Return to home calculator

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

So I flew my drone today over the ocean being very conscious of the battery and that suggested return to home metre so 4 minute sbegir edit suggested I return home I returned home thinking I was safe but nope 800m out she auto landed into the sea and I was devasted. What is at fault here?? I flew 3.8km so I should have been fine right? Just wont to find out if that return to home recommendation is very accurate?

Thanks, Josh

Simmo · Dec 30, 2017

Were you flying with the wind of against it....

Bensjamming · Dec 30, 2017

It goes off of distance traveled. But if your flying with the wind out there it's not using much power. When you turn around and see fighting the wind it has to work MUCH harder using way more power coming up short as you found out.

sar104 · Dec 30, 2017

What recommendation were you following?

Anthony · Dec 30, 2017

Tidal said:
So I flew my drone today over the ocean being very conscious of the battery and that suggested return to home metre so 4 minute sbegir edit suggested I return home I returned home thinking I was safe but nope 800m out she auto landed into the sea and I was devasted. What is at fault here?? I flew 3.8km so I should have been fine right? Just wont to find out if that return to home recommendation is very accurate?

Thanks, Josh

RTH has no way of calculating wind, air temperature etc as these effect flight time and speed so at best it's a guide.

I have a few locations I fly in and it's the wind direction that really determine where I'm going to fly as I always try to have a head wind on my out bound flight nd a tail wind on my return leg.

So you dropped to the 10% battery level ?

We're you flying in sports mode or did you hit RTH mode ?

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

Simmo said:
Were you flying with the wind of against it....

No there was almost no wind and it was blowing it back to me

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

Bensjamming said:
It goes off of distance traveled. But if your flying with the wind out there it's not using much power. When you turn around and see fighting the wind it has to work MUCH harder using way more power coming up short as you found out.

But the wind was blowing onshore in my direction so assisting it wich is why I don’t see why it fell short

Simmo · Dec 30, 2017

sar104 said:
What recommendation were you following?

Inside the Mavic’s pocket-sized remote controller is DJI’s brand new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3mi (7km)*, HD 720p long range and Full HD 1080p short range video streaming.*Unobstructed, free of interference, when FCC compliant.

sar104 · Dec 30, 2017

Simmo said:
Inside the Mavic’s pocket-sized remote controller is DJI’s brand new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3mi (7km)*, HD 720p long range and Full HD 1080p short range video streaming.*Unobstructed, free of interference, when FCC compliant.

What does that have to do with estimating RTH?

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

Could it simply be a small failure? And is it worth maybe chatting to dji?

sar104 · Dec 30, 2017

Tidal said:
Could it simply be a small failure? And is it worth maybe chatting to dji?

I suggest that you upload the log file of the flight so that we can look at it - that should clarify exactly what happened.

DJI Flight Log Viewer

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

I

sar104 said:
I suggest that you upload the log file of the flight so that we can look at it - that should clarify exactly what happened.

DJI Flight Log Viewer

will try

Simmo · Dec 30, 2017

sar104 said:
What does that have to do with estimating RTH?

Sorry Bud, I was indicating that the recommendation he followed, was Dji's own claims... that it could fly 7 k's away..... so 3.8 k's out is way within the capabilities, especially with a tail wind on the way home??? !!

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

I

sar104 said:
I suggest that you upload the log file of the flight so that we can look at it - that should clarify exactly what happened.

DJI Flight Log Viewer

am having issues getting the log. My iTunes simply wont display the apps anywhere

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

Simmo said:
Sorry Bud, I was indicating that the recommendation he followed, was Dji's own claims... that it could fly 7 k's away..... so 3.8 k's out is way within the capabilities, especially with a tail wind on the way home??? !!

Do you think with that in mind it’s worth taking the matter up with dji?

Bensjamming · Dec 30, 2017

Winds, especially over large bodies of water are often deceiving. On shore they may feel like they are blowing one direction when in reality up a 100 feet Nd out a ways can be a totally different story.

The same as how it can be a light 5 mph wind on the ground but up a cpl hundred feet the wind maybe blowing at 30 mph.

sar104 · Dec 30, 2017

Simmo said:
Sorry Bud, I was indicating that the recommendation he followed, was Dji's own claims... that it could fly 7 k's away..... so 3.8 k's out is way within the capabilities, especially with a tail wind on the way home??? !!

But those are completely different specifications - that's just the distance over which the communication system works, not necessarily the range of the aircraft, which depends on many other factors.

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

I

Bensjamming said:
Winds, especially over large bodies of water are often deceiving. On shore they may feel like they are blowing one direction when in reality up a 100 feet Nd out a ways can be a totally different story.

The same as how it can be a light 5 mph wind on the ground but up a cpl hundred feet the wind maybe blowing at 30 mph.

I checked the wind offshore same story blowing In land so with the tail

sar104 · Dec 30, 2017

Tidal said:
Do you think with that in mind it’s worth taking the matter up with dji?

Not until you have looked at the logs. What kind of mobile device are you using?

Tidal · Dec 30, 2017

Winds out at sea where 10km/h and blowing mostly onshore however I will note blowing parallel to the shore. But that shouldn’t explain falling short 800- 1.3 km short after flying 3.8 out.