Not enough gps lock, is it safe to fly ?

[jojonono]

Am trying to fly my air 2s from the 18th floor balcony of my apartment, am in a very unique place and the shot will look out of this world, only problem since we r in city and it's a balcony am unable to lock on more than 10 satellites and the GPS is red color, i don't want the drone to return to gome automatically and I won't fly it so far it will stay within my line of sight (probably), is it dangerous to fly and what's gonna happen if I do take off ? Will it be unbalanced due to lack of GPS or whatever exactly?

Also once the drone takes off and gets more GPS satellites will it be safer flight ?

Any ideas how to get an orange or white signal to fly safely ?

Thanka,

 

[mavic3usa]

On my drone, I see a warning when there is not enough satellites to get a lock. If the drone is allowed to take off and you only get a warning, then it can't be unsafe. Just be aware when you do get a lock, your homepoint might get set to the location where the lock was achieved. On most drones, you are free to reset the homepoint to a different location so maybe look into that as well.

 

[MS Coast]

If the drone is allowed to take off and you only get a warning, then it can't be unsafe.

Not so. The DJI drones I've flown allow me to take off regardless of the GPS satellite reception. This forum has many posts reporting crashes that occurred when the drone was flown without adequate GPS satellite locks.

 

[mavic3usa]

Not so. The DJI drones I've flown allow me to take off regardless of the GPS satellite reception. This forum has many posts reporting crashes that occurred when the drone was flown without adequate GPS satellite locks.

Agreed the drone might crash. It might crash with a satellite lock. It might crash if it loses satellite lock during the flight. Either way, both me and DJI are not yet ready to label a drone that takes off prior to gaining satellite lock as "unsafe." You and others are free to call it whatever you wish and provide your own opinions; my opinion is it isn't unsafe. Seems to me if the drone is unsafe to fly, DJI would do a little bit more than just provide a warning.

I am aware of numerous posts where flyers have gone into much detail about their negative experiences when taking off before getting a GPS satellite reception. For the OP and his unique situation mentioned, wouldn't stop me from taking off from your balcony just be careful and be aware.

 

[Cafguy]

is it dangerous to fly and what's gonna happen if I do take off ?

I do not have an inner Nostradamus to channel. Its really your call. I would say by your description that YES it is indeed dangerous.
Forget about GPS. Sure you can fly and safely but don't expect to know where "home" is if you need it..
At 18 stories a drone that, say.... loses a prop During takeoff has quite a ways to go before hitting the ground! BUT I am not saying it is a flight that would be "dumb" or foolish, I am just saying that there is a lot more to consider with this flight then say your normal Drone Mission.
Why the Balcony, Takeoff from a safe place (the courtyard?).
I wouldn't do it, law or not, I wouldn't fly in a congested "downtown like" environment with a DJI camera Drone. thats just me tho.
Too many people to hit unless it was a tiny whoop maybe.

 

[MS Coast]

Agreed the drone might crash. It might crash with a satellite lock. It might crash if it loses satellite lock during the flight. Either way, both me and DJI are not yet ready to label a drone that takes off prior to gaining satellite lock as "unsafe." You and others are free to call it whatever you wish and provide your own opinions; my opinion is it isn't unsafe. Seems to me if the drone is unsafe to fly, DJI would do a little bit more than just provide a warning.

I am aware of numerous posts where flyers have gone into much detail about their negative experiences when taking off before getting a GPS satellite reception. For the OP and his unique situation mentioned, wouldn't stop me from taking off from your balcony just be careful and be aware.

@mavic3usa, what could possibly go wrong for an apparently inexperienced pilot taking off without adequate GPS lock from an 18th floor balcony in the midst of a city?

@jojonono, you're likely to experience poor position holding with the drone if you don't have an adequate satellite lock, indicated by a white icon. With the drone 180 feet above the ground, the sensors on the bottom of the drone won't be able to help stabilize the drone either. Be aware that there may be ferrous metal in the balcony structure that might bias your compass, leading to an uncontrollable flight. Check the accuracy of the compass reading on the on-screen map and be certain that it agrees with reality.

Yes, once the drone is away from the building and has a wider view of the sky, it will probably be able to acquire additional satellites and establish a good lock.

Be aware that there are FAA regulations regarding flights over people and that many large urban areas have FAA or local drone flight restrictions. Use a B4YouFly app to check for FAA restrictions.

From what you've described, this doesn't sound to me like a good flying opportunity.

 

[mavic3usa]

....but don't expect to know where "home" is if you need it..

i don't want the drone to return to gome automatically and I won't fly it so far it will stay within my line of sight (probably), is it dangerous to fly and what's gonna happen if I do take off ? Will it be unbalanced due to lack of GPS or whatever exactly?

That's what he said, no care homepoint. I believe he is asking a technical question so the tech experts here may want to give him technical advice on GPS since my advice on this topic is limited to my one drone that constantly loses GPS after a few minutes in flight but nothing bad ever happens while I am bringing it home. He's likely just looking for a technical answer.

what could possibly go wrong for an apparently inexperienced pilot taking off without adequate GPS lock from an 18th floor balcony in the midst of a city?

I don't know where the flyer is located or his skills (I assumed in a foreign country using my memory) so I left that judgment part of my answer out of my comments but I'm sure he is open to anyone who wants to give other advice.

 

[Cafguy]

I believe he is asking a technical question so the tech experts here may want to give him technical advice on GPS

I am not really sure what is technical about it after all you yourself just answered his question.
Is it safer to fly with more satellites My guess is yes. I am sure you could find or make some sort of more efficient sat receiver and somehow make it work with the drone , I suppose, Or you could just move away from the building ( again Courtyard?) and achieve the same goal. The drone doesn't need to start on the 18th floor, it has a means to get there from the ground. I have seen tons of videos from other countries with operators flying downtown so I reserved the not in the U.S. spiel.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Am trying to fly my air 2s from the 18th floor balcony of my apartment, am in a very unique place and the shot will look out of this world, only problem since we r in city and it's a balcony am unable to lock on more than 10 satellites and the GPS is red color, i don't want the drone to return to gome automatically and I won't fly it so far it will stay within my line of sight (probably), is it dangerous to fly and what's gonna happen if I do take off ? Will it be unbalanced due to lack of GPS or whatever exactly?

Also once the drone takes off and gets more GPS satellites will it be safer flight ?

Any ideas how to get an orange or white signal to fly safely ?

Thanka,

Apart from no GPS lock....

You're in a flat/apartment/hotel room approximately 160-180' in the air. There are many other flats above, below and either side. Each flat will have a wireless router in it, as will yours. The average range of a wireless router is 60' and every one of them transmits on the same default frequency as your drone control signal: 2.48gHz. *Expect control signal attenuation*

The tower block is built from reinforced concrete over a steel frame. The balcony is the same. *Expect compass deflection*

Wind: on the 18th floor: unless it is dead calm, you will get updraft, downdraft, shear, etc. Ever tried walking around the base of a tower block even on a mildly windy day? *Expect a wide range of wind turbulence*

In the last few days there has been a post about someone trying this from a balcony room in the NY Hilton.... that did not end well.

If it were me mulling this over: I'd consider the risks far outweighed the reward.... but that's just me. Best of luck.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Apart from no GPS lock....

You're in a flat/apartment/hotel room approximately 160-180' in the air. There are many other flats above, below and either side. Each flat will have a wireless router in it, as will yours. The average range of a wireless router is 60' and every one of them transmits on the same default frequency as your drone control signal: 2.48gHz. *Expect control signal attenuation*

The tower block is built from reinforced concrete over a steel frame. The balcony is the same. *Expect compass deflection*

Wind: on the 18th floor: unless it is dead calm, you will get updraft, downdraft, shear, etc. Ever tried walking around the base of a tower block even on a mildly windy day? *Expect a wide range of wind turbulence*

In the last few days there has been a post about someone trying this from a balcony room in the NY Hilton.... that did not end well.

If it were me mulling this over: I'd consider the risks far outweighed the reward.... but that's just me. Best of luck.

But…

"am in a very unique place and the shot will look out of this world" LOL!

 

[Cymruflyer]

But…

"am in a very unique place and the shot will look out of this world" LOL!

Maybe his neighbor lady likes taking a shower, with the curtains open.

 

[Dale D]

Am trying to fly my air 2s from the 18th floor balcony of my apartment, am in a very unique place and the shot will look out of this world, only problem since we r in city and it's a balcony am unable to lock on more than 10 satellites and the GPS is red color, i don't want the drone to return to gome automatically and I won't fly it so far it will stay within my line of sight (probably), is it dangerous to fly and what's gonna happen if I do take off ? Will it be unbalanced due to lack of GPS or whatever exactly?

Also once the drone takes off and gets more GPS satellites will it be safer flight ?

Any ideas how to get an orange or white signal to fly safely ?

Thanka,

You are a braver pilot than I would be. I would never even consider flying off of a high balcony. What could possibly go wrong? Just take the elevator down to solid terra firma and take off from there.

 

[Dronecation]

Any ideas how to get an orange or white signal to fly safely ?

Thanka,

How long are you waiting? It sometimes takes a while to get full Sats. especially in a tower. Do you have more units above you? You can also place the drone on a taller box instead of the balcony floor to get quicker reception and avoid any metallic interference.

 

[Dale D]

How long are you waiting? It sometimes takes a while to get full Sats. especially in a tower. Do you have more units above you? You can also place the drone on a taller box instead of the balcony floor to get quicker reception and avoid any metallic interference.

Sometimes, when I am just starting out after an absence from the drone, it takes a while to get a home point. I've ben doing the following....after a more than reasonable time, I will start the motors and take off only to 1 or 2 feet, and I will get a home point. Then, I rise it up to about 15 feet and let it read the "H" on my take off platform. Then, I double check that the home point has been achieved and I fly off.


Dale

 

[Felix le Chat]

How long are you waiting? It sometimes takes a while to get full Sats. especially in a tower. Do you have more units above you? You can also place the drone on a taller box instead of the balcony floor to get quicker reception and avoid any metallic interference.

...best way to get an orange or white signal? Go down to the ground floor and take off from outside the structure.

If you want the money shot (tear-arseing towards the patio door and away from the balcony) fake it like almost everyone else does... use a hand-held action-cam with image stabilization and run towards the balcony - then cut to drone footage flying away from the outside of the tower block. The change in exposure will disguise the transition.

 

[jojonono]

Not so. The DJI drones I've flown allow me to take off regardless of the GPS satellite reception. This forum has many posts reporting crashes that occurred when the drone was flown without adequate GPS satellite locks.

Whats r the causes of those crashes ? Assuming I will not hit anything in thin air while flying, or a light poll/bulb or a street signal at 18th floor ! What kind of crashes could happen ? R u saying the drone won't be stable if connected to just 10 satellites and it will be swaying left and right which might cause a crash? Despite locking into 10 freekin satellites in red color ?! What about the scenario once it's took off and away from my balcony and finally got enough satellites locked will it be OK?

I do not have an inner Nostradamus to channel. Its really your call. I would say by your description that YES it is indeed dangerous.
Forget about GPS. Sure you can fly and safely but don't expect to know where "home" is if you need it..
At 18 stories a drone that, say.... loses a prop During takeoff has quite a ways to go before hitting the ground! BUT I am not saying it is a flight that would be "dumb" or foolish, I am just saying that there is a lot more to consider with this flight then say your normal Drone Mission.
Why the Balcony, Takeoff from a safe place (the courtyard?).
I wouldn't do it, law or not, I wouldn't fly in a congested "downtown like" environment with a DJI camera Drone. thats just me tho.
Too many people to hit unless it was a tiny whoop maybe.

Why balcony ? Coz the f'd up country I live in sentence you to jail time if caught flying a drone, yet am living in a key location and I cant fight the temptation to fly it for just a short while from balcony and just few meters to probably just take a panoramic image, a short time lapse or short video for few meters and landing back asap... (coz i dotn wanna crash or loose my drone too)...

Also plz let's not get into the debate of why don't u do it legally coz drones are completely banned where I live even for 5 meters high.

@mavic3usa, what could possibly go wrong for an apparently inexperienced pilot taking off without adequate GPS lock from an 18th floor balcony in the midst of a city?

@jojonono, you're likely to experience poor position holding with the drone if you don't have an adequate satellite lock, indicated by a white icon. With the drone 180 feet above the ground, the sensors on the bottom of the drone won't be able to help stabilize the drone either. Be aware that there may be ferrous metal in the balcony structure that might bias your compass, leading to an uncontrollable flight. Check the accuracy of the compass reading on the on-screen map and be certain that it agrees with reality.

Yes, once the drone is away from the building and has a wider view of the sky, it will probably be able to acquire additional satellites and establish a good lock.

Be aware that there are FAA regulations regarding flights over people and that many large urban areas have FAA or local drone flight restrictions. Use a B4YouFly app to check for FAA restrictions.

From what you've described, this doesn't sound to me like a good flying opportunity.

So ur saying drone will be swaying badly like having flying indoors with 0 gps lock ? FYI I flew indoors also and the bottom camera didn't help much coz the floor had no pattern whatsoever, but I managed to keep it from crashing, am an experienced pilot not a newbie, don't know how stable it will be mid air with just red 10 satellites locked...

Apart from no GPS lock....

You're in a flat/apartment/hotel room approximately 160-180' in the air. There are many other flats above, below and either side. Each flat will have a wireless router in it, as will yours. The average range of a wireless router is 60' and every one of them transmits on the same default frequency as your drone control signal: 2.48gHz. *Expect control signal attenuation*

The tower block is built from reinforced concrete over a steel frame. The balcony is the same. *Expect compass deflection*

Wind: on the 18th floor: unless it is dead calm, you will get updraft, downdraft, shear, etc. Ever tried walking around the base of a tower block even on a mildly windy day? *Expect a wide range of wind turbulence*

In the last few days there has been a post about someone trying this from a balcony room in the NY Hilton.... that did not end well.

If it were me mulling this over: I'd consider the risks far outweighed the reward.... but that's just me. Best of luck.

Say I got orange gps signal would it be safer then considering as I said I'll get couple of pix and only few meters flight, thanks u make excellent points...

Maybe his neighbor lady likes taking a shower, with the curtains open.

Not sure if u both were mocking my English or trying to sound funny, but rest assured my mind is way cleaner than ur vivid imagination...

How long are you waiting? It sometimes takes a while to get full Sats. especially in a tower. Do you have more units above you? You can also place the drone on a taller box instead of the balcony floor to get quicker reception and avoid any metallic interference.

Well I waited for say just 5 minutes and I lose hope, it's an old building not a glass one the the freeking roof above me is made of concrete so that was definitely blocking thr signal, i even extended my arm and the drone to the air with no luck... and I don't have access to the rooftops...

 

[hiflyer201]

Am trying to fly my air 2s from the 18th floor balcony of my apartment, am in a very unique place and the shot will look out of this world, only problem since we r in city and it's a balcony am unable to lock on more than 10 satellites and the GPS is red color, i don't want the drone to return to gome automatically and I won't fly it so far it will stay within my line of sight (probably), is it dangerous to fly and what's gonna happen if I do take off ? Will it be unbalanced due to lack of GPS or whatever exactly?

Also once the drone takes off and gets more GPS satellites will it be safer flight ?

Any ideas how to get an orange or white signal to fly safely ?

Thanka,

even if it picks up the satellites after take off it’s going to probably lose them again before landing just when you need them most.

 

[Cafguy]

Also plz let's not get into the debate of why don't u do it legally coz drones are completely banned where I live even for 5 meters high.

Well there's your answer! Its like EXTREMELY Dangerous and VERY Dumb and foolish. I am not sure what country you are in BUT prison life there doesnt sound like it would be a vacation. Are the Government representatives in your country willing to storm 18 floors to drag you to prison? or do you think 17 is their limit?

 

[mavic3usa]

OP, you'll be fine; you don't need that satellite lock to do what you intend to do. Can't comment on anything else about legality or what kind of shot makes the best shot but I can tell you this: You don't need all those satellites and your drone won't go all shaky or out of control; that isn't what happens to a modern DJI that loses satellite.

And....I'm out cause I know where this thread is about to take a turn towards....

 

[MS Coast]

Coz the f'd up country I live in sentence you to jail time if caught flying a drone, yet am living in a key location and I cant fight the temptation to fly

You have issues far beyond technical advice on how to conduct the flight. I wish you well.