My P2V+ had a "brain fart!"

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Can experienced Phantom pilots explain my P2V+’s “brain fart?”

I was flying my P2V+ in GPS mode using FPV in a “race track” pattern. I was well situated so the maximum distance from home was about 2,100 feet.

My P2V+ is “stock.” I have installed all the latest firmware and app updates. I do have a Marco Polo tracker receiver, and a Flytrex Core 2 mounted. I’ve also done the GPS “foil mod.” On the controller side I’ve got the FPVLR Stage 2 antennae installed.

I had completed one flight with 4-5 laps (30,000+ feet) around the “track” without a glitch. Had used the FPV Booster app for iOS, had full video and Flytrex data. Then I decided to try a second flight. I don’t recall if I used the FPV Booster app for this flight, but had the video and Flytrex recording the flight.

I had completed two successful laps around the “track” when on the third lap, at the maximum distance from home (about 2,000’), I got the dreaded “Control Signal Lost” message. At this point I also lost the FPV and telemetry signal. There were no obstructions between me and the P2V+. I was suddenly in crisis mode!

I’ve intentionally flown two flights in the past to test maximum distance from home and the “Coming Home” function. I’ve flown as far as 3,600’ on those flights and retained FPV and telemetry. Normal flights for me don’t typically exceed 1,500’ from home, and on the several occasion when I experienced “Control Signal Lost,” if I quickly properly aimed the controller the signal was re-established.

In this current “Control Signal Lost” I was completely out of control — no FPV video, no telemetry, no “Coming Home” message. What to do? Apparently the P2V+ was completely in control of what was going to happen! That didn’t keep me from trying IOC “Home,” turning off the controller, S1-Fail Safe… Visions of finally testing the Marco Polo tracker flew through my head.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually about 3 minutes, the P2V+ appeared as a dot in the distance — it was coming home! Still no FPV or telemetry, but I was able to land it safely!

I returned home to view the video and Flytrex data from the flight. I’ve posted the portion of the video with Flytrex data overlay at the point where the “Control Signal Lost” occurred on Vimeo.

[vimeo]111966416[/vimeo]

The P2V+ went into a hover, then started to yaw to return home - but was unable to establish the proper heading. The video shows the briefest delay at the proper direction, then continues the yaw. The Flytrex heading data displayed seems to be invalid. Perhaps the compass was providing invalid data? After hovering very stably for about two minutes facing the wrong direction, the P2V+ suddenly clears the “brain fart” and figures out how it is going to get home — and heads home!

I have subsequently done several additional flights with no problems, but I didn’t test loss of control signal. I also made sure I did the compass recalibration, although there was no indication it should be needed.

Any speculation on why it took the P2V+ nearly three minutes to decide how it was going to get home?
 
I have found that even after a WiFi break and "Contol Signal Lost" message, the Phantom still responds to control inputs intermittently. Sometimes giving it throttle up will allow enough altitude to re-establish control and WiFi will reconnect. Sometimes, no.

I suspect that you kept making some control inputs, which were intermittently received until the Phantom decided control signal had been lost, or until you initiated RTH mode.
 
DrJoe said:
I have found that even after a WiFi break and "Contol Signal Lost" message, the Phantom still responds to control inputs intermittently
That has happened for me a few times too.
 

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