RTH change in new DJI fly app

[CanadianFlyer]

What is the benefit of the change to RTH in the latest Fly app?
I don't see any benefit to having the drone maintain the current height and coming back as opposed to going to the height you pick in the settings.
Am I missing something?

 

[Thomas B]

What is the benefit of the change to RTH in the latest Fly app?
I don't see any benefit to having the drone maintain the current height and coming back as opposed to going to the height you pick in the settings.
Am I missing something?

Clearing obstacles you climbed to get over and those you had to fly under on the outbound leg of your flight.

 

[CanadianFlyer]

Sorry. Maybe I'm missing something.
Before, the drone would go to the prescribed height (eg. 150 ft) clearing the highest obstacle in the flight path. Now (when within 50 metres) the drone will return at the height you're currently flying (let's say 50 feet). What if there is a 100 foot tree between you and the drone (let's ignore obstacle avoidence for a moment). I don't see their benefit.

 

[Repaid1]

Sorry. Maybe I'm missing something.
Before, the drone would go to the prescribed height (eg. 150 ft) clearing the highest obstacle in the flight path. Now (when within 50 metres) the drone will return at the height you're currently flying (let's say 50 feet). What if there is a 100 foot tree between you and the drone (let's ignore obstacle avoidence for a moment). I don't see their benefit.

Could you point to the release notes of this change? I know that within 60 foot of homepoint it would just land. I am at a loss on this change so if you could confirm the release? As far as I knew the aircraft firmware sets the RTH on the flight controller. Yes it is set on the App but stored in FC aircraft side.

 

[DanMan32]

I believe they changed it with MA2 firmware.

 

[DanMan32]

Release notes for MM2 firmware released 11/5/2020

Optimized logic for Return to Home (RTH). The default RTH altitude is adjusted to 100 m and the aircraft will hover in place if the horizontal distance from the Home Point is less than 20 m.

So instead of landing in place, it just hovers. In other words, within 20m, it ignores RTH. Or perhaps it was a misprint and they meant land, not hover.

The fly at current altitude if between 5m and 50m is only with MA2 current firmware according to release notes.
50m, 160ft is pretty far out to come back at current altitude. I thought 20m, 60ft was too far out.

 

[Thomas B]

Release notes for MM2 firmware released 11/5/2020

Optimized logic for Return to Home (RTH). The default RTH altitude is adjusted to 100 m and the aircraft will hover in place if the horizontal distance from the Home Point is less than 20 m.

So instead of landing in place, it just hovers. In other words, within 20m, it ignores RTH. Or perhaps it was a misprint and they meant land, not hover.

The fly at current altitude if between 5m and 50m is only with MA2 current firmware according to release notes.
50m, 160ft is pretty far out to come back at current altitude. I thought 20m, 60ft was too far out.

What does yours do?

 

[BrokenAero]

What does yours do?

Release Notes re: Firmware 01.00.0511 dated 12-28-2020 :

”Optimized RTH. If the aircraft is at a distance of 5 m to 50 m from the Home Point when RTH is initiated, the aircraft adjusts its orientation and flies to the Home Point at the current altitude.”

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

Release Notes re: Firmware 01.00.0511 dated 12-28-2020 :

”Optimized RTH. If the aircraft is at a distance of 5 m to 50 m from the Home Point when RTH is initiated, the aircraft adjusts its orientation and flies to the Home Point at the current altitude.”

Correct. And completely unwanted, by me. If I make an assessment of the highest obstacles between me (adjacent to the Home Point) and the drone’s expected flight positions, I want the drone to follow my RTH instructions, not DJI’s default assessment. If I consider the RTH can be achieved safely in a direct linear manner, and faster, then I would fly the drone back manually. This update was unnecessary and not wanted.

 

[BrokenAero]

Correct. And completely unwanted, by me.

I agree - I can envision many scenarios where it could actually be dangerous.

 

[baristabob]

I agree - I can envision many scenarios where it could actually be dangerous.

Like guide wires, tree with thin branches.

 

[Droning on and on...]

... This update was unnecessary and not wanted.

This is the reason that I don't update anything unless it fixes a problem that I'm having or adds a feature that I need.

I'm still happily enjoying the old RTH behavior along with the old orientation indicator on 1.1.10.

I wish software designers would figure out that if they're going to change the behavior of the software, they should give the user the choice of keeping the old behavior.

 

[spsphotos]

Well, you could just send the drone up to 150ft before hitting RTH. . I can see some cases where the hover in place might be good instead of just landing....water for example. But, honestly, I rarely use RTH and I could only see using it in emergency situations. Just makes for lazy piloting.

 

[BrokenAero]

Well, you could just send the drone up to 150ft before hitting RTH. . I can see some cases where the hover in place might be good instead of just landing....water for example. But, honestly, I rarely use RTH and I could only see using it in emergency situations. Just makes for lazy piloting.

Except you don’t always hit return to home - lost signal will trigger it. And there’s nothing like switching from my Phantom to my Mavic and forgetting that the controllers’ Power and RTH button positions are flipped. ? What’s up with THAT?!

 

[spsphotos]

Except you don’t always hit return to home - lost signal will trigger it. And there’s nothing like switching from my Phantom to my Mavic and forgetting that the controllers’ Power and RTH button positions are flipped. ? What’s up with THAT?!

Thus my comment on "emergency situations'.

 

[DanMan32]

What does yours do?

My P3A, M2Z, or my MM1?
I know my M2Z does what the manual says. Landing when really close, like within 10 ft made sense, as one might do a hover test and expect landing rather than going high up, then practically right back down. Easy to forget to take normal RTH into account when on low battery or turning RC off first.

It would be nice to know what the DJI engineers are thinking. They may have a point we hadn't thought of.

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

This is the reason that I don't update anything unless it fixes a problem that I'm having or adds a feature that I need.

I'm still happily enjoying the old RTH behavior along with the old orientation indicator on 1.1.10.

I wish software designers would figure out that if they're going to change the behavior of the software, they should give the user the choice of keeping the old behavior.

I agree with your sentiments. My recommendation was for DJI to add the two set up options in the DJI Fly App Control section. Pilots could then choose which one they preferred. The same should have applied to the updated Drone Orientation Finder on the centre bottom screen display (now hidden away on the map and absolutely useless at such a small size, on an iphone 11 Pro screen). But a workaround for the RTH is to just go to Speed Mode and fly out a little beyond the application transition range distance and then use RTH. The old method should apply; job done. I would certainly recommend updating with the firmware releases, however, even if some of them seem a bit pointless. Cheers from NZ - ? ?

 

[inno]

Hi all! I've been on these forums (Started with PhantomPilots.com) since 2015 when I purchased my first DJI drone, the Phantom 3 Advanced. Granted I don't post much at all, but read almost all. I currently have the P3A (DJI Go before P4), Mavic Pro Alpine Edition, Spark, Mavic 2 Zoom (DJI Go 4), Mavic Air 2, and Mavic Mini 2 (DJI Fly).

Since the DJI Go before P4 app, the RTH function (all three scenarios Failsafe, Smart, Low Battery) hasn't really changed, the exception was obstacle avoidance and now increased it's "within 20m to 50m. Imagine standing in the middle of a football field on the 50 yard line. The distance (50m) is just beyond the goal posts. That isn't that far. If there are obstacles (houses, buildings, trees, power lines) within that short of a distance and you're worried about it crashing into something regardless of why it went into an RTH function, then you are probably BVLOS (can't see the drone regardless of distance) and or flying where you shouldn't be.

I fly in a Home Depot warehouse sometimes, in and around all the aisles. because of the close proximity, short distances, and many obstacles to go in case of recovery, just set the rth to hove in place. I can walk to it easily. And if it goes into a low batt RTH, and lands on something that it should not of, well then poor piloting on me. And NO, I don't fly when the store is opened nor when there are people around.

However, if you are into racing drones where replacement parts are inexpensive for the most part and love to fly in, out, and around obstacles and still record your flight, then maybe that's the way you should fly. A 50m radius is a typical course size, a football field or smaller. But you better know how to fly, they are not like these drones (DJI flying cameras) where the computer pretty much maintains control for you, unless you fly in atti mode, but the computer still helps maintains altitude.

Happy and Safe Flying

 

[JOE CHRONIC]

DJI needs to bring back the RTH user altitude choice!
I liked my drone climbing to 395' before returning to home as I
am near a lot of Hugh Oak trees and high obsticles.(and yes I know I can climb manually before a RTH but I enjoy being lazy)

 

[inno]

DJI needs to bring back the RTH user altitude choice!
I liked my drone climbing to 395' before returning to home as I
am near a lot of Hugh Oak trees and high obsticles.(and yes I know I can climb manually before a RTH but I enjoy being lazy)

Hi Joe, not sure what software you are running, but the user adjustable RTH altitude has been in all DJI apps, (DJI go, go4, and fly). It's never not been there. They, DJI, like many (microsoft) have a tendency to put things in different places at times, but keeping the same functionality.

In the current DJI fly app v1.2.2... all devices have current firmware
on my mini 2, under settings, safety tab, flight protection, you can set auto rth altitude from 42.2ft to 1640ft
on my ma2, under settings, safety tab, flight protection, you can set auto rth altitude from 65.6ft to 1640ft

both DJI Go before P4 and DJI GO 4, still have it as well.

Hope this helps!

Happy and safe flying!