NEW VIDEO :

New Pilot Tips: Remove the Camera
on your Phantom 2 or Vision+ the first few days.

Save your gimbal and save some serious cash. - Learn to Fly L.O.S. (line of sight) first and you'll be better prepared for your first Fpv experience.

Personally, I would not suggest removing the camera just to learn.  If you feel the need to practice invest in an el'cheepo drone and learn on that.  Removing the camera has it's own issues and in the case with the Vision+, you lose everything WIFI; so no feedback for battery, no GPS information etc.

Additionally, it isn't hard to learn; just remember that when you get into trouble; let go of the sticks and the Phantom will level itself.

kenargo Posted at 2014-12-13 09:34
Personally, I would not suggest removing the camera just to learn.  If you feel the need to practice ...

Also, if you lose sight of it and panic, just shut the TX off and that will activate RTH mode.  It won't save you from a crash, but small incremental movements of the throttles until you gain confidence and experience, will go a long way in flying it.

Gerry1124 Posted at 2014-12-13 09:41
Also, if you lose sight of it and panic, just shut the TX off and that will activate RTH mode.  It ...

Another thing I would never do (above).  I think new pilots should setup the NAZA mode right away, just keep the switches both up and no difference from flying without NAZA mode.  If you get into trouble, move the right switch to the bottom, wait 30 seconds and RTH will be activated.  This gives you the extra advantage to take over without needing to wait for the controller to reconnect.

I stayed in GPS mode for awhile.  I bought the Phantom in April and was so nervous the first couple of flights that I never got it out of sight.  Once my confidence was built up, I started to venture out of sight and not worry.  October, I started to fly with NAZA-M mode.

DJI does a good job at scaring people into thinking that enabling NAZA mode is something bad; it's like they don't trust pilots to keep the switches up but I believe that having the NAZA features available, when needed is better than the alternative.  If you only learn 1 NAZA switch; the RTH is the one to learn; turning your controller off just isn't good (IMO) and I (personally) would like to have the ability to switch the right switch (S1) back up when the Phantom comes back into sight or have the ability to take back control if RTH for some odd reason fails to complete (like when GPS locks are lost).

In addition, learning to fly in ATTI (right switch in the middle) is highly beneficial even from the beginning because that is what you get when the satellite locks < 6 and if you rely too heavily on GPS mode then the 1st time you drop into ATTI mode then you are going to freak out and maybe crash.

When I teach new pilots I show NAZA and have them fly initially in GPS mode (switch up) and then have some patterns in ATTI mode (switch middle) just to be aware of the differences so that if something happens with GPS lock they are prepared.

Agreed, removing the camera sounds like a great idea. But a lot can go wrong. Damaging it while removing it. Stripping the stainless screws. Not having any WiFi during flight, meaning no telemetry, no way to confirm home location, no satellite count (other than LEDs), no battery reading.

If you are that concerned about flying it, maybe learning on a cheaper quad may be the best bet.

There is a wiring schematic available to cross wire the grey wires, to get the power back up to the wifi module when the camera is not installed. But I am not sure I would trust splicing or shorting wires. Just doesn't seem safe.

kenargo Posted at 2014-12-13 10:06
DJI does a good job at scaring people into thinking that enabling NAZA mode is something bad; it's l ...

I agree with kenargo...

A few days after I got my Phantom, I had to deal with a flyaway caused probably due to an incorrect "return home" (caused by a drop in GPS reception + a solar storm).
Connection to 6 GPS satellites is not something very reliable... Reception of minimum 6 GPS satellites is not always there (especially with that GPS cable not shielded inside the drone). On top of that, there were people complaining that after last update, the GPS reception is even worse. Therefore, remembering to flip a switch is a very small price to pay to have options.

This will be an interesting problem in the future.
There's no pilot knowing to fly only on autopilot. Also, the cars will get smarter and smarter... But I assume we'll still have to be able to drive manually in case that something goes wrong with the car computer / electronics.

I think this screen capture tells you everything you need to know about this video (by the way, you don't see it until the middle of the video)

My first reaction, eyebrows raised, a video by an authorized DJI dealer the presumption of which is "noob is gonna crash".  So why is he not recommending prop guards?

Uhhh, I've got mixed feeling about this video.  Flying since Feb 2014, consider myself intermediate, own 4 different Phantoms and I've never removed a gimbal.

Sorry for your mixed feelings on the video guys.

But...

Running a store I have to tell you I get loads of upsetting phone calls, emails, walk in customers who just tore up their gimbal on their first or second day. I'm the one who has to tell them that a new one is $679. One guy had his two days and just tapped a neighbor's tree and tore the ribbon cable. Another one plunked it into a sidewalk on the first day in front of his house. Another guy sent his to us in pieces, and bought a new one his first week. Two days ago another guy called me an said his just turned and hit the ground. Who knows? So owning a store we are on the front lines of this and it's messy. From all the carnage we get to see after this happens we resorted to showing new customers at the store in person how to remove it for the first week. They go home fly there, or fly at the store in the field with our guidance. They come back and are happy that we had them remove it. They enjoyed learning the ropes of line of sight flying and getting to know their aircraft.

People are not stoked when they hear that they are either going to have to send it back to DJI for repair and wait a month or more, or buy a new gimbal. Most of the guys that I walk through taking the camera off are happy they learned to fly it first. Then enjoy the camera next. It's a logical progression in R/C. None of the long time pilots went right into flying FPV before learning to fly an R/C aircraft first.

We also said. POSSIBLY crash. So yes, we assume everyone crashes at some point. Hell, I've been flying for 20 years.
I don't crash much, but I do crash.

Yes taking it off yourself is a known risk as we point out. But flying it with no prior R/C experience is MORE risky.
We do teach people to open up NAZA M and utilize those modes. Theres a video on that one specifically.

Also, kenargo.
I mention flying various R/C simulators, and smaller quads before flying a Phantom.

It's not hard to take the gimbal off.

corekiteboardin Posted at 2014-12-13 14:32
Sorry for your mixed feelings on the video guys.

But...

Interesting. What's the percent of unhappy customers (with accidents in the first 2 weeks) from the total number?
It would be an interesting study... If you spend $1000 on a drone, maybe you should learn to operate it before. And there's the question why all these accidents: user error or poor product quality?

I remember when I start flying my T-REX 7 years ago... I started by getting used with it in the simulator. And that saved me quite a lot of money and repair time.
Maybe we'll end up indeed with some sore of license to fly drones in public airspace - prove first that you can fly it reliable and know what to do in case of emergency, lost of GPS signal, etc...

The camera helps me see which is the front of the copter.  you cant rely on the red lights and the red stripes are a joke.  I have crashed mine loads of times, Never once did I think of returning it and complain to the shop, you crash - it breaks, live with it.  You would do better telling your customers where they stand at POS (point of sale) IMO.

These 'posts' do they come with the Vision or only with the Vision+

Maybe somebody here in the us should make a product like the drone expert quick release system. Or perhaps DJI should. Then you can still fly without the camera and have telemetry.

Umpa, in a different world you crash it breaks and people just living with it would be interesting. But we live in the US and when things happen we get phone calls and people need support. Which I don't mind giving. Even if they bought their Phantom somewhere else we still offer support.

ciprianboboc@gm Posted at 2014-12-13 16:12
Interesting. What's the percent of unhappy customers (with accidents in the first 2 weeks) from th ...

Right because some people flying in the first two weeks don't know what to do when they lose GPS and end up getting disoriented. Learning to fly line of sight helps them recover their copter if they lose GPS. They know what to do. It's not a bad thing. It's actually the smart thing to do.

Here is a better option that many folks are not liable to do....

Buy a Phantom 1 - new or great used condition (around $400) and use it to learn to fly. After the basics are learned, strap on a Mobius, GoPro or even the FC40 cam (if you bought that one) and take some stills and videos.

When you really get the hang of it, you have two options:
1. Keep it for stills and for a backup and for demo for others.
or
2. Sell it for about $320

Total investment - about $100-$150 (w/extra batteries, prop guards).
Value=Priceless.

Of course, a lot of people are not going to do this. But they should. Heck, if I owned a shop I'd probably rent them along with a Vision purchase....

droneflyers.com Posted at 2014-12-14 02:20
Here is a better option that many folks are not liable to do....

Buy a Phantom 1 - new or great use ...

We enjoy just fun flying around the FC40 just for the sake of flying it.

Just got the Hubsan X4 H107L from Radio Shack last night to play with.  They are on sale in the store for 39 USD, and if you go to their website, you can get a 10 USD discount coupon, so I only paid 29.99!   Thank you Gil for advice, I am going to train on this before I put Phantom up.

Oh, the one RS has comes with prop guard, extra props, and the little pry tool for prop removal.

Hubsan is a great trainer to start with.

I could swear I posted how I was training with the Hubsan.  core kite, did I post?  Wondering if my post got deleted because I mentioned a competitor.

Weird. I know I commented on your post. Maybe they didnt like it. Sheesh!

corekiteboardin Posted at 2014-12-15 09:08
Hubsan is a great trainer to start with.

Hubsan H107L ??? Just ordered one w/prop guards. Figure to crash the cheap ones first...lol

Just got that one at RS, 29.99 with the coupon!  Tricky flying inside, going to try it outside in a bit.

Corekite, that's twice now my posts have been deleted!  Crazy!

corekiteboardin Posted at 2014-12-14 00:41
Umpa, in a different world you crash it breaks and people just living with it would be interesting.  ...

Thats very good, however it changes nothing I'm sorry to say.