Right, I need some help and advice.

To cut a long story straight my P3S malfunctioned and dropped from the sky, after a lengthy battle with DJI and the supplier I am being given a refund.

Now, what should I do next, I am toying with two options:

• Take advantage of the sale price at the moment and buy a P3A
  

or;

• Pre-order the new Yuneec Typhoon H 4K.
  

Anyone thinking about moving away from DJI or does anyone use mutiple companies, any suggestions or advice would be greatful. Send me your Pros & Cons.

Well seems the P3A has a huge range advantage over the  Yuneec Typhoon H 4K, from what I read the Yuneec can only go 1400 to 2000 feet before losing video feed.
It does seem the Yuneec can take a crash much better than the P3, especially the camera, some crashed into trees/hard landings with zero camera damage just prop.
The Yuneec comes with a built in viewer on the controller. The Yuneec is huge, dwarfs the P3A in size, more like an Inspire.
Seems the Yuneec is more for casual flying where the P3A is well more advanced...........lol.......
Good video with comparisons

snowsurferss Posted at 2016-2-3 18:07
Well seems the P3A has a huge range advantage over the  Yuneec Typhoon H 4K, from what I read the Yu ...

Good Video,

My Pro's for the Yuneec at this time.

• Intel - sensor to avoid obstacles
• 4K - With 360 view (plus doesn't look as delicate)
• If one motor goes down then it can still fly (Which was the death of my P3S)
• Screen incorparted within the screen(However the RC does look ugly)
• Copter looks more durable
• Comes with so much more 2 x Batteries, Case, Sun shade and layward plus more....
  

Negatives of Yuneec, which Phantom does better

• Range, the Phantom Advance range is unparalleled to most drones on the market.
• Phantom looks better, Typhoon H looks more like a prototype(however looks like it could take more damage)
• Advance is cheaper
  

The Bat Drone Posted at 2016-2-4 06:06
Good Video,

My Pro's for the Yuneec at this time.

You need to look a little closer at the Yuneec.
Look  at its speed as well as range.
Look at the obstacle avoidance ... it's an optional extra .. at extra cost.
And how effective is it .... what speed does it work at?
Look at  the  Yuneec controller.  How convenient  is it  compared to the DJI with your choice of screens rather than being stuck with theirs.
How good is the Yuneec camera?

How much more does the  Yuneec offer for how much  more cost?
factor in that it's still a prototype and no-one has one to test.
Is it going to have teething problems?
Is it  going to  live up to its pre-publicity or end uplike the Walkera Tali H-500?

At the  current sale price, DJI is almost giving away the P3 Advanced and nothing else comes close for features.   
It's a one-horse race.

Don't forget DJI customer service.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-2-3 23:04
You need to look a little closer at the Yuneec.
Look  at its speed as well as range.
Look at the ob ...

And they are very good points raised.

From the start DJI have always been the front runner for me and I very much enjoyed my P3S while I had.

However, their customer service is not great, which has caused a lot of stress and do I want to go through that again?

Nothing I have seen on the market has come till now which appears to be the Yuneec typhoon H. But like you said, this product is not out yet, so we don't know how it shall preform.

At this time I can preorder it for £1,399 and that comes with the avoidance sensor.

retired dog Posted at 2016-2-4 00:17
Don't forget DJI customer service.

I haven't !! I'm still scared by it

However is Yuneec any better ?

snowsurferss Posted at 2016-2-3 13:07
Well seems the P3A has a huge range advantage over the  Yuneec Typhoon H 4K, from what I read the Yu ...

This opinion seems to favor Yuneec. I am in same similar position to original poster. Returned my p3p because of so many price drops in drones in general. Not sure which way to go at this point

jacksdrone Posted at 2016-2-4 01:01
This opinion seems to favor Yuneec. I am in same similar position to original poster. Returned my  ...

http://improvephotography.com/36473/14-reasons-why-im-buying-the-yuneec-typhoon-h-and-not-the-dji-phantom/

Have a read of this, written by someone who has most likely been scorned by DJI but he tries to be un-biased at the end.

One thing that was interesting to know is that it comes with a handle to attach the camera to. So you basically get a Osimo free with the drone plus all the other extras.

The Bat Drone Posted at 2016-2-4 12:22
http://improvephotography.com/36473/14-reasons-why-im-buying-the-yuneec-typhoon-h-and-not-the-dji- ...

"Have a read of this, written by someone who has most likely been scorned by DJI but he tries to be un-biased at the end."
Have a read of the comments on that article ... particularly the 4th one for some real detail rather than fluff.

If you're impressed by a yet-to be released drone that costs more than double the price of the P3 Advanced but has less features (the kind that matter - not gimmicks) then go for it.

The Bat Drone Posted at 2016-2-4 03:06
Good Video,

My Pro's for the Yuneec at this time.

I highly recommend you to do a test flight before buying . That is the best way to make a decision you will not regret about

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-2-4 02:25
"Have a read of this, written by someone who has most likely been scorned by DJI but he tries to be  ...

What more features does the Advanced have over the Yuneec. Wouldn't you love to have a device that doesn't fly into object?. Interchangeable platform for the camera? 360 view 4K and it's half the price of the Inspire.

But please don't get me wrong, I'm not ready to jump into bed Yuneec. The proof is in the pudding.

And like DJI-Tim said I may just wait till it comes out and let other people find the faults.

The Bat Drone Posted at 2016-2-4 20:49
What more features does the Advanced have over the Yuneec. Wouldn't you love to have a device that ...

"What more features does the Advanced have over the Yuneec.  .. Interchangeable platform for the camera? 360 view 4K and it's half the price of the Inspire. "

Well a couple of basic features that matter:
Price US$1799 - 125% more than a P3A
Maximum Speed in Angle Mode: 22.4mph (10m/s) - P3 = 15 m/s .. 50% faster!!
Transmitter range - up to 1000m (optimum conditions) - P3 5000m+
Wifi vs Lightbridge

"Wouldn't you love to have a device that doesn't fly into object?. "
Not particularly, it's one of those great selling points like follow-me - things that sound great but don't make much difference.
I'd wait to find out exactly how it performs before I get too excited about  it.
Lots of digging and I couldn't come up  with details but the other attempts at object avoidance so far are pretty lacklustre.

The Q500 4K is $899 and comes with two batteries and a case.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-2-4 11:53
"What more features does the Advanced have over the Yuneec.  .. Interchangeable platform for the c ...

And they are good points raised.

DJI Lightbridge of what i've seen is fantastic, but in a world of ever tighting restrictions and the fact you should not be flying BLOVS does it really matter.

However I have decided to stick with DJI and give them one more chance, today I placed an order for a P3A. But I shall keep my options open later down the road...

retired dog Posted at 2016-2-4 11:58
The Q500 4K is $899 and comes with two batteries and a case.

The one big problem with this is the remote, I find it ugly and the screen is too small. One thing that attracts me to the Typhoon H is the Intel sensor and the fact it could fly with a motor failure.

I have a Blade 350 QX3 - old, but still dependable. One of its beauties - just about all the components are still separate and can be individually repaired/replaced. It still works quite well, but the camera doesn't hold a candle to the camera on my P3Pro.

Also have a Chroma - a Yuneeq with a different label. It has some features similar to the Phantom - easy to fly, integrated display with the controller and a nice camera. The camera is great for casual stuff and shoots 1080, but still not the flexibility of the P3Pro camera.

And last, but certainly not least, I have a Phantom P3Pro. Love it. Fly it perhaps just a little less than the Chroma, only because it's a tad more time consuming to "get ready" to fly - round up the bird, the controller, the batteries, the tablet, etc.

You truly need to take the sale prices with a grain of salt - sort of. Look at all the sale prices that have already come along for the Phantom. After introducing the Pro and Advanced, they came out with the Standard at a greatly reduced price. But it has "missing features" relative to what's on the Pro/Adv.

The quad/drone market is getting bigger and bigger. If you surf the web even just a little, you'll see that new models are springing up like daisies in the springtime! It's like the good old days when PCs first came out. $1,200 for a decent clone and then six months later 20 new models came out. Then six months after that, etc., etc., etc.

Durable? Personally speaking, the only quads that are durable are the little guys designed more-or-less to be flown indoors. You can bounce them off the wall (or the blinds or the curtains, or the....) and they'll easily live to fly another day.

If you slam your Phantom, Yuneeq, 3DR, etc., complete with camera, into a pretty solid object - at any reasonable height, it's katy-bar-the-door, i.e., serious repair/replacement time.

What quad to buy and when to buy it is sort of a crap shoot. It's a paradox. (1) Look before you leap or (2) He who hesitates is lost.

Last, but not least - I always look back to something Jim Hare wrote here many months ago. (Jim is a professional photographer/videographer.) He asked me if I really wanted to do some serious photography or did I just want to fly around, have fun and take "home movies" in the process.

If you're really doing "home movies" your options are much greater. If it's serious photography you're after and you're looking at a consumer-priced opportunity, the Phantom series is still hard to beat. If you have thousands of dollars to spend, you're probably in the wrong forum!

Buying a quad these days is similar to buying:
(1) a quality bicycle
(2) a quality computer (or tablet)
(3) a music keyboard
(4) a Ford or a Chevvy, or a Dodge RAM
(5) etc.

Good luck. The odds are pretty good you'll have fun no matter the choice.

Art - N4PJ
Leesburg, FL

aburkefl@gmail. Posted at 2016-2-4 12:49
I have a Blade 350 QX3 - old, but still dependable. One of its beauties - just about all the compone ...

Hey, Thanks for your input and i've taken them all on board...for now i've decided to go with Adv and looking forward to getting back up in the sky.

DJI has been the front runners for a long time now especially in the consumer market, however times are changing. The next year ahead will be very exciting for the drone market, looking forward to seeing what comes along.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-2-4 05:53
"What more features does the Advanced have over the Yuneec.  .. Interchangeable platform for the c ...

Your math is WAY wrong.

$1799 is not 125% of $799 (p3a).  Its 225%.

As for the avoidance addon.  Yes, I could appreciate it, especially if it kicked in during RTH;.

Wolfiesden Posted at 2016-2-4 12:24
Your math is WAY wrong.

$1799 is not 125% of $799 (p3a).  Its 225%.

Actually, it's your reading comprehension that is WAY wrong ;)

The quote was "125% more than a P3A", which is correct.  Think of it this way, 100% more would be double the cost.  125% is a bit more than double the cost, which is completely accurate in this case.

retired dog Posted at 2016-2-3 18:17
Don't forget DJI customer service.

Is that a negative, or a positive?

Barney

Wolfiesden Posted at 2016-2-5 04:24
Your math is WAY wrong.

$1799 is not 125% of $799 (p3a).  Its 225%.

There's a big difference between:
$1799 is 125% of $799   (what you think you read)   and
$1799 is 125% more than $799  (what I actually said)

I must be missing something, but while I can pre-order the Typhoon H at B&H and several other US stores, none of them give me the option to add the obstacle avoidance system, nor do they even mention what it costs. And from what I have read of the Intel system, it is not the least bit impressive.

For a start, even with large objects, it does not work at all if the aircraft is travelling at speed. You have to slow it down to take advantage of the feature. At speed it will crash into the object before it can take evasive action.

Most of the demos done with the Intel system show it being employed inside with large objects to avoid, easy peasy. Try doing that outside with fine spindly tree branches or power/telephone lines and even at a moderate speed.

It is so easy to quote some impressive sounding feature on a yet to be released product, another altogether to produce something that works. This feature is not yet practical or mature.

Just my grain of sand. If my P3Pro could only fly up to 8m/s, I probably wouldn't be able to fly 90% of the time.