Today I launched my Mini-2 Phoenix on a somewhat tricky mission. There's a flag on a little rise next to Hwy 50 a ways down the canyon. I've seen it many times, and even gotten some decent footage of it. But the combination of its distance from my house, and the fact that it's down in the canyon, has made it difficult to look at closely within my tolerances for the RC control signal strength.
However, I had flown those previous phot recon missions from the forward flight deck, because it seemed obvious that I would get a less obstructed signal in that direction. When I was last out flying, with Defiant, I realized it might actually be a cleaner line of sight from the rear flight deck, if I moved closer to one edge. I set the camera to 1080p 60 fps, so that I could use the 4X zoom.
It worked great! I was able to get closer to the flag than I'd ever gotten before, and with an eagle eye on the signal strength level, I gradually reduced my elevation, to a mere 80 ft above the launch point. I kept nudging closer and lower, and then at one point, I just loitered to try to see a good breeze blowing the flag around. Got some great views! But coming back would be uphill and against the wind, so with a bit over 8 min left on the battery, I turned around to come home.
Then the world got difficult. Phoenix wouldn't climb at all. Full left stick up, nothing. And there are plenty of trees with peaks more than 80 feet above the launch point between me and that flag. There's was nothing for it but to bring him home, dodging the trees. Which was fine, until he started losing altitude. When he got down to 50 ft, I knew that we were in serious trouble.
Still, nothing for it but to keep coming home. There were several points where I was flying between two trees, both of them with tops above me. When I got through the last pair of pillars and had a straight shot to the driveway (my forward flight deck), I started to relax. But not a lot. At that point I had no good reason to believe that I could maintain the measly 50 ft that I had. I was tentatively planning to land on the driveway, because it was closer, but the altitude was holding and I had the power (barely) to make it around to the rear flight deck that I had launched from. Once I cleared the last of the trees, my concern shifted to whether or not he would descend when I told him to land.
But he did, and the landing was entirely uneventful.
What in the world could cause that? Complete inability to climb??
Phoenix was only the second of my three Mini-2s to fly with the most recent update. Without any real evidence to support it, I'm highly inclined to blame that update for the problem. It was the only change since Phoenix's last flight. I also suspect he will operate flawlessly when I next boot him up, but you can be sure that will be a timid test flight, conducted entirely over pavement, close to home.
Once he was safe on the ground, and in my hand, I thought that was scary and weird, but the great footage I got would be worth it. Which it might have been, if I hadn't forgotten to turn the ( Mod Removed Language)camera on!!
ARRRGHHHH!
TCS
However, I had flown those previous phot recon missions from the forward flight deck, because it seemed obvious that I would get a less obstructed signal in that direction. When I was last out flying, with Defiant, I realized it might actually be a cleaner line of sight from the rear flight deck, if I moved closer to one edge. I set the camera to 1080p 60 fps, so that I could use the 4X zoom.
It worked great! I was able to get closer to the flag than I'd ever gotten before, and with an eagle eye on the signal strength level, I gradually reduced my elevation, to a mere 80 ft above the launch point. I kept nudging closer and lower, and then at one point, I just loitered to try to see a good breeze blowing the flag around. Got some great views! But coming back would be uphill and against the wind, so with a bit over 8 min left on the battery, I turned around to come home.
Then the world got difficult. Phoenix wouldn't climb at all. Full left stick up, nothing. And there are plenty of trees with peaks more than 80 feet above the launch point between me and that flag. There's was nothing for it but to bring him home, dodging the trees. Which was fine, until he started losing altitude. When he got down to 50 ft, I knew that we were in serious trouble.
Still, nothing for it but to keep coming home. There were several points where I was flying between two trees, both of them with tops above me. When I got through the last pair of pillars and had a straight shot to the driveway (my forward flight deck), I started to relax. But not a lot. At that point I had no good reason to believe that I could maintain the measly 50 ft that I had. I was tentatively planning to land on the driveway, because it was closer, but the altitude was holding and I had the power (barely) to make it around to the rear flight deck that I had launched from. Once I cleared the last of the trees, my concern shifted to whether or not he would descend when I told him to land.
But he did, and the landing was entirely uneventful.
What in the world could cause that? Complete inability to climb??
Phoenix was only the second of my three Mini-2s to fly with the most recent update. Without any real evidence to support it, I'm highly inclined to blame that update for the problem. It was the only change since Phoenix's last flight. I also suspect he will operate flawlessly when I next boot him up, but you can be sure that will be a timid test flight, conducted entirely over pavement, close to home.
Once he was safe on the ground, and in my hand, I thought that was scary and weird, but the great footage I got would be worth it. Which it might have been, if I hadn't forgotten to turn the ( Mod Removed Language)camera on!!
ARRRGHHHH!
TCS
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