Pay attention to distance!!

F6Rider · May 28, 2015

So here I am, fat, dumb, an happy, flying in the regional Park close to my home early this morning. This is a very large park with lot's of green area's and tons of trees and small lakes and ponds, I am just flying along all fuzzy and warm enjoying my P3 and I happen to glance at the Distance from HP.... WTF!! 11,000', over 2 miles away EAK!. I look at the battery and feel better at once, 74%. If this had been my P2 I would be sucking wind, started back, in no hurry now, played around a bit and landed with 24% and over 25,000' on the clock! DAM I LOVE THIS THING! OK, now back to your regularly scheduled day.

envisionabove · May 28, 2015

F6Rider said:
So here I am, fat, dumb, an happy, flying in the regional Park close to my home early this morning. This is a very large park with lot's of green area's and tons of trees and small lakes and ponds, I am just flying along all fuzzy and warm enjoying my P3 and I happen to glance at the Distance from HP.... WTF!! 11,000', over 2 miles away EAK!. I look at the battery and feel better at once, 74%. If this had been my P2 I would be sucking wind, started back, in no hurry now, played around a bit and landed with 24% and over 25,000' on the clock! DAM I LOVE THIS THING! OK, now back to your regularly scheduled day.

Well I gave you a like ( Thumbs Up ) for that in depth report, Sounds just like heaven for a drone flyer. Now can you top it off with the video to make it complete.
I think the Brits well my wife is a Brit.... so yeah they would say or call it " being a bit doolally."

Apparition · May 28, 2015

It is a significant upgrade from the P2.

Similar experience, I'd have never tried to fly from a local park to my house with the P2 but flying the other day with the P3 made a few trips there and back. It's almost too easy.

edonovanl · May 28, 2015

Wow, 11,000 feet on only 26% of the battery? That's amazing!

Pumpfixer · May 28, 2015

I dont know how you guys get that kind of distance... My signal goes out around 4000ft I do have a lot of trees around me.... Idk

mconheady · May 28, 2015

Pumpfixer said:
I dont know how you guys get that kind of distance... My signal goes out around 4000ft I do have a lot of trees around me.... Idk

Perhaps Cell phone towers and the frequency they run on

bbfpv · May 28, 2015

Pumpfixer said:
I dont know how you guys get that kind of distance... My signal goes out around 4000ft I do have a lot of trees around me.... Idk

You just answered your own question...

Pumpfixer · May 28, 2015

But I can point the remote at the bird which is over the tree line so how do trees actually interfere?

Phantom751874 · May 28, 2015

Pumpfixer said:
But I can point the remote at the bird which is over the tree line so how do trees actually interfere?

They don't if your above the trees and have a clear line from your controller to the bird. There's something else about your environment that is limiting your range.

I started getting weak RC signals when I got to 1,500ft out in a medium sized park but there were neghiborhoods on three sides of the park probably 100-150ft away from me.

Took the P3 to another location still in the city but not around dense neighborhoods and I got to 1.42 miles out before getting a slight weak RC signal.

Oh and make sure your antennas are straight up and down and parallel to each other when your pushing far out, controller obviously pointed at the P3, the flat part of your antenna need to be pointed at your P3.

BrewserB · May 28, 2015

Phantom751874 said:
They don't if your above the trees and have a clear line from your controller to the bird. There's something else about your environment that is limiting your range.

I started getting weak RC signals when I got to 1,500ft out in a medium sized park but there were neghiborhoods on three sides of the park probably 100-150ft away from me.

Took the P3 to another location still in the city but not around dense neighborhoods and I got to 1.42 miles out before getting a slight weak RC signal.

Oh and make sure your antennas are straight up and down and parallel to each other when your pushing far out, controller obviously pointed at the P3, the flat part of your antenna need to be pointed at your P3.

What do you mean by straight up and down?

Phantom751874 · May 28, 2015

BrewserB said:
What do you mean by straight up and down?

Well if your at distance you don't want your antennas flat surfaces pointed down, stand them up and parallel to each other almost against the controller itself. The main thing is that their parallel to each other and their flat surfaces are pointed at the P3.

BrewserB · May 28, 2015

Phantom751874 said:
Well if your at distance you don't want your antennas flat surfaces pointed down, stand them up and parallel to each other almost against the controller itself. The main thing is that their parallel to each other and their flat surfaces are pointed at the P3.

I can't think of a reason you would want them facing down. What don't I know?

Phantom751874 · May 28, 2015

BrewserB said:
I can't think of a reason you would want them facing down. What don't I know?

If your P3 is straight up you want your antenna facing flat down (parallel with the ground), again key here being the flat part of the antennas being pointed at the P3. I go straight up 200-300ft maybe 30-40ft from me sometimes.

BrewserB · May 28, 2015

Phantom751874 said:
If your P3 is straight up you want your antenna facing flat down (parallel with the ground), again key here being the flat part of the antennas being pointed at the P3. I go straight up 200-300ft maybe 30-40ft from me sometimes.

I got you! To me that's not down, as in down pointed at earth. You said straight down and it threw me a bit.

Dadcat · May 28, 2015

BrewserB said:
I can't think of a reason you would want them facing down. What don't I know?

Check the images in the middle of page 27 of the manual (at least the pro) "optimal transmission range". I think that's pretty clear.

F6Rider · May 29, 2015

edonovanl said:
Wow, 11,000 feet on only 26% of the battery? That's amazing!

A dead calm morning, not a whisper of wind, and I still had full bars on signal, although I don't think the signal loss is linear, but drops off fast at the fringe of your range. The further out you go the higher you need to be, and always keep the antennas parallel to each other with the flat side pointing towards the P3 no matter if it is in front of you or straight up. (the up part only applies if you are going WAY up, 100' isn't a problem)

F6Rider · May 29, 2015

envisionabove said:
Well I gave you a like ( Thumbs Up ) for that in depth report, Sounds just like heaven for a drone flyer. Now can you top it off with the video to make it complete.
I think the Brits well my wife is a Brit.... so yeah they would say or call it " being a bit doolally."

Boring video, just cruising around over the trees and fields. I will be so stoked when my other 2 batteries get here so I can drive up to Bridal Vale falls for some video, but a 100 mile round trip with just 1 battery, nah, don't think so.

Ingsoc75 · May 29, 2015

When the signal is lost, the image freezes and RTH is initiated, how does one get the video back once signal is re-established? All I get is the last garbled frame even when the bird is about to land.

GadgetGuy · Aug 24, 2015

Ingsoc75 said:
When the signal is lost, the image freezes and RTH is initiated, how does one get the video back once signal is re-established? All I get is the last garbled frame even when the bird is about to land.

Usually the video FPV signal is lost long before the transmitter signal is lost. Keep an eye on the two sets of signal bars at the top of the app, one for the transmitter and one for the HD. HD goes first, but a minor reorienting of the antennas usually restores it, as will elevating the aircraft. Loss of FPV alone will not initiate a RTH. The small light on the top of the transmitter will also turn from green to red, as soon as the transmitter has lost connection to the aircraft. If it isn't coming home, you still have transmitter control even without FPV. Only a total transmitter signal loss for over 3 seconds can initiate a RTH.

D4T_PoM · Aug 24, 2015

Longest I took my P3 was to 1.2km and the maximum height was no more then 120m before losing signal and having RTH kick in.

I know it will go further just need the open space and need to be out of urban area, if there wasnt tree's and obstacles/interferance I know it could of gone alot more.

Plus it was at night and kind of windy so wanted the P3 back on the ground lol

Edit:

Checked flight log, was not higher then 115m lol