Just bought a second KARMA....

[Phil]

I'm so happy with my KARMA I just bought a second one. Price for two is still under one MavPro and all those spares! OK – I already have GoPro 5 & 6 and very happy with them. Cons: not as much range but plenty for what I want to do and if it went further, it'd be out of sight... Pros: Very stable video. Able to handle high winds and this is important where I live. Packs up well in its backpack case and easy to carry. Flies like a plane; fast, banks and turns only thing here is, when going fast and low there's a tendency to 'pull the stick back' to climb – and that 'ain't the right way! A heart stopping moment... The separate gimbal grip is excellent and I've already used it on a couple of video jobs. The Karma, as it is, should be good for a few years yet so that's fine with me.

 

[Seashore]

Liked your post Phil and it prompted me to register on the forum. After much deliberation I recently bought a Karma and I'm absolutely delighted with it. So far logged a couple of hours flying no problems at all. I already had a Hero 4, so had to buy the mount as an extra, but it seemed a really good deal with the handheld grip as well. I live on the coast in UK and wind is also a potential issue, but Karma seems to handle it well. Also I fly in places where wi-fi interference is not a factor, although I have ordered a range extender as discussed elsewhere on the forum....just in case and because I'm interested in that side of things. I really enjoy flying it, my main interest being in the photographic side ... and I'm getting good results. Well pleased so far.

 

[Phil]

Hi Seashore, a good decision my friend. I'm also new to this site so not sure if they actually have a page for photos and videos or if they use others like Flickr or Vimeo. (OK, see we can attach below) My interest mainly video and 'sea shore' stuff - being originally from Cornwall and now in Albany, on the the south coast of Western Australia. I've found a way of 'hand landing' for when on rough ground, as any pilot will tell you, it's the landing that does any damage – three broken props so far.

 

[Seashore]

Hi Phil,
It's a small world... I live on the South coast of Cornwall. Interesting comment re 'hand landing'. I'm contemplating flying off a small boat when I'm totally confident, so guess I'm going to have to develop that skill too. Only one hard landing so far, which was an early 'auto' landing on a rough patch and folded closed one side of landing gear. Fortunately got away without a scratch as props had stopped. I always land manually now - can pick the exact spot and it's much softer! Guess I'm one of those people who like the rugged simplicity of the whole GoPro package and for me the Karma has got a lot going for it. I liken it to the fact that I was a very early Apple Mac adopter and could never understand why anyone would ever buy a PC/Windows computer!
Kevin (Seashore)

 

[Phil]

Small world indeed Kevin, My father was from St Mawes. We had 'The Victory Inn' near Porthtowan in the fifties before emigrating.
My hand landing technique so far – bring Karma to about 4' above ground / camera facing away from you / check front green lights are on solid, not flashing so you are in control. / Make sure its stable. / Hold controller in left hand, thumb near left stick. / Bring right hand up from below so fingers underneath battery slot and place thumb dead centre on the top. Karma will react a little when constrained just like a good horse. / As soon as you have a grip, use left thumb to push 'Down' on the stick and the motors will slow and stop.
Phil

 

[James Hatch]

Hi Phil & Kevin, Made a wise choice Phil, though I see that Karma Cores are coming on the market at a good price. Yes the Cornish coast line would be good. The thing is to pick a launch site away from any metal and Wi-Fi towers to make sure you have a strong GPS signal, and of course you are away from airport zones. I will be flying at the end of this month in Nova Scotia, so I am looking for some steady aerial survey. By the way, I have the GoPro Hero 3,4,5, & 6. I do quite a lot of mobile mounted work as well. If you would like a sample e-mail at [email protected].
James