Newbie Videos

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I have spent hours over the last week watching youtube videos on aerial video and I just got my P3A a few days ago. I took it out for 2 quick test rides over the last 2 days. I also took it for a short test in my basement (which was a mistake - never do that btw).

I haven't ventured very far yet as I'm getting used to the controls and such. I have been practicing for the past month on a cheap quadcopter and crashed that a few times since it doesn't have auto-hover and is much harder to fly.

I don't want to get over confident with the phantom but it has been really easy to fly.

I created 2 initial videos of my first 2 flights. They aren't much to look at but they are here:

12/23:
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A few quick questions:

1) On the second video (today), I flew back towards my house at the last part of the video. I was scared to hit the house so I flew up pretty high. Any tips of gauging height (whether you are high enough) or is the old "better safe than sorry" the way to go and just go up really high? I ask because I was originally planning to try to get some video of the roof to see where I need to blow out my gutters that are filled with leaves and debris but at the height I was at, it was a little too far.

2) I have been taking off on grass. Even though the grass is cut, the gimbal and camera are so low that the grass blocks the view and the water on the grass gets on the lens. Should I be taking off on asphalt or a flat surface instead? Should I take off from the top of my backpack?

3) For landing, I have been just hovering close to arm's length and then grabbing it. I have practiced landing on the ground and am comfortable doing it but I feel safer just grabbing it with one hand and then using the other hand on the controller to power down the motors.

4) Do my videos seem like they have vibration? I mentioned at the beginning that I did a test in my basement and not to do that. The reason is because I have a carpeted basement so I thought the VPS would work well in there to hover. Turns out that it didn't work so well so as soon as I launched the first time, the copter flew back and hit the backpack. It was close to the ground but it did result in a "motor obstructed" warning (log file: HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters). It made a small scuff mark on the prop so I replaced the prop and a few minutes later the warning message went away. I tested some more without incident after that. Could the motor be damaged slightly causing vibration? It seems to fly well. I learned much of my flying on the cheap quad in the basement so in relatively close quarters.

5) Any tips on how to take better aerial videos?

6) Is there any way to take an aerial picture while recording video? I guess I can pull a still from the video but I tried pushing the photo capture button on the controller but that didn't seem to work.

Thanks!
 
Any tips of gauging height (whether you are high enough) or is the old "better safe than sorry" the way to go and just go up really high?
When flying close to objects, it's best to do it when your Phantom is in sight (and you are nearby). You'll get better at guesstimating as you fly more. Until you get more experience, it would really be best to stay clear of all objects.


I was originally planning to try to get some video of the roof to see where I need to blow out my gutters that are filled with leaves and debris but at the height I was at, it was a little too far.
I've done this and found I need to be within about 10 feet of the gutter to get a good picture.


the gimbal and camera are so low that the grass blocks the view and the water on the grass gets on the lens. Should I be taking off on asphalt or a flat surface instead?
It's okay to take off from asphalt. Don't take off from sidewalks or any other surfaces that are metallic and/or contain metal (e.g. rebar in sidewalks).


Should I take off from the top of my backpack?
I've taken off from the top of my hard cases. You should be able to take off from the hard side of your backpack. Just make sure it's stable wherever you place it.


For landing, I have been just hovering close to arm's length and then grabbing it.
This is obviously much more dangerous than landing on the ground. But, it can be done safely if you do it properly. Here's how I do it:

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Do my videos seem like they have vibration?
Is there any particular parts in the videos where you see vibration? I did not notice it.


I did a test in my basement and not to do that
You really need to be a skilled pilot if flying inside. As you found, it's not easy to do.


Any tips on how to take better aerial videos?
There are some good videos on YouTube. You can find some of those here.


Is there any way to take an aerial picture while recording video?
No.
 

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