I know there are other threads but really no straight answers. Who has really high flight hours/ distance on their drones. Still going strong? Problems? Repairs? I've only had this P4 for a few months now.
Life expectancy ?
- Thread starter BarryW
- Start date
150+ hours on several P3's. Same 7 batteries... going strong. Cracks fixed with epoxy/Plastaid.... Gray hairs re-colored with hair dye......
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P4 18 months old 2,195 km or 7.2M feet, no issues except one small crack lower left side of battery compartment fixed with locktite glue and at times a slightly tilted horizon (seems to be getting better). Something like 85+ cycles on 4 batteries and still get 4 lights for battery life and gets the same flight times.
Where are the cracks happening? To stop a crack from travelling, drill the smallest hole possible just past the end of the crack.
I've stopped cracks in aluminum and plexiglass since being trained how to do it in the USAF Aircraft Tech Schools in the 1950s and have used that technique to this day. We would drill the small hole with a #30 drill bit just at, not beyond, the end of the crack to relieve the tension causing the crack. I've had no cracking in my P3P, P4, or Inspire v2 but would try a #60 drill bit or even burn a very small hole with the round pointed tip of a low wattage soldering iron.
Problem is not stopping the crack. The strength is already comprimised. This is my second cracked p4
I've been considering getting a carbon frame and transferring all the components to it. (P3P) Not too much fabrication involved.
Tarot IRON MAN 650 Folding Carbon Fiber Quadcopter Frame
Tarot IRON MAN 650 Folding Carbon Fiber Quadcopter Frame
That Tarot Carbon Fibre Frame at the affordable price of $99 looks like a great project! I'd love to see your ongoing and finished project if you decide to do it!! That would definitely take care of your cracking problems!
The biggest issue would be the battery box. Either cut the Phantoms and use its assy. or just use the battery contact blades somehow. I think making a dual battery box would be great too.
92 hrs. on my bird plus one month flights because I lost the flight records when I reset my tablet.
The value of the Phantom 4 is the gimbal and camera integration. Tarot makes some nice drone frames, add your choice of components and you have a nice drone, but what gimbal and camera are you going to use? You might be able to hack the P3 Pro gimbal and camera onto the Tarot frame, but not the P4 gimbal/camera. You are better off getting a new shell from DJI and rebuilding your P3 Pro/P4. Probably easier too.
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