I just tried in Simulator.

Fly far and loose your LOS and oroientation,

then switch to IOC Home lock and push left stick down and P3 will go back to you ...

Is this a good way to recover, ?

Must recorded yr Home point prior

Must have good GPS signal

Whats the diffrence in ROUTE during this Homelock return and RTH ? aside from not ascending to the RTH height during failsafe ?

This would work well. Just use the right stick though (unless your controller settings have been changed from default). Pulling back on the left stick will send you straight down.

Aloha SectorDrone,

     As you note, altitude is the limiting factor for HomeLock, so you have to watch your altitude since the computer does not.  Otherwise, it is a very good way to return and almost identical to RTH.  I noticed that you said, "switch to IOC Home lock and push left stick down and P3 will go back to you ..."  What stick mode are you using?  This sounds like you are using Stick Mode 1, not the default Stick Mode 2.  But yes, which ever stick controls horizontal movement, pulling it down toward you will get the P3 to return.  

     Like the other IOC options, the HomeLock function is a good filming tool.  You can control the return speed more accurately for your video recording need including coming to a full stop and then resuming the return.  Pushing the stick away from you allows you to fly the P3 directly away from your position without having to point the P3 in that direction, so you can record in any direction as the P3 flies directly away from you.

     There are other ways to get home when LOS is very dim or lost.  The map and Google Earth image really help with distance and orientation.  I did some very distant POI scans today and it would have been near impossible without the map and little paper airplane P3 to determine orientation.  Also, you must have an iPhone or iPad because us guys with Androids do not get to play with the simulator when it rains and on junk nights.  It is only available for iOS.  The simulator does not give you video of your flying turf or Google Earth - or does it?  Anyway, if you know your surroundings, the P3 720p video display can help you find your way home, just remember to use the auto exposure function so you can see what is on the screen.  I have made that mistake before!

     I had a P3 adventure today that may or may not be relevant.  I finally got to land at the flats 190 meters away and 23 meters higher with a bush / tree blind to loose LOS.  There is a gradient of density to cut out the signals, so I found the least dense area and landed there.  Never lost any signal like the last time.  But, when I was on the ground up there, I tried to do a RTH and learned that when the P3 is on the ground, it thinks it has landed and will not return to home (RTH) - Eh! I am home already!  It was easy enough to take off and return, but I thought that was something new and not completely expected.  It is kind of obvious now when you think about it.  Anyway, I am going to use this area for some tests to figure out which antennae or if both antennas receive the video and control the P3.  You can make a hand held signal booster for emergencies, but you need to know how to use it and on what antennae for what purpose.  Just more fun with the P3.

Aloha and Drone On!

cecorcoran Posted at 2015-10-26 17:46
This would work well. Just use the right stick though (unless your controller settings have been cha ...

They're in Hong Kong so maybe they're using a different stick configuration mode