Lost connection, never RTH, please help

[Jbaca07]

Hello everyone I had sent @msinger a private message to try to help with my lost drone and he also recommended I create a thread so others can help too.

Here is the link with the flight data:
Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

Some info on the flight. I initially had weak GPS prior to take off but shortly received good signal. Close to the end of the flight path I lost connection to controller and regained it within a second or 2 of losing it. I continued with my flight until all connection was lost and never RTH, I tried to RTH but obviously I received to the command timed out message. I searched the last known area for about an hour and a half but could not find anything. This morning I went back hoping sunlight would help but again after an hour and a half could not find anything,

Thanks in advance for the help

 

[lildevilx]

Hello everyone I had sent @msinger a private message to try to help with my lost drone and he also recommended I create a thread so others can help too.

Here is the link with the flight data:
Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

Some info on the flight. I initially had weak GPS prior to take off but shortly received good signal. Close to the end of the flight path I lost connection to controller and regained it within a second or 2 of losing it. I continued with my flight until all connection was lost and never RTH, I tried to RTH but obviously I received to the command timed out message. I searched the last known area for about an hour and a half but could not find anything. This morning I went back hoping sunlight would help but again after an hour and a half could not find anything,

Thanks in advance for the help

What did you set the rth height to?

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[Cyberpower678]

Hello everyone I had sent @msinger a private message to try to help with my lost drone and he also recommended I create a thread so others can help too.

Here is the link with the flight data:
Phantom Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

Some info on the flight. I initially had weak GPS prior to take off but shortly received good signal. Close to the end of the flight path I lost connection to controller and regained it within a second or 2 of losing it. I continued with my flight until all connection was lost and never RTH, I tried to RTH but obviously I received to the command timed out message. I searched the last known area for about an hour and a half but could not find anything. This morning I went back hoping sunlight would help but again after an hour and a half could not find anything,

Thanks in advance for the help

So, there's not much to really analyze, and I'm fairly new at this myself, but I can think of two possible scenarios here. The first scenario is that it did come back but landed slightly off of it's home point, likely a consequence of taking off with a weak GPS signal. It's possible your drone landed on the roof, or in the tree next to the (parking garage?). The current altitude on disconnect was sufficient to avoid any crashes, so I doubt it crashed into anything on the way back. The second scenario is the drone just hovered, and continued to hover until the battery ran out. If that is the case it simply landed at the coordinates 25.763580,-80.199425, which can possibly make you unlucky. Factoring in possible drift while hovering, it either touched down on the field between the construction site and the exit ramp of the highway, landed in the tree, landed on the exit ramp itself, or landed in the construction zone. All of those situations except the first would put out of luck.

 

[Jbaca07]

Thanks guys :/. Lesson definitely learned

 

[Cyberpower678]

Thanks guys :/. Lesson definitely learned

You should go and visit those places to see if it's there. If it is congrats, if not, sorry for your loss.


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[Jbaca07]

Had RTH set to 98 ft. Not enough to clear some of the buildings around "home". Pilot error.


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[Cyberpower678]

Had RTH set to 98 ft. Not enough to clear some of the buildings around "home". Pilot error.


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Your drone was higher than that when it disconnected. When it goes home it only climbs if it needs, but it doesn't descend. So your drone's altitude was high enough to get home.

 

[Squamer]

Had RTH set to 98 ft. Not enough to clear some of the buildings around "home". Pilot error.


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I when in doubt always set it 30-50 feet higher than suspected obstacles. I have a pretty good eye when it comes to judging buildings and stuff but why risk it? Unless its really windy and I dont want the drone up that high doing its own thing in the wind.

 

[Cyberpower678]

I when in doubt always set it 30-50 feet higher than suspected obstacles. I have a pretty good eye when it comes to judging buildings and stuff but why risk it? Unless its really windy and I dont want the drone up that high doing its own thing in the wind.

I have mine set to 50m since I have tall trees but none reach that high, though I do tend to fly higher than that to begin with. The drone maintains that high altitude until it is hovering above home.

 

[cybertech]

I had a very similar incident with a Phantom 3 standard in moderate to high winds. Let me say that DJI was very unsympathetic. I didn't realize that return to home could fail once the signal was lost, but it certainly can, and I imagine the Phantom 3 standard is worse since it has only one GPS and compass.

 

[Cyberpower678]

@Jbaca07 did you ever go looking for the drone to see if it was retrievable where I mentioned?


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[Starz]

Not sure if there is an elevation change from home point to end point. The first place I would go is that big mavic grabbing tree by the freeway.

 

[cybertech]

In my case, I tracked the drone down to the last signal with no luck. Even knocked on doors to look in back yards. Wasted 5 hours looking for it. I have Trackimo now. Hopefully I won't lose it this time