I just took my new Dji P4 out for its second flight in a large field to test other features. I calibrated the compass and set the home location to where the drone was. Flew it around and about 30meters away and hit the return to home button on the iphone. Then used the slider to return to home and the drone just decends and goes to land. I had to cancel it quick so it didnt land on the wet long grass..

Any clues as to what im missing?

You are not missing anything. This is standard behavior. If you initiate Return To Home while the aircraft is near the home point (limits are in the manual, I don't remember but I think it's indeed around 30 m) the aircraft will not travel any further to the home point ad start landing immediately.

I'm not sure why this is baked into the firmware, I guess the system sees it as an added feature.

Like Frank said.. Its hos its designed.. I suggest you have a read of the manual to become more familiar with what everything does before pressing too many buttons

Yep drone is doing what its supposed to do at that distance from the home point

Ahh that would explain it then, I've been working my way through the PDF version of the manual as its more updated so will keep on at it.

richard@rgstudi Posted at 2016-4-27 18:29
Ahh that would explain it then, I've been working my way through the PDF version of the manual as it ...

You realy should read it fully first before flying

pi-inthesky@hot Posted at 2016-4-27 12:03
You realy should read it fully first before flying

True, already have but I must have skipped that part. Thanks again for the help.

rgrebby Posted at 2016-4-27 07:21
True, already have but I must have skipped that part. Thanks again for the help.

Interesting that the P4 is considered safe for beginners, yet the best advice from the forum is "read the manuals". There are 6 videos on unboxing the drone alone, and yes, at the bottom of page 13 of the user manual is the description of the RTH functionality and how it will land your drone automatically within 20M.

This illogical RTH  function is a quirk of DJI drones and it Is not mentioned in the top 10 mistakes - even though technically, taking off within 60 feet of a beach or a river could be devastating if you haven't " read the manuals".

So wise forum members, why not offer good advice about other potential problems for pilots on a learning curve - we can all read the manuals, but look to the forum for experience.

tokenbrit Posted at 2016-4-27 20:03
Interesting that the P4 is considered safe for beginners, yet the best advice from the forum is "r ...

Yes, and the volume of material contribute to retention problems for those of us that are seniors..  Unfamiliarity with technical subjects also exacerbates the problem.

Hello Richard, you can play back this flight record in DJI GO. Please pay attention to the distance and the time you activate RTH. If it is in 20m range, it is normal for the drone to land when you press RTH.

tokenbrit Posted at 2016-4-27 22:03
Interesting that the P4 is considered safe for beginners, yet the best advice from the forum is "r ...

It is not a quirk, it is quite intentional, and designed to cope with people flying their aircraft indoors. If it was to rise to 30 Metres and try to return home inside a building the result would be a wrecked aircraft.

Why does everybody think they know better than the designer?

you said you were using an iPhone?  Are you sure you pressed the Return to Home?  I'm sure the app is the same for the iPad, but maybe it was the latest update for the app that added the land feature.  
Earlier this evening. I pressed the Return to Home on my ipad, or at least I thought I did.  But I got a message I hadn't seen before.  It turned out I pressed the land button and the message (if I remember correctly) said something along the line of making sure I have clearance beneath me or something like that so it can land wherever it was at.  I took at second look and noticed that the RTH was not what I pressed and that I had pressed a button I had never pressed (or maybe even seen) before.  The bird was probably about 120ft above my neighbor's front lawn and probably about 40-50ft away from where HOME was set.

I just switched over to the iOS app recently after finding out Android didn't work too well for me.  

I also discovered there was an RPM count now?  Was that there before?



OK...I just went ahead and activated my bird so I can get a screenshot...heck, maybe this is not even what you're talking about...notice the RTH is the second button.  Man, maybe this was always there and I just never noticed it before...

Geebax Posted at 2016-4-27 22:56
It is not a quirk, it is quite intentional, and designed to cope with people flying their aircraft  ...

Not the case with Parrot, 3DR, or Yuneec - they all climb to the set height and return to the "home" point  - no matter how far away the drone is - that I would call logical.

Return to home for flying indoors  -Doesn't sound very logical to me.
I'm grateful to Richard for flagging get this issue in the first place - I have been flying drones, (by the ocean) for nearly two years now. I didn't know I could have lost the drone so easily. Thank you.

Geebax Posted at 2016-4-28 10:56
It is not a quirk, it is quite intentional, and designed to cope with people flying their aircraft  ...

I see your point....in that case though flying indoors (Without gps) you should only get the land option...as this is all the return to home function will do if used anyway.
Or have an Indoor mode in the app when switched to a mode without gps so it knows not to try RTH

tokenbrit Posted at 2016-4-27 07:03
Interesting that the P4 is considered safe for beginners, yet the best advice from the forum is "r ...

     Token, Most of the forum members go all out answering questions.   I think the members answered the question and then reminded them to read the manual. ( Only 2 members said the Info was in the manual )   Even though something may be designed for beginners you must still do some Due Diligence  to be a safe pilot.  There are some entry level products on all type of contraptions but that does not mean that they dont have to read the directions.  

I for one have no trouble with the question, sometimes a little explanation can go a long way.  Some times it is  way to start off getting to know forum members, an ice breaker and it is OK. ( I answer ALL questions that I feel confident answering )

Many of the members bust there ass answering questions, I see you are a Newbie, once you get some experience I hope you come back and pay it forward as well.

***Also when you were flying by the Ocean , if you would have pressed RTH within 60 feet of home point  and it begins to land, You are still in control, you can adjust the landing and add power, no problem .  I have no idea why someone would press the RTH when within 60 feet of the Home Point any way .  To me, if you are within 60 feet of where you took off, you are home



donnie

  

Donnie Posted at 2016-4-28 12:54
Token, Most of the forum members go all out answering questions.   I think the members answere ...

Thanks Donnie,

Moral of story: if you ever buy a new product from a different manufacturer, make sure you read the manual from cover to cover first. Who knows, your next Toyota might apply the emergency brake when you simultaneously activate the horn and right indicator - if only you checked!!!!

P.S. I'm a hobbyist now apparently

Reading the entire manual before flight... this is good to know.  I'm purchasing the Phantom 4 this week from the Apple store.  I've got 14 days to return it if any problems arise.

But maybe I should read the manual before I purchase.  I'd hate for those 14 days to be occupied by reading the huge manual and not flying until I finished.

tokenbrit Posted at 2016-4-28 13:19
Thanks Donnie,

Moral of story: if you ever buy a new product from a different manufacturer, make  ...

    I would not buy a Toyota if my life depended on it....My family owns Buick- GMC Dealership . So, literally my life depends on it .....

Your Moving on up now Hobbyist......well done !

I moved up too..... Now, 2nd Officer -  donnie   ( I know you are impressed )

techmyjustin Posted at 2016-4-28 13:53
Reading the entire manual before flight... this is good to know.  I'm purchasing the Phantom 4 this  ...

    The manual is a light read and quite interesting.  Also be sure to watch lots of the videos.  One thing to keep in mind on the forum is to not take what everyone says as 100% accurate , look for consensus by other members, then make your own choice.  Be sure to read  the release notes  before doing any updates as well, know what needs updating and in what order, there is no rush to update, give it a day or two and watch the thread for common problems to avoid.  The last Inspire Update the release notes said " DO NOT UPDATE THE RC TRANSMITTER FIRST, BE SURE TO UPGRADE THE AIRCRAFT FIRST OR YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE GETTING THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF TRAVEL MODE "  So what happens, within 24 hours there are at least a dozen pilots asking how to get there aircraft out of travel mode. Do not be one of these guys, I dont mind helping members , we all make mistakes.   

Have fun and fly with common sense, you will love it - donnie   I fly Inspire 1 and Phantom 3 Pro ( Just sold it )

Donnie Posted at 2016-4-29 23:06
The manual is a light read and quite interesting.  Also be sure to watch lots of the videos.   ...

Thanks for the feedback.  

Is the manual online?  I'd like to read it even before I purchase.  Like I said, I don't want to use up my 14 days of trial by reading the manual, I'd like to read it before I purchase so I'm ready to fly.

Thanks

I was flying my PH4 in Dubai, took it to the max altitude to record the palms, when I was bringing it back I lost signal with the drone since  it was waaaaay far from me and instead of returning to home it started landing, I almost lost it because of that....(and yes I had it set to return to home and not to land when lost connection)

any ideas of why this happened?
I just uploaded the logs and here is the link too.... DUBAI PALMS
Thanks

ottoaguilar Posted at 2016-5-3 12:37
I was flying my PH4 in Dubai, took it to the max altitude to record the palms, when I was bringing i ...

More information would be needed for anyone to know.
Go to http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
Follow the instructions to upload your flight record.

Come back and post a link to the report it provides and someone might be able to tell you.

techmyjustin Posted at 2016-5-3 03:51
Thanks for the feedback.  

Is the manual online?  I'd like to read it even before I purchase.  Li ...

Of course the manuals are available online.
If you are wanting the P4 manual, it's here: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/ ... _en_v1.2_160328.pdf
Manuals for the other Phantoms are at www.DJI.com

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-5-2 22:49
More information would be needed for anyone to know.
Go to http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Up ...

I just uploaded it and added the link

thanks

ottoaguilar Posted at 2016-5-3 12:37
I was flying my PH4 in Dubai, took it to the max altitude to record the palms, when I was bringing i ...

Most of the flight record appears normal but one section puzzles me.
Your Phantom commenced RTH and was coming back normally until 8:08 when it was directly above you and about half-way down from the high altitude you had been at.
From 8:08 to 8:32 your Phantom was flying away as it was descending.
The speed went as high as 50 mph and all the time the flight mode shows as Auto Landing.
At 8:32 the downlink was lost (probably due to interference) and the Phantom stopped flying away and went back to straight descent while still 1575 ft from home.
It appears that you cancelled the autolanding at 10:16 and brought the Phantom back normally.

The mystery is why it zoomed off while in autolanding mode at 8:08.
Given that everything else seemed to be responding normally, if you had cancelled the autolanding earlier and initiated RTH it probably would have returned normally.

techmyjustin Posted at 2016-5-2 12:51
Thanks for the feedback.  

Is the manual online?  I'd like to read it even before I purchase.  Li ...

Justin, very smart of you to read up before getting the  system , I always do that , great minds think alike.  Be sure to read on the forum and dont take what everyone says as Gospel ( Even Me )  Look for consensus and then make your own decision, fly smart and dont rush the process.  I have been flying RC for 25 + years and when pilots make hasty decisions it can result in a crash.....Not Fun.

I dont fly the P4,  I have the Inspire 1 V2 and I just sold my Phantom 3 Pro. But if you need any help let me know, i will do my best.
https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/ ... _en_v1.2_160328.pdf

donaldjames1990@gmail.com

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-5-3 10:51
Of course the manuals are available online.
If you are wanting the P4 manual, it's here: https://d ...

thank you!

sploodge Posted at 2016-4-27 06:06
Like Frank said.. Its hos its designed.. I suggest you have a read of the manual to become more fami ...

Nice to see you are still around, even though not as active as a few months ago. Not that I blame you, same here.
Have fun

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-5-3 13:03
Most of the flight record appears normal but one section puzzles me.
Your Phantom commenced RTH an ...

Exactly the weird thing is that it went from RTH to Autolanding by it self, I was able to cancel the autolanding when I got connection again for a moment and then hit the RTH again... I almost lost it.

rayrokni Posted at 2016-5-4 05:27
Nice to see you are still around, even though not as active as a few months ago. Not that I blame  ...

It gets tiring answering the same questions over and over again. Now I know why members leave aftera while.

Find new & creative ways to answer them age old questions.
The new RC pilots and rank amateur drone captains look up to those who bravely flew before them... ;-)
So your experience and guidance to those new folks, is important, also to help enforce the hobby to continue growing into a larger healthy and vibrant community.

RedHotPoker

microcyb Posted at 2016-4-27 23:05

I could watch those videos just to see that little guy talk. LOVED IT!

RedHotPoker Posted at 2016-5-4 10:07
Find new & creative ways to answer them age old questions.
The new RC pilots and rank amateur drone ...

Wow, that was really deep, where did that come from?

Did it rub you the right way... Hahaha

Friendly banter, on a hot and humid night.
Man, I already have three fans going, and May fire up two more soon. ;-)
If that doesn't cool my jets,Then it will be drone on. Eh?
I need a swell pilot beanie with solar driven prop atop...

RedHotPoker

Donnie Posted at 2016-4-28 10:54
Token, Most of the forum members go all out answering questions.   I think the members answere ...

but if for some weird reason you'd lose signal, that would really stink! Unlikely, but a risk! I wish DJI would flip it to "home is home" no questions.. 20meters radius, is QUITE a distance!

gtokarsk Posted at 2016-5-4 14:27
but if for some weird reason you'd lose signal, that would really stink! Unlikely, but a risk! I w ...

DJI's reason for the 20 metre rule is a puzzle but it's only 60 feet or closer.
And how often is anyone going to want to engage RTH when their Phantom is less than 60 feet away?
I think the only people ever effected by it are timid new flyers trying out RTH very close to themselves.
Lose signal within 60 feet?   That's pretty unlikely.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-5-3 23:15
DJI's reason for the 20 metre rule is a puzzle but it's only 60 feet or closer.
And how often is an ...

Not totally unlikely when I am flying near to home, with power lines and other homes around...
I also had instances when i had to sort of abort flying and attend to something else quickly. Rather than leave it hanging, I prefer to do RTH and just keep a check it while coming back home, not really dealing with it...  So yes, there are legit reasons to do so...
It still would be interesting to see if other manufacturers do this.. I have not heard of this from anyone else, but DJI.
And I am sure there's serious merit to what you said, but.. it did cause it's share of issues for various users on various occasions ;)
GT  

tokenbrit Posted at 2016-4-27 06:03
Interesting that the P4 is considered safe for beginners, yet the best advice from the forum is "r ...

Oh, I think people try to help a lot, hence there's a lot about compass and imu calibration, emergency motor shutdown and so on.. but then again, lots of reading and watching is required. I've dealt with RC flying things for over 10 years now, and yet, I spent time reading every manual and every tutorial that seemed worth it, and spent a lot of time for about 2 weeks before I ordered (and some material strongly influenced me to get p3 advanced vs. 2 or 3 standard), and then I spent another week after I received the drone, before I actually flew it.. So far - knock on wood - that effort paid off tremendously! Also reading the forum pretty much every  day, there's hardly a day when i do not learn something at least remotely new and useful.
Hope this will be the experience for more and more new users here. Please read all u can, use the sim, think about it all, learn ATTI mode.. and one day you will notice how all that JUST saved your butt!
I do not subscribe to the view "it's not if you crash, it's when"...  yes, it's a distinct possibility, but then again, do as much as you can to guard against it, and who knows.. maybe you'll get lucky? And do not correct me on this one point, pls! I hate fixing things! Sometimes ignorance or even delusion, is so bliss!

rayrokni Posted at 2016-5-3 20:27
Nice to see you are still around, even though not as active as a few months ago. Not that I blame  ...

Yeah dude, I'm still around .. P3 is now a mature beast and the P4 does not seem to be as much of a problem child.. This makes for a happier place..

Hope you doing good..