Litchi Mission Lost Phantom

[DaveD]

I sent the P3S up on its second waypoint mission of the day. It went up and headed in the right direction. It got out to 1400 feet from home and It lost signal/disconnected. I wasn't that worried because I thought it would still carry out the mission. It never came back. I have walked the 1st 2 or so miles of the outgoing flight path looking with no luck. I used find my aircraft in the litchi app with no luck. My wife and I scoured the area where it lost signal with now luck. Would this newly constructed solar farm have a negative effect on my flight? Here is the healthy drone info: HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Neon Euc]

Holy crap... Wow so sorry to hear about this. Really hope you find it

Neon Euc

 

[Neon Euc]

Bit confused here. It says landing battery at 87%. Also it might be my eyes but it looks like a one way mission.

Neon Euc

 

[Neon Euc]

Also it ends with navi go... I'm not 100% what that means but I can't see anything saying a mission was actually started

Neon Euc

 

[Neon Euc]

Neon Euc

 

[DaveD]

Yeah, there is a bit of a story behind this mission. I planned a mission that would go to my brothers house and return. He lives 3.2 miles from me. My plan was to send the drone up and hop in my truck and drive to his house and cancel the mission when I saw it while there and land it. I went there and it never arrived. We live out in farm country. Mostly apple orchards and wooded areas between our houses.

 

[Waylander]

Hi Dude
Sorry to hear about your loss...
The flight plan seems to have been a bit ambitious, if you don't mind me saying.. 3.2 miles of autonomous flight big ask.
The Phantom needs a good GPS signal to fly a Litchi mission, your flight log shows that for the majority of the time you did not have one, ie in and out of Atti mode and NaviGo mode with some few GPS locks now and again.
I assume that when you were satisfied that the bird was into the mission you set off to your brothers house, thus moving the RC away.
So yes Litchi can continue the mission even when the RC signal is lost, but in the mission what did you program into the "Loss of signal" event, was it hover in place, or land or RTH . Perhaps the bird did whatever the loss of signal event was programmed to be, perhaps it was Land, or RTH.
So if you were 3.2 miles away (out of LOS) you could not know what happened.
I take it that you did search the location show at the end of the mission trace, or at the point of take off.
Anyway good luck I hope you get her back.
Waylander.

 

[MCTV]

Sorry you lost your drone. This is my first time viewing any kind of flight log; I'll have to start looking at some of my own and figuring out the info provided. That said, take my input with a grain of salt - a big rock of salt, like one of those holistic, therapeutic salt candle things they try and make you buy at Sam's Club.

My first and only question was the constant mode change between GPS_Atti and Atti. Is it possible the drone never had a solid GPS lock? From my understanding Litchi missions rely very heavily if not solely on GPS and input coordinates.

I'd like to help but looking for some hands on education as well. I'm curious to see what the famed msinger has to say about it.


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[DaveD]

It was set to return to home. I also had turned off "smart return to home" in the DjiGo app prior to this mission. It was a bit ambitious I admit that. I take full responsibility for this. It seemed to have a decent Gps lock before I sent it. My wife is making me get a tracker for the next one.

 

[DaveD]

I have a DBS antenna installed on my remote. I have successfully flown out 2.5 miles right across the street from me over the lake. I was a bit surprised when it lost signal only 1400 feet away.

 

[MCTV]

Definitely wait for a more educated analysis which I'm certain is forthcoming. Not sure when you got it but if you are still in warranty and if it was a GPS error or malfunction of any kind DJI might replace it for you.

I'm leaning more and more toward some sort of GPS tracker just in case. I am also going to make some calls about insurance before settling for DJI care.

P.S. I didn't mean to suggest your post was uneducated Waylander, I was talking about mine. I think yours dropped as I was typing mine and I just saw it now.


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[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

I notice max alt. 157ft. Are there any tall evergreen/conifers along way point path? They can be well above 150ft tall.

 

[DaveD]

Definitely wait for a more educated analysis which I'm certain is forthcoming. Not sure when you got it but if you are still in warranty and if it was a GPS error or malfunction of any kind DJI might replace it for you.

I'm leaning more and more toward some sort of GPS tracker just in case. I am also going to make some calls about insurance before settling for DJI care.

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I am just not sure if they would replace it if I cannot find it. Plus I was using litchi not Dji Go. Not sure If it matters.

 

[Kirby Johnson]

Hi Dude
Sorry to hear about your loss...
The flight plan seems to have been a bit ambitious, if you don't mind me saying.. 3.2 miles of autonomous flight big ask.
The Phantom needs a good GPS signal to fly a Litchi mission, your flight log shows that for the majority of the time you did not have one, ie in and out of Atti mode and NaviGo mode with some few GPS locks now and again.
I assume that when you were satisfied that the bird was into the mission you set off to your brothers house, thus moving the RC away.
So yes Litchi can continue the mission even when the RC signal is lost, but in the mission what did you program into the "Loss of signal" event, was it hover in place, or land or RTH . Perhaps the bird did whatever the loss of signal event was programmed to be, perhaps it was Land, or RTH.
So if you were 3.2 miles away (out of LOS) you could not know what happened.
I take it that you did search the location show at the end of the mission trace, or at the point of take off.
Anyway good luck I hope you get her back.
Waylander.

Good Morning. I have followed a lot of these "Lost" threads wondering if it is the nature of the hobby, or LITCHI, which seems to be involved in a lot of them, hoping to learn how not to participate. Remember, Dave, it is out there somewhere, it wasn't abducted by a bigger bird or aliens.

Lander, yep 3.2 miles seems like a brave mission, but once it is out of range and sight it is pretty much all the same. For the math, discounting wind, etc. 3.2 miles at a casual 20 MPH is around 10 minutes, and adding in takeoff and landing, this should still be do-able with no problems. What i do not get is the constant flipping in and out of GPS signal. I have used GPSs since they began replacing LORANs and even for a cheap Garmin, it never loses satellites, so what is up with these birds?

I looked at the HD data and it appears the terrain is virtually flat, and so even at 150 feet or so, he should not have hit anything.
Thanks and I hope the little birdie is found.

 

[DaveD]

I notice max alt. 157ft. Are there any tall evergreen/conifers along way point path? They can be well above 150ft tall.

I know the area pretty well. I thought for sure 157 would be enough. I am going back out to look this morning. Its pretty cold out. 15F.
The wife did insist that I purchase another one from Target since they were on sale still for $399. I still want to find it though.

 

[MCTV]

Have you tried looking at the end of the yellow line?

Please don't mind my grasping at straws. Occam's Razor?

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[extremetm]

Have you checked with the person in that farm house. If it's not at the end of the yellow line, maybe someone picked it up.

We're you recording. What does the last shot show.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Just an idea... turn controller on... load that mission... walk it's path with controller in hand following path. It either hit a very tall tree and is there, or ran out of battery and either landed or was trying to return home to "Dad"..

 

[DaveD]

I really appreciate any info or insigh

Have you checked with the person in that farm house. If it's not at the end of the yellow line, maybe someone picked it up.

We're you recording. What does the last shot show.

That large building is a town building. Nobody around in this area. The only footprints anywhere near the yellow line were mine and my wifes. With litchi, does it record a preview of your flight or screen? I did hit the record button before sending it up but as far as I can tell the video will still be on the card in the phantom itself.
I have scoured the area at the end of the yellow line with no luck. I have provided a pic of me pointing to it. I am going to go out and look in the woods beyond where I am pointing. (Off from work today)

 

[Neon Euc]

Hate to be negative... But could the farmer shoot it out the sky if he thinks your trespassing. It's a pretty straight route thankfully so it would take an hour or so off walking that route. But also look on trees as it may have landed with a low battery and got caught up

Neon Euc