Litchi Mission Lost Phantom

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Although.....Couldn't the signal have been lost when it crashed

Yes, but look at the video posted earlier. Low altitude (Danger point) begins AFTER lost signal.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

I have a DBS antenna installed on my remote. I have successfully flown out 2.5 miles right across the street from me over the lake. I was a bit surprised when it lost signal only 1400 feet away.

Trees eat signal, even with amps and panels....., Hell, tree's eat drones no matter what...

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

I have been trying figure out to share some of my missions, is the only way with FaceBook?

Rod

You could upload the .csv missions with " One Drive" and share them.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

You didn't account for the surface elevation gain and flew straight into the woods. When you plan these missions you need to add 150ft to the elevation at each waypoint in order to stay 150ft above the surface. When you plan your mission on the computer(vs the app) the elevation difference will be displayed everytime you drop a new waypoint. See the box for the NEW waypoint 5 I set and notice the ground elevation reading below Altitude.

You also need to keep in account a rise in terrain, just adding alt. wont help if the curve upwards is not quick enough. Need to add waypoints BEFORE rise, not after. A gradual rise in altitude isn't enough to clear trees in between waypoints.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

It looks like in google earth pro that after the road is crossed going from 2 to 3, there it starts uphill. A good place to start. Also it's a possibility it hit a tree before crossing the road but my guess is after the road was crossed and not far into the woods.
View attachment 72674

I think it's at just before point 3 to point 4....

 

[jiggyb21]

You also need to keep in account a rise in terrain, just adding alt. wont help if the curve upwards is not quick enough. Need to add waypoints BEFORE rise, not after. A gradual rise in altitude isn't enough to clear trees in between waypoints.

That was very rudimentary advice given at the beginning of this thread when the OP didn't even understand that you had to add any altitude changes at all. Later I go on to explain that, where there is terrain change, I add waypoints in between other waypoints and adjust accordingly. Again, the comment you quoted was a simple explanation to someone who didn't understand at all.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

That was very rudimentary advice given at the beginning of this thread when the OP didn't even understand that you had to add any altitude changes at all. Later I go on to explain that, where there is terrain change, I add waypoints in between other waypoints and adjust accordingly. Again, the comment you quoted was a simple explanation to someone who didn't understand at all.

This is a elementry mistake anyone can make.

 

[Limp Gimble]

I found the post below and thought about this post. If at his last wp the bird will not land according to this post it will rth.

How to get P3 to land at last waypoint using Litchi.
http://www.phantompilots.com/index....o-land-at-last-waypoint-using-Litchi..101784/


Sent from my Satellite Phone using PhantomPilots

 

[JohnnyB]

My advice........

Read the manual.......

Help - Litchi


Sent from my XT1585 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[DaveD]

That was very rudimentary advice given at the beginning of this thread when the OP didn't even understand that you had to add any altitude changes at all. Later I go on to explain that, where there is terrain change, I add waypoints in between other waypoints and adjust accordingly. Again, the comment you quoted was a simple explanation to someone who didn't understand at all.

I did understand just not completely. The terrain between my brothers and my house is relatively flat. I thought that 150 foot would clear everything. I was very wrong. I now see when planning a mission in hub that it tells you the elevation change from your starting point as you add waypoints. It was there and I just didn't pay any attention to it. $400 mistake, my fault.

Sent from my VS987 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[JohnnyB]

My advice........

Read the manual.......

Help - Litchi


Sent from my XT1585 using PhantomPilots mobile app

And I don't mean that sarcastically. Everything about what it does in any situation is in the manual. Two ways to learn are: mistakes,... Or reading the manual. I guarantee Dave won't let it happen again.

Sent from my XT1585 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[jiggyb21]

I did understand just not completely. The terrain between my brothers and my house is relatively flat. I thought that 150 foot would clear everything. I was very wrong. I now see when planning a mission in hub that it tells you the elevation change from your starting point as you add waypoints. It was there and I just didn't pay any attention to it. $400 mistake, my fault.

Sent from my VS987 using PhantomPilots mobile app

I'm sorry for my wording, I certainly didn't mean to offend. Rereading it, it came off wrong. I was defending the reason I didn't give a more complete explanation at the time, that's all.

I crashed my P3P in an equally careless manner. I'll save the details but it involved some liquid motivation as most of my poor decisions do. I found my baby on the top of a 100ft STEEP hill about 100ft up a tree. I found it because I knew where it crashed and by using binoculars. (I started a post about it here). Long story short, it was lodged 6 ft in on a branch, speared through the landing gear. I was 100% sure I'd never get it down. I went through dozens of ideas, none were feasible. It was way up there. Well 2 weeks later and the night before Thanksgiving I was laying in bed and the wind was howling.....45mph+. In that moment I jumped out bed, grabbed my headlamp and was immediately reasoned back to bed by my wife who easily explained to me that no one else knew where it was and it wasn't going anywhere before the next morning....if it does fall. I said, "I guess you're right". She said, "I am". Well joke was on her because for the next 2 hours I laid there analyzing wind direction and speed. "Hear that? I've never heard the roof creaking like that. That means the wind is stronger than than it was last Christmas...and that was 50mph, so this is more than that.....I bet it's coming out of that tree." Now midnight, she wished she'd let me go earlier for sure. Found it the next morning. I was 100% sure it wasn't coming down. You'll find it and the best part is the video you get back...that's the paydirt. And those sd card will live through anything.

 

[JohnnyB]

Good story jig

Sent from my XT1585 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[DaveD]

....just a thought: IF anyone finds it, isn't your drone registered to you only, via your controller (paired) ? Ie. it can't be flown by anyone but the person with the controller it is registered to, no? Also, does DJI have a way of disabling (suspending registration temporarily) your drone, and keeping track of any "geo-connection" if someone who found your drone fires it up? If DJI does not have this in place, it would be a fabulous feature to offer their drone buyers!

the z dimension (elevation):

....there are mapping platforms that map literally everything "protruding from the ground" at extremely high resolution (at the centimeter, 5 centimeter, 10 centimeter etc resolution per ranged pixel). The sensing device is called LiDAR. Many areas of the US (and now, Canada and Britain) are already mapped (especially coastlines, flood-planes, urban areas & cities, and sensitive forested areas). All the data is available as public domain coverages. So, using the z (elevation) data from the 3D LiDAR coverage, a KML file can be extracted that would give the mission planner precise z elevations over every tree, built structure, antenna, tower and protrusion above the ground. Google Earth Pro only provides the "bare ground" terrain model, not the elevations of all structures and biomass above bare ground, remember (but, as shown earlier, this is an excellent starting point to mission plan!). The only thing that LiDAR would (may not) not provide, would be 3D power lines strung out between the poles/towers.

IF a LiDAR overflight was done over your search target range, you would be able to pin-point the actual tree/structure/shrub/pole/tower/fence your drone would have hit first, along your flight line plugging in your original flight plan elevation number as a compare.

My lost phantom's controller has a DBS antenna on it. When I bought a new phantom monday to replace the lost one, I just relinked the new aircraft to the modded controller. The new stock controller is still in the box wrapped up.

 

[DaveD]

Question, a little off topic. My 1st P3S I bought used. When I registered with DJI I had a guy named paul on there (previous owner) and myself listed in the flight records. The phantom I lost last week I bought new (black friday deal). I then had 3 names in my flight records on the app. Now I bought a new P3S again monday and I now have 4 names on the app for flight records. I have to swipe left 4 times to get to my current and only AC. Is this normal for anyone else?

 

[JohnnyB]

I'm curious, what happened to the first one?

 

[DaveD]

I'm curious, what happened to the first one?

Sold it. I'd get a slight jello in video once in a while. I could never fix it. Balanced props, replaced a motor I thought had vibration, replaced white shock absorbers on gimbal plate. Nothing seemed to work. Wasn't horrible but I wanted better.

 

[David Rodwell]

I am curious what the temperatures were?? These guys DO NOT like cold...especially the batteries!

 

[BillW50]

I am curious what the temperatures were?? These guys DO NOT like cold...especially the batteries!

Whoa! I fly at -18°C / 0°F all of the time. Of course the Phantom and the battery was at room temperature before I bring it outside. But flying in the cold at 35 MPH for 12 minutes the battery reports being at a comfortable 25°C. As long as they are working hard in the cold, they do just fine. Just don't fly them with starting from a frozen battery. That would be bad.

 

[Vega]

Whoa! I fly at -18°C / 0°F all of the time. Of course the Phantom and the battery was at room temperature before I bring it outside. But flying in the cold at 35 MPH for 12 minutes the battery reports being at a comfortable 25°C. As long as they are working hard in the cold, they do just fine. Just don't fly them with starting from a frozen battery. That would be bad.

Ditto, these things work great in the cold. Been flying 15 minute sessions in 10 degree F weather. Where I live, if I flew only in warm weather I'd never get to fly.