Yes, the yaw is problematic - it is quite sensitive and I still need to try a new tip I just heard about - using your thumb as a limiter for the lateral stick motion. Placing your thumb very close to the center of the still and pressing it against the resistance can lead to the slow rotation you need to avoid artifact. Still the best shots are the dolly-like lateral shift and the forward and reverse motions.

There are two setting for the lens angle - I just had it set on wide for the first flight.

Mike

Peter, the instructions that came with my Phantom system stated in BOLD ALL CAPITAL letters "MAKE SURE THE GOPRO WIFI IS TURNED OFF WHEN FLYING THE PHANTOM". Apparently the GoPro WIFI frequency would interfere with the flight control frequency used by the Phantom.

From this statement I believe the same rules would apply for action cameras from any other manufacturer that have built-in WIFI capability.

There are so many things that need to be addressed BEFORE flying the Phantom, I've decided to make myself a pre-flight and post-flight checklist to insure I don't overlook anything.

Peter, I was re-reading this thread and you asked about control of the camera Tilt. I forgot to mention that the Remote has a lever on the back left side that controls the camera tilt angle. It moves the camera from looking straight ahead, to pointing straight down, or anywhere in-between.

Ah, that's good Gary.

I wondered after you mentioned that they say not to use wi-fi whilst flying - what then is the function of the USB connection?

The USB connector does two things. It powers the GoPro from the Phantoms main flight battery, and it routes video to the Phantoms WIFI booster transmitter that broadcasts low bandwidth streaming video on 5.8xx GHz to the remote video receiver. There are something like 32 different frequencies to choose from.

The GoPro's built-in WIFI operates at 2.4 GHz; the same frequency as the Phantoms Remote Flight Control frequency. That's why the GoPro WIFI must be turned off before flight.

Gary,

I'm still unclear as to what's receiving the airborne video for the FPV with the GoPro/Zenmuse setup? I saw on the DJI site a solution (BTU/Groundstation), but I think it was for the bigger 'copters that they sell.

Can yours transmit back to a smartphone/tablet, or do you need additional hardware?

Thanks,

Keith

for a good time, click here:

https://copy.com/oD4hPxAJDDKi

(fun with gopro and gaffer tape)

((footcam and frisbeecam are the best!))

Keith. Don't feel bad if you're confused about the DJI Phantom configurations. It took me a month of reading specs, and watching Youtube videos before I finally got a clear picture in my head of what's available.

The very Basic DJI Phantom configuration is this.
It comes with the Phantom quadcopter, Remote control, and a fixed mount for a GoPro. Nothing else. The mount is manually adjusted then fixed at that angle. It also has no shock mounts. This is strictly watch and fly. This system can be "tricked up" with third party accessories to add a shock mounted 3 axis camera mount, FPV video link, and extended range FVP signal transmitter.

Next is a Budget Video Camera setup that has a fixed, non-shock mounted proprietary 720p HD video camera that includes FPV (First Person View) via Wi-Fi streaming of video and telemetry to the free app for iOS or Android devices.

Next is a packaged all DJI Phantom system and parts providing the full set of desirable features. This is the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ system. This contains a proprietary 1080p HD video camera, 3 axis gimbal, and FPV transmitter link. The camera is permanently attached to the Phantom, which is the only reason I didn't purchase this system. There is some debate on the sturdiness of the camera and gimbal on this system.

Last there are the Customized Phantom systems that have the Zenmuse gimbal for the GoPro and that utilize FPV accessory Transmitters and Receivers connected to small video monitors, or combination Monitor/Receivers. This is the per-assembled system I purchased because I was still a novice to the whole experience and didn't want to buy the wrong system. I'm glad I chose this route because almost no two Phantom systems a built alike. If you chose to build a Zenmuse / GoPro Phantom system, be prepared to have to learn a lot about component options and wiring them into the Phantom.

My system transmits FVP video back to my Combo Receiver / Monitor like these. Not to a Smart Phone.

Gary,

Your last post was really, really helpful, as have all your other posts in this thread.

I'm getting pretty clear on what I need to get. Unfortunately, the very nice Sony Action Cam that Spot convinced me to buy is probably not going to be part of the package because no one yet has produced a gimbal that will work with that camera and the Phantom 2.

The FPV rig is the biggest remaining question mark for me. This is especially true after I watched this video:



This is the best test flight video I've yet seen. I say that because it shows excellent flying skills; navigation over a very significant distance; substantial duration (you don't need to watch it all); good control of the camera; amazing video stability; and of course, great video resolution and quality.

The reason for posting is to ask you to look at just the last thirty seconds, when he lands the craft. He is shown in the background and is looking at right-angles to the 'copter. It looks like he may be wearing some sort of goggle device. Are you familiar with this? Do most people fly the device while wearing goggles? Most of the videos I've seen show some sort of viewfinder (smartphone, etc.) mounted to the RC remote controls so you can get the FPV from the aerial camera. However, I always thought the actual flying was done by looking up in the sky. The drone in this video flies so far from home, that it might not be possible to actually see it all the time, so perhaps that explains what the pilot is doing.

If you can shed any light on this, I'd love to hear your answer.

John, I personally don't use FPV goggles. From all the Phantom 2 flight videos I've watched (probably well over a hundred) I've only seen FPV goggles used in one video. But then, these videos don't usually catch the pilot in the Phantoms camera, so the occurrence could be much higher. From the two flights I've had with my Phantom 2, I feel they would be disorienting and a waste of money.

What FPV brings to the party is the perspective of seeing things as though you were in the copter looking out the pilots window (via the GoPro streaming video); hence the term FPV or First Person View. Depending on the options that are installed on the Phantom 2, FPV can be achieved via WIFI and a Booster Transmitter in the Phantom 2, and a Smartphone running the DJI FPV app at the remote control. Or with a 5.8 GHz analog Transmitter on the Phantom 2 and a 5.8 GHz receiver and monitor, or combo receiver / monitor at the remote control. I have the 5.8 GHz Tx / Rx setup.

Personally I like to look at the copter visually while taking off and landing, and when it's within 100' of me. I can orient the controls even though it means reversing the action on the sticks to move forward / back and left / right when the copter is turned so it's facing you. Obviously up and down remains the same. Although by using FPV I could look at my monitor and see myself from the cameras video feed as the copter heads towards me, and from that perspective the stick controls would be completely natural.

The standard DJI part in the Phantom 2 copter that generates the video signal combined with Phantom 2 flight data is a part called the iOSD Mini. Here is a PDF that shows where and what flight control information appears mixed with the GoPro streaming video on your Smartphone or Rx / Monitor. This is how the flight video you linked to was flown. Using goggles, the pilot was flying on 100% FPV camera image and flight control data. From the goggle view he was effectively looking out the GoPro camera to control the camera tilt and steering, while also monitoring all the flight data like Altitude, Speed, Distance from the Remote, Flight Direction, Battery status, etc.

The specs on my system hardware says the FPV video and flight data stream can be received up to 1200 meters from my Home position (my GPS co-ordinates when the Phantom was turned on and received GPS satellite lock-on). This is essentially a half sphere of distance with a 1200 meter radius from my position. As for the Phantoms flight Remote control unit, it claims to have a similar distance. Should the Phantom be flown out so far that it looses touch with the Remote, it will turn itself around and return to the Home position.

I mentioned earlier that I've flown my Phantom twice. The first flight ended in the minor crash that I posted on Youtube. The second was a compete success. I flew it in a county park that has an open field several hundred acres big, with stands of tall trees providing shade for picnic grounds. The take-off, high and long flight in a 10 mph wind, and landing were perfect. Except I turned on the GoPro, but forgot to start recording. I'm now finishing working up a checklist so I don't pull that bone headed move again. Geez.

Gary,

Once again, your response is incredibly useful and answered all of my questions. I had the same reaction as you about trying to pilot using the goggles, but since I have not yet done it, I thought perhaps this was a better way, but that more people didn't do it because it was too expensive.

As for checklists, I can't tell you how many posts I've read that have mentioned this. Apparently there is a lot of gear to connect, and then turn on. And oh yes, don't forget to charge all the batteries in all the different gear.

If I do end up getting this, my use will be trying to get really closeup elevated views of structures, mostly for establishing shots. A decade ago, in one of my early, lame attempts at a music video, I wanted to "fly into" a gym, much as I'd seen a few years earlier in the movie "Moulin Rouge" but could barely approximate it by walking towards the gym, stabilizing it (sort of), and then speeding it up. The effect was pretty lame:



Ever since I did that video, I've been thinking about this.

However, to this day, I still don't know how directors do those "fly through the window" shots. They have become quite common, and I suspect it is a combination of cranes, motion tracking software, and animation.

I like the idea of doing a fly-in, and you're probably right about the equipment the pros use. But keep in mind that using a quadcopter to produce spectacular highly stable camera shots, comes at the expense of the very loud buzzing noise created by the props. It's similar in sound and volume to a small string trimmer.

I've heard people say they want to use one to film an outdoor wedding. Well .... only if you want to hear the sound of a weed whacker in all of your wedding videos. Get it up a couple hundred feet and the sound is reduced to almost nothing. Or use it to get establishing video before and after the wedding vows, But remember, the GoPro does not have a telephoto lens.

Thanks Gary, for describing the hardware setup. I'm finally starting to get it. I was wondering where the price difference came from between what I was seeing on B&H and the base price of the Phantom. But now I see there were a few modules I hadn't thought about.

Two quick questions. One is the transmitter range. I keep seeing the 3,000+ ft (1,200 m) number, but I've seen several videos, including the one John posted that seems like they flew much further than a half mile. Are people using some sort of range extender , or am I missing something else. I did see something on DJI's site about a tablet app that would allow you to pre-program the flight path, but in the recent video that John just linked to, that guys was flying the whole time.

Also, when you talk checklists (great idea, by the way) you said you didn't turn the GoPro on. So I'm assuming that there is no way to turn it on inflight or take any stills. So you just start it and leave it running?

Thanks for all your time in answering my questions. I'm dying to get one, but I want to educate myself first.

Keith

Keith, there are tons of third party accessories that you can buy for the Phantom 2. It's by far the most popular quadcopter on the market today. And they do make extra high gain antennas, higher power transmitters and more sensitive receivers. And there are also many different quality and size FPV monitors and goggles to chose from.

The GoPro HD camera comes with a WIFI based remote control that would normally be used to remotely power up the camera and control its settings and start and stop recordings on up to 50 different cameras. But it happens to be using the same frequency as the Phantoms remote control, so it could interfere with it. That's why they tell you to turn off the GoPro cameras WIFI transmitter before starting the Phantom.

DJI recently released something they call the DJI Ground Station. This is an iPad app and hardware that displays a satellite map image on the iPad with an overlay that allows the pilot to set programmed way-points the Phantom will automatically fly under control of the iPad application. This web site describes what this does and what is needed to integrate this capability into the Phantom flight control wiring. It looks really cool, but this is a manufacturers aftermarket software / hardware kit that has to be installed by the user.

Thanks Gary,

Didn't realize the GoPro start/stop was via the 2.4ghz.

That ground station software looks amazing. But I'm in Denver, so my base altitude would start above 6,000' and Id be afraid to add any more weight to the basic quad.

I was just doing math on the B&H site. I was missing $400 in the cost, but it seems they include a pretty good case($200) and some small goodies like extra Vid LInk batteries and stuff, so that means they charge in the $150~ish range to put it all together. I was thinking that'd be fun to do myself (lots of RC aircraft and heli experience) but the more I"m reading, that sounds like a good $200 to spend.

Thanks to you and Mike for all the help. I hope you guys post some video links here as I want to see what you are dong with it. (You might want to avoid fireworks displays and and major cities for a bit :-) )

Keith

... keep in mind that using a quadcopter to produce spectacular highly stable camera shots, comes at the expense of the very loud buzzing noise created by the props. It's similar in sound and volume to a small string trimmer.I don't understand why so many of the quadcopter videos on YouTube include the sound of the 'copter. What's the point? What does it add to the video? Is this supposed to be enjoyable?? For Pete's sake, find something else to put on the soundtrack: music, birds chirping, someone reading the encyclopedia -- anything but that horrible sound!

And yes, it would be silly to use this gadget to film anything where you wanted to record the sound. There was a truck backing up during a wedding I attended this weekend, and all I could think was "I hope the videographer is plugged into the sound system ..."


But remember, the GoPro does not have a telephoto lens.Yes, that is why I don't think I will be flying very high, unless I want to simulate space station shots from that horrible movie, "Gravity." However, it also provides some interesting possibilities. I filmed a wedding this weekend, but only as a guest, because they had hired a local pro. However, I did bring my kit, and that kit included my Sony Action Cam (a GoPro equivalent). I was going to try out an idea that I got when looking at some slip-n-slide video done up in San Francisco last month when some company set up a slide on one of the hilly streets, and then gave people GoPros attached to long poles (like a ski pole) so they could do selfies while sliding down the hill. It worked well.

My idea from watching those videos was to create the world's cheapest boom shot: attach the Action Cam to a long stick, and simply hold the end of the stick while moving the camera over the dance floor (this was for the reception, not the ceremony). Unlike the GoPro, the Sony AS100 has really good internal stabilization, which is why I was hoping to use it with the Phantom 2. And, because of the extreme wide angle lens, any flexing or bounce or lack of motion smoothness in the long pole won't matter much.

I'm still going to try this at some point. It worked well in my home experiments.

Hi Gary,
Thanks for all the great info in this thread. I must say that given that the frequency of the Phantom's remote control clashes with the Go Pro, it seems ludicrous that they have made their rig exclusive to that camera!

John, I've poked around the Internet and I have run across a few videos where people have mounted their Sony AS15 action cams to a Phantom 2. But none of them were able to get an FPV setup working; which would limit you to line of sight flights.

Peter, what can I say. DJI chose their design and we all have to live with it. It is awkward trying to press and hold the GoPros power button while it's installed in the gimbal. I feel like the gimbal is fighting with me. The same goes for pressing the Record Start / Stop button. Why GoPro decided they needed WIFI in a remote control that can direct 50 cameras escapes me. A simple RF unit like the key-fob car remotes would have been sufficient.

The recommended arrangement is not to use the GoPro's WiFi to control the camera (the 2.4 GHz signal will clash with the Phantom's operation), but to use the Phantom's telemetry to send the view from the GoPro camera down to your ground station. The real quality material will be stored on the micro SD card located inside the GoPro.

I think that means you have to set up the GoPro to any movie or still photography you need before sending the Phantom up into the air. I just bought a Phantom 2 with a GoPro camera last week, and I will be working on the best ways to get the best aerial shots for my future movie projects.

That's what I was just saying. GoPro WIFI = No No bye bye to the Phantom. Holding up the Phantom to turn on the GoPro and then Press Record, causes the Gimbal to fight back; and is a real pain in the a.s.s. At least when the flight is done, the Phantoms battery can be shut down cutting power to the gimbal before stopping the video recording and turning off the camera.

Here's a tip for you. Forget the securing bracket that holds the GoPro to the Zenmuse mount. It's way too awkward and difficult to get at each time you want to install or remove the camera. Use a cable tie instead. Takes just a second and you're ready to go.