Very Confusing

[dolphindancer]

Overwhelmed by the enormous number of posts which seem to imply that a Phantom Vision 2 Plus right out of the box cannot be flown succesfully and consistently by a cautious novice who pays careful attention to the instructions accompanying the device.

Yes or No?

 

[N017RW]

Overwhelmed by the enormous number of posts which seem to imply that a Phantom Vision 2 Plus right out of the box cannot be flown succesfully and consistently by a cautious novice who pays careful attention to the instructions accompanying the device.

Yes or No?

I'm not judging you or anyone here or elsewhere nor will I be called out to debate, argue, or be allowed to be convinced otherwise...

...It is not for beginners.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I can't promise your Phantom won't crash. I can tell you that, with reasonable care, understanding, due diligence, & common sense, the VAST MAJORITY of these birds fly just fine. Mine has 55 perfect flights and she is flying just fine. You get a skewed perspective whenever you come in a forum like this. People posting messages about problems rule. People flying successfully are out flying.

 

[Dcpmark]

I can only share my experience. I am a complete beginner with a total of 3 flights under my belt, and no previous experience with quads or RC anything. I read all of the manuals, calibrate my compass whenever I change locations, didn't update anything, flew it right out of the box, and I have had ZERO problems so far. It is the coolest toy I've ever had.

Perhaps I'll have problems in the future, but so far I'm living proof that it's great for beginners.

 

[PhilAnderson]

Overwhelmed by the enormous number of posts which seem to imply that a Phantom Vision 2 Plus right out of the box cannot be flown succesfully and consistently by a cautious novice who pays careful attention to the instructions accompanying the device.

Yes or No?

I think the V+ is perfect for beginners. I say that after my first flight landed in a tree with only one broken prop. I've flown about 40-45 flights since without incident and I've never flown anything before I got my V+.

If you read this forum and watch lots of videos, you'll have a good idea how to fly it. Just be sure you're in a Large open area and take it easy. You will enjoy your first flight and every other flight, after.

 

[syotr]

Overwhelmed by the enormous number of posts which seem to imply that a Phantom Vision 2 Plus right out of the box cannot be flown succesfully and consistently by a cautious novice who pays careful attention to the instructions accompanying the device.

Yes or No?

What are these instructions you refer to? Mine came with none (Phantom 1.) Had to find instructions on the internet which were poorly written by someone who's native language was obviously not English. Read forums,watched videos, still had a few crashes.
If this is your first RC flying contraption, you would be advised to practice on something cheaper or at least add prop guards and remove the camera and gimbal until you are comfortable flying it.

 

[Dcpmark]

Overwhelmed by the enormous number of posts which seem to imply that a Phantom Vision 2 Plus right out of the box cannot be flown succesfully and consistently by a cautious novice who pays careful attention to the instructions accompanying the device.

Yes or No?

What are these instructions you refer to? Mine came with none (Phantom 1.) Had to find instructions on the internet which were poorly written by someone who's native language was obviously not English. .

Am I missing something? I'm trying to figure out how your experience of the failure of the Phantom 1 to come with a manual has anything to do with his possible purchase of a Vision 2+, which comes with a manual that appears to be pretty straightforward.

 

[srandall25]

Overwhelmed by the enormous number of posts which seem to imply that a Phantom Vision 2 Plus right out of the box cannot be flown succesfully and consistently by a cautious novice who pays careful attention to the instructions accompanying the device.

Yes or No?

I would actually recommend this for a beginner. The GPS stabilization makes it very easy to fly. Assuming everything is working as advertised and you follow the proper instructions, you shouldn't have much difficulty. IMHO, it is extremely easy to learn the basic setup, calibration, NAZA mode features, etc... This isn't rocket science. This isn't a project quadcopter. This is a product that is very well packaged and gives you everything you need right out of the box. This doesn't mean that folks haven't had their problems (myself included.. I had to send my first one back)... but as Dirtybird said, most are flying fine with no issues... Just like anything else, attention to detail, care, and proper caution should always be exercised. Be smart where you fly, take extra precaution when starting. Start in an area with lots of space and little obstacles. Feel it out, and work your way up to further range and comfort zones... There is risk in all we do. Manage that risk according to your own comfort zone. Good luck!

 

[BlackTracer]

Overwhelmed by the enormous number of posts which seem to imply that a Phantom Vision 2 Plus right out of the box cannot be flown succesfully and consistently by a cautious novice who pays careful attention to the instructions accompanying the device.

Yes or No?

I would say that it can, except for the ones that can't. Hopefully you won't get one of those that are broken from the factory. I got a good enough one luckily. Read below for more details.

I had never flown anything RC and I got the P2V first back in March and closely followed the instructions, gathered tips from others not on this board, but on R/C Groups. I hadn't discovered this board yet. Followed the pilot training manual and never crashed it and it worked flawlessly for around 15 flights. I returned to Amazon when the P2V+ came out 3 weeks after I got the P2V. I got the + and on my second flight had a minor "uncommanded descent" that scared me so I reverted the firmware to 1.08 that seems simpler without the geofence or airport restrictions and has 6m/s descent rate. That was the firmware my P2V came with. I have not looked back since and have had 30+ successful flights with my +. FYI I will avoid firmware updates unless absolutely forced into one for some reason. So far that has not been the case.

 

[photomikey]

I've been likening my 2V+ to driving a car for the first time. I'm a month or two in and about as good a pilot as I was a driver at 16 years old - which is to say I haven't hit anything or killed anyone, but I'm not very skilled yet.

When I learned to drive, I learned in an 18 year old Toyota Celica with a fender that was primer grey. 20 years later I have a new Lexus that I drive around town. As it turned out, I never wrecked the Celica (and I've never wrecked the Lexus). But when I think back on what I'd like to learn to drive in, a $500 Celica is the perfect choice. I'm glad I didn't learn in a $35k Lexus.

Flying my Phantom 2V+ when it arrived was my first ever RC quadcopter experience. It's not that hard. One stick goes up and down, the other stick goes forward, back, right, and left. I am pretty cautious, and do most of my flying at a local park where there are fewer obstacles.

I run a video production company, and while $1300 is not chump change for me, when I eventually drive this thing into a tree branch or ensnare it in power lines, I will have made the cost of it back in the shots I've sold from it, and even if I haven't, I won't have to move into the poor house over a loss of $1300.

I don't know how important $1300 is to you. If you saved up for a couple of years to get the $1300, I would rather see you spend an additional $50 on a toy quadcopter for you to learn on. If you had the $1300 on hand and don't mind taking the risk, I learned on this bird first hand, and I'm sure you can too.

 

[Dirty Bird]

One recommendation, and I do not mean to step on anyone's toes or discount the opinions of others who may differ, but I would NOT install prop guards on your Phantom. If you peruse this forum, you will see lots of threads referring to VRS crashes - vortex ring state - where the Phantom loses lift, begins to fall in its own prop wash, and ultimately crashes to the ground. Virtually all of these cases involve Phantoms fitted with prop guards. My suspicion is the prop guards subtly alter and disrupt the airflow beneath the props, resulting in the VRS crash. I'd love to see some wind tunnel tests to see what's going on with them. Given the number of VRS crash reports with prop guards, I feel replacing a prop here and there outweighs the cost of a camera/gimbal, or an entire aircraft. If she VRS crashes, you will likely break one (or more) props even with the guards installed (and the guards themselves!).

My Phantom's props have never touched anything but air and a few unfortunate insects. She has never tipped over on takeoff or landing either. For take offs, do NOT try to feather the throttle! Punch the throttle and let her jump up 6-8' and allow her to settle for a bit. Observe how she is behaving. In short order, she should stabilize, maintain altitude, and stay within a very small area. You should not see lots or vertical/horizontal movement. (if its really windy she will of course move around a bit more) When landing, bring her to within a couple of feet from the ground, then slowly reduce power and let her touch down. The moment she is down, hold the left stick all the way down until the motors stop. Do NOT perform a CSC shutdown unless you can't get your motors to stop. Doing a CSC sometimes makes the motors burp and this can cause a tip over. If you are unsure of your landing skills, hand catch the Phantom by the leg, and apply left down stick to kill the motor once she is in your hand. (use a controller neck strap so you only need one hand)

 

[Cocoa Beach Kiter]

I've been likening my 2V+ to driving a car for the first time. I'm a month or two in and about as good a pilot as I was a driver at 16 years old - which is to say I haven't hit anything or killed anyone, but I'm not very skilled yet.

When I learned to drive, I learned in an 18 year old Toyota Celica with a fender that was primer grey. 20 years later I have a new Lexus that I drive around town. As it turned out, I never wrecked the Celica (and I've never wrecked the Lexus). But when I think back on what I'd like to learn to drive in, a $500 Celica is the perfect choice. I'm glad I didn't learn in a $35k Lexus.

Flying my Phantom 2V+ when it arrived was my first ever RC quadcopter experience. It's not that hard. One stick goes up and down, the other stick goes forward, back, right, and left. I am pretty cautious, and do most of my flying at a local park where there are fewer obstacles.

I run a video production company, and while $1300 is not chump change for me, when I eventually drive this thing into a tree branch or ensnare it in power lines, I will have made the cost of it back in the shots I've sold from it, and even if I haven't, I won't have to move into the poor house over a loss of $1300.

I don't know how important $1300 is to you. If you saved up for a couple of years to get the $1300, I would rather see you spend an additional $50 on a toy quadcopter for you to learn on. If you had the $1300 on hand and don't mind taking the risk, I learned on this bird first hand, and I'm sure you can too.

+1

I agree it is fine for a first time user. I was/is one as well and the only few crashes (which resulted in needing to replace a few blades) was my own fault flying into something (mostly landing near something or pulling both sticks down to shut off motors, which only happens once and you won't forget). I now have over 50 flights and absolutely love to fly it. There is a great post from Dr. Joe on this board

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=17055

which is very helpful - I would highly recommend you read it...

Just take it slow and enjoy!!

 

[Sasquatch]

I've been likening my 2V+ to driving a car for the first time

I run a video production company, and while $1300 is not chump change for me, when I eventually drive this thing into a tree branch or ensnare it in power lines, I will have made the cost of it back in the shots I've sold from it, and even if I haven't, I won't have to move into the poor house over a loss of $1300.

I don't know how important $1300 is to you. If you saved up for a couple of years to get the $1300, I would rather see you spend an additional $50 on a toy quadcopter for you to learn on. If you had the $1300 on hand and don't mind taking the risk, I learned on this bird first hand, and I'm sure you can too.

Thanks Photomikey for your comments.

For myself and likely many others who've purchased the PV2+ quadcopters; we probably aren't going to go into financial ruin if we crash our copters. But, these things (considering the technology and materials used to build them) are way overpriced. 'We' the consumers are paying these high prices for a novelty and a limited market at first. For the price I paid for this 1kg piece of plastic, wires and components, I could have bought myself three large screen LED TV's and many other things, items or services that would seem to be beyond the phantom's worth.

Given the numerous disaster reports from new PV2+ flyers, I think it's understandable that many of us are scared and cautious at first now. Only a fool with more money than brains would be blazing along, recklessly and with no questions or concerns about this drone. A drone manufactured in China and under dubious levels of quality control.

 

[srandall25]

One recommendation, and I do not mean to step on anyone's toes or discount the opinions of others who may differ, but I would NOT install prop guards on your Phantom. If you peruse this forum, you will see lots of threads referring to VRS crashes - vortex ring state - where the Phantom loses lift, begins to fall in its own prop wash, and ultimately crashes to the ground. Virtually all of these cases involve Phantoms fitted with prop guards. My suspicion is the prop guards subtly alter and disrupt the airflow beneath the props, resulting in the VRS crash. I'd love to see some wind tunnel tests to see what's going on with them. Given the number of VRS crash reports with prop guards, I feel replacing a prop here and there outweighs the cost of a camera/gimbal, or an entire aircraft. If she VRS crashes, you will likely break one (or more) props even with the guards installed (and the guards themselves!).

My Phantom's props have never touched anything but air and a few unfortunate insects. She has never tipped over on takeoff or landing either. For take offs, do NOT try to feather the throttle! Punch the throttle and let her jump up 6-8' and allow her to settle for a bit. Observe how she is behaving. In short order, she should stabilize, maintain altitude, and stay within a very small area. You should not see lots or vertical/horizontal movement. (if its really windy she will of course move around a bit more) When landing, bring her to within a couple of feet from the ground, then slowly reduce power and let her touch down. The moment she is down, hold the left stick all the way down until the motors stop. Do NOT perform a CSC shutdown unless you can't get your motors to stop. Doing a CSC sometimes makes the motors burp and this can cause a tip over. If you are unsure of your landing skills, hand catch the Phantom by the leg, and apply left down stick to kill the motor once she is in your hand. (use a controller neck strap so you only need one hand)

Amen brother! I can't say for sure it was related, but I used prop guards on my first Vision+ and had all kinds of stability problems and freak wobbles. With the new one, I changed how I landed... I catch it every time and I don't use prop guards.. No more broken prop tips for tilt on landing... Much better without them!

 

[N017RW]

Please don't vector off into another PG vs. non-PG discussion from here.

 

[syotr]

Overwhelmed by the enormous number of posts which seem to imply that a Phantom Vision 2 Plus right out of the box cannot be flown succesfully and consistently by a cautious novice who pays careful attention to the instructions accompanying the device.

Yes or No?

What are these instructions you refer to? Mine came with none (Phantom 1.) Had to find instructions on the internet which were poorly written by someone who's native language was obviously not English. .

Am I missing something? I'm trying to figure out how your experience of the failure of the Phantom 1 to come with a manual has anything to do with his possible purchase of a Vision 2+, which comes with a manual that appears to be pretty straightforward.

Surprised and happy to hear that the newer ones come with a manual. Hope it covers things like VRS. I am still seeing many new users posting about their P2V+ falling out of the sky.

 

[johnbrowning]

[GREAT FOR BEGINNINGERS, EVEN STUPID ONES]Re: Very Confusing

By far, and I mean by far by far by far, the easiest RC device I've ever flown. Not super experienced, but way way way easier than a plane, a million times easier than a helicopter, and easier than any cheap ($300 or less) quad.

And, although I was careful to follow the directions, etc., and smart enough to make sure I had satelite lock, I took mine up to 1,350 feet on its third flight, after a night of cocktailing, out on a golf course in the desert, straight up, and came straight down, which can result in something that causes it to crash, and everything worked out fine. Looking back on it, totally stupid. But, all good, flies great, my son is flying it, a wonderful "toy" (not sure "toy" is the right word).

 

[Ron K]

I got mine last week. Read the quick guide and not much else. Was flying outside minutes later in 30mph winds. Was better than I expected. EASIER... fly in yard (in woods) tree's everywhere. Now I have 5 flights. Last one was out over our lake at about 300ft. Video comes out (seemingly not real smooth) so I load it into FCP and tell it to stabilize. (the video is stable) but it jumps as if it's a slower frame rate.

I can try 60fps "i" is there any visual difference to Prog vs interlace ? 30 vs 60? On my go pro's I like 60fps. But is interlace as sharp as progressive?

So over all I'm getting use to it - but had a brain fart 5th flight and lost it for a few seconds (mentally lost it) got it back in a couple seconds but thought WHEW. I was doing a extreme close fly by a water fountain.

So now I'm wondering about NAZ? mode? I would like to have it be L, R, FORWARD, REV no matter it's orientation? I want to shoot video of catamarans sailing, and that's best done from a moving boat. So my "HOME" location will be changing constantly. Is there a setting that will let me move the TX around the lake (on a moving boat) - while flying in a mode that would maintain Left/right/forward/back no matter the phantoms orientation?

 

[Ron K]

Also have not updated any firmware. Have ready - yes and no - and reverting back. What is the consensus? WORKS AS IS - do I need to ask for trouble?

 

[D_Tshudy]

But, these things (considering the technology and materials used to build them) are way overpriced. 'We' the consumers are paying these high prices for a novelty and a limited market at first. For the price I paid for this 1kg piece of plastic, wires and components, I could have bought myself three large screen LED TV's and many other things."

LED TVs are old technology. The engineering is complete and payed for. We're on the cutting edge here and you've gotta pay to ride that wave. Engineering is not cheap, which is really what you're paying for, not the parts.