Flying in area's where GPS is not available P4Pro

Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Messages
17
Reaction score
2
Age
46
Hi :)

I've been trying to film and photograph in some gorges recently where there is little to no GPS at the takeoff point. When I try and go up a message comes up saying maximum flight altitude reached which seems to be about 10m up. I then fly it up and down the valley for a while until I can get GPS signal and go up (this chews up a lot of battery). After that I fly back over top of where I am and reset the home point. Once the drone is about 30m up the GPS works fine but is there any way I can just fly straight up from the takeoff point with no GPS? (i.e change the maximin flight altitude without GPS).
 
Are you powering up and taking off straight away? gps will not give you altitude but your actual relative position. Its your internal birds barometer that measures air pressure. Are you allowing it time to get a reading on the ground before take off?
 
I've flown two different phantom 4 pro's and have had the same issue with both. Leaving it on the ground longer, powered up, doesn't help. I've flown it in a large cave and had the same issue. The flight was 20 mins long and at no time would it go higher than 10m, (both) just kept saying maximin flight altitude reached. I understand DJI have put this feature in to protect the drone (as you cant save your home point without a GPS signal) but it makes it really hard to fly anywhere there is no/little GPS.
 
I've flown two different phantom 4 pro's and have had the same issue with both. Leaving it on the ground longer, powered up, doesn't help. I've flown it in a large cave and had the same issue. The flight was 20 mins long and at no time would it go higher than 10m, (both) just kept saying maximin flight altitude reached. I understand DJI have put this feature in to protect the drone (as you cant save your home point without a GPS signal) but it makes it really hard to fly anywhere there is no/little GPS.
You can go into the settings in the go app and change the max height settings. It will ask you to agree to the change in settings but it will let you fly higher than your 10 meters
 
The max height was set at 500m and the return to home set at 300m. What I need to know is there a way to set the maximin flight altitude when there is no GPS and keen to hear from someone who has flown in similar places (caves/canyons). When I fly in locations with a strong GPS I have no issues.
 
Last edited:
The max height was set at 500m and the return to home set at 300m. What I need to know is there a way to set the maximin flight altitude when there is no GPS and keen to hear from someone who has flown in similar places (caves/canyons). When I fly in locations with a strong GPS I have no issues.
Use ATTI mode with caution is the only option.

Sent from my SM-G900F using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pharm
Thanks, but I've tried that and it doesn't seem to work. Presumably because the home point cant be set.
 
Maybe you don't have GPS in your area yet. I get 15 satellites in my bathroom. (being homeless has it's benefits) not really. But 15 satellites and yet I still crash into the shower curtain--lame! ;)

Love to see your cave pics!
 
  • Like
Reactions: tml4191 and Erised
Loz I thought the same thing. I'm not sure why ATTI won't let you go up without GPS but I have tried this a number of times on two different drones. Perhaps give it a go sometime if you have a spot where GPS is unavailable.
Pic attached of the sort of country I'm having trouble in. The cliffs in this shot are 200m high and I took of from the creek below. To take off I flew up and down the creek in ATTI for about 5mins till it got enough satellite to go up. I then flew back over top of my position and reset the home point. I'd really love to find a way of being able to go up without any GPS.
 

Attachments

  • DJI_0135-Pano-Edit.jpg
    DJI_0135-Pano-Edit.jpg
    2.1 MB · Views: 431
Wow, Sensational countryside you are able to fly in - jealous I am. Ok so I will try, I fly a P3 pro so not same craft as you - hopefully someone else with a P4P can verify the behaviour you describe. Perhaps email DJI support and ask if it's behaving as designed? If so provide them feedback and work around as you do now. If I can think of anything else I'll come back to you, cheers


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,356
Members
104,934
Latest member
jody.paugh@fullerandsons.