GPS signal...especially if you are new. If somehow it gets away from you, you want it to fly back to its starting location...which it wont due if it didnt lock in before you took it up.
4) I recommend you fly in GPS mode...in either Home Lock (HL) or Coase Lock (CL) mode. If you dont now what those are...ready up on it.
5) Most importantly....have fun! Sure you may be using it for work...but they sure are a blast!!!

Thank you! I bought it for fun first and foremost. LOL. And "work" is more of a non-paying hobby. ha ha..

-J

 

[lazysnowdog]

The best info any one can give is READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST and watch any videos.

Manual reading is tomorrow... have watched a TON of video so far.. Luckily, the weather is pretty crappy, so I'm not so inclined to RUN home and start it up.

 

[lazysnowdog]

couple things I advise to anyone new:
1) Take it SLOW! Due to the phantom being very easy to fly, it is very easy to get confident too quickly. When that happens, people tend to do things with the phantom they should not do....which can lead to crashing your phantom and/or losing it altogether.
2) Read up on Lipo batteries if you do not know anything about them. They can actually be very dangerous...so take precautions when using and/or charing them.
3) As others have said already....never fly unless you have full GPS signal...especially if you are new. If somehow it gets away from you, you want it to fly back to its starting location...which it wont due if it didnt lock in before you took it up.
4) I recommend you fly in GPS mode...in either Home Lock (HL) or Coase Lock (CL) mode. If you dont now what those are...ready up on it.
5) Most importantly....have fun! Sure you may be using it for work...but they sure are a blast!!!

I was only really going to fly in GPS mode, and I have NO PLANS on going too far out at the moment until I'm pretty comfy with it. I DONT know what HL of CL mode is, but hopefully will tomorrow! As far as IOC mode, not sure on that, too. LOL.. hey, I'm a newbie!

Thank you ALL for your advice. I want to be fully prepped and ready to go when I DO take her up. Needless to say, I'm pretty jacked up about having it.

-Jason

 

[socman]

HL and CL mode are IOC.
they do have videos on their website that explains them...so I suggest watching them.

 

[lazysnowdog]

Had the maiden voyage yesterday. Didn't get too crazy with it, but **** was that fun.... I can see where this becomes addictive!

They say on the website about NOT using it in parking lots, etc, but then I see lots of people flying them in cities and such. Is it just for calibration that the parking lot/power line thing isn't recommended?