Hand launching mavic?

[Mattman]

Ignoring the obvious safety concerns, what are the concerns with hand launching and recovering the mavic? I recover the phantom by hand all the time but rarely launch it by hand. Since the mavic is much more portable and I'll be able to bring it in tighter spaces like off camber forested areas, I see hand launching more often in my future but wanted to see if anyone had some input aside from the obvious safety concerns or clear problems with landing vision etc.

 

[msinger]

Hand catching should be easy to do. A few reviews online show people hand catching it. As for launching, it'll be a little trickier since the remote controller does not have a landyard connection. It'll be tough to hold the remote controller and operate the sticks with one hand.

 

[Stephen Hoefer]

Another negative to hand launching is that it eliminates the precision landing feature. It needs to take a picture of the ground when taking off to work. Thus if you hand launch it won't be able to find its 'takeoff' point when landing using RTH

 

[Mattman]

Understood. Any other negatives? I'm willing to accept the risk of imprecise landings for the benefit of being able to launch it in many many more places.

 

[kmaluo]

I'll be hand launching the majority of the time. Coordinating the two sticks to start the motors is tricky but you get used to it.

 

[BD0G]

I had this very question as well. What about placing the Mavic Pro on the ground at first for all the home point pictures and calculations and then grabbing it and then using the slider in the DJI Go app for automated take off. Then when the props spin up and give some upward momentum just chuck it into the air.

Wonder if this would work? I bet that the "technique" needs to be practiced and refined to make this a feasible and successful method of launch.

 

[HueJorgan]

I had this very question as well. What about placing the Mavic Pro on the ground at first for all the home point pictures and calculations and then grabbing it and then using the slider in the DJI Go app for automated take off. Then when the props spin up and give some upward momentum just chuck it into the air.

Wonder if this would work? I bet that the "technique" needs to be practiced and refined to make this a feasible and successful method of launch.

Love it hehehe

"Chuck it into the air"


Might not end well buddy

 

[msinger]

when the props spin up and give some upward momentum just chuck it into the air.

There's no need to attempt to chuck it into the air. It'll lift out of your hand just like it lifts off the ground.

 

[WolfgangStiller]

I would be very careful if conditions are gusty and the drone is occasionally banking into the wind to hold position.

 

[BD0G]

Love it hehehe

"Chuck it into the air"


Might not end well buddy

One word - Full Coverage Insurance!

OK well thats 3 words.

Multiple videos of the Mavic Pro showing it slamming into trees and structures and continuing to fly. The Paradigm has shifted and the days of Phantom drops like a rock and shatters into a million pieces are no longer the case with the Mavic Pro.

It will end with me picking it up and laughing while I throttle up again and chuck it into the air.

 

[Mattman]

One word - Full Coverage Insurance!

OK well thats 3 words.

Multiple videos of the Mavic Pro showing it slamming into trees and structures and continuing to fly. The Paradigm has shifted and the days of Phantom drops like a rock and shatters into a million pieces are no longer the case with the Mavic Pro.

It will end with me picking it up and laughing while I throttle up again and chuck it into the air.

That is a perfect expectation! I fully expect this to be the reality 100% of the time also.

 

[Helo]

I had this very question as well. What about placing the Mavic Pro on the ground at first for all the home point pictures and calculations and then grabbing it and then using the slider in the DJI Go app for automated take off. Then when the props spin up and give some upward momentum just chuck it into the air.

Wonder if this would work? I bet that the "technique" needs to be practiced and refined to make this a feasible and successful method of launch.

The main reason for hand launching it would seem is because of adverse condition of the takeoff area, ie, uneven ground, sand, water tall grass etc. Taking off from the ground then hand launching is counterproductive.

I have read somewhere (not sure it's in the manual) that the picture of the landing (takeoff) area is capture at an altitude of 30 m. so that is not a problem (this may be the reason some have noted that it doesn't land in the same spot, they come to a 2 m hover and zoom of horizontally). If you can hand launch and hover at about 2 m and capture the home point this would get you out of blowing sand etc. and still have an accurate home point the ascend to 30 m for the picture. Not having my Mavic yet I can't experiment but I'm sure some can post as to when the home point is captured and is there a difference in landing accuracy between going up to 30m or 2m before going horizontally?

 

[WolfgangStiller]

I have now done a few hand captures of the Mavic in some gusty conditions and it works better than I expected. This will be important since on a number of peaks, there just isn't s good flat landing zone or even a place I can create one.

 

[Phil Engel]

I saw a video on hand launching and it was pretty easy. Start the drone up, hold it in the air, touch the onscreen take-off button and the drone takes off perfectly up to 3mm. No need to mess with the sticks.

 

[Jeromeo]

I have done it plenty of time. Leave RC on ground or anything else when holding Mavic above you, It's easier to do CS this way with one hand to start motors. When motors are started you can grab RC and just push stick up to lift off. You only need one finger then. You will feel when the mavic is pulling enough to fly.
To catch it. I take him close to me and turn off ground detection so it doesn't try to fly up when you approach your hand. Grab him for and hold stick down for 3 seconds to stop motors. No problems.

 

[HK!]

Nothing to it

 

[HK!]

And so on..

 

[Logger]

I saw a video on hand launching and it was pretty easy. Start the drone up, hold it in the air, touch the onscreen take-off button and the drone takes off perfectly up to 3mm. No need to mess with the sticks.

Onscreen take-off button does not cause the Mavic to take off. It results in a slider prompt that you have to manipulate single handed to get it to take off. This is the tricky part to achieve when you are standing in an awkward location. If there is nothing to rest the RC on, it surprisingly difficult to actuate the slider, while you launch the Mavic with your other hand.

 

[HK!]

Onscreen take-off button does not cause the Mavic to take off. It results in a slider prompt that you have to manipulate single handed to get it to take off. This is the tricky part to achieve when you are standing in an awkward location. If there is nothing to rest the RC on, it surprisingly difficult to actuate the slider, while you launch the Mavic with your other hand.

I think if your hand launching your going to want to Power up the motors (ideally somehwere where you can grab it from below).
Hold it in your right (or left if your ghey) hand, the controller in the other and simply press up (mode 2) on the left stick.

Auto Take off, DJI GO or Litchi, with all the avoidance sensors seems like a recipe for disaster.
Doing it manually you can feel the craft resisting and know when to let go.
Hopefully hovering at 30ft for a bit is enough to register the Homepoint (this is debated).

It's worth noting if you set Dynamic homepoint in Litchi, your craft will use your location as the homepoint.
Correct me if wrong here

 

[WolfgangStiller]

It's worth noting if you set Dynamic homepoint in Litchi, your craft will use your location as the homepoint.
Correct me if wrong here

I just did a search and didn't see that setting (Dynamic Home Point) in Litchi/IOS and search and didn't see it in the online docs either. Where do you see that?