Overview: BetaFPV Pavo20 Professional with DJI O4 Professional – Any Totally different from O3 and NightFire Editions?

After testing totally different variations of the BetaFPV Pavo20 Professional—together with the DJI O3, NightFire version, and now the DJI O4 Professional—I can confidently say: they’re just about the identical. However in case you’re questioning which model to decide on or how the O4 improve modifications issues, right here’s every thing I’ve discovered.

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New to FPV? Begin with our Cinewhoop Purchaser’s Information: https://oscarliang.com/cinewhoop/

The place to Purchase

You will get the Pavo20 Professional O4 version from the next distributors:

Included Equipment:

• 1 × LED Strip Accent Equipment (Ice Blue)
• 4 × Spare Propellers
• 1 × USB-C Adapter Cable
• 1 × Spare DJI O4 Professional Air Unit 6-pin Cable

Word that battery shouldn’t be included, get some Lava 3S 550mAh LiPo right here: https://oscarliang.com/product-vrfd

Get some spare 2.2inch propellers right here: https://oscarliang.com/product-8nfq

Specs

When you’re acquainted with the earlier Pavo20 Professional with O3, the brand new O4 Professional model is basically an identical by way of core {hardware}:

Design and Construct: O4 vs O3 vs NightFire

Let’s get this out of the way in which: the pusher-style body, motors, flight controller, and props are all the identical throughout all these variations of the Pavo20 Professional.

The primary distinction is the brand new digicam cage, designed particularly for the DJI O4 Professional Air Unit. It’s a glossy, injection-molded mount that provides higher antenna routing, and total aesthetics. In comparison with the O3’s mount, the O4 cage seems to be cleaner and feels extra refined.

Surprisingly, the O4 model is barely lighter than the O3, regardless of utilizing the inventory DJI O4 antennas. It’s because the O4 Air Unit is lighter than the O3, although the load distinction is minimal and doesn’t noticeably have an effect on flight efficiency.

Utilizing Unique O4 Professional Antennas

One small gripe: I want BetaFPV included shorter dipole antennas, like they did with the O3 model. They’re not solely lighter, but additionally extra sturdy in crashes. The inventory O4 antennas are solely press-fitted into the mount, that means they will simply come out throughout a crash and probably injury the delicate U.FL connectors and wire.

When you’re involved about sturdiness:

• Think about gluing the antennas into place.
• Or higher but, swap them for dipoles to avoid wasting ~4g and scale back danger.

Sure, you could possibly argue that the inventory antennas supply higher vary—however the actual limiting issue right here is the ELRS receiver antenna that’s buried beneath the FC, not the video system. And because the Pavo20 Professional lacks GPS, you don’t actually wish to fly it far anyway. Because of this, dipoles needs to be superb.

Area of View and Prop Guard

You may discover the prop guard showing within the backside corners of your goggles. That is because of the extremely huge subject of view (FOV) of the O4 Professional digicam, particularly if you end up in 4:3 mode. Nevertheless, when you run the footage via Gyroflow for stabilization, these prop guards often get cropped out, so it’s not a significant concern.

Battery Mounting and Payload

The drone makes use of a regular battery strap, supplying you with flexibility to make use of numerous 3S LiPo sizes, together with 3S 450mAh, 550mAh and 650mAh. With a 3S 550mAh, the full AUW (All-Up Weight) is available in round 150g.

Word: the Pavo20 Professional shouldn’t be designed to hold a GoPro or full-size HD digicam. When you actually wish to add an exterior HD cam (e.g., Insta360 GO or Bare GoPro), you’ll have to 3D print your personal mount—and hold it mild. Further weight will shortly have an effect on each flight efficiency and battery life.

Accessibility and Maintanence

Accessing the DJI O4 Professional’s SD card and USB port is straightforward, due to the sensible design of the body and digicam cage.

To save lots of weight, BetaFPV changed the usual USB-C port on the flight controller with a smaller 4-pin JST connector. Meaning you’ll want to make use of the included USB adapter when connecting to Betaflight—a small trade-off for a lighter construct.

The drone’s building is basically easy. The digicam cage is mounted to the drone’s physique utilizing solely 4 bolts. It’s straightforward to assemble or take aside, which is useful for fast repairs. The gentle mounting for the digicam appears to do a superb job of eliminating jello.

Upgrading from DJI O3 to O4 Professional

Already flying the Pavo20 Professional with DJI O3 and excited about upgrading?

Excellent news: You solely have to buy the brand new digicam cage designed for the O4 Professional. No want to purchase a complete new drone! The O4 mounts with the identical four-screw configuration, and the adjustable digicam tilt enables you to fly with near-zero angle for cinematic-style photographs.

This makes the Pavo20 Professional platform extra modular, and an amazing long-term funding.

Flight Efficiency

By way of flight traits, the Pavo20 Professional with DJI O4 Professional flies nearly identically to the O3 and NightFire editions. Similar energy, responsiveness, dealing with, and management authority.

I examined it in average wind as effectively (10–12 mph) and was impressed by how effectively it dealt with. No noticeable jello even when flying aggressively, and it presents clean management for each informal cruising and precision cinematic actions.

Let’s be sensible, although—this isn’t a freestyle drone. It doesn’t have the facility or punch of an open-prop quad. However for low-speed, close-proximity cinematic flying, it’s best. The built-in prop safety additionally makes it safer to make use of round individuals or in tight areas.

I get about 5 to six minutes of flight time on a 3S 550mAh LiHV battery, about 4 to five minutes on 450mAh and simply over 6 minutes on 650mah. Nevertheless, larger battery doesn’t appear to supply vital longer flight time however makes it fly worse – 720mAh could be the most important pack I might use with the Pavo20 Professional.

The Pavo20 Professional isn’t notably loud by cinewhoop requirements resulting from its comparatively small measurement, however it’s nonetheless noisy sufficient that I wouldn’t advocate flying it indoors—until, in fact, you’re on the lookout for a divorce 😀 If you’d like one thing appropriate for indoor flying, it is best to keep on with 1S tiny whoops. Try my prime suggestions right here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/#Greatest-75mm-Tiny-Whoops

Pavo20 Professional vs GEPRC Cinelog30 V3

In comparison with the GEPRC Cinelog30 V3 I not too long ago reviewed, the Pavo20 Professional is:

• Smaller, making it extra appropriate for flying in tight areas.
• Lighter, however with much less energy and payload capability.
• Extra restricted in freestyle means resulting from its compact measurement.

The Cinelog30 V3, then again:

• Extra environment friendly and presents longer flight time.
• Extra highly effective and may carry heavier payload (even full measurement GoPro).
• It’s due to this fact extra versatile in several flying types.

Nevertheless, each drones use light-weight plastic prop guards with a purpose to hold the load down, that means neither is constructed to face up to arduous crashes. But when I used to be going to crash I might fairly decide the Pavo20 as a result of it’s lighter the affect shall be much less, and in contrast to the Cinelog, the digicam received’t come out in crashes as a result of it’s arduous mounted which makes life simpler.

Tips on how to Setup

Earlier than the primary flight, I did the next:

• Put in the 2 O4 antennas within the antenna mount.
• Eliminated the protecting movie from the digicam lens.
• Plug in a smoke stopper, and join a battery and check the drone and see if it powers up accurately. It’s best to hear the ESC/motor initiation beeps.
• Personally I’d keep away from putting in the LED strip to avoid wasting weight.

Firmware

• The flight controller (FC) board goal is BETAFPVF405, and it comes preloaded with Betaflight firmware model 4.5.0. For inventory CLI Diff, see right here.
• ESC Firmware: Bluejay, 0.19 (C-X-70)
• ELRS Receiver Firmware Goal: Generic ESP8285 2.4GHz RX, firmware 3.3.0

Betaflight Setup

Ultimate Ideas: Is It Value It?

When you’re on the lookout for the smallest cinewhoop with DJI O4 Professional assist, the Pavo20 Professional is my prime suggestion.

You will get the Pavo20 Professional O4 version from the next distributors:

The design is strong because it has confirmed beforehand with the DJI O3. It carries the full-size O4 Air Unit with out feeling underpowered, and its small footprint makes it best for each indoor and tight out of doors environments. It’s not constructed for aggressive freestyle or crashing—however for clean, cinematic flights, it performs admirably.

If you have already got the O3 model, there’s not an enormous cause to improve until you need the higher digicam efficiency of the O4 Professional. However in case you’re deciding between the 2, go together with the O4 Professional model. It’s simply higher throughout.