New Phantom 2 owner and new to forum

NYRangers99 · Mar 22, 2014

Hi all, I am new to the forum and a first time Phantom owner. Never flew anything before was just mainly into R/C cars…last was a 1/5 scale HPI Buggy…Anyway, I am from NY, flew my Phantom 2(non-Vision) today for the first time…it was unreal…definitely taking some getting used to thats for sure…I keep hitting that left stick thinking its Forward and it goes up LOL…I feel a lot more comfortable flying down at low altitude, but as soon as I take it up, my heart starts pounding thinking that this thing it gonna take off on me and I wasn't even that high up(maybe just above the tree tops) LOL…it was kind of a windy day prob 15-20mph winds..gusts to 25mph so maybe thats what made me feels uneasy…Anyone here get that feeling the first time flying? Any tips?
Thanks

Griggs · Mar 22, 2014

Welcome to the club! I was similar to you on my first flight except I pulled the left stick down thinking it go backward but it went DOWN. Those winds are pretty high. I would be worried too. Wait for some lighter winds and just take it easy to start with. Just make sure your getting a good GPS lock first (several green blinking lights). Have fun!

NYRangers99 · Mar 22, 2014

Thanks Griggs…already looking at FPV systems LOL…but definitely wanna get more comfortable before I attach the Gimbal and GoPro to begin with. I kind of thought those were high winds being the Phantom is so light…it seemed like it was fighting trying to hover at a high altitude..I definitely made sure the GPS had a lock…tested the return to home also, that was pretty cool to see happen.

d4ddyo · Mar 23, 2014

I'm fairly new too. I was a former Nitro Heli Pilot, did some RC electric buggies and electric pullers in the wayyyyy past.

I got my Phantom 2 with Zemuse h2-3d gimbal slightly used. I took 2 flights without the gimbal and them jumped right away into FPV setup.

This thing is sooo easy to fly. LOL. only thing is make sure calibrate compass and you get at least 6 satellites locked before you lift off. That means that the leds don't blink red. This makes sure that it also marks HOME in case something goes wrong you can always turn off transmitter and it will go to failsafe while you are in GPS mode.

HAVE fun! I'm in NJ.

Txcarguy · Mar 23, 2014

Do you have to calibrate the compass before the first time you fly it each day on the Phantom 2?

Took my first two flights today. It felt like the first time I solo'd in a Cessna 150 back in 1981. Now I fly a Bellanca Super Viking and don't think twice about it. Can't wait till I feel that comfortable flying the Phantom 2.

Victor Catalanotto
USED BELLANCA PARTS
www.bellanca.us

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

CJ31 · Mar 23, 2014

Do you have to calibrate the compass before the first time you fly it each day on the Phantom 2?

The conventional wisdom is to make sure you do a good compass calibration initially and then you don't do it again unless you move it's location over 100 miles or it indicates that it needs it by light sequence or by unusual flying. Best place to do it is on a grassy field away from metal objects (including in your pocket), concrete structures, power lines, etc.

Txcarguy · Mar 23, 2014

Thanks

Victor Catalanotto
USED BELLANCA PARTS
www.bellanca.us

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

NYRangers99 · Mar 23, 2014

Thanks d4ddyo, Txcarguy and CJ31…I appreciate the feed back…This weather is killing me here in NY…was beautiful Sat but just windy and now the cold is back again and the wind was bad today again…and looking like some snow this week..God I hate it here, can't wait to retire and move down to Florida LOL…

d4ddyo-where in NJ? What FPV set up did u get and how do you like it? Did you feel more confident once you got that? I want one but theres so many different choices out there…

d4ddyo · Mar 23, 2014

i'm feeling the same weather LOL! i'm in bergen county just across the GWB. For FPV i'm using:
1. DJI iOSD mini
2. Boscam 7" Monitor w/ built-in Dual 5.8ghz Video Receiver and DJI 5.8ghx VTx with Clover leaf antenna (bought as kit from uavproducts.com)
3. DJI FPV HUB kit

No soldering needed. plug and play and I LOVE IT

FPV flying is a whole new thing... LOL. ease of flying is the confident part. I just basically use the FPV to get flight data and see what i'm filming. I really don't do FPV flight. at least not much yet.

OH the other thing I think you should know about and google it... a lot of novices do this and I found myself encountering this.

It's called VRS (Vortex Ring State)

What happens is you climb really high because you get brave and really nervous. So you want to bring it down fast. you pull the left stick down and bring it down fast and the center portions of the props lose lift that is greater than the outer portions and it starts becoming unstable and drops like a brick. Kind of like Top gun when goose dies because the jet flies in it's own jet wash.

Common reaction is to throttle out of it straight up but sometime works sometimes doesn't. the proper way is #1. slow decent. if not possible then you should descend at angles into wind.

If you do encounter VRS you need to not just give it power but give it horizontal movement of some sort into wind.