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

After testing completely 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 if you happen to’re questioning which model to decide on or how the O4 improve modifications issues, right here’s all the things I’ve realized.

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

The place to Purchase

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

Included Equipment:

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

Be aware that battery will not 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

For those who’re accustomed to the earlier Pavo20 Professional with O3, the brand new O4 Professional model is basically equivalent when it comes to 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 principle distinction is the brand new digital camera cage, designed particularly for the DJI O4 Professional Air Unit. It’s a modern, injection-molded mount that provides higher antenna routing, and total aesthetics. In comparison with the O3’s mount, the O4 cage appears to be like 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 burden distinction is minimal and doesn’t noticeably have an effect on flight efficiency.

Utilizing Authentic 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 in addition 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.

For those who’re involved about sturdiness:

• Think about gluing the antennas into place.
• Or higher but, swap them for dipoles to save lots of ~4g and cut back threat.

Sure, you may argue that the inventory antennas provide higher vary—however the true limiting issue right here is the ELRS receiver antenna that’s buried beneath the FC, not the video system. And for the reason that Pavo20 Professional lacks GPS, you don’t actually wish to fly it far anyway. For that reason, dipoles must be wonderful.

Subject of View and Prop Guard

You may discover the prop guard showing within the backside corners of your goggles. That is as a result of extremely huge area of view (FOV) of the O4 Professional digital camera, particularly when you’re in 4:3 mode. Nonetheless, when you run the footage by way of Gyroflow for stabilization, these prop guards normally get cropped out, so it’s not a serious concern.

Battery Mounting and Payload

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

Be aware: the Pavo20 Professional will not be designed to hold a GoPro or full-size HD digital camera. For those who actually wish to add an exterior HD cam (e.g., Insta360 GO or Bare GoPro), you’ll must 3D print your individual mount—and maintain it gentle. Extra 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 easy, because of the good design of the body and digital camera cage.

To avoid wasting weight, BetaFPV changed the usual USB-C port on the flight controller with a smaller 4-pin JST connector. Which means 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 development is absolutely easy. The digital camera 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 smooth mounting for the digital camera appears to do an excellent job of eliminating jello.

Upgrading from DJI O3 to O4 Professional

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

Excellent news: You solely must buy the brand new digital camera 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 digital camera tilt helps you to fly with near-zero angle for cinematic-style photographs.

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

Flight Efficiency

When it comes to flight traits, the Pavo20 Professional with DJI O4 Professional flies virtually identically to the O3 and NightFire editions. Similar energy, responsiveness, dealing with, and management authority.

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

Let’s be real looking, 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 supreme. The built-in prop safety additionally makes it safer to make use of round folks 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. Nonetheless, larger battery doesn’t appear to supply vital longer flight time however makes it fly worse – 720mAh can be the most important pack I’d use with the Pavo20 Professional.

The Pavo20 Professional isn’t significantly loud by cinewhoop requirements as a result of its comparatively small dimension, but it surely’s nonetheless noisy sufficient that I wouldn’t suggest flying it indoors—except, in fact, you’re in search of a divorce 😀 If you need one thing appropriate for indoor flying, you need to stick to 1S tiny whoops. Take a look at my prime suggestions right here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/#Finest-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 capability as a result of its compact dimension.

The Cinelog30 V3, alternatively:

• Extra environment friendly and provides longer flight time.
• Extra highly effective and might carry heavier payload (even full dimension GoPro).
• It’s due to this fact extra versatile in numerous flying kinds.

Nonetheless, each drones use light-weight plastic prop guards to be able to maintain the burden down, that means neither is constructed to resist arduous crashes. But when I used to be going to crash I’d moderately decide the Pavo20 as a result of it’s lighter the affect can be much less, and in contrast to the Cinelog, the digital camera received’t come out in crashes as a result of it’s arduous mounted which makes life simpler.

The right way 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 digital camera lens.
• Plug in a smoke stopper, and join a battery and check the drone and see if it powers up appropriately. It is best to hear the ESC/motor initiation beeps.
• Personally I’d keep away from putting in the LED strip to save lots of 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?

For those who’re in search of the smallest cinewhoop with DJI O4 Professional assist, the Pavo20 Professional is my prime suggestion.

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

The design is stable 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 supreme 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 purpose to improve except you need the higher digital camera efficiency of the O4 Professional. However if you happen to’re deciding between the 2, go along with the O4 Professional model. It’s simply higher throughout.