Improve of the distance of my Drone

I'm here, and yup the advanced just got here today. Just got the firmware updated. Looks like I won't have decent weather anytime soon. Glad I opted for the Advanced, it was kind of a pain, but I think I would have regretted not doing it when I had the chance. Thanks!
 
probably not the right thread to post this on, but I got removable snap on prop guards, what you your thoughts on these. I have heard when first flying they can be good to use, but if flying when there is wind they can really slow the aircraft down. Also if removing the snap-on ones when flying do you think the leaving the small part attached to the phantom would have much affect on it?
 
If I waited for decent weather here I never would fly. Lol
It always seems to be cold, windy or foggy.
I did pretty well day before yesterday, it was only around 4 or 5 below and I did a few flights over the lake for just over a kilometer and then back(I'm still quitting with about 60-70% battery).

Sure flies different from a Cessna and not nearly the ATC chatter.
 
If I waited for decent weather here I never would fly. Lol
It always seems to be cold, windy or foggy.
I did pretty well day before yesterday, it was only around 4 or 5 below and I did a few flights over the lake for just over a kilometer and then back(I'm still quitting with about 60-70% battery).

Sure flies different from a Cessna and not nearly the ATC chatter.
I may get anxious, I would like decent weather for my 1st flight though
 
probably not the right thread to post this on, but I got removable snap on prop guards, what you your thoughts on these. I have heard when first flying they can be good to use, but if flying when there is wind they can really slow the aircraft down. Also if removing the snap-on ones when flying do you think the leaving the small part attached to the phantom would have much affect on it?

I had them on a previous drone and never saw any issues although they do tend to hang up and catch stuff if crashed.

I don't have them on this P3P.
 
I may get anxious, I would like decent weather for my 1st flight though

My first was just outside the front door in a snow squall. Just a takeoff/hover, accent to about 20 ft and then a slow circle about 12 ft.
 
Dmark1867. I just typed. A long reply to you but it disappeared!!!!: ( ****!!! Gotta go to work but I'll redo it ASAP!!! Congratulations and be sure to watch as many DJI / YouTube videos since the weather is bad and you won't regret it. Start with the one that talks about calibrating the compass and learn as much as you can about returned home and what all of your switches do in all of the positions and study that app and make sure that you don't run your battery lower than 50% the first 10 flights but I have about 100 times more to tell you and it's stuff that I've learned the good old fashioned way by trial and error not to mention big surprises that nobody warned me of and it's not in your manual and I haven't seen videos on these things and it applies to all the phantoms not just the standard. If you do decide to take off make absolutely sure you locate your home point and check it on your map Plus I wouldn't even turn it on beginner mode because that limits your altitude and you may need to go higher than that 100-foot setting to dodge something and it would suck if you could not climb to avoid something and make sure you set your return to home altitude at a height higher than anything else around you including trees buildings etc don't forget about power lines. I have mine set at 200 foot just to be absolutely sure I miss everything because it flies a straight line from point A to point B and lands right where you took off so take off in a wide open space. I'm sorry I'm running out of time and there's just too much to tell so let me know if you want me to got those things down for you and I will be happy to I wish someone had have done the same thing for me and those prop guards R nice I guess if you are to have a small spill to keep from damaging those flimsy factory propellers but I do not want them on mine because they will cause you to lose a lot of aerodynamics and the wind will affect your phantom a lot more becomes it gives it more surface area to blow against not to mention they calls drag when you are flying at any moderate speed and as far as those connectors if it's the quick disconnects that are mounted on the bottom of the motor mounts as far as I know they don't cause much of a problem or much wind resistance due to their size and it is a good idea to run the prop guards at the beginning not just to protect your propellers but they really can help you stay oriented and know which way it's facing at all times without having to depend on just the lights especially in the daytime so if you got different color ones I would put one color on the front and the other color on the back and that way you will know which is the front and which is the back if you have never flown any type of model aircraft before but don't worry the GPS and you're sonar makes this easier to fly than anything I have ever even dreamed of. It's almost like a extremely easy video game just as long as everything is done exactly right and you don't skip something on your pre-flight checklist but cause that is most people's worst enemy because they get in a hurry and just don't have any patience. By the way congratulations again and I promise you if you have to eat noodles of noodles for a month straight you will steel never ever regret your decision I promise you that and I don't lie nor do I make promises that I can't keep but I am 1 million time positive you made the right choice and you're not going to wish to God you had a spent that extra $300 in less than a month no matter what your flight experience is. I got to go talk to you later man
 
Also a heads up that can get you if you live on a lake, etc.....If you take off with all needed and necessary parameters, lose the signal and enter the safety default of "Return To Home"(the parameters Jack mentions setting above) the bird will land below itself within the first 65 ft. from the takeoff/home point AND DOESN'T LITERALLY "COME BACK HOME". That will be a big problem if you live or fly(takeoff) near water.(closer than 65 ft.)

I live on an island within a lake and didn't realize this until I ran it on the sim. I wouldn't have even tried over the lake except that it is frozen enough(I hope. lol)that I could walk out and recover the bird if I had to.

So, prior to 65 ft away from takeoff point, bird lands under itself, straight down upon loss of GPS signal and will not come "home." If bird is further away than 65 ft upon signal loss, it will enter "Return To Home" mode and come back to home point in a straight line at the altitude you set in DJI Go APP.

Also learn and understand the radar lower left screen and the sat/street screen so when you lose sight of the bird you will be ok. Sometimes here with the white bird over a snow covered frozen lake and flat lighting, it disappears especially when moving the eyes from the bird to the screen and back.

It will come in handy when you fly those long distance flights. lol
 
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I am dealing with 20-30 mph winds (plus really cold, but I could deal with that). Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I am trying to take in as much as possible so it will go well. So the return to home, if not near a lake, how big of an area is needed? Does it come back to you give or take a few feet, or is it more like give or take 100 feet?
 
I am dealing with 20-30 mph winds (plus really cold, but I could deal with that). Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I am trying to take in as much as possible so it will go well. So the return to home, if not near a lake, how big of an area is needed? Does it come back to you give or take a few feet, or is it more like give or take 100 feet?

With all usual and customary requirements of the proper preflight setup met.......If it is placed into or goes into the RTH mode it will return to home within about 10 ft. of the original takeoff spot.

If it is placed or goes into RTH within 65 ft of the original takeoff location, the bird just attempt to land straight down rather than attempt to come back to the takeoff location.

You can fly this in the included simulator and watch it occur.
 
With all usual and customary requirements of the proper preflight setup met.......If it is placed into or goes into the RTH mode it will return to home within about 10 ft. of the original takeoff spot.

If it is placed or goes into RTH within 65 ft of the original takeoff location, the bird just attempt to land straight down rather than attempt to come back to the takeoff location.

You can fly this in the included simulator and watch it occur.
ok, that is good to know, thanks
I guess when it is close you can cancel return to home and manual fly it in to you?
 
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Air Ontario, this just goes to show you learn something everyday, and you can never no too much!!! Last week I took off on my dock at The Lake House, and because I was deliberately trying to deplete my battery it automatically initiated return to home due to low battery, and just like you said it started dropping about 40 feet in front of me instead of doing its usual climb to set altitude and then from point A to point B, and land. I have not flown this on the simulator but I can tell you what it does in real life and instead of your tablet saying return to home it will just say Landing, Landing. That's when I canceled get out with the red circle with the X in it that says cancel on the screen, and brought alien on the sticks ASAP. I'm glad I was at approximately 100 foot when this happened!! By the way you can actually maneuver it while it is Landing, but if you don't cancel it you bought a one way ticket straight down faster than I would like!!! I'm also glad you mentioned the 10 foot diameter Landing space that is obviously the general senses for return to home. "Like you said as long as its further than 65 foot away from you (Horizontally)". It could be a thousand feet away from you vertically, but horizontally is obviously where the measurement is implemented. I'm not sure if it's my location, or the satellite connection I have on my property, but I have deliberately initiated return to home about a dozen times just to build my confidence in the technology, and somehow my "one-eyed phantom 3 standard" so to speak ... Lol. has come back, and landed within 12 INCHES of the original home point that was located at TAKE OFF?.?.?.? Now I know to allow some room for error just like I do with the navigational App called Navionics, I use when navigating my boat. I really appreciate the heads up also!!!
 
Air Ontario, this just goes to show you learn something everyday, and you can never no too much!!! Last week I took off on my dock at The Lake House, and because I was deliberately trying to deplete my battery it automatically initiated return to home due to low battery, and just like you said it started dropping about 40 feet in front of me instead of doing its usual climb to set altitude and then from point A to point B, and land. I have not flown this on the simulator but I can tell you what it does in real life and instead of your tablet saying return to home it will just say Landing, Landing. That's when I canceled get out with the red circle with the X in it that says cancel on the screen, and brought alien on the sticks ASAP. I'm glad I was at approximately 100 foot when this happened!! By the way you can actually maneuver it while it is Landing, but if you don't cancel it you bought a one way ticket straight down faster than I would like!!! I'm also glad you mentioned the 10 foot diameter Landing space that is obviously the general senses for return to home. "Like you said as long as its further than 65 foot away from you (Horizontally)". It could be a thousand feet away from you vertically, but horizontally is obviously where the measurement is implemented. I'm not sure if it's my location, or the satellite connection I have on my property, but I have deliberately initiated return to home about a dozen times just to build my confidence in the technology, and somehow my "one-eyed phantom 3 standard" so to speak ... Lol. has come back, and landed within 12 INCHES of the original home point that was located at TAKE OFF?.?.?.? Now I know to allow some room for error just like I do with the navigational App called Navionics, I use when navigating my boat. I really appreciate the heads up also!!!

I would guess 10 ft is a deep metropolitan area anamaly as that is where I saw it.
Here on the island in rural Canuckistan, it is much more accurate as you've posted.
If I have ANY ideas or questions about my P3P, I fly them in the Sim first.
 
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He could need it for another country as well.


How much more range will some one get with windsurfer? Technically speaking if they were not in the States and were somewhere where it's allowed.

I was thinking of getting it. Not for added range I wanted it if it would provide a more stable connection with the drone.

--Joe
Search for "Windsurfer Antenna Mod on YouTube"...you'll see actual videos before and after adding a Windsurfer. I have a new P3S on the UPS Truck out for delivery as speak. I have 2 different Windsurfer Models coming in tomorrow to check out...
 
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With all usual and customary requirements of the proper preflight setup met.......If it is placed into or goes into the RTH mode it will return to home within about 10 ft. of the original takeoff spot.

If it is placed or goes into RTH within 65 ft of the original takeoff location, the bird just attempt to land straight down rather than attempt to come back to the takeoff location.

You can fly this in the included simulator and watch it occur.
You nailed it
The aircraft will automatically descend and land if Failsafe RTH is triggered when the aircraft is with a 20 meter (65 feet) radius of the Home Point.
Found this on page 13 here: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/phantom_3_standard/en/Phantom_3_Standard_User_Manual__V1.4.pdf
Not sure why they would design it that way though, if it has the capability to land much close to the home point. So if you want it to bring it self back to you then fly away further I guess, strange.
Thanks for the info though!
 
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You nailed it
The aircraft will automatically descend and land if Failsafe RTH is triggered when the aircraft is with a 20 meter (65 feet) radius of the Home Point.
Found this on page 13 here: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/phantom_3_standard/en/Phantom_3_Standard_User_Manual__V1.4.pdf
Not sure why they would design it that way though, if it has the capability to land much close to the home point. So if you want it to bring it self back to you then fly away further I guess, strange.
Thanks for the info though!

You're welcome.
Next is a test/trial to see if I can use the waypoints from the Sim to fly a real time waypoint mission and at the same range.
 
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