Hiya all,

My new vision 2+ V3.0 is scheduled to arrive Monday (Yay!) and I have three prop questions.

1) How is it physically possible for a prop to come off one of these?  I've seen a couple videos showing it, but my physics mind says it shouldn't be able to happen.

2)  Since I have the V 3.0 the props are stiffer, Is there a difference in purchasing the Carbon Fiber props?  I like the look of the carbon fiber ones much better. (was at least thinking of putting two on the front for directional recognition)

3) Is there a site that sells the best most accurate ones that DOESN'T charge 20 bucks for shipping?  DJI shipping costs are just crazy.  I understand, shipping from China but... $20 for a $15 dollar item??  (Bonus points for a link to the exact props)

Thanks for all the knowledge I've so far gleened from this forum and I hope that I will be able to contribute soon.

Mark

1) Perhaps not pondering what predicament prompts the prop pop-off, a more practical practice is prevention, eh?  (Simply use the included prop wrench!)

2) Doubtful the carbon props will help distinguish direction.  I slapped some bright neon props on mine and when they're spinning they're invisible.

3)  Shipping cost will depend on where you live so... (you didn't mention)  Look for dealers that have free shipping (Amazon prime)  or near free for X dollars spent.

Thanks for the info.  Yeah, I guess you're right, why ponder as long as you do it correctly.

I Dig the "remove before flight" hang tag for your gimbal.  A.F. by any chance?

I was going to buy some on Amazon or a different site but wasn't sure if they would be a slightly different version and not "original" for that model bird.  Guess I'll just wait till I garner more info and actually see the props in my hand.

And... who did the skin for you're Phantom?  I'd love to design one and have it made.

Thanks Gil

mark@eagleputte Posted at 2015-1-18 01:05
Thanks for the info.  Yeah, I guess you're right, why ponder as long as you do it correctly.

I Dig  ...

You can get the "remove before flight" here

http://www.ebay.com/itm/25160444 ... =STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Hi Mark,
Re 1: although the props have self locking left and tight hand threads if you get a motor failure or stall the momentum of the prop at 4-5000rpm can continue and unscrew the prop- I have read 2 reports of this.

Re 2: DJI do not recommend third party carbon fibre props (at least they didn't) because they are too stiff.  When doing rapid changes in direction , or particularly fast descents, (not a good thing to do anyway.) the normal props act as a shock absorber and flex a little. Carbon fibre props do not.  There are several videos showing how carbon fibre props have caused problems on descents because of this, a couple even falling out of the sky.

The other important point is balance.  The DJI props are pretty well balanced.  Third party props in general experience are not. Unless you are prepared to learn the balancing procedure I would stick with DJI props.  An unbalanced prop with give poor results and add additional strain on the little motors.

Re 3:  see RE 2!      I would learn to fly this before carrying out mods, there is much to learn both from the downloadable manual and this forum.  Read and learn and then ---read and learn some more and you will have a lot of fun!! Let us know how you get on and welcome to the machine!
Cheers!
Rod  

mark, you can get DJI carbon fiber props here:

https://store.dji.com/product/e300-9443-carbon-fiber-white
https://store.dji.com/product/e300-9443-carbon-fiber-yellow

If you buy one set of both, you might be able to use them for directional purposes since you can see the tips when the props are spinning. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to see them when far up in the air though. Whatever you choose to do, it's not a good idea to install different types of props on the front and back.

rod, I have three sets of DJI props (non carbon fiber). None of them were balanced. I was able to easily balance them though using this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product ... Id=YGZB3I5VYIURE44H

Many local hobby shops are DJI dealers and carry parts.  They usually price the same as the major on-line bonafide dealers or close to it.  No shipping charges and immediate posession.  Our local shop in Daytona Beach carries the DJI products line and many parts.

Local shops are a great place to put your eyes and hands on the products, meet like-minded folks, ask questions real time, purchase your products real time, and get good customer service with face to face communication.

If we don't support our local shops, we will lose them.

mike@singerscre Posted at 2015-1-18 05:24
mark, you can get DJI carbon fiber props here:

https://store.dji.com/product/e300-9443-carbon-fiber ...

Hi Mike, yes It is a fairly simple process I  agree.- I was really thinking about the learning curve for Mark as a noobie to our world.  There is already a lot to digest with a FV2+ in standard form- I didn't feel it was good for him to add another variable into the mix.
Cheers!
Rod

What you say makes sense Rod, don't mess with mods until you understand it's original flight characteristics.  I would not have added them right off the bat, just kinda "thinking in the forward" as it were.   
But... now that you mention that Rod   I WAS going to add one mod as soon as I took this for it's maiden voyage.  I was going to add two "paint stir sticks" to the landing gear to make is a more stable platform for landing.  I was going to drill holes through the sticks and zip tie them to the stock landing gear with the wide part of the stick pointing upwards to reduce the air flow restriction from the props.   I have seen a good amount of videos where the quad pitches forward on landing.  The thought process was to make a more stable landing platform while learning.   Yay or Nay, your opinion?   I do fly smaller quads now, I can fly in "expert mode".  But I'm far from an "expert" in my humble opinion  I have a QX180 and a Hubsan x4.

Thanks for the links Mike, but those are the ones that charge $20 shipping.  I wish I had a competent hobby shop in my area, but honestly it's like a 2 hour drive to the closest.  So, I'm basically reading, watching, and asking those of you that have experience!   And yes, now that you mention it, mixing the props does sound like a recipe for disaster, even if it's just two motors working harder to balance the craft.

Thanks for your time!

Mark

mark@eagleputte Posted at 2015-1-19 11:39
What you say makes sense Rod, don't mess with mods until you understand it's original flight charact ...

Hi Mark,
yes I must say the stock skids are a bit on the short side- you may get" Gimbal obstructed" or similar message if taking off from grass- that gimbal is incredibly sensitive!  If you are going to mod them just watch you don't upset the balance- I can't imagine you would but it doesn't hurt to think "what if", before you commit it to the wide blue yonder!

You should also check your camera angles for obstruction by the skids. It is a very wide angle lens and just another point to watch. Keep us informed of your progress here and if you get stuck (and you will-we all do!) drop a message here and everyone will do all they can to get you on your way.
Cheers!
Rod