PhantomDude69 said:
I start by turning on the control, then the range extender, then the phantom. I grab my phone and look for the wireless network which usually takes about 20 seconds from startup. I connect and open the app and place my phone in the holder. I then start the calibration. usually it works on the first try, sometimes it does not, why would it not work if I am doing the same thing? Is the calibration point the home position? are you supposed to calibrate from exactly where you take off? I calibrate it, it turns green, then back to yellow. At that point I am RTF? or is it at that point I place it in the potion I want to set at home and wait for it to turn green (6 satellites) setting that as the home position? how long does it usually take? I have a lot of trees over 100 feet in my area and the RTH function would in my case, drop the bird to 60 feet. I am very afraid of flicking S1 up and down quickly more then 5 times once in the air to make the RTH altitude higher then the trees. Can you guys confirm this is correct and have you had experience resetting in air? Can someone also point out the difference between Naza and Atti mode? I also want to know experience flying behind dense tree coverage. once you are out of sight is the connection basically dead? is there an antenna that is better if you don't have line of sight? you guys are awesome.
Calibrating the compass is ONLY to calibrate the compass for your geographic location (due to magnetic declination...the earth's magnetic field varies in different areas), so that the Phantom knows which way it is heading. You do NOT have to calibrate your compass every flight! Only if you have traveled a long distance from your previous location. The Phantom will tell you when you need to recalibrate, via the lights, and also with an on-screen warning in the Vision+ app.
The GPS is how the Phantom knows where it is on Earth. You are NOT ready to fly until the GPS locks on six or more satellites and determines your Home Point. If your launch point has an obscured horizon, and it sounds like your's does, it may be difficult to achieve a lock. In this case, I would recommend finding an area with a more open view of the sky. The Home Point is actually recorded when you start the motors with 6 or more satellites locked.
If you are only able to get a lock on 4-5, there is an alternative, but you need to understand your Phantom's controls, and be adept at handling your bird. Lets say you get a lock on only 5 satellites due to the trees or buildings obscuring the horizon. You may take off, but you will be taking off in ATTI mode...your Phantom will hold altitude, but NOT position. It will drift with the wind, so you need to be on top of things. Once you get above the objects obscuring the satellites, you will achieve a lock. Your Home Point would then be set when you lock six satellites, as the motors are already running. One locked, the aircraft will enter GPS mode, holding altitude & position. What you want to do in this case is hover directly above where you want to land, climb to the height of the tallest object you need to clear, and flip S2
(the LEFT switch) top-to-bottom 5-6 times. You will see the Phantom's rear lights flash rapid green, confirming the new Home Point (and altitude) has been recorded. If you set the Home Point @ 100' and a RTH occurs at <100', the Phantom will climb to 166' (20 meters above what you set as the Home Point) before returning home. If you are at or above the height at which you set the Home Point, she will maintain that altitude and return home.
If you are new, I highly recommend finding a location where you get a lock ON THE GROUND before trying this. Your Phantom can disappear from sight very quickly on a windy day!! If you are inexperienced, I do not recommend taking off without a lock. If you see any color but green flashes on those rear LEDs, stay on the ground!