Autonomous Operations and Effective Range

[xarbour]

Hi guys,

A question from a new pilot...

When flying autonomous missions with 3rd party apps like DroneDeploy, you upload the waypoints to the drone before it automatically takes off and flies its pattern.

Does this mean that it would still operate when normally when beyond video downlink range as the aircraft knows where to fly? My guess that, although it might be a little freaky to let the drone run without the video feed, no video dowlink would not prevent autonomous missions from being executed - only should you lose RF signal would the drone's RTH functiom kick in.

Am I correct in my understanding?

Thanks

 

[Fancher9-76]

Yes your right, if you loose your feed to your device every thing is still getting recorded to your sd card. After your flight has completed then download your on board sd card and review your videos. Now with the P4 this might not work, I'm not sure, I've never lost video with P4. But I do have UAV that can make quite a long trip depending on the application of specific mission needs. It often looses video signal, but I just keep flying because I'm not flying it by site anyway I'm flying by gps. After bird comes home I then review the video

 

[Fancher9-76]

If your setting waypoints that your not real sure of your signal reception at that point don't worry about it RTH will active , be Sure and watch your battery and just don't depend on autopilot. Be sure and do a wind check and try to set your route up against the wind with your furthest waypoint 1st , then ride the wind back home with all your others. Hope this made since.

 

[Robert P Stenerson PLS]

Just something to add for advice, if you're running an autopilot grid with DD or Pix4D Capture or what have so, do a check of the underlying topo for the whole grid and look for unexpected or unnoticed rises in ground elevation.



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