Dear all,

I am trying to figure out if I should buy a phantom 4 advanced vs phantom 4 pro. The advanced is 1199$ instead of 1499$. By reading  here  https://store.dji.com/guides/phantom-4-advanced-vs-phantom-4-pro/ the only two differences are:

-The advanced does not have back and side sensor (only front bottom)

-With the the P4P you can choose between 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz to gain clearer signal stability in areas with high radio interference. The P4A does not support the 5.8 GHz frequency band.

Do you guys have ever had problem with signal by using the advanced? Do you think it matters? I am gonna used it for carrying out some research in coastal Georgia.

Also, they both come with the plus upgrade, but I guess that just using a 5-6 inches phone is fine.

Thank you

A.

Aloha A,

     The differences you note can make a big difference depending on the type of research you what to use it for.  2.4 GHz transmissions are a major source of interference.  The 5.8 GHz transmissions allow you to get around that interference.  The sensors on the side and back can save your investment.  It all depends on the type of flying you want to do.

     The + (plus) versions of the P4A and P4 Pro use an Android based display that is not interchangeable with other devices.  For example, if you want to use the DJI free download Ground Station Pro, you will not be able to use it because it is an iOS app.  Not for Androids.  It really depends on what you want to use the Phantom for.

     Many Forum members have come here complaining that they did not put enough thought into their purchase and not they are stuck with an "unusable" product.  They only have themselves to blame.  But you are asking important questions prior to the purchase.  That is very important!

     There are many satisfied DJI customers that have bought the P4A.  Those who own the P4 Pro are satisfied and amazed at what it can do.  Ask questions.  We have helpful answers.

Aloha and Drone On!

I think for the extra cost the pro is a much smarter purchase having the extra sensors can be usefull but during normal flight the side sensors are turned off but having the rear sensor definatly helps.
The pro and the advanced are both awesome camera platforms and both should serve you well.
Really the choice is upto you its your money do your research prior to purchase understand fully what you are buying.
Personally if i was looking at doing research with it i would steer clear of the plus models as you have limited abilities to add extra apps if needed.

Thank you. I need to do a lot of photogrammetry, using waypoints with still pictures , and I will need to make  videos..Some things are still not clear after  your answers:

1)you said "during normal flight the side sensors are turned off". Why? What is a non normal flight? When are they on?

2) I think the question here is: are you guys aware of any drone falling down cause it lost the signal?

3) I need to do a lot of photogrammetry, using waypoints with still pictures , and I will need to make  videos...if the remote loses the signal, is the drone gonna keep following the waypoints and take picture? Or if I lose signal while recording video, what happens?

4) Can  the drone switch automatically between the 2 frequency? Here on the discription of this youtube video it actually says:  "Believe it or Not: As per Manual - For Urban Area 5.8ghz is best and for long range open spaces 2.4Ghz is best. However most guys assume that AUTO option will choose the best Freq between 2.4 & 5.8 and it does NOT. AUTO only chooses the best channel of the Freq you are on. "  So looks there is no automatic way to switch between the 2 options.

Thank you
A.

5) How do I turn on email notifications for posts?
Thanks

Hellsgate Posted at 2018-4-25 03:50
I think for the extra cost the pro is a much smarter purchase having the extra sensors can be usefull but during normal flight the side sensors are turned off but having the rear sensor definatly helps.
The pro and the advanced are both awesome camera platforms and both should serve you well.
Really the choice is upto you its your money do your research prior to purchase understand fully what you are buying.

I personally prefer the plus version. I had a phantom 4 standard for over a year and got the chance to fly the pro + version for about a month and enjoyed the easiness of use. Basically just put the props on and turn on the RC+AC and you're good to go. No need to hassle with external phone/tablet and if you happen to have a "not so compatible" phone/tablet, you may run in all kinds of problems with the dji go 4, but with the + controller all works great and the video signal is great with no lagging. I know there is downsides like the limited ability to use different apps, but i've personally never needed them anyways.

Venexiano Posted at 2018-4-25 06:15
Thank you. I need to do a lot of photogrammetry, using waypoints with still pictures , and I will need to make  videos..Some things are still not clear after  your answers:

1)you said "during normal flight the side sensors are turned off". Why? What is a non normal flight? When are they on?

Ok well there are a few different flight modes you can choose. 3 are by a switch on the rc p mode, s mode and a mode these are position sports and attitude modes.
There are a number of different modes you can choose within your program now depending on which app you choose to fly with will deped on what options you will get.
Litchy for instance is dji approved but has many features that go app doesnt.
Many programs have waypoint features and the ability to preprogram flights pri to getting to a destination or prior to flight.
I'm sometimes called upon to search an area to do this i use precision flight i can photograph every square centimeter within any given area using that app and at a speed that i choose.
As far as loosing signal if its just the video signal then dont worry too much about it the main copy of all photos and video are stored on an sd card within the drone this will not have any signal loss corruption on it.
In the case of complete signal loss if the drone looses signal with the remote after 3 seconds it will automatically activate a preset set of instructions that you can choose.
Either return to home, hover or land.
In rth it will accend to your preset altitude then return to its take off point and land.
In hover it will do just that it will continue to hover in that location untill it either reconects to the controller or goes into low battery situation.
In land it will do just that it will land were it is.

The side sensors are turned off during normal flight only the p4pro has this feature the p4 A doesnt have it.
It gets used in tripod and a couple of other modes but during normal flight these sensors dont function I'm not sure exactly why this is the case but there are a number of good reasons one is to conserve battery power as far as the frequencies that you use then yes 5.8 can sometimes be better in city locations it has a shorter range but much less interference.
2.4 ghz has longer range but is suseptable to interference from mobile phones and networks so yes it is much better suited for country locations however many people in cities still fly in 2.4 ghz and dont have any problems at all. The drone will not switch automaticly between 2.4 and 5.8 it will only switch between channels within each frequency.

If i was you i would go for the Pro, not for the sensors they are subject to a lot of trouble as they don't work in low light and work too well when the sun is shining.
Your profiles tell that you're in US so you can take full advantage of the 5.8 frequency that is not worth much outside US, that is why i say go for the Pro.

"I need to do a lot of photogrammetry, using waypoints" and your other requirements makes me advise you to not even think of the Plus(+) RC, Aircraft is identical but you will soon be standing with the need of an App that just won't work on the +. Even DJI has sent out a FW version making it more easy to run other apps there still is some issues with that and should you get need of an app only made for IOS you would be lost.

think software also needs to be taken into consideration, as I found that Phantom 4 pro has higher firmware than P4A, which supports Panos...