Sport mode.

[Phoog]

How do you all feel about using sport mode to get somewhere and switching to regular to film and then back to sport to get back?

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[Cyberpower678]

How do you all feel about using sport mode to get somewhere and switching to regular to film and then back to sport to get back?

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It's fantastic. Why do you ask?


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[videolester]

A quick way to get to your shoot location!

 

[BlakPhoenix]

I do it all the time. Was filming in a lot of wind yesterday so used sport mode to get into position quickly/back home, and the cinematic mode to get the smooth shots. Works like a charm.

 

[Phoog]

Awesome.

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[rydfree]

I fly in Sport mode all the time and switch to P-Mode when I want steady shots . You can save a little battery life by cruising in P-Mode the whole way but most of my flights are well within the range of the battery anyway . I'd rather get to where I want to be and spend the time filming than flying slow over peoples houses and property just to get there . Nobody really notices the little Mavic screaming by at 300' and 40MPH .

 

[tcope]

Do it all of the time. To me, the Mavic is a camera platform. So I'm using it to take photos and video 99.99% of the time. When I need to cover distance I use Sport mode. Ever try to get a decent video in Sport mode? It's just way to twitchy.

 

[sonof40]

That would be the only practical use of Sport Mode IMO.

 

[davmcw]

So, I designed a 5 mile long square shaped "course" and flew it once in Sport Mode and then again in P mode (OA off). Except for when I had to turn I had the throttle pegged in both cases. I then uploaded the logs to HeathyDrone and their algorithm predicted the Sport Mode mission would have had a full battery range of just over 7 miles and the P mode mission full battery range was estimated at 9 miles. I repeated this exercise twice with similar results. So, there is an efficiency penalty for using Sport Mode that will vary by how you use it but looks to be about 25% in my crude test given the conditions of that day and my calibrated throttle thumb.

From a more subjective standpoint, the noise level, at say 200', is noticeably greater in wide open Sport Mode than in wide open P mode if the MP is directly overhead. If that matters then P mode it.

 

[greginfinity]

I am afraid to use it because of how violently it shakes the gimbal. Any reason to think it would damage it? I probably just need to be better about slowly ramping speeds but I still worry...

 

[alexanderguelph]

So, I designed a 5 mile long square shaped "course" and flew it once in Sport Mode and then again in P mode (OA off). Except for when I had to turn I had the throttle pegged in both cases. I then uploaded the logs to HeathyDrone and their algorithm predicted the Sport Mode mission would have had a full battery range of just over 7 miles and the P mode mission full battery range was estimated at 9 miles. I repeated this exercise twice with similar results. So, there is an efficiency penalty for using Sport Mode that will vary by how you use it but looks to be about 25% in my crude test given the conditions of that day and my calibrated throttle thumb.

From a more subjective standpoint, the noise level, at say 200', is noticeably greater in wide open Sport Mode than in wide open P mode if the MP is directly overhead. If that matters then P mode it.

I love this scientific mindset. It makes me so happy to see Mavic pilots asking technical questions then designing and carrying out their own tests and sharing the data and findings on these forums. This is the analytical thinking I'm always trying to drill into my students. Thank you for sharing with us!


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[cobra46]

So, I designed a 5 mile long square shaped "course" and flew it once in Sport Mode and then again in P mode (OA off). Except for when I had to turn I had the throttle pegged in both cases. I then uploaded the logs to HeathyDrone and their algorithm predicted the Sport Mode mission would have had a full battery range of just over 7 miles and the P mode mission full battery range was estimated at 9 miles. I repeated this exercise twice with similar results. So, there is an efficiency penalty for using Sport Mode that will vary by how you use it but looks to be about 25% in my crude test given the conditions of that day and my calibrated throttle thumb.

From a more subjective standpoint, the noise level, at say 200', is noticeably greater in wide open Sport Mode than in wide open P mode if the MP is directly overhead. If that matters then P mode it.

This is because drag (air friction) goes up by the square of the speed. If you double the speed the drag goes up by four times.

 

[davmcw]

This is because drag (air friction) goes up by the square of the speed. If you double the speed the drag goes up by four times.

For sure. But it is more complicated than that. For example, if you cruise at 10mph your range will be much less than in my "experiment" even though the drag less. Even if you assume a 24 minute air time at 10 mph your full battery range is only 4 miles...no where near either the full throttle P mode or full throttle Sport mode range. My experiment is only quasi scientific at best. Just trying to find a general "mode" that will maximize distance flown as opposed to time aloft.

 

[Wacker2611]

Initially I thought I'd never use it, writing it off as a bit of a novelty. Now, I use it all the time during the 'boring bits ' of a flight and I haven't noticed any real battery penalty. Having said that, someone's just made a new post about overcurrent during discharge warnings when in Sport Mode, which would scare me a bit.

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[cobra46]

For sure. But it is more complicated than that. For example, if you cruise at 10mph your range will be much less than in my "experiment" even though the drag less. Even if you assume a 24 minute air time at 10 mph your full battery range is only 4 miles...no where near either the full throttle P mode or full throttle Sport mode range. My experiment is only quasi scientific at best. Just trying to find a general "mode" that will maximize distance flown as opposed to time aloft.

Yes of course. You can hover it and the parasite drag will be zero but your flight times will be short and your distance will be zero. There will obviously be a sweet spot where efficiency is maximized. I think with the Mavic it has been determined to be around 15mph.

 

[davmcw]

Yes of course. You can hover it and the parasite drag will be zero but your flight times will be short and your distance will be zero. There will obviously be a sweet spot where efficiency is maximized. I think with the Mavic it has been determined to be around 15mph.

I have heard the same 15 mph figure quoted as being the most efficient too. However, the math just doesn't work...which is why I performed my little experiment. Even if you assume the most optimistic flight time of 27 minutes (which is very very generous) at 15 mph you only cover 6.75 miles. And this ignores ascents, descents, turns, etc.. Many people have demonstrated flight distances greater than that including my own experiment. In fact, the stated signal range by DJI is 4.3 miles implying at least an 8.6 mile distance capability...clearly requiring more than 15 mph headway. 15 mph can't be the most efficient speed. It must be something greater.

 

[cobra46]

Not sure if it applies to drones but 'real' airplanes have a maximum range speed and a maximum time aloft speed which are different.

Perhaps 15.5 mph is the maximum time aloft speed. This would make since as it's the number DJI can tout in their advertising.

 

[Kilrah]

Exact. 15mph is for longest time in the air, you can fly faster and cover more distance but you won't stay in the air as long.
On a typical flight I'll cover about 5km and stay in the air 20 mins, if I want to do distance and push it at 50km/h during the entire flight I'll have covered 10km but I'm out of battery after 15mins.

I typically don't use sport mode but fly in P mode with OA off. IMO Sport needs too much power and adds unnecessary stress for those last ~13km/h extra.

IIn fact, the stated signal range by DJI is 4.3 miles implying at least an 8.6 mile distance capability...

Signal range doesn't imply anything, it's really stating the capabilities of the RF system on its own regardless of whether you can actually use it or not.

 

[larkin]

I used Sport mode it to get to my object of interest 2 miles away (the center tower of the bay bridge in SF), switched to regular mode to do a lateral circle capture of the tower, then back to Sport to rush home before the battery went kaput. Pretty sure this was the intent of having a Sport mode.

 

[Phoog]

Sport mode does make me smile though.

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