Thoughts on Inspire 1 V2 in 2019

[stealth_inspire]

Hi guys, I’m new to this forum.

I’ve recently been thinking about upgrading my Mavic Pro to the Inspire 1 v2. Right now I can get the Inspire 1 v2 for $1,350AU which is a steal. I know it’s up to me to make the choice but I’m interested in your opinion on the drone.

Do you think getting the inspire 1 v2 in 2019 is worth it? Since the inspire 1 series has pretty much come to its end of life.

I’m interested to find out what you guys think of this drone.

 

[jkerrins]

It depends what you are going to be doing with it? Recreational or Commercial. I just recently bought my second one. I do a lot of Thermal work and it has integration for the XT sensor. Compared to my I2 and P4Pro is it not even in the same league. Those crafts are rock solid. Even in high winds. For the money, it is a pretty decent deal for the price.

 

[Peres123]

Hi guys, I’m new to this forum.

I’ve recently been thinking about upgrading my Mavic Pro to the Inspire 1 v2. Right now I can get the Inspire 1 v2 for $1,350AU which is a steal. I know it’s up to me to make the choice but I’m interested in your opinion on the drone.

Do you think getting the inspire 1 v2 in 2019 is worth it? Since the inspire 1 series has pretty much come to its end of life.

I’m interested to find out what you guys think of this drone.

I was in the same boat as you,I took the plunge and got one last year,no regrets.What sold it to me, besides wanting it since forever,was the ability to swap out cameras. It is so steady in high winds at high altitude,my mind was blown.

 

[Geoffp]

Was considering Inspire 2 last year but found a little used I1 pro with extra batteries 2 controllers an X3 and X5. Absolutely delighted as I also saved a ton of money and have had non of the problems of the I2. "End of life" ?? DJI may remove support but I cannot see me needing to change my Inspire as it fullfils all my business requirements both short term and long term. Do'nt forsee a problem with spares either.
ttfn

 

[jpalamaro]

I have the I1v2 and an I2. I like them equally, but IMO the X5 is a bit inferior to the X5S, with the same lenses. The I2 flies better, again, my opinion, but the I1 no slouch and unless you are into all of the avoidance systems on the Go 4 and I2 the I1 a hearty craft, excellently made, and will keep your flying skills sharp. If you want some sort of performance/value indicator the I1 a much better deal. Do it and don't look back.

 

[S White]

I fly primarily with an I2 w/ an x5s. My backup unit is an I1 w/ Z3 (and further backup is x3). The I2 is no doubt the best for any project, BUT I am always shocked with the quality job of the I1. My Z3 has a small focus issue on the left side of the frame, but still is good. The zoom feature sets it apart. There indeed are times where I think I could still be getting quality shots if I continued to use the I1. It is a great unit and it still serves me well. There are advantages to the I2 (winter flying etc), but do not discount the ol' I1. It is pretty darn good.....

 

[Donnie Frank]

Hi guys, I’m new to this forum.

I’ve recently been thinking about upgrading my Mavic Pro to the Inspire 1 v2. Right now I can get the Inspire 1 v2 for $1,350AU which is a steal. I know it’s up to me to make the choice but I’m interested in your opinion on the drone.

Do you think getting the inspire 1 v2 in 2019 is worth it? Since the inspire 1 series has pretty much come to its end of life.

I’m interested to find out what you guys think of this drone.

Honestly, it depends on what kind of drone shooting you're going to be doing. Without that information, nobody can make an intelligent recommendation.

D

 

[Chipdji]

I was in in the same Bout. I sold my mavic Pro for the I1v2. Never once ever regretted it. The Mavic pro is like a toy compared to the I1v2.

 

[JeffA]

I love my Inspire 1v2...its rock solid in the air

 

[BMCG]

I do a lot of roof surveys here in London, for the last 4 years I’ve been using an I1V2 with Z3. I wanted to do an orthographic of a large warehouse as requested by a client and couldn’t find any software that the I1 could use, so hired a Mavic Zoom.
I was very impressed with the battery life the zoom camera and the high res video on my iPhone, a lot clearer than the I1 sends out.
I used Maps made Easy app on the Zoom
See here
https://www.mapsmadeeasy.com/maps/detail/7b83aa76451d4e2ab978bcec6c1ab534

The app is easy to use and gives good results however extremely buggy and unreliable/ frustrating so it’s a game of chance. Nevertheless I see the Zoom as a potential I1V2 upgrade!

Just noticed the link to the Maps isn’t working, not sure why ?

 

[Donnie Frank]

I do a lot of roof surveys here in London, for the last 4 years I’ve been using an I1V2 with Z3. I wanted to do an orthographic of a large warehouse as requested by a client and couldn’t find any software that the I1 could use, so hired a Mavic Zoom.
I was very impressed with the battery life the zoom camera and the high res video on my iPhone, a lot clearer than the I1 sends out.
I used Maps made Easy app on the Zoom
See here
https://www.mapsmadeeasy.com/maps/detail/7b83aa76451d4e2ab978bcec6c1ab534

The app is easy to use and gives good results however extremely buggy and unreliable/ frustrating so it’s a game of chance. Nevertheless I see the Zoom as a potential I1V2 upgrade!

Just noticed the link to the Maps isn’t working, not sure why ?

They blocked it on purpose...probably because you may lack the fees and/or credentials to publish your work. That said...

Here in the U.S., labeling something as a "map" requires specific GSD (Ground Sample Distance) specifications and GPS accuracy. A professional survey crew must go out, survey the land and then provide that data to the mapper via GCP's (Ground Control Points), who then ties the GCP data into the orthophoto. This makes for a very accurate map that can be used for construction or architectural purposes - a "survey-grade map" or just "map" if you will. If we get caught selling orthophotos as "maps," we find ourselves in trouble. The way to get caught is if your client plans on using the orthophoto for architectural or construction purposes. Without accurate GPS data tied into the orthophoto, it's just an orthophoto, not a "map."

There's probably a disclaimer stating so somewhere in the MapsMadeEasy website.

Your laws may differ in the U.K., but probably not. You might want to look that up.


D

 

[Simon The Impaler]

I've had the I1 v1 for just over a year now (bought used) and in hindsight, wish I'd been able to pick up the v2 for its camera upgrade possibilities if nothing else.
Sure, the I2 might be "all things to all men & women", but it's still very expensive, even used. I think they'll be spares available for the I1 for sometime still, so worth looking at. Used prices are really dropping now too, as you've found.
I've had my I1 with X3 camera up in some pretty rough weather too, and the images are still rock solid. The v2 with an X5 on should be a step ahead for stability and a long way ahead over the X3 for image quality! If you've got deep pockets and will get the use out of it, then an I2 could be the way forward, but it's a big investment. Let us know how you get on ;-)

 

[Donnie Frank]

I've had the I1 v1 for just over a year now (bought used) and in hindsight, wish I'd been able to pick up the v2 for its camera upgrade possibilities if nothing else.
Sure, the I2 might be "all things to all men & women", but it's still very expensive, even used. I think they'll be spares available for the I1 for sometime still, so worth looking at. Used prices are really dropping now too, as you've found.
I've had my I1 with X3 camera up in some pretty rough weather too, and the images are still rock solid. The v2 with an X5 on should be a step ahead for stability and a long way ahead over the X3 for image quality! If you've got deep pockets and will get the use out of it, then an I2 could be the way forward, but it's a big investment. Let us know how you get on ;-)

Good news. You can upgrade the mounting hardware to not only accommodate the X5, but the X5R, as well. We did it to my partner's Inspire 1, v1. It's not that expensive and not that hard. I think the kit was around $100 and took us < hour to do. We've used it several times and it works great.

D

 

[Simon The Impaler]

Good news. You can upgrade the mounting hardware to not only accommodate the X5, but the X5R, as well. We did it to my partner's Inspire 1, v1. It's not that expensive and not that hard. I think the kit was around $100 and took us < hour to do. We've used it several times and it works great.

D

Yeah, looked at that, but the V2 motors are uprated to take the extra mass of the X5 camera, so would probably cause premature failure in the V1 motors. ?

 

[Donnie Frank]

Yeah, looked at that, but the V2 motors are uprated to take the extra mass of the X5 camera, so would probably cause premature failure in the V1 motors. ?

There's no evidence to support that hypothesis. I have the Inspire 1, v2 and my partner has the v1. I honestly don't notice any difference in performance. And the brushless motors are bullet proof. Both birds are still in service. That said, we don't fly the Inspires every day with X5 cameras on them. So our use case may not match yours.

Oh...if you do the upgrade, don't forget to extend the landing gear, too.

D

 

[The Editor]

Yeah, looked at that, but the V2 motors are uprated to take the extra mass of the X5 camera, so would probably cause premature failure in the V1 motors. ?

No it won't, and the 'upgrade' kV of the motors is so small it is more a marketing ploy than real world improvement.

 

[Simon The Impaler]

Thanks Donnie Frank and Mr Editor, that's good to know! If I can pick up an X5 for a song, may well give it a shot
I have noticed there is a little play in all my motor bearings, so that's something else I need to look at- couldn't find any replacement bearing kits, even though I've seen them mentioned somewhere...

S

 

[Donnie Frank]

Thanks Donnie Frank and Mr Editor, that's good to know! If I can pick up an X5 for a song, may well give it a shot
I have noticed there is a little play in all my motor bearings, so that's something else I need to look at- couldn't find any replacement bearing kits, even though I've seen them mentioned somewhere...

S

Fly the bird and take motor temperature readings. Rest assured, if the bearings are "worn," they will pull too much current and generate too much heat. Open the battery view in the Go App and watch the cells under hard ascent. Hover the bird for 5 minutes under load (with camera mounted) and keep an eye on the battery view. Off hand, I don't know what the nominal temperature readings should be, but I'm sure that information is available.

When you say "play," how much play are you talking about? When I directly pull up and push down on my motors, there is definitely a couple thousandths of play...I would guess .005" or less.

D

 

[Simon The Impaler]

Thanks, will check all that next time I fly 'her'.
Yes, a very small amount of vertical play, and a tiny bit of lateral play too when you rock the motors. All exactly the same, so either even wear or normal. Will monitor to see if it changes.

S

 

[Drutenberg]

I like it