Experienced Pilot Testing Manual Mode

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I've been flying my V2+ for a while now and would like to try manual mode. Yep. I understand the risks. I've read on here that others have learned to fly in manual mode and I'm wondering how you guys started. Did you take off in GPS mode and then switch to manual in mid air? Did you take off in manual mode? Any tips or gotchas would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Are you remove your camera the first time?
just in case ;)
 
Get a small Nano type bird and practice with it. I started a Phantom 1. I had about 25' cushion. Be prepared for a sudden drop when switch to manual mode. Then just practice hovering. When you feel like you are going out of control switch back to GPS. Some good practice tips even though it is not a Phantom can be found here:

http://youtu.be/6btEFJJD4_o
 
It's not for the faint hearted.
I practiced heaps on a toy and still manage to bust a motor.

Get an empty football field.
Get some height!
Fly ATTI first and understand how it drifts and how inertia works. Flying in ATTI will show how much you take GPS for granted. When you change direction or course in ATTI, its like having no brakes. Now add the vertical dimension with 9.8ms accelleration.

The sticks are VERY sensitive so use the pinch grip method.

When you switch to Manual, she will drop like a brick so make sure you have some revs ready for lift and keep your finger on the elevator. This is why you need height!
If she is imbalanced (gps tracker, damaged prop/motor etc) she won't hover properly. You need counter all her movements + the wind.
If you panic, switch to GPS and please remember it takes about 3-4 seconds for the IMU to be aware again. So please get some height!

And as stated, please remove gimbal and camera.
 
dcoski said:
Get a small Nano type bird and practice with it. I started a Phantom 1. I had about 25' cushion. Be prepared for a sudden drop when switch to manual mode. Then just practice hovering. When you feel like you are going out of control switch back to GPS. Some good practice tips even though it is not a Phantom can be found here:

http://youtu.be/6btEFJJD4_o


Yep. I'm quite good with my Hubsan X4. Good advice though.
 
Mako79 said:
Its not for the faint hearted.
I practice heaps on a toy and still manage to bust a motor

get an empty football field.
get some height!
Fly ATTI first and understand how it drifts and how inertia works. Flying in ATTI will show how much you take GPS for granted. When you change direction or course in ATTI, its like having no brakes. Now add the vertical dimension with 9.8ms accelleration.

The sticks are VERY sensitive so use the pinch grip method.

When you switch to Manual, she will drop like a brick so make sure you have some revs ready for lift and keep your finger on the elevator. This is why you need height!
If she is imbalanced (gps tracker, damaged prop/motor etc) she wont hover properly. You need counter all her movements + the wind.
If you panic, switch to GPS and please remember it takes about 3-4 seconds for the IMU to be aware again. So please get some height!

And as stated, please remove gimbal and camera.


Thanks. I spend about 50% of my flight time in ATTI so I'm comfortable there.
I'm still tempted to take off in manual mode rather than switching mid flight. I'm thinking about taking it to a big parking lot and taking off in manual and just flying around very low to the ground to get the feel.
 
Take the camera off!
1 question, why??? The vision and vision+ arent really made for manual mode and to be honest I'm still trying to understand why its an option? Its not a stunt quadcopter, the original vision camera will be a lot more forgiving if you crash but as we've read even a 1ft crash can destroy your camera and gimbal. My advice would be to get a second hand phantom 1 and fly manual. I'm still asking myself as to why you'd even try it? Remember the vision is a flying camera, thats it :)
If you do decide to try it, and I really hope you dont, may the force be with you. You'll need it ;)
 
Mal_PV2_Ireland said:
Take the camera off!
1 question, why??? The vision and vision+ arent really made for manual mode and to be honest I'm still trying to understand why its an option? Its not a stunt quadcopter, the original vision camera will be a lot more forgiving if you crash but as we've read even a 1ft crash can destroy your camera and gimbal. My advice would be to get a second hand phantom 1 and fly manual. I'm still asking myself as to why you'd even try it? Remember the vision is a flying camera, thats it :)
If you do decide to try it, and I really hope you dont, may the force be with you. You'll need it ;)

Okay, Mal. I'll remove the gimbal before I try this. Why? Because I can. No other reason except curiosity. It's probably not wise but I'll be very careful and if it's too twitchy I'll quit. I'm feeling the force.
 
I personally think is a worthy pursuit. It develops your skills and it flies a whole lot more solid in windy condition, which will give some of the best video. I am not there yet, but it is one my goals. I try to fly a little manual mode on each outing. Of course it one of my current problems, as I got my Phantom stuck in a spruce tree about 60' up in the air, because of manual mode. I can assure you that will not stop from flying in manual mode when I get it back. I honestly think you can learn a little by the mistakes you make. Just keep pushing your limits, but by all means keep it safe.
 
dcoski said:
I got my Phantom stuck in a spruce tree about 60' up in the air, because of manual mode. I can assure you that will not stop from flying in manual mode when I get it back.

Are you saying your Phantom is still stuck in the spruce tree? :shock:

How long has she been there?
 
Dirty Bird said:
dcoski said:
I got my Phantom stuck in a spruce tree about 60' up in the air, because of manual mode. I can assure you that will not stop from flying in manual mode when I get it back.

Are you saying your Phantom is still stuck in the spruce tree? :shock:

How long has she been there?

Yes it is, but it is going to come tomorrow. The bird, the tree, or both. :D
 
D_Tshudy said:
I've been flying my V2+ for a while now and would like to try manual mode. Yep. I understand the risks. I've read on here that others have learned to fly in manual mode and I'm wondering how you guys started. Did you take off in GPS mode and then switch to manual in mid air? Did you take off in manual mode? Any tips or gotchas would be appreciated. Thanks.

and ??
easy ?? :roll:
 
I flight in manual mode and it was great !!! :mrgreen:
Not easy, but lots of fun :lol: :lol:
Gimbal was removed and tested it at 2 feet :)
The first 5min it was a lawn mower :roll:
10min later I go to 10 feet and forward and left and right and back.
After 15min normal flight was possible (without yaw) :cool:

The first time I go up in gps and then go to manual, the thing is: if you go left it keeps going left until you go right and then it keeps going right :shock:
If you move the sticks, you must do it very little.
The bird is not going back to horizontal ;)
The trottle must go more than the middle or you hit the ground.
Later I go up in manual mode, don't do that the first time :|

But it was very nice after the first 15min learning

Only now you see what the flight controller is doing :cool:
 
I tried it with my P2 a few weeks back. I removed the gimbal, camera and transmitter to help balance the bird and then flew it up to about 75 metres before switching into manual mode. Nothing happened for about 1 second and then it rolled over forward and fell like a rock. I panicked and switched it back to GPS and it immediately corrected itself. After that I just decided I'd keep using it in either GPS or Atti. I'll leave the manual flight for those with more money than me!
 
At 75 meters, You can not see him well enough in the air to correct him for the first time. ;)
75 meter is killing, I did it under 1 meter on the grass the first time :lol:
 
D_Tshudy said:
Yep. I'm quite good with my Hubsan X4. Good advice though.


X4 is not the same as flying the Phantom in Manual at all huh? X4 is more like ATTI mode...

Must've been nerve wracking putting $1300 into manual and realizing it's a totally different animal all together...

One great little platform for manual mode is the RC Logger Eye One Xtreme.... at $129 it's an amazingly capable little monster with a full manual mode that turns off all the gyro/acc stabilization and is great for training ... even with a full blown total loss type crash you're only out 90 bucks to buy another BNF version... and it's a beast... flies like a much more expensive quad. Shown here being ragged out after some repairs... http://youtu.be/oYwwLU-kiDw
 

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