Litchi and Google Earth (again) ....

[Avocet]

That statement didn't sound quite right to me, so I got curious enough to try it.

Did a 'Factory Reset' on a long-retired Galaxy S3 phone, jumped through all the initial setup hoops, and tied it to my Google account.

Restored Litchi (3.10.10) from a previous backup of a different device, registered it using my Litchi account name/password -- and it works fine... without DJI GO having been installed on that device after the reset.

Not to disparage your knowledge of Phantoms, just trying to keep the record straight....

{ok, NOW the thread has jumped the rails ...apologies in advanceher )

This quite possibly was address in a Litchi firmware upgrade. If you travel back far enough into threads, my statement will be corroborated methinks.

And Ralphiejohn, I sunsetted DJI go a long time ago. It does however, regardless of umanbean's post, the GO app provides some telemetry (like battery data, and some camera settings that Litchi does not provide, thus, I keep them both. Before a flight, I usually fire up DJI GO to run through my checklists, kill the app instance, then fire up Litchi where I do NOT need to reset anything. Also the C2 and C3 buttons have different programming options in DJI Go compared to Litchi. DJI Go for Inspires have different camera options NOT found in Litchi ... so I keep them both handy, though I fly 95% Litchi all the way.

 

[Born to Fly (Remotely)]

Hope I am on the right forum and mine is a simple and likely dumb question. Just started trying Litchi to create a waypoint mission, not on site but at home. It insists on using home as the starting point, which would be a big problem. All the other waypoints it is ok with them being where they need to be which is a long way from home. Home in this case being the last place litchi saw my drone. Can someone point me in the right direction? No pun intended. Many Thanks

 

[umanbean]

To create the mission from home, are you using the Litchi app on the flight tablet (sounds likely), or the web-based Mission Planner on a computer browser?

 

[Born to Fly (Remotely)]

I tried both, although mostly on an iPad. I didn't spent much time on the computer one as I had trouble getting the map to show in enough resolution to make what I wanted to be the starting point accurate. (Trees both sides). Had a quick crack at Google Earth but thought something designed for the purpose would be likely better. No doubt Google Earth can be made to program camera angles etc, but didn't seem very intuitive.

 

[rexster314]

I tried both, although mostly on an iPad. I didn't spent much time on the computer one as I had trouble getting the map to show in enough resolution to make what I wanted to be the starting point accurate. (Trees both sides). Had a quick crack at Google Earth but thought something designed for the purpose would be likely better. No doubt Google Earth can be made to program camera angles etc, but didn't seem very intuitive.

All the "camera angles, etc" are programmed in the web based Litchi page. Or the Virtual Litchi Mission app by Namirda, which I find is much easier. Google Earth merely plays back the mission so you can check speeds, camera angles, POI settings, altitude

 

[RodPad]

Hope I am on the right forum and mine is a simple and likely dumb question. Just started trying Litchi to create a waypoint mission, not on site but at home. It insists on using home as the starting point, which would be a big problem. All the other waypoints it is ok with them being where they need to be which is a long way from home. Home in this case being the last place litchi saw my drone. Can someone point me in the right direction? No pun intended. Many Thanks

Welcome to the Forum!

"Home in this case being the last place litchi saw my drone."
This caught my attention, so I looked through all your posts....

It appears you lost a Phantom fishing, and almost lost your latest Phantom the same way?

Rod

 

[Shoot4fun]

They work independently of each other.

I'd like to add that Litchi and GO do not play well together. My personal experience is that, if you're using Litchi, DJI app should be force-closed to prevent issues between the two. I only use GO occasionally, or to diagnose some minor problem that doesn't show in Litchi, such as when you're in a geofenced NFZ. Litchi won't let you take off, but it won't tell you why. (Been there, done that) This may not apply to you, since I have no clue what you're flying. Mine is P3 Standard

Brad

 

[RodPad]

I'd like to add that Litchi and GO do not play well together. My personal experience is that, if you're using Litchi, DJI app should be force-closed to prevent issues between the two. I only use GO occasionally, or to diagnose some minor problem that doesn't show in Litchi, such as when you're in a geofenced NFZ. Litchi won't let you take off, but it won't tell you why. (Been there, done that) This may not apply to you, since I have no clue what you're flying. Mine is P3 Standard

Brad

As far as I know, the problem with Litchi and DJI is only on Android's.

If you turn off the Go app on a crApple, there is no problem?

Rod

 

[Shoot4fun]

As far as I know, the problem with Litchi and DJI is only on Android's.

If you turn off the Go app on a crApple, there is no problem?

Rod

Very possible Rod. I only use Android, so I have no reference for that other nasty thang... ?

crApple... I like that!

 

[sar104]

As far as I know, the problem with Litchi and DJI is only on Android's.

If you turn off the Go app on a crApple, there is no problem?

Rod

Correct. Much like many things on Apple, compared to Android.

 

[umanbean]

If you turn off the Go app on a crApple, there is no problem?

If you turn off, as in force close, GO on Android, there is no problem.

 

[Born to Fly (Remotely)]

Yes, I have a fishing issue, as well as a Litchi question. I have only used Go while fishing as I am well used to it and it comes from the drone manufacturer. I have heard a few stories of other apps (not Litchi) crashing drones on waypoint missions which makes me nervous as my crash will be in the water. But the drone I lost and the drone I almost lost were both using Go. Both had bait droppers on at the time.

So my question around Litchi is how do I build a waypoint mission from home without it starting at home. My other question was to see if anyone else had had the experience of a Phantom suddenly getting a mind of it's own and climbing to 500 feet and flying off 200 metres or so, and ignoring my remote. They are independent.

I suppose that begs a third question of whether using a 3rd party app increases the risk, but I already know there will be divided opinions on that. I am yet to use Litchi, or Autopilot which I had purchased earlier and played with a bit but not flown using it.

I am a bit stuck until I know why my drone flew off like that, as the battery was dying and it was a very bad situation and a miracle it wasn't a disaster.

 

[Born to Fly (Remotely)]

I consider them to be two unrelated things which is why I posted them in different places. I am also quite curious to know how many bait dropping drone fishing people there are in the world but don't know how to get even a rough estimate of that figure.

 

[Shoot4fun]

I know of 2 bait droppers here. I'm sure they know a few more between them. @ianzone
@Capt KO. Both of these guys are into that sort of thing.

Found this too

Best Drone fishing releases for DJI Phantoms 2018 / 2019

Fishing with drones have become a big thing world wide. And there is several threads here on the topic. There is many home made options that work OK to attatch and then release your line, many of them ending in disaster as they work only periodicaly and with some luck. As a result of this...

phantompilots.com

 

[RodPad]

I consider them to be two unrelated things which is why I posted them in different places. I am also quite curious to know how many bait dropping drone fishing people there are in the world but don't know how to get even a rough estimate of that figure.

I have to read all the recent threads, to get all the facts.

Rod

 

[RodPad]

I only use the mission hub:

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

Rod

 

[RodPad]

Yes, I have a fishing issue, as well as a Litchi question. I have only used Go while fishing as I am well used to it and it comes from the drone manufacturer. I have heard a few stories of other apps (not Litchi) crashing drones on waypoint missions which makes me nervous as my crash will be in the water. But the drone I lost and the drone I almost lost were both using Go. Both had bait droppers on at the time.

So my question around Litchi is how do I build a waypoint mission from home without it starting at home. My other question was to see if anyone else had had the experience of a Phantom suddenly getting a mind of it's own and climbing to 500 feet and flying off 200 metres or so, and ignoring my remote. They are independent.

I suppose that begs a third question of whether using a 3rd party app increases the risk, but I already know there will be divided opinions on that. I am yet to use Litchi, or Autopilot which I had purchased earlier and played with a bit but not flown using it.

I am a bit stuck until I know why my drone flew off like that, as the battery was dying and it was a very bad situation and a miracle it wasn't a disaster.

"Phantom suddenly getting a mind of it's own and climbing to 500 feet and flying off 200 metres or so, and ignoring my remote."

500' feet, is this your RTH setting?
How far were you out?
I see you have a P4 Pro, I found that on a different thread.

My only thought was before you cut the line, the Phantom had signal from the angle, cut the line the pitch of the Phantom changed and you lost signal?

I know little about the P4, but It seems like you will run out of battery before signal?

Rod

 

[Born to Fly (Remotely)]

The RTH was at 30 metres. Distance out was about 200 metres. Sorry, not sure what "the Phantom had signal from the angle, cut the line the pitch of the Phantom changed and you lost signal?" actually means. Would you mind asking me that question again, in different words, and I'll answer it?

It was a pretty straight line out and back. Should have been the simplest flight ever recorded. Let me think. Flew out. Dropped fishing line. A few hiccups on the way out, i.e. fishing line very briefly snagged but didn't seem to bother anything, resumed course. Time to drop the line. Probably at 20m. Line doesn't drop. Motor overheating message appears. Line drops, message stops, low battery message starts. Hit RTH as I trust it to not make any dumb mistakes more than I trust me with battery low. It then flies roughly back towards the coast, but not at me. RTH set at 30m, but drones flies over my head except North of me, and climbing. Not responding. Flies past the coast into the neighbourhood. Climbs to 184m from memory and perhaps 200m past me (at a guess).

Second low battery warning starts, drone not responding. Switch to "ATTI mode". Occasionally, it responds to my direction. Full video still available. Get it pointed back at the ocean, not wanting it to die 184m above houses. Try to get it to descend. Mostly it ignores me but from time to time a signal gets through and it starts to move. That is how it appears to me anyway. I have my fingers on "forward" and "down" so hard that I am surprised I didn't snap off the controls. It does seem to be moving that way. I am hoping it makes the ocean and I lose it, rather than plummeting through someones roof. Heart rate goes to maximum.

Can see through the camera it is heading the right way. As it gets closer to the beach, video stops broadcasting. Then resumes to show a very close up of a young family and their dog on or close to landing.

Miracle, it makes the beach, with a foot left of altitude, battery goes to zero, drone lands after a fashion, perhaps 500 metres from me. Maybe it lands and battery goes to zero at the same time. Heart rate also gone to zero.

Started with 100% battery. Ended with 0%. P4 Phantom Pro V2, owned it for maybe 6 months. Next day, (day after actually as I had to drive home plus wondering it is safe to fly, or whether the thing would just fly off, in an area with less margin for error). I replace the battery, take it for a test flight, 100% perfect.

This has happened to me twice. And not happened to me hundreds of times. Seems a certain set of conditions might come together to cause it but I am struggling to find it.

I am trying to thoroughly answer the questions and hope I am in the correct forum. Apologies if I am not, and apologies for a long post. I am not pushing any point of view, just trying to figure out what is going on. Perhaps it is pilot error, but I have been at this for a while, and I spent almost an entire battery trying to recover the drone from the most basic flight you could design.

I read something just now about the sensors not working properly around sunset. This was around sunset. The time before, was in the middle of a bright day at a completely different location. Equally heart stopping but had still battery left when I got it to land, near me but not at the RTH point.

I have been flying Phantoms since there were Phantoms. I have a Pilot's Licence. I might be stupid, but I am not an idiot . This is too scary. Don't want to kill someone and go to jail because "it was sunset". All helpful suggestions welcome.

Also realise now I have to learn how to analyse logs, which I haven't looked at before, because, well, why? Because it was stressful enough that my recollection above is probably mostly correct, but wouldn't surprise me if I don't remember everything precisely, especially after my heart stopped.

Thanks

 

[Born to Fly (Remotely)]

Rod
I had a P3. Apart from all the technical improvements, flying one is not much different to the other from what I can see, in my opinion. Waypoints are still useless (well, lacking a feature), as you have to do them "on the fly" rather than from home, hence my fiddling with Litchi. I am not in any way an expert though so others will probably jump all over this and disagree and they might be right. It is obviously a better drone than the P3, which I was actually happy with, else they wouldn't sell them. The camera is amazingly good. I don't even have a 4K TV but when I watch the video's, they are jaw dropping. But this is not a technical review, I'm not qualified. But I LOVE it. Just don't want it to wipe out anything. The sensors all over it make it almost idiot proof, hard to crash one. Have tried to smash it into my head at full speed but the sensors do work. Not so sure they will stop landing in water, but not prepared to field test that. But the idea that sometimes it will just take over is really not working for me. Singularity perhaps.

 

[sar104]

The RTH was at 30 metres. Distance out was about 200 metres. Sorry, not sure what "the Phantom had signal from the angle, cut the line the pitch of the Phantom changed and you lost signal?" actually means. Would you mind asking me that question again, in different words, and I'll answer it?

It was a pretty straight line out and back. Should have been the simplest flight ever recorded. Let me think. Flew out. Dropped fishing line. A few hiccups on the way out, i.e. fishing line very briefly snagged but didn't seem to bother anything, resumed course. Time to drop the line. Probably at 20m. Line doesn't drop. Motor overheating message appears. Line drops, message stops, low battery message starts. Hit RTH as I trust it to not make any dumb mistakes more than I trust me with battery low. It then flies roughly back towards the coast, but not at me. RTH set at 30m, but drones flies over my head except North of me, and climbing. Not responding. Flies past the coast into the neighbourhood. Climbs to 184m from memory and perhaps 200m past me (at a guess).

Second low battery warning starts, drone not responding. Switch to "ATTI mode". Occasionally, it responds to my direction. Full video still available. Get it pointed back at the ocean, not wanting it to die 184m above houses. Try to get it to descend. Mostly it ignores me but from time to time a signal gets through and it starts to move. That is how it appears to me anyway. I have my fingers on "forward" and "down" so hard that I am surprised I didn't snap off the controls. It does seem to be moving that way. I am hoping it makes the ocean and I lose it, rather than plummeting through someones roof. Heart rate goes to maximum.

Can see through the camera it is heading the right way. As it gets closer to the beach, video stops broadcasting. Then resumes to show a very close up of a young family and their dog on or close to landing.

Miracle, it makes the beach, with a foot left of altitude, battery goes to zero, drone lands after a fashion, perhaps 500 metres from me. Maybe it lands and battery goes to zero at the same time. Heart rate also gone to zero.

Started with 100% battery. Ended with 0%. P4 Phantom Pro V2, owned it for maybe 6 months. Next day, (day after actually as I had to drive home plus wondering it is safe to fly, or whether the thing would just fly off, in an area with less margin for error). I replace the battery, take it for a test flight, 100% perfect.

This has happened to me twice. And not happened to me hundreds of times. Seems a certain set of conditions might come together to cause it but I am struggling to find it.

I am trying to thoroughly answer the questions and hope I am in the correct forum. Apologies if I am not, and apologies for a long post. I am not pushing any point of view, just trying to figure out what is going on. Perhaps it is pilot error, but I have been at this for a while, and I spent almost an entire battery trying to recover the drone from the most basic flight you could design.

I read something just now about the sensors not working properly around sunset. This was around sunset. The time before, was in the middle of a bright day at a completely different location. Equally heart stopping but had still battery left when I got it to land, near me but not at the RTH point.

I have been flying Phantoms since there were Phantoms. I have a Pilot's Licence. I might be stupid, but I am not an idiot . This is too scary. Don't want to kill someone and go to jail because "it was sunset". All helpful suggestions welcome.

Also realise now I have to learn how to analyse logs, which I haven't looked at before, because, well, why? Because it was stressful enough that my recollection above is probably mostly correct, but wouldn't surprise me if I don't remember everything precisely, especially after my heart stopped.

Thanks

So why haven't you posted the flight log?