With or without prop guards?

[kpspecial]

Your fears of flying without prop guards are extremely over exaggerated.
You've made your point (?) and the constant repetition and snarkiness is becoming tiresome.
It's quite possible to fly safely and responsibly without prop guards.
How do you manage with power tools or highway driving?

Don't even bother with this guy. Clearly has too much time on his hands to troll people with his boring essays.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

Your fears of flying without prop guards are extremely over exaggerated. You've made your point (?) and the constant repetition and snarkiness is becoming tiresome. It's quite possible to fly safely and responsibly without prop guards.
How do you manage with power tools or highway driving?

. . . . .
You are right. Thank you for your contribution. You guys need to have the "last word" so this will be my last response to your posts in this particular "thread".

First of all, the place where I buy my power tools sells tools with blade guards. To my knowledge, you cant make or sell power tools that should have blade guards, without them, here in the Prescott area of northern Arizona. Of course I don't know if that is the case where you are, and hence I don't know if that part of your response is relevant to the issue of blade guards on drones.

Secondly, I really shouldn't comment as to what kind of power tools you have access to. Here in the Prescott area of northern Arizona, the only power tools I have, are not capable of flying off my property and chop up people elsewhere.

Thirdly, here in the Prescott area of northern Arizona, we cant go driving cars around without first having them registered, and getting a driver's license. And you cant buy a car here in the Prescott area of northern Arizona that wasn't manufactured to meet certain minimum safety standards. Of course I don't know if that is the case where you are, and hence I don't know if that part of your response is relevant to the issue of blade guards on drones.

 

[kit_fox]

Wow. Didn't realize a question about prop guards would bring out so much negativity.

I don't use them. I like to be able to disassemble it in a quick manner. Just my personal preference though.

 

[Ian Oberdorf]

It is not regulation to have the guards but they can save you money. If you are a beginner I would advise that you have guards on until you know how your drone reacts with you. For those who crash into another being that gets forced to the hospital, or cause $500 or more in damage you must report to the FAA within 10 days of your incident.

 

[Jthomp]

My snap-on prop guards (including all flight components and screws) weigh 3.7 ounces (31 grams). In a totally no-wind situation and having the copter hold a constant altitude and position with GPS, what percent of total flight time will I lose if I install these over the same flight and conditions without them installed?

 

[Peter Hartmann]

........My snap-on prop guards (including all flight components and screws) weigh 3.7 ounces (31 grams). In a no-wind situation percent of total flight time will I lose?

. . . . .
Hopefully someone has done a technically competent study and can tell us. I am a bit puzzled - you say "snap on" but then note something about screws...? ?

I can tell you from my own admittedly VERY limited experience in operating my new Phantom 3 "standard" first without, and then with prop. guards, if there is any difference, either in still air or in wind, I cant detect it. What is the highest wind speed am I talking about ? It is my understanding that a standard wind-sock such as I have here at my own air-strip goes "straight out" at a wind-speed at 20 mph. I have operated my drone when my "sock" is starting to go straight out.

 

[Erised]

I use them if flying close to family and friends and want to capture video of the event. I also use them to train newbies because they tend to tip over on landings and take offs, other then that I don't use the sails. For me it's like wearing steel toes if I'm moving cement blocks, I don't HAVE to but I feel safer if I do.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

..... because they tend to tip over on landings and take offs,...../QUOTE]
. . . . . . . .

Yes - I had that problem - especially when trying to bring the thing down in gusty high winds. No question my prop guards saved my props.

May I suggest "landing gear extensions"....Internet is full of various different types.

For two reasons.

First - for you guys who HAVE to run without prop-guards, the landing gear extensions make your Phantom far more stable when you touch down.

Second - they are typically made of a tough but spring-like material - great to cushion hard landings.

Third.... - they get your camera higher - I operate my drone off of all manner of surfaces...including wild country with all manner of undergrowth. The snap-on landing gear gets the drone high enough off the ground that the camera is protected from weeds and dirt.

I dont think I paid more than 8 or 10 bucks including shipping!

 

[Erised]

I never had the opportunity to fly in a gym but when the day comes I will put them on. I plan to explore in a rock cut (mini canyon) soon and I will put them on as these may help save the day in the event that GPS lock will fail (and it will).

 

[Jthomp]

. . . . .
Hopefully someone has done a technically competent study and can tell us. I am a bit puzzled - you say "snap on" but then note something about screws...? ?

To attach prop guards almost always requires the operator to attach each prop guard to one of the arms of the copter. The most common way of doing this is to remove each of the four screws which hold the motor in place. Holes in the prop guard are aligned with the four screw holes under the motor and are attached with screws supplies by the seller.

Doing this "in the field" is almost impossible to do without losing screws, so someone invented prop guards where all you attach to the copter is a small plastic pad under each motor. Once you have that done you simply take the remainder of each prop guard and "snap" it onto a pad using that manufacturer's locking mechanism.

One great advantage of the "snap-on" type is that you can easily and quickly put them on and take them off whenever you want.

One disadvantage is that if you ever want to remove those attachment pads, be careful which screws you employ to fasten the motor to the arm again. Screws that are used to hold prop guards on are slightly longer then those which come standard with the Phantom 3. If you try to use one of these longer screws without the prop guard being installed you can easily push the tip of the screw up into the bottom of the motor, thereby damaging it. ALWAYS keep the two different lengths of screws separate from each other (I use a small plastic self-sealing bag for each type, with a slip of paper inside describing what the screws are for.)

Hope this helps...

 

[Peter Hartmann]

I never had the opportunity to fly in a gym but when the day comes I will put them on. I plan to explore in a rock cut (mini canyon) soon and I will put them on as these may help save the day in the event that GPS lock will fail (and it will).

. . . . .

What do you mean....telling us that a Phantom can go nuts on us ? Elsewhere in this forum, on this and other "threads" guys assure us that cant happen..or if it does, cant hurt anyone. So - who to believe....!

Remember, for all we know...rocks have feelings too - you go cut up someone's rock with those blades....and who knows what that particular rock's mommie may do to you....!

 

[Erised]

. . . . .

What do you mean....telling us that a Phantom can go nuts on us ? Elsewhere in this forum, on this and other "threads" guys assure us that cant happen..or if it does, cant hurt anyone. So - who to believe....!

Remember, for all we know...rocks have feelings too - you go cut up someone's rock with those blades....and who knows what that particular rock's mommie may do to you....!

Ha ha yep, Stiff 9 inch plastics blades spinning at 6000 rpm will hurt, I don't need to try it to believe it. And flying in a canyon? The last time I checked if they would move the satellites so I can get a GPS lock they refused, so I emailed dji to see if they can update the VPS to track down 100 feet they never replied. Rocks are people too! happy fishing!