June 8, 2019 DSAR meeting. Post your Litchi search grids here

[Former Member]

After you have modified my mission, please post your mission search grid on this thread. It will be easier for me to keep track of them all here.

Here is the search area. Please load it on to your Mission Hub and modify it.

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

1. Please download it.
2. Set up your grid.
3. Make your mission a maximum of 13 minutes from take-off to being back on the ground.
4. Based on the speed you choose to use, you might want to add, subtract, or edit your waypoints to fit into the 13 minutes. You can also increase your cruise speed to cover more area. I have found the ideal DSAR cruise speed to be around 4-7 mph.
5. Save your mission to the Mission Hub and /or your device.
6. Please keep the first 2 waypoints at the same locations. Make your final waypoint where #9 is. They are there for staging departing and arriving aircraft and for added safety.

 

[UD-4L]

Any suggestions or constructive criticism appreciated.
WaterSearchWoo

 

[Former Member]

Any suggestions or constructive criticism appreciated.
WaterSearchWoo

Great work! A few positive comments:

1. I like how you made your longest leg first, between WP 2 and 3.
2. The 8.5 mph cruising speed is ideal for the size of the search area.
3. By using curved turns, your drone wont snap around when it gets to a WP.
4. By making your longitudinal legs around 200' each, you are allowing for enough overlap at 150' altitude to not miss anything on the ground. You'll have to see how it works out with your drone.
5. By using decreasing leg radii (radius), you are letting the drone do the hard part first, then finish up close to home with little distance left to cover.
6. You are avoiding all obstacles during the whole search.
7. You end up at WP 16 right where you should be, and have enough battery left for hovering if there are any arriving or departing aircraft.

The only adjustment I would make is to create a WP in between 15 and 16, to put you over the dock, before going to the final WP. Im just a little concerned about clearing that last tree near the dock.

Job well done!

Here it is with the one more WP added over the dock:

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

 

[UD-4L]

Thanks! I wasn't sure of the overlap versus gaps, but figured I could adjust the altitude on site if necessary. I appreciate the additional waypoint and have saved the correction on my mission. Looking forward to June 8th!

 

[Former Member]

Thanks! I wasn't sure of the overlap versus gaps, but figured I could adjust the altitude on site if necessary. I appreciate the additional waypoint and have saved the correction on my mission. Looking forward to June 8th!

Same here!

 

[jshreen]

This is my first mission planned with Litchi. This is great for waypoints. I wish they had an area search capability as in Pix4D or GS Pro. Now, how do I load the mission to this thread?

 

[Former Member]

This is my first mission planned with Litchi. This is great for waypoints. I wish they had an area search capability as in Pix4D or GS Pro. Now, how do I load the mission to this thread?

You can just copy the link of the mission and paste it here.

 

[jshreen]

Thank you for that info. Mission Hub - Litchi

 

[Former Member]

Thank you for that info. Mission Hub - Litchi

Looking good! I like the lower case "n" pattern.

• 12 minute mission time
• Cruise 7mph
• I think your grid is a good example that sometimes less is more. By using fewer waypoints, and longer legs, you will be able to use a higher cruise speed but still focus on the ground, and the drone will be flying in a straight line most of the time.

Good job!

 

[Former Member]

Thats 2 members with completed Litchi flight plans. I hope to have everyone have a complete mission grid set up before the meeting day.

 

[UD-4L]

I am assuming that polarized filters would be particularly helpful for a search over water. I have PolarPro ND 4-PL, ND8-PL, and ND 16-PL filters. Since my gimbal pitch is -90 degrees, straight down, is there any guide or advice as to which would be the appropriate one to choose in sunny versus overcast conditions?

 

[Former Member]

It really depends on which drone you will be using, and whether or not it has a zoom function. Just for starters, I would start with an ND8.

When doing DSAR, your main consideration is device display quality, and not necessarily picture quality. If you use too dark an ND filter, your devices display will be darkened as well, so its harder to see ground objects. Sometimes on a sunny day, if Im just practicing in an area, I wont even use a filter. At 150' over water there will be some glare, and thats your main enemy.

 

[Former Member]

Heres a good video explaining ND filters better.

 

[AlabamaDroner]

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

It's funny you post that video about ND filters today. I just started using them this morning. What a difference they make in pictures on a bright and sunny day.

 

[Former Member]

It's funny you post that video about ND filters today. I just started using them this morning. What a difference they make in pictures on a bright and sunny day.

Your mission looks great. The only thing I would change would be WP16 because there might be some departing aircraft flying on that line. If you could move that closer to the end of the dock, youre good to go.

Heres your mission with WP 16 moved.

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

 

[Former Member]

The following mission is what happens when one has too much time on his hands.

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

 

[jshreen]

After you have modified my mission, please post your mission search grid on this thread. It will be easier for me to keep track of them all here.

Here is the search area. Please load it on to your Mission Hub and modify it.

Mission Hub - Litchi

Litchi's Mission Hub lets you plan waypoint flights and later execute them using the mobile Litchi app.

flylitchi.com

1. Please download it.
2. Set up your grid.
3. Make your mission a maximum of 13 minutes from take-off to being back on the ground.
4. Based on the speed you choose to use, you might want to add, subtract, or edit your waypoints to fit into the 13 minutes. You can also increase your cruise speed to cover more area. I have found the ideal DSAR cruise speed to be around 4-7 mph.
5. Save your mission to the Mission Hub and /or your device.
6. Please keep the first 2 waypoints at the same locations. Make your final waypoint where #9 is. They are there for staging departing and arriving aircraft and for added safety.

Thunderdrone: what kind of imagery should we be planning for? Still images or video?

 

[Former Member]

Thunderdrone: what kind of imagery should we be planning for? Still images or video?

You can record either. If video, you might want to bring an extra sd card

 

[jshreen]

You can record either. If video, you might want to bring an extra sd card

Thank you.

 

[Former Member]

Thank you.

The problem with Litchi and WP missions is that you cant livestream. That would have been great, but recording is about all you can do.