I2 v I1. Which one for Boats and coastal flying

Advexure · Jan 3, 2018

MrTVR said:
Having used both the I1 & I2 for offshore work, launching from the deck of a moving vessel I would strongly recommend the I2 for the following reasons:

1. Dual batteries, IMU & compass means the I2 is less likely to fall in the drink!

2. The I2 is more stable and responsive which makes it much easier to launch & recover from a moving platform.

3. Wind speeds are often much higher out at sea than on land so the higher speed capability of the I2 is helpful.

4. The I2 seems to have less compass issues around large steel objects which us useful if you’re launching from a steel vessel.

5. Personally I find the 10-15 minute flight time of the I1 frustrating in comparison with the 20+ minutes available on the I2

6. Self heating batteries, very useful when operating in the cold North Sea!

I could go on but you get the idea...

The only advantage offered by the I1 is that it’s cheaper to replace if you do drop it in the water. However, if you are a competent flyer that is very unlikely to happen and if it did your insurance should cover it.

Go for the X5S from the start if you can. It will provide much better images and the benefits of a decent selection of lenses.

+1 to all the above. All great points, well said.

MrTVR · Jan 3, 2018

PatrickP said:
woah 24 minutes, must be nice.. I typically get 18 minutes with my i2 / X5S, but I'm flying at about a mile above sea level

samtheparrot at one mile away and PatrickP at one mile high!

I guess that the VLOS rules don’t apply where you guys fly?

Florida Drone Supply · Jan 3, 2018

KranMc said:
FDS - you and the crew are great. Happy New Year to you, too! I know you guys sell various props for the I2, but can the original props be used without running into the red prop issue?

Not for very long...sooner or later all the props seem to develop the "red prop issue". They can continue to be used - they do not come off (at least in our experience and from everything we are aware of). They sound very rough...almost like bad bearings. However, there are some people that have come up with some interesting ways to make them stay a little tighter including using duct tape (the real stuff used on vents), thin strips of glue, etc. There is a small piece of foam inside the prop mounting area that masks the sound for a while until it wears out. Interestingly, the high altitude version of the prop does not seem to suffer from this same problem.

At the end of the day you have to either put up with the problem, modify the props slightly or change them to something else.

Looking forward to helping you with anything else you need.

samtheparrot · Jan 4, 2018

MrTVR said:
samtheparrot at one mile away and PatrickP at one mile high!

I guess that the VLOS rules don’t apply where you guys fly?

My post was to highlight the I2 abilities...not the mission,but since you questioned VLOS, I’ll describe the entire mission. First off Yes the rules apply to me, and this mission took a lot of planning to complete. Due to rough seas, I had to launch and land on shore, I was positioned in a boat that chased my I2 around the course, always VLOS. I had a VO with me, and one at each course marker, all in radio contact. Per Part 107, you can operate from a moving vehicle, as long as it’s over sparsely populated areas..I believe over Lake Michigan qualifies. At low battery, If I was positioned at the furthest marker, I would have to fly 1 mile to my land based landing zone, (so as my original post stated, my aircraft was one mile from shore, not me), while in tow in the chase boat I’m in....Hopefully that clarifies your concerns.

KranMc · Jan 4, 2018

Florida Drone Supply said:
Not for very long...sooner or later all the props seem to develop the "red prop issue". They can continue to be used - they do not come off (at least in our experience and from everything we are aware of). They sound very rough...almost like bad bearings. However, there are some people that have come up with some interesting ways to make them stay a little tighter including using duct tape (the real stuff used on vents), thin strips of glue, etc. There is a small piece of foam inside the prop mounting area that masks the sound for a while until it wears out. Interestingly, the high altitude version of the prop does not seem to suffer from this same problem.

At the end of the day you have to either put up with the problem, modify the props slightly or change them to something else.

Looking forward to helping you with anything else you need.

Has there been any indication that DJI would release a “B” version like they did with some early drones or a 2.0 version like they did with the Inspire? The other solution you speak of, is that the foldable prop solution?

Florida Drone Supply · Jan 4, 2018

KranMc said:
Has there been any indication that DJI would release a “B” version like they did with some early drones or a 2.0 version like they did with the Inspire? The other solution you speak of, is that the foldable prop solution?

No indication that we have heard as of yet. They did a slight modification to the prop mold it seems like because the newer version of the props (with the little foam inserts) were much tighter to close than the original props. Some clients experienced a difficult time closing the white props in place because they were not as loose as the red props were. I would not rule out the possibility of them releasing a new prop and mount - but we have absolutely no indiction it is coming yet. If you look at the Inspire 1 you will see there have been a handful of different props and mounts for that copter.

The other solution is the permanent attachment of a folding prop. We sell a couple different options if you decide you like that idea.

Thanks!

sailor · Jan 5, 2018

Florida Drone Supply said:
Not for very long...sooner or later all the props seem to develop the "red prop issue". They can continue to be used - they do not come off (at least in our experience and from everything we are aware of). They sound very rough...almost like bad bearings. However, there are some people that have come up with some interesting ways to make them stay a little tighter including using duct tape (the real stuff used on vents), thin strips of glue, etc. There is a small piece of foam inside the prop mounting area that masks the sound for a while until it wears out. Interestingly, the high altitude version of the prop does not seem to suffer from this same problem.

At the end of the day you have to either put up with the problem, modify the props slightly or change them to something else.

Looking forward to helping you with anything else you need.

actually my high altitude props suffered the same issue

Florida Drone Supply · Jan 5, 2018

sailor said:
actually my high altitude props suffered the same issue

Did they really??? Thats too bad. Was it something that happened over time or were they bad pretty much right from the beginning? We have had some better luck with the high altitude props staying tighter.

Thanks for the info...

sailor · Jan 5, 2018

Florida Drone Supply said:
Did they really??? Thats too bad. Was it something that happened over time or were they bad pretty much right from the beginning? We have had some better luck with the high altitude props staying tighter.

Thanks for the info...

they felt tight at first and didn't rattle but this changed over time and the white ones were worse just like with the regular props

PatrickP · Jan 23, 2018

MrTVR said:
samtheparrot at one mile away and PatrickP at one mile high!

I guess that the VLOS rules don’t apply where you guys fly?

albuquerque's elevation is ~5200 ft above sea level

I2 v I1. Which one for Boats and coastal flying

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