My Mavic flew off today in the NV wilderness

m0j0 · Dec 19, 2016

I'm willing to bet it landed and is undamaged. Where it landed is another issue.

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Kilrah · Dec 19, 2016

Vin829 said:
Well what if you dont know what the tallest object is? Cant you just set it to the highest the mavic is capable of flying for safety reason?

You figure it out, even in flight if needed, when passing an object and you reckon an RTH path may conflict with it go see at what height the top is and adjust the RTH height while flying. I've done it several times when moving out to places for which I hadn't planned in advance or when encountering things like power lines.

Always setting the max height reduces your chances in case of low battery. Climb to max height and gettting back down in RTH will take >5min.

Vin829 · Dec 19, 2016

Kilrah said:
You figure it out, even in flight if needed, when passing an object and you reckon an RTH path may conflict with it go see at what height the top is and adjust the RTH height while flying. I've done it several times when moving out to places for which I hadn't planned in advance or when encountering things like power lines.

Always setting the max height reduces your chances in case of low battery. Climb to max height and gettting back down in RTH will take >5min.

No set your max altitude at 500m and your RTH altitude to 100m or so this way if you do come up to something tall you have a 400m leeway

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utahlasvegas · Dec 19, 2016

"The OP's home point shows an elevation of 1814 feet. The point of (presumed) impact shows 2242 ft (give or take a few depending on where on the hill it tried to pass). Difference: 428 feet. That sucks."

Dang, that really bums me out.

m0j0 · Dec 19, 2016

The strategy I employ is to make certain that my RTH altitude is at least 60-100 feet higher than any objects. The next and critical technique is to stay tuned in once you lose signal. When it climbs it is likely that you will get the signal back. Cancel the RTH and get the bird coming back as you get closer lower the altitude accordingly. That way, if battery is an issue, you aren't 200 feet up when you get it back.

If RTH kicks in because the battery is low you should cancel it anyway. Gaining altitude uses battery going up and coming down. My thing is .... if you are out a fair distance pay attention to the estimated bingo distance and come back before RTH kicks in. What I learned really early with the Mavic is... turn the OA off if you need to get it back. My Mavic is slower than a P3 with OA on. Which scared me on my first distance run. Couldn't figure out why I was having battery run low before I was reaching the bingo time compared to the Phantom 3. Actually remembered on the way back, duh, OA slows the Mavic significantly. Didn't want to take the time to surf to the menu to turn it off so flipped to sport mode, which disables all the OA and sensors.. got it back PDQ.

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damaltor · Dec 19, 2016

m0j0 said:
I'm willing to bet it landed and is undamaged. Where it landed is another issue.

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That's my hunch too, but it could be a little banged up from where in the rocks it actually put down.

BD0G · Dec 19, 2016

utahlasvegas said:
"The OP's home point shows an elevation of 1814 feet. The point of (presumed) impact shows 2242 ft (give or take a few depending on where on the hill it tried to pass). Difference: 428 feet. That sucks."

Dang, that really bums me out.

Missed clearing that mountain by ~28 feet. Wow! There is a good chance that the Mavic is still in decent shape. I have seen multiple videos of the Mavic slamming things and taking significantly less damage than say a Phantom series quad.

So the advice here is very helpful.

1.Set max height to 500 m or 1500 feet and just consciously never fly over 400 feet as the FAA has deemed that illegal.

2. Don't set RTH to the max elevation setting as the Mavic would use significant battery flying straight up to a very elevated height and then have to fly down that same amount or more. Wasting precious battery life. Set it approx 60-100 feet above the tallest obstacle in the area.

3. If RTH kicks in watch the controller and screen to determine the moment signal transmission is regained and the moment it is cancel RTH and fly the Mavic using the controls as RTH can waste precious battery going higher than it needs to and a proficient pilot can navigate a more direct path.

4. Turn off Obstacle Avoidance on a return trip that will need every bit of battery to return safely. As Obstacle Avoidance will slow the speed of the Mavic greatly as it tries to avoid obstacles. Clicking into Sport mode is a good quick option to disable the sensors.

My advice still stands. You should post up in the regional section here that is near the area where the drone went missing and see if a fellow flyer would do a fly over for you. Offer some compensation.

All of this would be much less to bear with an insurance policy for personal article with StateFarm. 60 a year. I was the first person in Northern Nevada to apply for one and it brings peace of mind.

Keep us updated Utah!

utahlasvegas · Dec 19, 2016

Thanks, that's good to know. I live in Reno. If / when I have another drone, I'll def get that insurance policy.

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F6Rider · Dec 19, 2016

Same here, when I am finished filming and need to get back I climb to a safe altitude and bogey back in sport mode, saves a lot of time, just watch your height as OA is off. I normally check the altitude of anything I am likely to run into prior to flying and set my RTH accordingly.

sweatlounge · Dec 21, 2016

Update?

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1man1drone_ · Dec 21, 2016

GRABS POPCORN FOR CONCLUSION!!

ACR · Dec 21, 2016

I think he went to his moms for Christmas. Had mentioned a 1400 mile drive and was running out of time to begin the journey. Hoping the guy is not stuck between a rock and a hard place.

1man1drone_ · Dec 21, 2016

ACR said:
I think he went to his moms for Christmas. Had mentioned a 1400 mile drive and was running out of time to begin the journey. Hoping the guy is not stuck between a rock and a hard place.

gotcha!! i almost want to take a short drive and search for it with my mavic!! like a lost treasure of sorts

utahlasvegas · Dec 21, 2016

Hi, thanks for caring guys. This has been the worst trip ever. I'm still 7 hours from my mom's house, but I just learned that one of my best friends died of a heart attack at 41 years of age. She was super healthy from what I knew. I haven't been able to get DJI all the info they need yet. Their email went to my spam, & I just recently found it. I should be able to get it to them tomorrow.

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1man1drone_ · Dec 21, 2016

utahlasvegas said:
Hi, thanks for caring guys. This has been the worst trip ever. I'm still 7 hours from my mom's house, but I just learned that one of my best friends died of a heart attack at 41 years of age. She was super healthy from what I knew. I haven't been able to get DJI all the info they need yet. Their email went to my spam, & I just recently found it. I should be able to get it to them tomorrow.

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Well loss of life trumps this stuff everyday of the week. Sorry for your loss. Drive safely!

erkme73 · Dec 21, 2016

ACR said:
... Hoping the guy is not stuck between a rock and a hard place.

His MP certainly is... Sorry for your loss @utahlasvegas. God speed on your travels.

james_mav · Dec 21, 2016

utahlasvegas said:
Hi, thanks for caring guys. This has been the worst trip ever. I'm still 7 hours from my mom's house, but I just learned that one of my best friends died of a heart attack at 41 years of age. She was super healthy from what I knew. I haven't been able to get DJI all the info they need yet. Their email went to my spam, & I just recently found it. I should be able to get it to them tomorrow.

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My biggest question is were you making this adventure on your own? What would you have done if the truck broke down & you didn't have cell signal?

utahlasvegas · Dec 21, 2016

"My biggest question is were you making this adventure on your own? What would you have done if the truck broke down & you didn't have cell signal?"

I'm a landscape photographer of 22 years, and yes, I went out there alone. It was my eight or ninth time to visit what's arguably the prettiest part of Southern Nevada. I do have a Spot GPS that sends an emergency signal if I get into a lot of trouble.

If any of you want to look for it, send me an email ([email protected]). I might go back there again after new years, but I can help with directions if any of you want to go before me. It's an incredibly beautiful area that's often frequented by European tourists that are vacationing in the Southwest after flying into Vegas. The part that I like the most is called Little Finland, Devil's Fire, or Hobgoblin's Playground. Most of the road is doable, but it gets tricky in a few places. I highly recommend staying the night there, so you can enjoy the red-colored rocks during sunset and won't have to worry as much about the crappy roads on the way out.

BD0G · Dec 21, 2016

1man1drone_ said:
gotcha!! i almost want to take a short drive and search for it with my mavic!! like a lost treasure of sorts

You should offer the option to pair up with @utahlasvegas and do a quick fly over or just assemble your own drone recovery squad. Shoot. I am tempted and am 8 hours away.

Dude do it! Film the whole adventure - narration , quick cuts, time lapses -the whole shebang. Take up a collection here for gas and snacks.

I really want to see video of the search efforts and fly overs.

I'm in and will pledge the first 10 Dollars via Paypal! (if you commit to the trip that is)

Try and do these desert runs with another person for safety's sake.

Anyone else want to join me in sponsorship?

Can we get more visibility on this @LuvMyTJ

utahlasvegas · Dec 21, 2016

I would be willing to have a meetup sometime after new year to search for it, and I'm all about making a movie about it. I have a camera that shoots 4K video with a nice, Rode microphone. Send me an email if you're interested.