Photo by Compudemano / CC BY 2.0
The DJI Phantom 1 quadcopter is an earlier model drone made by the DJI quadcopter manufacturer. It’s no longer made, but there are plenty of models left in the stores, so it’s going to be available for at least another year or two. The DJI brand is known for their attractive and premium line of quadcopters.
The DJI Phantom 1 is a quadcopter that’s meant for outdoor flights, and for adult pilots. There are other durable quads that are meant for children or indoor flights, if that’s what you’re aiming for.
Check Price Of DJI Phantom On Amazon
Table Of Contents
Best Features of the DJI Phantom 1 Quadcopter
The Phantom is considered “ready to fly for aerial filming” right out of the box. It has a GoPro camera mount so a camera can be attached for aerial photography, but one is not included in the box. The additional camera would hang down from the central body, protected by the two U shaped legs on either side. The Phantom has a shiny white plastic casing, with red stripes on each arm.
The DJI Phantom 1 is built to be flown out of the box, requiring no building or customization. It’s an attractive quad that looks great in the air. There is a remote control unit that requires four double A batteries.
The DJI is simple to fly, and has stable flight settings, even for beginners. There are two different flight control features. There is also the option to hold the quadcopter in a hovering position, which is perfect for recording video.
The DJI Phantom 1 is built with IOC — Intelligent Orientation Control — so that even if you’re sloppy at the controls, your DJI will self-adjust, so that it stays in the air.
It has built in failsafes so that if you feel you are losing control of your quad, you can press a button and it will bring it back to the initial launch position. If it starts to get beyond its range, it can also sense that and return back to home on its own. There is low voltage protector so it will also return back to home if power is running low.
The DJI Phantom 1 can fly at a speed of ten meters per second
The quad is built with intense colorful LED lights which not only help the drone pilot to fly their drone forward-facing, but also to spot their drone in the air while it flies at nighttime.
One full charge of the DJI Phantom 1 will give the pilot about ten to fifteen minutes of entertaining flight time.
Special Features of the DJI Phantom 1 Quadcopter
The DJI Phantom 1 has a special start sequence to get the radio controller talking with the drone. You begin by holding the left joystick to the lower right side, and hold the right joystick to the lower left. You’ll hear the drone’s motors start up, so you can let go. You can then power up the motors and start flying.
The DJI Phantom 1 is built with self-tightening propellers, which avoids the issue of having to tighten them before each flight.
The DJI Phantom 1 has been factory-tuned so you can simply take it out of the box and it’s almost ready to fly. You only have to attach propellers, landing gear and insert four AA batteries into the remote controller, charge it up and go.
The DJI has a built-in GPS — Global Positioning System — that helps it to compensate for light winds.
The DJI Phantom 1 quadcopter is built with Naza-M high tech system electronics that let you configure exact parameters with software. You’ll need a USB port, computer, and software download to be able to do this adjustment.
Add a Camera for More Fun
While it’s fun to fly the DJI Phantom 1, it’s even funner to record the action while it’s happening. The Phantom already has a GoPro mount, so you might as well buy a digital camera too. The camera can record events, sports, and scenery.
The DJI Phantom 1 works well with Hero 2, Hero 3, and Hero 3+ models. The only shortcoming on this quad is that you won’t be able to enjoy live streaming film footage. If that’s your goal, another model of DJI Phantom may work better for you.
Detailed Specifications of the DJI Phantom 1 Quadcopter
The drone enthusiast will be excited to read about the many exciting details of the DJI Phantom 1. The quad itself measures 350 by 350 millimeters. From the very top to the very bottom of landing legs is 190 millimeters. The remote control measures 180 by 290 millimeters.
The optimum running temperature to fly your DJI Phantom 1 quadcopter outdoors should be between ten and fifty degrees Celsius. Its power consumption is 2.12 watts. The take off weight is 1200 grams.
The DJI Phantom 1 has a great hovering accuracy in its GPS mode, which is perfect for taking photographs or recording video. Hovering accuracy is at 0.8 meters vertical and 2.5 meters horizontal.
It can fly at ten meters per second, or twenty two miles per hour, and it has a maximum ascent and descent speed of six meters per second. It comes with a LiPO rechargeable battery.
There are 7 different channels on the radio controller, to avoid interference with other drones on the field. You can fly the DJI Phantom 1 quadcopter out to a maximum of 1000 meters. There are four double A batteries which are required for the radio controller unit.
Support for the DJI Phantom 1
There are support videos on the DJI website about how to install an upgrade kit and how to install a camera to the GoPro mount. There are also release notes and manual downloads, to assist with learning about the DJI Phantom 1 and how to fly it. Assistant software and driver downloads can help to keep your Phantom 1 up-to-date.
There is also an FAQ of questions and answers, and a WIKI on the DJI Phantom 1.
The DJI Phantom quad 1 is meant for the adult who is serious about drone flying, and who wants to record amazing aerial footage.