Phantom drifting down

[Araya38]

Hey flyers. So I took one of my phantom 3 standards out today and I noticed as I was flying away from me in the forward position it started drifting down towards the ground. I tried it once at 50’ height and once at 100’ high. Both times it slowly drifted to the ground. I did notice on the 100’ flight it still showed me at 100’ on the DJI Go app but I could tell on the video feed it was drifting and I stopped at about 20’ off the ground. Any ideas???

 

[With The Birds]

Altitude reported by the barometer can on occasion be significantly different to actual.

I would start with an IMU calibration, first allowing the AC to acclimatise to an ambient temp at or close to that you will be flying in (lower range).

 

[Meta4]

Hey flyers. So I took one of my phantom 3 standards out today and I noticed as I was flying away from me in the forward position it started drifting down towards the ground. I tried it once at 50’ height and once at 100’ high. Both times it slowly drifted to the ground. I did notice on the 100’ flight it still showed me at 100’ on the DJI Go app but I could tell on the video feed it was drifting and I stopped at about 20’ off the ground. Any ideas???

Are you saying that your Phantom descended from 100 ft to 20 ft but the altitude display stayed showing 100 ft?
It would be unusual if this is happening.

The first thing I'd look into would be to work out if what you think you saw was real or if it was an illusion.
When I fly out, it appears that my Phantom is descending but if I turn it around and fly back, it's obvious that what I saw is an illusion that affects my perception.

 

[With The Birds]

Are you saying that your Phantom descended from 100 ft to 20 ft but the altitude display stayed showing 100 ft?
It would be unusual if this is happening.

The first thing I'd look into would be to work out if what you think you saw was real or if it was an illusion.
When I fly out, it appears that my Phantom is descending but if I turn it around and fly back, it's obvious that what I saw is an illusion that affects my perception.

It has happened to me on a P3P, over 20m variation in reported altitude (AC lower than reported). It was repeated also. I’m my case it seemed to be the fact that I had performed a cold IMU calibration (AC placed in beer fridge prior to calibration). I recalibrated at a warmer temperature and didn’t see the issue again.

 

[Brother Dave]

Just wondering, is the ground flat where you are flying?

 

[alokbhargava]

Hey flyers. So I took one of my phantom 3 standards out today and I noticed as I was flying away from me in the forward position it started drifting down towards the ground. I tried it once at 50’ height and once at 100’ high. Both times it slowly drifted to the ground. I did notice on the 100’ flight it still showed me at 100’ on the DJI Go app but I could tell on the video feed it was drifting and I stopped at about 20’ off the ground. Any ideas???

Hope it’s not illusion as others have said above.

Note that P3 will maintain and show height with respect to home point and not with respect to the actual ground level.

Did you check if it maintains height without any forward movement? I m checking if there is any off set in RC sticks and needs recalibration.

 

[Araya38]

Just wondering, is the ground flat where you are flying?

Not completely flat but flat enough to not be that close to the ground.

 

[Araya38]

Hope it’s not illusion as others have said above.

Note that P3 will maintain and show height with respect to home point and not with respect to the actual ground level.

Did you check if it maintains height without any forward movement? I m checking if there is any off set in RC sticks and needs recalibration.

I know that it looks like an illusion sometimes but when I looked down at my screen I was about to hit ground. According to my view screen was concerned. I was too close to the ground for comfort. I immediately throttled up to avoide a crash.

 

[Araya38]

Are you saying that your Phantom descended from 100 ft to 20 ft but the altitude display stayed showing 100 ft?
It would be unusual if this is happening.

The first thing I'd look into would be to work out if what you think you saw was real or if it was an illusion.
When I fly out, it appears that my Phantom is descending but if I turn it around and fly back, it's obvious that what I saw is an illusion that affects my perception.

That’s what I’m saying. Was it an illusion? Maybe! But that has never happened to me before. My brother also noticed it drifting down. I had my other P3S there flying it and it never did it. But the other one did! Kinda weird

 

[Meta4]

That’s what I’m saying. Was it an illusion? Maybe! But that has never happened to me before. My brother also noticed it drifting down. I had my other P3S there flying it and it never did it. But the other one did! Kinda weird

Do a little testing and see if it appears to be drifting down.
Then fly it back and see if it is down or if it's the same level as when you flew out.
Or just fly around a bit and see if you can trust the altitude indication or if it shifts during flight.

 

[Araya38]

Do a little testing and see if it appears to be drifting down.
Then fly it back and see if it is down or if it's the same level as when you flew out.
Or just fly around a bit and see if you can trust the altitude indication or if it shifts during flight.

I’ll give that a try