Long Distance Flight Scare

[Meta4]

Update on this.. I tried the RTH a few days ago as a test, and the MM automatically flew back at Sport Mode speed without any input from me, and it wasn't in high wind.
Does the software now use Sport Mode for RTH whenever it can? Perhaps it looks at how much battery life is remaining and flies home as fast as possible?

DJI drones don't use Sport Mode or Normal Mode for RTH.
They use RTH Mode which is a separate flight mode all of its own.

The Air 2 was released with firmware that allowed RTH speed to increase up to Sport Mode speed and a firmware update gave that to the Mini.

 

[Ex Coelis]

Fair points.

2.8 km = 1.74 miles. I said "almost 2 miles". I'll stand by my "almost"

By the way, I can see the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye, and that is 2.537 million light years away!

But I digress. I said I maintained "line of sight" which is defined by Miriam Webster as "a line from an observer's eye to a distant point". That I did. I said nothing about always being able to see the MM. In fact I know I very briefly lost sight of it each time I blinked.

Uh huh....

 

[maelstrom]

I said I maintained "line of sight" which is defined by Miriam Webster as "a line from an observer's eye to a distant point".

Sadly, that’s not the definition that most countries use when referring to drone operation. For example, the UK CAA says:

Within the Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) of the person flying the aircraft.

This means that the aircraft must be able to be clearly seen by the person flying it at all times when it is airborne. By doing this, the person flying the aircraft is able to monitor its flight path and so manoeuvre it clear of anything that it may collide with. While corrective spectacles can be used to look at the aircraft, the use of binoculars, telescopes, or any other image enhancing devices are not permitted.

The proposed new UK regulations, which come into effect on 1 January 2021, specifically say this:

The CAA will normally accept that the VLOS requirement is met when the UA is flown out to a distance of 500 metres horizontally from the remote pilot, but only if the aircraft can still be seen at this distance.

 

[cameraz]

One thing I discovered about the parabolic reflectors is that the farther out you go, the narrower the field that it will keep contact. You have to keep the controller pointed at the bird or it will lose contact. I was out about 5000 ft with my Spark over the ocean and turned my head and the controller moved with me and instantly lost connection. She came home, but didn't regain connection until it was about 3000 feet away. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this. I have had parabolic reflectors on my remote controller and flew my Mini straight up while my reflectors were pointed forward and I never lost a signal. Granted, I was only a couple of hundred feet up -- not 5,000 -- but I still did not have it pointed at the drone.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

post 4 of AUTO RTH speed? may be of interest

As noted by at least one person an automated RTH is at the speeds of P mode the actual flight mode is irrelevant, (unless there has been a change caused by an update etc.)

 

[scro]

DJI drones don't use Sport Mode or Normal Mode for RTH.
They use RTH Mode which is a separate flight mode all of its own.

The Air 2 was released with firmware that allowed RTH speed to increase up to Sport Mode speed and a firmware update gave that to the Mini.

@Meta4 I didn't realise the Mini RTH speed got increased from 8m/s in a firmware update - good to know though! Do you happen to know which update that was included in?

 

[Ol' Sparky]

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this. I have had parabolic reflectors on my remote controller and flew my Mini straight up while my reflectors were pointed forward and I never lost a signal. Granted, I was only a couple of hundred feet up -- not 5,000 -- but I still did not have it pointed at the drone.

Yes...you are correct. At close range it makes no difference. At 5000 feet out it makes a huge difference.

 

[Meta4]

@Meta4 I didn't realise the Mini RTH speed got increased from 8m/s in a firmware update - good to know though! Do you happen to know which update that was included in?

No ... but I've only noticed it in flight data in the last month or so.

 

[Thomas B]

Fair points.

2.8 km = 1.74 miles. I said "almost 2 miles". I'll stand by my "almost"

By the way, I can see the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye, and that is 2.537 million light years away!

But I digress. I said I maintained "line of sight" which is defined by Miriam Webster as "a line from an observer's eye to a distant point". That I did. I said nothing about always being able to see the MM. In fact I know I very briefly lost sight of it each time I blinked.

Isn’t the law VLOS... ie “visual”, meaning you can actually see the drone?

 

[Deleted member 103366]

@Meta4 I didn't realise the Mini RTH speed got increased from 8m/s in a firmware update - good to know though! Do you happen to know which update that was included in?

This thread popped up for me and after just re reading it I am interested to know, has the MM's entirely automated RTH speed definitely been increased from 8m/s? If so to what?
And what app version or firmware version brought this about?

For the last several months I haven't flown out far enough to give an RTH that is long enough to give sustained steady speed and the last such flight that I made that I remember was back in July when I got the attached screen captures. It appears that at that time the app was 1.1.0 and the firmware 1.0.5.
The app has been updated since then and I think it is either 1.6..... or 1.9..... I don't know if the firmware has been updated.
I am not a "must have the most current version" person so routine updates are blocked.

 

[AVLJMA]

I have had the same message about "return to home was not possible" and that I had to manually fly back. However, the drone still headed home on its own. The RTH feature has never failed me.

 

[FlyBackOU812]

I have had the same message about "return to home was not possible" and that I had to manually fly back. However, the drone still headed home on its own. The RTH feature has never failed me.

Actually... the RTH mode can now go even faster than any other mode if during RTH function is in play and you push sticks to help it. The Mini 1 ESC's only allows it to go 29mph top speed in sport mode. I had it going 34 Mph this past weekend. I have it screenrecorded
Speaking of RTH... Did you know that during RTH you can turn any direction even reverse and it won't deviate from its mission or even briefly slow down at all? You can literally spin in fast sport mode circles and it'll just keep on keeping on with same speed and same direct line home. Pretty cool actually

 

[Mynah]

Carlos thanks for sharing, I've always wondered what the Mini would do if RTH is activated while it is stating it 'won't be able to return to home' because of wind. I've received that message on about every long distance test-run at higer than normal ALT for better signal, and every time I've managed to get it back home, surely it can do so on its own too It indeed did just that. Theres's no sound sweeter in the middle of the night than that of the Mini arriving overhead during a RTH after you've seen the purchase figures flashing before your eyes while the control is nothing more than a piece of plastic with a phone attached to it. The Mini has a mind of its own

 

[RogerDH]

...I only reached 230 feet before getting wind warnings for the first time in the flight, and it was telling me that automatic return to home was not possible...

I had a message similar to that once when I unintentionally flew behind a ridge, but I don't remember the exact wording. Are you sure it said "automatic" RTH was unavailable? At the time, I took it to mean I couldn't initiate RTH from the controller, which is to be expected if you've lost connection. In any case, the failsafe RTH activated, and it flew straight home (and I got a nice video of it clearing the ridge by only a couple of feet because this was only my 3rd or 4th flight and I forgot to set the RTH altitude!).

 

[Carlos56]

Sounds like you were indeed fortunate with the RTH height!

I don't remember the exact wording of the RTH warning, I was focused on trying to regain the connection. Haha. But I think you are right, it was probably informing me that *I* couldn't initiate RTH. Obviously the drone knew what to do. It seems very robust if you follow the proper do's and don'ts.

I find a lot of the messages/warnings disappear before I have read or absorbed them. Is there a place to view recent warnings? If not, that would be a nice feature.

 

[Amckim2084]

Fair points.

2.8 km = 1.74 miles. I said "almost 2 miles". I'll stand by my "almost"

By the way, I can see the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye, and that is 2.537 million light years away!

But I digress. I said I maintained "line of sight" which is defined by Miriam Webster as "a line from an observer's eye to a distant point". That I did. I said nothing about always being able to see the MM. In fact I know I very briefly lost sight of it each time I blinked.

This is the worst place to talk about LOS. There are many different types of LOS but almost everyone focuses on one. Doesn’t matter if you say, “hey, I lost signal but I had good LOS.” Obviously you are talking about signal strength but nope…here comes the pack of wolves “YOU COULDN’T SEE YOUR DRONE!!!! YOU FLEW TOO FAR!!!! YOU’RE A POS FOR LOSING LOS!!!

Of course then you never get your answer about your signal strength. I’m surprised the long distance thread still exists here. Which reminds me, I got a record to beat someday ?

 

[RogerDH]

This is the worst place to talk about LOS. There are many different types of LOS but almost everyone focuses on one. Doesn’t matter if you say, “hey, I lost signal but I had good LOS.” Obviously you are talking about signal strength but nope…here comes the pack of wolves “YOU COULDN’T SEE YOUR DRONE!!!! YOU FLEW TOO FAR!!!! YOU’RE A POS FOR LOSING LOS!!!

Of course then you never get your answer about your signal strength. I’m surprised the long distance thread still exists here. Which reminds me, I got a record to beat someday ?

When drone hobbyists go on public forums and YouTube to actually brag about their lack of regard for drone regulations, it gives the whole community a bad reputation. The result has been -- and will continue to be -- more restrictions that hurt both hobbyists and commercial pilots. I'm sorry that you don't understand why we don't need any more of that.

 

[Amckim2084]

When drone hobbyists go on public forums and YouTube to actually brag about their lack of regard for drone regulations, it gives the whole community a bad reputation. The result has been -- and will continue to be -- more restrictions that hurt both hobbyists and commercial pilots. I'm sorry that you don't understand why we don't need any more of that.

You and everyone else act like that distance is the one and only thing that causes regulations. You see on the news every day about sightings at airports, White House, prisons, forest fires, and every other restricted areas. I’ve never seen “this guy flew too far” in the news and then more regulations come from it. Now is it still right? Depends on the situation, I’ll always say that. But everything else I mentioned will never be right and I have never done any of those.

 

[RogerDH]

You and everyone else act like that distance is the one and only thing that causes regulations...

That assertion has no basis in fact, but it doesn't matter; you're missing the point. I'll highlight it:
"When drone hobbyists go on public forums and YouTube to actually brag about their lack of regard for drone regulations, ..." What's your rationalization for doing that?

 

[dirkclod]

ok guys not sure why this old thread was reported as it’s subject
has been covered all the time. Read guidelin # 11 and go on.
This is old.

CLOSED​