Wait until you start flying over water, that'll really give you the heebie jeebies. 
RTH anxiety
- Thread starter aermale
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You will get used to it. I was very nervous when I first started using autonomous flight modes. Always check your RTH settings to make sure your bird can clear everything around you. I practiced in big fields and had it return to the middle of the field till I understood the landing spread.
Good luck and fly safe always double check that your props are on securely
Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
Good luck and fly safe always double check that your props are on securely
Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
I'm in NW Arvada. It's easy, find a big field and go for it. This is edited stuff from my 2nd day using it in my yard, I made this for me to remember and share with family on facebook, it's 100% not pro and boring.
I won't bore you with the day one vid
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I finally triggered active tracking for more than a moment, and had it follow my wife around a park. A nervous finger was resting on the atti switch, but I relaxed and let it do its thing. Still no RTH, tho. Idk but it really scares me
Sent from my XT1254 using PhantomPilots mobile app
Sent from my XT1254 using PhantomPilots mobile app
You need to see how the RTH mechanics work then you will love it. First and foremost, know what your RTH preset altitude is before every flight and especially after an update. Mine is set to 60 meters which easily clears anything I'm flying around.
If I go to a new area and there are taller structures in my vicinity then I would increase the RTH altitude.
Now when you hit RTH your bird will elevate its altitude to the preset height even though if you are currently flying only 10 feet off the ground, it will shoot up to example 60 meters (in my case) then it will pick the shortest line back to the HOME POINT if a home point was set before take off. So know your home point and your RTH preset altitude.
After your bird reaches the set altitude and has determined Home's direction it will travel a point over the home location and then commence landing which the controller will tell you by audio. The bird will land on the ground and turn itself off.
RTH is my favorite feature. Because it give me a decent chance to get my $1800 flying laptop lawnmower bird back especially when the battery hits 30%.
Make a preflight checklist that includes verifying RTH altitude and home point set before take off etc. Oh and always double check your props are affixed properly. Fly safe hope this wasn't to long lol!
Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
If I go to a new area and there are taller structures in my vicinity then I would increase the RTH altitude.
Now when you hit RTH your bird will elevate its altitude to the preset height even though if you are currently flying only 10 feet off the ground, it will shoot up to example 60 meters (in my case) then it will pick the shortest line back to the HOME POINT if a home point was set before take off. So know your home point and your RTH preset altitude.
After your bird reaches the set altitude and has determined Home's direction it will travel a point over the home location and then commence landing which the controller will tell you by audio. The bird will land on the ground and turn itself off.
RTH is my favorite feature. Because it give me a decent chance to get my $1800 flying laptop lawnmower bird back especially when the battery hits 30%.
Make a preflight checklist that includes verifying RTH altitude and home point set before take off etc. Oh and always double check your props are affixed properly. Fly safe hope this wasn't to long lol!
Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
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I use a pre flight checklist and I'm very stubborn about sticking to it. The p4 black has only been in my possession for a couple of weeks, now. The firmware has been updated twice, before I downloaded the new go4 app. I flew the go4 app today in a park near the water. My mission was to test atti mode out and really get the hang of taking control. I pressed RTH only after I was comfortable bringing the AC in on atti mode, with a moderate wind. The first RTH was cancelled by the mode switch, simulating a RTH flyaway. It worked. I did it a second time and it came right back to me, without interruption from my nervous finger. I did stop it's descent to zero, as I thought it seemed a bit fast. Baby steps...
Sent from my XT1254 using PhantomPilots mobile app
Sent from my XT1254 using PhantomPilots mobile app
I'm not new. I've been flying Phantoms for 3 years. LIke others on this thread, it took a while to become comfortable with RTH. I have even punched the ON/OFF button in error, thought I was in RTH but in reality had lost connection. Sure enough, the Phantom found its way home just fine. The only thing I do differently from what others above have said is that I take the Phantom out of RTH when it is about 30-50' above ground, because I don't like the way or place RTH sometimes lands. I like to control the landings myself.
I was in Arvada last month, taking photos of a friend's condo getting built. Recognize Standley lake?I'm in NW Arvada. It's easy, find a big field and go for it.
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Good advice. I used RTH last night and it would have landed on a split rail fence had I not cancelled RTH and landed manually. The fence was about 3 feet away from take off point and I was fairly close to a big pine tree. I don't think the GPS was accurate in this case.
Yep. Be careful there I think you maybe in class d airspace, Broomfield airport is close to the NE side of the lake. The lake is a NFZ because of that.
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What do you use for editing your videos?I'm in NW Arvada. It's easy, find a big field and go for it. This is edited stuff from my 2nd day using it in my yard, I made this for me to remember and share with family on facebook, it's 100% not pro and boring.
I won't bore you with the day one vid
Mi
Like you I'm new to the P 4and the RTH FUNCTION I'm curious if it can be disconnected by mistake. Can anyone answer this please as mine appears not to be working after all the correct checks have been done prior to flying. Martin
That was using Microsoft Movie Maker on a PC. It's old and crap, last updated was 2012 and maxes at 1080p. It's all I have right now and I'll buy something better when I have footage worth making a movie with.
I'm at about 15 test flights. The furthest I've flown away from the RC is 400 feet and it's about at the point where I can't really see where it's pointing anymore. Up until now I've been flying with my eyes and not the tablet screen, that's about to change and it's going to take some getting used to. It's weird, almost like the first time I flew it again.
That depends on a few things. If you set RTH height higher than any trees and buildings in the area the drone will fly up to that pre-set height (if it's currently lower than RTH height), fly home and land. If you are already higher than the RTH setting it will stay at it's current height, fly home and land. This works on all modes as I understand it (someone correct me if I am wrong).
If the RTH height is below a tree or building and you are in P mode the obstacle avoidance may save you, it may fly around or over the obstacle and continue to fly home. It may not figure out how to fly around the obstacle and could just hover in place and land when the battery get to 10%. It may just crash into a power line or small tree branch if the OA doesn't see it. In A and S modes it will crash into the obstacle because OA is turned off in those modes.
Other factors like battery life, head wind etc. could also prevent a successful RTH.
Best advice is to try it a few times in an open field to see it working for yourself. I won't be deliberately testing OA ever but have seen it work (got too close to a tree).
Well said, Alec. In a perfect world, it'd miss obstacles during a RTH, but we don't live in a perfect world, so that's the point of setting the height before one flys anything more than a local, right in front of you type of flight.
Thanks for your thoughts on it.
Curt
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