Power up Controller or drone first

[Rabber]

In the RC Car world it is very taboo to power up your car first. Controller always first. Does the same hold true for drones?

 

[BSauce955]

In the RC Car world it is very taboo to power up your car first. Controller always first. Does the same hold true for drones?

I don't know if you have to but I always have. I have tried powering up the drone first and it still works as far as I know. However, DJI says power up the controller first so that's what I do.

 

[slup]

Doesn't matter ... except for one reason, which is the log recording.

If you in the future gets a flyaway due to a yaw error for instance (power on of the drone in a magnetic disturbed location)... all happens just when the drone is powered up, & if you haven't started the RC+app the crucial evidence of the reason for the flyaway isn't recorded.

I would start RC+app first ... & then the AC.

 

[BigAl07]

I'm still old school and I like the Tx fired up and booted first just because that's how it's always been but . . . sometimes when we are working as a team the Rx gets powered up while I'm doing other things and then I power up the Tx.

 

[spudster]

That all stems from the old 27 / 49 / 72 / 75 MHz analog transmitters and receivers. It was much more likely to get outside interference then with the new 2.4Ghz digital systems. But I'm old school so I still power up the Tx first.

If you ask a newer pilot about using frequency clips they would have no idea what you are talking about

 

[sar104]

I'm still old school and I like the Tx fired up and booted first just because that's how it's always been but . . . sometimes when we are working as a team the Rx gets powered up while I'm doing other things and then I power up the Tx.

Could you clarify what you mean by Tx and Rx? Both the remote controller and the aircraft have transmitter and receiver pairs.

 

[zaldy]

I always power RC first, then aircraft...

little side question, in the world of DJI Enhanced Wifi, who decides/choose best Wifi channel to use? the RC? or the Aircraft?

My logic says the RC? am i rite? since i always power RC first, i assume RC will scan wifi channel and choose less inteference

 

[zaldy]

Could you clarify what you mean by Tx and Rx? Both the remote controller and the aircraft have transmitter and receiver pairs.

I think TX refers to remote controller, and RX refers to aircraft... the terms comes form RC (Remote control cars) world..

i play RC Cars years ago.. i heard those terms often...

 

[spudster]

Could you clarify what you mean by Tx and Rx? Both the remote controller and the aircraft have transmitter and receiver pairs.

In the analog days where the equipment use replaceable crystals, the aircraft / vehicle did not have a transmitter on them as the control was one way (transmitter Tx to receiver Rx), thus was more prone to interference.

Do you know what frequency clips are?

Transmitters -> RC Helicopter Radios | Horizon Hobby

Receivers -> RC Radios Aircraft Receivers | Horizon Hobby

 

[sar104]

In the analog days where the equipment use replaceable crystals, the aircraft / vehicle did not have a transmitter on them as the control was one way (transmitter Tx to receiver Rx), thus was more prone to interference.

Do you know what frequency clips are?

Transmitters -> RC Helicopter Radios | Horizon Hobby

Receivers -> RC Radios Aircraft Receivers | Horizon Hobby

That makes sense. I was never into remote controlled vehicles of any kind, prior to UAVs.

 

[BigAl07]

That makes sense. I was never into remote controlled vehicles of any kind, prior to UAVs.

Yea it's an Old School (and technically now incorrect) term. Up until about ~2010 the comms were one-way with nothing being broadcast from the aircraft at all. It was indeed Tx (Remote Controller Transmitter) and Rx (Receiver in the aircraft). Today it's a two-way street with comms and the added benefit of the Bind/Link protocol.

One of the main reasons we had to power on the Tx/RC first was because there was no "BINDING". Any R/C broadcasting on your "channel/frequency" could control your vehicle (aircraft, car, boat etc). We had a limited # of channels available so you made sure you only turned ON your Tx-R/C when you had the Channel Pin for your Channel from the impound board on your antennae. This way we helped to reduce (not eliminate unfortunately) someone "Shooting Down" our aircraft by turning on a Tx on our channel while we were flying. If your Tx wasn't on when the Rx was, it would likely get "chatter" from similar channels and the vehicle would "behave" erratically.

The correct protocol was:
Remote Control - ON
Vehicle - ON
Vehicle - OFF
Remote Control - OFF

 

[MontanaMan007]

Drone. Then the controller will see it.

 

[Crashdummytest]

In the RC Car world it is very taboo to power up your car first. Controller always first. Does the same hold true for drones?

Controller first, it's a must with the SC and M2P due to a bug regarding video and startup sequence, at least it used to be. Haven't tried in a while . The camera on the M2P would not work if the M2P was turned on before the SC.

 

[Cymruflyer]

When I got my first Mavic Pro several years ago, I was told to start the drone first. I did that for a several years and never had a problem. When trouble shooting a new drone with DJI tech support, they told me, each time we went through things, to power up the controller first, I have the SC. Once that was tuned on then they said to turn on the drone. Since then I have always turned on the SC first, then the drone. either way, in the past, I never had any issues.

I have the M2Pro and never hand any issue whether I started the drone first or the SC first. With that said, I now always start the SC first.

 

[sar104]

Controller first, it's a must with the SC and M2P due to a bug regarding video and startup sequence, at least it used to be. Haven't tried in a while . The camera on the M2P would not work if the M2P was turned on before the SC.

That is not a current problem with that combination of equipment.

 

[maven4336]

Controller first then the drone even though I’ve never had a problem doing it either way on the smart controller for the people that on as myself it’s good to clean out and clear the existing pictures, seems to get clogged up and has a hard time starting up without App bailing are usually just wait and let it clear itself instead of resetting it that’s why I wish they would’ve used iOS instead of android oh well we can’t have it all Kenway take care guys and fly safe

 

[maven4336]

Controller first then the drone even though I’ve never had a problem doing it either way on the smart controller for the people that on as myself it’s good to clean out and clear the existing pictures, seems to get clogged up and has a hard time starting up without App bailing are usually just wait and let it clear itself instead of resetting it that’s why I wish they would’ve used iOS instead of android oh well we can’t have it all Kenway take care guys and fly safe

Sorry for the bad spelling I have got to stop using it The Voice Mic, and manually type every word sorry I haven’t had enough coffee yet

 

[Cymruflyer]

Sorry for the bad spelling I have got to stop using it The Voice Mic, and manually type every word sorry I haven’t had enough coffee yet

We can never have too much coffee, Kenway????

 

[twickers14]

I'm still old school and I like the Tx fired up and booted first just because that's how it's always been but . . . sometimes when we are working as a team the Rx gets powered up while I'm doing other things and then I power up the Tx.

Rx and Tx? I am a newbie so forgive innocence!

 

[Cymruflyer]

Rx and Tx? I am a newbie so forgive innocence!

Think of Rx as Receive and Tx as Transmit. What are you transmitting the signal with and what is receiving your signal? Now you know.