I just  wondered what your opinions are on prop guards. If you're not going to be flying around or near trees and other obstacles, are they really needed?

If you find yourself landing in a windy environment or uneven ground, they prevent the prop from hitting the ground should the drone tip.

I only use mine indoors. Have never used them outside, and have never wished I had. Just stay well away from everything that isn't air

gherd Posted at 2016-1-28 19:02
If you find yourself landing in a windy environment or uneven ground, they prevent the prop from hit ...

Does that happen very often if you only fly in good conditions? I understand there are always exceptions. I just wonder what the pros/cons are to putting the prop guards on.

Prop guards are only going to work if you are not moving very fast. I had a fly away and a user error and hit something going about 5 MPH. the prop guard broke and the prop itself tore itself to pieces....

what it is good for is accidently bumping it during take off, or if you happen to be to close....

the tipping problem will happen if you take off to slow on a hill. can cause problems

I fly in a very wooded area.  without prop guards, I caught a small branch that I didn't see.  dropped like a rock with the prop shattered. big crash big damage.

Did near the same thing with guards on, and I heard it touch the branch and waited for the crash.  but then the guard hit the branch and pushed it away and landed fine.  didn't even hurt the prop

can't prove that the guard saved it, but sure seems like it to me.

Keep in mind that prop guards are going to change the aerodynamics of your craft. Stability in wind will be worse. Flying near trees will always be dangerous (so many tiny branches you can't see or that your props pull in), and prop guards can also hang your craft up in the branches. Justified if flying indoors; although personally I don't fly mine indoors so I don't use them. I fly smaller quads indoors (wet winters here) and guards are useful there.
Good flying!

I prefer to use them only indoors

Prop guards will slow your Phantom, catch the wind like sails, get in the frame when you're filming and possibly cause you to have VRS on descent.
It's ironic that so many people use them to give a sense of safety but they actually have the opposite efect.
If you think prop guards are the answer where you are flying ... you are flying in the wrong place.

Thanks for all your comments! I have a small Hubsan I fly indoors, so won't be flying the Phantom indoors. I just wanted to see what others thought about the prop guard situation.

If you fly like your avatar pic... Guards may be of use.   I have had cyclists driving  past me on major highways doing wheelies, I wasn't impressed.   ;)

Personally, I need to fly close to structures for viewing and evaluation.   I'm flying slow, but use them as a safety precaution

I actually use them all the time.  Yes it changes the aerodynamics, yes it could put a bit more stress on the arms, yes it makes it a little heavier, yes they could get in the picture frame without a little more adjustment..........BUT, I like that my VLOS is further because the outline of the quadcopter has a larger footprint, I like that looking directly at the quadcopter I can tell which way it is oriented (I have orange guards in front and black in back) and also if i happen to land on an uneven surface and the quadcopter tips, my blades won't hit the ground.

My P3A arrives today and I already have the guards ready to install.  I figure that since I am a n00b, it's likely the props would be hitting the dirt more than once.  After I get the hang of it, and when I buy my case I will probably remove them.
PS. my first post!

Never used them on any flavor Phantom I own.  Never felt the need.

I live far out in the country, on acreage, no trees or power lines. I got them as many people say being the Phantom is a little top heavy it has a tendency to tip. It hasn't tipped at all so I am debating removing them. I like the idea it can be seen better with them on. But also they cut into your flight time and make it more difficult in the wind

Hi Guys,

Just a simple question. Do i have to change the props time after time, even if no visible or any damage on its? Or, i can use it until i damage them?
Thanks.
Cheers,

Lajos

lajos.karoliny Posted at 2016-1-29 13:24
Hi Guys,

Just a simple question. Do i have to change the props time after time, even if no visible  ...

You can use them until they are damaged, but you will probably want to invest in a prop balancer and occasionally re-balance them.

I have the removable prop guards (not the DJI OEM ones). I put them on when I am flying in areas with a lot of obstacles like fences, walls, etc. when I want to get a tight shot. If I am flying high in the sky, prop guards come off since the further you go up, the winder it gets and it's true, the Quad will bob around more high up with prop guards on then without.

The other plus I like about the removable ones is that the little plate that bolts onto the underside of the arm acts as a support and adds a bit of strength to the area that is prone to crack.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-1-29 01:28
Prop guards will slow your Phantom, catch the wind like sails, get in the frame when you're filming  ...

I've been flying since July with prop guards and havn't seen any negative affects. But, I have read a lot of people talking about the things you mentioned...is it rumor or have there been tests somewhere I can read up on?

Beau Posted at 2016-1-30 11:44
I've been flying since July with prop guards and havn't seen any negative affects. But, I have rea ...

"is it rumor or have there been tests "
You don't need tests to see that propguards:
Act like sails and catch the wind.
Their weight and wind resistance affect your battery life
They get in your field of view.
These aren't rumours.

One issue not proved conclusively is their implication in a couple of crashes that appeared to be due to VRS which  isn't experienced by a P3 without prop guards.

Anyone who feels prop guards may make their (outdoors) flying safer would probably be better off getting a proper fear of trees and obstacles and just not flying near them.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-1-29 17:48
"is it rumor or have there been tests "
You don't need tests to see that propguards:
Act like sail ...

What does the acronym VRS stand for?

I like them on for catching and releasing by hand. Less chance of face damage. I have not seem them make the copter behave any differently. Not here to argue, just saying it's been fine with them on.

Beau Posted at 2016-1-30 02:55
What does the acronym VRS stand for?

I like them on for catching and releasing by hand. Less chan ...

VRS = Vortex Ring State. This is a dangerous situation when you are descending into your own prop wash, well known for both helicopters and quads! When this occurs, giving more power just feeds the vortex ring and down you come... Quite impressive with quads, they wobble a bit and drop like a brick (you need to quickly move out of the vortex to get control again). This was a problem for earlier Phantoms and explains why your maximum descent speed now is so limited. The doubt arises with prop guards which could change the maximum safe descent speed. As Labroides points out there have been a few cases...

Today I went flying.  I put the guards on because I was planning on flying a little further than usual and their red color helps to see it better, especially against white clouds.  There was a very slight breeze when I took off, but nothing at all to worry about.  I flew for about 15 minutes and as I brought it back to land, a wind picked up.  I would guess it was around 10 mph.  As the drone touched down, one side landed on a stick, setting the drone a little off level.  The wind then blew the drone over and the prop guard tapped the ground before the done settled upright.  I am still new at flying a Phantom so certainly it was my piloting in part.  However, had the guards not been there, I probably would have lost one or two props.  I really haven't noticed much of a difference with them on or off.

gherd Posted at 2016-1-31 18:23
Today I went flying.  I put the guards on because I was planning on flying a little further than usu ...

Thanks for the info, that's good to know. I've ordered a set of quick-remove prop guards from Amazon. I just haven't decided if I"m going to put them on or not.

Try them, you can always take them off.  Also, I was reading about people having issues with the drone's body cracking under the motors.  Someone mentioned you can by a reinforcement piece.  When I googled them, I found what looked like something almost identical to the guard mount.  I figure if I never put a guard on, at least the mount for it acts to reinforce the body.  

johnsr Posted at 2016-1-30 23:53
VRS = Vortex Ring State. This is a dangerous situation when you are descending into your own prop  ...

Is the vertical descent speed limit (I think 2-3m/s) only applied when the craft is descending vertically?  I would assume VRS doesn't apply if you were moving forward and descending at a quick speed say 5-10m/s.  That would be nice if the firmware recognised there was no danger of VRS due to forward velocity, and allowed a faster rate of descent.  That way you could descend and land faster from high altitudes, particularly by "corkscrewing" without danger of losing control.  Perhaps the vertical descent speed could kick in a short distance from the ground to prevent smashing into it at speed?

endotherm Posted at 2016-2-1 15:35
Is the vertical descent speed limit (I think 2-3m/s) only applied when the craft is descending ver ...

Except that it doesn't work like that at all.
Watch your flight data sometime and you'll see that you can't make the vertical speed fatser that 3 m/sec as shown in the specs.
Try all the corkscrewing and ducking and diving and you'll note the the VS does not exceed 3 m/sec.

The older P2 was able to descend at 6 m/sec when it was first released and you had a choice of fast zigging and zagging descents, go slow or come straight down into VRS and crash.
Because of the number of crashes and the difficulty of education the user base DHI altered the descent speed to 4 m/s and then 2 m/s for the P2 to prevent users getting into VRS situations.

For the P3 with offset motors, DJI designers were able to increase the descent speed 50% to 3 m/s with no risk of VRS.
However if you handicap your Phantom3 with prop guards, VRS is still a risk.

endotherm Posted at 2016-2-1 05:35
Is the vertical descent speed limit (I think 2-3m/s) only applied when the craft is descending ver ...

Fully agree with Labroides comment about the VS limit. The prop guards are best adapted for indoor flying. The usual argument outdoors is the "tipping over when landing" worry.This is usually due to incorrectly stopping motors (avoid the CSC maneuver); just hold the throttle down for 3 seconds as stated in the DJI manual method 2, and don't land on uneven surfaces (learn to safely handcatch for tricky conditions).

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-2-1 17:58
Except that it doesn't work like that at all.
Watch your flight data sometime and you'll see that y ...

I get that the designers have limited the descent speed based on previous models experience with VRS, regardless of whether prop guards are fitted or not.  My understanding of VRS is that you are descending down into your own turbulence, which isn't there if you are also moving forward at the time.  What I was suggesting is having the firmware being aware that you are moving forward at speed, allowing you to descend faster than the 3m/s safety limit because the VRS would not be present under the props.  If you aren't moving forward and descending the 3m/s would apply.  If you are moving forward and descending, or corkscrewing, the limit could be increased proportionally up to say 6m/s.  It would be a condition like how the left stick down turns off the motors, but it is conditional on vertical speed=0.  What I'm suggesting is:

if horizontal speed=0 then VS = -3m/s max
if HS = 3 to 5m/s, then VS = -4m/s
...

and so on up to -6m/s at full horizontal speed.

Also, I thought I read somewhere that the designers were able to increase the descent rate from earlier models by using the larger P3 props, suggesting the VRS doesn't occur as early with the newer/larger/wiider props.

I've flown with and without prop guards and not really noticed a difference.  I tend to fly in still air or low wind speeds though.  I've come straight down at full speed from 120m with guards and not seen any instability -- maybe I've just been lucky or -3m/s is enough to handle prop wash and guard wash.

endotherm Posted at 2016-2-1 23:11
I get that the designers have limited the descent speed based on previous models experience with V ...

Perhaps implementing a variable algorithm as described is too complex or they never thought of it?

"Also, I thought I read somewhere that the designers were able to increase the descent rate from earlier models by using the larger P3 props, suggesting the VRS doesn't occur as early with the newer/larger/wiider props."
The P3 props are exactly the same size as the P2 props.  The big difference is that the motors of the P3 are offset.
My testing and all the reports I've found indicate that with no prop guards, the P3 is safe from VRS.
Even with the large number of fliers using prop guards, I've only heard of 2 or 3 crashes that might have been VRS contributed to by propguards.

I can verify that prop guards have saved at least three props on my P3P.  I don't temp fate and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
HTH, YMMV

(Also, my hat's off to all of those 'perfect' flyers out there who never, ever make a mistake.)

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-2-1 23:20
Perhaps implementing a variable algorithm as described is too complex or they never thought of it? ...

> The P3 props are exactly the same size as the P2 props.

I might be going back a bit further than that, I thought they went from 8045 (8" x 45 wide in P1)  to 9443 to 9450.

They are cheap insurance. A wobbly landing to something happening where the quad runs into someone. Also the sets with two different colors are nice to maintain your orientation. Red in the front, white in the rear.

Kinda wished I had some (at the time). We had a big storm last week, so I took the P3A out to video the roof damage.  As I was decending in the backyard, about 3 feet from the ground, the wind carried it over right into my vinyl fence. Thankfully only the props were damaged. I ended up throwing all 4 away for good measure (as I seen chips/chunks missing from at least one prop).  Had I had the prop guards on, this wouldn't have happened (or if I had tried to hand catch). I ended up buying a set of removable prop guards immediately after.