Phantom mode vs. Naza mode

sdtrojan · Dec 21, 2014

Okay, for those of us 4 days away from taking to the air, can you please tell me what the difference is between Phantom mode and Naza mode, if this applies to all Phantoms (I will be flying non-vision version), and how to tell which mode you are in? Is that the same as GPS and ATTI?

Thanks

Larry L · Dec 21, 2014

SD, Phantom mode is where you have only have GPS lock with satellites. If you lose gps lock on the phantom, it defaults to Atti mode. If you loose signal, you turn off controller & hopefully have it RTH. In Naza mode, it unlocks all controls. You have IOC which is HL & CL on the S2 switch. You have GPS Lock, ATTI, fail safe & manual mode on the S1 switch. For all that Naza mode does, you really need to read the manual, as I am sure I am missing something or butchering what I am supposed to be telling you. You also get a different set of blinking lights in naza mode so you need to learn what the bird is telling you.
Good luck

wildpalms · Dec 21, 2014

I would suggest YouTube. A good few videos on what the modes are and how to enable them as well as video showing them in use. In this case I think pictures really are worth more than a thousand words.

Meta4 · Dec 21, 2014

Yes - applies to all models.
Here's a good introduction.
http://www.pattayadays.com/2014/03/naza ... -2-vision/
Default Phantom mode is fine for learning in and you can change over later if you want to.

Narrator · Dec 21, 2014

I highly endorse all the above on youtube videos etc.

I'm still learning.. bought my Phantom only a week ago and flown every day since. I know what Naza mode does, but for now it's just more stuff to think about while in the air. I'll get around to trying Naza soon, but I'm in no hurry. lol

Larry L · Dec 21, 2014

Narrator said:
I highly endorse all the above on youtube videos etc.

I'm still learning.. bought my Phantom only a week ago and flown every day since. I know what Naza mode does, but for now it's just more stuff to think about while in the air. I'll get around to trying Naza soon, but I'm in no hurry. lol

I think a lot of us are still learning. The one great thing I love is Home Lock. That in its self make it great

( as long as you have GPS )

Pmcdn · Dec 21, 2014

Larry L said:
Narrator said:

I highly endorse all the above on youtube videos etc.

I'm still learning.. bought my Phantom only a week ago and flown every day since. I know what Naza mode does, but for now it's just more stuff to think about while in the air. I'll get around to trying Naza soon, but I'm in no hurry. lol

Click to expand...

I think a lot of us are still learning. The one great thing I love is Home Lock. That in its self make it great ( as long as you have GPS )

No doubt, especially for my first few flights learning. I'd get a little disoriented in its attitude and it's so easy to just pul back on the stick and she just comes right back to you.

I only fly in NAZA mode. Not sure why it warns you about switching to that setting like you are about to sign your soul away.

Narrator · Dec 21, 2014

One thing that would be helpful, but I've not seen anywhere, is a chart showing each of the S1, S2 combinations and what it does. There are 9 possible combinations and as a newbie, I'd hate to accidentally flip into a wrong one.. lol.

Larry L · Dec 21, 2014

dirkclod said:
There is a chart but can't find it :roll: just remember if you ever get confused just put both switch's back up and you are back where you started . Once you do change to it you will wonder why you hadn't changed to it sooner . You just have to pay attention to what you are doing and where your switches are and it just gets to be normal IMO . Even if you leave the S2 up all the time it's nice to have RTH on the S1 rather than cutting off your TX for it. Try it and if you are uncomfortable with it you can always put it back the way it was in the assistant with I click Once I tried it there was no going back

The link Meta showed pretty much shows you the combinations and if ya just will read the manual and go out and learn 1 thing at a time it's really pretty simple .
ADDED / This might help ya to understand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P6SSj0qTcM

Exactly! & Narrator, it is all good. If you are watching the lights, they change so you normally know you flipped a switch

I just might make a suggestion, when you are setting it up. On the S1 switch, when you toggle to bottom, set it to ATTI or Failsafe. Do not set to Manual or you would be able to tell immediately you flipped a switch

Narrator · Dec 22, 2014

Mañana... I'll give it a go tomorrow

Khudson7 · Dec 22, 2014

Larry L said:
On the S1 switch, when you toggle to bottom, set it to ATTI or Failsafe. Do not set to Manual or you would be able to tell immediately you flipped a switch

Truer words...were never spoken. Avoid manual at ALL costs. (Well unless you are a masochist and enjoy inflicting pain on yourself) Not something for the weak at heart. Did it once...never again. Cost me hundreds to fix the phantom after the crash.

Narrator · Dec 23, 2014

Ok.. I went to Naza today. Worked fine once I got used to re-homing when I needed.
I set it up so that S1 position 3 was Failsafe. I can't think of a time when I'll use full Atti.. not just yet anyway.
So, I tested Atti, Failsafe, CL and HL. All worked well.
Safe flights with no incidents

Khudson7 · Dec 23, 2014

Narrator said:
Ok.. I went to Naza today. Worked fine once I got used to re-homing when I needed.
I set it up so that S1 position 3 was Failsafe. I can't think of a time when I'll use full Atti.. not just yet anyway.
So, I tested Atti, Failsafe, CL and HL. All worked well.
Safe flights with no incidents

Glad to hear it all worked for you.
I do use ATTI mode on occasion because it tends to smooth out the video sometimes on the phantom. In GPS mode it will keep trying to adjust it's position to stay in GPS position. However in ATTI mode it will try and maintain it altitude, but will continue to travel in it current direction or go with wind, not stopping or trying to adjust like it does in GPS mode. Having said that, some have argued if you have a H3 D3 gimbal ( I have an older H3 2D gimbal) then using ATTI mode may not be necessary or useful for that, anymore.

Hughie · Dec 23, 2014

Narrator said:
Ok.. I went to Naza today. Worked fine once I got used to re-homing when I needed.
I set it up so that S1 position 3 was Failsafe. I can't think of a time when I'll use full Atti.. not just yet anyway.
So, I tested Atti, Failsafe, CL and HL. All worked well.
Safe flights with no incidents

Two times ATTI is said to be useful; the first (as given by Khudson7) is that when you stop moving under GPS, it literally tries to stop and hover as soon as you centralise the stick input. This can be seen as stopping dead and rocking back to a level position. ATTI will just keep moving until its momentum bleeds off, which is much smoother.

The other reason for ATTI being useful, is if a quad starts trying to make uncommanded flight direction decisions based on an incorrectly calibrated GPS (i.e. flying away from you) you can regain control by switching to ATTI which disables the GPS.

BWJ · Dec 23, 2014

Is it possible to switch back, from Naza to Phantom mode again ??

BlackTracer · Dec 23, 2014

BWJ said:
Is it possible to switch back, from Naza to Phantom mode again ??

But of course.

Scottintexas · Dec 31, 2014

I am new to the Phantom. Just got one. The instructions said "run the assistant software" and gave me a link that didn't work. As I was running through the DJI web site I came across their forum. I found that I should be using NAZA. So I downloaded NAZA-M V2. It is slightly different than the software shown in the you tube video linked above. But then that video was based on the Phantom 2.

One of my issues is that a DJI forum member also said;

"As per the manual, you should not test or otherwise fiddle with the failsafe. It is for use ONLY when you truly have no other way of getting your quadcopter back. In most cases, you can simply steer your quad back to where you are - if you lose orientation, use home lock (you can test that all you like )"

What is the problem with testing failsafe? If you are a beginner flier it seems like a nice tool to get your copter home is you are loosing control of it. Now, My comment is based on having acquired the satellites BEFORE flying. Before I flew my Phantom I had one green and one red led.

I used the NAZA software to set limits to keep my Phantom within 20m while learning. I think I'll increase that to 50m to give me just a little more room.

Your opinions?

MacCool · Dec 31, 2014

If the reason you switched to failsafe is because the machine is acting wonky, it may be doing so because it's lost GPS. You could switch to failsafe thinking it will bring you home, but it can't. What you should have done was switch to ATTI.