Auto take-off...was 1.2 meters, now about .3 meters?

[wsalopek]

Hi guys...

New P3P owner (have owned a V1.1.1 for a while).

When I first used auto take-off, the P3 took off and hovered at right about 1.2 meters, as advertised...but then for the last few days, it takes off and only climbs to about 1 foot, or .3 meters. Happens every time.

I am taking off over the same surface, and with lots of battery power remaining.

I thought the problem might have been the "gimbal guard" I installed (interfering with the sonar?)...but I UN-installed it and still have the same problem.

Any ideas?

Also, just wondering....does the Phantom use the sonar for altitude control below a certain altitude above the ground?

Thanks

 

[bobmyers]

Hi guys...

New P3P owner (have owned a V1.1.1 for a while).

When I first used auto take-off, the P3 took off and hovered at right about 1.2 meters, as advertised...but then for the last few days, it takes off and only climbs to about 1 foot, or .3 meters. Happens every time.

I am taking off over the same surface, and with lots of battery power remaining.

I thought the problem might have been the "gimbal guard" I installed (interfering with the sonar?)...but I UN-installed it and still have the same problem.

Any ideas?

Also, just wondering....does the Phantom use the sonar for altitude control below a certain altitude above the ground?

Thanks

Disable the VPS and see if that helps.. Really don't depend on auto takeoff, take it off manually, so that you have hands on control if need be.

 

[wsalopek]

Take off manually...yep...just wanted to see if all the "features" work...and it is a bit worrisome that it WAS working but then stopped...

Thanks...I'll try disabling VPS and see if that makes a difference.

 

[bobmyers]

That CSC command that starts the motors is the same one that kills them in an emergency. So it should work. both sticks strait back and to the inside corner should start the motors if the P3 is connected and has signal.

 

[wsalopek]

Take off manually...yep...just wanted to see if all the "features" work...and it is a bit worrisome that it WAS working but then stopped...

Thanks...I'll try disabling VPS and see if that makes a difference.

Well I disabled VPS and nothing changed...it climbs to about 2 feet, stops abruptly, and then settles back down to about a foot off the ground.

 

[bbfpv]

Technically, the "feature" is working. It's called auto-takeoff, and that's what it's doing. If it were landing again on its own, I'd classify that as not working.

 

[wsalopek]

Technically, the "feature" is working. It's called auto-takeoff, and that's what it's doing. If it were landing again on its own, I'd classify that as not working.

BBFPV...

OK...let's just agree to say the feature is perhaps PARTIALLY working.

The P3 (IMHO) is supposed to auto-take-off to a safe altitude above the ground...in other words, an altitude where a gust of wind will not push it back into the ground...in my case, it takes off to 1-2 feet (1/4 to 1/3rd normal), and in fact, it has almost descended back into the ground a couple times with a small gust of wind.

So the feature, while it get's the P3 off the ground, in my case, can not be used at all, which really puts a dent into the "working" idea.

Still, I get your point.

--

Bill

 

[bobmyers]

BBFPV...

OK...let's just agree to say the feature is perhaps PARTIALLY working.

The P3 (IMHO) is supposed to auto-take-off to a safe altitude above the ground...in other words, an altitude where a gust of wind will not push it back into the ground...in my case, it takes off to 1-2 feet (1/4 to 1/3rd normal), and in fact, it has almost descended back into the ground a couple times with a small gust of wind.

So the feature, while it get's the P3 off the ground, in my case, can not be used at all, which really puts a dent into the "working" idea.

Still, I get your point.

--

Bill

It is stil better to take off manually up to about 20 ft and let it hover for about 30 seconds to check stability-- that way you have hands on all the time IMHO

 

[wsalopek]

BBFPV...I don't disagree with you...never have...this thread was never about whether it's better to take off via auto-take-off or manually. This thread was (and still is) about what might be wrong with my P3, as the auto-take-off feature is not working as it's supposed to.

It turns out that one of those "speaker"-looking units on the VPS system is rattling around loose in it's compartment...giving the VPS bad readings...this might very well be the reason for the bad auto-take-off altitude I was experiencing, though I have yet to verify that VPS is involved with auto-take-off. It seems like it is NOT, as even when I turn off VPS, the auto-take-off exhibits the same behavior.

So anyway I took the Phantom in to a service center to get the VPS repaired, hopefully under warranty (otherwise I'd do the repair myself)...we'll see if the repair fixes the auto-take-off and/or the VPS.

--

Bill