P4Pro to search for racing drone??

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Hey guys/girls,

So I started getting into racing drones, built my first one, took it up yesterday and it got away from me and I lost it. That's the short story. I did however kill the motors as soon as I lost sight of it

I'm planning on taking my P4P to go out and look for it. The terrain is basically rows of orange trees with hardly any powerlines or anything else above.

Any tips before I go out and try finding it?? Anyone done this before?

Thanks
 
If possible, you fly, and have some one else be the spotter for you.
 
Be systematic in your search, start where you think it might be. Search by row, away and then toward you. Perspective is tough, so you must start with your last best guess on position. Use your GPS if you locate it, or if close enough, hover and run to it, if the battery is still good at that point.
 
Be systematic in your search, start where you think it might be. Search by row, away and then toward you. Perspective is tough, so you must start with your last best guess on position. Use your GPS if you locate it, or if close enough, hover and run to it, if the battery is still good at that point.
No GPS on this quad. I have no way to track it. I actually went out again today in my ute and went up and down most rows with no luck. It's probably up in a tree and this is where the P4P may come in handy.
 
No GPS on this quad. I have no way to track it. I actually went out again today in my ute and went up and down most rows with no luck. It's probably up in a tree and this is where the P4P may come in handy.

I think he meant GPS on the P4P so once you find it you can mark where it is in case you dont have enough battery left to let it hover while you run to it.
 
Hey guys/girls,

So I started getting into racing drones, built my first one, took it up yesterday and it got away from me and I lost it. That's the short story. I did however kill the motors as soon as I lost sight of it

I'm planning on taking my P4P to go out and look for it. The terrain is basically rows of orange trees with hardly any powerlines or anything else above.

Any tips before I go out and try finding it?? Anyone done this before?

Thanks

Recommend the following:

Lost Link / Fly Away:
1. Go back to spot you were at when the drone flew away/lost link
2. Identify landmarks at the your location, and where you last saw the drone w/the direction of flight
3. Add ~10 degrees left and right to that direction and consider that search line/area
4. Estimate flight time left on battery at time of fly away into your potential crash/landing location/distance

Next time:
1) Program a cut switch on your racing drone (throttle hold switch) and if you see it flying away, it may not be too late to cut the throttle with the switch on your controller.
2) To help next time (assumes you find your drone or get another); You can buy and install 1 or both of these items fairly easily:

A) "Discovery Buzzer" (vendor Hobby King: ~$3.20 each) -- if you lose your drone, it enables a loud buzzer sound to help find it (Enables you to flip a switch on the Remote Controller at any time to initiate the buzzer to help find the drone); small light weight device that connects to an open channel on the drone receiver and is programmed to activate via one of the Remote Controller switches.
* Ref links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcATaRdRbHU (Youtube: "Discovery Buzzer Connected" shows how to connect this small device to drone)
HobbyKing® Discovery Buzzer (Hobby King)

B) "Signal Lost Alarm & Lost Plane Finder" (vendor Hobby King: $4.70 each) -- If you lose signal to your drone, this small device detects the loss of Transmitter signal and emits a loud buzzer alarm. (enables you to recognize when you have lost link, and to use your controller to help find the drone if lost); small light weight device that connects in-series with one of the 3-wire ports on the Drone Receiver. Alarm initiates when link lost or within ~1 min & 20 sec after the Remote Controller is turned off
* Ref Links:
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Signal loss Alarm & Lost Plane Finder (Ref Hobby King Link)
 
Hey it's found. I had to tell the orchard manager that the drone is around over the orange trees somewhere, because I wanted him to know I will be going in looking for it.
Anyway, this morning while I was at work I get a snapchat from my wife. There's my drone sitting ontop of my boat in my shed. The guy came and brought it after he found it on the lawn of a house that belongs to that property.

Other than the battery (not quite sure if I should charge it) everything turns on, the bird binds with my Taranis and everything. The props feel abit rough on the bottom but are all still in one piece.

One cell on the battery feels a little swollen and like it has air in it, feels squishy. Should I try charging it or not?
 
Recommend the following:

Lost Link / Fly Away:
1. Go back to spot you were at when the drone flew away/lost link
2. Identify landmarks at the your location, and where you last saw the drone w/the direction of flight
3. Add ~10 degrees left and right to that direction and consider that search line/area
4. Estimate flight time left on battery at time of fly away into your potential crash/landing location/distance

Next time:
1) Program a cut switch on your racing drone (throttle hold switch) and if you see it flying away, it may not be too late to cut the throttle with the switch on your controller.
2) To help next time (assumes you find your drone or get another); You can buy and install 1 or both of these items fairly easily:

A) "Discovery Buzzer" (vendor Hobby King: ~$3.20 each) -- if you lose your drone, it enables a loud buzzer sound to help find it (Enables you to flip a switch on the Remote Controller at any time to initiate the buzzer to help find the drone); small light weight device that connects to an open channel on the drone receiver and is programmed to activate via one of the Remote Controller switches.
* Ref links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcATaRdRbHU (Youtube: "Discovery Buzzer Connected" shows how to connect this small device to drone)
HobbyKing® Discovery Buzzer (Hobby King)

B) "Signal Lost Alarm & Lost Plane Finder" (vendor Hobby King: $4.70 each) -- If you lose signal to your drone, this small device detects the loss of Transmitter signal and emits a loud buzzer alarm. (enables you to recognize when you have lost link, and to use your controller to help find the drone if lost); small light weight device that connects in-series with one of the 3-wire ports on the Drone Receiver. Alarm initiates when link lost or within ~1 min & 20 sec after the Remote Controller is turned off
* Ref Links:
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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
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To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
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Signal loss Alarm & Lost Plane Finder (Ref Hobby King Link)


Great to know. Will look into these for sure. Thanks
 
Hey it's found. I had to tell the orchard manager that the drone is around over the orange trees somewhere, because I wanted him to know I will be going in looking for it.
Anyway, this morning while I was at work I get a snapchat from my wife. There's my drone sitting ontop of my boat in my shed. The guy came and brought it after he found it on the lawn of a house that belongs to that property.

Other than the battery (not quite sure if I should charge it) everything turns on, the bird binds with my Taranis and everything. The props feel abit rough on the bottom but are all still in one piece.

One cell on the battery feels a little swollen and like it has air in it, feels squishy. Should I try charging it or not?

Recommend not charging any LIPO battery that looks suspicious--get rid of --they're cheap
 

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