This week I got my "first" Phantom 2 vision back in the air. I installed 3 motor/Esc combos, new shell, and new landing gear with a compass, type the clamps to leg with small screws. The original was moulded into the leg. Anyhow, Since im not using the camera anymore. I have to way of seeing the status except for the flashing and colors of the lights. I was able to set parimeters using the solftware on the computer.. I took it up for first time today, Clear skies, light wind, open field, it set the homepoint as far as I know, since it sat idle for a good 6 minutes or so before I took off. Once in air, it held its position good. I have it set up as a repeater system for the 2.4 wi fi to use with my second Vision drone.

I forgot to turn on the wi fi extender so i landed it, turned the extender on, and took off again. I did NOT shut the power off to drone, only to turn the motors off so i can switch on the extender that was strapped under the body and the Itelelite antenna strrapped across the front of the landing gear. Once in air I moved it around in differnt direction, and it started to wander off. I lost orintation and Since I have the parameters set to a distance of 400ft, It seemed to fly allot farthur. I lost it in the trees. A phone call a short while later,( thanks to my number I put on the drone) i got it back with only bent landing gear, and  compass with internal damage. Attatched my old compass and everything works good now. No props broken, etc.

So what Im asking is.. If you fly a Vision or plus model without the camera and no way of viewing a screen, does all the safty features still work, like failsafe, go home, and home, course lock etc? Seemed like today, mine didnt act like it should...

   I also noticed before I lost it last summer, it made the shorter beeping startup noise when turned on, now it does the additional 3 beeps on the end of the first sound. What caused that to change? It already had the 3.14 software update done last summer before I lost it. I reset the parameters to 100ft away. and 200ft high.
Thanks.

here is what im in the process now.

Why do you have the wifi extender strapped to the Phantom? With the panel attached I don't think she is going to fly properly. Even to lift upmtom60 ft. Weight distribution is going to be the issue.

roy@mcscomputer Posted at 2016-3-24 16:05
Why do you have the wifi extender strapped to the Phantom? With the panel attached I don't think she ...

The battery on the oppisate side counteracts the weight. I already flew it. It hovers fine. The Extender is under there for the panel. Im converting this drone into a "Relay or Repeater" drone setup. If all my experiments work. Its going to be used to hover directly in front of me about 100 or more ft up and redirect the signal from my radio and tablet to the other drone that will fly with it.. (Phantom 2 vision). Basically, the signal will be "redirected" above trees and other obstructions. Then I can fly the other one at a greater distance at low altitude, even 20-50 ft off ground if i wanted.
    If the experiment works out, Im going to put a 5.8 Repeater on there as well and run it to the panel. At the moment, its main purpose will be for waypoint flying. I can set it for 200 ft off ground and still have control of the camera and video without obstructions from trees, etc.

Everything should work fine without the camera. Did you reroute the old gimbal wires so you have all the metrics back in the vision app. Everything works except for the camera view ofcourse!

Good luck!

DJI have sold the P2 without camera/gimbal for a long time, pretty sure they are otherwise exactly the same in operation. if i recall their firmware are the same also for the main board etc. therefore the RTH and switch functions would be identical..So, unless there is something else wrong within the Phantom after the operation (compass or barometer maybe) it should perform fine....Curious if that strapped on antenna is adding to the flight confusion, you might want to remove it, re-calibrate it and try it without before bringing in variables with unknown consequences