Just Returned Pro 4+

[GadgetGuy]

I have been waiting several weeks for a back order on a Pro 4+. It arrived tonight and I refused delivery. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have done a lot more reading and looking since I placed the order and paid on the dotted line, and have come to the conclusion that I just can't risk $1800 on a piece of electronics that DJI is showing significant quality control issues with it's manufacture. Add to that there seemingly poor customer support and it finally added up to no DJI for me until I am convinced that they have attended to improving quality control.
There are another couple of issues that also swayed my acceptance of the quad. The government is going crazy about the restrictions they are placing on 'drones.' It doesn't help that idiot crashed into the Space Needle in Seattle,which is located in a park, the Seattle Center Park. It's still making the news here. How many realize the 'workers' on the deck were placing the fireworks explosives for the New Years extravaganza at the Needle? Imagine what would have been the result if the drone had actually triggered some of the explosives.
Several towns is Washington State have flat out banned drones in the entirety of their city limits. They are now banned in State Parks. We have the killer whales here, the Orcas, and a new regulation is being drafted to keep drones over 200' away from the whales as the noise may be interfering with them. Can't fly them in the Bahamas somebody reported. And on and on ad naseum.
Saw on a You Tube video where some clip popped up while researching drone videos that you can buy a single seat turbine helicopter in kit form for about $40K. According the the manufacturer you don't have to register it with the FAA and the pilot does not need a pilots license to fly it. Maybe if there was a camera under it, it would be come more of a problem.
I really like the forum and will continue watching and reading. I am impressed with the helpful nature of the forum. The moderators are doing a good job of keeping the trash talk out of here.

You should have your DJI refund in about 30 days. That's how long mine took!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Are those signs actually enforceable? (Let's assume USA-specific) I suppose if it's private property they can kick you out for any reason, including not obeying a badly-printed, arbitrary ""no drones" sign... But what about when they are on public property but there is no restriction of the area in the DJI database (for example)?

One specific example I'm thinking about is a "no drones" paper sign (the type anyone can print out of their home printer on standard letter size paper) that was on a visitor's center in a small scenic city (the scenic part was the mountains surrounding the city). Would a sign like that be enforceable? I'm not even sure that the visitor's center was government-owned since it really seemed like a place for tour operators to sell their packages...

I ended up respecting the sign, although I felt like I was following one person's made-up rule. Anyone know?

They can only prohibit flying from the area. They can't stop you from flying over the area from outside their property boundaries. National airspace is under the jurisdiction of the FAA, not the property owner.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Hope you didn't order from DJI they take months to refund on refusals.

Exactly! Awful refund processing, while lying to you on the phone every day, after a 2.5 hour wait on hold to follow up, blaming it on China!

 

[smiller]

They can only prohibit flying from the area. They can't stop you from flying over the area from outside their property boundaries. National airspace is under the jurisdiction of the FAA, not the property owner.

Yes, but FAA-regulated federal public airspace is generally defined as being above 500' (in rural areas, 1,000' in urban), much higher than typical drone altitudes. Unless you are in Class B or C controlled airspace altitudes below 500'/1000' have no Federal law protection and at this point have an essentially undefined legal status.

 

[Heavenlyview]

I have been waiting several weeks for a back order on a Pro 4+. It arrived tonight and I refused delivery. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have done a lot more reading and looking since I placed the order and paid on the dotted line, and have come to the conclusion that I just can't risk $1800 on a piece of electronics that DJI is showing significant quality control issues with it's manufacture. Add to that there seemingly poor customer support and it finally added up to no DJI for me until I am convinced that they have attended to improving quality control.
There are another couple of issues that also swayed my acceptance of the quad. The government is going crazy about the restrictions they are placing on 'drones.' It doesn't help that idiot crashed into the Space Needle in Seattle,which is located in a park, the Seattle Center Park. It's still making the news here. How many realize the 'workers' on the deck were placing the fireworks explosives for the New Years extravaganza at the Needle? Imagine what would have been the result if the drone had actually triggered some of the explosives.
Several towns is Washington State have flat out banned drones in the entirety of their city limits. They are now banned in State Parks. We have the killer whales here, the Orcas, and a new regulation is being drafted to keep drones over 200' away from the whales as the noise may be interfering with them. Can't fly them in the Bahamas somebody reported. And on and on ad naseum.
Saw on a You Tube video where some clip popped up while researching drone videos that you can buy a single seat turbine helicopter in kit form for about $40K. According the the manufacturer you don't have to register it with the FAA and the pilot does not need a pilots license to fly it. Maybe if there was a camera under it, it would be come more of a problem.
I really like the forum and will continue watching and reading. I am impressed with the helpful nature of the forum. The moderators are doing a good job of keeping the trash talk out of here.

I am a new drone owner and flier. I recently bought my first drone, the Phantom 4. Since then, I have been following this forum and reading as much information as I can. In spite of all the negative experiences I've read about, my experience with the Phantom 4 has been flawless. Firmware updates installed smoothly and flying could not be easier. Very stable even in windy conditions. I also recommend checking out the FAA website and learning what the regulations are. Drone flying and videography is an interesting and fun hobby and by being responsible I believe we can avoid the pitfalls of more stringent restrictions.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yes, but FAA-regulated federal public airspace is generally defined as being above 500' (in rural areas, 1,000' in urban), much higher than typical drone altitudes. Unless you are in Class B or C controlled airspace altitudes below 500'/1000' have no Federal law protection and at this point have an essentially undefined legal status.

In most areas, National Airspace begins at the maximum legal height that the property owner can legally build to, so flying in that National Airspace over private property or from your own private property is legal, as long as you aren't violating privacy laws. In all cases, if they can't find the pilot, there's not much they can do! Fly discreetly, and far enough away that you can't be found, and get your shot, while not getting shot! Then, make a clean getaway! Oh, and don't include a drone selfie during your landing, if you plan on posting it to YouTube!

 

[smiller]

In most areas, National Airspace begins at the maximum legal height that the property owner can legally build to

I don't believe that is correct. An owner owns the airspace as high as they build, not as high as they can build.

As to the rest, yes, practice common sense and you will be OK. People are not likely to complain about a drone passing quickly over property at a couple hundred feet when they can barely see it, but may rightfully be upset if it loiters at a low altitude. As usual a little good judgment prevents a lot of problems.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I don't believe that is correct. An owner owns the airspace as high as they build, not as high as they can build.

As to the rest, yes, practice common sense and you will be OK. People are not likely to complain about a drone passing quickly over property at a couple hundred feet when they can barely see it, but may rightfully be upset if it loiters at a low altitude. As usual a little good judgment prevents a lot of problems.

Well, it's splitting hairs anyway, as the difference is usually only 10 or 20 feet in many urban areas with 30' height limits for building. However, my information was gleaned from posting online by some of the drone attorneys who practice in this area.

Yes, the loitering seems to be the problem. Even low passes at full speed don't give the impression of invasion of privacy, and a fast moving target is much harder to shoot than a stationary one! Amazing what detail you can see in 4K at 35mph, though!

 

[hidaven]

This is the best drone released by DJI for the masses. As a pro photographer the sensor and footage is a big leap over any other consumer drone period. The DR of the camera and added resolution is amazing. The stills are night and day better than the P4 and Mavic. New h.265 codec is also an improvement. Shooting at 100Mbs is very noticeable as well. Obstacle avoidance all the way around is fantastic in tight spaces. Hopefully you regret your decision enough to re buy the best bang for the buck in drones to date.

 

[Lescenatt]

Bummer. We're loving our P4Ps a ton. No complaints. We just need responsible pilots.

Non diciamo cazzate! quello che ha scritto Jim81 sono parole veritiere...
Ovviamente riguardo al costo eccessivo del drone, e la scarsa attendibilità del medesimo.
Alla fine siamo tutti cavie e testiamo i loro droni, dal p4 al p4pro ci sono state un sacco di variazioni e si potrebbe già chiamare phantom 5 , ma la dji non lo fa! Forse per non screditare la propria azienda avendo lanciato nemmeno 1 anno fa il suo predecessore p4?

Sul fattore che sono soldi buttati per una macchina che , una volta preso il volo, non saprai mai più se ritorna può essere vero... Ma diciamo che questo è il bello, il bello di spendere 1699euro per avere adrenalina che ti appaga non appena questo rientra a casa!

Jim81, A great spoken....I think to have a SECURE drone with a regular traffic space is too long for my life ....

Dji good drone or not, they are always made in china.

 

[Lescenatt]

I'm really enjoying my P4P. I had issues with the first, sent back and had a perfect P4P at my doorstep in 7 days with xmas being on the 4th day, pretty impressive. I fly 3 batteries a day (weather permitting) over 8 hours flight time, I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope people smarten up and become more responsible, but that's wishful

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using PhantomPilots mobile app

I have a flight responsable?... on this trip I have always a buffer area to crash ( 70° always right )... I go fly far but I donT know if my drone will come back due the Electronic hardware, motors, propeller resistente... here is possible , to admire the landscapes fly only above the water and if the drone fault , bye bye , the dji do not coverage me bleahhhhhhh.. restrict firmware, restrict possibility to use how like, restrict warranty , restrict cost to improve From our part the hardware inside? Many crash and many drone losses are dovute by electric issue, the human can just broken a propeller or crash it on a trees
Ciao

 

[Lescenatt]

My P4P has been amazing. No complaints. You have to remember this always: people will always hop on the Internet to complain, but rarely people hop on to take the time to say positive things.


I've had zero problems with mine, and this forum is filled with threads just like mine. I would reconsider. At least you could return it if you're not happy with it.

Only the time .... will talk

 

[jcknows0]

you can get good ones and bad ones in everything you buy.
I had to send my first p4p back and got another one.
this second one works great.

I only buy used from B&H. My first one had the gimbal twitch and what looked like shell cracks. This second one seems flawless. The weakest link has always been the Go software.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I only buy used from B&H. My first one had the gimbal twitch and what looked like shell cracks. This second one seems flawless. The weakest link has always been the Go software.

How are you getting used P4P's from B&H?

 

[jcknows0]

How are you getting used P4P's from B&H?

Just lucky I guess. In the past I've gotten Phantoms OB for 35% off MSRP. This was only 20% off but because of this site, I decided to ditch retirement and put my flight wings back on once more.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Just lucky I guess. In the past I've gotten Phantoms OB for 35% off MSRP. This was only 20% off but because of this site, I decided to ditch retirement and put my flight wings back on once more.

Hopefully, you didn't get one of the early production lemons I returned to them!

 

[jcknows0]

Hopefully, you didn't get one of the early production lemons I returned to them!

That might have been the first one I returned. It had inconsistent firmware which did not upgrade in a straightforward manner. The gimbal was fubar'd and then I noticed shell cracks, all with only 1 minute to fly. Instant Return!

 

[GadgetGuy]

That might have been the first one I returned. It had inconsistent firmware which did not upgrade in a straightforward manner. The gimbal was fubar'd and then I noticed shell cracks, all with only 1 minute to fly. Instant Return!

Mine weren't crashed, so you must have gotten some one else's. I'm shocked that B&H would resell these returns, instead of returning them to DJI. The B&H third party documentation on returns is minimal. I had noted 6 defects, but the guy on the phone said he only needed one, and cut me off, before I could list them all! Refund was approved, but anyone buying that aircraft might only have 1 of the 6 defects I discovered repaired, if any!

 

[Nowelly]

Absolutely love my P4P. Amazing camera.

Totally agree with this... It makes ALL the difference. I own a Sony RX100 Mk V as a back up compact, and I am happy in the knowledge that my drone carries the same stacked back illuminated sensor as that. The raw 4K footage, especially at H.265 and MP4, is just lovely. The photography options with this drone went up a massive step with the P4P over the standard P4.

I love everything about the P4P all except DJI themselves who are, frankly, useless at customer service AND useless at making parts and components available for their brand new lines of products. For the latter, in fact, they infuriate me!

 

[Nowelly]

Non diciamo cazzate! quello che ha scritto Jim81 sono parole veritiere...
Ovviamente riguardo al costo eccessivo del drone, e la scarsa attendibilità del medesimo.
Alla fine siamo tutti cavie e testiamo i loro droni, dal p4 al p4pro ci sono state un sacco di variazioni e si potrebbe già chiamare phantom 5 , ma la dji non lo fa! Forse per non screditare la propria azienda avendo lanciato nemmeno 1 anno fa il suo predecessore p4?

Sul fattore che sono soldi buttati per una macchina che , una volta preso il volo, non saprai mai più se ritorna può essere vero... Ma diciamo che questo è il bello, il bello di spendere 1699euro per avere adrenalina che ti appaga non appena questo rientra a casa!

Jim81, A great spoken....I think to have a SECURE drone with a regular traffic space is too long for my life ....

Dji good drone or not, they are always made in china.

Doesn't matter they are made in China (well - Hong Kong is the main HQ for DJI)... Technologically the best on the market bar none. The only annoying thing, as I say earlier, about DJI is their poor customer service relative to manufacturers of other hi tech products (e.g. Don't expect Nikon or Canon levels of service!) and, as a young and fast growing company, they put products to market faster than they are able to set up the support mechanisms for those products. I am waiting still for some cosmetic parts for my drone after a gentle dink into my back garden hose reel, for instance (LED light cover, for instance, and camera filters)... Third party parts and accessories seem to be more available than DJI themselves (so I have gone for SKYREAT and PolarPro filters instead of DJI ones, for instance). DJI seem to care more about selling and a lot less about "supporting"