New Pilot to 3DR - Tips :)

[DevRogue]

get spare props.
get spare props.
get spare props.

i had a minor tip on grass and one semi-snapped off.

these props are way more delicate; i hope plastic ones come out. i've gone through almost 3 pairs already and all from minor knicks with corners. might even go with some custom prop protectors just to save myself from spending $15 each time i fly.

the Hero4 is good with the 2.7k/60fps - otherwise practice on a 3 or 3+. of course get one that can still integrate the upcoming gimbal software.

 

[Steve Hydu]

Just ordered some props as we speak! Thanks for the tip! Just need some extra batteries now!

The hero 4 you recommend is the silver version right?

 

[DevRogue]

Hero 4 black has 2.7k/60fps after firmware upgrade.

i still shy from putting my Hero4 on the quad in case of total loss and hence usually use my 3+ silver instead.

 

[Steve Hydu]

Just got my Solo and I have to say they took some tips from Apple on packaging! HAHA
But seriously it is a beautiful craft and the first flight will be in a few hours!

 

[DevRogue]

take your time and start the quad up WITHOUT PROPELLERS.
pre-program your two buttons to "manual" and "stabilize"
practice starting up the quad and throttling up.

once you're ready, then put on the propellers. control and app settings take some getting used to. lack of propellers means this thing won't take off out of control while you're still trying to figure it out.

if this is your first quad, definitely pick a large large field, at least 3 baseball fields in space if possible. less chance of crashing into anything. altitude is your friend, but don't go too high. and as always, get the lens protector if you plan on flying without a case.

lastly, don't rely too much on the screen and use visual pilotting for the first few times. screen i feel gives way too much tunnel vision and you need to be able to fly without it in case FPV connection goes bad.

 

[DevRogue]

just tried it; to get out of "MANUAL" mode, press "FLY" and you will use GPS sats again. no need to hold down, there's a slight delay when switching from "MANUAL" to "FLY".

tried this w/o propellers though...we shall see how the craft reacts when in flight.

 

[Adimuzio513]

Know it's a bit late but I do fly some with a hero 3 as well as my 4 black and there's no real comparison even at the standard 1080 it still is a ways behind. If your not too worried about if your video is the best the 3 plus is the only cheaper option if you want control in the air when we get the gimbal. Don't personally have that but I'm sure it's a better bet than the 3 white I have for the phantom so really comes down to quality vs budget.

I rarely use the 4k settings it uses a lot of your card even with a 64, keep in mind if you want 4k you'll need a great computer for editing and the high end sd card. I bought a San disk ultra plus and it still won't work so I had to go get the extreme so it's more than just the hundred extra for the 4 black if you want to use 4k. I've sunk quite a bit in More to future proof than film 4k now but still it's a big investment.

 

[DevRogue]

Know it's a bit late but I do fly some with a hero 3 as well as my 4 black and there's no real comparison even at the standard 1080 it still is a ways behind. If your not too worried about if your video is the best the 3 plus is the only cheaper option if you want control in the air when we get the gimbal. Don't personally have that but I'm sure it's a better bet than the 3 white I have for the phantom so really comes down to quality vs budget.

I rarely use the 4k settings it uses a lot of your card even with a 64, keep in mind if you want 4k you'll need a great computer for editing and the high end sd card. I bought a San disk ultra plus and it still won't work so I had to go get the extreme so it's more than just the hundred extra for the 4 black if you want to use 4k. I've sunk quite a bit in More to future proof than film 4k now but still it's a big investment.

yeah sadly 4k doesn't provide you the same bitrate quality as commercial or consumer camcorder 4k. the sensor size just can't pack enough in. i see the difference b/w 1080p and anything above any day though after being around enough 4k footage.

hence why i choose 2.7k/60fps as a good balance. 1080p still works for navigating and general footage, but for something for a production better to work with a higher quality. as for full control of the GoPro, short of starting and stopping the unit i dont really see the benefit unless you do really long distance flights. hate to have the unit freeze mid-menu and not have an FPS; there are video modes that take a pic every few seconds that you can use as well.

 

[Adimuzio513]

yeah sadly 4k doesn't provide you the same bitrate quality as commercial or consumer camcorder 4k. the sensor size just can't pack enough in. i see the difference b/w 1080p and anything above any day though after being around enough 4k footage.

hence why i choose 2.7k/60fps as a good balance. 1080p still works for navigating and general footage, but for something for a production better to work with a higher quality. as for full control of the GoPro, short of starting and stopping the unit i dont really see the benefit unless you do really long distance flights. hate to have the unit freeze mid-menu and not have an FPS; there are video modes that take a pic every few seconds that you can use as well.

Yea makes sense I've been using video plus pictures a lot latley with no gimbal the pics are a lot better than the video only problem is your real limited on options I think 1080 30 is the best case in that setting and it's fine for me but still would be nice to use 2.7 or even have 1080 60. I just feel like the ability to control it in the air is more than worth it for my money. More than even just taking stills I can't wait to be able to experiment and test all the available settings to find what's best for each light condition, time of day or even depending on what and where I'm filming. I'v only been in this a year so I'm still learning and love that instead of taking folks word for it or having to come down constantly and change settings, I can stay up in the exact same spot and run through 30 or 60, 1080 or 2.7 just being able to customize my settings to the best for each scenes why I'm most exited about control.

 

[Raybro]

get spare props.
get spare props.
get spare props.

i had a minor tip on grass and one semi-snapped off.

these props are way more delicate; i hope plastic ones come out. i've gone through almost 3 pairs already and all from minor knicks with corners. might even go with some custom prop protectors just to save myself from spending $15 each time i fly.

the Hero4 is good with the 2.7k/60fps - otherwise practice on a 3 or 3+. of course get one that can still integrate the upcoming gimbal software.

I've been using the same props that mine came with and they are in good shape.

My P2, I have gone through 3 sets of props since March. They tend to chip easily.

 

[Adimuzio513]

Me too prop wise and when mine glitched it tipped but was ok. They do feel thin and kinda cheap IMO though. I'm pretty careful as well I've not broken any on p2 in a year either but they feel a bit less fragile to the touch.

 

[Jubalr]

I've been using the same props that mine came with and they are in good shape.

My P2, I have gone through 3 sets of props since March. They tend to chip easily.

Same here Ray. Been using the same props from day 1.

 

[hoodriderz]

Hmmm I'll have to look there. Any recs for which GoPro to use? Obviously the 4 black is the best but are any of you running a 3?

Hi Steve,
We're looking at a solo setup with a Xiaomi Yi and wondered what success you'd had. Did you get it working? Or did you have to configure the setup with a GoPro?

 

[Chip Luck]

Spare props, go along with spare Flight Batteries and even a spare GoPro, SD card, tablet, phone, etc.

If you are a professional, you cannot go without spares of anything at a real gig. Just a sayin'

Happy Holidays

Cheers

 

[malo_solo]

Yea they have a reputation for crap support. I havent had issues with them and put several hundred (probably 600 or 700) miles in my last vision plus with no failures. Hoping my P3 is just as good.

3DR support will far exceed DJI support. Course they need to get caught up and get some parts in stock.

But they are cheap. I mean i f you do not have any prob, you may not need any kind of support. And DJI is everywhere.

 

[malo_solo]

Hmmm I'll have to look there. Any recs for which GoPro to use? Obviously the 4 black is the best but are any of you running a 3?

Im on it but need some time and "space". A black 3.

 

[Mauiwind]

Appreciate the tips. I just hate how 3Dr took an approach like Apple to make you purchase their Gimbal and GoPro which are good but overpriced in my opinions. There is many other options on the market but they try to lock you up. I also do not like how you need to drop $150 on a spare battery rather than just getting a 5200 mah battery which I can do a decent for about $60. Do any of you have tips on deals for the batteries?

I beg to differ with you, Maestro. I feel strongly that 3DRs prices are a great value and here is why. Service! I've RMA'd a Solo and a gimbal (At ZILCH COST TO REPLACE) and when i have issues I can call tech support 24/7. In the first sevral months, they were a mess, but I'm sure it was growing pains. They stand behind their solo products, and I'm one who knows what a good value the stuff they sell is.