Course Lock

[Ots]

OK - home lock is fully understood and it makes perfect sense to me.

Course lock, well, not so much. The DJI video mentions it very briefly. It apparently creates a rectangular course based on the nose orientation when CL is engaged. Rectangular course where, around home? or "out there?"

And what are the circumstances that would warrant its use?

 

[Gizmo3000]

OK - home lock is fully understood and it makes perfect sense to me.

Course lock, well, not so much. The DJI video mentions it very briefly. It apparently creates a rectangular course based on the nose orientation when CL is engaged. Rectangular course where, around home? or "out there?"

And what are the circumstances that would warrant its use?

it creates a rectangular course based on what direction the Phantom is pointed when you first boot it up (or set Course Lock by toggling many times between CL and Off)

So say you start up your Phantom with it pointing due north, from then on out if you're flying in CL, when you push the right stick forward, it will always fly north, no matter how you move the yaw. If you push the stick to the right, it will always fly East, etc.

Can't say I've really used it myself, but imagine it can come in handy for certain kinda of aerial filming where you intend to fly in a straight line but also wish to yaw the craft while still going in the same direction under throttle.
like for tracking objects in motion or whatnot.

The interesting thing is that apparently it works in in both GPS and ATTI mode. (but I've yet to really test it out)

 

[Ots]

So, let's say I've established my CL as you used it and I've established North for my forward stick direction. Then the four stick directions are N, S, E and W.

What you are suggesting is that even if my nose is pointing west, for example, forward stick wil cause the Phantom to track in a northerly direction.

If this is the case, then what we have with IOC are two ways to move the Phantom without having to require attention to be paid to the orientation of the nose.

So I could be filming with the Phantom up high and I can be busy with other activities and I wouldn't have to worry which side is the nose, etc. I will know forward stick will take me north, as in our example above, or any other compass direction I wish.

Home lock will perform in the same way, away from me or to me or around me, again, without having to care about the orientation of the Phantom.

If this understanding is correct then I will have to conclude that this is really cool.

Hopefully some knowedgable guys out there will confirm these suspicions.

Thanks.

 

[Gizmo3000]

Yup. sounds like you understand it.

both features are pretty neat, as the only other way to yaw the craft while flying in a straight line is to fly ATTI, then let go of the right stick and then yaw.

few people really use CL I'd say,. and most only go into HL when they've lost visible orientation of the craft and want to bring it back to them without having to resort to RTH.

 

[tanasit]

Those are correct assumptions until you fly CL or HL within 10 meter radius and/or pass you.
It is difficult to explain but there are some test video out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zqLEJipIao

As long as you keep the Phantom IN FRONT of you, all will be fine as above, otherwise it will change course on you unexpectedly.

Find a large field to test this out.

I only used the CL to save my Phantom a few times because I lost the orientation or my FPV stopped working during the flights.

This is a really cool feature.

Note: the HL will only work when: in GPS mode and 6 or more satellites, if less then it will switch to CL. This makes it look like CL works in both GPS & ATTI mode but in fact the CL use only compass.

 

[FrankB]

OK - home lock is fully understood and it makes perfect sense to me.

Course lock, well, not so much. The DJI video mentions it very briefly. It apparently creates a rectangular course based on the nose orientation when CL is engaged. Rectangular course where, around home? or "out there?"

And what are the circumstances that would warrant its use?

it creates a rectangular course based on what direction the Phantom is pointed when you first boot it up (or set Course Lock by toggling many times between CL and Off)

So say you start up your Phantom with it pointing due north, from then on out if you're flying in CL, when you push the right stick forward, it will always fly north, no matter how you move the yaw. If you push the stick to the right, it will always fly East, etc.

Can't say I've really used it myself, but imagine it can come in handy for certain kinda of aerial filming where you intend to fly in a straight line but also wish to yaw the craft while still going in the same direction under throttle.
like for tracking objects in motion or whatnot.

The interesting thing is that apparently it works in in both GPS and ATTI mode. (but I've yet to really test it out)

O.K. I just tested all this out and it seems to work really well.

First, though, do you have to "set Course Lock by toggling many times between CL and Off"? Where is that in the manual?

Anyway, but when I did that, flew the Phantom 10 metres away (north) to initiate IOC and then toggled in CL, turned it 180°, waited a second or two, and then continued to push the right stick forward- it moved away from me, as it should. Same with the other directions.

I then turned it through 90°, so the axis of the Phantom was pointing west- and lo and behold, the Phantom came straight towards me in a crab walk (heading south) when I pulled the right stick towards me.

This was all in quite a gusty wind on a subdivision road, without the benefit of a lot of room on either side- so it was a good test.

Now I just have to repeat it a few times to be convinced that it really does work 100% of the time.

 

[tanasit]

RE: First, though, do you have to "set Course Lock by toggling many times between CL and Off"? Where is that in the manual?

On the start up, if you see the rapid GREEN 20 times, then it is automatically record your home point, no need to do it manually.

Page 9 of Advance Manual.

Manually and Automatically. You may choose any one record method.
Course Lock Flight Home Lock Flight
Automatically
30 seconds after you power on the
quad-rotor.
Before takeoff, the current position of the
quad-rotor will be saved as home point when you
push the throttle stick for the first time after 6 or
more GPS satellites have been found.
Manually
Switch the S2 between OFF and
CL position quickly 3 to 5 times to
record current nose direction as
new forward direction after you
power on the quad-rotor for 30s.
(OFF ->CL-> OFF is one time.)
When 6 or more GPS satellites are found, you can
toggle the S2 switch between CL and HL position
quickly 3 to 5 times to record the current position
of the quad-rotor as the new home point. (CL ->
HL -> CL is one time.)

 

[FrankB]

Thanks- seems to work really well.

But I'll believe it when I don't get anymore surprises.