FLY-AWAY VIDEO!

XL-Studios · May 12, 2014

Second day in a row I experienced a fly-away but with a lot of luck I managed to get it back. Both of the fly-aways was due to the Phantom loosing GPS connection. If I would not have had FPV and the wind was only 2m/s it would have been lost for sure.
I am having serious doubts about flying again.
I don´t understand how it can loose GPS in the air with free view to the sky. My iPhone can find it´s own location in almost any situations. In the car, even often in a house etc etc.
Switching to ATTI will give you back command provided you have control signal. But you need to know what direction your Phantom is to steer it back.
I advice you all to activate NAZA-M and train ATTI and FPV flying!

I love this hobby but I am about to chicken out :-(

http://youtu.be/01mznpa339w

Birdman · May 12, 2014

Interesting video. Is it possible rf interference that affects GPS signal, and Phantom control is coming from the large antenna in adjacent property? Don't think I'd ever fly so close to a large transmission antenna.

XL-Studios · May 12, 2014

Birdman said:
Interesting video. Is it possible rf interference that affects GPS signal, and Phantom control is coming from the large antenna in adjacent property? Don't think I'd ever fly so close to a large transmission antenna.

This video will answer your concern

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62hvCDQ5Lmo
I have flown close to this thing many times and it has never interfered with either FPV, controller or GPS.
I think it is more likely be solar-storms?

MikesTooLz · May 12, 2014

XL-Studios said:
Second day in a row I experienced a fly-away but with a lot of luck I managed to get it back. Both of the fly-aways was due to the Phantom loosing GPS connection. If I would not have had FPV and the wind was only 2m/s it would have been lost for sure.
I am having serious doubts about flying again.
I don´t understand how it can loose GPS in the air with free view to the sky. My iPhone can find it´s own location in almost any situations. In the car, even often in a house etc etc.
Switching to ATTI will give you back command provided you have control signal. But you need to know what direction your Phantom is to steer it back.
I advice you all to activate NAZA-M and train ATTI and FPV flying!

I love this hobby but I am about to chicken out :-(

http://youtu.be/01mznpa339w

iphone does not rely on GPS alone and will often give general gps location like a know wifi hotspot location or its last known location until reall GPS location can be fixed.

BlackTracer · May 12, 2014

Yeah losing GPS during an RTH can be a real ***** as you have shown. As you have demonstrated, reaquiring control and expecting it to hover with s1 up is not always a given. Good job flying her home in atti. When you got FPV back did you happen to notice the sat count shown in the app?

jaykay2PT · May 12, 2014

XL-Studios said:
Second day in a row I experienced a fly-away but with a lot of luck I managed to get it back. Both of the fly-aways was due to the Phantom loosing GPS connection. If I would not have had FPV and the wind was only 2m/s it would have been lost for sure.
I am having serious doubts about flying again.
I don´t understand how it can loose GPS in the air with free view to the sky. My iPhone can find it´s own location in almost any situations. In the car, even often in a house etc etc.

there was a spike in the k-index yesterday, now I am wondering IF it was the time of your fly away?

ocphantom · May 12, 2014

Lost gps and the phantom drifts with the wind? Was the wind blowing the direction it had a "fly-away"? Almost like it was in ATTI mode already.

Dirty Bird · May 12, 2014

I have initiated RTH many, many, times, and have never had mine be in the middle of the landing sequence and suddenly start drifting like that. If that was happening to mine, I would quickly lose all confidence in the flight controller. Perhaps a flaky GPS unit? Faulty flight controller? I did notice you mentioned having switched to GPS mode and it was non-responsive to the controls. I don't believe that is an anomaly, as you are supposed to switch to ATTI mode to regain control from an S1-initiated RTH. Fortunately it became responsive when you went to ATTI mode. I think I would get that bird to the doctor for a checkup.

lifo · May 12, 2014

After hearing story after story why is anyone using RTH unless they absolutely have to?

denofr · May 12, 2014

Birdman said:
Interesting video. Is it possible rf interference that affects GPS signal, and Phantom control is coming from the large antenna in adjacent property? Don't think I'd ever fly so close to a large transmission antenna.

There's probably something to this. A few week ago I was about to take off in a field adjacent to my sons driveway. I put the Phantom down and walked to the driveway directly under a power feed a few feet above reach going to the house. All seemed to be well until I tried to start the props. Nothing. Hmm. let me start all over again. I shut everything down then started the controller, then wifi then the Phantom. I had video and went to start the props and nothing. At this point I noticed that the controller light was not green, it was yellow. I looked that up and couldn't find that color code in the manual so I changed the batteries, still yellow. I took everything inside and ran the software, re-calibrated everything. Stayed away from the driveway and all was well. It has been since. Draw your own conclusions.

XL-Studios · May 12, 2014

BlackTracer said:
Yeah losing GPS during an RTH can be a real ***** as you have shown. As you have demonstrated, reaquiring control and expecting it to hover with s1 up is not always a given. Good job flying her home in atti. When you got FPV back did you happen to notice the sat count shown in the app?

I was lucky to still have FPV so I could "navigate" home. Without FPV it would have been almost impossible since she was out of sight. The number of satellites was six and the sat symbol was grey, but when I came home I got 7 satellites and could therefore use the RTF to get her down quicker. (Battery was very low)

ocphantom · May 12, 2014

Nice music choice

XL-Studios · May 12, 2014

jaykay2PT said:
XL-Studios said:

Second day in a row I experienced a fly-away but with a lot of luck I managed to get it back. Both of the fly-aways was due to the Phantom loosing GPS connection. If I would not have had FPV and the wind was only 2m/s it would have been lost for sure.
I am having serious doubts about flying again.
I don´t understand how it can loose GPS in the air with free view to the sky. My iPhone can find it´s own location in almost any situations. In the car, even often in a house etc etc.

Click to expand...

there was a spike in the k-index yesterday, now I am wondering IF it was the time of your fly away?

It seem to match more or less...

XL-Studios · May 12, 2014

ocphantom said:
Lost gps and the phantom drifts with the wind? Was the wind blowing the direction it had a "fly-away"? Almost like it was in ATTI mode already.

It behaved like in ATTI but with the S1 in RTH or GPS mode she was 100% out of control. Just drifting with the wind...

XL-Studios · May 12, 2014

Dirty Bird said:
I have initiated RTH many, many, times, and have never had mine be in the middle of the landing sequence and suddenly start drifting like that. If that was happening to mine, I would quickly lose all confidence in the flight controller. Perhaps a flaky GPS unit? Faulty flight controller? I did notice you mentioned having switched to GPS mode and it was non-responsive to the controls. I don't believe that is an anomaly, as you are supposed to switch to ATTI mode to regain control from an S1-initiated RTH. Fortunately it became responsive when you went to ATTI mode. I think I would get that bird to the doctor for a checkup.

I too use RTH all the time and have never had any incidents at all. I agree it is probably a good idea to take aloof under the hood. But I am stingily suspecting solar-flares or similar. Usually I aways have 9-11 satellites. The two fly-way flight it was 7-9 satellites.

BlackTracer · May 12, 2014

XL-Studios said:
I too use RTH all the time and have never had any incidents at all. I agree it is probably a good idea to take aloof under the hood. But I am stingily suspecting solar-flares or similar. Usually I aways have 9-11 satellites. The two fly-way flight it was 7-9 satellites.

I flew twice yesterday with 6-9 SATs with no serious issues. She was a little less stable with 6 SATs, drifted ever so slowly to the right but as soon as that 7th and above were there she was smooth as silk.