Lost my P4

[Sim597]

Sounds like maybe you took off before it was able to record the home point? If you lose signal it should RTH and go to home point. I'm not sure what happens if you lose signal and no home point has been recorded before the flight, maybe it would try to go to the last recorded home point or just hover in place. This is why I always wait to hear the go app tell me it's set the home point before I take off. You said it indicated that it was around the neighbors garden, don't give up looking you just may find it. Sorry for your loss man, I'm sure you'll be up flying again soon

I agree, and Sometimes I either don't here it, or there's been a time or two under the eve of the porch, it was just close but not a good enough signal, until I fly out a little and up, but if I don't hear or see "home point recorded" I'll do it myself, I learned a lesson a while ago, took off from yard, flew up and threaded the needle through the pines, noticed I was doing a lot more inputting to controls this time tho, sure enough I was in ATTI and didn't realize it, now I double check all of that, "P" position, home recorded, cards in, gimbal guard off, ok last one is only one still gets me sometimes lol, just today it got me, don't know why it doesn't overheat or give warnings

 

[aaronrivera]

If no gps it will land by itself!!! . He probably lost connection. No gps, u say 9? Thats not enough for a green safe to fly stable flight. Gps must hv fluctuated. It must hv drifted. Do u know how far the drone was from u?

 

[Colin Eglington]

FLYAWAY P4 LOG ------ Leaving Facebook...

 

[Colin Eglington]

This is tge track that the bird followed and tge point it lost signal is quite clwar. ------- Facebook

 

[Colin Eglington]

A lot of guys on phantompilots forum are concluding that there was NO pilot error involved, but a serious system failure of some kind? Leaving Facebook...

 

[Stevie_UK]

Shame didn't post to phantom help as could see what was going on in more detail. Altitude looks a bit sketchy there, need proper log upload to see what was really going on and where exactly that drone is.

 

[Kans]

Shame didn't post to phantom help as could see what was going on in more detail. Altitude looks a bit sketchy there, need proper log upload to see what was really going on and where exactly that drone is.

Here is the phantomhelp log of Colin's flight that a couple of us were analysing on facebook yesterday.

The alttitude looks wrong to start with, the time starts at a random 13m and resets midway at 25s where there are 2 signal lost messages..

Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

 

[Stevie_UK]

Reaching speeds of 542 miles per hour... Hmmm, UFO abduction?

Wonder why the home point wasn't set on take off? Maybe not quite enough satellites? Did it say SafetoflyGPS or non-GPS? Set to land (rather than RTH) on loss of controller signal so SHOULD be at CLICK for GOOGLEMAP - Did you take a look around there, maybe a 200 metre radius around there and take a good look into the trees. It's out there somewhere.

Curious about the altitude going crazy - Colin, can you check earlier logs and see what your altitude looks like? Not sure if this is GPS issue, barometer issue or what, the logs are odd. How was the weather? Any rain? Anything else happen to the bird previously that could have caused issues internally?

Altitude is way off, his home are is only 55M altitude (which I assume the bird should class as zero?)

Have to look through these logs in more detail to get a better idea, I'm not gonna claim to fully understand everything in there, but a recent 'event' made me study them quite intently, and Colin - you're not too far from me tbh, I'm up here in Northumberland.

 

[cdronefly]

At first glance the 9-10 sats is of most concerns....would guess the craft never had real accurate Home GPS lock.
Even my P3 has never had that few sats unless I am right up against a building or a cliff.

It would be really nice to know the particular from the pilot - these things often go unsaid.

 

[Jacob Grubbs]

I often find that the location can be off a bit. Might not be in your neighbor's garden, but instead out of sight on their house roof. Sounds like it might still be somewhere in that area -- still traveling a block or two until auto-land kicked in. It's rarely an easy search without the help of an actual tracking device on the bird. Could even be in the top canopy of a tree. I wouldn't give up looking for it.

Sorry for ur loss as much as u look ur obv. Arent going to find it! Cause it didnt land on the gound what id suggest doin is from ur exact location of take off to loss of sigal, I would square it off grid of about 50 ft on each side... Ground search it could have gained signal and started returnin home while u was drivin to find it.... Other suggestion is get on ur facebook.. Find someone who has another bird and search from air cause it prob landed on tops of the trees GL

 

[Stevie_UK]

Sorry for ur loss as much as u look ur obv. Arent going to find it! Cause it didnt land on the gound what id suggest doin is from ur exact location of take off to loss of sigal, I would square it off grid of about 50 ft on each side... Ground search it could have gained signal and started returnin home while u was drivin to find it.... Other suggestion is get on ur facebook.. Find someone who has another bird and search from air cause it prob landed on tops of the trees GL

Return to home wasn't set as far as the Phantom was concerned - Bird reports it will autoland on loss of signal. I'm still hopeful he'll find her. Knock on a few doors. I don't think it dropped outta the sky, but as suggested could have landed on a roof :/ The final loss of signal, looking at start/end location had to go in a line through lots of buildings since was so low (landing?) lets hope so!

 

[sackpack]

I use a seperate gps tracker called trackimo.

 

[landed]

I would offer a reward in my local paper - worth a shot it's usually cheap Facebook etc
Ask some young lads ...heard many stories since p3's or issues like this.
Sorry to hear your loss. Good luck

 

[pe9999]

If DJI see the log and see a fault will they be sympathetic?

A

I really hope they will. I've heard they just offer a certain discount on the buy of a new one.
You could sell batteries, case, remote, charger, etc so you can get close to the asking price.
But, what I really hope is they compensate with a new bird and battery.
Good luck.


Also, I wouldnt stop looking for it if you have an estimated landing/crashing point.

Yes, I crashed it, it is not my fault, dji should send me a new one. Saw someone crash, your thoughts?

 

[Colin Eglington]

I have talked to everyone within a 1 mile radius of the disappearance position - we have all looked hard. Total puzzle, can't sleep wondering!

 

[Intrepid97]

Spark Nano GPS Tracker | Spark Nano 4.0 | Spark Nano GPS Tracking Device | Personal GPS Tracker

 

[JerEl]

Sorry to heat about your P4 I have only just purchased mine and had a few times the screen goes blank and my heart jumps, God knows how you must feel :-( dread the day it wants to fly free,

Get a Flytrex and it will help your nerves. I fly with Litchi almost exclusively and when doing missions sometimes I lose video so I just look at my cell phone screen with the Flytrex app and follow the flight on that which use the cellular network ($10.00 for 3 months with H2O) and the GPS to track the flight. In case of a crash you can click on the "Last Location Seen". With my P2 when it went haywire flying sideways at 50+MPH and resultant crash it showed me where it was within 6 feet. On my P3 it sure gives me a degree of calmness having it as a backup. It gives height, speed, and battery voltage on the screen too.

 

[toddena]

I'm sorry for your loss.I always have a separate gps attached to the quad i can call it or they can push a button and it will call my phone plus stickers that say.REWARD IF FOUND plus my number and keep a 100.00 tucked away...

 

[thunderbird]

I'm sorry for your loss.I always have a separate gps attached to the quad i can call it or they can push a button and it will call my phone plus stickers that say.REWARD IF FOUND plus my number and keep a 100.00 tucked away...

What kinda gps is that

 

[toddena]

What kinda gps is that

RF-V16 Ebay #261596781097 then buy your sims card good to go.Just good insurance.