Depth Perception Advice for a Newbie

lindjiguy · Dec 27, 2014

Please excuse me if these are very basic questions. I just got my DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ and have only taken it up once. I'm practicing on a DJI Phantom 2 simulator (heli-x) since I'm brand new at this stuff and don't want to risk crashing it.

My questions are:
1) When you are flying your quadcopter far away to where you can barely see it, how are you knowing which way to fly it? Are you going only off the video feed and little screen from the camera?
2) How do you figure out depth perception in the air? For example I'm 20ft from that tree and about to hit it.

I'm guessing I'll figure this out along the way when logging flight time hours, but wanted to ask since it looks there are a lot of experts on this forum. Thanks for any help you can offer and hopefully I can help others out too one day.

justin00 · Dec 27, 2014

I've had mine since September and done maybe 150 flights (as in 150 batteries worth) and still have issues with depth perception.. I think its due to the screen on the phone being pretty small.. A friend uses a monitor which is like the size of an ipad and it is much clearer and easier to figure out. He is able to navigate through tree's and stuff with it. With me I get to scared because its way to hard to tell if you near it until the last second.

On my Samsung S5 its just to small is the problem I think.

I borrow the GFs Ipad mini sometimes and its much better. more fun I think.

Meta4 · Dec 27, 2014

lindjiguy said:
Please excuse me if these are very basic questions. I just got my DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ and have only taken it up once. I'm practicing on a DJI Phantom 2 simulator (heli-x) since I'm brand new at this stuff and don't want to risk crashing it.

My questions are:
1) When you are flying your quadcopter far away to where you can barely see it, how are you knowing which way to fly it? Are you going only off the video feed and little screen from the camera?

Bottom left on the app is your virtual radar display. It shows you where your Phantom is and which way it is pointing.

lindjiguy said:
How do you figure out depth perception in the air? For example I'm 20ft from that tree and about to hit it.

Trees are the natural enemy of your Phantom. Avoid them.
Really avoid trees.
Only get within 20 feet of a tree if you are close enough to see for yourself and you've and lots of experience, otherwise stay well away from them. If you are flying at a distance, it's a good idea to know you have no obstacles that will need fine scale piloting to avoid.

robinb · Dec 28, 2014

lindjiguy said:
Please excuse me if these are very basic questions. I just got my DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ and have only taken it up once. I'm practicing on a DJI Phantom 2 simulator (heli-x) since I'm brand new at this stuff and don't want to risk crashing it.

.

What do you use as your TX in the sim ?

When I learnt to fly RC helies years ago I spent ages on the sim to get it right.
Then there was very basic electronics to aid the pilot.

lindjiguy · Dec 28, 2014

robinb said:
lindjiguy said:

Please excuse me if these are very basic questions. I just got my DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ and have only taken it up once. I'm practicing on a DJI Phantom 2 simulator (heli-x) since I'm brand new at this stuff and don't want to risk crashing it.

.

Click to expand...

What do you use as your TX in the sim ?

When I learnt to fly RC helies years ago I spent ages on the sim to get it right.
Then there was very basic electronics to aid the pilot.

Hey robinb. I'm using the TX from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRLUIJK which according to the Heli-X forums it should work. I'll let you know though. That being said, the sim has the DJI Phantom 2 which is why I picked it. The DJI Controller isn't supported yet even by DJI as far as I know for sims and I wouldn't want to use it anyway for a sim. Better to beat up the cheapie controller than the expensive nice one.

robinb · Dec 28, 2014

Thanks

yes its a shame there is no support for the DJI tx.

hey_moe · Dec 28, 2014

I happened to order this from Amazom >> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRLUIJK ...what a total piece of chet. I have already sent it back. If ya wanna see what kind of junk this is, just read the reviews. I have no idea where the positive reviews come from but there is no way anyone got this to work in Windows 7.

robinb · Dec 28, 2014

I was looking at this one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151093554834

any thoughts ?

BMech · Dec 28, 2014

I use a Taranis transmitter with the Heli-x simulator. It is the transmitter I use for my Eye One Xtreme quad. Works well and actually a little more difficult to fly in the sim since it doesn't hold position without control input.

locoworks · Dec 28, 2014

BMech said:
I use a Taranis transmitter with the Heli-x simulator. It is the transmitter I use for my Eye One Xtreme quad. Works well and actually a little more difficult to fly in the sim since it doesn't hold position without control input.

you need to take your PC outdoors so it can get a GPS lock, it should hold position fine once it can see enough sats. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

BMech · Dec 28, 2014

Actually a MacBook Pro, but I will try that

Dirty Bird · Dec 28, 2014

lindjiguy said:
My questions are:
1) When you are flying your quadcopter far away to where you can barely see it, how are you knowing which way to fly it? Are you going only off the video feed and little screen from the camera?
2) How do you figure out depth perception in the air? For example I'm 20ft from that tree and about to hit it.

I'm guessing I'll figure this out along the way when logging flight time hours, but wanted to ask since it looks there are a lot of experts on this forum. Thanks for any help you can offer and hopefully I can help others out too one day.

Some of this may have already been answered, but I fly with a combination of visual and FPV, while paying particular attention to the telemetry. When approaching an object at distance, I generally use the FPV to gauge proximity. One thing I truly love about the Phantom is the ability to release the sticks and she will stop & hold position. When is doubt, STOP & hover! A particularly invaluable bit of telemetry is your radar display. With this you can always tell which direction your Phantom is facing relative to your position. The telemetry often works even if you lose video, and I have used this to point her towards home and return blind many time. You can click on the radar and make it appear larger as a screen overlay. Flying in NAZA mode helps also since you have access to Home Lock & Course Lock modes.

CarlJ · Dec 28, 2014

I have something called a lack of accommodation with my eyes. Any fancy optical illusion fails miserably on me and I have almost no depth perception. This means I absolutely suck at flying, but I'm able to pick out patterns that others are unable to see. When I was younger, and getting tested they would show me a field of W's with one M planted in the pattern, but I was able to spot the M before they could even start their stopwatch.

I'm just saying that some depth perception is biological.

And no, I can't watch movies in 3D, it gives me a headache, and just looks strange.

crash1sttime · Dec 28, 2014

Since getting mine on xmas day ive done about a dozen flights, i tend to fly in places where there arent any trees and if there are i just take the phantom up to about 80ft to avoid them, i can see the lights on the unit so i know which way im pointing, however as Meta4 pointed out i do sometimes use the app to see which way im orientated, this way if i feel to far out (and my bottle has gone) i know that by pointing the nose at me and pressing forward it is going to come back