Evaluation: 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 the event you’re questioning which model to decide on or how the O4 improve adjustments 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 Package (Ice Blue)
• 4 × Spare Propellers
• 1 × USB-C Adapter Cable
• 1 × Spare DJI O4 Professional Air Unit 6-pin Cable

Observe 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

In case you’re acquainted with the earlier Pavo20 Professional with O3, the brand new O4 Professional model is actually equivalent when it comes to core {hardware}:

Design and Construct: O4 vs O3 vs NightFire

Let’s get this out of the best way: 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 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 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 is 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 in addition extra sturdy in crashes. The inventory O4 antennas are solely press-fitted into the mount, which means they’ll simply come out throughout a crash and probably harm the delicate U.FL connectors and wire.

In case you’re involved about sturdiness:

• Take into account gluing the antennas into place.
• Or higher but, swap them for dipoles to avoid wasting ~4g and cut back threat.

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

Discipline 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 vast discipline of view (FOV) of the O4 Professional digicam, particularly when you find yourself in 4:3 mode. Nonetheless, when you run the footage via Gyroflow for stabilization, these prop guards often get cropped out, so it’s not a serious concern.

Battery Mounting and Payload

The drone makes use of a typical 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.

Observe: the Pavo20 Professional shouldn’t be designed to hold a GoPro or full-size HD digicam. In case you actually need to add an exterior HD cam (e.g., Insta360 GO or Bare GoPro), you’ll must 3D print your personal mount—and hold it gentle. 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 easy, 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. 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 building is actually 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 mushy mounting for the digicam appears to do a very good job of eliminating jello.

Upgrading from DJI O3 to O4 Professional

Already flying the Pavo20 Professional with DJI O3 and interested by upgrading?

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

This makes the Pavo20 Professional platform extra modular, and an important 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 properly (10–12 mph) and was impressed by how properly 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 practical, although—this isn’t a freestyle drone. It doesn’t have the ability or punch of an open-prop quad. However for low-speed, close-proximity cinematic flying, it’s perfect. 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, greater battery doesn’t appear to supply vital longer flight time however makes it fly worse – 720mAh could be the largest pack I might use with the Pavo20 Professional.

The Pavo20 Professional isn’t notably loud by cinewhoop requirements on account of its comparatively small measurement, however it’s nonetheless noisy sufficient that I wouldn’t advocate flying it indoors—except, in fact, you’re in search of a divorce 😀 If you’d like one thing appropriate for indoor flying, it is best to persist with 1S tiny whoops. Take a look at 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 lately 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 on account of its compact measurement.

The Cinelog30 V3, alternatively:

• Extra environment friendly and provides longer flight time.
• Extra highly effective and might carry heavier payload (even full measurement GoPro).
• It’s subsequently extra versatile in several flying types.

Nonetheless, each drones use light-weight plastic prop guards as a way to hold the load down, which means neither is constructed to resist exhausting crashes. But when I used to be going to crash I might moderately decide the Pavo20 as a result of it’s lighter the affect will likely be much less, and in contrast to the Cinelog, the digicam gained’t come out in crashes as a result of it’s exhausting 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 digicam lens.
• Plug in a smoke stopper, and join a battery and take a look at 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 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

Last Ideas: Is It Price It?

In case you’re in search of the smallest cinewhoop with DJI O4 Professional assist, the Pavo20 Professional is my prime advice.

You will 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 perfect 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 motive to improve except you need the higher digicam efficiency of the O4 Professional. However in the event you’re deciding between the 2, go together with the O4 Professional model. It’s simply higher throughout.