Has anyone had a flyaway from a mission?

Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
1,993
Reaction score
676
Location
Westford, MA
Has anyone had a flyaway from a mission? The Phantom just deciding that it's next waypoint is somewhere over the Atlantic?
 
I have the P2 NV, but I haven't purchased the 2.4 GHz datalink yet. Is there a distance limit in that version?
 
SteveMann said:
I have the P2 NV, but I haven't purchased the 2.4 GHz datalink yet. Is there a distance limit in that version?

I have the 2.4 GHz data link for my iPad as far as I can see the only limit is the one you set on the PC software , it has always went
as far as I dare when setting waypoints, someone else might know more than me though :)
 
My P2 has had 100+ Autonomous flights now with my 2.4GHz Data Link connected on the pilot-side to a iPad Air. I have never had a problem. I have had mistakes of varying pucker-factor though. My distance is only limited by remaining battery power. I do lots of long-distance flying too. I'll post a link here to a recent 1-mile out, 1-mile back flight.

My lessons-learned have put me into the following GS routine, after following the normal start-up procedures.
1. After power-up, satellite acquisition, and green-flashes for a good position lock, I take-off and hover, maybe 30-50 feet in the air.
2. I observer how the Phantom is "hovering", also giving the bird time to acquire more satellites (by watching my FPV screen with iOSD Mini supplying flight data overlay. (If this doesn't happen, I bring the Phantom back to the ground. I check solar activity, GPS status (phone app), but basically I simply won't fly unless the Phantom is behaving as expected).
3. I have NAZA-M available to me, but (as folks should know) you must be in GPS mode to fly waypoints (in other words, S1 & S2 switches all the way up).
4. I fast-toggle S2 to force the acquisition of a new Home Lock position once I see that the Phantom has extra satellites.
5. I have previously created my missions and have then labeled and saved on the iPad. I have used Google Earth to map measured specifics for each waypoint. I have driven my car around the area to visually look for any new obstructions (cell towers, water towers, new electric lines, etc.). I don't trust the "age" of the Google Earth photographs. Also, driving around, I get a "feel" for what my planned altitude will be. Most times, all my waypoints are set to the same altitude. I build my course in my mind's eye as I pick waypoints based on known ground landmarks (buildings, bend in the creek, big oak tree, etc.).
6. **** important **** first and last waypoints are directly overhead from where I intend to fly from and set to the same altitude as the rest of the waypoints.
7. Picking up from step 4, I now select my mission file, and hit "OK" to load the mission to my hovering Phantom. Then I hit "GO".
8. I put my controller (Transmitter) down. I must insure that I do not accidentally provide any switch data. I do not want to bump out of GPS mode while the Phantom is out of the edges of listening to me. Once an autonomous flight begins, the Phantom no longer needs a human being.
9. I start a timer on my cell phone to keep track of flight duration. When I built my mission, GS was providing a general idea how long the flight will be. My cell phone timer keeps my heart attack symptoms reduced while I wait, up to, 50% additional time from initial estimate. At 51%, something went wrong (usually).
10. Most times, the Phantom comes back into sight like a returning dog after a romp through the neighborhood. It is typically hovering, directly above at its last waypoint.
11. I toggle S1 to ATTI and back to GPS mode, taking control of the Phantom. I manually land (or hand-catch).

I have so many trees in my area, I usually lose contact with my Phantom. My FPV screen goes snowy, and I assume it is out of range of my transmitter too. You learn to trust that the Phantom will run its mission and return as usual.

When I fly too low, the Phantom will find a tree.
When I fly too long, the Phantom will attempt to RTH, or auto-land someplace where I get to meet a new neighbor.

Never do I sense the end of the world, or worry the (mostly) Internet myth about flyaway.

http://youtu.be/UPRDpRkR-hA?list=UU8xJd ... e8vhAN0dsw
 
Paul, thanks for the reply - I had forgotten about the question because I still have not installed the hardware on my Phantom.
I did install the Flytrex Live because compared to your region, you live in a desert. Around here I am surrounded by thick forested areas with an occasional home or road to interrupt the otherwise sea of green. If my Phantom goes down, it will be in a tree or pond.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,358
Members
104,936
Latest member
hirehackers