Flying from inside the car

[photo2be]

Hi! Sometime its "impossible" to view the Ipad screen camera view or the map in the bright light outside the car even with a sunshade. Does it "harm" the signal very much if I sit in the car and point the RC direct to the Mini2 thru the windscreen? I never fly more far away than 5-600m.

 

[Thomas B]

@dirkclod does it routinely... hopefully he’ll chime in with with details. He even has a tray that sits on the steering wheel to hold his controller.

 

[photo2be]

@dirkclod does it routinely... hopefully he’ll chime in with with details. He even has a tray that sits on the steering wheel to hold his controller.

Thanx Thomas!

 

[ATW]

I find it both hard to see the drone, and terrible signal connection from inside my car.

 

[photo2be]

I findnit both hard to see the drone, and terrible signal connection from inside my car.

ATW, Well, you can't see the drone even if you are more than 200 meter away but the question is why you lost the signal? I don't need to see it as I fly with the cam and map.
Did you lose the signal due to the windscreen?? Was it both telemetry and video?

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Hi! Sometime its "impossible" to view the Ipad screen camera view or the map in the bright light outside the car even with a sunshade. Does it "harm" the signal very much if I sit in the car and point the RC direct to the Mini2 thru the windscreen? I never fly more far away than 5-600m.

We fly mostly from inside the Car , and there are a couple things you can do :

First try to get all your Sats and signal before sitting in the Car:

Than do a confirmed hover and watch the signal while in the car.

If your struggling open the side drivers window and use that to gain a better signal as you turn to fly out towards that way.

Honestly we have never had an issue with any car or controller and I have done several test where we even fly backwards behind the car while facing forward.

Most of our tests are done in Extreme Weather conditions but all the concepts should apply.

 

[ATW]

ATW, Well, you can't see the drone even if you are more than 200 meter away but the question is why you lost the signal? I don't need to see it as I fly with the cam and map.
Did you lose the signal due to the windscreen?? Was it both telemetry and video?

I can lose signal with it only 50 meters away, both video and control signal. As for visibility, ,it seems almost everything makes it hard to see, the roof, windshield posts, and more. Being a convertible I tried it with the roof open, but still not nearly as nice as getting out and standing up.

 

[Chrislaf]

Aside from signal quality issues, I would imagine it would greatly reduce your VLOS and your situational awareness should there be a manned aircraft in the area.

Chris

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Aside from signal quality issues, I would imagine it would greatly reduce your VLOS and your situational awareness should there be a manned aircraft in the area.

Chris

Its really the Opposite, because you are in a safe confined space with no noise from the wind, no people asking you questions , no distractions you are much more aware of what is taking place with the Drone.

This would include the beeps, warning and alerts , and you dont miss a thing.
When your more focused your a better pilot.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the RAIN an LAND on the water.

 

[dirkclod]

@dirkclod does it routinely... hopefully he’ll chime in with with details. He even has a tray that sits on the steering wheel to hold his controller.

You right my man but to hold my iPad.

I find it both hard to see the drone, and terrible signal connection from inside my car.

Then get a truck ?
Fly 90% of the time that way and if I start losing signal I just hold my TX on top of the steering wheel.

 

[Chrislaf]

I’m going to have to disagree with you @Phantomrain.org . I have had a couple of surprises while flying where a low flying plane or helicopter surprised me in the area I was flying. In both cases, I was not near any airfield (I check the relevant docs) but I had my craft in VLOS at all times. Had I been in my truck I would not have seen the plane or helicopter AT ALL.

Chris

 

[Phantomrain.org]

I’m going to have to disagree with you @Phantomrain.org . I have had a couple of surprises while flying where a low flying plane or helicopter surprised me in the area I was flying. In both cases, I was not near any airfield (I check the relevant docs) but I had my craft in VLOS at all times. Had I been in my truck I would not have seen the plane or helicopter AT ALL.

Chris

I have found that I HEAR the Plane way before I see it. Thus you can fly with a Window down in the Car and hear everything just as well if not better.

You are also more focused on the Screen and and can hear and see the Plane warning on the Screen. Between good Hearing , Warning from DJI and Good Visual line of sight , without the Wind or People as a distraction , you should be OK.



Phanntomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Land on Water.

 

[Chrislaf]

I have found that I HEAR the Plane way before I see it. Thus you can fly with a Window down in the Car and hear everything just as well if not better.

You are also more focused on the Screen and and can hear and see the Plane warning on the Screen. Between good Hearing , Warning from DJI and Good Visual line of sight , without the Wind or People as a distraction , you should be OK.



Phanntomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Land on Water.

Only the newer higher end drones have the ADS-B warning system which still doesn’t replace VLOS. Here in Canada I am pretty certain that if a police officer noticed me flying a drone from inside my truck regardless of whether or not I had the windows open or closed, that she/he would be stopping and having a conversation with me and I would likely be going home with a ticket.

As I said earlier, I disagree with you and am not going to keep going back and forth about it. I have been flying my drones long enough and have gained enough experience to know that situational awareness is lost when you are as you say “in a safe confined space with no noise...”

I would rather fly safely than chance putting a manned aircraft in danger.

Chris

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Only the newer higher end drones have the ADS-B warning system which still doesn’t replace VLOS. Here in Canada I am pretty certain that if a police officer noticed me flying a drone from inside my truck regardless of whether or not I had the windows open or closed, that she/he would be stopping and having a conversation with me and I would likely be going home with a ticket.

As I said earlier, I disagree with you and am not going to keep going back and forth about it. I have been flying my drones long enough and have gained enough experience to know that situational awareness is lost when you are as you say “in a safe confined space with no noise...”

I would rather fly safely than chance putting a manned aircraft in danger.

Chris

Sorry < I was not aware that it is illegal to fly from inside your Car in Canada, that is new to me. I will need to confirm this so I Don't recommend this to anyone from Canada. But in the USA were legal.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the RAIN and LAND on the Waves.

 

[dirkclod]

@Chrislaf the boat ramp I fly at is patrolled regularly and they do stop, to look at my screen and bs with me. It really depends where you are I guess and I have been doing this for years. You just got
to know where you are and use common sense.
It might be because I’m ex LE and know most or they know of me
but your right it’s no sense in going back and forth. What works great for some of us might not be good for you where you fly.

 

[Rchawks]

I've done it twice with both the MM and the MA2 and had a very slight glitch for 1 or 2 sec with the MM, it recovered just fine. I was very surprised by this, that the MM would do so well with this test flight. The MA2 was rock solid thru the entire flight with no glitches or interference. I have a very large field next door so it does give me a bit of elbow room to experiment. I would have thought the metal in the car would interfere with a good signal, not to mention when cal. it warns to to stay away from metal objects for this reason. Humm.?

 

[GadgetGuy]

You right my man but to hold my iPad.
View attachment 128210

Then get a truck ?
Fly 90% of the time that way and if I start losing signal I just hold my TX on top of the steering wheel.

Is that steering wheel tray for the iPad custom made? Where can I get one, or how do I make one?

 

[dirkclod]

Well I fly behind a COE lock on a pool that’s almost a mile wide.
I fly bad low as that’s what I like to do. Thing about the metal
though has always puzzled me. Truck I have now 2012 Ford is aluminum and can’t take off from it. My other was a 90 GMC all
metal and the bed was my take off and landing pad. Never an issue.

Is that steering wheel tray for the iPad custom made? Where can I get one, or how do I make one?

Just a food tray and got it off Amazon.That one I had to alter the hole as my wheel is fat but works fine. Have had it come loose
and iPad hit my lap but no big deal just attached it back and kept
on. I’ll look for it in my history and place it back here.
Must have got that one at Wallyworld but do use another I got from Amazon. I clip it to the bottom of my steering wheel and is upsidedown from the picture and cant get the link to stick but here it is.
The other is just plastic and was cheap.

 

[Dave Maine]

A metal car or truck will always act as a partial Faraday cage and reduce the signal strength of the outgoing control signals, and the incoming video information. The signals go through glass easily, and are largely blocked by the metal, influenced by how much the vehicle is effectively at ground potential.

The laws of physics are immutable.

 

[dirkclod]

True.