Sooooo..... Whose returning their P4?

[Hangar]

All Altitudes? Does that include the RTH altitude and the Max Height altitude? Or are they special?

Any altitude like RTH or Max Altitude is a firmware limitation that we have no control over. Whatever you set in DJI GO will apply to Autopilot (via the firmware) and those are relative to the takeoff location, just like in DJI GO.

There was a DJI firmware release today. Does that eliminate the problem with lost connections in Autopilot which were supposed to be fixed in "the next version" or the DJI firmware? (I didn't see anything in the release notes that indicated that it did)

Check out this thread.

 

[eyecon82]

Wish I could return it. It's fast but not nearly as easy to fly precisely or smooth in sport and P is too **** slow. The battery BS is crazy too. Who actually cares about collision avoidance anyway? Okay. Yes in certain situations but not 98% of the time. It goes from porky pig mode to ludicrous mode with nothing in the middle. Very annoying. It also seems like I see the props a LOT more because it's so aggressive. I use my P3P more...

I believe you can turn off obstacle avoidance and go medium speed

 

[Tenly]

I believe you can turn off obstacle avoidance and go medium speed

I don't recall seeing anybody post any numbers for speed for the P4 when NOT using sport mode. What is the top speed of the P4 in P Mode with no wind?
(with and without obstacle avoidance turned on)

 

[Dfairchild]

I don't recall seeing anybody post any numbers for speed for the P4 when NOT using sport mode. What is the top speed of the P4 in P Mode with no wind?
(with and without obstacle avoidance turned on)

with OA turned on i get right on 22MPH consistently. Without OA on in P mode i run in the high 30's. I got up to 52 MPH in p mode the other day with a nice tail wind.

 

[Tenly]

with OA turned on i get right on 22MPH consistently. Without OA on in P mode i run in the high 30's. I got up to 52 MPH in p mode the other day with a nice tail wind.

Wow. Okay - so with OA active its much slower than the P3 but with it turned off its very close but maybe a touch faster. (I get about 35MPH on my P3.)

I didn't realize that speed was limited so much by the use of OA. That's another metric they leave out of the brochure!

 

[eyecon82]

I didn't realize that speed was limited so much by the use of OA. That's another metric they leave out of the brochure!

It probably has to do with how fast the sensors can process the data

 

[daveleeds]

I'm keeping it, but then again I don't have a P3 to go back to. This is my first and only. I am very happy with it and have really only broken the surface to what I can do with it.

Great post. It's just about having fun and being happy with your purchase. Looking forward to seeing some of your vids posted.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[TheGman]

Hey guys, bought the P4 as my first drone (having over a decade of RC heli experience) and I haven't been this stoked on a while.

I initially found range to be limiting, like 3k ft but have recently had it go over 9k feet in urban/suburban areas.

But I'm wondering if the P4 is worth DOUBLE the P3A or P3P? The OA has been helpful near trees and using RTH - but is also useful for gauging distance.

I also know that eventually there will be a P5 - and with OA being commoditized I'm wondering if that's really worth the premium right now.

Is it worth returning the P4 and getting the P3P?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Hey guys, bought the P4 as my first drone (having over a decade of RC heli experience) and I haven't been this stoked on a while.

I initially found range to be limiting, like 3k ft but have recently had it go over 9k feet in urban/suburban areas.

But I'm wondering if the P4 is worth DOUBLE the P3A or P3P? The OA has been helpful near trees and using RTH - but is also useful for gauging distance.

I also know that eventually there will be a P5 - and with OA being commoditized I'm wondering if that's really worth the premium right now.

Is it worth returning the P4 and getting the P3P?

Why not, instead, just add a P3 to your fleet, for half the price of a P4, and have twice as much fun, for only a little bit more? Each has their own place! Good to have a backup bird, too!

 

[TheGman]

Why not, instead, just add a P3 to your fleet, for half the price of a P4, and have twice as much fun, for only a little bit more? Each has their own place! Good to have a backup bird, too!

Is that worth doing?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Is that worth doing?

Absolutely! The stock GL300A has 20% more control power than the GL300C. However, a DBS-02 mod to your GL300C will be far more effective and about the same $200 cost unboosted, but even more effective on a GL300A. I flew my P4 out 6 miles away on boosted DBS-02 setup on a GL300A controller. That's an 1,100% improvement! With the stock GL300C P4 controller, I completely lose control signal at 2500 feet, and RTH starts!

 

[Bigdz]

Absolutely! The stock GL300A has 20% more control power than the GL300C. However, a DBS-02 mod to your GL300C will be far more effective and about the same $200 cost unboosted, but even more effective on a GL300A. I flew my P4 out 6 miles away on boosted DBS-02 setup on a GL300A controller. That's an 1,100% improvement! With the stock GL300C P4 controller, I completely lose control signal at 2500 feet, and RTH starts!

Good to know! Timed to bind my p3a controller to my p4

 

[BriRi]

Is that worth doing?

No... If you need more distance mod your stock controller.

Your P4 will fly faster than a stock P3P......Battery lasts longer than a stock P3P......And your modded controller will allow farther control than a stock P3P.

Your P4 is very capable. No need to replace it when a simple mod can get you increased range.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[TheGman]

I got 5-9k feet on my P4 totally stock.

Wondering if it's worth returning the P4 and saving $700. Seems like DJI is going to drop the price once the P5 comes out

 

[Sim597]

I love AutoFlightLogic app. I've spent hours setting up flight plans and reading the info, I'm just really scared of the LCMC but that's the one I want to use, I have an area just out of reach by maybe 600-1000' I lose signal, and want the bird to do that last part without signal, I'm just to much of a newbie, even though I've proofed the plan 5 times! Lol, still the most detailed app, and by far the very best if moving and filming at same time, no competition yet.

 

[Sim597]

I don't recall seeing anybody post any numbers for speed for the P4 when NOT using sport mode. What is the top speed of the P4 in P Mode with no wind?
(with and without obstacle avoidance turned on)

I think the more ppl get used to the sport mode, unless automatically they already were, ppl will use it more, I know I only used it briefly at first, now I use it all the time once at altitude, the more I use sport mode, the more I like it. I love letting it hit the brakes over people (not directly) around the pier, everyone gets a kick out of it braking hard.

 

[TheGman]

Who else has found OA to "pay for itself"?

 

[RussOnTheRoad]

Keep complaining about the P4, but I'm happy with mine! This flight was in 5-12mph winds the whole time. I can't believe that all these people complaining aren't posting any evidence of their poor performance, what a circle jerk.

I don't have a dog in this fight and I'm not arguing with you at all. (I've ordered a Phantom 4 but it hasn't yet arrived.) My interest is in learning the truth. I'm glad you are happy with your Phantom 4 and I hope I will be with mine as well.

At 21,332 feet in distance your flight was just about 4 miles long. I assume 21,332' is out and back. Because of it's curved arc your Phantom was less than 2 miles distant from your location at its furthest. You didn't nearly approach DJI's claimed 3.1 mile limit for radio control. Your flight then doesn't support or refute DJI's claim f 3.1 miles. (People have complained about lack of RC range.)

On a similar note, your 21 minute flight represents but 75% of the maximum flight time claimed by DJI, so it neither supports or refutes their claim on that subject either. I'm very curious if you made note of how much battery charge you had left upon the completion of your flight.

DJI's claimed 28 minutes includes the provisos of flying "in calm conditions with constant speed", although they fail to say so on their specifications page which I regard as perhaps unethical, perhaps an oversight. I only saw the following disclaimers (below) after clicking on the Learn More link under the FLY FAR FOR LONGER section near the bottom right of this page:
*In calm conditions with constant speed.
**Maximum range tested in unobstructed areas free of interference and may vary depending on local regulations.

DJI includes the following in the Phantom 4 User Manual:
"How many minutes of flight time can Phantom 4 achieve with the new Intelligent Flight Battery?
At sea level in calm environments when flying in ATTI mode, the Phantom 4 can achieve 28 minute flight times. This will vary due to different flight patterns, weather conditions and altitudes." I can understand why people are upset when they get less than 28 minutes flight time. I mean, DJI doesn't present "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" up front in (at least some of) their advertising or on its website specifications page for the Phantom 4.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Good to know! Timed to bind my p3a controller to my p4

The only caveat is that you'll need to also upgrade the controller to use it with the P4, and then you lose the P3a F switch functionality, and the mode switch is then converted to the P4 style(Sport Mode won't do anything on the P3a), and the CSC kill command in the traditional functionality. Depending upon what DJI GO version you still use with your P3A, the F modes may have all been already moved inside the DJI GO app anyway. Binding takes 20 seconds and, once the controller is upgraded, you can switch back and forth. Just bring along a small finishing nail to push the recessed linking button on each aircraft. I keep one taped to the bottom of my controller.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Who else has found OA to "pay for itself"?

OA only protects you when turned on, which restricts you to flying to 22 mph or less, and only when the obstacle isn't moving. Last night, while reviewing my P3P 4K video, I saw a white streak across the screen over the surf. At first, I thought it might have been a seagull. Upon closer examination, it clearly was a P4 that flew within 5 feet of me head on. If the closing speed exceeds 22 mph, OA won't work. Almost had a $2500 collision, where neither pilot would have been happy!