I think I lost my mavic mini

[Ervapa]

Hi!

Today wind carried away my magic mini at just 30 m of height and like 80 m away from me. It started moving Ina random direction until at ~900meters my controller lost connection for some reason. Anyway I have two questions

1- is there a way to avoid this form happening? What will the drone do when loosing connection. I had the return to home activated.

2- is there a place to buy just the drone. I already have all the accessories, batteries and controller. I just need a new drone

Here is the flight record in case you think you could help

DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help

Upload and view flight logs from your DJI drones

www.phantomhelp.com

I have searched all arround the last location known. But also, I drew a line from the point I was (home) to point the drone was and projected the line. Searching all over those places assuming the wind direction would be constant.

Thanks!

 

[WithTheBirds]

Go here DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help and follow the instructions to upload the flight log.

Post a link back to the flight in this thread.

People may be able to help you get a really good idea where your drone ended up.

The some reason the controller lost connection would have been due to loss of signal (distance, obstructions and interference).

The drone will usually come home if the wind isn't too strong and it has sufficient battery level.

 

[Air Or]

For about $20 (here in US anyway) you can obtain an adequate Anemometer (wind speed meter) for your future flights. I never take off when winds are in excess of 10mph and if in doubt, I'll take it straight up to about 200' to see if it can hold steady aloft.

If it's struggling, I'll bring it back in and either call it a day or wait for conditions to improve.

The anemometer I use is called the Holdpeak 866B. It is at its most useful when showing people what the wind speed is.
They have no skin in the game and will be inclined to try to get you to take off against your better judgment, because it's no loss to them if your $1,000 plane gets carried off into the Twilight Zone, never to return.

The best flying weather is going to be cold (dense) still air. If the sky is a little stagnant-looking, then so much the better, because that indicates stability in the upper atmosphere. Big black clouds on the horizon or clouds stacking up vertically (cumulonimbus clouds) spell f-o-r-g-e-t I-t.

In our neighborhood I like the website Weather Underground because they predict wind speeds, direction dew point and the usual other weather in graph form as far as 10 days out.

In the final analysis, know your weather, the capability of your aircraft and don't tempt fate.

 

[macoman]

Agree with @Air Or, I also never take off in wind condition of 10mph or more. I know DJI said that it can resist 15 to 20mph but I paid a lot of money for my fleet and I really do care about wind condition. The OP is probably a new pilot that needs to learn from experience.

 

[Deleted member 3792]

For about $20 (here in US anyway) you can obtain an adequate Anemometer (wind speed meter) for your future flights. I never take off when winds are in excess of 10mph and if in doubt, I'll take it straight up to about 200' to see if it can hold steady aloft.

If it's struggling, I'll bring it back in and either call it a day or wait for conditions to improve.

The anemometer I use is called the Holdpeak 866B. It is at its most useful when showing people what the wind speed is.
They have no skin in the game and will be inclined to try to get you to take off against your better judgment, because it's no loss to them if your $1,000 plane gets carried off into the Twilight Zone, never to return.

The best flying weather is going to be cold (dense) still air. If the sky is a little stagnant-looking, then so much the better, because that indicates stability in the upper atmosphere. Big black clouds on the horizon or clouds stacking up vertically (cumulonimbus clouds) spell f-o-r-g-e-t I-t.

In our neighborhood I like the website Weather Underground because they predict wind speeds, direction dew point and the usual other weather in graph form as far as 10 days out.

In the final analysis, know your weather, the capability of your aircraft and don't tempt fate.

A anemometer is always with me in my backpack. But 10 mph at ground level can easy be 25-30 mph at 400 ft. So fly with care.

 

[WithTheBirds]

A anemometer is always with me in my backpack. But 10 mph at ground level can easy be 25-30 mph at 400 ft. So fly with care.

That is the thing. They are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle when it comes to determining the wind at higher levels.

 

[macoman]

That is the thing. They are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle when it comes to determining the wind at higher levels.

I use the weather app on my Android phone. Usually it tell you not only if it's going to rain or not but also the wind condition.

 

[msinger]

is there a way to avoid this form happening?

Don't fly when the wind is stronger than the Mavic Mini can handle.

What will the drone do when loosing connection. I had the return to home activated.

It will start flying back to the home point. If the wind is too strong, it will slowly drift away from the home point as it tries to fly home. When the battery reaches the critically low level, it will auto land at its current location.

is there a place to buy just the drone

DJI doesn't sell just the drone. You could try contacting DJI support to see if they will sell you just the drone. If not, you could buy a new Mavic Mini and sell off the accessories you don't need.

 

[TDZHDTV]

UAV Forecast is free and a good place to make an assessment, will also give you an idea of wind profile

 

[razoraerial]

UAV Forecast is free and a good place to make an assessment, will also give you an idea of wind profile

I use this too, for me it has worked well.

 

[Ervapa]

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback. I have added the flight record here: DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

Also added it to thread.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Capt KO]

I believe you took off without “Homepoint Set” thus no gps assist or RTH. Sometimes you have to wait a bit or you get takeoff permitted, fly with caution. Makes it hard to control anyhow, add wind and no RTH, equals bye bye birdie. Find My Drone? Hope the data files help you find it, or $399. Sorry

 

[sar104]

Looks like there are two threads running on the same issue. I'm not sure why the OP started a second one.

Help with lost drone

Hi! Yesterday wind carried away my magic mini at just 30 m of height and like 80 m away from me. It started moving Ina random direction until at ~900meters my controller lost connection for some reason. Here is the flight record in case you think you could help DJI Flight Log Viewer -...

mavicpilots.com

 

[sar104]

I believe you took off without “Homepoint Set” thus no gps assist or RTH. Sometimes you have to wait a bit or you get takeoff permitted, fly with caution. Makes it hard to control anyhow, add wind and no RTH, equals bye bye birdie. Find My Drone? Hope the data files help you find it, or $399. Sorry

Home point was set on takeoff: 9.968334, -84.053905.

 

[DanMan32]

I use this too, for me it has worked well.

Me too too also.

 

[Deleted member 109934]

Hi!

Today wind carried away my magic mini at just 30 m of height and like 80 m away from me. It started moving Ina random direction until at ~900meters my controller lost connection for some reason. Anyway I have two questions

1- is there a way to avoid this form happening? What will the drone do when loosing connection. I had the return to home activated.

2- is there a place to buy just the drone. I already have all the accessories, batteries and controller. I just need a new drone

Here is the flight record in case you think you could help

DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help

Upload and view flight logs from your DJI drones

www.phantomhelp.com

I have searched all arround the last location known. But also, I drew a line from the point I was (home) to point the drone was and projected the line. Searching all over those places assuming the wind direction would be constant.

Thanks!

It seems you were only going up and forward started at 80% of the battery, a lot of errors about insufficient force and strong winds showed up just after 1st minute of the flight, then you activated RTH at 37m just after 2 minutes in to the flight and waited, Your RTH alt was set to 50m so drone went even higher in to the stronger winds... with over 50km/h average winds and inflight gusts at 64km/h the drone was just drifting away instead of coming back home. At 5:28 you canceled RTH went into P mode then at 5:30 again activated RTH and drone again was climbing up higher to 50m. You lost signal at an altitude of 37m, at the end of the yellow line. Guys here are very good at predicting where it could end up, (blue arrows are indicating wind direction)

RTH is a bad idea in those situations if you would lower the altitude, I'm sure you would bring him home safely, if not you could at list land it somewhere safe.

I admire you for trusting RTH and not trying to return it manually, I'm absolutely scared of using RTH. I did not hit that button once. During one flight drone activated it automatically, and I almost got a heart attack, now I know I can cancel it. Many times video link breaks but you can still look at the map and see where the drone is and bring it closer to you and restore video link.

 

[Louis08]

That is the thing. They are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle when it comes to determining the wind at higher levels.

Indeed, you need a bit more knowledge about (logarithmic) wind profiles to make use of it, but still it gives you a better idea of windspeed than just holding up a wet finger.
Here's a (swiss) webpage where you could roughly calculate windspeeds: Windenergie-Daten der Schweiz
10 m/s = 36 km/h = 1968 ft/m = 22 mi/h = 19 kn
max airspeed of Mavic Mini (at sea level): 4/8/13 m/s (C/P/S mode)

Now do your math: Headwind reduces groundspeed, tailwind adds to it. In plain words: at windspeed 12 m/s sports mode will be just enough to hold the Mini in place.
Always try to fly outbound against the wind, btw.

 

[WithTheBirds]

Indeed, you need a bit more knowledge about (logarithmic) wind profiles to make use of it, but still it gives you a better idea of windspeed than just holding up a wet finger.
Here's a (swiss) webpage where you could roughly calculate windspeeds: Windenergie-Daten der Schweiz
10 m/s = 36 km/h = 1968 ft/m = 22 mi/h = 19 kn
max airspeed of Mavic Mini (at sea level): 4/8/13 m/s (C/P/S mode)

Now do your math: Headwind reduces groundspeed, tailwind adds to it. In plain words: at windspeed 12 m/s sports mode will be just enough to hold the Mini in place.
Always try to fly outbound against the wind, btw.

None of that helps you to reliably ascertain what the wind conditions are at 400ft.

Experience and common sense will serve you just as well- perhaps better. It is one of the more useless accessories to have with you my opinion.

 

[Capt KO]

Just put UAV Forcast on your phone. Know instantly winds, at your location, at all altitudes. Yesterday it was 15 mph on the ground but gusting to 30 at 250ft, 40 at 500 feet. 80 sustained at 5000. Tough making headway, even in an airplane. Fly safe and have fun.

 

[Capt KO]

And I like my simple handheld.