Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home"

[MarinerSax]

Yesterday I was doing one final flight with a battery with about two bars left. I took off from a riverbank and did the flight and since the batteries got low, the Phantom engaged the low battery homing feature and overrode my controls (I was in GPS mode) to get back home. The problem was since I took off from a riverbank, as it was auto landing, the GPS was a little off and it was close to landing about 5 feet out IN THE RIVER! Thankfully, I had enabled NAZA and switched in to ATTI model and was able to take back controls and move over to the riverbank and land before the batt ran out. Phew!

So in summary:

- When flying near water, find a takeoff area with a bit more ground around so it's a bit more forgiving in this situation
- Enable NAZA-M in your assistant software because going into manual (ATTI) saved my *** (and my buddy's GoPro!)
- Buy more spare batteries

Just a few thoughts / tips from a newbie.

 

[BWJ]

Re: Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home

Yesterday I was doing one final flight with a battery with about two bars left. I took off from a riverbank and did the flight and since the batteries got low, the Phantom engaged the low battery homing feature and overrode my controls (I was in GPS mode) to get back home. The problem was since I took off from a riverbank, as it was auto landing, the GPS was a little off and it was close to landing about 5 feet out IN THE RIVER! Thankfully, I had enabled NAZA and switched in to ATTI model and was able to take back controls and move over to the riverbank and land before the batt ran out. Phew!

So in summary:

- When flying near water, find a takeoff area with a bit more ground around so it's a bit more forgiving in this situation
- Enable NAZA-M in your assistant software because going into manual (ATTI) saved my *** (and my buddy's GoPro!)
- Buy more spare batteries

Just a few thoughts / tips from a newbie.

You can take back controls in Phantom mode too. :shock:

 

[Happyflyer]

Re: Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home

Yesterday I was doing one final flight with a battery with about two bars left. I took off from a riverbank and did the flight and since the batteries got low, the Phantom engaged the low battery homing feature and overrode my controls (I was in GPS mode) to get back home. The problem was since I took off from a riverbank, as it was auto landing, the GPS was a little off and it was close to landing about 5 feet out IN THE RIVER! Thankfully, I had enabled NAZA and switched in to ATTI model and was able to take back controls and move over to the riverbank and land before the batt ran out. Phew!

So in summary:

- When flying near water, find a takeoff area with a bit more ground around so it's a bit more forgiving in this situation
- Enable NAZA-M in your assistant software because going into manual (ATTI) saved my *** (and my buddy's GoPro!)
- Buy more spare batteries

Just a few thoughts / tips from a newbie.

You can take back controls in Phantom mode too. :shock:

Great to read you saved your quad and buddy's GoPro.
.
This brings up a question. My battery was low and the constant alarm was going off and quad was landing itself a few days ago. To stop this auto land do you switch to ATTI and leave it there to get control back? Or will switching to ATTI and back to GPS do the trick? Also any way to stop that constant beep, beep, beep, beep?
.

 

[MarinerSax]

Re: Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home

Hahah this is funny because I never got the "Beeps" unless I just didn't hear them. I'm assuming they come from the controller? And to answer YOUR question, I just switched the S1 switch to ATTI (the middle position) and flew it further in land manually and then back to GPS mode to land.

 

[MarinerSax]

Re: Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home

I'm using a Black Pearl 7" monitor for my FPV. I'll have to look into this.

Thanks

 

[ExtraKim]

Re: Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home

When the P2 goes into RTH I just switch to ATTI and then back to GPS and you can fly it like normal to where you want to land. I guess it´s the same with auto landing.

 

[Happyflyer]

Re: Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home

The battery alarm "beeps" are not coming from your controller but from your phone or tablet which you use for FPV.
Of course if you turned off the speaker,which is not wise, you won't hear it.

Geert

I will put my question into the category of being "brain dead" at that time. Sure it is coming from the phone or tablet. Next flight I will remember to turn down the volume, not off, so if it goes off it won't be such a distraction.

 

[Happyflyer]

Re: Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home

Then again, maybe it IS from the controller. There is what sure looks like a speaker of some type inside. The little round black thing in the picture. Must be what makes the two beeps when you turn it on.

 

[derrickduff]

Re: Tip for when your low battery causes Phantom to "go home

Yes, The controller does beep. If you leave your phantom on but not running for a certain time, maybe 10 minutes, it will start yelling at you. I've used the phantom as plain old steady cam before to film a house. I had to have the controller on so it wouldn't point the camera at a 45 degree angle. After 10 minutes or so the controller starts beeping.

There may be other situations it beeps but this is the only one I've experienced.