Dear iFlight here is the review as promised | Chimera 7 Pro O3

[@SteveTan86]

The same happened to me last week with a brand new iFlight Nazgul Evoque v2 O3. The drone was right in front of me (100 to 200m away), doing a backflip and this was about 8 mins into the flight. Total blackout the moment the drone started the flip and crashed. Switching out the stack to something with a BEC with 10v 3amps.

[@panosfpv]

8 mins flight time with the O3 unit am i missing something? What battery gave this flight time? I have a 6s 1400mah lipo and i am getting 5 minutes most 6 flight time with no freestyle!!

[@SteveTan86]

@@panosfpv Ah sorry it's 0:59 into the flight when the drone crashed.

[@BrunoParnell]

what controller were you using?

[@SteveTan86]

@@BrunoParnell DJI FPV controller 2

[@BrunoParnell]

@@SteveTan86 seems the issue is iflight antennas are in the 5.6ghz band and RC2 is 2.4ghz.

[@possible1337]

I flown chimera 7 pro with air unit 1 and nazgul with vista for about 1 year with cf. never had han problem with it. Always super confident flying these

[@PAYNEFPV]

Didn’t wait for gps. CHECK. Standing sideways. CHECK. Range test over lake. CHECK.

[@OriginaldoBo]

Gps had nothing to do with the air unit turning off… rang test over the results in the least amount of collateral damage to somebody else’s property or setting a field on fire. Should the aircraft go down

[@mx118racer]

Need to blame someone for the fail-safe but the safety feature fitted by manufacture wasn't being used . Like having a car crash and not putting on your seatbelt then blaming the car manufacturer for your injury. Glad no1 was injured spose exactly why aviation authorities have their rules of flying over ppl and crowds etc it could happen at any time .

[@phoenixloop]

If the GPS was your only redundancy with a brand new system, it’s a real eggs in one basket to fly it over water without a lock.

[@OriginaldoBo]

I took a shot over water, least amount of damage should it go down. It sucks but it’s the safest

[@OriginaldoBo]

2023 we are going to hold manufacturers responsible and those that represent them. I’m punching back! I’m not here to make friends with other creators. I’m going to be the mother f***ing anti hero this year.

[@wilroc82969]

Keeping it Real Ken 2023(KIRK) Thank you for all of your honesty this hobby already has enough yes men ! Happy New Year 🎊🎉🛸

[@ShawnG_FPV]

One of the reasons i subbed to the channel, no BS attitude and you keep it real, my kind of people right here!

[@107drones]

You need a cape with a big "K" on the back you anti-superhero. 🤣 And Cheen Yi Dah to all those who don't agree.

[@soups230]

The "Deadpool " of the drone industry!

[@RCCRAZYSTUPID]

Hell yeah that’s what i like to hear 🔥🔥hold these companies accountable

[@JoeMommaFPV]

I feel like there's MUCH BETTER ways of testing new builds. Not sure why you decided flying without GPS was better than plugging in USB for a few minutes to get the cold boot out of the way before your test flight. Maybe didn't have the time? Maybe didn't know that was an option? Either way, I think since it's a BNF a little of it is on the fault of Iflight, yes. But you risking your own Gear like your bones is 100% on you. If you are so unsure about the build that you test it over water in case something goes wrong, I DEFINITELY wouldn't put something like a bones on top of it and send it over the water without failsafe setup. But that's just me.

[@OriginaldoBo]

Fail safe was set just didn’t lock

[@JoeMommaFPV]

@@OriginaldoBo Well that's because you purposely didn't let it lock. Didn't you say in your video you purposely went in and disabled "no arm without sat lock" setting in BF? This I think was the first big mistake that lead you down this road where you ended up.

[@JoeMommaFPV]

@@extremeboatdockingmedia well I would imagine a professional like Dobo would know how to do this....

[@creationlabsinc.189]

@@extremeboatdockingmedia a professional of this caliber should. It’s the basics. This was very amateurish of him

[@AreUmyBitchassHoe]

I blame china

[@SilverFox80521]

Tis why I never fly over water. It’s just not necessary unless you want to risk total loss. Just don’t do it unless you can stomach losing your shit. Quads dropping is always possible it’s part of the hobby.

[@StevePhillips1890]

I'm so glad i came across this video, i have exactly the same issue with the BOB57. 3 out of 5 batteries have resulted in a video freeze on the O3. Interestingly iFlight are claiming the issue is due to me adding an ELRS receiver even though it is connected via a JST plug and the SBUS receiver has been taped with electrical tape and fastened to the top of the O3. All of the freezes i have had have been at less than 100m range with full video and rx signal clearly shown in the DVR. To say i'm pissed off is an understatement as just like you it has cost me a Hero 11 on top of the unhelpful responses from iFlight.

[@1stslave143]

But the issue with the RC2 and the o3 is known already longer time. This is why we suggest to use another rc like ELRS or CRSF.

[@Bollibompa]

The issue can be fixed since 10 months back by disallowing piggyback.

[@danskinn]

@@Bollibompa A bit late to ask, but how do you turn off piggyback?

[@Bollibompa]

@@danskinn Betaflight mod features or simply using a more robust flight control software without limitations. iNav for example. You can find info about it on Google.

[@rcfreakamit]

Thanks for the video. It's a very interesting and valid point you're making here (with regards to using crossfire vs. DJI link). As soon as I heard "I did not want the air unit to overheat while I'm on the ground" I thought to myself - I don't have to worry about that, as I have the Air unit power supply switchable from my transmitter via an Aux channel. I can (and usually do) keep the air unit OFF while waiting to GPS lock. That is one thing you can NOT do if you're using the DJI radio for control.

[@BeautyBeastRC]

This has totally been fixed fyi. It was a DJI problem.

[@rcfreakamit]

@@BeautyBeastRC Thanks, can the o3 air unit retain control link with VTX turned off?

[@BeautyBeastRC]

@@rcfreakamit mad tech has a video on this where he does a deep dive into it. iirc if you lose video signal the rc2 signal switches after like 1 second. You should totally go find that video though. dji 03 rf deep dive or something like that.

[@sensivityable]

Hey, can you elaborate how to make an air unit power supply switchable from transmitter via an aux channel?

[@rcfreakamit]

@@sensivityable Hi, in the flight stack I'm using (hglrc-zeus-f722), the 9V regulator output can be controlled via 'USER1' mode in betaflight configurator modes tab. I'm using this power supply for the air-unit, and map one of the transmitter channels to control it. Matek fixed wing flight controllers have similar regulators (control defined in iNAV configurator). Not sure if this is available in Speedybee flight controllers. hope this helps.

[@Cyenergy3]

I wouldn't send over water on a range test and not wait for gps lock to enable rth or rescue .

[@OriginaldoBo]

Nah I rather have it hit the water then someone else

[@DarrenAllatt]

Video was shared on facebook, this was my comment. only fair to post it here for full transparency as well. As an Accredited Soccer Referee I am in the best position to adjudicate on this matter. Thus I will be "VAR" for this one! 1) It seems that in Betaflight under Failsafe, "Allow Arming without Fix" was enabled. This means if you arm prior to obtaining the minimum satellites, usually 6, GPS rescue will not be available. = If iFlight ship the Chimera 7 with this on by default, there is fault here that the pilot should not have been allowed to take off without first obtaining GPS lock. However if iFlight do ship with this disabled (as it should be) then if the pilot disabled this, the pilot is at fault. = The Reviewer is experienced as a pilot and is thus flying where in the event of video or radio failsafe could not walk and pick up the quad, the pilot should not be taking off without awaiting GPS fix, and by doing so assumes the risk that if shit goes bad, they're at fault = The Pilots stated reason for taking off without allowing satellites to lock is he didn't want the O3 Air Unit to overheat. If iFlight ship the Chimera 7 whereby the GPS is powered from USB, being an experienced pilot he would know to power the GPS via USB for 5 to 10 minutes prior to plugging in a lipo to 'cold boot' the GPS so that a 'warm boot' can occur with a lipo to quickly find satellites. 2) As for the matter of the Video shutting down which causes the RC link to drop. We don't know for certain the cause of this however it would appear to be a 'brown-out' however where the O3 air unit couldn't receive enough power from the FC. = Given that at the furthest point the video was working and the brown-out occurred at close range, it seems unlikely that the O3 Air Unit would have needed more amp draw at a closer distance to the pilot than at a further distance. It is not determined whether the brown-out occurred at the flight controller or at the air-unit. The manufactuer providing regulated power to the O3 Air unit is in good faith to ensure the longevity of the air unit itself, however, by doing so, acts as a service provider for power delivery and must accept that if there are issues with the service, then they are at risk. It is recommended that as the O3 air unit can take up to 6S, it should be powered from VBAT and not through a BEC on the FC. Potentially manufacturers need to release o3 specific FC's which have VBAT passthrough with built-in capacitance in order to ensure the O3 air unit can receive the required power. Who is exactly at fault here, we will never know for certain, but in this instance, both parties have faults in their own actions and are not blameless.

[@OriginaldoBo]

I take ownership for arming and flying across the lake with no fail safe, my argument with them is mostly about the email interactions asking me to install and pull from my other functioning equipment. In the video I said its the best out of the box experience how ever customer service was lack luster.

[@DarrenAllatt]

@@OriginaldoBo except the perception you've created from this entire video is "fuck Flight they cost me a drone they're in the wrong" The video could have been "I lost a $600 Drone in a swamp" but its not. I agree their service can leave a lot to be desired

[@overtorquednut]

I didn't know referees had to have an MBA; excellent analysis. And @OriginaldoBo, your sacrifice does not go unnoticed, you did the do-nots, so we don't have to! 😆

[@adrianglessner5979]

Props to you Ken for actually giving us a no bs honest review of a product. Regardless of them sending it to you for free you still told us the end user how it is, what your experience was. Most won't and they don't as you know. So my hat goes off to you for your honesty sir.

[@peteroman4297]

Brother Ken, I hear you loud and clear, I have 2 Chimera 7”ers and I just purchased the frames from them never the “Bind-n-Flies” just because I just don’t trust ANY company to give them my money to build a “Bind-n-Fly” for me especially since I’ll be putting a GoPro and custom Li-on battery on it. So far I haven’t had any issues with them. I also never use DJI. I only use DJI products for “Camera Class” drones because I have a mini 2 and a mini 3 but other than that for my freestyle or long range I never use DJI, I always use Analog. It just always works for me. I haven’t dealt with Iflights customer care nor do I want to or care too. Love your honest and straight forward reviews.👍👍👍💯💯💯

[@MrBromfield]

Thats why i got just the frame kit, use my own selection of electronics But i have had nothing but excellent customer service from iFlight…….had a parcel arrived damaged and they sent a replacement, had it in my hand next day

[@TheTomJon]

I just see a whole lot of speculations, deflections, and accusations without actual evidence. Imagine using DJI RC2 as your control-link... let alone for long range, and over water...and not facing your patch antennas at your drone... This is a prime example of a bind-and-fly pilot knowing absolutely nothing about the technology they are reviewing and blaming others for their mistakes as a pilot. Either way, keep it up and keep learning the hard way I guess.

[@OriginaldoBo]

LOL I’m definitely not a bind and fly pilot. Have plenty of experience and been building my own quads for about 4 years now. The unit failed while it was close to me not at a far… but tell me more how that was caused by the direction I was standing. Keep white knighting for iSHIT. It suits you well

[@TheTomJon]

@@OriginaldoBo I could care less about the companies. You started the flight by flying off into a null for both Rt and VRx antennas; your patches are facing trees and your rear null is at trees... without a GPS lock... and then cut out a min of footage... it's all super fishy and sketch man and roughly put together on "your word" mixed in with a ton of excuses on why you can't "prove" your word. You might have "4 years experience" but everything demonstrated in the flight footage screams long range amateur... and to top it all off most long-range signal cuts are on the return. You realize that if this was an American company they could sue you over this review right?? And the crying over not getting a second free O3 when they offered you a second free drone... oooof. I respect the hustle and effort as a channel man but this one is so far off the mark in my opinion. Again, I hope you "learnt something today".

[@thelordyno]

@@TheTomJon iflight’s fault is to sell these drones with swapping the dual band antenna. this is what causes failsafes when using OG remote. and this is why Patrick is a big chatter to claim DJI is the problem, because they know they fked up.

[@redcobra1246]

Right? I find it very ironic how he's upset that iflight won't take the blame, yet he doesn't take blame for testing over water with no GPS rescue with the dji rc2. If you want to protect other people's property that's cool, but don't be mad when it lands in water. Drones crash. It happens.

[@thelordyno]

@@redcobra1246 iflight has fault for swapping dual band antenna and claim it works for OG remote controller. it doesn’t. equals iflight’s fault. now they are taking a step back by saying that air unit is bugged and y’all kids believe in it.

[@fede_fpv]

big respect to you as the only non-mercenary KZbinr. When you watch Captain Drone everything is always perfect 😂

[@GrauFPV]

Honestly, this was one of the most rookie moves possible from a so called “professional”. Who rage tests over water?

[@OriginaldoBo]

Hey Josh I test all quads over the water. One it’s safe if it goes down and two if it crashes and burns doesn’t set things on fire. It didn’t make it back. Listen I get you think you are the man because you were a roadie with DRL and that gives you some sorta quad nuts…

[@GrauFPV]

@@OriginaldoBo na bro it ain’t even like that. My flying speaks for itself, and my time with drl was more or less being a paid fan and wonderful experience. I don’t even act like I have clout about working for them.

[@OriginaldoBo]

@@GrauFPV yeah I’ve seen your flying it’s not something I’d brag about

[@GrauFPV]

@@OriginaldoBo lmao ok bro I’d smoke you any day of the week, and don’t even get me started on hitting gates….stick to real estate photos bro that’s more suited for your skill level

[@OriginaldoBo]

Last time I checked I can afford a proper haircut with real estate. The only gates I’m hitting is between my wife’s legs. First pussy view

[@hotrodindaytona5658]

Having started building my own now, I have run into this issue with other Boards. It seems none of these things has good power mgmt. I agree with the advice I got from Matty and that is ALWAYS solder the power/gnd from the O3 to the ESC. Can't tell you how many boards I soldered the GPS on which tends to be right next to the O3 pads and then the O3 wouldn't power off the board. The O3 can handle 26v so just wire it to the battery and never worry about these junk boards. I've ended up learning to use a multimeter for building to deal with this cheap crap. If you solder anything to the pads close to the O3, the power is going to be a problem. 1 board split the 9v into 4.5v as soon as I connected the GPS pads next to the O3 plug. They are all junk if you ask me. MadsTech is right. DJI is the ONLY one with good power mgmt on the boards.

[@donovanw.2943]

Thanks for your legit reviews. I'm sorry you lost your equipment and some money.

[@Mangorille]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I too stopped using the DJI Controller 2 (gray one) after seeing some really weird behavior through my own testing. I've been running my DJI air units off vbat for the last 3 years after running a battery too low and having the regulator on the flight controller cut off and the quad crash as a result.

[@robzspeedn]

which controller are you using now?

[@Mangorille]

@@robzspeedn Tango 2 Pro that I modified to include an internal ELRS module. Best of both worlds.

[@MAD_CHILLER]

One of the fundamental issues with DJI RC link in general and additionally with many BNFs coming out.... You do not want to change the stock DJI antennas. The stock antennas are dual band 5.8 for video and 2.4 for link... 3rd party dual band antennas are hard to come by... If they change the stock antennas... they are most likely 5.8 only and can lead to loss of link/failsafe.... Additionally if you lose Video link you also lose control if using the DJI link... Use ELRS, GHOST, or CRSF for link...... Be safe yalll!

[@johnnie10d]

Sorry to hear about your experience. My personal history with I-Flight has been exceptional! The 5 BNF's I have purchased have been impressive quads and still fly today. I did have one problem with a 6S Nazgul although that I purchased that one through a third party and never involved I-Flight. My only experience so far with 03 is the Avata and I know it is not the same deal. I have decided moving forward with the 03's I will now use Express LRS and no longer use the DJI controller. I dislike the small gray controller anyway. Best of luck and thanks for the review and information!!

[@OriginaldoBo]

Yeah most my quads have tracer or crsf but when we’re reviewing we have to use what most newbies may feel comfortable in using essentially

[@johnnie10d]

@@OriginaldoBo I totally understand that. Thanks again!

[@HamptonFPV]

Bardwell has a video reviewing the iflight AOS pre-built and it had a blackout on him. He didn't say anything about it.

[@OriginaldoBo]

Josh has a relationship with iflight, I don’t and typically buy their quads so I am free to say what I please

[@HamptonFPV]

@@OriginaldoBo That's why I appreciate the honest review.

[@OutdoorLust]

I don't care so much about the drone itself but for your honest reviews! Thanks

[@billhowes5871]

Hey! I greatly appreciate your candid reviews! A year ago I was all "iFlight This! iFlight That!" I was going to spend thousands of $ on their drones. Well, I bought their ProTec 35. I was disappointed with how easily it would disconnect and drop to the ground if you flew very slowly around a tree. I've flown my Walkera F210's for years and they never even hinted at a problem of this nature. So, I assumed iFlight would be the same. They are not. Then, I heard about you and the battle you're having with iFlight. I'm on YOUR SIDE! Keep up the good work brother!

[@staymad7206]

lol, that has nothing to do with it being an Iflight built quad. Thats YOUR choice of receiver.

[@billhowes5871]

@@staymad7206 Then why is Ken having this problem.

[@staymad7206]

@@billhowes5871 ...did you watch the video? Nothing related to Iflight build or components failed, he had his DJI RC link fail. That has nothing to do with Iflight, only poor choice of RX/TX and the bright idea to fly over water. DJI fixed this issue in their latest update, not that it matters. This isnt related to Iflight

[@bizviz223]

Thanks for the honest & frank review as well as your take on what went wrong. It would be interesting to try and replicate the over current shutdown of the FC 2A regulator on the bench to see if indeed that's the culprit. Reading the comments on others similar experiences though I would say you hit the nail on the head. I was about to push the button on a purchase of the Chimera 7 Pro today but I think I'll hold off for a while and see if DJI are going to release the 04 Air unit and iFlight fix what would appear to be known problems.

[@chrishope82666]

Thanks Ken, i had issues with them but we finally got it figured out. Took two months but it works. Happy New Year

[@lionelttl]

The same thing happened to my Chimera 7 but an older version. Instead of the FC, the ESC just popped in the maiden flight, crashed into the ocean but I managed to swim and get it. With you as well, they blamed it on user error. I showed them the popped FETs on the ESC but they replied that it happened in the water but couldn't explain the cause of the actual crash. Iflight has earned it's reputation as the IFRIED of electronics and would never buy any of their electronics again.

[@EstebanRiveraCinematographer]

hahaha love the3 ending! I appreciate the no BS honesty. I was so close to buying the Chimera 7 pro and your experience made me change my mind. Cheers!

[@adithyafpv]

thats O3 issue, factory malfunctioned O3 gives this type of problem and I too had same issue and talked with dji regarding this and sent some videos as proof and they agreed to take it back for inspection and they mostly would replace it. So you to might need to get a replacement for it. Whenever i plug into PC with usb c data cable the green light turns on for a second and then turns off, Sometimes while in flight O3 turns off automatically and drone falls to ground. this happens on random occasions.

[@FindingFobbyo]

Sick studio. Thanks for the review! I built my 7 inch long range using speedybee f7 stack. I’m not too thrilled with my air unit/dji goggles v1 performance even with 1200mw output. I’ve even tried upgrading my quad antennas and goggle antennas and the problem persists. I was looking into a pre built to resolve this problem but tbh it seems they mainly have the same issues and inconsistency. lol it’s all part of the game!

[@ImperialArmour]

Having the control link separate from the VTX is avoiding a single point of failure, it is not redundancy - which means falling back onto the DJI control link if crsf fails.

[@dav1dpolanco]

Can anyone help? I cant find a video for this question. Would you recommend the Chimera 7 Pro O3 over the Nazgul Evoque F6 V2 6S HD if i was interested in long distances and longer air time? i i would be using the Commando 8 ELRS 868/915MHz RF 1000mW controller with the dji goggles 2. Appreciate the feed back

[@MaxRovensky]

Real talk tho, what is it with people doing range tests over the fucking water

[@OriginaldoBo]

Real talk it’s fucking safer when a 700 gram drone goes down Jesus fuck

[@MaxRovensky]

@@OriginaldoBo So is an open field, but you get to have your drone back and inspect it for what happened 🤷🏻‍♂

[@OriginaldoBo]

I don’t do open fields here aren’t enough of them. Rather lose it over water than risk a lipo fire after a crash. When you range test do it how you see fit and I’ll do mine how I see fit.

[@Nine_883]

I have had good luck with iFlight. I always wire my air units or vistas to the battery. They have their own BEC built in and it has never failed me. Even a 3 amp BEC would make me nervous. 3 amps is plenty, but you never know what else could go wrong. I just don’t trust their quality control. Not just iFlight, but any of them. They almost all have crap customer service. The DJI black FPV radio is much better. I wouldn’t bind V2 radio to my older air units. I do use the black radio on several of my drones. It just doesn’t have a ton of switches and it’s limited as far as customization.

[@OriginaldoBo]

The fact that they’re using to amp BEC’s on flight controllers that have notorious brown outs. Reality is the O3 draws more power

[@Nine_883]

@@OriginaldoBo I agree. I had this problem early with an Air Unit. Although I didn’t blow the BEC it was causing failsafes. It would clip out after a punch, but not burn out. I crashed and ruined a brand new Insta 360 Go camera. The drone would fire back up and fly again as long as I didn’t sag the battery too much. Once tested the air unit on a bench for current draw I was skeptical that the 1.5 amp BEC that was on the FC was able to handle the current so I wired the Air Unit to the battery and never had that problem again so from then on I always used the battery. That was like early 2020 when the air units were new.

[@Photonees]

@@Nine_883 do you mean where the 2 leads of the battery wires goes to the ESC board, you solder the power wires of the DJI unit to those terminals?

[@Nine_883]

@@Photonees Yes you can or VBat pads on the Flight Controller if that's easier for you. That way you are not running from an underrated BEC. I have been doing since Air Units first hit the market a couple of years ago. I am only saying this is an option that has worked fine for me.

[@Photonees]

@@Nine_883 Well, this really confuses me, iFlight says the plug&play connector has VBAT Passtrough, wouldnt that mean it is straight of battery power? And does the Blitz Mini stack even have a BEC? According to iFLights spec, there is no BEC. This all confuses me why people are talking about this problem now and why running of battery power is better. I would need to remove/cut the cables from the plug&play connector, so I want to be 100% sure about everything. I do have BAT pads on the FC, but I tested them with my multimeter, and i have a perfect closed loop on the ground, but on the red, I have some resistance, not what I would expect I think. (I wish we could talk a bit more about this if you would be up for it :) )

[@srdjandb]

I love this kind of reviews, you admit your mistake with the GPS, but no matter what, drone should not lose signal like that. I know few people that had issues with iFlight stacks, so for me Diatone is the only way to go. :)

[@albertomancini111]

I have bought Chimera 7 pro V2 with O3 but I choose crossfire radiolink. How can i prevent this problem? I'm a little scary seeing this video!

[@VideoAve]

Thank you for being honest! I ordered a MOZ7 from GepRC cause I was told that iFlight’s electronics have bad reputation! Hope my choice won’t disappoint me!

[@mdk42o74]

Doing a range test over a lake lol lol Braver than I am I only fly over lakes after I have proven my stuff to work perfect lol

[@OriginaldoBo]

If it goes down you lose it and no damage to anything or anyone . It’s 1.5 pound done loaded

[@Photonees]

With my own research, the iFLight as no BEC for the DJI O3, it has a VBAT passtrough, this would mean that its getting LiPo voltane and there is NO BEC in between. Correct me if i'm wrong! As you are saying the BEC shuts down.

[@OriginaldoBo]

The unit runs off 9v at least what I’ve tested

[@Photonees]

@@OriginaldoBo This intereseting. What would VBAT passtrough mean then? On what leads did you meassure? Since the connector is so tiny, it hard to not make a short between red and ground. Still measuring things myself

[@Photonees]

@@OriginaldoBo Well, I just measured it! And guess what, 22.2V! on the Plug&Play plug! So... This is very odd you measured 9V. So this is actually good news it runs of the lipo!

[@OriginaldoBo]

The pass though was originally made for the OG air unit hence the 9V however it’s not impervious of issues under amp draw.

[@Photonees]

@@OriginaldoBo But its on the pass-trough I measured the 22V, the OG air unit also didnt support 6S, so you needed a BEC for the OG, because of the pass-trough on 6S, the voltage would be to high. Still weird you measured 9V... mmm, but yeah, the only thing that might go wrong if the boards resistance is to high on high power draw of the unit and gets to hot... But I calculated the wire thickness you would need to allow 2A (or even 3A and more) current at 22V, and less then 1mm wire is enough, even up to 9A, 1mm is enough at a length of 10cm. Could just have been a bad FC/ESC and QC isnt up to standards... I'll know when I loose mine i guess

[@BaconNinjaFPV]

amen man! I recently put out a video on some tips for people getting into the O3 system and I recommended BEC amp ratings for different voltages at about 30% over what it actually needs...got questioned on it a little bit too. I don't trust the rating, ever, lol. You have to have the head room above the requirement to take an inaccurate rating into account and the reduced load capacity as they get hot. I also said that nobody should be using the DJI RC link for their builds, which kinda pissed in some Cheerios, lol. Always appreciate your honestly bro!

[@earthsgrip]

You had me at "range test over lake without GPS lock" 🤣

[@OriginaldoBo]

Wouldn’t of mattered air unit went down was too low

[@tane388]

Flying without GPS lock, especially over water is newer a good idea, sorry but that is my opinion.

[@OriginaldoBo]

Most my quads have no gps it’s not going to save it when the RC is dead would just drop back at the home point. Be fucking real it’s beta flight RTH

[@Jonners]

@@OriginaldoBo set the gps up proper in the latest beta flight and it will return to home and land, just like a Dji. True story.

[@ChainsawFPV]

I broke down a few months ago and bought a IFlight because it was cheap and im poor and had not flown in almost a year. Got a couple flights before the FC said screw you. It did get me back in the air while I was able to source my own parts to build. For someone like me, that that few bucks is all I got, It sucks. It was bad enough not flying for that long, but to finally get a brand new out of box quad, just for it to break and be grounded again......... I will never buy another IFlight product. To bad because I love how their ESC has the solder pads on the corner. Makes a much cleaner build. Dont kno why other do not do the same. Yes it was the Blitz stack.

[@arcana_media]

Literally had the same thing happen today with my iFlight Nazgul Evoque v2 O3. I have additional footage I can share of me going all around the bridge with no issues until the second flight where video completely shut off. I used my TX16S Crossfire to throw it into angle mode, engaged throttle, and engaged failsafe and the drone did not respond. Even though I was in line of sight, the video signal never recovered.

[@sensivityable]

Why angle mode and failsafe did not work?

[@joshbarker4953]

Thank you for this review. You never fail to give us the HONEST truth! I was considering this drone before the review. Not now, when I buy a complete product, I expected it to work like a complete product.

[@zeDoSauRus]

it's a known DJI issue, not iFlight's fault

[@andyvasquez4392]

Thank you for this honest review!!! I have several airunits and a couple of 03s and i agree with you!!! Im looking to but a helion by iflight but i may wait and see some more reviews. I really appreciate your honesty amd dope review. Keepem coming!!

[@dronedude6494]

What Ken? No GoPro 10 Bones comparison footage? Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Yeah, I commiserate with you. To get batteries above 4500Mah and minimally 80C you are going to wind up spending a lot of cash per battery. Cameras ain't cheap either, to lose an expensive battery and camera in one go is a hard pill to swallow especially when you are just reviewing a manufacturer's product. I went a slightly different route with my Chimera. Bought the frame and then hand picked all components. I don't have the fancy lights or the enclosed frame but the layout and room is great. Anything that I have iFlight BNF wise has had electronics replaced due to failure. Good for you in reporting it as you did. Kudos.

[@PavelMy]

And what is your opinion about the v2 with 7.5 inches? Has this problem been solved there?

[@OriginaldoBo]

I think the problems have been addressed now

[@cjstudios5170]

Ken, Thanks for this (and all others) honest review. I just had an not-so-good customer service interaction with iFlight, regarding an FC problem. This was a brand new FC, purchased from a reputable supplier in the US, where iFlight refused to own the problem. Thankfully the supplier has stepped in to make things right. But, based upon your video, reading about CS issues and customer interactions and my issue, I will not be purchasing iFlight electronics.

[@isaacsagiazran2744]

Thanks for this great review. Would you mind sharing how to re-wire the air unit directly to the battery?

[@bencartwright9359]

Nice review, and love the message at the end. Had a similar interaction as a consumer with GEPRC.

[@runpuppyfpv5744]

I just got one of these and have only flew it twice on the second flight the osd froze is that a sign that I'm having a Bec issue should I direct solder the power wire like you did ?

[@fpvtrendz]

I also use the Diatone Mamba MK4 F722 APP stack that you use and have had no issues so far with my O3. I would also like to add that my son was using an iFlight stack in is 5" with his Walksnail and it kept black screening. He has since changed his stack and has had no issues since changing. So something is wrong with iFlight stacks.

[@Fly_High_FPV]

IFlight stacks have always been trash....reputation for failures and doa, and then similar customer support..they blame the user and waste time

[@foodrewiewer2226]

props for saying what you think! that really matters

[@christopherconkright1317]

Should it not have lock gps during the flight either way.

[@windwardlefty8]

This is why I love Ken. Probably just saved me well over $1,500 between getting this drone for my first long range, dropping $500 in batteries, $400 action cam etc etc. I’ll build my own long range thank you very much

[@zeDoSauRus]

it's a known DJI issue, not iFlight's fault

[@tonymorgan328]

@@zeDoSauRus Is this a known DJI issue?

[@zeDoSauRus]

@@tonymorgan328 yes! They issued a update three days ago

[@brianrcpilot2010]

That's why I love your videos.. honest and no BS.. I also just got that same 7" . i was thinking of putting a Diatone stack or more the air unit power . running ELRS but question on the air unit rewire, did you just wire the pos & neg wire from 03 air unit to the battery leads on esc?

[@Fly_High_FPV]

Yup, same way we've been doing vistas for years 👍

[@WilliamFrogge]

I have the Googles 2 and have upgraded one of my old DJI Air units to the new firmware that allows compatibility between the new goggles and old Air unit. Currently I am using the grey DJI controller. This weekend was the first time I have been able to fly and test and noticed that when my 4s batteries got to just below 13v (13.9, no lower) the battery quickly would drain down to 12v causing my drone to completely shut off and drop out of the sky. When I say quick, we are talking 3-5 seconds. Another thing of note, when I would disconnect the battery from the drone and reconnect the voltage was reading in the 13.9 to 14.1 range for all batteries tested (odd huh). My first thought was "well my batteries are going bad" and I just so happened to have three brand new batteries still in the box. The next day I took out all three of these new batteries and I still noticed the issue but being a fresh battery and knowing this might happen I was quick to land the drone before it killed my brand-new batteries. Seeing other old Air unit users with the same problem along with new Air unit users as well. DJI needs to work out a few bugs apparently...... or my opinion is being swayed by my personal (and others) non controlled testing and assumptions :)

[@Mojo97779]

You should never fly lipo batteries below 3.5 Volt per cell otherwise you will be damaging them. One hint is that batteries voltage will drop drastically below 3,5 Volt. So for a 4s setup you should land at least at around 14 Volts, more would be better

[@jtonofrey]

Badass review, was wondering if this thing was to good to be true. New to the drone world. Where do I go if this isn’t the drone to get?

[@loicader56]

Is it possible to put an Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360 (166g) on a Chimera7 Pro V2 6S HD (695g) with a Fullsend 6S 8000mAh Li-Ion battery (896g)?

[@OriginaldoBo]

Yeah

[@loicader56]

@@OriginaldoBo Ok thanks

[@slobooger]

Well, sucks iFlight dont like you now, but I like your honesty and you got a sub.

[@DrEvil-yx4vr]

Hey, can someone please check whats the current from the Chimera 7 Pro V2 is before Arming? I have 1,7A before Arming. Seems a litte high or am i wrong? Thanks.

[@texasreddirt1408]

So is nobody going to talk about how it was a DJI firmware issue that has now been resolved and iFlight was completely right?

[@OriginaldoBo]

Had nothing to do with it, unit lost power according to the logs. Iflight in there email confirmed that to me

[@tygerfpv7861]

I started my first built with a Iflight XL8 frame with succex 60A ESC and FC stack and 1250 kv motors and had issues with the Stack and motors, haven’t bought anything Iflight since. KZbin drone reviews need to be more real because iflight almost ruined the hobby when I started.

[@marcdornan1454]

The fact that iFlight does not have a VTX power switch built in to their FC is a major omission for such an expensive machine. This would allow you to allow the GPS lock to happen and then you could power the O3. I set up all my quads this way.

[@Mick1987]

Hey 👋, I lost my GEPRC MOS 7 O3 last week after only two flights 😢. During a long-range flight, the GPS rescue failed, even though I had tested it multiple times before heading out. If you think iFlight is bad, try dealing with GEPRC-it’s on a completely different level! 😂😂 They lie on almost every occasion, like they’re trained to do it. For example, I asked if they had the MOS 7 in stock, and they confidently said, “Yes, absolutely, and ready to ship immediately.” So, I went ahead and bought it. Guess what? Two months later and about 50 emails back and forth, the drone finally arrived! 😂😂 I won’t even get into the madness of the conversation I had with them after I lost the drone.

[@Roman.the.explorer]

hey man, thanks for such an honest review. This really helps someone like me being interested in this drone and gives a bit more understanding about the company

[@fpvwithme]

Hey bro. My brand new Nazgul Evoque V2 just burst into flames for absolutely no reason? Only a few flights on the kwad with zero crashes or damage. Took off, came right back and landed cause my phone chirped and before I knew it.... POOF!! Is yhos a common issue cause I've herd quite a few similar stories? Thanks!!

[@toms755]

Well maybe it is dji I had the original air unit and had to take out the sd card because it would stop transmitting as soon you did a flip. Maybe the 03 does the same.

[@amattdhanni]

Thanks for the honest input! Unbiased and objective. In conclusion, is it better to get the Chimera 7 Pro V2 RTF as a set inclusive of the Goggles2 and the ELRS commander 8 instead of using the DJI RC2 as the transmitter? Thanks!

[@lynsmith1096]

Good honest review Ken. Happy New Year to you and your family.

[@nickbeedroning]

Thanks for that Ken. It is great to hear your honest review and to see you got another after I talked with you about the fail from the original one you received. This is one I am seriously looking at. I don’t have a crossfire remote. Is there one you would recommend to get with that? I also liked your fix to try to stop brownouts. Thanks again for the honest review

[@Photonees]

I wonder if you are not using the DJI FVP RC, if the powerdraw will be lower? Since 2.4Ghz RX is shutdown. Would you also mind showing somewhere a picture what you soldered where? Im receving the O3 Iflight nazgul Evoque tomorrow normally.

[@gehret_alex]

Had exactly the same thing happen to me, but with ELRS - complete shutdown with no apparent reason and warning, unfortunately above the sea :/

[@zefixx6659]

Thanks for the Review! I build some Chimera 7 by my own with DJI V1 System and these are my absolute favorite Kwads. The Pont with the Voltage regulater is good. But even with Crossfire as RC Link you have the same problem. The voltage regulater will create the 9V AND the 5V and when it is overheating the 5V will be down too.... Sorry for your Stuff man! That is not Ok. When you Build a RTF you should be responible for you Product in total. When a Tire on your new Car is flat at the first drive the Manufacturer will not blame the Company that will deliver the Tire.... They will help you out...

[@RW_FPV]

I was thinking about buy this, due to the issue you had, I think I will find alternative, thanks for you review. I just bought the nazgul but I regret it, due to this review.

[@OriginaldoBo]

Just fly it and hope for the best

[@RCWolfFPV]

Cheers Ken for the review! and hats off for the honesty on this. I wonder if the original AU is also drawing that much power, and would you suggest a similar solution? ( I assume that would need a separate BEC, since the OG air units are only 4S capable.)

[@zeDoSauRus]

it's a known DJI issue, not iFlight's fault

[@KostasGur]

Input Voltage 7.4-26.4 V for the O3, so capable of getting power from 2 up to 6s

[@baggszilla]

Captain Drones F6 V2 he reviewed did not have a voltage regulator. The DJI plug on the 20x20 Blitz FCs run VBAT. So to me it's looking like a DJI Remote 2 firmware issue.

[@OriginaldoBo]

Talked with Mads and he had the data. So did iflight they stated power loss from the logs

[@MorningView]

GPS and RTH is very useful.

[@OriginaldoBo]

Absolutely it would’ve likely brought it back maybe into a tree, most of my quads do not have GPS on them. That doesn’t negate the interaction after the fact

[@xavier_arthur]

A guy 2 days ago in Flushing Meadows Park was flying the new 03 Iflight 5-in quad, he told me it just went blank, fell out of the sky, the battery ejected and blew up near the highway 😲 and if I could help him figure out why because it's flying good now but he doesn't know if it will happen again and it's hard to trust it, he also said this is the second blackout he's had! I told him I have no idea what the problem is but after watching this video, Iflight better fix this S**t!

[@OriginaldoBo]

BEC are browning out, go off the battery and no more issues

[@Fly_High_FPV]

IFlight wont do shit for your friend, just take more of his money....holla if you need some help

[@noobfpvideo1597]

Why did gps rescue not kick in?

[@OriginaldoBo]

cant kick in with out a sat lock

[@SpongeBob-xh8ir]

@@OriginaldoBo then it’s your mistake

[@noobfpvideo1597]

@@OriginaldoBo if you had sat lock we would know for sure what the issue was. If it returned then it was the O3, and if it didn’t then it was possibly the bec…but we’ll never know

[@panosfpv]

As a newbie in he FPV (1 year) i would never do a range test above water and definitely not using the DJI remote!!I would a location and i would fly from a higher level so I can have a clean line of sight. Sometimes things just fail and that's it!Time will tell if this is a issue with the chimera or just 1 unfortunate failsafe!Your channel is good but sometimes 💩💩 happens 🙂🙂

[@thelordyno]

you are a newbie that’s why you don’t know things. Iflight should not be swapping those antennas and claim it’s safe to do. it’s fine when using other rx, but not with dji as there’s a reason why the antenna is dual band. do your homework

[@tomblanckaert6055]

Wish they made a chimera frame without the sidepanels for a full 30x30 stack..

[@PedroTome75]

remove the panels......

[@illicit_fpv8208]

So your first long range flight with this kwad was over a lake? 😂 After 3-4 flights 😂

[@OriginaldoBo]

No, did a few, it’s Florida we got lakes or cities

[@illicit_fpv8208]

@@OriginaldoBo I'm from Tampa and the only thing I miss about the place is being spoiled for choice of areas with plenty of line of sight while being completely recoverable areas... Wesley Chapel, Ruskin, Lithia etc... Just sayin that a new kwad needs to be properly vetted or you're gonna have a bad time... sorry for your loss.

[@byronrobinson8633]

@@illicit_fpv8208 old Wesley chapel. I’m from Zephyrhills and moved away decades ago and sounds funny hearing about those places. I wouldn’t even recognize those places now.

[@mitja3860]

Watch a lot of drone reviews lately. You’re the only one I subscribed too. Appreciate the honesty 😂 especially at the end of the video 😂 👍

[@guinness11]

Now this is how a review should be done! To the point, no bullshit, and honest. Manufacturers should be held accountable for their fuck-ups and it's good to see that someone is! Good stuff!

[@BrunoParnell]

Is it true that iflight replaces the stock O3 dual band 2.4ghz/5.8ghz LHCP antenna with two 5.8ghz only LHCP antennas? Is that causing the issue with the rc2 which is 2.4ghz?

[@OriginaldoBo]

Yes it is true, we discovered it on my replacement and the one that landed in the water

[@BrunoParnell]

@@OriginaldoBo you recovered it?

[@thelordyno]

yes that’s the issue with DJI rx, iflight still claims to date that’s legit procedure

[@EstebanRiveraCinematographer]

Lost my iflight BOB57 in norway the exactly the same way. Execpt I had GSP lock before taking off... :(

[@erlandfpv]

From the first day im using DJI digital, I'm always using external BEC for supply the Vtx power, not taking from the FC, especially O3 , they're very hunger of power, need at least 9V external BEC, its always sad to hear or see quad dissaper just like that..

[@cyborwhat]

Sounds about right. Drone company sends out drone with bad design and you lose $600 worth of your own stuff testing it then they want you to try again and put even more of your own money on the line. Sadly you had to fix the issue with it before you would fly the new one. I would have thought they would have researched the issue a bit more for potential problems. Respect for bitch slapping them for being stupid with the way they handled it.

[@OriginaldoBo]

I get that they lost $600 as well. GPS Rescue on beta flight would likely be beneficial with CRSF the first build didnt have it... if the BEC is what failed the quad would not of just landed like iNav does. I lost 399 on the gopro and 145 on the battery. They than asked me to take one of my air units to complete the review... I said no and questioned as to why I would have to. They could of just said no and that would of been that chop it to a loss. My issue isnt really the crash its the interaction via email after the fact.

[@MattysDroneWorld]

Well, that was about as forward and honest as I've ever seen you! Hold em accountable bro, it needs to be done! Also, good point on not running video and rc link off the same unit, never thought of that! 👍🏼🤙🏼 Happy New Year!

[@sandersassen]

My ears perked up when you said 'rangetest' and 'lake' in the same sentence, c'mon man, you jinxed it! :/

[@MSR.]

I want to review products like your self, I would give them an ear full with my experiences within 5 years of fpv. At least they could learn from what I’ve witnessed 🤷‍♂️

[@jesusmelchor7681]

How do you connect it directly to battery?

[@dizzdawizz]

Hey man, have you got any videos or recommendations on the best bind and fly 5inch running the O3? I’m coming from DJI FPV and been putting it off but really want to make the move to something more serious.

[@5ddrones568]

Love your reviews!!!! Thank you 🙏. I been there before and your right some of these reviewers cover for these companies. Good on you sir no bs.

[@KostasGur]

You are a true reviewer, not a.. Salesman!

[@michaelwhouse46]

Subscribed because you're straight up with reviews. I WAS looking at this quad. Thank you.