Weak Signal?

[BillyDrone]

Sometime I get warnings of a weak signal when I have my Mavic Pro in the air...........What happens if your drone loses all signal to your remote?
Does your drone come back to you automatically?

 

[Thomas B]

Sometime I get warnings of a weak signal when I have my Mavic Pro in the air...........What happens if your drone loses all signal to your remote?
Does your drone come back to you automatically?

If you have set it to do that.

 

[BillyDrone]

If you have set it to do that.

I did not know there was a way to set it to do that.

 

[Thomas B]

You can set it to land, RTH, or hover.

 

[BillyDrone]

You can set it to land, RTH, or hover.

Oh...Ok...Thanks.

 

[slup]

...What happens if your drone loses all signal to your remote? Does your drone come back to you automatically?

Hi there @BillyDrone, I always becomes a bit concerned when I read about newbie pilots up & flying and asking about fundamentals in the forum... that's usually a clear indicator that this with flying drones have started up in the wrong end.

As nearly all crashes & mishaps comes from pilot errors ... ignorance is your worst enemy.

If you learn below points & read the 64 page user manual for your drone most of the newbie mistakes will be avoided.



Read the user manual ...the thick downloadable one, not only the quick start, download here --> https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/mavic/Mavic_Pro_User_Manual_v2.0_en.pdf

Power on in the right order ... First power on your RC & start the app ... after that, power on the drone (& do it on the spot you're going to take off from). Reverse order to shut down.

Preferably power on the drone keeping it horizontal in your out stretched hand (without watches, rings or other magnetic objects) … once the live view have turned up in your mobile device you can put it on ground for take-off. (This supports the point below …)

Before take-off ALWAYS ... add in one very easy check to avoid a really scary event coming from accidentally launching from a magnetic disturbed place with following flyaway at height in an uncontrollable circular or straight flight path. After powering on your drone, connected to your RC/app & placed it in the take-off spot ... but before lift-off, ALWAYS check that the drone icon on the map in your app is pointing equal in relation to other objects in the map as the drone does in reality ... if not, abort launch attempt, POWER DOWN & move away, power up again and repeat.

Keep well under the wind spec where you fly ... and please note that it's not only at ground, it's at the altitude where you fly. The winds up to 400ft are very different then on ground. Use for instance the UAV Forecast app where you can get a feeling about the winds on higher altitudes, but please note that it's forecasts we are speaking of, a bit of common sense is good to apply to that ... "better skip flying a windy day & fly more another".

Don't go & calibrate everything on a regularly basis ... why fix things that are working, it's just a higher risk that you by mistake calibrate your compass in a magnetic disturbed area & the drone goes haywire 10 meters up in the air. Calibrate IMU + compass according to user manual, keep away from magnetic things like cars, metal tables & reinforced concrete at take-off & compass calibrations. If the app recommend a compass calibration first try another launch spot on a far distance from the first ... if calibration still is recommended by the app do it, but only then.

Don't launch in a hurry ... wait until you have at least 8, preferable 10 locked satellites & wait for the lady voice announce that the Home point has been updated, check then on the map that it's in the correct spot. Learn how the RTH function works (it can work differently depending on scenario), don't set the altitude for that unnecessary high, look around were you are going to fly and set it to clear the highest obstacle, to high & the drone risks a blow away.

Seek up a large open place ... a soccer field, free of obstacles & people. Test off every function one at a time until you fully understand how it works & the logic behind, confirm through the user manual if needed. Fly low, slow & near. And don’t try to fly indoors before you exactly know what makes these machines fly stable … you only risk your interior & to damage your drone in the process.

Take the claimed control distance from DJI with a pinch of salt ... only doable out in the countryside completely free of WiFi disturbance & obstacles in between the Remote & Aircraft.

Don't rely 100% on the obstacle avoidance sensors ... they are good & handy to have to perhaps save you when making a mistake, but they can't see everything, especially thin branches & wires so don't think they will allow your drone to just bounce away from everything all the time. Also note that they need plenty of light to work properly, too dark & they will turn off.

The Pause button on the RC ... It's a handy one, it will stop all automated modes immediately (if you have GPS coverage). Place your thumb on that when you initiate an automated flight mode & be prepare to stop it if too close to a tree for instance.

Don't use the RTH button as a "panic button" it's usually the weakest mode of them all ... you will always have access to more power in the manual modes ... if slow against a bit to strong head wind, go for Sport mode, drop altitude & manoeuvre the drone home manually.

Learn the rules & regulation ... keep the drone within Visual line of sight & respect max altitudes, if you can't avoid going out of visual keep it at least in line of sight (unobstructed line between Remote & Aircraft even though you don't see it) so you don’t lose the connection.

 

[Meta4]

Sometime I get warnings of a weak signal when I have my Mavic Pro in the air...........What happens if your drone loses all signal to your remote?
Does your drone come back to you automatically?

Here's the relevant section from p13 of your manual:

https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/mavic/20171219/Mavic%20Pro%20User%20Manual%20V2.0.pdf

Failsafe RTH
If the Home Point was successfully recorded and the compass is functioning normally, Failsafe RTH will be automatically activated if the remote controller signal is lost for a specified amount of time (3 seconds when using the remote controller and 20 seconds when using Wi-Fi).
Return-to-Home can be cancelled by the pilot, allowing them to regain control when the remote controller signal connection is re-established.

The RTH section of the manual has 4 pages and is probably the most important to understand.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Hi there @BillyDrone, I always becomes a bit concerned when I read about newbie pilots up & flying and asking about fundamentals in the forum... that's usually a clear indicator that this with flying drones have started up in the wrong end.

As nearly all crashes & mishaps comes from pilot errors ... ignorance is your worst enemy.

If you learn below points & read the 64 page user manual for your drone most of the newbie mistakes will be avoided.



Read the user manual ...the thick downloadable one, not only the quick start, download here --> https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/mavic/Mavic_Pro_User_Manual_v2.0_en.pdf

Power on in the right order ... First power on your RC & start the app ... after that, power on the drone (& do it on the spot you're going to take off from). Reverse order to shut down.

Preferably power on the drone keeping it horizontal in your out stretched hand (without watches, rings or other magnetic objects) … once the live view have turned up in your mobile device you can put it on ground for take-off. (This supports the point below …)

Before take-off ALWAYS ... add in one very easy check to avoid a really scary event coming from accidentally launching from a magnetic disturbed place with following flyaway at height in an uncontrollable circular or straight flight path. After powering on your drone, connected to your RC/app & placed it in the take-off spot ... but before lift-off, ALWAYS check that the drone icon on the map in your app is pointing equal in relation to other objects in the map as the drone does in reality ... if not, abort launch attempt, POWER DOWN & move away, power up again and repeat.

Keep well under the wind spec where you fly ... and please note that it's not only at ground, it's at the altitude where you fly. The winds up to 400ft are very different then on ground. Use for instance the UAV Forecast app where you can get a feeling about the winds on higher altitudes, but please note that it's forecasts we are speaking of, a bit of common sense is good to apply to that ... "better skip flying a windy day & fly more another".

Don't go & calibrate everything on a regularly basis ... why fix things that are working, it's just a higher risk that you by mistake calibrate your compass in a magnetic disturbed area & the drone goes haywire 10 meters up in the air. Calibrate IMU + compass according to user manual, keep away from magnetic things like cars, metal tables & reinforced concrete at take-off & compass calibrations. If the app recommend a compass calibration first try another launch spot on a far distance from the first ... if calibration still is recommended by the app do it, but only then.

Don't launch in a hurry ... wait until you have at least 8, preferable 10 locked satellites & wait for the lady voice announce that the Home point has been updated, check then on the map that it's in the correct spot. Learn how the RTH function works (it can work differently depending on scenario), don't set the altitude for that unnecessary high, look around were you are going to fly and set it to clear the highest obstacle, to high & the drone risks a blow away.

Seek up a large open place ... a soccer field, free of obstacles & people. Test off every function one at a time until you fully understand how it works & the logic behind, confirm through the user manual if needed. Fly low, slow & near. And don’t try to fly indoors before you exactly know what makes these machines fly stable … you only risk your interior & to damage your drone in the process.

Take the claimed control distance from DJI with a pinch of salt ... only doable out in the countryside completely free of WiFi disturbance & obstacles in between the Remote & Aircraft.

Don't rely 100% on the obstacle avoidance sensors ... they are good & handy to have to perhaps save you when making a mistake, but they can't see everything, especially thin branches & wires so don't think they will allow your drone to just bounce away from everything all the time. Also note that they need plenty of light to work properly, too dark & they will turn off.

The Pause button on the RC ... It's a handy one, it will stop all automated modes immediately (if you have GPS coverage). Place your thumb on that when you initiate an automated flight mode & be prepare to stop it if too close to a tree for instance.

Don't use the RTH button as a "panic button" it's usually the weakest mode of them all ... you will always have access to more power in the manual modes ... if slow against a bit to strong head wind, go for Sport mode, drop altitude & manoeuvre the drone home manually.

Learn the rules & regulation ... keep the drone within Visual line of sight & respect max altitudes, if you can't avoid going out of visual keep it at least in line of sight (unobstructed line between Remote & Aircraft even though you don't see it) so you don’t lose the connection.

Excellent help for someone that really needs it.

 

[WJbdB]

I am really astounded by the nature of questions that arise in this forum. If somebody needs help, OK. But he/she needs to read the given help in this forum. So the art of reading is apparently for all users of this forum a must. So, I would reason, reading the manuals could be done before asking the very fundamentals clearly stated in those manuals. Personally I like to help anybody but I hate to be misused as a reading donkey by people who are too lazy to read those fundamentals in drone flying.

 

[BossBob]

When you can buy a drone and it arrives next day or you pick it up from the shop with a quick start guide why would you want to read a manual?
If you have to wait 6 months from ordering the drone for it to arrive there is every chance that you’ll have read the manual a few times.

 

[slup]

When you can buy a drone and it arrives next day or you pick it up from the shop with a quick start guide why would you want to read a manual?

Perhaps you're ironic ... but,

Maybe because you don't want to go back to the same store the day after to buy a new one after you have crashed it to pieces due to ignorance ... or you want to avoid injuring people or damage someones property?

Very little is written in the quickstart about all the different RTH scenarios ... or what can happen if you power on the drone in magnetic disturbance ... or what will happen if you take-off without a recorded HP or how the drone will behave if you fly in between thing's that shield out the sky so you lose sat lock.

These machines seems to be flying by them selves ... but that's only an illusion, it's a lot that can go wrong if you don't have knowledge & know what you're doing. As said earlier... most crashes & mishaps falls on the pilot.

 

[WJbdB]

In fact the whole discussion here is about REPONSIBILITY. A drone is an UNMANNED FLYING VEHICLE, capable of seriously HURTING or INJURING people.

 

[Tomk_]

I think some of us are just wired to be a little more curious.

I read everything. Be it a drone or some other tool. I then try it out. For example, after I read about RTH settings and options for lost signal... I tried them all out. I flew out a little ways and then shut my controller off so I would know what happens. When I read something online or see it in a video... I go out and try it for myself. Not everyone is like that. Many people would rather someone else try it and tell them what happens. I guess I'm not that trusting.

 

[BossBob]

Perhaps you're ironic ... but,

Maybe because you don't want to go back to the same store the day after to buy a new one after you have crashed it to pieces due to ignorance ... or you want to avoid injuring people or damage someones property?

Very little is written in the quickstart about all the different RTH scenarios ... or what can happen if you power on the drone in magnetic disturbance ... or what will happen if you take-off without a recorded HP or how the drone will behave if you fly in between thing's that shield out the sky so you lose sat lock.

These machines seems to be flying by them selves ... but that's only an illusion, it's a lot that can go wrong if you don't have knowledge & know what you're doing. As said earlier... most crashes & mishaps falls on the pilot.

Very ironic. I still fly my MP1 that was delivered just over 4 years ago after ordering it October 2016 just after release. I’ve not only read the original manual but extensively searched for other sources of information, discarding many. But I’m still here, still flying what is now thought of as a legacy device.