What do in this scenario?

[RedHotPoker]

Yeah, VLOS is the key. Keep your eye on the prize. ;-)
Having a spotter with good binoculars is a very helpful practice. Haha
We use a Bushnell Banner Spotting Scope! Well it's got a variable eye piece, so 50x45mm
"I can See for miles and miles. Oh my!!" Chuckles

RedHotPoker

 

[RedHotPoker]

Or take up fishing. Fewer things to go wrong.

Guys are actually fishing with their drone these days... Go figure.

RedHotPoker

 

[BayouBill]

But of course that will never happen to us with the new FAA regs amiright?

Good point.
I'm wondering if you are flying in course lock mode will it still work without GPS? This works on 3DR APM-equipped MRs. Theoretically it should only need compass.

 

[Vertigo]

Good point.
I'm wondering if you are flying in course lock mode will it still work without GPS? This works on 3DR APM-equipped MRs. Theoretically it should only need compass.

The phantom will drop out of F mode when it loses GPS, so you can forget it.

 

[BayouBill]

The phantom will drop out of F mode when it loses GPS, so you can forget it.

Yes, of course it will. Very frustrating knowing that it is technically possible. I had originally intended to do a project using a DJI Flamwheel frame with Pixhawk FC, DJI tuned propulsion system, 433 MHz RC radio and Lightbridge video. Unfortunately that project would cost 4 times as much as a Phantom 3P! Maybe some day when I get bored with the P3P.

 

[Meta4]

The good news is that the scenario of losing GPS is quite unlikely to happen.
To lose GPS you have to fly where a lot of the sky is not visible, as in a deep canyon, under forest cover etc, and not many users would fly into that situation when out of sight.
Or have a data conflict between GPS and compass and that is most likely going to be because of a bad compass calibration, in which case it should present itself while the Phantom is still quite close rather than out of sight.

 

[BayouBill]

Or have a data conflict between GPS and compass and that is most likely going to be because of a bad compass calibration, in which case it should present itself while the Phantom is still quite close rather than out of sight.

There is a thread on here where the OP took off from a parking garage (not a great idea) but everything looked fine for awhile until he gained altitude and and distance. Then the compass/GPS conflict reared its ugly head.

 

[Meta4]

There is a thread on here where the OP took off from a parking garage (not a great idea) but everything looked fine for awhile until he gained altitude and and distance. Then the compass/GPS conflict reared its ugly head.

Yes ... this thread: Spooky, first time i've almost lost it, what happened?
And the Phantom was in atti mode within 7 seconds at 30 ft directly above home.
Like I said, if you screw up the compass with a bad calibration or taking off from reinforced concrete, the problem appears as soon as the Phantom gets out of the magnetic distortion around the launch point and has to deal with the arth's normal magnetic field.

 

[HWCM]

Oh, I see. Then I would probably throttle up a bit to try to recover GPS signal and then activate RTH.

Throttle up? To get closer to the satellites? Right.

 

[DronerLee]

Yeh thats what this thread is about. I know how to fly in ATTI mode. But it wont help if you cannot see the drone with your eyes and your DJI go app has crashed( no video link).. as you cannot tell which way your facing. youre kind of screwed.

I bring along a pair of binoculars just for that reason so I can see which way it's facing if it's up in the line of sight.

Sent from my LG-H810 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Vertigo]

Yes, of course it will. Very frustrating knowing that it is technically possible.

Im more frustrated that the phantom will not manage navigation without compass, or even with slightly erroneous compass data when GPS is still working. Pixhawk will recalculate magnetic offsets in flight and do dead reckoning when the compass fails all together, and thus manage to return home without compass data at all. It may not be in a perfect straight line, but it will be good enough to get back to visual or radio range.

And I dont understand why DJI dont include a second magnetometer as is typical with a pixhawk setup (one in the controller, one in the GPS module). Its a ~$2 retail price PCB and arguably the number 1 cause of phantom problems.

I had originally intended to do a project using a DJI Flamwheel frame with Pixhawk FC, DJI tuned propulsion system, 433 MHz RC radio and Lightbridge video. Unfortunately that project would cost 4 times as much as a Phantom 3P! Maybe some day when I get bored with the P3P.

A DIY project shouldnt be anywhere near that expensive. Just forget about lightbridge, and use analog FPV, which in many regards is superior anyway. Also forget the flamewheel, which is a terrible frame. Just about anything on hobbyking will serve you better.

But what will be very hard or impossible to achieve with DIY is similar weight and thus comparable flight times. All my builds weigh like bricks compared to a phantom and Im lucky to get 15 minutes of hovering without gimbal.

 

[matti]

How many times have you seen any version of the DJI GO app repeatedly crash?

If that happens, I'd throttle up and hope for the best.

If that fails, I'd quickly travel to/near the last known position of the AC (I'm usually prepared for that before taking off).

 

[Vertigo]

How many times have you seen any version of the DJI GO app repeatedly crash?

I had a bad USB-C cable crash my phone repeatedly. It would turn off or reboot. Not a software issue, happened in Litchi as well. Charging would work fine, and I could connect the cable to my PC with no problem. But on the DJI controller it gave huge problems. A different cable seems to have cured it. If you have a USB C tablet or phone, check this out:
Beware bad USB-C cables, Google engineer warns—while naming names

pretty sure that is what bit me.

 

[Lifted Chevy]

I just had this happen to me but the app stayed on. I had it out at 7,000ft with a gps error and flew back fpv.

 

[alirz]

The phantom will drop out of F mode when it loses GPS, so you can forget it.

exactly..

To add more. My situation was while i was in Mexico. Way out over the ocean, about 300M in altitude. about 1.5 KM out. Thats when my DJI go app crashed...even if i rebooted the phone, etc,, the app would not reconnect to the aircraft. While my RC was connected to the AC, i couldnt see which direction the AC was. Luckily in that case, RTH worked as AC had GPS.
But i've been in a situation that the AC has switched back and forth between GPS and no GPS, again at the same place, over the ocean. Doubt its interference.
Anyways. Thats when i thought about this doomsday scenario. but as others have said. Binoculars might be the only way at the point

 

[BayouBill]

But what will be very hard or impossible to achieve with DIY is similar weight and thus comparable flight times. All my builds weigh like bricks compared to a phantom and Im lucky to get 15 minutes of hovering without gimbal.

Yes, remarkably light. Well a DIY project in a Phantom shell might be fun. Even the P3 battery pack weight is hard to duplicate as was discovered by the dual battery folks.

 

[HWCM]

Yes, remarkably light. Well a DIY project in a Phantom shell might be fun. Even the P3 battery pack weight is hard to duplicate as was discovered by the dual battery folks.

I have done this with a P2 body and a mini APM PRO. It flew pretty **** good.

 

[yorlik]

Relook at course lock (assuming p3 and p4 still have it). No gps required. I always take off pointing due north so if that scenario comes up I have course lock to bring it back...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[BayouBill]

Relook at course lock (assuming p3 and p4 still have it). No gps required. I always take off pointing due north so if that scenario comes up I have course lock to bring it back...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Which Phantom bird are you flying? My experience with the P3P has been that when GPS lock is lost the P3 switches out of course lock to Atti mode even if the compass is OK. The scenario you describe works with a 3DR-equipped frame (AMP, Pixhawk).

 

[yorlik]

P2v3+

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