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Almost lost the bird today

slvervper99

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Not sure if it's just my luck or me being dumb but I flew the pumpkin today (over a lake), you know nice day but the wind gust between 15 to about ~25-30 mph, figured at 300 feet it will be calmer (don't ask why I thought this) but anyway. Doing great full control, about 5-10 mins of flying pushed the go home button. At this point the XSP was about 300 feet up and about 1100 feet away from me. When it reach about 700 feet in distance - I cancelled the go home, I figured why not fly her a little more. Gone to about 350 feet and around 1200 + feet in distance (according to the App). At one point I lost video signal, so I clicked the go home button until I regained the video signal - got the vid signal back, started recording again but I noticed on the video feed that the bird was not moving even though it said on the App that it was getting closer to me -got me thinking??? Okay, I figured if the camera was facing me or where I was at I would just use the pitch forward - this is when it started to scare me -as I use the pitch I noted on the App that the drone distance was going even farther........fast forward I tried using the go home button a few times but the video feed have no changed meaning the drone is not moving -at this point I started getting a warning sign that the battery was at 30%, again was trying to push the go home button, finally got it to work but at this point the battery was at 6% and dropping fast, by the time the drone was above me it was at 3%, I just controlled the drone to hover over grassy ground that way if it drops it will be softer. It landed sideways but at least I don't see any damage whatsoever.
So problems.....1. lost control at 1200 ish feet distance and at 360 feet height - has anyone have this issue?
2. Battery dropped from 30% to about 4% in about 5 mins scared the crap out of me....I will post a video of what it was doing.
 
You'll see it getting closer to where I was at but at around 1 min and 40 sec of the video, you'll notice that it just stopped moving, I can turn the drone left to write but it just stays on where it was at, at some point it moved away even further.
 
Wind gusts are always much worse higher up. Using UAV forecast you can check off include wind gusts and set the height you might be flying. It will give you a pretty good idea of what you are up against.
Sounds like you got hung up in some strong winds so much so you might have been getting pushed back. Your battery drop was probably from it having to work twice as hard to get back to you.

UAV Forecast
 
Oh ya, watching your video just looking at the waves on the lake and the tree tops blowing in the wind you were darn lucky to get back LOL
 
Oh ya, watching your video just looking at the waves on the lake and the tree tops blowing in the wind you were darn lucky to get back LOL
lol, I already lost my Q500 4K from due to a fault of mine, if I lose this $800 bird, next thing I may lose is my mind ha ha ha. but yeah; I'm glad to have it back. I think really pushing it to go lower to about 150 feet helped me get the orange bird back (this is of course by accident since I just now know that the higher I go that the winds would be greater thinking that it would opposite - don't ask me why I think this. -just plain stupidity on my part) :D
 
Come to think of it, I think the low battery put the drone in safe mode and did it's own fly home mode. Still though I was lucky not to lose the $800 drone.
 
That's a pretty stiff wind! No doubt the XSP was being pushed back. Very dangerous! Perhaps dropping to a lower altitude may have helped but, that wind looked strong. Battery dropped from all the extra power needed just to hold position. Glad you got it back though. I had a similar situation with a Q500+ a couple years ago. I managed to get it back from 1200-ft over water and to the boat dock just as the battery caused auto-land! Whew!

EDIT: I was 1200-ft away... not altitude. Altitude was about 275-ft.
 
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I’ve had the 30% to 3% problem before especially when it’s cold out it discharges super slowly from 100% to 90% then starts yelling at you tour at 5%
 
I’ve had the 30% to 3% problem before especially when it’s cold out it discharges super slowly from 100% to 90% then starts yelling at you tour at 5%
mine starts the "red alert" (lol) warning at 30%, then it just went downhill from there, still lucky to have gotten it back. I feel like the more I get familiar with flying the more careless I get (I think it's because I feel very confident even though my "real" flying skills is less than my presumed flying skills.)
 
mine starts the "red alert" (lol) warning at 30%, then it just went downhill from there, still lucky to have gotten it back. I feel like the more I get familiar with flying the more careless I get (I think it's because I feel very confident even though my "real" flying skills is less than my presumed flying skills.)

so true
 
Next time ........

1) you'll be more cautious, and mindful of the battery level.

2) if possible, begin your mission against the wind, so you're flying back WITH the wind when your battery is low.

3) if possible, begin your trip back, so as to have your battery at 40% when you land. That's the best storage charge anyway.

4) in an emergency....such as your story here.....begin by dropping altitude to 30-40 feet above tree level. This will get you in the lower wind area. If your drone is still fighting to make headway, drop out if GPS mode, and go into atty mode...this will give you much more speed/wind fighting ability. Go Home speed is max something like 10-11 mph. Atty speed is closer to 40 mph, I think.

Best thing is to learn from your experiences, and in rough flying situations, always err to the side of caution. It's always MUCH more windy at a higher altitude. Also, be mindful of the terrain. The wind blowing through a valley, with a ridge on the end will have VIOLENT wind and turbulance over that ridge.
 

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