Had a mishap

[400 park]

So I had my P4 out for just a flight today and did a couple of stupid things. First of all, I took off with a 20% battery. I had put a charged battery in the backpack and simply forgot to swap out the battery that was still in the bird. I never leave a battery that has been used but for whatever reason I forgot to remove the dead battery on the last flight. Anyways, I took off without checking everything over. Got out a ways heard the beeping and brought it right back. I always hand catch the bird and where I was I needed to this time as well. When I grabbed the bird I used my left hand and always use my right. Somehow it slipped on my hand, and then had trouble shutting it down. I sacrificed my left arm, chewed the crap out it, but didn’t let go. But in this [Language Removed by Moderator] nightmare two things happened. Only one I’m really concerned about. Although the gimbal works, but when it starts up, the camera goes up and down like it should but the it struggles with the horizontal portion for a short period. I hear a motor running, and I will hear it a couple of times which I’ve never heard before. It will get the camera horizontal and will keep it there. But something is just not right. I tried a couple of short test flight, and all went well. But something is up with the gamble and it getting the horizontal position correct. Like I said, it gets it there and does hold it but it’s not like it was. Maybe I’m just paranoid after my comedy of STUPID errors.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[captainmilehigh]

Consider doing a gimbal calibration on the GoApp to be sure everything is correct. You might have bumped it during all the commotion.

And, more importantly, stick to your preflight checklist and don’t cut corners. Hopefully your damage and injuries are minor, but it could have ended much worse. Good luck getting things back to normal.

 

[400 park]

Thanks for your response. No idea of where my head was when this all happened. But lesson learned. Anyways, if I posted a short clip, would you be so kind as to take a listen to what I’m hearing. Just not the same as it was, but seems to be okay. I will do the calibration, but need to take it to work where I have P.C. not notebooks.

 

[400 park]

This is what stupid looks like. Hopefully this will keep someone else from making a mistake of not taking your time and ALWAYS make everything is good before takeoff

 

[Fester]

So I had my P4 out for just a flight today and did a couple of stupid things. First of all, I took off with a 20% battery. I had put a charged battery in the backpack and simply forgot to swap out the battery that was still in the bird. I never leave a battery that has been used but for whatever reason I forgot to remove the dead battery on the last flight. Anyways, I took off without checking everything over. Got out a ways heard the beeping and brought it right back. I always hand catch the bird and where I was I needed to this time as well. When I grabbed the bird I used my left hand and always use my right. Somehow it slipped on my hand, and then had trouble shutting it down. I sacrificed my left arm, chewed the crap out it, but didn’t let go. But in this friggen nightmare two things happened. Only one I’m really concerned about. Although the gimbal works, but when it starts up, the camera goes up and down like it should but the it struggles with the horizontal portion for a short period. I hear a motor running, and I will hear it a couple of times which I’ve never heard before. It will get the camera horizontal and will keep it there. But something is just not right. I tried a couple of short test flight, and all went well. But something is up with the gamble and it getting the horizontal position correct. Like I said, it gets it there and does hold it but it’s not like it was. Maybe I’m just paranoid after my comedy of STUPID errors.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Check the gimbal with power OFF and make sure that the camera moves freely in both axis without any binding or other mechanical interference, if there is, start there.

 

[TheKestrel]

This is what stupid looks like. Hopefully this will keep someone else from making a mistake of not taking your time and ALWAYS make everything is good before takeoff

Ouch!

 

[Wilbur]

My only "crash" so far was early on right after I switched my controller to mode 3, since that most resembles third person video games. I was on a beach and had to hand catch my Phantom. Well, with the old controls I would hand catch with my right hand while bringing down the throttle with my left. I didn't think to reverse these, so I'm trying to hand catch with my right, but the drone isn't powering down. I was starting to panic slightly because there were absolutely no flat places to land. Eventually, I tried to do a tricky landing on top of a fallen log. Almost nailed it, but then it fell off the log and landed upside down on some rocks. A little scratched, but nothing seriously wrong. Since then, I know to always hand catch with my left.

 

[rmash50]

So I had my P4 out for just a flight today and did a couple of stupid things. First of all, I took off with a 20% battery. I had put a charged battery in the backpack and simply forgot to swap out the battery that was still in the bird. I never leave a battery that has been used but for whatever reason I forgot to remove the dead battery on the last flight. Anyways, I took off without checking everything over. Got out a ways heard the beeping and brought it right back. I always hand catch the bird and where I was I needed to this time as well. When I grabbed the bird I used my left hand and always use my right. Somehow it slipped on my hand, and then had trouble shutting it down. I sacrificed my left arm, chewed the crap out it, but didn’t let go. But in this friggen nightmare two things happened. Only one I’m really concerned about. Although the gimbal works, but when it starts up, the camera goes up and down like it should but the it struggles with the horizontal portion for a short period. I hear a motor running, and I will hear it a couple of times which I’ve never heard before. It will get the camera horizontal and will keep it there. But something is just not right. I tried a couple of short test flight, and all went well. But something is up with the gamble and it getting the horizontal position correct. Like I said, it gets it there and does hold it but it’s not like it was. Maybe I’m just paranoid after my comedy of STUPID errors.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

I never hand catch my P4, that's asking for trouble. I always land on a pad just so things like this don't happen.

 

[Northern Canadian]

My only "crash" so far was early on right after I switched my controller to mode 3, since that most resembles third person video games. I was on a beach and had to hand catch my Phantom. Well, with the old controls I would hand catch with my right hand while bringing down the throttle with my left. I didn't think to reverse these, so I'm trying to hand catch with my right, but the drone isn't powering down. I was starting to panic slightly because there were absolutely no flat places to land. Eventually, I tried to do a tricky landing on top of a fallen log. Almost nailed it, but then it fell off the log and landed upside down on some rocks. A little scratched, but nothing seriously wrong. Since then, I know to always hand catch with my left.

 

[Northern Canadian]

when I hand catch my method is different. I bring the bird reasonably close to me and hover. I walk the couple of feet and grab the bird and hold. I pull the throttle back and shut down. The hover is key in my opinion.

 

[Radh1]

when I hand catch my method is different. I bring the bird reasonably close to me and hover. I walk the couple of feet and grab the bird and hold. I pull the throttle back and shut down. The hover is key in my opinion.

What he said!

 

[Nightwolf]

No idea of where my head was when this all happened.

It's not hard to get frazzled when things go sideways. Hopefully all the practicing we do mitigates some of that effect

 

[Northern Canadian]

What he said!

It's not what he said if he had to catch it. Thanks

 

[PaulR]

when you grab the legs of the Phantom and immediately turn the drone sidewise it turns off automatically.

 

[BigAl07]

I never hand catch my P4, that's asking for trouble. I always land on a pad just so things like this don't happen.

Hand Catching is perfectly safe if done correctly. By hand catching you protect the aircraft (especially camera assembly from dust/dirt etc that is kicked up upon landing and possible contact with objects on the ground) that you can't see while landing. Many of us hand-catch 99% of the time. I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I let the aircraft land other than when training new operators.

 

[BigAl07]

when you grab the legs of the Phantom and immediately turn the drone sidewise it turns off automatically.

Can you provide documentation to support this process? It doesn't work for Phantom3 aircraft I know but I'd like to see documentation if this works for Phantom4 series.

 

[PaulR]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZI3cDEmlJY&feature=youtu.be

It works with the Mavic pro, Mavic air and the Spark. But I have never tried it with the P3. it eliminates concentrating on two things-catching the drone and turning the stick on the RC down at the same time. This way you just concentrate on catching, holding and then turning down all with one hand.

 

[BigAl07]

Thank you @PaulR .

I can't find anything about this working on the Phantom series of aircraft. Some of our current P4 users will have to "carefully" test this process.

 

[PaulR]

I first noticed it in a Mavic pro video you know the blog guys that are telling you how to do things but he never mentioned that it would shut off buy turning it sideways he just kept doing it that way through the video. I had the P4 then and it worked. the problem on the P4 and P4 pro is it revs up when you do it and so does the Mavic pro. but if you bring them chest high not over your head it is easier to control. but remember the blades can cut you pretty deep if you screw up. I have learned that lesson a couple of times. The Mavic air is a lot easier and so is the P4 v2.0.

 

[BigAl07]

I first noticed it in a Mavic pro video you know the blog guys that are telling you how to do things but he never mentioned that it would shut off buy turning it sideways he just kept doing it that way through the video. I had the P4 then and it worked. the problem on the P4 and P4 pro is it revs up when you do it and so does the Mavic pro. but if you bring them chest high not over your head it is easier to control. but remember the blades can cut you pretty deep if you screw up. I have learned that lesson a couple of times. The Mavic air is a lot easier and so is the P4 v2.0.

Thank you. That's good information.