Faster Home Point

[G Lee]

Does anyone know how to get a faster start on the M2P. It can take sometimes 35 to 50 seconds to get a home point updated message no mater where im at around home.

 

[Starz]

Clear line of sight to the satellite system that it’s looking for is the key.
You just need to give it the time it needs. I believe 10 sats is a good minimum to watch for before you send it off.

 

[G Lee]

Ill look next time and count how many it gets as i get the message. That way ill know. Thanks for the reply. Used to on the Phantom 3s the IMU cali made a good difference.

 

[Starz]

Cloud cover will also slow the process a bit.
An extra 30 seconds up front could save you hours of trudging around some unknown ground hunting for a wayward drone.

 

[G Lee]

Very true

 

[lrsn]

Ever since I bought and started using my DJI Mavic 2 Smart Controller, my M2P and SC are ready to go with my Home Point recorded before I'm ready to fly! This also happens inside my house with my ceiling, attic, and full roof above which doesn't slow it down!

 

[ZX14-R]

Patience Grasshopper.....

 

[Thomas B]

FWIW, My M2P, with CrystalSky controller announces the home point update within 4-6 seconds of take-off in my primary practice/flying location. Of course I do get 18-20 satellites... cloud cover has never seemed to affect it. Even a couple of days ago when it was completely overcast and I went up to video the rain coming in.

 

[G Lee]

So a monitor or different device makes it faster??

 

[msinger]

So a monitor or different device makes it faster??

That won't matter since the home point is set by the aircraft -- and it uses its internal GPS receiver to find its location.

 

[Dale D]

Clear line of sight to the satellite system that it’s looking for is the key.
You just need to give it the time it needs. I believe 10 sats is a good minimum to watch for before you send it off.

I am on vacation in Montana and trying to film rafters coming down a wild river in a canyon! I can barely get my Mavic Air into the air and get a home point as they are coming down the river, and barely get 8-9 satellites and by that time, I miss the shot every time. I am really trying very hard to time the rafting schedule so I know when they are coming down the river. Any hints or help?

 

[G Lee]

Thats kinda the problem im having. I want as much flight time for Hyperlapse as i can get , but waiting on the go nogo for home point is taking to long. Thx all for the info.

 

[Meta4]

There are always myths to shoot down.

on the Phantom 3s the IMU cali made a good difference.

The IMU has nothing to do with GPS and makes no difference at all.

Cloud cover will also slow the process a bit.

Cloud cover makes no difference to GPS.

Your drone's GPS acquisition time will vary.
If you have a clear, unobstructed skyview and have flown recently in the same area, the GPS will know where the sats are already and get a fast lock. (hot start).
If it's been a longer time since the drone was used, it will take longer (cold start).

Time to first fix - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If you want to have a fast startup, you should start the drone and get a good fix and shut down.
Then when you want to fly again soon after, it's going to get GPS faster.

 

[Starz]

Clouds, for me, have always seemed to slow the process down. I’m certainly not the technical expert for that piece of the puzzle. I could be dreaming.
I’m trying not to comment any more on calibrations being used as cure-alls because it seems to be a loosing battle. Glad you brought that up.

 

[Dale D]

There are always myths to shoot down.

The IMU has nothing to do with GPS and makes no difference at all.

Cloud cover makes no difference to GPS.

Your drone's GPS acquisition time will vary.
If you have a clear, unobstructed skyview and have flown recently in the same area, the GPS will know where the sats are already and get a fast lock. (hot start).
If it's been a longer time since the drone was used, it will take longer (cold start).

Time to first fix - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If you want to have a fast startup, you should start the drone and get a good fix and shut down.
Then when you want to fly again soon after, it's going to get GPS faster.

So here4 is my question

If I get my GPS fix, **** down, and then change out the battery to a full battery, will this work?

Thanks- that is the most helpful piece of news I have had rom this thread. I am going down there today and I already know the time frame for the rafters coming through, so I will set up, start up the drone, get a compass calibration and fly over my landing mat at 33 feet for 30 seconds, then, land it, and change out the battery (is that ok???), and wait for the rafts to come through.

With respect to clouds, the only way you can get cloud movement in a drone shot is setting individual intervals as JPEG's and 2 second intervals, then processing it as a timelapse.

 

[dylanthecat]

If you are in an area with heavy tree cover or such, you could just take off straight up above the cover and wait for the home point notification. I do this a lot flying up north in the woods and have had good success with fast GPS lock once in the clear.

 

[G Lee]

So i could take off and then reset home point to RC??

 

[Dale D]

If you are in an area with heavy tree cover or such, you could just take off straight up above the cover and wait for the home point notification. I do this a lot flying up north in the woods and have had good success with fast GPS lock once in the clear.

Still looking for an answer to this question....If I start up the drone, get the home point and GPS fix and then land it and change out the battery, will all that data "hold?"

 

[G Lee]

Seems to me DaleD that the process will start all over again. Not sure though. I plan on testing tonight.

 

[Thomas B]

Still looking for an answer to this question....If I start up the drone, get the home point and GPS fix and then land it and change out the battery, will all that data "hold?"

No. When the drone is powered down after landing or the battery removed the home point will automatically reset. (guess the latter is the same scenario). This can’t be changed.