Best Method to RTH?

[kirk2579]

In both these examples, the return to home was either turned on by flipping the s switch, or in the app. Neither worked it sounded like. In my test I turned off the rc every time it was tested, and every time, it worked. Sounds like turning off the rc is the only completely reliable way to get it to work. And I would say that thatmight not work in a weird situation, but then, the props might all break at once, and then you wouldn't need rth, just a dust pan. LOL

buford feel free to choose you r way no issue

I think some folks were simply saying the s switch is recommended by dji first and also provides the SAFEest way.

they all work in the end. (usually.lol) it is just by not turning rc off , the quad will never totally be out of control like when rc is off.

99% of time rc will restore at power up like you have experienced.

That said I have flown 500 plus flights on 6 phantoms and never used rth but once to test.

I have used course and home lock but not rth. I prefer flying it myself over automated. my choice !

it is all good, you pick your best way.....

 

[buford]

Thank you for permission, but as I stated, it worked for me in testing it, and I don't ever expect to have to use it. "I don't usually use RTH....but if I do....I do what I want, and everybody else does too."

 

[spyder11]

I personally use the S2 switch and I think that is the best way. Why turn off the RC and loose connection when you don't have to? You loose connection to both the drone and the tablet and then it increases the chance of a glitch. I actually use RTH fairly often as just a shortcut to come home all the while rotating the drone (panning), tilting the camera and generally exploring. The really cool thing it it keeps locking you in the RTH path no matter what you do, so it makes for some pretty good shots and allows me to focus on the camera view.

 

[Illina]

I initiate RTH by sending that puppy out as far as it'll go and it won't go no more!

 

[Suspended Moments]

I would use RTH in the ap and leave everything else ON so you have as much information as possible and are ready to resume control when your quad is back in line of sight.

 

[SouthernPhantom]

I use RTH frequently, mostly just to bring my P3P back overhead so I can land manually, but sometimes I let it land automatically with RTH all the way to the ground.

I've never seen it fail, or even misbehave. The landings are very gentle, assuming the VPS is working properly.

It can be completely cancelled at any time by pressing-and-holding the RTH button again, even a few feet above the ground. And, even when it's flying or descending, it can be partially overridden with the sticks for more precise directional or speed control -- and then continued on its own, or fully stopped and flown manually. When you cancel RTH, it stops suddenly just like you've hit the brakes, and stays perfectly still in mid-air until you decide what to do next.

It's important to understand how it works as part of our "bag of tricks", just in case its needed. You can practice using it at close distances and low altitudes, then try it farther and higher.

I love flying and landing manually. But RTH is great when the Phantom in between me and the sun, or when I simply can't see it, even though it's technically in my line of sight.

 

[RodPad]

The last two posts, are not quite the same as how it works on the standard. You don't have a RTH button.
What I will add is if the app hangs or fails and or your mobile device. The RTH will not get sent. I would toggle the S2, agreed not turning off the remote so you don't loose what could be valuable data on the return.
My last flight my unit was in RTH, it didn't make it back before it ran out off power it was 75' below the starting elevation doing a self auto landing when it went dead. It dropped 225' not a pretty sight.

My story is if I would have turned off the remote as one the arguments on this subject, I may have lost the data I needed to locate it. After driving to better location, it took an hour to walk in find it and walk back out.

Note for all, I still had a picture on mobile device of what the camera was viewing when I say the lights went out.

Yes, I' am sticking to it.


Oh I didn't watch the Video, my computer is to slow, like myself.

 

[Vadar]

Quick question, if the drone has self-initiated RTH due to loss of signal and you then toggle the S2 switch to initiate RTH mode while it is enroute to home point, will that cancel the RTH mode on the drone if it gets that signal?

 

[RodPad]

Yes, I have had to do that a few times when it could have got hung up in a tree if it landed itself. To me RTH is good to about 20' diameter.

Rod

 

[Vince O]

I've only done it to test the RTH, but all the times I've done it, I shut the rc down, and when the drone got close to home, I turned it back on and took control. I would do #1 on the list, but flipping the s2 several times bothers me. How many times do you flip it? 3, 5, 7? This seems more like a desperation move, to me anyway, flipping the switch frantically, then waiting. I just shut it down, start looking at my tablet, and watching for the drone, and switch it back on. This is the way I chose to do it, and will continue to do it.

You only need to do it twice, any more is unnecessary. It isn't hard, I would suggest practicing it a few times close by.

 

[solentlife]

So far - I use the Go app and initiate by tapping the screen. Once aircraft is near to home point I cancel and manually land it.

But max distance so far I have done is just under 700m.... where often I have no video but seem to still have control.

Nigel

 

[Spiderpig]

I usually just look up and yell, "LASSSIE!!!! LASSIE come home" and she flies back.

 

[Mark The Droner]

You only need to do it twice, any more is unnecessary. It isn't hard, I would suggest practicing it a few times close by.

I would not do it twice. I'd do it 20x. If you're on the edge of range or otherwise have an intermittent signal, the AC may not get the message doing it twice.

 

[RodPad]

I would not do it twice. I'd do it 20x. If you're on the edge of range or otherwise have an intermittent signal, the AC may not get the message doing it twice.

"If your edge of range", it don't matter, when the AC can't pick up the remote, RTH will activate.
Now, I forgetsiss? If the AC is on RTH, and it can receive the remote. Will flipping the switch cancel the RTH?
I'm really going to have to look at the manual.

Rod

 

[Mark The Droner]

Edge of range is not in range and it's not out of range.

 

[RodPad]

 

[Solly747400]

Food for thought,

I have always only initiated RTH through the app. There have been a couple times where it does not listen, then hands start to shake (all nervous), then I try again and again. I think the most I had to re initiate it through the app was 3 times before I started seeing those numbers getting smaller (distance), but it has always come home, thank god. I think sometimes I'm pushing my luck!

 

[BillW50]

"If your edge of range", it don't matter, when the AC can't pick up the remote, RTH will activate.
Now, I forgetsiss? If the AC is on RTH, and it can receive the remote. Will flipping the switch cancel the RTH?
I'm really going to have to look at the manual.

Yes if the AC is within radio range, you can always cancel RTH by the controller or the App. I do it all of the time.

 

[BillW50]

That said I have flown 500 plus flights on 6 phantoms and never used rth but once to test.

Huh? You never fly out of radio range?

 

[stuka75]

Well, the official DJI manual recommends using RTH function in the Go app, or the S2 switch.
The S2 switch is my preference. Last week i had to use RTH after I lost signal. For some reason RTH stopped before the drone returned home to me. I noticed the RC beeping stopped.
I waited... no sight of my drone anywhere. It flipped s2 again, and the beeping resumed, and eventually my phantom came back to me.
Had my controlled been off, i would've never known that the RTH mode had terminated for whatever reason. I would've been just standing there waiting for it to come back, not knowing that it RTH failed and drone just hovering somewhere. And if the battery is gettin low thats not the chance you wanna take. But again, everbody is different and do whats work best for them. This is just my opinion. And if we dont share our experiences and mistakes with fellow pilots, then we all have to learn on our own potentially very costly mistakes...

Brings up an interesting question. During RTH due to loss of signal, does rth discontinue once signal is regained as in the above description?