Warning:Max Flight Altitude Reached - ruins my work, pls help.

[holoboss]

Hello,
I do fly P4P for as long as it was available, and I did fly earlier Phantoms and other drones before, so i do have quite a bit of experience with these. But on occassion P4P gives me grief with this warning: Max Flight Altitude Reached - change in MC if required.
when it happens, it is at about 5 to 10 meters height only and drone refuses to go any higher. Actually, if i wait and try push it up, sometimes it will go a few extra feet, but then the message repeats and that is it. No way for a smooth flight and good filming.

MC settings are 400 ft. I am NOT in beginner mode and app shows all is ok and i should be able to fly higher. So, while there are similar posts here, I could not find one that related exactly to my problem.

To me it happens rarely, and only when I fly in area enclosed by rocks, like near waterfalls surrounded by steep mountains, or a similar confoguration. That usually affects my GPS flight mode and this is when it happens. Drone starts usually in optical/altitude mode as it can't get GPS signal. and then the message appears and drone won't go higher. I thought it may be optical mode losing its grip, so i switched to altitude mode. But nothing changed. Same problem.
It ruined my work before. And yesterday happened again. I have a job for an inportant client to film a waterfall. I drive 2 hrs to location, drag my kit on a tough hike - and then my work is ruined by this error. What is going on?

For one moment GPS was better, it catched 7 satellites and switched to green GPS - all was pergect and I could fly higher as I needed. But then after a minute or so it lost GPS and - being at a higher altitude it told me again limit is reached.
again i tried to change to altitude mode - but it didn't help. Drone was floating with wind, but did not go any higher. Wasted all 3 batteries on unsuccessful attempts and had to go back home with nothing.

I need to go back there but I hope I can clarify why I get this message and how to go around it to fly higher. All I need it about 150 ft so it should not be an issue at all. I could get GPS signal when drone is high at waterfall's top level - but i can't pusgh it as high because of this error.
Please share your thoughts if you can help. Thank you, cheers to the group.
Derek

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Hello,
I do fly P4P for as long as it was available, and I did fly earlier Phantoms and other drones before, so i do have quite a bit of experience with these. But on occassion P4P gives me grief with this warning: Max Flight Altitude Reached - change in MC if required.
when it happens, it is at about 5 to 10 meters height only and drone refuses to go any higher. Actually, if i wait and try push it up, sometimes it will go a few extra feet, but then the message repeats and that is it. No way for a smooth flight and good filming.

MC settings are 400 ft. I am NOT in beginner mode and app shows all is ok and i should be able to fly higher. So, while there are similar posts here, I could not find one that related exactly to my problem.

To me it happens rarely, and only when I fly in area enclosed by rocks, like near waterfalls surrounded by steep mountains, or a similar confoguration. That usually affects my GPS flight mode and this is when it happens. Drone starts usually in optical/altitude mode as it can't get GPS signal. and then the message appears and drone won't go higher. I thought it may be optical mode losing its grip, so i switched to altitude mode. But nothing changed. Same problem.
It ruined my work before. And yesterday happened again. I have a job for an inportant client to film a waterfall. I drive 2 hrs to location, drag my kit on a tough hike - and then my work is ruined by this error. What is going on?

For one moment GPS was better, it catched 7 satellites and switched to green GPS - all was pergect and I could fly higher as I needed. But then after a minute or so it lost GPS and - being at a higher altitude it told me again limit is reached.
again i tried to change to altitude mode - but it didn't help. Drone was floating with wind, but did not go any higher. Wasted all 3 batteries on unsuccessful attempts and had to go back home with nothing.

I need to go back there but I hope I can clarify why I get this message and how to go around it to fly higher. All I need it about 150 ft so it should not be an issue at all. I could get GPS signal when drone is high at waterfall's top level - but i can't pusgh it as high because of this error.
Please share your thoughts if you can help. Thank you, cheers to the group.
Derek

Tryed changing here,,it might not successfully set unless you accept, haven't try since me other p4 but got it to 1650ft by if remember right that's software limit,,I think that corect I have to check....at me old place I used to go up 1000ft to see over hill what ocean was doin

 

[holoboss]

Tryed changing here,,it might not successfully set unless you accept, haven't try since me other p4 but got it to 1650ft by if remember right that's software limit,,I think that corect I have to checkView attachment 111451

Thanks for writing.
That limit was set to 400ft when I started the drone. When it requested MC change, i upped it to 450 ft, and it accepted the setting. now it shows 450ft as limit. But it still did not want to go higher than 20 ft without gps signal....

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Any different when sttings changed like from imperial to mtr or no change in height ,,just have to go out for 5min but I be back

 

[holoboss]

I actually changed a few times to metric and imperial, no difference. and different altitude settings. I just wasted battery trying these things out of desperation. so i think these settings are ok.
It has something to do with no gps signal, for sure. but can't figure out how to tackle this. Thanks for thinking about it! Cheers!

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Yes 7 sats I think on limit but bit poor for p4p so I would suggest imu calibration to sort any funny issues like this,give it a try,something not quite right,my p4s gets up to 20 sats so that amaze me,,,is it restricted anywhere else you fly,,I think it normal to lose sats when around cliffs or shelter ,,,bit stumped myself on this so I have bit of a search around....I would also be cautious of take off in atti mode,,I'm unsure if home point is set

 

[JakeKPO]

You might be in beginner mode

 

[JeffreyS]

Turn on your GPS mode..It works great.

 

[sar104]

When everyone is bored of speculating, there's always the manual:

 

[Meta4]

To me it happens rarely, and only when I fly in area enclosed by rocks, like near waterfalls surrounded by steep mountains, or a similar confoguration. That usually affects my GPS flight mode and this is when it happens. Drone starts usually in optical/altitude mode as it can't get GPS signal. and then the message appears and drone won't go higher. I thought it may be optical mode losing its grip, so i switched to altitude mode. But nothing changed. Same problem.

I need to go back there but I hope I can clarify why I get this message and how to go around it to fly higher. All I need it about 150 ft so it should not be an issue at all. I could get GPS signal when drone is high at waterfall's top level - but i can't pusgh it as high because of this error.
Please share your thoughts if you can help.

Sar104's pointed you to the reason for this.
The solution for you if you want to fly in a poor area for GPS reception, is to turn off the VPS sensors and you'll be able to climb to 164 feet (or higher if you pick up GPS on the way up).

 

[holoboss]

When everyone is bored of speculating, there's always the manual:

View attachment 111462

thank you for pointing to this! Do you think it is an app limitation and using Litchi i can go higher without GPS, or it is in main controler of phantom?
Thanks again, looks like i am left without much luck to complete my job...

 

[sar104]

thank you for pointing to this! Do you think it is an app limitation and using Litchi i can go higher without GPS, or it is in main controler of phantom?
Thanks again, looks like i am left without much luck to complete my job...

As @Meta4 mentioned, if you turn off VPS the limit increases to 50 meters. However, since flying with poor GPS positioning can cause other problems anyway, I'd just switch to ATTI mode, which will remove those restrictions.

 

[Meta4]

thank you for pointing to this! Do you think it is an app limitation and using Litchi i can go higher without GPS, or it is in main controler of phantom?

Maybe that behaviour is built-in to the Phantom and Litchi would do the same?
Simple testing would show whether it does.

Thanks again, looks like i am left without much luck to complete my job...

Is 164 ft not going to help?
Would your drone find GPS if you can get to 164 ft?

 

[holoboss]

Maybe that behaviour is built-in to the Phantom and Litchi would do the same?
Simple testing would show whether it does.

Is 164 ft not going to help?
Would your drone find GPS if you can get to 164 ft?

this is not enough height to catch gps easily. it may, or may not. it is like in deep canyon i would need to go higher. will have to test, no other choice.
I remember couple of years ago someone showed me a site which was like schedule of satellites. one could look how many satellites will be in your area tomorrow morning, by hour. and then you see number of satellites changes all the time, like sea tide. I can't find that site any more, but it would help me to go there when there is more satellites around me. Do you know of such resource by any chance?
Many thanks
Derek

 

[Meta4]

I remember couple of years ago someone showed me a site which was like schedule of satellites. one could look how many satellites will be in your area tomorrow morning, by hour. and then you see number of satellites changes all the time, like sea tide. I can't find that site any more, but it would help me to go there when there is more satellites around me. Do you know of such resource by any chance?

That wouldn't be much help because there are always plenty of satellites in your sky.
The problem is you are at the bottom of a deep, narrow canyon and the terrain blocks the view of most of the sky, leaving only a small slice visible.
Your Phantom can only receive signal from the sats that are visible to it.

 

[Trackerputnam]

Maybe possible to get what you can from the bottom and then fly from the top to get some more allowing you to piece it together. Not ideal but might get you the footage you need.

 

[sar104]

this is not enough height to catch gps easily. it may, or may not. it is like in deep canyon i would need to go higher. will have to test, no other choice.
I remember couple of years ago someone showed me a site which was like schedule of satellites. one could look how many satellites will be in your area tomorrow morning, by hour. and then you see number of satellites changes all the time, like sea tide. I can't find that site any more, but it would help me to go there when there is more satellites around me. Do you know of such resource by any chance?
Many thanks
Derek

So you don't like the suggestion just to use ATTI mode? Any reason for that?

 

[DoomMeister]

this is not enough height to catch gps easily. it may, or may not. it is like in deep canyon i would need to go higher. will have to test, no other choice.
I remember couple of years ago someone showed me a site which was like schedule of satellites. one could look how many satellites will be in your area tomorrow morning, by hour. and then you see number of satellites changes all the time, like sea tide. I can't find that site any more, but it would help me to go there when there is more satellites around me. Do you know of such resource by any chance?
Many thanks
Derek

This app works good! You can set the angle above horizon limit and get a better idea of what GPS coverage will be.

 

[DoomMeister]

Pure ATTI mode is best in poor GPS situations. Reflected GPS signals from cliff walls and buildings can produce very unpredictable flight variations. Most pilots will use a pure manual mode so they can counteract wind without worrying about what auto corrections GPS will make in poor conditions.

 

[holoboss]

Pure ATTI mode is best in poor GPS situations. Reflected GPS signals from cliff walls and buildings can produce very unpredictable flight variations. Most pilots will use a pure manual mode so they can counteract wind without worrying about what auto corrections GPS will make in poor conditions.

thanks for your comment. But as clearly described in my original post - ATTI mode does not allow me to fly high enough to do the job I need to do. So, that is simply not an option. It seems only GPS gives me chance of flying high.