Maiden flight - wow - and questions

[DanMan32]

Galaxy Tab S3 works, has GPS and compass. I got it about 2 years ago from B&H for around $300. They said it was used but the only thing that looked used was the box, particularly the ugly green USED sticker on the box. Otherwise I would have considered it refurbished.

 

[jarnie]

The AC compass cannot tell the app which way YOU are facing.

Thanks for that. I can understand that (gee though I wished I had known that before I purchased my tablet) BUT will the drone orientation be correct ie it will indicate the true heading of the drone? Does the tablet/phone compass only affect where the Position indicator and the drone compass affect the Heading? From my feeling that would be true but I need it verified.
I think I need to check all this out in my backyard without actually taking off. Also check exactly what the map shows. Will try that later.
Thanks for the heads up on the Galaxy Tab S3. I have sourced some used ones on Ebay here in Australia for around $A200 but they only have Android 7 (Nougat) installed which might be upgradable and not sure if it needs upgrading for the FLY app.

 

[DanMan32]

OS 7 will work, but the latest software update on the SM-T820 will bring it to 9.

Yes, the AC compass will have the map show its correct compass heading. Probably easiest to visualize by setting the map orientation to North Up or manually turn the map with two fingers so that the upper part of the map is where you yourself is facing.

 

[JackL]

You're confusing AC compass used for flight with device compass used to orient the orientation indicator and map.

Assuming your device has a compass, view the map. Now spin around. If you have the map view as heads up versus north up, the map will spin with you.

Thanks for that. I can understand that (gee though I wished I had known that before I purchased my tablet) BUT will the drone orientation be correct ie it will indicate the true heading of the drone? Does the tablet/phone compass only affect where the Position indicator and the drone compass affect the Heading? From my feeling that would be true but I need it verified.
I think I need to check all this out in my backyard without actually taking off. Also check exactly what the map shows. Will try that later.
Thanks for the heads up on the Galaxy Tab S3. I have sourced some used ones on Ebay here in Australia for around $A200 but they only have Android 7 (Nougat) installed which might be upgradable and not sure if it needs upgrading for the FLY app.

It only is a problem with the tiny little pointer at the bottom you can't really see anyway. I have flown 3 miles out over the ocean a bunch of times already with no problems at all. The map is incredibly useful and way better for keeping your orientation, ime.

 

[DanMan32]

Here's something interesting.
I was messing around with the map view in the Fly app on my S3 without anything connected to it. Map showed my orientation 90 degrees clockwise from my actual heading (if I was facing north, it showed east).
Doing the figure 8 had no effect.

But then I went into Google Map, which also showed incorrect orientation, but told me my compass accuracy was weak, to do the calibration. I did, now both maps show correct heading.

 

[MA2 317]

This is an expensive hobby. I'm starting to wonder if I should have just got a Cessna 172 instead of my first Mavic...lol

You'll probably still need a tablet for charts, maps, checklist... ?

 

[vindibona1]

Hello everyone
Thanks for your replies, information and suggestions.
I guess I am on a learning curve and things will become clearer with more flights.

In answer to some if not all questions/suggestions made -

I have a proper landing mat, one of those 80CM spring loaded ones with the letter H on both sides and I used the blue side. I will ensure I ascend to at least 7 metres before flying away from the take off position


I had forgotten to take my hat with me which would have shaded my photo chromatic lenses to reduce them from darkening from the sunlight. I will place at least one cap into the bag I use to transport everything in.

I also forgot about my modified clip on sunglasses which I had cut away so that downward vision was not through the clip on sunglasses. I will ensure these are also in my 'carry bag'.

I could easily see the drone against the bright cloudless sky but now will consider STROBE LEDs maybe a green one at the rear and a red one at the front so that I can tell if the drone is pointed toward me or away from me so that I know which way the forward/reverse and sideways joysticks will control it. I wonder if the WHITE ones are brighter and show better than the colored ones. Unless one of my learned readers tells me of a better method.

I also now consider that flying early morning or late afternoon is best unless I want to fly towards the sun. The monitor is too hard to see with the sun high in the sky even with a hood.

I really liked your response and got a few tips from you in the process. I never thought of modifying clip-ons sunglasses. What a clever idea. How could you possibly have forgotten your hat? What's an Aussie without a hat??? What would Crocodile Dundee say? In addition to your hat, you may consider purchasing a screenshade as pictured below. It wil keep light out from the sides as well. And you can build an extension off of it if you're ever bored in COVID lockdown.

I'd not seen the 7m vertical rule before and wonder if it applies to the Minis or Mavic 2's? I'll have to test that out. I'll still mostly rely on manual landing. Sometimes I'll look up as my drones descend, wondering if they're aligned with the home point...

... One more thing to consider is changing your home point after initial launch for safety reasons. In my case, sometimes I'll launch from and area where I have to fly through some trees first to get to open sky. I certainly don't want my drone coming back down in that launch spot, especially if it executes an emergency RTH on its own. So what I'll do is launch a meter or two off the ground (or from an elevated place like a balcony), fly to the spot where I feel it would be safe to land if it had do, land the drone, then re-launch with the home point updating itself. I know there are ways to change the home point on your screen, but I'm not confident in that. So should I hit the RTH button, I'll let the drone come down to the updated home point, cancel RTH when close, then manually fly it back to where I'm at, or walk over to the new home point.

And perhaps someone can enlighten me... If launching from an elevated area, if you take your drone below that area I know it will read in negative feet/meters. I'm not sure and don't presume that it recognizes that ground level is below you in terms of calculating altitude if launching from an elevated spot. But if I'm launching from the top of a building or hill top and fly away from it and any structures I would need to insure I don't exceed the 122m/400' AGL rule. I haven't tested it yet, but would have to assume you would need to know the differential of the launch point and ground level underneath the drone.

 

[LA 2020]

Well after purchasing my MA2 longer ago than I want to divulge for many reasons such as too windy, too busy and nervous I did my maiden flight this morning in the middle of a large playing field nearby in the Blue Mountains. I checked the map in cache and verified that the 'home' location was where I was located and then flew for about 20 minutes.

I was gobbed smacked. Loved the way that the FLY app talked to me rather than having to peer at the display in bright sunlight.
Loved the way it beeped at me when it got close to me and I assume that may have been obstacle avoidance? Is that correct?

The only annoyances I had was using (auto) takeoff as I have watched many videos and read lots of things which simply stated 'tap the take off button and then tap and hold'. I cannot remember ever seeing that the tap and hold was in the middle of the screen and not the same icon which I initially tapped. As the screen was difficult to see in the bright sunlight it didn't 'stand out' and after tapping and holding the take off icon 2 or 3 times I looked closely at the screen and saw the somewhat large display in the middle where the tap and hold needs to be done. Please note that due to the bright sunshine I had to look at the display from very close to it. I am not young and have a cataract in one eye.

Also when I tested the return home it did come back to close to where it took off (I used a large round landing mat on the grassed surface) it landed about 500mm from the edge which could have resulted in the props touching the grass if it hadn't been recently cut. Did I do anything wrong or what is the correct procedure to lock in the start location or is this normal?

Be sure you "calibrate" your home position (done in settings) once in a while and if you change home locations by very far. I have found that direct sunlight can also trick the RTH sometimes

 

[jarnie]

I never thought of modifying clip-ons sunglasses

I got the idea from someone else from a thread I created in the past mentioning that my glasses/spectacles are photo chromatic and so became dark outside (most commonly ultraviolet (UV) radiation) making viewing the screen difficult. With clip ons with a small section cut away at the bottom they shade the glasses reducing the darkening and leaving looking downwards at the screen without the darkened lenses yet still giving the effect of sunglasses with the top of the clip-on.
I have since remembered that photo chromatic lenses require direct sunlight on them to darken (they do not darken when driving a car) and as such found that wearing a hat with a large brim to shade the lenses also stops the lenses from darkening BUT the modified clipons are still good to cut the glare when looking up away from the screen.

I use a hood but they don't always stop bright sunlight getting on the screen. As such I try to fly with my back to the sun whenever possible (hint ?).

Also wearing dark shirts help reducing reflections of myself on the screen (?)

I am still quite the novice! I don't even know if I am POSTING in the right place! :-(

Me too and many others too.

 

[JMMath]

Well after purchasing my MA2 longer ago than I want to divulge for many reasons such as too windy, too busy and nervous I did my maiden flight this morning in the middle of a large playing field nearby in the Blue Mountains. I checked the map in cache and verified that the 'home' location was where I was located and then flew for about 20 minutes.

I was gobbed smacked. Loved the way that the FLY app talked to me rather than having to peer at the display in bright sunlight.
Loved the way it beeped at me when it got close to me and I assume that may have been obstacle avoidance? Is that correct?

The only annoyances I had was using (auto) takeoff as I have watched many videos and read lots of things which simply stated 'tap the take off button and then tap and hold'. I cannot remember ever seeing that the tap and hold was in the middle of the screen and not the same icon which I initially tapped. As the screen was difficult to see in the bright sunlight it didn't 'stand out' and after tapping and holding the take off icon 2 or 3 times I looked closely at the screen and saw the somewhat large display in the middle where the tap and hold needs to be done. Please note that due to the bright sunshine I had to look at the display from very close to it. I am not young and have a cataract in one eye.

Also when I tested the return home it did come back to close to where it took off (I used a large round landing mat on the grassed surface) it landed about 500mm from the edge which could have resulted in the props touching the grass if it hadn't been recently cut. Did I do anything wrong or what is the correct procedure to lock in the start location or is this normal?

 

[JMMath]

Jar, right behind you on the ”seniority thing” ? wish this hobby had came along 25yrs ago, huh? Youtube has a gentleman, Mr Kent Dotcom......... he’s around 90 and flying high out in the southwest, USA. .......... most of the drone Pilots are great people and reading about all the different experiences is great. Our Gators don’t have much use for sight seeing drones and I bet yall’s Crocs don’t either?........

 

[DanMan32]

The 7ft rule is for precision landing so that the bottom sensors can get an image of the takeoff / home point and use the image to fine tune the landing during RTH.

Minis don't have this feature. M1, M2 and MA1/2 do. Changing HP during flight would disable PL.

Sun affecting RTH is not specifically with RTH. The sun is tricking the obstacle avoidance in thinking there's an obstacle in front so the AC halts. That can happen in normal flight just as well as RTH.

 

[jarnie]

Kent Dotcom

Just searched and found some of his videos on YouTube. He might become an inspiration for me especially as he is 15 years older than me. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[jarnie]

Sun affecting RTH is not specifically with RTH

I searched this thread and cannot find any reply regarding this.

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

Well after purchasing my MA2 longer ago than I want to divulge for many reasons such as too windy, too busy and nervous I did my maiden flight this morning in the middle of a large playing field nearby in the Blue Mountains. I checked the map in cache and verified that the 'home' location was where I was located and then flew for about 20 minutes.

I was gobbed smacked. Loved the way that the FLY app talked to me rather than having to peer at the display in bright sunlight.
Loved the way it beeped at me when it got close to me and I assume that may have been obstacle avoidance? Is that correct?

The only annoyances I had was using (auto) takeoff as I have watched many videos and read lots of things which simply stated 'tap the take off button and then tap and hold'. I cannot remember ever seeing that the tap and hold was in the middle of the screen and not the same icon which I initially tapped. As the screen was difficult to see in the bright sunlight it didn't 'stand out' and after tapping and holding the take off icon 2 or 3 times I looked closely at the screen and saw the somewhat large display in the middle where the tap and hold needs to be done. Please note that due to the bright sunshine I had to look at the display from very close to it. I am not young and have a cataract in one eye.

Also when I tested the return home it did come back to close to where it took off (I used a large round landing mat on the grassed surface) it landed about 500mm from the edge which could have resulted in the props touching the grass if it hadn't been recently cut. Did I do anything wrong or what is the correct procedure to lock in the start location or is this normal?

Congrats on choosing the Air 2 Jarnie! Mine has been with me since May. Depending on what you use as a screen (I use an iphone 11 Pro) DJI markets a foldable screen hood for about $30 which is handy on a sunny day. And if you check out some YouTube videos they will certainly help you on the initial learning curve. The “H” pad is what I use also as it makes a nice clear optical landing target and if you take off with good satellite spread and numbers, good lighting, and hover vertically at about 10-15 feet AGL for about 20 seconds after launch, most RTH landings should get you back on to the pad. Most ...... ?! But be prepared to land manually. And setting the F button to camera up/down helps during landings; I set the double tap to turn on the landing light, if the day is getting overcast. Safe flying! Cheers ???