Thanks 230 Pilot!
I would only be using it over my own property.
For returning to the launch point, do they have something where I can just push a button letting it know to come back to the launch point as opposed to me having to fly it back?
Can you elaborate on this? "You can set it to follow something and it will go wherever the machine goes. " Do you pre-program a route using something like GPS?
How long does an average drone stay in the air before it has to come back for a re-charge?
Am I assuming correctly they have a view screen so you can fly using that instead of physically watching the drone?
What's a "reasonable" price to expect to pay for a drone with a camera, view screen and a 1-mile range?
I also had the Phantom 4K. Too many captain cokes flew it ($850 at the time) full speed into the garage door.
Yes, there is a button to return it home. It has an onboard GPS and uses wifi to connect the drone controller to a smart phone (that attaches to the top of the controller) for watching the video stream, data, and even some flight control. A friend of mine had the same one with a lower res camera. He was able to program in a flight plan using GPS mapping software, the camera views, direction speed, all of it pre programmed. The entire flight from take off to landing was program. The controller was on the ground. He set it to take off, fly around the perimeter of our lake and video the shoreline from a couple hundred feet up and maybe 50 off shore and return. I am not sure if he used DJI software or another phone app for drones though. I know he had programmed it to fly down the Mississippi river too, he followed the drone with his truck and at the end of the programmed flight, he took manual control and put it down.
Here is his video Dont forget to set the video quality to max in youtube
The Phantom drone is so stable and easy to fly that I had no problem putting the controller in other peoples hands with no practice (even my 10yr old nephew). 3 years ago it had a gyroscope, acoustic altitude sensor, magnetic sensor and GPS. If you flew it up an inch above your head, it was so stable (even in light wind) that you could set the controller on the ground and go walk under it. It knows its altitude, position, pitch, orientation and can sit stable in the wind until the battery dies. I flew mine in the house a few times its so stable. If you are used to traditional RC aircraft, this thing gives nimble, responsive and stable new meaning. There is also an option to turn off the sensor-based flight corrections for the bad@$$ pilots.
The camera is on a 360° full view gimble, the controller has its own control for camera orientation and zoom. The drone carries an SD card for recording. By default, recording is in raw format and you will need a high speed SD card if you plan to record 4k video.
As for battery life, I would get about 20-25 minutes of flight. Flight range is a function of altitude as the GHz frequencies used are moderately blocked by trees. Above 400 feet, Ive had mine a mile away. To that I'll add the new ones are being capped at a certain altitude and geo-locked from flying near airports, so it might be worth your time to find an old Phantom 4k and use the old phone app.
