Hi all, I have been flying my F2V+ for two weeks now after many months of researching the 'how too's' and as a newbie may I suggest to anyone starting up to read the manuals and training material to avoid crashes and fly aways. That said I have experienced a couple of things I can't find any information on. Maybe some of our experienced Phantom pilots can help.

1. After going through the synchronisation dance and making sure that I have a slow flashing green on the rear LED's I can take off perfectly in GPS mode (sw1 forward) and do a couple of laps around the local rugby field without any problems. But more often than not when I fly overhead, I notice the front LED's are permanently red. Can someone tell me what that means? On lift off they weren't luminated (off). I don't really notice any change in manoeuvrability but I'm to scared to go any long distance in case it means my GPS isn't functioning properly. It only happens after a few minutes of flying.

2. After about 3 hours of flying I have noticed a high pitch squeal is coming out of one of the motors, sounds like a bearing is going (not sure which one). Already? Is there anyway we can 'service' the motors in case there is grass dust or something in there. I have had great flights no crashes (touch wood) and no bad landings, always smooth and soft, but the grass is sometimes a bit long and the blades have done a bit of grass trimming. The squeal has only just happened after about 2-3 hours total flight time. I would appreciate it if anyone can shed some light on these two issues.


I would like to offer my own suggestion which is what I have done to my Phantom. Fly with prop guards always and protect your investment. I spray painted mine yellow for the front and red for the back which helps when its in the sky. They look really cool when they are painted and adds some colour to the slightly drab 'all white' Phantom. My next purchase is the black carbon fibre props, that will finish the look even more. Plus helps with orientation.

Nice to meet you all and look forward to sharing some memorable experiences.

Peter - New Zealand

Hi DJP, for Question #1, the front LEDs are supposed to be red. To a certain point when flying LOS, it helps us see where the phantom is pointed. For Question #2, I thought a high pitch sound is normal when the phantom is rotating/panning. It is the same for my Syma X4A which I used to practice with at home. I suggest you wait awhile until the more experienced flyers wake up

Regarding your plan to buy "black carbon fibre props", there is a lot of discussion in the forum. I suggest you read up some more about this subject and know the risks before purchasing. Cheers

Hi Godfrey, phew.. Thanks I suppose being over careful can be a hindrance too. Good to know the red light isn't a bad omen I will see how the squeal goes and see if it gets any worse or not. Thanks for the advice about the black carbon props I will read more.

Cheers

Re the carbon props - bad reports from them, stick with your DJI and dye them like a lot of us have. But dont think dyed props will help you see it any better, they dont. They are spinning too fast for the colour to help. I was disappointed when I put mine on, they look great on the ground, but when flying you cant see them. I have a red set and a blue set.

The front lights should come on as soon as the motors start. If the are off until you lift-off that is not right

My motors make noise because they are spinning but they don't "squeal". They should all sound the same and not change sound after 3 hours.
You can clean your motors with compressed air.