New Phantom!

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Well, my new Phantom arrived today, and it has a whole different feeling than the old one.

No stickers on the motors, as several others have reported. So that alone tells me that it is from a newer inventory.

Oh, and there were 8 props in there, instead of 6. So they are the NEW jello-free props? Nah... I doubt those even exist. Upon inspection, they look exactly like the old ones, so they are just packing an extra pair in the box.

So far the only mod I've made tonight is getting rid of that long silly USB cable, so I don't have a hassle digging it out of the battery tray every time I need to hookup, and a less crowded compartment. Instead I have a short cable leading to a new port on the Phantom, which I can easily plug a mini-usb cable into. (See photo) It's really nice to be able to plug in to the NAZA Assistant without even opening the battery door! My next mod is going to be an illuminated switch that will handle all accessories (such as that 12 segment LED headlight) that will be on board eventually. I've also got one in mind to be the main power switch. That way I can put a battery in before I even leave the house, then activate it when on site. That means I won't have to fumble around with them until I am reloading.

Hand spinning the motors, they all sound smooth. I also did the no-props vibration test on the desk, and it's silky smooth!

Anyway, everything has checked out good on this thing, so if these 40-50 MPH wind gusts of the last 48 hours finally stop harassing my trees out front, I'll pop some props on this one tomorrow and give it a break-in flight or two.

Right now I'm just admiring it sitting here indoors with a solid satellite lock!
 

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Congrats!
I guess you can tell about the props by looking for a number stamped on them..

and then specifically,. so see how well they balance out! (if they need balancing!?)
 
I like the idea of the smaller USB cable. Less weight is better. Have you connected it to the NAZAM Assistant yet? Any issues? I think they kept the USB connector in the battery compartment to keep the connector clean, and corrosion free. You should get some rubber plugs for the connector, especially since it's glued in place.

CBUS01CPMF2L.jpg
 
I thought I had some little plugs like that, but I can't find one now. Oh well, I just have to remember to fly clean for now. lol
 
Nice USB mod, but I'm waiting to see now this new iOS app works, hopefully after that I'll never have to connect with USB again.
 
pwright said:
The painted(?) prop nuts look great!


They are part of a whole new color theme for a whole new Phantom! Orange, white, and black.
I haven't decided on what the paint design is gonna be for the body, or if I will keep the orange stripes on the front arms. A little bit of fluorescent orange goes a long way on anything! lol
I'll probably do most of the underside in black, for sure the landing skids will be.
 
I didn't bother with the white props that came with it... I think the black DJI ones are a bit stiffer, and I have quite a few of them on hand. My carbon props should be in from Hong Kong soon. And I still have some 8" Zingers, but a couple of those are beat up, so I'll hold off until I get another pair of those.
I suppose I should give the so-called jello free new white props a chance. I wonder if they are at least up to par with the black ones as far as being almost balanced? Hmmm... I'll probably end up painting one set orange... I've got LOTS of paint!
 
Here it is with the JVC GCXA1 installed and ready to go. It fits perfectly under there... and keeps the CG back far enough so that I don't have a front-heavy flyer.



The dust cover over the lens keeps it protected even though there is an inch or so of clearance. It helps when landing in tall grass or weeds, etc. I've got a spare, may pick up a few more from JVC. So far I have been pleased with this camera, it's a lot more refined than the little Astak ActionPro I had before, although I got good results with that one too.
 

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And I've provisionally put my LED headlight on with some tape... I'll do the permanent installation & wiring for that when I get my switches in and finish up the initial internal hookups.
This is almost blinding at night, it should be a good daytime running light as well. That will help with orientation so I will know for sure where the front of the Phantom is when it is far away.
 

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Current flying weight (with stock battery) is now 967 grams.

Oh, I forgot to include 22g more for the I-gotU logger. I'll hold off on that until I'm working on the internal mods and revising the battery door. I'm still not sure where I will place it, maybe it will end up way down on the front of one skid to lessen the chance of interference with the Phantom GPS. Whenever the BluTracker finally shows up that will probably go down on the other one.
 
Man! I am beginning to think that BluTracker is gonna be vaporware! If you go to their facebook page, it's nothing but complaints from frustrated customers wondering where their order is!
They had the infrastructure in place to take your money, but after that it's just a bunch of BS... they keep pushing the delivery dates further out, only give automated replies to emails, etc. It's probably almost time to start demanding a refund. Somehow I think they won't be as prompt about refunding as they were at taking orders.
 
Sac D said:
I suppose I should give the so-called jello free new white props a chance. I wonder if they are at least up to par with the black ones as far as being almost balanced? Hmmm... I'll probably end up painting one set orange... I've got LOTS of paint!
Definitely. Or just put them on your balancer and see if they are indeed balanced.
 
What information do you have that indictes the props you received with your new Phantom are indeed the new props that were mentioned at NAB? Did your dealer tell you this? From the comments I've seen elsewhere, they aren't available yet, even know the DJI CEO mentioned your dealer could send you some. I emailed my dealer several days ago with no response and they don't seem to be for sale on any website yet.
 
Adam said:
What information do you have that indictes the props you received with your new Phantom are indeed the new props that were mentioned at NAB? Did your dealer tell you this? From the comments I've seen elsewhere, they aren't available yet, even know the DJI CEO mentioned your dealer could send you some. I emailed my dealer several days ago with no response and they don't seem to be for sale on any website yet.
Mine I got a little over a week ago had zero jello and had 8 props, a friend of mine received his yesterday and had 8 props in his box no stickers on motors like mine, he has zero jello as well. The DJI video said the newer kits are shipping with the non jello props.

Now if they would ship the non take off like a bat out of hell for no reason and be out $1.1k of cash, they might have something
 
message to Sac D

Hello

I'm very interested to mod my USB connection as yours.

I didn't find yet a short mini USB cable (M/F). Where did you find it ?

but I found the protection plug that you seemed to search : check http://www.rookaps.com/

Regards
 

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