Winter Flying

Funnone · Jan 31, 2014

Hi folks Newbie here, is there anything I should do or be worried about when flying my PV2 in the cold weather? I have about 3 inches of snow on the grass but my patio and driveway are clean. I just don't want to ruin my new quad

thanks for any input, Kevin

Pull_Up · Jan 31, 2014

Others here have reportedly successfully flying in very cold conditions, cold enough to stop their phones working.

Lipo batteries don't perform at their best in cold temperatures, though - you will have shorter flight times. The cold isn't so much of a concern as moisture if you fly when snow is actually falling.

MikeON · Jan 31, 2014

Probably about half my 30 or so flights have been in sub-freezing temps. I always launch off a clean sheet of cardboard so the lens doesn't get splattered with snow, dirt, etc.

disjecta · Jan 31, 2014

One of my biggest concerns when flying in cold weather is moisture in the air. If the air is dry you are fine. I flew my P2V in cold moisture one time and it kept landing on the ground. When I took a closer look there were little sheets of ice on the props. :shock:

Funnone · Jan 31, 2014

Thanks Again....

iResq · Jan 31, 2014

If it's really cold don't be surprised to get low battery warnings when doing things like hard climbs. Once leveled off, the alarm should stop. If not, time to come home.

GetaGrip · Jan 31, 2014

Probably the nastiest conditions to fly in for me yesterday, for flying and shooting. The P2V behaved perfectly and was ready for more but my hands and phone were dead. The P2V battery lasted about 15 min. on a fairly subdued flight #6.

After flying in very cold temperatures it is highly recommended to place your Phantom and Controller in a large plastic bag and seal it before taking indoors and leave it in the bag for an hour so until it warms up. This will prevent frost buildup and condensation from forming on the internal electronics.

Winter test 1/30/14 near Winnipeg, Canada
Temp. -21c Dewpoint -24c Windchill -32c
Wind 300@ 23 Gust 33 KPH
Max Altitude 425 Ft. AGL

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRMbDOo69O0[/youtube]

iResq · Jan 31, 2014

GetaGrip said:
After flying in very cold temperatures it is highly recommended to place your Phantom and Controller in a large plastic bag and seal it before taking indoors and leave it in the bag for an hour so until it warms up. This will prevent frost buildup and condensation from forming on the internal electronics.

Excellent suggestion. I regularly do this with my camera gear (well just use camera bag). For my P2V I put back in the case and just leave it there for an hour or so before unpacking.

Jezabel · Jan 31, 2014

Yes. good idea. I have two big plastic bags and put the P2V in one and the controller in the other. During the winter we use a humidifier near our wood stove so that whenever you come from the outside your glasses (and anything else that's cold) get completely fogged/condensed upon....I do this with camera gear as well.

Have you ever had any problems with your iPhone not connecting well with the P2V during the cold? I noted that the iPhone 5 (which I have) suggests that the lowest temp to use it is 32 degrees. My iPhone battery has held fine but I was experiencing "connection broken" messages in an open, cold soccer field and wondered if cold effected the connection. Others are wondering about the surroundings in terms of interference (which may also be the cause...just not sorted it out yet).