Airborne Over Water

[gagetman]

When flying over the sea with my Phantom 3 Advanced must I switch off the video positioning system and sonar due to it maybe giving incorrect readings and unstable flight.While I'm on the subject is there anything else I must be aware of when flying over water?

 

[Meta4]

When flying over the sea with my Phantom 3 Advanced must I switch off the video positioning system and sonar due to it maybe giving incorrect readings and unstable flight.While I'm on the subject is there anything else I must be aware of when flying over water?

Are you intending to be flying low and close to the water?
The water surface can confuse the VPS so if you are flying low, it's a good idea to disable VPS.
The VPS does not work past 10 metres so if you are flying high, it wouldn't make any difference.
Other than that, flying over water is just like flying over land.

 

[gagetman]

Thanks Meta4.No I was advised to fly 30m. when drone fishing.Someone had mentioned that to me previously about the VPS as well as wind shear?

 

[Bairdata]

That said, does the VPS really help all that much?

 

[gagetman]

Maybe only indoors?

 

[3rdof5]

That said, does the VPS really help all that much?

I haven't found VPS to do much really. I flew once indoors to try it over a patterned floor and the AC still drifted around enough that i had to correct its movement. I keep my VPS turned off and i wouldn't fly low enough over water for it to make any difference either way.

 

[Bairdata]

I haven't found VPS to do much really. I flew once indoors to try it over a patterned floor and the AC still drifted around enough that i had to correct its movement. I keep my VPS turned off and i wouldn't fly low enough over water for it to make any difference either way.

Thanks 3rdof5,

I will turn mine off and give it a shot Why power devices and options that really don't do that much or anything for you. I don't fly indoors or over water so I'm thinking I won't notice any difference.

 

[gagetman]

I haven't found VPS to do much really. I flew once indoors to try it over a patterned floor and the AC still drifted around enough that i had to correct its movement. I keep my VPS turned off and i wouldn't fly low enough over water for it to make any difference either way.

Thanks.So at 30m.it might as well stay on seeing as it's not much good at a couple of meters.

 

[3rdof5]

Thanks.So at 30m.it might as well stay on seeing as it's not much good at a couple of meters.

Actually at 30m its totally useless and just a waste of battery. Plus I've read in other threads dealing with bird issues that its best to have it off as the ultrasonic sound it emits can attract unwanted bird activity.

 

[gagetman]

Actually at 30m its totally useless and just a waste of battery. Plus I've read in other threads dealing with bird issues that its best to have it off as the ultrasonic sound it emits can attract unwanted bird activity.

Thanks.I will keep it off then. Do you think 30m.too high?

 

[3rdof5]

Thanks.I will keep it off then. Do you think 30m.too high?

30m is not too high at all. In fact i keep my RTH altitude at 35m to be sure im above any obstacles.

 

[3rdof5]

Im not sure why you're concerned about 30m being too high. For one, there's nothing to fear as the RC and AC are rated to stay reliably connected up to 2000m. So at 30m you're well within the safe zone. Secondly, in the rare event that the GPS fails (which so far has never happened to me) and you have to fly in ATTI mode, the more altitude you have the better imo. Cuz if things get wonky at least you have some space to correct it.

 

[gagetman]

30m is not too high at all. In fact i keep my RTH altitude at 35m to be sure im above any obstacles.

Sorry but what is RTH?Only starting out here.The reason why I was mostly asking about if 30m. was enough was that I was told 20m.was so no water gets on gimbal.And I thought higher would maybe have less turbulence?

 

[3rdof5]

Sorry but what is RTH?Only starting out here.The reason why I was mostly asking about if 30m. was enough was that I was told 20m.was so no water gets on gimbal.And I thought higher would maybe have less turbulence?

RTH is return to home mode. I recommend reading the online manual to become fully familiar with how your AC (aircraft) operates BEFORE flying (especially over water). You can find the online manual and full specs and some great tutorial videos here: Phantom 3 Professional - Specs, FAQ, Tutorials, Downloads and DJI GO - DJI

 

[gagetman]

RTH is return to home mode. I recommend reading the online manual to become fully familiar with how your AC (aircraft) operates BEFORE flying (especially over water). You can find the online manual and full specs and some great tutorial videos here: Phantom 3 Professional - Specs, FAQ, Tutorials, Downloads and DJI GO - DJI

Thanks for the advice.I have been watching a few videos and tried downloading the several manuals and none opened.And seeing we are on the RTH subject what do they mean about when setting the RTH height lower than the full length height will rise above it???On the App.

 

[3rdof5]

Thanks for the advice.I have been watching a few videos and tried downloading the several manuals and none opened.And seeing we are on the RTH subject what do they mean about when setting the RTH height lower than the full length height will rise above it???On the App.

What they mean is this, say you're currently flying at 20m altitude and 100m away. When you activate RTH it will first rise to the preset RTH altitude set in the app and THEN come home and stop over the home point. This ensures that if there are any obstacles higher than 20m it will first climb and safely fly over them on the way home. If you activate RTH and you are higher than the preset RTH altitude it will remain at its current altitude and NOT descend before coming back to the home point.

 

[gagetman]

What they mean is this, say you're currently flying at 20m altitude and 100m away. When you activate RTH it will first rise to the preset RTH altitude set in the app and THEN come home and stop over the home point. This ensures that if there are any obstacles higher than 20m it will first climb and safely fly over them on the way home. If you activate RTH and you are higher than the preset RTH altitude it will remain at its current altitude and NOT descend before coming back to the home point.

Thank you very much.You have been a great help in understanding all these things.I did like your link said.Just had to adjust aircraft slightly as I have a P3 Advanced.I managed to get the manual downloaded in both formats thanks.Saw some videos too.Takes a helluva lot of my data though?When I got my drone a couple of weeks ago I did get it right to upgrade my firmware on my drone and controller.Talking of which when the drone is coupled to the App. and controller is the drone then automatically registered in your name?

 

[3rdof5]

Thank you very much.You have been a great help in understanding all these things.I did like your link said.Just had to adjust aircraft slightly as I have a P3 Advanced.I managed to get the manual downloaded in both formats thanks.Saw some videos too.Takes a helluva lot of my data though?When I got my drone a couple of weeks ago I did get it right to upgrade my firmware on my drone and controller.Talking of which when the drone is coupled to the App. and controller is the drone then automatically registered in your name?

You're quite welcome. I'm glad i could help. To be honest I'm not quite sure what the original startup/registration actually did. Maybe someone else can answer that.

 

[Big_A]

Besides turning off the VPS here is another fatal problem. DJI in their wisdom have placed a 15km diameter enhanced warning zone near where I fly over the sea. Flying and not being online the aircraft goes straight into landing mode when it hits the side of this zone. No big splash just a nice controlled landing in the sea. and you can't just go over and pick it up. So check the map for restricted zones. I enquired with DJI what this zone was for. They said "Its the Herlong recreational zone". I looked this up and Herlong airport is just off of Jacksonville Florida. Thats a few thousand miles away from Lee-on-Solent in the UK near where I was flying.

Here is some flying over the sea using I might add using a long lens, 8.5mm instead of standard 3.5mm.

Link to Boat Video

 

[gagetman]

Drone fishing...[emoji848][emoji848]I considered trying that once. Thinking to myself in that moment, “Yeah, I wanna catch a brim or bass outta the pond with my P3P... that’ll be fun”
Then reality smacked the idea right outta my mind when my next thought was “what happens if one of these big ole catfish decides to bite..?” I quickly dismissed the Drone fishing episode! [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

No.Not that type of drone fishing.Only taking fishing lines out on a bait dropper.