Phantom Fly-Aways - Debunking & possible solutions

[Geoelectro]

This maybe has nothing to do with fly always but I've not seen this in the phantom documentation but when reading through the NAZA Mv2 documents it states that you are not to move the craft within 5 seconds of power on. Apparently this will cause flight problems. I've been guilty of this.

Geo

 

[Roegie]

It would be helpfull if DJI would let us check the "home-spot" by hand (with f.i. with google maps), as something to add to the pre flight check. That might be a easy solution for many problems.

 

[Madwak]

This maybe has nothing to do with fly always but I've not seen this in the phantom documentation but when reading through the NAZA Mv2 documents it states that you are not to move the craft within 5 seconds of power on. Apparently this will cause flight problems. I've been guilty of this.

Geo

This could be a possible explanation, if any of the people with the flyaways let us know whether they turn the phantom on and then walk across and put it down ready for takeoff or put it on the floor first and then power up it could debunk this theory. I'm in the latter group and have had no problems so far.

 

[DBS]

if any of the people with the flyaways let us know whether they turn the phantom on and then walk across and put it down ready for takeoff or put it on the floor first and then power up it could debunk this theory.

If you listen to the video... I suggest putting the phantom down... then powering on... allowing time for it to acquire more than 6 satellites.... THEN move the phantom around causing it to triangulate several times before setting home position....

Moving a GPS device as it powers up is never a good idea... that's when it is doing its packet downloads and you can cause errors or just waste time making the whole process take quite a bit longer.

No debunking there... I never suggested powering on and immediately moving the phantom around :ugeek:

 

[doug86]

I created a quick Pen & Paper explanation of what I believe to be the culprit causing Phantom Fly-Aways....

I was looking at an "important" note in the Phantom assistance software and it struck me like a bolt of lightning.... truly an "oh my god... that's it!!" moment...

Please watch the video if you are concerned about losing your new $1300 investment and let's have an intelligent discussion ( or all out argument ) about what can be done to reduce the chances of these occurrences...

This is the settings page I refer to in Phantom assistant software

And this is my explanation of what causes a Flyaway soon after launch... video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ge3GuhEDRM

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ge3GuhEDRM[/youtube]

Intersting... but, my Vision + software came from the factory this way: note that there are NO limits set. This is the way mine is after updating my software on the first day I owned the thing, and I've never touched it. I looked at it after reading you post.
So, the flyaway theory due to "limits" might not be quite right. Or, it might be! Who knows?

 

[JimDE]

Very plausible theory but a much more scary thought and anyone who has used a GPS unit afield for hiking can attest is your track or current location can also jump randomly at times. So say you get a perfect home lock and while flying the above happens and it now has a skewed GPS data for current location, route, and home. It would then think it needs to return home but home is no longer where it was before the GPS went whacky.

Ask any hiker if they depend solely on a GPS device to get in and out of a remote location and they will show you a compass too. GPS though a fantastic technology still has some major hiccups at times depending on conditions, weather, RF, civilian GPS tolerances, etc....

I truly do not think unexplained fly aways will all be due to one thing but we need to collect and compile data to graphically see the key distinctions. One idea like hikers is if the bird see's a rapid difference in GPS data that is contrary to the routes compass headings rather than respond to the new GPS info it should reverse the path of its compass heading along the flights route. This would bring it back in our direction rather than away towards ghost GPS information. The original home lock data should be saved and if on the way back along our routes compass settings the GPS data corrects then it should follow the RTH if it corresponds to the compass data.

 

[Jre]

I love how the consumers are probably doing most of the data analysis on flyaways. DJI needs to speak up and show that they are working on fixing their issues, as well as hire/train a bigger and better support team.

 

[dragonash]

wow, that was an amazing explanation by DBS.

What I didnt quite understand in the video was the limit.
What would happen if I set my limit to lets say, 10 miles, then I lose connection to the Phantom?

the RTH sequence should kick in, but what will the phantom do? Start to land right on the spot I lost connection?

 

[jengo]

Interesting theory however, you would see your distance number high on take off. If I take off from somewhere, walk a few hundred feet away while flying. It will show me at a very long distance even though its 10' from me.

Walking away has no effect on the display distance... The distance displayed is the distance from P2V+ to home point marked at launch... it is not relative to the controller...

And there are stories of the HUD showing crazy data as the drone flies away... like the couple I read that the red arrow was all the way to the outside of the circle... Also the guy in Hawaii that checked his "find my phantom" right after takeoff while it was hovering right in front of him and it showed the pin 10 miles away from his current location...

Not saying that my story would account for all flyaways but it matches some of the stories so well its like a road map for potential disaster...

Thats exactly my point is that the distance is from the home position.