Drifting when transmitter switch is moved to "A" and...

[rcmedic]

I'm a new kid on the block and got my P3Pro about a month ago. I find two things interesting and have been unable to identify what is happening or how to correct it. The firs is that after taking off and hovering at any altitude with the transmitter in "P" mode all is well. When I choose to move the switch the "A" position the aircraft immediately begins to move to the north east at about 5-10 MPH. What is going on? How do I fix that. The other issue is that when viewing my videos after downloading them I find that they chronically jerk along instead of a smooth stream. I thought that maybe it was the software or the computer that I was viewing them on but it seems to occur on any device that I use. Any ideas? I have tried both Movie and MP4 formats. No difference.

 

[bbfpv]

I'm a new kid on the block and got my P3Pro about a month ago. I find two things interesting and have been unable to identify what is happening or how to correct it. The firs is that after taking off and hovering at any altitude with the transmitter in "P" mode all is well. When I choose to move the switch the "A" position the aircraft immediately begins to move to the north east at about 5-10 MPH. What is going on? How do I fix that. The other issue is that when viewing my videos after downloading them I find that they chronically jerk along instead of a smooth stream. I thought that maybe it was the software or the computer that I was viewing them on but it seems to occur on any device that I use. Any ideas? I have tried both Movie and MP4 formats. No difference.

Woah, I highly encourage you to read the manual, specifically the part about flight modes. Your bird is drifting because you're turning off GPS assisted positioning and is being pushed by the wind.

Regarding the video, I assume you're recording 4K? Very few non pro-sumer devices/computers are able to decode 4K video without stutter. Try recording in 1080p or get a more powerful device/computer.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Hello,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Phantom Pilots forum. I hope that you will take advantage of the benefits that come with membership and that you will be able to use the forum for the exchange of innovative ideas and as a resource for current developments in Phantom quadcopter’s.

Be sure and read the manual and fully understand the functions. Be prepared to use that knowledge to fly, and if something should go wrong. You want to have a plan so if the worst occurs your ready.

Phantom 3 Professional - https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/phantom_3/en/Phantom_3_Professional_User_Manual__V1.6.pdf

Have a look at this link - Know Before You Fly

Enjoy your new quad and fly safe!

 

[Traveler]

On the wings of the wind, hold that thought. Did you have wind at the altitude you were flying?
With no disrespect intended, I think his concern may have been dismissed to quickly. Sure, everyone knows that in the absence of GPS the bird will go with the flow, but I personally had a similar issue where my bird was hauling but in an eastern direction every time I went to atti mode. It was actually kind of fun, fly west, let go, and watch it straight-line back to me, but unless I has found a Funnel Gust, (like John Candy in Summer Rental), something was wrong. My 20 foot flag pole agreed with local weather reports, no wind that day. I even rotated the bird thru the return path and it followed the same "straight-line" path. That evening I concluded that I needed to recalibrate the IMU and the compass. Like post before said I could, I calibrated the IMU indoors on a 100% level table and the compass was done outdoors in an area free of ferris objects.
Following these recalibration's, I tested the atti mode again, but this time the bird did follow the light breeze, drifting in a directions that were less than straight-line as was observed before. It is also notable that prior to performing an IMU calibration the system said it was not needed, but something changed.

I 100% agree that understanding how each mode will affect you bird is a must, and until you do, I would prevent accidental mode changes by turning off "Multiple Flight Mode", but I would also recalibrate.

Be sure to pick wide open space for any testing of atti mode. Your drift should not be any greater than the forces surrounding them. A 3 to 5 mph wind does not cause a 10 mph drift. I have also noted that wind is not commonly sustained in a straight-line direction, neither should a atti mode drift.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[LuvMyTJ]

On the wings of the wind, hold that thought. Did you have wind at the altitude you were flying?
With no disrespect intended, I think his concern may have been dismissed to quickly. Sure, everyone knows that in the absence of GPS the bird will go with the flow, but I personally had a similar issue where my bird was hauling but in an eastern direction every time I went to atti mode. It was actually kind of fun, fly west, let go, and watch it straight-line back to me, but unless I has found a Funnel Gust, (like John Candy in Summer Rental), something was wrong. My 20 foot flag pole agreed with local weather reports, no wind that day. I even rotated the bird thru the return path and it followed the same "straight-line" path. That evening I concluded that I needed to recalibrate the IMU and the compass. Like post before said I could, I calibrated the IMU indoors on a 100% level table and the compass was done outdoors in an area free of ferris objects.
Following these recalibration's, I tested the atti mode again, but this time the bird did follow the light breeze, drifting in a directions that were less than straight-line as was observed before. It is also notable that prior to performing an IMU calibration the system said it was not needed, but something changed.

I 100% agree that understanding how each mode will affect you bird is a must, and until you do, I would prevent accidental mode changes by turning off "Multiple Flight Mode", but I would also recalibrate.

Be sure to pick wide open space for any testing of atti mode. Your drift should not be any greater than the forces surrounding them. A 3 to 5 mph wind does not cause a 10 mph drift. I have also noted that wind is not commonly sustained in a straight-line direction, neither should a atti mode drift.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

Hi BV-SkyOne. I don't think I have welcomed you yet so here goes.

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Phantom Pilots forum. I hope that you will take advantage of the benefits that come with membership and that you will be able to use the forum for the exchange of innovative ideas and as a resource for current developments in Phantom quadcopter’s.

I think everyone who answered understood why he asked the question. I doubt the wind crossed his mind, more likely he thought there was the possibility he had something wrong with the quad. The people that answered him knew that if he understood the way the quad worked he would of known why it was moving and I am sure if he had that knowledge, the 'wind' would of clicked in his mind as to the cause. Knowledge is power.

You can use a light breeze to your advantage by flying upwind (always a good choice when flying), and you film while it drifts in the wind on it's way back to you.

Another tip is to use a site like UAV Weather Forecast to check the wind at altitude. There are a myriad of settings you can choose with wind speed at any altitude as one of them. It may not be perfect but it gives you some idea.

 

[Traveler]

Greetings LuvMyTJ,
Thank you for the welcome, I really do appreciate this site and all those that take the time to post and respond with quality responses.
I also agree with you, reading the manual was likely the best advice in this case, but on the flip side I wanted to give some personal experience with a like drifting issue. It is not my nature to be offensive, and never to those that share a common passion. I hope none was perceived.
[emoji41]


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Greetings LuvMyTJ,
Thank you for the welcome, I really do appreciate this site and all those that take the time to post and respond with quality responses.
I also agree with you, reading the manual was likely the best advice in this case, but on the flip side I wanted to give some personal experience with a like drifting issue. It is not my nature to be offensive, and never to those that share a common passion. I hope none was perceived.
[emoji41]


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

None what so ever. Your post have been in no way disrespectful or offensive. Thank you for your input.
And you are correct, many people don't think a light breeze will affect them but as you know, any amount of breeze/wind will affect your aircraft.

 

[m0j0]

The choppy video is likely the result of the shutter speed you are using. The rule is you should set the shutter speed in the vicinity of double the framerate. So if you are shooting 4K 24fps. Shutter should be set at 50-60.... If it's abnormally high the video will stutter. Use ND filters to reduce the light.


Phantom 3 Pro / iPad Air 2

 

[rcmedic]

I repeatedly had the same experience, it was at low altitude (30 feet) and no wind. It was dead calm as a matter of fact. I never have figured it out. I do know that some of the suggestions/opinions expressed above don't pan out. Not a big issue for me and instead merely a question because the behavior was consistently reproducible in the same direction. No worries though as it never presented any safety or operational issues that I was unable to manage.