Purchasing in US > Taking to Australia

[C Wheely]

Hi all,

Absolute n00b here... but appreciate any help you guys can give!! In few weeks time I'm headed to the US and plan to purchase a Phantom 3 Standard whilst there. I'll be bringing her back to Oz, and from a little bit of reading I understand she won't be ready to fly out of the box - that there'll be some re-calibration required in order to get a northern hemisphere drone set up to fly in the southern hemisphere... something about GPS...

I've no idea, and I'm wondering if anyone can provide some clarity on exactly what I'll need to do?

Thanks all!

 

[msinger]

No GPS re-calibration is required. You should re-calibrate the compass though.

 

[C Wheely]

thanks!! is that something relatively easy to do?

 

[msinger]

Yes. It takes about 30 seconds to complete. Click my link above to see how it's done.

 

[Meta4]

thanks!! is that something relatively easy to do?

Here's some reading for you to do on the plane going over: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/pha...antom_3_Standard_User_Manual_v1.4_en_0112.pdf

 

[The Springs]

Buy and Advanced if you are going to the effort pull it out of the box and make it look slightly used ,no GST ? If there is its now used so falls under the $1000aust limit ?

 

[With The Birds]

Do you plan to fly in the US or just looking for a cheaper deal? On the standard you will save less than $50 Aussie based on what the HK sellers are currently shipping to AU at.

 

[C Wheely]

@Meta4 thanks - that will be a productive use of time no doubt!

@With The Birds - we'll be over there for a 3 week holiday so hopefully I'll get some flight time, not sure though - I want to find my feet in a nice, safe, open space (having never flown one before). But we're not traveling to the US purely for the sake of buying a drone if that's what you're asking. I've been thinking about getting one for some time and this just seems like a good opportunity to save a little cash in the process.

 

[kiteboy]

Remember that all prices from HK sellers and shipped from outside EU will go through customs and you will have to declare and pay VAT


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[C Wheely]

@kiteboy don't know that VAT would come into play where Australia is concerned, though potentially GST

 

[Meta4]

@kiteboy don't know that VAT would come into play where Australia is concerned, though potentially GST

Since the valueis well below A$1000, GST is not a concern

 

[Meta4]

I understand she won't be ready to fly out of the box - that there'll be some re-calibration required in order to get a northern hemisphere drone set up to fly in the southern hemisphere... something about GPS...
I've no idea, and I'm wondering if anyone can provide some clarity on exactly what I'll need to do?

To get back to your original question, the Phantom is just about ready to fly right from the box ... except for charging the batteries for the Phantom and controller.
You will also have to activate the Phantom (register it with DJI online) and calibrating the compass only takes two minutes.
Apart from your homework, that's about it.

 

[Mako79]

Australia is upside down. Just do a compass dance.

 

[gosports1]

Enjoy your stay. Currently it' very Hot in the United States, Your Phantoms motor will be very hot after flying plus the outside temperatures are nearing 100 degree's . I am planning on flying in the morning when it cooler and them probably let my motors idle to cool down before shutting them down-

 

[nixon]

You do realise that you are getting an FCC and not a CE model, that my friend is very good, the FCC models have significantly more wattage output than the European CE models. The FCC models also have an altitude restriction of 400feet, while the CE models have a 500meter altitude limit. Nobody is completely sure if the power output is set by the factory before shipping to the USA or the settings are determined by the gps location (same with altitude).You will probably have the only FCC model here in Australia. I'm in Adelaide and have Phantom 3 Professional and I'm sure that the entire Phantom community will be pleased to have this question resolved once and for all, as it makes changing the CE to FCC problem much harder if it's set by the Aircraft GPS location rather than by the factory. We get the lower powered CE models here and it kinda sucks as this is not Europe and Australian rules don't have the lower power limits some European countries do. I for one am dying to know if yours stays in the higher output level or not, as well as the altitude restriction change. Please let us know how you go.


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[msinger]

You do realise that you are getting an FCC and not a CE model, that my friend is very good, the FCC models have significantly more wattage output than the European CE models.

There is no such thing as an FCC model. All Phantoms are exactly the same. The Phantom will use its current GPS location to automatically switch between FCC and CE.

 

[nixon]

Maybe it's set at the factory, nobody knows as dji even contradicts itself on the subject. Do you work for DJI? How do you know this? There is a couple people who have changed firmware coding on the aircraft and it changed the output to FCC levels from CE, that is a fact not possible if what you say is true.


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[msinger]

Do you work for DJI?

No.

How do you know this?

It's a fact. That's how the software figures out when to switch modes.

There is a couple people who have changed firmware coding on the aircraft and it changed the output to FCC levels from CE, that is a fact not possible if what you say is true.

Changing the software does not make that fact null and void. Software does what you tell it to do. DJI never intended on people figuring out how to make that change.

 

[Meta4]

The FCC models also have an altitude restriction of 400feet, while the CE models have a 500meter altitude limit.

There's a lot of misinformation here.
No Phantom has an altitude restriction of 400 feet unless the owner sets a user-configurable limit to 400 feet.

 

[nixon]

Very sorry about the altitude limit misinformation, I shall do a better job of verifying.


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