RTH did not work..

[JoelP]

In situations like this at such elevation and wind speed I always click into Sport Mode using the switch on the side of the remote and then pull left stick down to decend quickly and then when I get lower below the really strong wind currents I fly back to my home point.

Has not failed me once so far.

I assumed that sport mode would consume less power for comparable speed since it turns off collision avoidance. I have been measuring battery life for program vs sport and am finding that in hover the sport mode consumes about 8% more power on the few tests I have run. I now feel that sport is consuming more power for non-hover too.

There is likely an optimum velocity to return for extending battery life. I only wish that I could display a power consumption rate as a function of gps measured distance (optimum velocity) on my app.

 

[pascky999]

Hello Sar104,
I have got the Airdata access to 3D map through Google earth and subscription to see the wind speed, however can' find the "above see level Alt" vs "terrain" vs AGL, is it one of the higher subscription features.

Thanks

 

[BernieLeDingue]

For those who would plan to fly their drone in France you have a very useful link here > Géoportail
(unfortunately in french )

 

[DanMan32]

I assumed that sport mode would consume less power for comparable speed since it turns off collision avoidance. I have been measuring battery life for program vs sport and am finding that in hover the sport mode consumes about 8% more power on the few tests I have run. I now feel that sport is consuming more power for non-hover too.

There is likely an optimum velocity to return for extending battery life. I only wish that I could display a power consumption rate as a function of gps measured distance (optimum velocity) on my app.

Probably the speed RTH flies at in calm wind. About 22mph I believe.

 

[DanMan32]

It takes less energy to descend than to ascend, but not that much less, as you can clearly see in the first graph in post #8 above. It cuts short RTH and auto lands to prevent it from dropping out of the sky.

Still, auto-landing at 30% even at that altitude seems excessive.

 

[sar104]

Hello Sar104,
I have got the Airdata access to 3D map through Google earth and subscription to see the wind speed, however can' find the "above see level Alt" vs "terrain" vs AGL, is it one of the higher subscription features.

Thanks

That is not an option and I'm not aware of an automated method to do that - you have to do the calculation yourself. You have the aircraft altitude relative to the home point from the txt or DAT logs, and you add the home point elevation to those values to get the aircraft altitude MSL. Then you take the ground track of the flight and compute the MSL terrain elevations for the flight from an appropriate DEM. Then you subtract the MSL terrain elevations from the flight altitude MSL to get the flight altitude AGL.

 

[sar104]

Still, auto-landing at 30% even at that altitude seems excessive.

I don't know what you mean by "sounds excessive". You can see from the graph in post #8 above that the aircraft finally landed with around 15% battery - and I think that 10 - 15% the nominal target for the autoland calculation. It's not normally an issue unless you are flying at significant altitude relative to the home point.

 

[Just_nick]

So, just impersonating a drone cop?

What is a drone cop? One that knows regulations and abides by them? Someone with common sense? Someone that doesn't want things screwed up by idiots? Or, is it just someone you don't like because you don't want to follow rules?

 

[sar104]

What is a drone cop? One that knows regulations and abides by them? Someone with common sense? Someone that doesn't want things screwed up by idiots? Or, is it just someone you don't like because you don't want to follow rules?

I've no idea - he was the one using the term but claiming not to be one. My comment was mostly in jest.

 

[pascky999]

That is not an option and I'm not aware of an automated method to do that - you have to do the calculation yourself. You have the aircraft altitude relative to the home point from the txt or DAT logs, and you add the home point elevation to those values to get the aircraft altitude MSL. Then you take the ground track of the flight and compute the MSL terrain elevations for the flight from an appropriate DEM. Then you subtract the MSL terrain elevations from the flight altitude MSL to get the flight altitude AGL.

Since you displyed the graph, i thought it was a standard report. thx

 

[DanMan32]

I don't know what you mean by "sounds excessive". You can see from the graph in post #8 above that the aircraft finally landed with around 15% battery - and I think that 10 - 15% the nominal target for the autoland calculation. It's not normally an issue unless you are flying at significant altitude relative to the home point.

Exactly. So fly home until it reaches 10 or 15%, even 20% if it takes 15% to come down from that altitude, then auto-land. Give it a chance to get home. Besides, these have been known to still fly quite a ways at 0%.

 

[sar104]

Exactly. So fly home until it reaches 10 or 15%, even 20% if it takes 15% to come down from that altitude, then auto-land. Give it a chance to get home. Besides, these have been known to still fly quite a ways at 0%.

That one took around 20% to get down. Your proposed strategy has no margin. It is better to land safely, short of the home point than run out of gas 500 ft above the home point.

 

[Meta4]

I assumed that sport mode would consume less power for comparable speed since it turns off collision avoidance. I have been measuring battery life for program vs sport and am finding that in hover the sport mode consumes about 8% more power on the few tests I have run. I now feel that sport is consuming more power for non-hover too.

There is likely an optimum velocity to return for extending battery life. I only wish that I could display a power consumption rate as a function of gps measured distance (optimum velocity) on my app.

Just as driving at 120 mph will give you less miles per gallon than driving at 60 mph, flying in sport mode does not give better fuel economy.
If you want max fuel economy, disable obstacle avoidance and fly just a little below full speed.
(The difference isn't much so you may as well fly at full speed.)
Dealing with strong winds makes the calculations quite different and it's always better to get down out of the strong winds.

 

[AnzacJack]

So, just impersonating a drone cop?

Really??

I don’t care what he does, I was just pointing him to the local guide that is something everyone should at least have some awareness.
I’ve always tried to be helpful or positive unlike so many others here, but it is getting tiring to sift through negativity here.

Anyway, thanks for comment. I know it was minor but for me the straw that broke the camels back

Good luck to all with your hobby/businesses. Wish you all the best
Jack, out..

 

[sar104]

Really??

I don’t care what he does, I was just pointing him to the local guide that is something everyone should at least have some awareness.
I’ve always tried to be helpful or positive unlike so many others here, but it is getting tiring to sift through negativity here.

Anyway, thanks for comment. I know it was minor but for me the straw that broke the camels back

Good luck to all with your hobby/businesses. Wish you all the best
Jack, out..

As I said - the comment was in jest, and only because you specifically mentioned it. I've pointed out the regulations many times to many posters and I have no problem with you doing that. I have no idea what negativity you are referring to.

 

[ac0j]

Maybe its for the best. Might be a bit too fragile for public forums.....

 

[AnzacJack]

As I said - the comment was in jest, and only because you specifically mentioned it. I've pointed out the regulations many times to many posters and I have no problem with you doing that. I have no idea what negativity you are referring to.

Not here particularly, nor aimed at me. just the forum in general. And it’s not a matter of being fragile, I’ve been a part of, and run public forums back to the old B.B. days. This forum has just run its time for my allocation of time. Anyway, no ill feelings to you sar. I’m prob just tired with too much going on in life.
And ac0j, olo

 

[wankel7]

If you can't hand fly the drone home be prepared for losing it in this manner. I knew exactly what happened in the first few sentences of the original post.

It would be nice if DJI made it easy to see what type of winds you are dealing with aloft.

 

[sar104]

If you can't hand fly the drone home be prepared for losing it in this manner. I knew exactly what happened in the first few sentences of the original post.

It would be nice if DJI made it easy to see what type of winds you are dealing with aloft.

The FC actually calculates airspeed and windspeed continuously during flight. It certainly could be displayed in the app.

 

[dbyantis]

The FC actually calculates airspeed and windspeed continuously during flight. It certainly could be displayed in the app.

If the app is running!