Circling a fixed point

[darwin-t]

I have been wanting to circle a fixed point, like a house, keeping it centered in the frame.

My first attempt was done by putting my FC40 in Home Lock and then just moving the right stick left or right. It sends the quad into a circle around the HOme Point, but I have to keep making adjustments to keep the object centered.

I think I have come up with a better way of doing it. I set the distance limit to 50 yards. I move out to that distance until it can go no further. Then I turn the quad around and pull the stick back and to the left or right. This forces the quad to stay 50 yards away from the Home Point, which causes it to go in a circle. In what little testing I have done, it seems to keep the Home Point centered better with fewer adjustments.

The other way to do it is use method one with a mod to the transmitter to add a slow motion yaw.

Also, for the life of me, I can't reset the Home Point while in flight (hovering).

I'd be interested in hearing from other people that try this.

 

[ProfessorStein]

I think a number us are hoping this functionality gets added to a coming firmware update, or at least to the Phantom 3.

I've been using Home Lock to do it, as you described. Haven't had too much trouble keeping my subject centered (or at least framed), but I haven't tried your second method to see if that's even easier still.

 

[Damon]

If your going from C/L to H/L 5 times....try going from the OFF (top) clear down to H/L 5 times ending at the OFF position. Do it with a steady quick cadence total time within 1.5 seconds.

 

[4wd]

Resetting home point to do this is of limited use anyway.
You still have to sync the yaw with your sideways movement, and the circle it theoretically describes is rather large.
It's helpful to think that if moving right you yaw left and vice versa.
So the sticks need to go like a mirror image of each other.

A perfect circle is very difficult to achieve, but in any case it give a dizzying effect in video so not needed often
A short arc is more useful and easier to get reasonably smooth too - same technique.

 

[Gizmo3000]

all it takes is practice flying.
..and preferably a 3rd party Tx controller that would allow you to lessen rudder sensitivity

 

[HarryT]

As has been said, this is just a question of practice - it's not inherently difficult. To circle clockwise, fly to the left while turning to the right; to circle anticlockwise, fly to the right while turning to the left (ie move the two sticks in opposite directions). It's just a matter of practice to adjust the rate of turning to keep the object you're filming centred in the FPV view - the larger the radius of the circle, the more slowly you need to turn. This probably is something, though, for which FPV is essential .

 

[darwin-t]

Turning the gain down on the Yaw does NOT slow it down, does it?

 

[HarryT]

Turning the gain down on the Yaw does NOT slow it down, does it?

No, it doesn't, but we're talking here about transmitter gains, not the gains on the Phantom. With a different Tx (like a Futaba 8FG) you can program the transmitter such that moving the sticks results in slower rotation of the Phantom. This makes it easier to smoothly circle an object.

 

[darwin-t]

Okay. Thanks. I saw a mod to install a knob to the transmitter that would make a slow motion yaw. I looked like it might be worthwhile.

So what does increasing the altitude gain do? DOes it make the quad ascend more quickly?

 

[HarryT]

Okay. Thanks. I saw a mod to install a knob to the transmitter that would make a slow motion yaw. I looked like it might be worthwhile.

So what does increasing the altitude gain do? DOes it make the quad ascend more quickly?

Increasing the gains in the PA software will make the Phantom more stable and responsive, but increase them too much and it'll get "twitchy". If you find that flying is a bit "mushy" - ie you move the sticks and nothing happens for a while, and then it's slow to stop moving when you let go of the sticks - that's a sign that you probably need to increase the gains.

 

[locoworks]

Turning the gain down on the Yaw does NOT slow it down, does it?

No, it doesn't, but we're talking here about transmitter gains, not the gains on the Phantom. With a different Tx (like a Futaba 8FG) you can program the transmitter such that moving the sticks results in slower rotation of the Phantom. This makes it easier to smoothly circle an object.

all good unless you have a drone on 5.8ghz control like a P2V+, if futaba did a 5.8ghz module i'd be happy.

 

[TheloniousMac]

I had a go the other day doing this same manoeuvre, this was my second try.
I think it's practice and patience.
When I was circling the pyramid it seemed to take forever and just glancing up at the phantom instead of watching the screen would throw me off a little.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM2vAcxta2Q[/youtube]

 

[thedjiguy]

This is a feature I think they can for sure add in the Phantom 3. Its already in their A2 flight controller. It's called POI.

I talked more about features I want in the Phantom 3 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE8qpml ... 3GjL3x713g

 

[Altomar718]

On the original thread, darwin -t said - "I set the distance limit to 50 yards" - Can somebody explain this please?

 

[Altomar718]

Thanks Dirk - I wondered that but you would only be able to take the one shot before having to go back to the laptop to change it back to film anything else .........

 

[Fyod]

It is almost impossible to hold in that pyramid video.
Not that its about practice, but holding the left stick steady in about 1-2mm of stick travel is horrid.
To get the shot right, you will really want to do the "yaw resistor mod". I haven't done it yet but I know it'll help.