Lost Mini 2 failed RTH - Help with analysis and GPS

Steve.bridges · Oct 31, 2021

MAvic_South_Oz said:
@Steve.bridges
Steve welcome to the forum, if you're still around.

Some people are lucky and find this forum before they start flying their Mavics, others end up here after losing theirs, or crashing etc.
So much you can learn here for sure, so stick around if you have thick enough skin to get through this thread ok.

Yes, the flight was awful, in terms of aircraft operation and CASA rules, but live and learn, you didn't hurt anyone / anything this time (we hope !).

If you find your drone, or continue with the hobby with a replacement, read up, there are threads here that could easily show you how to totally mitigate the risks you took on all counts.

Go read up on the Casa site (drone regs), download one of the apps that tell you it's ok to fly somewhere or not, and enjoy the hobby without risk to others, be they on the ground or in the air.

BTW, go and search where @slup recommends, and around there . . . do a quick leaflet about the lost drone, info, photo, contact details, letterbox drop all the homes around where you're looking.
With info on the drone, you'd hope someone does the right thing, but some extra info might be worth doing while pounding the pavement.

Thanks heaps for this message and your advice. I appreciate it more than you can imagine considering you had no need to bother with the effort. I'll do exactly what you've suggested and once again, really appreciate it

Steve.bridges · Nov 2, 2021

slup said:
That's from Google Earth ... just go to post #3 where he shares the Airdata link or your own post #2 into PhantomHelp & download their .KML file & open it in Google Earth. Right click on the path in the left pane, properties & the Altitude tab, and there check mark "Extend path to ground" ... & if you want you can proceed to the Style, Color tab & mod how the extension to ground should look.

View attachment 137522

Hey mate sorry to bother you again. Was just having another look at the flight as as shown in attached video the time until force landing is rapidly going down, then at about 17 percent starts quickly going up (I'm guessing due to the wins dying down). Do you think that due to this it potentially flew a bit further than your predicted landing spot ?

Thanks again.

slup · Nov 2, 2021

Steve.bridges said:
Hey mate sorry to bother you again. Was just having another look at the flight as as shown in attached video the time until force landing is rapidly going down, then at about 17 percent starts quickly going up (I'm guessing due to the wins dying down). Do you think that due to this it potentially flew a bit further than your predicted landing spot ?

Thanks again. View attachment 137634

Yeah ... as I said before, depending on variances in speed... & battery consumption (coming from changes in the wind speed) it could have flown a bit longer or shorter.

So in the end it can be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack unfortunately.

Steve.bridges · Nov 2, 2021

slup said:
Yeah ... as I said before, depending on variances in speed... & battery consumption (coming from changes in the wind speed) it could have flown a bit longer or shorter.

So in the end it can be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack unfortunately.

No worries, thanks for that. Had my phone number written on it and I've handed out flyers to the 10 or so surrounding houses, so fingers crossed it's in someone's bushes or something and they haven't gardened yet.

Also searching through drone footage from above has yet to assist.

Thanks again mate I really appreciate it.

Steve.bridges · Nov 5, 2021

slup said:
Yeah ... as I said before, depending on variances in speed... & battery consumption (coming from changes in the wind speed) it could have flown a bit longer or shorter.

So in the end it can be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack unfortunately.

Think I've found it!

MAvic_South_Oz · Nov 5, 2021

Steve.bridges said:
Think I've found it!

WT? . . . someones backyard, near a full clothesline, and not spotted ?
Is that in the retirement village ?
It's possible an older person residence and they might miss it, but the hammock frame is a bit close by too.

Hopefully it is your drone (certainly LOOKS like it) and you can go over and nicely ask for it.
Good luck !

Steve.bridges · Nov 5, 2021

I've got a video from the next day too but in that one it's no longer there. Had my phone number on it which they haven't called so still thinking about how to go about it. I think I'll as you said just go over armed with these images, and ask politely and go from there.

MAvic_South_Oz · Nov 5, 2021

Steve.bridges said:
I've got a video from the next day too but in that one it's no longer there. Had my phone number on it which they haven't called so still thinking about how to go about it. I think I'll as you said just go over armed with these images, and ask politely and go from there.

Oh dear, yeah hopefully the polite route will work.
“I spotted my mini xday in this video, then it was gone, did you happen to find it ?”

Keeping something that’s not yours is not only immoral, but illegal in most countries.
Police should take it on.
I guess proof if they deny is hard to gain, “someone must have jumped the fence and taken it” sort of thing.

Was the info under the battery, on the microSD, or outside easily visible ?
That could tell you what to expect.

Hope it works out.

Deleted member 103366 · Nov 5, 2021

I think going with the images would be a mistake, it could lead to accusations of spying / peeping and an invasion of privacy.
Better to just knock etc. and show them a random picture of a Mini 2. Then explain that you lost control of the drone and that their place is under the projected return flight path and ask if they have seen anything like that.
I would suggest that you be prepared to apologise etc. and walk away if they say no.
If they say no I think you are on ground that is too shaky to start an argument with them.
It is possible that the serial number of the drone is on the outside of its box and that that may match the serial number inside the battery compartment lid and prove your ownership.
Alternatively in the log
DETAILS.aircraftSerial = 3NZCJ68004HD43
DETAILS.batterySerial = 3QFPJ63CA50CRK

MAvic_South_Oz · Nov 5, 2021

PhiliusFoggg said:
I think going with the images would be a mistake, it could lead to accusations of spying / peeping and an invasion of privacy.

Yeah true, people are paranoid enough without showing them video frames of washing on their line !!
Very delicate situation, might have to be prepared to lose it.

Maybe you can say the google satellite just happened to upload this image, and what do you know !

Deleted member 103366 · Nov 5, 2021

MAvic_South_Oz said:
Maybe you can say the google satellite just happened to upload this image, and what do you know !

Very easy to check and likely disprove.

Steve.bridges · Nov 6, 2021

MAvic_South_Oz said:
Oh dear, yeah hopefully the polite route will work.
“I spotted my mini xday in this video, then it was gone, did you happen to find it ?”

Keeping something that’s not yours is not only immoral, but illegal in most countries.
Police should take it on.
I guess proof if they deny is hard to gain, “someone must have jumped the fence and taken it” sort of thing.

Was the info under the battery, on the microSD, or outside easily visible ?
That could tell you what to expect.

Hope it works out.

Thanks for the advice mate! Unfortunately the number was clear as day on the side of the drone and it was also one of the houses that I dropped a flyer to.

Yeah I've got a documents about the laws around keeping something that's not yours but let's just hope it doesn't come to that haha

MAvic_South_Oz said:
WT? . . . someones backyard, near a full clothesline, and not spotted ?
Is that in the retirement village ?
It's possible an older person residence and they might miss it, but the hammock frame is a bit close by too.

Hopefully it is your drone (certainly LOOKS like it) and you can go over and nicely ask for it.
Good luck !

Yeah tough situation we'll see how it goes. I understand that I might so get it back. Any thoughts on the Fimi x8 mini?

slup said:
When your phone died your Mini was 1985,8ft from the HP ... and it had continued to fly home in a straight course & on present height of 262,5ft if you didn't touched the sticks. This means that it's no use to search around the last known location.

There in the end of the log your Mini was only making a progress of 140,3ft/battery % noticeably affected by the headwind. As the force land battery % is height dependent it was there in the end of the log defined to 8%. All this together would mean that after your phone died your Mini continued it's RTH for a further 842ft until it stopped & started to land.

View attachment 137492

And the land position was here ... but due to variances in speed it could have made it somewhat shorter or longer. The GPS position marked on the map ... time to make up some excuses & knocking some doors.

Make this a lesson ... don't fly as you did over a build up area, respect the regulations & add in some consequence thinking ... what can happen if thing's go wrong & your Mini comes crashing down & from that behave accordingly.

View attachment 137493

View attachment 137494

This is where it was so kudos on your prediction and thanks again!

MAvic_South_Oz · Nov 6, 2021

Steve.bridges said:
Any thoughts on the Fimi x8 mini?

Not familiar with it I'm afraid.

The copies are probably ok for VLOS flying, pretty sure they won't be as bombproof as DJI systems, but ok to learn the ropes on.
I guess if you buy one to get more experience, if it's lost it's not as heartbreaking, and if you don't lose it then down the track you might go for a DJI model again.

Had a quick google of the Fimi x8 mini just now, looks good on paper, more than what you'd need for VLOS flights.
$349 not too bad, couple of extra batteries $69 ea.
Compare to a mini 2 flymore AU$949 !!

Didn't realise they were THAT $$$$.

Jamesz · Nov 7, 2021

Hopefully you may still get it back, keep trying. Don't take it so hard that quite a few forum members were very critical - you looked for advice from the very people who stand to lose their hobby -or possibly job- if draconian drone laws result from illegal and dangerous flying, such as you posted.