The Bad, The More Bad, The Good

[CrispyClaret]

So, up nice and early, beautiful clear and still morning. I have my flight area planned, 5 mile drive to find a locked gate blocks my path. Oh well, drive another 5 miles down rough unfinished roads to a lovely spot. Get out my drone, ##### remote is not in the car.
Drive home and return to same spot, with the remote this time, my poor cars suspension taking a beating. The magic words, home point updated and I do an auto takeoff. **** thing get to hover height then starts flying away all on its own, quick look at the screen and compass error blaring out in red scrolling text. Eek, deep breath, she still responds to imputs but if I let go, off she heads, managed to bring her back to me thankfully and land safely.
Guess who took off from an all metal bridge over a field drainage ditch? Concrete road surface had fooled me.
Start again, power off, move back 50ft, up we go. Perfect this time and I got out to 1598 ft. That might not match the 700 miles that our friends across the pond want from their birds but I am pretty chuffed with that distance. No loss of signals, clear video, latest firmware, happy boy.
But why oh why does every flight have to be so different? By the way, I double checked the pre-flight checklists on here, nothing says to take all your equipment with you....and yes I do no the answer, I get too excited at wanting to fly and errors creep in.

 

[Erised]

So, up nice and early, beautiful clear and still morning. I have my flight area planned, 5 mile drive to find a locked gate blocks my path. Oh well, drive another 5 miles down rough unfinished roads to a lovely spot. Get out my drone, ##### remote is not in the car.
Drive home and return to same spot, with the remote this time, my poor cars suspension taking a beating. The magic words, home point updated and I do an auto takeoff. **** thing get to hover height then starts flying away all on its own, quick look at the screen and compass error blaring out in red scrolling text. Eek, deep breath, she still responds to imputs but if I let go, off she heads, managed to bring her back to me thankfully and land safely.
Guess who took off from an all metal bridge over a field drainage ditch? Concrete road surface had fooled me.
Start again, power off, move back 50ft, up we go. Perfect this time and I got out to 1598 ft. That might not match the 700 miles that our friends across the pond want from their birds but I am pretty chuffed with that distance. No loss of signals, clear video, latest firmware, happy boy.
But why oh why does every flight have to be so different? By the way, I double checked the pre-flight checklists on here, nothing says to take all your equipment with you....and yes I do no the answer, I get too excited at wanting to fly and errors creep in.

Yep! sometimes we are like kids in a candy store, I once drove one hour to a falls only to discover I forgot my sd card in my home computer, so no video that day and I plan to go back. Now as soon as my files are uploaded to my computer I place the card in the craft emmidiatly if not sooner!

 

[CrispyClaret]

By the way I wasn't offended by the deleted post, I did get 5 miles between remote and bird and I did actually laugh at my stupidity.
You should see the bit of yesterdays video where I am flying full pelt towards myself, there I am, head down looking at my iphone. Looked up just in time to duck !!!

 

[DragonsBack]

Glad you made the flight in the end. I have a packing checklist before leaving home (instigated after walking up a mountain with all equipment except SD card!) Here it is in case it's of use...

** Packing list and checks **
Weather check - wind, rain, cloud altitude
Charged Tx
Charged batteries
Damage check
ND filter estimate
Charged iPad
Lightning cable
iPad hood
Cached maps - clean iPad in airplane mode
Empty, formatted SD card
Props remover
Props
Sunglasses
Lanyard
Lens wipe
Checklists
Anemometer
Filters
Tweezers
Towel

 

[Suhail78]

I have multiple SD cards, that i swap out after each flight....get home, take it out of the bird, put it into the computer, and then immediately put another empty card into the bird before even starting to look at the pictures and videos i captured. This way i know i always have a card in the bird ready to go!

 

[CrispyClaret]

Glad you made the flight in the end. I have a packing checklist before leaving home (instigated after walking up a mountain with all equipment except SD card!) Here it is in case it's of use...

** Packing list and checks **
Weather check - wind, rain, cloud altitude
Charged Tx
Charged batteries
Damage check
ND filter estimate
Charged iPad
Lightning cable
iPad hood
Cached maps - clean iPad in airplane mode
Empty, formatted SD card
Props remover
Props
Sunglasses
Lanyard
Lens wipe
Checklists
Anemometer
Filters
Tweezers
Towel

Thanks for that, but you missed the drone off your list and how do you know to take your checklist that I see you put in there, if you lose your checklist
Joking apart, there have been enough great tips from so many on here that most of us can sneakily have a safe flight and pretend it was all our own good work and skill.

 

[WilliamM]

Thanks for that, but you missed the drone off your list and how do you know to take your checklist that I see you put in there, if you lose your checklist
Joking apart, there have been enough great tips from so many on here that most of us can sneakily have a safe flight and pretend it was all our own good work and skill.

Get yourself a case than having all your things in one place is much easier. I use to do it your why before buying the case, now it's so simple. Just need to check on the batteries before hand and that's it. Just throw the case in the back and go.

 

[Trinimon]

Glad you managed to fly your drone home. That must've been scary!

 

[CrispyClaret]

Get yourself a case than having all your things in one place is much easier. I use to do it your why before buying the case, now it's so simple. Just need to check on the batteries before hand and that's it. Just throw the case in the back and go.

I have dji prop guards on permanently, not seen any cases that will accomodate that set-up. Bearing in mind cost and portability issues.
My drone I have on a backpack with spare props and battery, remote clips to the front when I am flying but is awkward to get out of the house and into the car safely if attached, hiking with it attached is safe and comfy though.
The point of my post was more a laugh at me and my walnut sized, fluff covered brain (it fell out and rolled into a corner) than a cry for help.

 

[CrispyClaret]

Glad you managed to fly your drone home. That must've been scary!

It was a brief pulse raising event, luckily it was only 15 feet or so from me when it shot off so I was able to see how it responded to my sticks. Full reverse and back she came, but was trying to escape. Grabbed a leg and shut it down as I didn't want to risk a crash landing.

 

[sinxa]

i waited so long for fireworks session in the end of night trial game event at my town. until the time comes suddenly fireworks began without any announcement from the PA of the event organizer. i rushed to start the drone & controller, link my phone, start the apps, waiting for waming up, and when green light come i start to get it fly.... thanks god there were enough time for me to do 2 laps of manual orbit around the fireworks show until the fireworks lasted for about 3 minutes... everyone gave applause and cheers and then i pull my drone home. but there is only one flaw in this scenario. . . . guess what ??? i forgot to press the video record button.

 

[Trinimon]

@sinxa DOH! I know that feeling, forgot to press record a couple times. Grrr!

 

[CrispyClaret]

Had a nice flight on holiday, showing off what stunning videos the 3s can shoot. Not when I had set it to 3 stops over exposure on a sunny clear day it doesn't.

 

[planedr]

I've driven 30-40 minutes to get some good footage of a river with rapids, opened the case and no batteries. They are on the charger at home.

 

[FlashBuddy]

@sinxa DOH! I know that feeling, forgot to press record a couple times. Grrr!

I want to hear from the people who have these Phantoms and have never forgotten to press the record button.

NoCo Drones

 

[Trinimon]

Was shooting some stock resort video for a buddy a few weeks ago. I did a nice slowly ascending/pull away shot between two building and palm trees heading out to sea... Seemed like a perfect shot on the first take. Yup, didn't press record! FRAK ME! lol

 

[CrispyClaret]

Now where would the fun in that be?
Most forums that I visit..photography, phantoms are filled with posts of people wanting to upgrade, ***** about the product, or what did I do wrong? It was a nice interlude to have people owning up to doing daft things.
I have posted pics and vids on here to show that cleaning fluff off brain cells does work wonders occasionally.

 

[Zeprider]

Forgot to press record, yep. Been there done that. But there is an app for that: Litchie.

 

[CrispyClaret]

Does it remind you to press record then or just film everything?
Might be a bit old fashioned but I prefer choosing when to take my photos and vids, even if errors creep in. The Phantoms are great fun to fly but are inherently photographic tools, oh and yes I do sometimes to forget to take the lens cap off when using my 1960 vintage Canon P. The randomness of life is what makes it more rewarding when things work out.

 

[Zeprider]

Does it remind you to press record then or just film everything?
Might be a bit old fashioned but I prefer choosing when to take my photos and vids, even if errors creep in. The Phantoms are great fun to fly but are inherently photographic tools, oh and yes I do sometimes to forget to take the lens cap off when using my 1960 vintage Canon P. The randomness of life is what makes it more rewarding when things work out.

Litchi can be set to start recording video on take off; or not. That's about it.

The way I see it. It's better to be recording and get footage than not. Just jam a big ol' memory card in their and fly away!

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