Tips for Battery Management and Landing the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ Quadcopter

I've spent far too much time flying my Phantom 2 Vision+, and I'm pretty sure at this point that I can say that it's the best hobby drone of 2014, and possibly 2015, although I've heard DJI might be coming out with a new drone soon. At any rate, what's the use of having a drone like this if you don't share advice on how to enjoy it with others?

I've realized that a lot of people are able to figure out takeoffs with the Phantom or similar quadcopters without too much trouble, especially with the various automated features available to help you. However, landings can be a bit trickier, especially if you aren't using the return home function. How do you land your Phantom in a way that will impress all the ladies (or gents) and fellow hobbyists? It might sound like a silly question, but if I were a single man (or woman) with a serious drone obsession, it's one that could cross the mind...

With that in mind, here are some tips for landing the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ and managing its battery supply.

1. Stop flying once your battery readings are low

This might sound obvious, but trust me, it's not. Especially not when you're in the air, flying, and having a ton of fun. However, you definitely need to remember to head home, wherever home might be, before your Phantom decides to do it for you. You don't want to find your drone 500 meters from you when you realize that you only have a minute of flight time left.

2. Don't trust your Phantom to descend on a low battery

This is supposed to be a built in feature, but I wouldn't rely on it. The reason I wouldn't rely on it is because it doesn't always work. As I mentioned in my review, the Phantom 2 Vision+ has an annoying habit of simply falling out of the sky when the batteries are almost dead, and this isn't exactly something you want to happen with a $1000 drone.

3. Try not to fly over water with a low battery

This is another one of those tips that you just don't think about until you see the results of not thinking about it. Hopefully you see those results with someone else's drone, and not with yours. To put it directly, your Phantom will attempt a water landing if it runs out of battery life. And the Phantom is not a drone that floats. I'm going to write an article one of these days on how to convert it into a floating drone, but until then, stay out of the water.

4. Battery life decreases in cold weather, as does the Phantom's brainpower

This is another reason not to trust the Phantom to take care of itself in bad situations. Why? Because when the weather gets cold, the batteries simply aren't going to work the way they're supposed to. What that means is that if you're flying in the winter, you need to expect a shorter battery life and you need to expect the Phantom to do erratic things when you're in the air. Neither of these are things you want to happen if you're flying in an area where you might not be able to easily and safely retrieve your drone.

Despite all of these issues, flying and landing the Phantom 2 Vision+ is a rather straightforward affair in my opinion, and the drone is an excellent one. You just want to make sure you're flying within your limits when you use it so you don't turn it into a paperweight or a weapon.

The DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ Quadcopter is definitely my favorite drone at the moment, and I can't stop talking about it. You can buy it from Amazon here. Also consider the same kit along with an extra battery, case, and SD setup here. Extra batteries are here.

---

Hi! My name is Mike, and I'm the author of this personal drone blog. If you find the information on my flying drone review blog useful, you can shop through Amazon here.