Upgraded my controller today, absolutely amazed at the results.
Nearly 3 miles out and still 100% signal on both video and telemetry :-)

Glad you are happy , the only thing to be careful of is make sure you can make it back on the battery.  Also watch the wind direction and speed. Dont want to get caught out 3 miles then turnaround and into a strong headwind, I did  that once ,man I was praying and my kness were knocking, remember at 20% that bird want to land and you have to fight to keep it from landing .  Luckily I made it back.

****also if iot gets cold that battery wont last as long as it does on warm days.......I'm trying  to help you learn from me mistakes !!

donnie

too late, nearly 3 miles out, full signal but could not make it back because of wind direction and battery.

Set her down near a footpath and went for a long walk. she did an excellent job of landing herself.

The trick is not to panic, just take your time and find a nice safe place to land and go get her.

tickertapes Posted at 2016-10-17 13:42
too late, nearly 3 miles out, full signal but could not make it back because of wind direction and b ...

It happens.....


donnie

Donnie Posted at 2016-10-17 20:05
It happens.....

I was so relieved when I got withing range and picked up the telemetry again and could see all was well. The map was spot on.

The only real risk is that someone finds it and runs off with it. I steered mine down close to a path but so that it could not be seen. Next time I think I will find a road so I can drive although the exercise probably did me good.


What's your longest trek out from the home point?


Paul.

Somebody's got to ask...why are you flying BVLOS?

tickertapes Posted at 2016-10-17 14:18
I was so relieved when I got withing range and picked up the telemetry again and could see all was ...

I hit 17,000 feet (One Way )  that is the max and make it back safe in good calm weather .

donnie

tickertapes Posted at 2016-10-17 14:18
I was so relieved when I got withing range and picked up the telemetry again and could see all was ...

Make sure you have your name, phone number  and License Info ( If the UK has such a requirement ) so if it is ever found , you may get it back .  

Donnie

Which exact itelite antenna model did you purchase?  Also did you make that custom bracket?

jonathanp Posted at 2016-10-18 18:08
Which exact itelite antenna model did you purchase?  Also did you make that custom bracket?

I got the DBS02 for all the 2.4Ghz stuff and used the 5.8Ghz antenna supplied with my ARGtec which you can see stuck to the side of the controller on the left of the picture.

This is great cause I can swap from a super long range directional antenna (DBS02) or the 360 degree ARGtek in just a few minutes.

http://dbsmods.com/ite-dbs02/

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282121 ... =STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Donnie Posted at 2016-10-18 14:53
Make sure you have your name, phone number  and License Info ( If the UK has such a requirement )  ...

I hear they're talking about licences but as things stand this applies to commercial users only.

I have a label printer, will take your advice. I also have a GPS cellular device that I plan to fix  to my drone so I can locate if ever lost.


Regards,

Paul.

Im sorry, but its reckless acts such as this that give the drone community a bad name.  Whether you are flying commercially or not you have a duty to fly responsibly and always within visual line of site.  It is impossible to see an inspire 1 over 4500 metres away with the naked eye.  Never mind any oncoming dangers, risks or threats.  These drones can kill if falling from the heights we fly them at.  All it takes is the wrong move on the sticks and bang, you're dropping from the sky.  If you are going to fly recklessly don't come onto the DJI forums and admit doing so.  Before you know it all DJI users are classed as reckless and the Daily Mail is blaming us all for dangerous out of control drone flights.  

tickertapes Posted at 2016-10-18 20:38
I hear they're talking about licences but as things stand this applies to commercial users only.

...

I am absolutely appalled that you should be flying so recklessly and unlawfully. It is behaviour such as yours that is creating such a groundswell of public opinion against drone operations. I can only assume that you either have not read or chosen to ignore the UK CAA regulations of not flying beyond VLOS  - 500m. Any basic common sense would show how you were endangering the safety of any persons below you flight.I trust you will put your name and address on the craft so you can be prosecuted.
I also see from previous posts that your screenshots show you flying out beyond 800m and having a bad battery cell - does that not tell you something about the risks. You should expect a knock on your door.
And btw Donnie - you should know better than to condone such reckless behaviour.

Paul S Posted at 2016-10-19 23:37
I am absolutely appalled that you should be flying so recklessly and unlawfully. It is behaviour su ...

Hi,

I don't have a bad battery cell, it was a software issue, all resolved now.
Why was this so dangerous and illegal? are you saying it's illegal to fly a drone over a certain distance and if so why? I was flying over farmland, just the occasional sheep and posed no risk to anyone.

regards,

Paul.

ayrshireuav Posted at 2016-10-19 23:36
Im sorry, but its reckless acts such as this that give the drone community a bad name.  Whether you  ...

Are you telling me these things are illegal if you cant see the actual craft itself? if so, what's the point of a camera and screen? surely you cannot look at both at the same time so what difference does it make?

Okay, hands up, my bad. I had no idea that such rules existed.

I must ask the question though, what is the point in them if you have to maintain visual contact and why are you allowed to buy them?

I can only imagine we're all criminals.

I've only had it a short while after buying it on ebay, looks like it'll be going straight back on there, a total waste of money!!!

(1) A person must not cause or permit any article or animal (whether or not
attached to a parachute) to be dropped from a small unmanned aircraft so as to
endanger persons or property.

(2) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft may only fly the aircraft if
reasonably satisfied that the flight can safely be made.

(3) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must maintain direct,
unaided visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in
relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the
purpose of avoiding collisions.

(4) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft which has a mass of more
than 7kg excluding its fuel but including any articles or equipment installed in or
attached to the aircraft at the commencement of its flight, must not fly the
aircraft:

(a) in Class A, C, D or E airspace unless the permission of the appropriate air
traffic control unit has been obtained;

(b) within an aerodrome traffic zone during the notified hours of watch of the
air traffic control unit (if any) at that aerodrome unless the permission of
any such air traffic control unit has been obtained;
or
(c) at a height of more than 400 feet above the surface unless it is flying in
airspace described in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) and in accordance with the
requirements for that airspace.

(5) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must not fly the aircraft for
the purposes of commercial operations except in accordance with a permission granted by
the CAA.

Excellent video posted just now on another thread http://forum.dji.com/thread-63352-1-1.html but this guy receives no rants from you guys despite flying right over the tops of peoples heads, many orders of magnitude more dangerous than my flight.

Just about everything you see people doing with drones is either illegal or by your standards dangerous. what on earth is going on?

I would like to discuss this matter further before selling my inspire. As things stand I feel that I'm effectively grounded by this apparent law.


Paul.

Paul S Posted at 2016-10-19 17:37
I am absolutely appalled that you should be flying so recklessly and unlawfully. It is behaviour su ...

   Paul  S n, the only fly away I have ever had is when the Aircraft was  directly in front of me 100 feet in altitude and 100 feet distance approx.  and flying  beautifully ,  suddently I had no control and the aircraft flew off ( Not a  DJI aircraft  by the way )  It flew off for close to 3 miles and landed in a farmers front lawn .  My point being is that at anytime these type of craft are in the air we run the risk of a flyoff.   I like to fly distance I think it is fun , but I try and Stack the odds in my favor when I do , I make sure my batteries are full, weathere is favorable   ,  I try and be in an area that within a 2  mile range there are no Major cities or what not  or over water is my favorite  or lots of trees  in the area ( to  fall or land into if necessary )  .  I make sure my system is in top notch condition  etc. I know there is risk involved but It is the Same risk each time I fly.  And I do have my License from the FAA  the AMA  and my name and Phone number as well on the Aircraft. also a Trackimo device in case of the Fly off.   I dont make a habit of doing long distance  but I do sometimes  but in the safest manner possible .

     This type of flying is different than anything I have done in the past  because of the GPS self guidance etc.  When flying RC planes chances  were good it would crash shortly after loosing control and my RC copters would go in even sooner .  I have lost a sailplane or two as well when in a thermal I could not get back down  .  The challenge with the GPS systems is they can fly for miles and be fairly stable in flight and like I say the most dangerous flight I had was when the AC was right in front of me .  So I understand the concern and each pilot must balance the risk every time they fly .
I also noticed tickertapes flight location looked pretty remote to me and reasonably safe, so I see nothing wrong with the  distance flight  as long as certain measures are in place .
     Now , I dont want to be a twat about this , but on you site you are flying over cyclist , could this not be viewed as dangerous as well ?  I am just palying devils advocate here but I am sure this could  be viewed as dangerous as well .  I for one dont think it is dangerous , I am sure you were were at an acceptable distance from them , your equipment is in top nothch shape, and you put the odds in your favor .  

With Respect  to your views,

Donnie

tickertapes Posted at 2016-10-21 07:40
Excellent video posted just now on another thread http://forum.dji.com/thread-63352-1-1.html but thi ...

Paul , you are fine .   I agree with what you are saying  , just play it safe when flying . Dont sell your system.   I think that being new some of the members just want to let you know to fly safe .  

Just  take your time with this , not everyone is going to agree with  what we as individuals do .   Also just so you know the Guy flying at burning man had another thread where members to him to task for flying over people at Night. So dont feel they are pickin on you .  
Everyone can have there opinion .  

donnie

ayrshireuav Posted at 2016-10-19 17:36
Im sorry, but its reckless acts such as this that give the drone community a bad name.  Whether you  ...

Not to long ago you were asking how fast pilots could get there aircraft up to on the P4 while not in GPS Mode ?  . Could one not infer this is condoning reckless behavior as well ?  could the "Daily Mail " also not have a headline , "Reckless drone operator challenges other members to a speed contest without aid of GPS. " Now I am playing devils advocate here and would NOT agree with this as well.

I just think we all need to take our own inventory before scolding another member . I am sure you did your flights in a safe a manner as possible  but to come here and say this poster was reckless is not fair.

Lets all take the log out of our own eye before removing the splinter from another .   This includes my log as well ......
With respect to your views as well

donnie

Donnie Posted at 2016-10-21 07:47
Not to long ago you were asking how fast pilots could get there aircraft up to on the P4 while not  ...

Good advice and GREAT Avatar, btw.

Donnie Posted at 2016-10-21 15:47
Not to long ago you were asking how fast pilots could get there aircraft up to on the P4 while not  ...

Donnie, firstly, I respect your opinion too but on this occasion you are mistaken. I clearly stated in my post that I had flown over the sea and I wasn't encouraging reckless speed but asking if anyone else had found that recorded speeds were higher than DJI reported. Secondly, sport mode on the phantom 4 still uses satellite and vision positioning. In no way was my actions reckless, dangerous or hypocritical. Having paid thousands of pounds on training, licensing exams, insurance, servicing, and who knows what else I take offence when people buy a drone, fly it dangerously ( according to U.K. Law ) and have no concept of the capabilities of what they are flying. Every negatively reported flight causes enough damage to all drone users without fellow drone users using the forum to admit to such things. This only provides the media with ammunition to attack us all.

I apologise if my "rant", as you put it, was over the top.  

Donnie Posted at 2016-10-21 15:47
Not to long ago you were asking how fast pilots could get there aircraft up to on the P4 while not  ...

Donnie, firstly, I respect your opinion too but on this occasion you are mistaken. I clearly stated in my post that I had flown over the sea and I wasn't encouraging reckless speed but asking if anyone else had found that recorded speeds were higher than DJI reported. Secondly, sport mode on the phantom 4 still uses satellite and vision positioning. In no way was my actions reckless, dangerous or hypocritical. Having paid thousands of pounds on training, licensing exams, insurance, servicing, and who knows what else I take offence when people buy a drone, fly it dangerously ( according to U.K. Law ) and have no concept of the capabilities of what they are flying. Every negatively reported flight causes enough damage to all drone users without fellow drone users using the forum to admit to such things. This only provides the media with ammunition to attack us all.

I apologise if my "rant", as you put it, was over the top.

ayrshireuav Posted at 2016-10-21 14:20
Donnie, firstly, I respect your opinion too but on this occasion you are mistaken. I clearly state ...

I appreciate your rebuttal  in a calm , cool manner , just have to agree to disagree on this one .  I did not say "Rant " by the way .. Just for the record .

Cheers

donnie

Donnie Posted at 2016-10-21 15:26
Paul , you are fine .   I agree with what you are saying  , just play it safe when flying . Dont se ...

Hi Donnie,

Thank you for your support, much appreciated but the law does clearly state that this is illegal and I try to stick to laws that I am aware of.

My thoughts are this... I drive a car and have done so for many years. In order to do so I needed instruction and had to pass an exam. I also have firearms, and once again had many hoops to jump through before being able to get my permit.

A model aircraft, UAV, drone etc can be purchased by just about anyone of any age just about anywhere and flown without any tuition. Under these circumstances I had no reason to even consider that there may be any legislation governing this enjoyable recreational activity. Just about any hobby or sport has the potential of being dangerous but people just use their common sense. I never flew it that high through fear of hitting an aircraft and was always far away from any airports. I can see that altitude can be an obvious danger but distance from the operator never occurred to me.

Here in the UK it is an offence to operate a mobile device while driving a car for obvious reasons. If a visual line of sight is required by law, I feel that staring at a screen is no different and would also be ruled as illegal if there is any consistency in the law.

Another strange thing is that when driving a car, riding a bike, flying a helicopter or airplane, it is always done from the visual perspective of the operator in or on the craft which is in my opinion the same as looking at the screen.

Anyway, I have decided I am done with this until there is a change in legislation and will be selling my inspire on. I was wondering why the guy I bought it off sold it with only 4 hrs 21 mins of flight time on it, maybe this is why.

Take care a fly safe.

tickertapes Posted at 2016-10-21 15:00
Hi Donnie,

Thank you for your support, much appreciated but the law does clearly state that this  ...

I hate to see you go , as distance flying is just a small part of this great hobby .  This is usually how Human nature works, how far and how fast  is SOON  replaced with how precisely can I fly and how smoothly can I get this shot .   I do respect your wanting to follow  the  current legislation in your country , I think that of course is admirable .  Just dont make a hasty decision ,  like I say there  are lots of  other aspects to the Hobby .  At least for the most part the parliamentary discussion here was done without any  unnecessary bitterness and venom, we can always just agree to disagree and move on .

Also I meant to ask you, this is where they placed the antenna for the 5.8 ghz for communication between RC transmitters correct ? See pic below

Cheers

Donnie   

I second Donnie's sentiments. There is more to flying your drone than just distances.  Give it another go.

Donnie Posted at 2016-10-21 21:22
I hate to see you go , as distance flying is just a small part of this great hobby .  This is usual ...

Hi,

I've just put together a little graphic of where the stock antennas are.
The DBS mod does not have a 5.8Ghz antenna, it is intened for single controller operation only although you will require an antenna of some sort to prevent the 5.8 Ghz TX amplifier from burning out.

The ARGtek antenna which I bought first comes with that little green 5.8 Ghz antenna. The manufacturers suggest sticking it onto the white plastic which I think in a bad idea as it is curved and has a layer of aluminium casing on the exterior of the controller which will probabaly ground and degrade your signal.  The RH joystick controller shown below on the RHS of the picture has good clearance and is nice and flat for the adhesive pad to stick.

The DBS offers incredible range over the stock antennas but is very directional. The ARGtek antennas offer performace somewhere between the two but offer good 360 degree operation. I was happy with his setup as swapping between the ARGtek and DBS mod would only take a few minutes and would make stowing the controller very easy.

I think I have found a buyer for my inspire, just waiting to hear. I live in the countryside and am surrounded by trees and as soon as I climb and disappear over the top of them I lose visual line of sight and am illegal so have no option really. That said, I do have a chainsaw lol.

ayrshireuav Posted at 2016-10-21 22:00
I second Donnie's sentiments. There is more to flying your drone than just distances.  Give it anoth ...

It's okay I had fun whilst it lasted. I have a feeling these will all be banned, it's just a matter of time. The only people flying will be government agencies and corporations with deep pockets.

Thanks for the clarification, beautiful , clean install.  

I like the chainsaw idea ,  good luck with the sale,

Cheers

Donnie

tickertapes Posted at 2016-10-21 13:40
Excellent video posted just now on another thread http://forum.dji.com/thread-63352-1-1.html but thi ...

Hi Paul,
I am pleased that you have posted an extract of the regs from the UK CAA ANO which are self explanatory.
I fly commercially here in the UK and carry out and document a full risk assessment before all commercial operations flying within the constraints of my PfAW and operations procedures.
As a recreational flyer, even within the UK regs you can still have great fun flying and capturing remarkable images.
You really shouldn't sell your Inspire as there is so much you can do safely.
btw I do only comment on flights within the UK as from a safety and legal perspective those are the only ones that interest me. I really don't want the Daily Mail to have more incidents to sensationalise.
Paul

Donnie Posted at 2016-10-21 15:00
Paul  S n, the only fly away I have ever had is when the Aircraft was  directly in front of me 1 ...

Hi Donnie,
I have followed many of your posts with interest and have no reason to fall out with you particularly as I would not expect you to have knowledge of UK drone (SUSA) regulations. So I apologise for being short with you.
When it comes to lawful flying, I do only comment on flights here in the UK and not about the rest of the world.
I fly commercially in the UK with full CAA permissions and always fly within the limits of those permissions having undertaken and documented a full risk assessment. I am pleased you took the trouble to visit my website and view some of the video content. The particular content you refer to was shot using both Inspire and Osmo with all participants having been briefed for the shoot and within my CAA approved operation procedures. I accept it appears that I am close to the cyclists but then that is the magic of cinematography :-)

Paul S Posted at 2016-10-22 14:43
Hi Paul,
I am pleased that you have posted an extract of the regs from the UK CAA ANO which are sel ...

Hi Paul.

Thank you very much for your reply.

I too just took a look at some of your postings and I too cant help but feel that your acts are potentially way more dangerous and just as illegal as mine.

I can see many instances where you’re not looking at your craft but at the screen which does not qualify as unaided and are flying very close to branches while right above the heads of fast moving cyclists. Even before becoming aware of the regulations I would not have attempted anything like this. A malfunction or a bird strike on your aircraft may well have resulted in a badly injured cyclist or other member of the public. These cyclists were moving 20-25mph, 3 Kilos of drone in the face at this speed is potentially very serious and “briefing” people of a potentially dangerous act is no excuse for doing so, especially from someone who alleges to know better and spends a great deal of time policing others.

Below is a shot of where I made my flight, I posed no risk to anyone at all. No buildings, vehicles, structures or people.

I'd also like to take a look at this https://vanillavideo.com/blog/2013/the-difference-videography-vs-cinematography

You have a piece of inexpensive consumer grade video equipment like the rest of us. I put it to you that there were no special effects involved in the making of this blockbuster and that your flight was every bit as dangerous as it appeared.

I'm hoping to make the exchange on Tuesday after work and will no longer have this app on my phone or tablet so this may well be my last post.

It's a shame my thread has ended with such a sour and bitter tone to it, it was never my intention.

Regards,

Paul.

I did the DBS mod last year and the farthest I went out was 12500 feet, had full bar but started getting cold feet. I defiantly recommend the DBS mod. I paid them to do it and they did an excellent job with a 7 day turn around.

tickertapes Posted at 2016-10-23 09:56
Hi Paul.

Thank you very much for your reply.

You are of course entitled to you opinion however: Two man team - why would you assume only one - (pilot and camera operative), 42mm lens, >50m for aerial shots, all participants safety briefed, never beyond VLOS, risks identified and mitigated. All entirely within the limitations of  my operations procedures.