Total loss of all signals on RTH

[olo]

This is the first time in around 100 flights within a Year this happened.
I always fly to the max range, let RTH kick in and cancel RTH when I get a good signal back and fly into another direction.

Yesterday the following happened.
Flew 2 hours before and set new record for me with nearly 2300 meter.
Flew good 2000 meter (yes it it a P3S and I am in CE country with half the TX power).
RTH kicked in
Never lost video feed not even at 2000 meters - might get a bit choppy but still good enough.
Got control back 400 meter from home and turned 90 degrees for another flight.
At 1750 meter lost signal and RTH kicked in again.
Video feed was OK.
Flew back exactly the same route it came from.
Suddenly at 1000 meters (good 3000 feet - 1000 yard or 1 km)
the video got lost and the app turned to black an white (I think, but could be just the non video signal)
After waiting for a while I turned off the app and restarted it with no connection.
Wigggled the RTH switch on the controller and the RTH beeping came back.
Drone came home and decended without any control.
My quick start and landing area is a slanting rooftop with only limited unlcuttered free space and flat surface.
So I put the RC down and hoped the AC would not choose the close by sun collector to land on.
But I was in luck it came down between the collector and the table it started from, was easily caught by the leg and then turned the motors of by itself.

So my question is, If something like this should ever happen again, would it make sense to turn off and on the RC again or would the RTH then be lost for good?
If RTH is iniciated, does the AC do all the work by itself even if there is no connection to anything?

 

[Meta4]

So my question is, If something like this should ever happen again, would it make sense to turn off and on the RC again or would the RTH then be lost for good?
If RTH is iniciated, does the AC do all the work by itself even if there is no connection to anything?

If you turn off the controller, after 3 seconds the Phantom will initiate RTH.
The Phantom stores the homepoint and can return and land even if you dropped the controller and a truck ran over it.
Of course if a truck doesn't run over it, you can usually reconnect and cancel RTh and land normally.

 

[olo]

Thank you for your answer. I forgot about it that the controller should work without the app and try to land manually. This can happen when the slight panic mode sets in...

 

[olo]

We have lots of long range 5.8 GHz antennas around here to connect all the little rural settlements. They have a very small beam but powerfull, I think I might have flown back in one of them what did cause the total loss of control. It might have even been mine...

 

[RodPad]

@olo

U hav trobels spellin alsew? "pilote"

Best Method to RTH?

Are those antennas using a standard consumer router?
That looks like about 9" or 11"

I have a 24" that points toward the horse barn so I can have an IP Camera there.
I'm shooting the signal through Doug Fir, Pine, brush, etc. I haven't seen any issues, but I wouldn't be in the beam for a long period.

Rod

 

[olo]

@RodPad You guessed correctly, I am having trouble spelling correctly.
First I am over 60, second English is not my native language, third I have to read at least 3 times what I wrote and still gibberish slips through and my hands type often something totally different than what I want to say and last not least I might have mad cow desease like Danny Crane.
I hope I could answer your question.
The router for the antenna is a normal TP link
Regarding to my problem.....
The next day there was no RF signal even when trying to start the drone. It worked with another phone without a problem. - So a REBOOT of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 did the trick.

 

[babaco]

If you ever lose video - rc signal at the same time and the app crashes... turn off the transmitter turn off the the app and wait till you have visual on the drone. As soon as you spot the drone turn in the controller and open the app and reconnect your drone before it automatically lands. It happened to me once, this method had worked for me...

 

[Russ43Phantom]

Suggest you worry more about the VLOS rule ... recreational flyer or commercial flyer. None of us want tighter restrictions on our flight but flying at 2300 meters away will bring down the FAA on everyone.

 

[BourgeoisSJC]

Suggest you worry more about the VLOS rule ... recreational flyer or commercial flyer. None of us want tighter restrictions on our flight but flying at 2300 meters away will bring down the FAA on everyone.

I dont think the FAA has jurisdiction in Spain.

 

[BourgeoisSJC]

@RodPad You guessed correctly, I am having trouble spelling correctly.
First I am over 60, second English is not my native language, .

Your 2nd language writing/spelling is better than many others here who claim English as their first (and only).

 

[dchao]

olo, you know you can toggle the S1 switch to cancel the RTH at any time. So when the drone lower to about 2-3 meter above the landing site, I would cancel the RTH, and manually adjust the position and orientation of the drone before continuing with the RTH procedures.
I prefer to have the drone faces the same way as me, in case there is a gust of wind and I can react quickly to any change in condition.

 

[Russ43Phantom]

I dont think the FAA has jurisdiction in Spain.

Lucky you! Sounds like you have greater freedom in your use of your drone. To be sure to keep those freedoms, fly safely.