PHANTOM 3 PRO HOME LOCK?

[antdon]

Hi guys,

I know there are other threads about this however I wanted to post my experience.

I owned a P2V+ before this but only used it for a couple of months. The entire time I had it, I never changed modes therefore I was always in basic mode just simply flying it with GPS.

I disabled beginner mode on my P3 and have been playing with a couple different modes, one of them being home lock.

Now, I was able to get it working and _THINK_ I have an understanding of it.. but just in case I am doing something wrong I'd like your opinions.

I flew the drone about 20FT away from me and rotated it (i was so scared as I am no good with orientation) but did it to test this feature. I rotated it to the right, switched to F mode and selected home lock. At first it wasn't moving and/or it was going in some weird direction. I then manually set my home point to where ever it was that I was standing and then applied homelock... it then worked for me.

Do you ALWAYS have to update your current position or is there a way around this? The reason I ask is because if I end up in trouble, I'd like to have to perform the least amount of steps as possible.

Also, does it automatically switch into course lock mode once it gets closer to you?

I am at that point where I feel the need to have the drone close to me at all times... I'm hoping I will overcome this fair as I'd like to enjoy it the way everyone else is by flying some distance and getting great shots I am wayyyy to panicky... if its starts drifting a few inches I run towards it. Lol.

I would appreciate any and all feedback.

Thanks!

 

[msinger]

Do you ALWAYS have to update your current position or is there a way around this?

Assuming that you're waiting for your home point to be marked before taking off (you should do this), your home point will be set to the take off location when you enable the home lock feature. There is no need to reset the home point unless you've moved away from that location.

Also, does it automatically switch into course lock mode once it gets closer to you?

Per the Phantom manual, home lock only works when your Phantom is more than 10 meters away from the home point. If closer than that, I'm assuming you'll be flying like you're in P-mode. I guess the jury is still out on that one though until DJI releases a new version of the Phantom manual.

 

[Meta4]

As mentioned earlier, you have to be more than 20 feet away for Home Lock to work.
Home Lock stops at 20 feet so people don't crash the Phantom into themselves while staring at the screen.
Send it out 50 or 100 feet and it will be fine.

I flew the drone about 20FT away from me and rotated it (i was so scared as I am no good with orientation)

You need to get to know the radar display. Watch it while you rotate the Phantom.
It will show you exactly where your Phantom is pointing - the end of orientation worries.

 

[antdon]

Assuming that you're waiting for your home point to be marked before taking off (you should do this), your home point will be set to the take off location when you enable the home lock feature. There is no need to reset the home point unless you've moved away from that location.

Yep, thats what I thought. Since I am a newbie pilot I have a bad habit of moving around while flying. I guess its fear of losing the copter so I always try to stay behind it with its nose pointing forward and away from me.

 

[antdon]

As mentioned earlier, you have to be more than 20 feet away for Home Lock to work.
Home Lock stops at 20 feet so people don't crash the Phantom into themselves while staring at the screen.
Send it out 50 or 100 feet and it will be fine.

Yes, I figured this is what I was doing wrong. Will try again tomorrow.

You need to get to know the radar display. Watch it while you rotate the Phantom.
It will show you exactly where your Phantom is pointing - the end of orientation worries.

I know about the radar but for some reason I always forget that its there. I'm not sure if every new pilot goes through this but while flying I guess I'm so fearful of losing the copter that I forget about most of the features that this copter has to offer :/

Another issue is, I noticed sometime my radar is incorrect. If the copter is pointing forward it shows a complete different position.

 

[antdon]

... And thats sometimes after I calibrate the compass also.

 

[fly for free]

If you reset your home point while in flight, does the AC come back to that point and land or hover at the altitude and position you set the new home point? I'm thinking this is a stupid question but I wouldn't want the AC to return to the new home point (above ground level because I set the new home point in flight) and think it was on the ground, cut power and fall to earth.