I decided to do a range test this evening and try to fly her out to 1500 feet. I had some goals in mind within a 1500 foot radius according to google earth.
I was 75 meters up when I set off. I got out pretty far. Farther than I had planned, and I was exploring in FPV since I couldn't see the Phantom anymore, though it was still in LOS.
I was hovering for a minute to look at how far I had gone and when I tried to turn it around I wasn't getting any response from the sticks.
I took a quick screenshot on my iPhone and again tried to get some response from the controls. Still nothing, and then I lost the WiFi. "Connection to Phantom lost"
Hmmm...
OK, Don't panic. Hit fail-safe and wait for it to come back. You still have plenty of battery life left.
So I flip S1 all the way down and wait. I can't see it. I can't hear it. It shouldn't have been that far away. I should be able to see it by now.
Waiting.... Nothing. Now I'm starting to worry. What if it doesn't come back? How long do I wait?
That was the longest 120 seconds in recent memory. Scanning the sky I begin to hear her but still can't see her until it get's about 250 meters away. Relief.
Reviewing the video, I see I never lost control, I just lost screen update. The app didn't show "connection to phantom lost" as it usually does if I lose wifi. The screen must have been frozen and I couldn't tell.
On the video I can see my control inputs as I was testing trying to get some response. Then when I switched it to failsafe it started to return but little did I know what a close call it would have on the way back.
The screenshot I took when I lost picture shows it 698 meters out and 47 meters up. I could swear I was 75 meters up when I left and I never deliberately descended. Some of the trees around here are 50 meters high.
On the video I can see, right about the time I hit failsafe, it descended another 10 or 20 meters. I can't be sure of the timing. Maybe I accidentally caused it to descend with stick inputs before I hit failsafe. At the end of that descent it pauses for about 7 seconds before it turns and heads off deliberately for home. At what must now be no higher than 30 meters.
And on the way home, it skims directly over the top of a tall tree, missing it by what looks like about 10 feet but I was in wide-angle view so it's hard to judge the distance.
Lessons Learned:
Be careful with the left stick so that you don't accidentally cause elevation gain or loss while you are yawing.
Keep an eye on your elevation while flying. Don't assume you're still at the same altitude you were.
Always give extra elevation before you hit failsafe. Even if you can't tell it's working.
Don't panic.
Oh, and I shouldn't be flying BVR
Thanks for listening.
I was 75 meters up when I set off. I got out pretty far. Farther than I had planned, and I was exploring in FPV since I couldn't see the Phantom anymore, though it was still in LOS.
I was hovering for a minute to look at how far I had gone and when I tried to turn it around I wasn't getting any response from the sticks.
I took a quick screenshot on my iPhone and again tried to get some response from the controls. Still nothing, and then I lost the WiFi. "Connection to Phantom lost"
Hmmm...
OK, Don't panic. Hit fail-safe and wait for it to come back. You still have plenty of battery life left.
So I flip S1 all the way down and wait. I can't see it. I can't hear it. It shouldn't have been that far away. I should be able to see it by now.
Waiting.... Nothing. Now I'm starting to worry. What if it doesn't come back? How long do I wait?
That was the longest 120 seconds in recent memory. Scanning the sky I begin to hear her but still can't see her until it get's about 250 meters away. Relief.
Reviewing the video, I see I never lost control, I just lost screen update. The app didn't show "connection to phantom lost" as it usually does if I lose wifi. The screen must have been frozen and I couldn't tell.
On the video I can see my control inputs as I was testing trying to get some response. Then when I switched it to failsafe it started to return but little did I know what a close call it would have on the way back.
The screenshot I took when I lost picture shows it 698 meters out and 47 meters up. I could swear I was 75 meters up when I left and I never deliberately descended. Some of the trees around here are 50 meters high.
On the video I can see, right about the time I hit failsafe, it descended another 10 or 20 meters. I can't be sure of the timing. Maybe I accidentally caused it to descend with stick inputs before I hit failsafe. At the end of that descent it pauses for about 7 seconds before it turns and heads off deliberately for home. At what must now be no higher than 30 meters.
And on the way home, it skims directly over the top of a tall tree, missing it by what looks like about 10 feet but I was in wide-angle view so it's hard to judge the distance.
Lessons Learned:
Be careful with the left stick so that you don't accidentally cause elevation gain or loss while you are yawing.
Keep an eye on your elevation while flying. Don't assume you're still at the same altitude you were.
Always give extra elevation before you hit failsafe. Even if you can't tell it's working.
Don't panic.
Oh, and I shouldn't be flying BVR
Thanks for listening.