how many feet above the water?

[engravosaurus]

I take off from a hill at an absolute altitude of about 130’ which is recorded as zero on the screen.

Then fly over some nearby trees at screen altitude of about zero.

Then descend to the beach watching the water come up in the camera. When close to the water the screen altitude reads as about -120’.

Is there any way for the P4P+ controller to indicate how many feet I am above the water? Not how many feet below takeoff but feet above the water?

Thank you

 

[Meta4]

Is there any way for the P4P+ controller to indicate how many feet I am above the water?

The VPS system can give a fairly accurate distance above the ground for distances of less than 30 feet in good lighting conditions.
BUT ... it doesn't work very well with water as a target and can be unreliable.
Your visual on the screen is the best way to tell.

 

[dirkclod]

If I understand your question the answer is no . Without taking off at water level you can only guess by the camera or your eyes and from a distance that can be deceiving .

 

[Mark The Droner]

What you could do is use a tool such as daftlogic.com before the flight and measure the surface altitude difference from the launch point and the water surface. Then you'll know the answer before you fly.

 

[tcope]

A good way to tell your altitude above water is if the Phantom comes back wet.

 

[engravosaurus]

The VPS system can give a fairly accurate distance above the ground for distances of less than 30 feet in good lighting conditions.
BUT ... it doesn't work very well with water as a target and can be unreliable.
Your visual on the screen is the best way to tell.

Thanks. Will check the VPS out. Also, when the tide is out there is sand down there. Could get the minus altitude to the sand, add back water depth when tide is in, and have an approximate minus descent limit. But I will check out the VPS keeping in mind not good over water. Thanks.

 

[engravosaurus]

If I understand your question the answer is no . Without taking off at water level you can only guess by the camera or your eyes and from a distance that can be deceiving .

Thanks. So I could do the reverse. When the tide is out, launch from the beach. Then fly the AC up the hill and simultaneously climb up the hill and land get the positive altitude at the high launch point. Then if the high point is +125', the reverse would be -125'. Would have to add usual high tide water depth. Cannot do this with visual site as the beach is out of sight from the high launch point. Thanks. Will try that.

 

[engravosaurus]

What you could do is use a tool such as daftlogic.com before the flight and measure the surface altitude difference from the launch point and the water surface. Then you'll know the answer before you fly.

Thanks. Will explore daftlogic.com.

 

[engravosaurus]

A good way to tell your altitude above water is if the Phantom comes back wet.

True. Tee hee. Wonder if the P4P+ floats. Could add a buoy like the crabbing people use. Lightweight. Then if in the water it might float in with the tide. Course, might float out. Tee hee.

 

[FlyingPhotos.ca]

I take off from a hill at an absolute altitude of about 130’ which is recorded as zero on the screen.

Then fly over some nearby trees at screen altitude of about zero.

Then descend to the beach watching the water come up in the camera. When close to the water the screen altitude reads as about -120’.

Is there any way for the P4P+ controller to indicate how many feet I am above the water? Not how many feet below takeoff but feet above the water?

Thank you

I do photography/videography often at an abandon railroad bridge. And I get a point interest at eye level by taking off at the top flying down to a safe level spot on the ground landing (completely) then taking it off. Now my attitude is set at beach level and I fly at plus 30 meters for flights. You can do the same thing. But word of caution set RTH to your transmitter not take off or you lose your drone if it does RTH

 

[engravosaurus]

I do photography/videography often at an abandon railroad bridge. And I get a point interest at eye level by taking off at the top flying down to a safe level spot on the ground landing (completely) then taking it off. Now my attitude is set at beach level and I fly at plus 30 meters for flights. You can do the same thing. But word of caution set RTH to your transmitter not take off or you lose your drone if it does RTH

Interesting. Clever.

Is your landing spot at the beach visible to you from up top? Mine is not cuz of trees.

 

[engravosaurus]

Thanks. Will explore daftlogic.com.

Tried it. Seems to use Google Earth. Says launch point is 150' and beach is 5'. I wonder if that is accurate enough for actual flight.

 

[FlyingPhotos.ca]

Interesting. Clever.

Is your landing spot at the beach visible to you from up top? Mine is not cuz of trees.

Yes mine is. In Canada you have to always fly 100% of time Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) to be legal. But you can go scout a spot make it level and then put a piece of carpet on it then just look down and center over your target then land and then take off that resets your altimeter (remember put transmitter as RTH point after you take off.)

 

[Slickvolt]

The VPS system can give a fairly accurate distance above the ground for distances of less than 30 feet in good lighting conditions.
BUT ... it doesn't work very well with water as a target and can be unreliable.
Your visual on the screen is the best way to tell.

I second that...the video doesn’t lie...just did a bunch of river flying,this is one of my “lessons learned”.

 

[Phantom_Menace66]

A good way to tell your altitude above water is if the Phantom comes back wet.

Lmao...

 

[Slickvolt]

A good way to tell your altitude above water is if the Phantom comes back wet.

...or...doesn’t come back at all...in that case you’re too low

 

[engravosaurus]

so the bulkhead is -145’ below the house

how?

leaves have fallen so I can see the drone and fly down to the water (with a lanyard for the RC so I have free hands to scramble down the bank)

so if I limit the blind descent to -125’ should be 20’ above the water and Ok