Cold Weather Ops?

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Anyone got some cold weather operations experience with the P4. Batteries will not last a long of course but. what about how they fit? Anyone flying below -10DegC
1. Does the P4 plastic case shrink enough in the cold to leave the battery loose, prone to power glitch?
2. Do you need to keep the air frame warm as well as batteries between flights . . or just the batteries?
3. Does blowing snow effect the airborne performance? . . getting snow in crevices and melting?
4. Gimbal issues? Camera lens fog? Are there any anti fog coatings?
5. Other posts seem to mention cold fingers mostly.
 
Now you telling me about the yellow snow? I've been told is lemon ice shaving...and paid for it...:(
 
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The only place I'd trust yellow shave ice is Hawaii! . . back to the cold . . . Last time I was in Albuquerque I had to use my credit card to scrape the ice off my windshield in the morning . . . it's getting close to November here in Canada and I've got to get some recommendations from anyone who's . . been there . . . done that . . . anyone?
 
Anyone got some cold weather operations experience with the P4. Batteries will not last a long of course but. what about how they fit? Anyone flying below -10DegC
1. Does the P4 plastic case shrink enough in the cold to leave the battery loose, prone to power glitch?
2. Do you need to keep the air frame warm as well as batteries between flights . . or just the batteries?
3. Does blowing snow effect the airborne performance? . . getting snow in crevices and melting?
4. Gimbal issues? Camera lens fog? Are there any anti fog coatings?
5. Other posts seem to mention cold fingers mostly.
Hi Ph4 colleague,
I have in the past days flown my PH4 in minus 15 C in Greenland, looking at icebergs and Aurora Borealis (Northern light). Is has behaved very well, and I kept the batteries warm until they were put in the drone. I had a warning on a 2.nd battery once, that the temp was below 15 C once. I decided to let it "idle" for 2 minutes before taking off. There were no problems except my tablet screen froze a little later, so i used the Return to Home. The drone landed and behaved and acted better than me in the cold and sometimes windy weather. Blowing frosty snow away is not an issue. I believe that you will have a harder time in the cold than the drone....
This just to let you know.
 
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Hi Ph4 colleague,
I have in the past days flown my PH4 in minus 15 C in Greenland, looking at icebergs and Aurora Borealis (Northern light). Is has behaved very well, and I kept the batteries warm until they were put in the drone. I had a warning on a 2.nd battery once, that the temp was below 15 C once. I decided to let it "idle" for 2 minutes before taking off. There were no problems except my tablet screen froze a little later, so i used the Return to Home. The drone landed and behaved and acted better than me in the cold and sometimes windy weather. Blowing frosty snow away is not an issue. I believe that you will have a harder time in the cold than the drone....
This just to let you know.
I forgot. Total air time 4 hours plus!
 
I thought maybe gloves with the index finger tip cut off


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
Look in fish and watersport shops for the right gloves. A good thing that PH4 stays where you left it while you take off the gloves.
 

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I've flown down to -10C and I always keep my batteries inside my jacket but I've never done anything to keep the drone warm, I may do as others suggest and buy some of those shake to activate hand warmers to put in with it to keep it warm as well. Never experienced any adverse affects in the cold, seems like most say, we are weaker than the technology and cold hands are a limiting factor. I may look for a pair of those gloves with a finger that works with touchscreens.
 
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Been out in 1-2deg C for a few flights now and the only issue is hands getting cold . . I mean NUMB! . . .especially if there is any kind of wind. . . Yea I know . . you live near a volcano in Guatemala with the tropical breezes and don't care . . . but some of us live north of 45 so this is a big issue . . at least for part of the year . . So I went out and found some gloves that are tactile enough to operate a touch screen and sensitive joysticks while keeping your hands from freezing. These Burton fleece work very well. They have soft fleece interior that fits snugly, with thin (sensitive) finger pads they call "Screen Grab" and a "grippy" material on the palms so the controller does not feel like it's slipping out of your hands. Very nice. We'll see how they perform closer to -10C or -20 if we get there. Screen grab works as advertised.No need to cut the finger tips off.. . about $34 dollars CDN at Sport Check.

And if you live near a volcano maybe you can suggest a good respirator.

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I have a pair of 12v glove liners I use for snowmobiling from geerscanada.com I use it with a 12kmah lipo battery to fly, I have a tight pair, they are very warm but not good on a touch screen as you need a tip on a finger for it to work so far a rubber band is working somewhat and I'm still testing(will try to bond something that will work well). The whole set up is not cheap but the quality of this product is very good. I have the temperature controler because on high they are way too hot. Last spring when I got my P4 I flew at -15c just like Niels and all was good.
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I think thumbs and index finger tips but may only be necessary to use some of the time so if you just cut the underside at the first joint you could flip a fingertip in or out


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That sounds like some photographer's cold weather gloves I bought last year. There is a baffle in the tips where you can put your finger above it and stay warm, or slide it back a bit and go under the baffle and there is a hole there to feel and work the controls or touch screen.
 

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