Complete Newbie, First Flights, Scary Story & Questions

[smp]

Hello all,

I am a complete newbie with flying remotely controlled vehicles.

I received my Phantom 3 Standard today. I've been studying the User Manual for a couple of days while it was in transit.

I got the battery and the remote controller charged up. I downloaded the DJI GO app onto my iPhone 5. I watched some of the DJI tutorials that I found online. I tested everything inside (without propellors installed), so I got my Phantom registered and I saw all the indicators about upgrading the firmware, but I did not do that for fear of all the problems and hangups that have been being reported. I got up the nerve and I went outside to give it a go.

I managed to do a compass calibration sucessfully. I Had slow blinking green status LEDs. I did an auto-takeoff. I tried out the controls a little bit. I did an auto-landing. Whew!

I performed a couple of more of these tiny test runs successfully.

On my fourth try, I started to move around my yard a little bit. I was getting bolder about flying. That's when my iPhone 5 deceided to konk out. I was in the middle of aoverhead pass, and the Phantom was heading toward the corner of my house and some bushes. I admit it - I panicked and the Phantom collided with the corner of my house and fell into the bushes.

My big surprise came when I lifted the Phantom out of the bushes. The motors went to full on and there was no longer any control by the remote controller at all. So, here I am holding on to this raging quad buzzsaw. I tried unsuccessfully a few times to turn off the battery. It did the blinking lights as if it was turning off, but then it came right back on again each time. I finally was able to wrestle the battery out of the Phantom without getting sliced to bits by the propellors.

Aircraft status: One broken propellor, a few scuffs on the body and landing gear, and scuffs on one of the other propellors.

I went back inside, removed the propellors and got my iPhone working again. It showed no battery at all, but after a munute on its charger, it came back to life with 83% battery. I was able to successfully repeat all my indoor tests again. Whew. It appeared that all was going to be well with the aircraft.

I decided to replace all my propellors with the second set, and go out and try again. This time, completely manually, without the iPhone and DJI GO app. I was able to do a few takeoffs and landings, and I also did a few manual flights around the yard, finally getting the low battery warning from the remote controller, and coming down for my final safe landing of the day.

I am extremely pleased with my first flights, now. The apparent runaway was very scary. I guess that, since the contact with the remote controller was lost, the aircraft was attempting to RTH. Am I right? What I don't understand is why, when I was holding the remote controller in one hand and the aircraft in the other, why was the link not re-established? Was it because the iPhone was there at the start and had now disappeared?

My final question is this: Is the iPhone 5 not powerful enough to run the DJI GO app?

Thanks very much, in advance, for your thoughts and advice.

smp

 

[Air Ontario]

Iphone 5 won't work. Need anything with A7 chip and up...like A8

So somewhere like a minimum appropriate processor speed like iPad 2 mini up.
Seems iPad mini 4 and ipad Air 2 are the best to date in iOS

 

[flpholt]

you didn't lose remote control phone blanked out you still had control over it you need a open field and practice also try atti mode so if you lose feed you can still control it just cause you lose feed doesn't mean you lost control of it also get it up in the air away from you a least 60 feet then flip switch and put it in course lock mode well make it easier for you to fly just remember you have to flip switch back up to land cause it will stay away from you in that mode

 

[smp]

Thank you very much for your replies, Air Ontario and flpholt.

flpholt, I do not know how you can say that I had control of the aircraft. When the motors went to full speed (or so it seemed) I pulled the throttle down to the bottom and it locked in place. The result: no change in motor speed at all. I call that having no control.

Also, it was not that the iPhone blanked its screen. It powered down. When I went back into the house, the iPhone was non-responsive. When I attached it to a charger, it displayed the outline of a battery with only a red line down at the bottom of the battery - no power at all.

Otherwise, thanks very much for your advice. I have a large yard, but there are trees and bushes around. Since I am a rank beginner, my flights today were in Beginner Mode.

Of course, if my iPhone 5 is not up to the task of running the DJI GO app, I won't be changing the modes around very much. I'm not up to spending another several hundred dollars right now, but it sounds like I'm in trouble here.

smp

 

[Ohiowoodsman]

Your bird was trying to hover because it was being told too. U would have regained control had u switched to atti mode. Read as much as u can in this forum and u will learn much. And do yourself a favor and keep it in beginner mode until u log some time n miles. U got off easy this time! Not sure on the phone

 

[Air Ontario]

The I 5 just doesn't have as powerful chipset as later models. Seems even the newer iphones are lax on battery power and seem to run the battery down relatively fast.

I had the 5 and went with I6 and Ipad mini 4 before I bought the P3Pro.

Pretty much anytime issues arise in P-GPS mode, switch to ATTI mode. It is like a manual mode.
It will allow control between RC and bird but one has to pre practice flying in manual with no GPS/telemetry assist with position hold.

 

[smp]

Thanks, Ohiowoodsman.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Because my iPhone died, the control link was broken, and the aircraft was trying to RTH. I thought about letting the aircraft go, but I was afraid that I would never see it again. And, with the one broken propellor, it may not have been a good situation. Of course, I would not have been able to switch modes with a dead iPhone.

Yes, I am reading everything I can, everywhere I can.

No doubt I will be staying in Beginner Mode for a good long while yet, while I build up my experience.

smp

 

[Ohiowoodsman]

Thanks, Ohiowoodsman.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Because my iPhone died, the control link was broken, and the aircraft was trying to RTH. I thought about letting the aircraft go, but I was afraid that I would never see it again. Of course, I would not have been able to switch modes with a dead iPhone.

Yes, I am reading everything I can, everywhere I can.

No doubt I will be staying in Beginner Mode for a good long while yet, while I build up my experience.

smp

There's a really good check list up top u can print also.

 

[msinger]

I pulled the throttle down to the bottom and it locked in place

FYI for next time, you should do a CSC to turn off the motors in an emergency situation.

 

[smp]

Message received, Air Ontario. This will be a significant problem for me in the near term.

smp

 

[gvsukids]

Welcome, and great that you are asking and learning.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[smp]

Thanks very much, msinger.

I am chuckling right now, thinking about holding the aircraft in one hand, and the remote controller in the other, and then how would I do a CSC one-handed, and get it right. Regardless, thanks very much for the advice.

smp

 

[msinger]

thinking about holding the aircraft in one hand, and the remote controller in the other, and then how would I do a CSC one-handed, and get it right

If you have your remote controller on a harness/strap, you could easily do it with one hand. Or, set your remoter controller on the ground and do it. Or, hold your Phantom steady and hold the left stick down for 3-5 seconds. That will also turn off the motors.

I suppose knowing what to do is half the battle here.

 

[Air Ontario]

I use a gym bag shoulder strap that had 2 snap hooks on it for a harness.

 

[smp]

Hi InspireLover11.

Thanks very much. I had seen a previous post by you about this, and I checked it out. Like you, I didn't give it much of a thought when I saw the $300 price tag for only 1 hour of content.

However, $10 is another story altogether. Thanks a million for posting the link.

smp

 

[smp]

If you have your remote controller on a harness/strap, you could easily do it with one hand. Or, set your remoter controller on the ground and do it. Or, hold your Phantom steady and hold the left stick down for 3-5 seconds. That will also turn off the motors.

I suppose knowing what to do is half the battle here.

Well, like I said in an earlier post, I pulled the left stick down all the way, and it locked in place there, as it is designed to do on the Standard remote controller. However, not having control of the aircraft resulted in the motors not shutting down.

smp

 

[kirk2579]

Well, like I said in an earlier post, I pulled the left stick down all the way, and it locked in place there, as it is designed to do on the Standard remote controller. However, not having control of the aircraft resulted in the motors not shutting down.

smp

that only shuts the motors off when it has landed and is not moving for 3 seconds

even if you shut off IPHONE you have full control of aircraft via the radio control.

the actual control to fly is NOT done via the app but the rc,

when it was spinning in bushes would have been a great time to use the CSC command .....


if you listen to these guys and are willing to learn you will do great...


good luck and have fun flying!

 

[msinger]

that only shuts the motors off when it has landed and is not moving for 3 seconds

The motors will also shut down if you're holding the Phantom in the air and it's steady. That's what people usually do after hand catching it.

 

[kirk2579]

The motors will also shut down if you're holding the Phantom in the air and it's steady. That's what people usually do after hand catching it.

correct at that point it has technically landed..
not moving up or down for three seconds.

and yes the lanyard strap does make it a simple 1 hand grab and 1 hand pull down left lvr

just sold my standard today and demonstrated that exact catch and power down to the buyer

 

[mcphipps]

The motors will also shut down if you're holding the Phantom in the air and it's steady. That's what people usually do after hand catching it.

Welcome smp.

This is exactly what I do. Hand catch, then hold the left stick down to shut off motors. Works like a charm.