Still transporting your Phantom in a cardboard box? Its time to treat yourself to something unique and bespoke, we are really impressed with the new Protechnic DJI Phantom Carry-Case!
Having owned our Phantom 3 Professional for well over 3 months, it was time to upgrade from the trusty ‘cardboard box’ to a more worthy storage mechanism.
Following an online search, it was clear that most current options are focused on ‘low-cost’ and consequently the product is low-quality too. EBay and Amazon are overflowing with budget cases retailing at £50/$80 and less but they are all poorly made and of insufficient quality, particularly in which to store an expensive and fragile drone worth over £1000.
Searching locally I discovered a specialist ‘case manufacturer’ called Protechnic, they have been developing cases and bespoke foam inserts for over 25 years and I was reassured by their website which showcases the various applications for their cases.
During the ordering process, you are able to customise almost every aspect of the case, from the material and colour of the panels to the foam inside. In addition you can specify custom etching into the inner lid foam as well as full colour exterior printing on the panels although such options do add a small premium to the price.
The custom case arrived within just two weeks. First impressions were that the case felt solid and well built, it is not a case to take hiking but when transporting your Phantom in a plane, car or other vehicle, or when walking to a professional shoot, you can rest assured that your equipment will be safe inside, not only from accidental damage but also from someone trying to get into it, this is the ‘Alcatraz’ of cases due to the premium locking latches.
Within the case, the foam insert is a perfect fit for the Phantom 3, Protechnic tell me that they are working now to develop a foam insert for the Phantom 4 which will be available shortly.
The various sections accommodate the Phantom accessories perfectly, including three batteries although you could store additional batteries within the generously sized ‘accessory’ section on the left of the case.
The hinges on the rear of the case allow for the lid to stand up-right rather than flopping backwards onto the ground, this looks very impressive if you have opted for the inner-foam etching, particularly if arriving at a professional shoot, to achieve this etching you simply provide Protechnic with an electronic file, for example a JPG or PSD and they do the rest.
The raw weight of the case is just under 6kg which is not particularly lightweight, but this is not a backpack and nor is it designed to be lightweight because I did not spec that upon ordering. Instead I wanted it to be security-proof and so compromised on the weight. Protechnic offer a ‘lightweight’ range and this is one of the options when ordering.
On the underside of the case are four rubber feet which could do with extending a little to lift the case a little more off the ground, in addition we have suggested to Protechnic that they add the option for feet to side panel as well, so that when opening the case there is less chance of scratching one of the beautiful brushed aluminium panels.
Overall, we are really impressed with the case and suggest a visit to www.protechnic.com to see the rest of their range.
For our full video review, see below.