What to do when you lose WiFi mid-flight?

[dirtbird]

Yesterday I was flying my P3S. I had it up about 200 feet and maybe a couple hundred feet away from me. I came near a huge line of trees and lost video. I didn't panic since I wasn't really looking at the display anyway. I was looking at the drone and could still control it. What concerned me was I had to bring it back completely and video was never re-established. In this scenario everything turned out well, but I started thinking what would I have done if the same thing happened and I was behind the line of trees and couldn't see it?

1. I'm assuming I could hit RTH on my display...right? If I can still control the drone I'm assuming it could still receive this signal.

2. Isn't there a toggle on the S1 switch on the remote control to send RTH? I think you have to flip it 5 times...right?

3. Power off the transmitter. It is my understanding that if the drone loses all connectivity to the remote control it will execute the RTH.

or is all of the above acceptable in a panic? I'm really wondering what experienced pilots might do in this scenario.

 

[thunderbird]

My apps crashed once when I was out about 7000ft, I Hit RTH and lost complete signal with the bird for almost 5 minutes, App shows disconnected message, Finally when I get the video back the P4 is more than half way almost back home, I reviewed the video from SD card and the moment it lost signal it initiated RTH right away, On logs it showed Downlink signal lost

 

[flpholt]

yeah that happens only have to flip switch 2 times then it will say rth activated don't panic also try flying in home lock will make it easy for you pull stick back it comes towards you

 

[RodPad]

Yesterday I was flying my P3S. I had it up about 200 feet and maybe a couple hundred feet away from me. I came near a huge line of trees and lost video. I didn't panic since I wasn't really looking at the display anyway. I was looking at the drone and could still control it. What concerned me was I had to bring it back completely and video was never re-established. In this scenario everything turned out well, but I started thinking what would I have done if the same thing happened and I was behind the line of trees and couldn't see it?

1. I'm assuming I could hit RTH on my display...right? If I can still control the drone I'm assuming it could still receive this signal.

2. Isn't there a toggle on the S1 switch on the remote control to send RTH? I think you have to flip it 5 times...right?

3. Power off the transmitter. It is my understanding that if the drone loses all connectivity to the remote control it will execute the RTH.

or is all of the above acceptable in a panic? I'm really wondering what experienced pilots might do in this scenario.

Number 1 = yes, but with no data (Telemetry) coming in you won't know if that command was received by the phantom or if the app actually sent it.
Added:
Actually the same on all of them for notification part.
And it is S2 (Left one), not S1. about 3 flicks.

 

[dirtbird]

Number 1 = yes, but with no data (Telemetry) coming in you won't know if that command was received by the phantom or if the app actually sent it.

So if you don't know if the app actually sent it, wouldn't it make more sense to use the left switch on the remote to initiate the RTH (or attempt to). It basically takes a link out of the chain...right?

 

[RodPad]

So if you don't know if the app actually sent it, wouldn't it make more sense to use the left switch on the remote to initiate the RTH (or attempt to). It basically takes a link out of the chain...right?

Sorry you replied to fast, see my added.

 

[dirtbird]

Sorry you replied to fast, so my added.

Thanks. That makes sense.

 

[toegema]

What concerned me was I had to bring it back completely and video was never re-established. In this scenario everything turned out well, but I started thinking what would I have done if the same thing happened and I was behind the line of trees and couldn't see it?

I think the latest Firmware that just released now is supposed to take care of the reestablish issue...

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[dirtbird]

I think the latest Firmware that just released now is supposed to take care of the reestablish issue...

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

Super cool. Normally, I'm a little timid to install firmware this early and I wonder why the DJI GO app didn't tell me this was available last night? But in this case I'll be trying it first thing. Losing video and not having ANY re-established connection is something I would like to avoid in the future.

 

[RodPad]

Thanks. That makes sense.

I got some more for you.

Question about Radio, uplink, downlink, frequency, & telemetry

www.phantompilots.com/threads/best-method-to-rth.68950

I got a couple more if you want...

 

[RodPad]

Note when turn off your remote, you loose your WiFi to your mobile device. Then if you turn your remote back on you have to wait for your mobile device to reconnect to get your video back. Your mobile my try to connect to another WiFi in this short scary window of time.

 

[dirtbird]

Note when turn off your remote, you loose your WiFi to your mobile device. Then if you turn your remote back on you have to wait for your mobile device to reconnect to get your video back. Your mobile my try to connect to another WiFi in this short scary window of time.

Good point. Probably another reason to use S2 switching to enable RTH.

I love how vague DJI is on this topic (as well as others). "Toggle the S2 switch on the remote controller back and forth *at least* twice to initiate Smart RTH?" Seriously? "At least?" It is like they don't know when exactly it might execute.

They may just know me too well and assume I'll be frantically toggling repetitively until I see dirtbird return home.

 

[dg8882]

If I ever lose video feed to my phantom, I just flip the S2 switch once. I have never needed to flip it more than once. When you flip S2 to start RTH, listen for the double beep pattern coming from the controller. That double beep pattern means the signal was received and it's on its way back. If you do not hear the double beeping after starting RTH, you can probably see a red light on the transmitter also, the drone will have already entered failsafe mode and be on its way back.

 

[mdowney58]

If I ever lose video feed to my phantom, I just flip the S2 switch once. I have never needed to flip it more than once. When you flip S2 to start RTH, listen for the double beep pattern coming from the controller. That double beep pattern means the signal was received and it's on its way back. If you do not hear the double beeping after starting RTH, you can probably see a red light on the transmitter also, the drone will have already entered failsafe mode and be on its way back.

Same here. One flip does it

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