At what distance do you nerves give out?

[CrispyClaret]

After yesterdays flight and subsequent confusion I decided on a more normal play today.
Nice and frosty, sun just above the horizon, open fields with wind turbines in the distance. Got her out to max ce distance then reset it and carried on, at 2294 ft away I got into that brain troubling conundrum. Couldn't see it, couldn't hear it, had full signal strengths but bottled it anyway and brought her home. Had a chat to a passer by as it hovered overhead, then flew off in the oposite direction to 1875 ft and came back. 13 minutes, 12740 total distance flown, still 50% battery left which I thought pretty good for freezing temps.
Just which I could get over my nerves over losing sight and sound and trust my screen, it's not like I was in danger of flying into anything.

 

[CrispyClaret]

Oh and as usual, no range increasing gizmos and up to date firmwares

 

[Philltayl]

I am afraid to say , my nerves give out as soon as I loose visual orientation of the P3.

 

[Blue Skies]

I live in the middle of nowhere so took mine to the beach and flow it as far as I could see it I got it 1000 (3000ft) before the max distance kicked in then brought it back, and I could still see it, it did have a darker cloud behind it what made it easier to see. really want to turn off the distance restriction and see how far it will go before RTH kicks

n

 

[Uzi3L]

me too, to date i have only taken mine to 250meters and that was pushing it for me, only went that far as my mate was saying to do it

 

[Gunner Stu]

I've got an FC40, but on the same topic does full RTH kick at the relevant distance set then I'm assuming you just apply normal control when you're back in visual contact?


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[CrispyClaret]

1640ft, 500m are our preset distance limits in the UK but obviously you can turn that off as I did this morning.
Agree with Philltayl, normally I panic when it gets to become a dot at which point I usually end looking at the screen to check the map and camera view and by then I have lost sight.
It does make me chuckle the guys who dye the rotors or legs to identify the front of the birdie, only useful if its close enough to see and if close enough why bother painting it, apart from it looks nice on the kitchen table?

 

[CrispyClaret]

I've got an FC40, but on the same topic does full RTH kick at the relevant distance set then I'm assuming you just apply normal control when you're back in visual contact?


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Return to home kicks in if i lose signal to the tx not when i reach maximum distance. Yes if it sets a return amd i regain signal i cancel rth

 

[tevek]

I took mine out for a 6500 mtr trip yesterday and whilst it is nothing compared to the big numbers on this forum, I was comfortable knowing that if it all fell over, my little friend would come home. As it it turned out, I lost all connection and it made its way back to my place. You need a towel to wipe away the sweat the first time it happens though....

 

[grin factor]

I too have little bottle when it comes to distance away & like t keep it in sight. One reason I bought the standard. I may go further once used to it, but until then I'm wearing nappies.

 

[subek]

Today I lost all the controls, data and video started to stop very near wind turbines 840 meters away and 110 meters above the ground, it is cold today but I started to sweat. So that is my limit for now.

 

[Jayfdee]

Yes I get nervous when out of sight,which is always out over the sea or marshlands,so a failure into the sea means the death of the craft.
I do counter the fear by acknowledging I have had hundreds of flights, and so feel I have had my moneys worth.
A loss out over the sea would of course mean I could upgrade to a P4P, so not all bad news.

 

[AWD]

With the collection of wires, towers and various disturbances around me in the "city" environment, I've found that a half mile (2600 to 3000 feet) is my personal and realistic limit on distance.

I've flown the P4 out over a mile a few times when in open country, but I was actually looking for a specific point on the ground at the time so it wasn't any type of range experiment.

Stock P4 with no add-ons and all apps and firmware up to date..

AD

 

[Neon Euc]

I trust the RTH to kick in if I lose signal so I just fly as far as possible out of sight. I'm actually more scared of using litchi way point missions as you have no control once signal is lost and you have to trust the bird to come back.

Neon Euc

 

[TheLightSpeedz]

Litchi is pretty reliable. You plot your course out and back. Litchi is typically very conservative with power reserves so it always makes it back if you use the measurement in the app.




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[Solly747400]

Litchi is pretty reliable. You plot your course out and back. Litchi is typically very conservative with power reserves so it always makes it back if you use the measurement in the app.




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OK so in saying that, god **** it, I'm gonna go out this morning and load the 15 minute mission I created a week ago and haven't had the nerve to start. I think it's around 5-6 kms round trip, obviously losing signal along the way, but I have made the waypoints to follow the roads mostly, so if something happens, either I will find it, or a passing car will find it. What I actually wanted to do is, after it loses signal, turn off the controller so the signal stays disconnected and follow it to see/check that it's doing what it's supposed to.

 

[Sdemaio]

It's just stick time that will eventually get you more comfortable with losing sight. As long as you've got your software up to date and calibrated and your quad is in good shape and showing no signs of issues or glitches, you should never lose it. Most of the people that lose quads either make poor decisions or are just inexperienced, which lead to poor decisions. Like getting glitches, but having them go away and then going forward with the flight rather than immediately landing, powering down fixing something if there is anything to be fixed, powering back up, recalibrating gps and having a test flight before going long range again. Simple impatience has lost more quads than outside, unavoidable and unforeseen circumstances. Just don't trust, ever ever ever, that an issue has taken care of itself... It will reappear, and at the worst possible moment and with the worst consequences. Play it safe and make the right decisions and you'll most likely keep and be successful with your (enter anything here).

 

[RllyDrvrIX]

Newbie here... my nerves are about 100 yards long, not an inch more... yet.


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[Solly747400]

I'll let you know how it goes

 

[tevek]

OK so in saying that, god **** it, I'm gonna go out this morning and load the 15 minute mission I created a week ago and haven't had the nerve to start. I think it's around 5-6 kms round trip, obviously losing signal along the way, but I have made the waypoints to follow the roads mostly, so if something happens, either I will find it, or a passing car will find it. What I actually wanted to do is, after it loses signal, turn off the controller so the signal stays disconnected and follow it to see/check that it's doing what it's supposed to.

Thought about doing the same thing as I regularly lose the signal living where I do. The problem is that if I try and follow it, I won't be able make it back to home point in time before it lands. Unless I was a monkey or Tarzan...