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But what is ATTITUDE? Other then a state of mind. It probably isn't important. Thanks for the chat, my friend!
In plain English please...the difference between atti and P modes
- Thread starter K Henry
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N017RW
Premium Pilot
It refers to the overall state or position of the craft. Mostly that it maintains a level attitude only which can drift with the wind since GPS is not being used maintain position above earth.
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Ah Ha! It's in the nomenclature, mine seems to be out of date, or deficient. Attitude = double meaning. I get it now! Perhaps I should go on a tour now, and sell a book about this! lol
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It's one thing to switch into atti mode when out in a field with no trees. It's another scary, freek-out moment when the drone switches into atti mode by itself and you're in a metro area with buildings, trees, power lines, cars and people and a nice breeze. Can you imagine that?
N017RW
Premium Pilot
This over 60 birds eye view enthusiast will attempt a brief explanation.
Will my answer aid you in anyway. Who Can Know?
It's important to note that you can lose your Phantom due to a compass error. The compass and the GPS work together. If your craft starts making a beeline in the opposite direction that you intended and you see compass errors in your app, switch it into ATTI before it gets too far, you can then regain control and fly it back (carefully). Too many people have lost their birds not realizing this.
ATTI mode also is good when taking off from a moving boat as the drone will stay in your hand (and you will definitely need to hand launch and land) until you want it to actually take off. In P mode it will try and hold position but since that is changing it will try and fly away immediately which can work OK but you need to power on and fly away immediately...just be careful that the actual wind isn't blowing into you otherwise as soon as the drone takes off (in ATTI mode this is) it will drift towards you. ATTI mode will also save considerable battery power following a moving boat that is travelling downwind as the drone will be drifting with the wind and not fighting to hold position which takes energy, unless the wind speed is considerably stronger than the boat speed in which case either mode is going to eat power and if the wind is that strong then good luck! Landing I prefer P mode for the extra precision...and allow lots of battery power for that (I try to land with 50%). ATTI mode also good in a windless canyon with other places without GPS coverage such as under dense forest canopy. Worth practicing with on a windless day in an open field.
Manual mode, which hasn't been available since the P2, is completely different. In manual the FC does nothing at all, and the sticks effectively control the motors rather than defining pitch, roll, yaw and vertical motion, which they do in ATTI.
No ofense sar104 but if someone asks me about atti and p modes on my P4P, I still give them same answer. Easier to understand. Telling this to someone who have flown non GPS enabled aircraft would be a different story.
The P2 was GPS-enabled, just like the later Phantoms, and had P, ATTI and manual modes. GPS or the lack of it, per se, has nothing to do with the mechanics of the flight modes. So while I understand the picture that you are trying to convey, it's not correct even in the context of the recent DJI Phantom range of aircraft.
I'd also argue that independent of previous usage, it's misleading to say that the pilot is in total control when the FC is still holding altitude and attitude with sticks centered. Only one element of FC-control - horizontal position - has been turned off in ATTI.
N017RW
Premium Pilot
As s104 points out context is the crux.
Feel free to describe flight modes as as you wish elsewhere but in a Phantom forum Manual mode does not convey what Atti mode is.
It just confuses those new operators here and displays a lack of understanding.
Maybe the lack of experiencing what true Manual mode is is at play here.
It is doubtful that most if not many here could fly a Phantom in Manual mode. It does not even compare to a ‘plank’ in maintaining a level and controlled attitude.
Feel free to describe flight modes as as you wish elsewhere but in a Phantom forum Manual mode does not convey what Atti mode is.
It just confuses those new operators here and displays a lack of understanding.
Maybe the lack of experiencing what true Manual mode is is at play here.
It is doubtful that most if not many here could fly a Phantom in Manual mode. It does not even compare to a ‘plank’ in maintaining a level and controlled attitude.
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If you want to know up-to-the-minute, 95% accurate wind speed and direction, send your drone up in ATTI mode. I often use this to determine if it's too windy for mapping. My P4P will fly in 30+ mph winds, but I sure as hell don't want to be mapping in those winds. Sometimes it's only 20 mph, so I map. One time is was 36 mph, so I called it a day.
Also, because ATTI affords no GPS lock, it is a great way to hone your piloting skills.
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