Ground Station tips: your suggestions?

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I'm dismayed by the lack of clear instructions for setting up and using the Ground Station. In a post yesterday a new GS user lost his Phantom while flying a mission, perhaps as a result of some simple set-up mistake.

There are pilots following this forum who are using the GS successfully and safely. I'd like to call on them to add their tips on setting up and flying GS missions. If DJI can't be bothered it looks as if we'll have to do this ourselves. Please contribute!

To hopefully get this started, I'll mention that on two occasions I've regained control of a GS mission by switching my radio to ATTI mode -- both times I forgot to increase the throttle and the Phantom dropped like a rock.
 
GearLoose said:
To hopefully get this started, I'll mention that on two occasions I've regained control of a GS mission by switching my radio to ATTI mode -- both times I forgot to increase the throttle and the Phantom dropped like a rock.

Sure that was ATTI mode? It shouldn't drop like that when going from GPS to ATTI, but that's exactly how it behaves when switching to manual. If you're moving your switch all the way to the bottom position it's possible that it's set for manual there instead of ATTI.
 
I have flown many PC GS missions, all successfully just by reading the manual and watching video's so I can't complain. It would be interesting, rather than a list of tips, which is there already because I remember contributing to it, to analyse in detail why there was failures and determine if it was pilot/setup error or software/hardware error. Like most, but not all, flyaways can also be attributed to pilot error I think probably that is the same case here, but needs investigated. Out of the analysis comes the lessons and tips. The old tips post is probably hard to find due to the poor search function and the linear 1 dimension timeline nature of forums.

The PC GS software is quirky but I gotta say I personally have had 100% success rate at it doing what it was supposed to do. The few with problems I have heard of has been with the ipad software version yet I know it still could be a hardware problem or pilot error. Its by community effort at helping with the few problem ones that we all will become better pilots.

Unfortunately time is my enemy after today, but I am sure others would be willing to help diagnose.

Sent from Samsung S4 via Tapatalk
 
It was definitely ATTI mode -- I don't have manual mode on a switch.

OI Photography said:
Sure that was ATTI mode? It shouldn't drop like that when going from GPS to ATTI, but that's exactly how it behaves when switching to manual. If you're moving your switch all the way to the bottom position it's possible that it's set for manual there instead of ATTI.
 
Now that stickies are least possible, I was hoping this post might lead to one. I'm using the iPad GS and as a former "how to" writer I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that the documentation, at least for the iPad, is pathetic.

Yesterday I posted a test flight report that indicates the importance of good GPS satellite coverage when flying a GS mission. Also, there was strong evidence that plotting waypoints very close together (as I did) can confuse the GS. There's nothing about either of these in the DJI documentation.

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=15956&start=20#p147848

IrishSights said:
I have flown many PC GS missions, all successfully just by reading the manual and watching video's so I can't complain. It would be interesting, rather than a list of tips, which is there already because I remember contributing to it, to analyse in detail why there was failures and determine if it was pilot/setup error or software/hardware error. Like most, but not all, flyaways can also be attributed to pilot error I think probably that is the same case here, but needs investigated. Out of the analysis comes the lessons and tips. The old tips post is probably hard to find due to the poor search function and the linear 1 dimension timeline nature of forums.

The PC GS software is quirky but I gotta say I personally have had 100% success rate at it doing what it was supposed to do. The few with problems I have heard of has been with the ipad software version yet I know it still could be a hardware problem or pilot error. Its by community effort at helping with the few problem ones that we all will become become pilots.

Unfortunately time is my enemy after today, but I am sure others would be willing to help diagnose.

Sent from Samsung S4 via Tapatalk
 
GearLoose said:
It was definitely ATTI mode -- I don't have manual mode on a switch.

OI Photography said:
Sure that was ATTI mode? It shouldn't drop like that when going from GPS to ATTI, but that's exactly how it behaves when switching to manual. If you're moving your switch all the way to the bottom position it's possible that it's set for manual there instead of ATTI.

What TX are you using? :shock:
 
It's the Futaba T8J.

When I launched the missions I had the throttle all the way down.

Kelso Kubat said:
GearLoose said:
It was definitely ATTI mode -- I don't have manual mode on a switch.

OI Photography said:
Sure that was ATTI mode? It shouldn't drop like that when going from GPS to ATTI, but that's exactly how it behaves when switching to manual. If you're moving your switch all the way to the bottom position it's possible that it's set for manual there instead of ATTI.

What TX are you using? :shock:
 
Definitely modest documentation! Now I have opened the package, I find out that you actually must be in sight for the GS to work. From the advertising I thought you could d enter a route and the Phantom would follow it. Hope I am wrong. I intend to have the copter follow he perimeter of my vineyard, most of which will be out of site even of I elevate the antenna.
Also, where is the CAN Bus located on the FC40? I presume I need to take it apart .
Thanks all.
 
You don't need to be within sight of the Phantom itself while it flies a waypoint mission.

When you initially set up a mission the "Ground End" (with the external antenna) needs to be several feet away from your PC or iPad. It might also need to have this separation from the "Air" end (mounted on the Phantom) -- I'm not sure if it is "either or both".

Once you've set the parameters of the mission: waypoints, altitudes, speed, etc. and click "OK" it will upload the mission to the "Air" end. At that point the Phantom is capable of flying the waypoints BVR (beyond visual range).

I'm new to this myself but it should be capable of flying your property lines without direct control.

My hard-earned advice is to work with simulated missions until you feel reasonably comfortable with the GS. Then, in the field, try a couple of simple missions that mimic how it might be used for your property, but on a smaller scale, within visual range.

Using the iPad in simulation mode, I notice that the app's estimated flight time is as much as 50% of the time that actually elapses before the simulator completes the mission. If this holds true in actual flight, it could lead to serious problems, such as running out of battery while BVR.

(Can't comment on the canbus as I don't know the FC40.)

shaskill said:
Definitely modest documentation! Now I have opened the package, I find out that you actually must be in sight for the GS to work. From the advertising I thought you could d enter a route and the Phantom would follow it. Hope I am wrong. I intend to have the copter follow he perimeter of my vineyard, most of which will be out of site even of I elevate the antenna.
Also, where is the CAN Bus located on the FC40? I presume I need to take it apart .
Thanks all.
 
Great suggestions and glad to know it should work..what about the canbus location? Just to disassemble ?
Thanks
 
shaskill said:
Great suggestions and glad to know it should work..what about the canbus location? Just to disassemble ?
Thanks

I don't believe the FC40 has a canbus port by default, you would need to add one just like anyone with a Phantom 1.1.1 would...either through the upgrade board and a DIY project to add a canbus connection, or by getting the PMU.

Confirmed: https://www.phantompilots.com/viewtopic ... 28&t=13442
 

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