Best Method to RTH?

[OrlyP]

I have built my own opinion on this but I would very much welcome what the experts have to say.

Typically, you don't want to be in a situation that you have to do an RTH. But if you do, what is the best way to do it?

1. Toggle the S2 switch a few times until you hear the remote beeping?
2. Turn off the remote and rely on the fail-safe system kicking in?
3. Use the RTH function on the mobile app (Go, Litchi, etc.)?

Here's my take:
IMO, #1 is the most reliable method. As soon as you flip the S2 switch a few times, the remote ACTIVELY transmits the command to RTH. I'm also under the impression (hoping, really) that for as long as the remote is beeping, it is continuously sending out the RTH command. Helpful if there are a lot of interference or the bird is close to losing the signal.

#2 is more of a last resort. Shutting down the remote means we have to actually rely on the bird to make the decision to turn back. That's another point of failure, IMO. I've seen many videos of birds just hovering in its place after signal loss. It could very well be a misconfigured fail-safe.... or a software glitch. But why risk it?

#3 I think just sends commands to the remote to initiate an RTH. Quite similar to #1. But it's sometimes quicker to just flick the S2 switch.

Opinions?

 

[buford]

I have built my own opinion on this but I would very much welcome what the experts have to say.

Typically, you don't want to be in a situation that you have to do an RTH. But if you do, what is the best way to do it?

1. Toggle the S2 switch a few times until you hear the remote beeping?
2. Turn off the remote and rely on the fail-safe system kicking in?
3. Use the RTH function on the mobile app (Go, Litchi, etc.)?

Here's my take:
IMO, #1 is the most reliable method. As soon as you flip the S2 switch a few times, the remote ACTIVELY transmits the command to RTH. I'm also under the impression (hoping, really) that for as long as the remote is beeping, it is continuously sending out the RTH command. Helpful if there are a lot of interference or the bird is close to losing the signal.

#2 is more of a last resort. Shutting down the remote means we have to actually rely on the bird to make the decision to turn back. That's another point of failure, IMO. I've seen many videos of birds just hovering in its place after signal loss. It could very well be a misconfigured fail-safe.... or a software glitch. But why risk it?

#3 I think just sends commands to the remote to initiate an RTH. Quite similar to #2. But it's sometimes quicker to just flick the S2 switch.

Opinions?

I've only done it to test the RTH, but all the times I've done it, I shut the rc down, and when the drone got close to home, I turned it back on and took control. I would do #1 on the list, but flipping the s2 several times bothers me. How many times do you flip it? 3, 5, 7? This seems more like a desperation move, to me anyway, flipping the switch frantically, then waiting. I just shut it down, start looking at my tablet, and watching for the drone, and switch it back on. This is the way I chose to do it, and will continue to do it.

 

[Meta4]

Any of the above will work.
The important thing is to try out RTH before you need RTH.

 

[kirk2579]

I've only done it to test the RTH, but all the times I've done it, I shut the rc down, and when the drone got close to home, I turned it back on and took control. I would do #1 on the list, but flipping the s2 several times bothers me. How many times do you flip it? 3, 5, 7? This seems more like a desperation move, to me anyway, flipping the switch frantically, then waiting. I just shut it down, start looking at my tablet, and watching for the drone, and switch it back on. This is the way I chose to do it, and will continue to do it.

FWIW ,
when you use s switch method you never actually "lose" control of the aircraft vs no RC and control at all until/if it relinks.
maybe worth checking on....

what if tab crashes etc

best to know what to do, how to do before/if all hec happens

 

[OrlyP]

I've only done it to test the RTH, but all the times I've done it, I shut the rc down, and when the drone got close to home, I turned it back on and took control. I would do #1 on the list, but flipping the s2 several times bothers me. How many times do you flip it? 3, 5, 7? This seems more like a desperation move, to me anyway, flipping the switch frantically, then waiting. I just shut it down, start looking at my tablet, and watching for the drone, and switch it back on. This is the way I chose to do it, and will continue to do it.

Three times, I believe. The remote beeps repeatedly while the RTH is activated to give the operator confirmation of the fact.

 

[buford]

FWIW ,
when you use s switch method you never actually "lose" control of the aircraft vs no RC and control at all until/if it relinks.
maybe worth checking on....

what if tab crashes etc

best to know what to do, how to do before/if all hec happens

Actually, I don't really look at my tablet, I just look for the drone. Since I've never had to use this in "real life" I always look at the tab to see where the drone is facing, where I'm at etc, before I shut the rc down. It wouldn't do any good to look at the tablet anyway with the rc shut down, the screen would be blank. This way works for me. Never figure on having to use it anyway....I know, murphy's law, but I don't believe in murphy's law...LOL

 

[kirk2579]

Actually,I always look at the tab to see where the drone is facing, where I'm at etc, before I shut the rc down. It wouldn't do any good to look at the tablet anyway with the rc shut down, the screen would be blank. This way works

rereading you post I got confused
first you say you don't use tab then you say you always check tab befor...

my point was if tab crashed you COULD not check arrow prior to rc shutdown.

sorry if I am not getting what you meant.
I just try to help based upon what i read

good luck and have fun flying!

 

[buford]

I am not an author, just a guy not used to the internet, and not used to typing.

 

[kirk2579]

I am not an author, just a guy not used to the internet, and not used to typing.

lol yea I use about 3 fingers max to type myself.
my kids can all type standing upside down blindfolded I swear

 

[buford]

lol yea I use about 3 fingers max to type myself.
my kids can all type standing upside down blindfolded I swear

I think they call us chicken peckers. ?!?!?

 

[yojo182]

Three times, I believe. The remote beeps repeatedly while the RTH is activated to give the operator confirmation of the fact.

Actually I tested this in the simulator you only need 2 but I would recommend doing 3 to boost confidence that you remembered to do 2 and it is returning.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Bob8619]

I only toggle s2 once and it activates my RTH. As in, switch it down and back up. Maybe that counts as 2 I dunno

 

[OrlyP]

Maybe it has something to do with how fast you cycle the switch. But suffice to say, you can stop toggling it as soon as the remote control starts beeping.

 

[SZNJ732]

IMHO, shutting off the remote sounds like a bad idea and is the last thing i would do.
Doesn't the WiFi link between RC and phone/tablet drop once you shut it off?
So when you power it back on , you have to reconnect to your phone's wifi again?
How long does it take for it to reconnect once you turn it back on?
What if your drone is trying to land somewhere its not supposed to and your RC is off or taking too long to reconnect, and cant control the flight.
I've never tried shutting off the remote, so i dont really have any experience with that.
S2 switch works best for me, and i use RTH all the time.
Say you lose FPV video signal and the app turns gray/disconnects, but still have radio connection with your drone, you can no longer toggle RTH from the app, but the S2 switch is always there as long as radio signal is there.
If shutting off the RC works for some people then great! Just not for me... But now i am curious so gonna try it out next time i fly.

 

[buford]

I shut the rc off, and it reconnects almost immediately when turned back on.
the go app remains up on the tablet, and the wifi is waiting. I'm not gonna waste any more time on this. Some of us flip switches, some of us shut the rc off. That's all there is to that.

 

[RodPad]

IMHO, shutting off the remote sounds like a bad idea and is the last thing i would do.
Doesn't the WiFi link between RC and phone/tablet drop once you shut it off?
So when you power it back on , you have to reconnect to your phone's wifi again?

I agree,

I have really been trying to understand RTH and explain it.

Here is a couple

Lost signal (but not really)

Rth no Good

 

[buford]

I agree,

I have really been trying to understand RTH and explain it.

Here is a couple

Lost signal (but not really)

Rth no Good

In both these examples, the return to home was either turned on by flipping the s switch, or in the app. Neither worked it sounded like. In my test I turned off the rc every time it was tested, and every time, it worked. Sounds like turning off the rc is the only completely reliable way to get it to work. And I would say that thatmight not work in a weird situation, but then, the props might all break at once, and then you wouldn't need rth, just a dust pan. LOL

 

[SZNJ732]

I agree,

I have really been trying to understand RTH and explain it.

Here is a couple

Lost signal (but not really)

Rth no Good

Well, the official DJI manual recommends using RTH function in the Go app, or the S2 switch.
The S2 switch is my preference. Last week i had to use RTH after I lost signal. For some reason RTH stopped before the drone returned home to me. I noticed the RC beeping stopped.
I waited... no sight of my drone anywhere. It flipped s2 again, and the beeping resumed, and eventually my phantom came back to me.
Had my controlled been off, i would've never known that the RTH mode had terminated for whatever reason. I would've been just standing there waiting for it to come back, not knowing that it RTH failed and drone just hovering somewhere. And if the battery is gettin low thats not the chance you wanna take. But again, everbody is different and do whats work best for them. This is just my opinion. And if we dont share our experiences and mistakes with fellow pilots, then we all have to learn on our own potentially very costly mistakes...

 

[RodPad]

Thanks, that was some good information to let us burn our brains out.

 

[OrlyP]

Sorry, this is the best analogy I could think of. No pun intended to PWDs.

Suppose there's a blind man walking towards the edge of a cliff. Invoking RTH by toggling the S2 switch is like yelling out to warn him to stop and turn around. Relying on the fail-safe (ie. Signal loss) is like allowing the blind man, left to his own devices, to discover the danger and let him decide on whether or not to turn around.

That's Active vs Passive RTH activation, for lack of a better term. I would reserve the passive/fail-safe option as a last resort, rather than rely on it everytime I need to RTH.