New Phantom owner / question about RTH initiation

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Hey guys,

I've been reading here for a few weeks doing research and finally signed up. Awesome forum loaded with great information. This is my first time posting. Anyway, I've been flying a Blade 350QX for a few months and do just fine with it. Just this week I got a Phantom 2 Vision Plus. I've only got a couple of basic flights in so far and all is well and I really like it. As far as needing to manually use RTH goes, I really hate the idea of having to turn off the transmitter to initiate it. I can see it as a last ditch attempt, but it just seems wrong as the correct way to do it to start with. Being that I'm not a total beginner with quads should I just go ahead and change it over to the Naza settings? I see that in Naza with both switches in the up position it's really the same as flying it in the "Phantom" settings anyway. With the 350QX I can flip a switch on the transmitter and it initiates RTH. I really like the idea of being able to also do that with the Phantom. Since I am new to the Phantom quads is there any danger in setting up NAZA as long as I always make sure of my preflight procedures such as correct LED's showing satellite lock, home lock, and making sure S1 and S2 are both at the top before lifting off? Thanks for any insight and opinions.

Jeff
 
I have a non-Vision Phantom2, but in Phantom Mode (not Naza mode - I think it's called Vision mode on a P2V) you can configure the right-hand toggle switch to manually initiate RTH without turning off the RC. image below shows you the exact setting - when changed to Failsafe, toggling the right-hand toggle full down (2 clicks from full up position) will put the Phantom in RTH mode. either of the other 2 positions (up or middle) will go right back to Normal Fly.
You can tell when Failsafe is triggered, the rear indicator lights on the Phantom which are normally green, will start blinking (slow) yellow.

I use the feature all the time as a kind of autopilot.. "come back overhead" or "descend a bit for me" if I'm high up in the air.

I'm like, 95% sure this applies to Vision models as well.
RC-failsafe.jpg
 
QYV said:
I use the feature all the time as a kind of autopilot.. "come back overhead" or "descend a bit for me" if I'm high up in the air.

Though... if all you want is "come back overhead" (presumably because you've become disoriented), you're probably better off switching to NAZA mode and using IOC "Home Lock". This maintains full control, and switches the mode so "back on the stick" always means "back to you" no matter your relation to the Phantom. I find this is a great way to reorient myself if I'm having trouble. Switch into Home Lock, maneuver the Phantom enough to get out of eminent danger/panic (usually means bringing it back to me enough to be able to see which way it's actually pointing), then switch back to IOC off to continue flying normally.

And no, meloyelo, there's no danger in setting up NAZA. I actually switched to NAZA after only my second or third flight, if I remember. I will admit that ensuring that both switches are in the up position is remarkably harder than it sounds (for me). I'm constantly wondering why I only have orange LEDs on the launch pad, only to look back at my controller and see that it's actually in ATTI mode. But even so, because of all the indicators available (LEDs and the Vision app), I've never taken off mistakenly thinking I was in one mode when I was actually in another. Just doesn't happen. And with RTH set on S1, "manual" mode won't exist anyway... so no fear that you'll inadvertently switch to that. The worst that can happen is you'll switch over to ATTI, or IOC... both of which are still easy to control.

I don't believe the Assistant app for the Vision is the same as the Assistant app for the P2, because, I'm pretty sure, I didn't have the option to set S1 to RTH until I switched to NAZA mode... but maybe.
 
a valid presumption but incorrect in this case :) I just have a tendency to be lazy, so if I've flown the Phantom off 400-600+ meters and it's time for him to come home, rather than manually pilot it back I'll just flip the switch and have a drink or chat while I watch the FPV as it drives itself home. the feature is there.. why not?

same for descending.. with this current descent limit of 2m/s if I'm 200+ meters up in the air, that can be over 3 minutes of pure, boring descent... so I'll let the Phantom do that for me instead of just sitting there holding the throttle down for 3+ minutes.

then whenever I'm ready I just flip the switch back to NormalFly and resume control... either fly off again or complete my catch (I never land anymore I always catch it... much safer imo)
 

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