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RTH Tips for New Pilots
40523 26 2018-3-31
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Kevjones1959
Second Officer
Flight distance : 61932 ft

South Africa
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[size=14.6667px]Hi pilots. I cannot emphasise how important it is to understand how the RTH feature works and why it is so important to actually set it. I have heard all the "Top Guns" say they never use it and it is a gimmic feature. Well unfortunately it is not as it is embedded in the software and cant be turned off.

[size=14.6667px]The Home point setting has two options which is important to know if you trigger a return to home on a low battery for example.
[size=14.6667px]1. Return to the exact spot the aircraft took off from - this is very very accurate and the aircraft will literally land within inches of where it took off from. and Return to the controller - This is more complex and the issues with this will be discussed below.

[size=14.6667px]If you set your return to home point where the aircraft is taking off from, namely, it's GPS position on the ground, this setting MUST be done each and every time prior to take off, dont assume that the aircraft has set this. It cannot set this location without strong GPS signals. It will TELL you that RTH has been set where the aircraft is standing and request that you check in on your map.. I cant look inside the code to see if the previous location has been erased or not when you power the aircraft on again following a previous flight. I strongly recommend that you ensure that this is set before you take off. Why ?

[size=14.6667px]1. Due to the nature of RTH being integrated in the operation of the aircraft should you experience any technical difficulties with other aspects of the aircraft with a correctly set RTH you have a very good chance of recovering your aircraft. For example you are out of visual range and the camera stops working or the connection is lost.Or the battery develops a malfunction. At least the aircraft knows where it must return to.

[size=14.6667px]Home Point setting to controller. In order for the aircraft to know where the controller is, it needs to have updated positional information being fed to it. This implies that this position is being transmitted to the aircraft. What you need to be careful of here is say you have this setting set and you drive off or walk off following the aircraft and for some reason you lose connectivity you are not going to be sure exactly what the last updated position of the controller was. I am sure you can deduce the results if for instance you were on a boat and assume the controller setting has been updated.

[size=14.6667px]The home point settings work in conjunction with the RC signal lost and battery low warning however a malfunction of one of those readings can trigger this code as well. I would only use the hover function if I can see the aircraft at all times such as indoors.

[size=14.6667px]Within each one of these settings there are various parameters that you need to set. For instance the RTH altitude. Make sure you choose an altitude that is higher than the tallest obstacle around you. When RTH is initiated. The default is battery at 30%. Initially I would leave this as it gives you enough time to exit RTH should you wish.

[size=14.6667px]Once RTH is initiated you have the option of cancelling it. I strongly advise that you only do this once the aircraft is "under control" namely, you can see it, you have connectivity, the video feed is working.

[size=14.6667px]Hopefully the new pilots will get something from this post. Safe flying.
2018-3-31
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DJI Diana
Administrator
Flight distance : 2408 ft

Online

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with new pilots.
2018-3-31
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LoSBoL
First Officer
Flight distance : 666483 ft
Netherlands
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Great effort Kevjones, I do have a couple of pointers:
The settings you are talking about is for the Failsave RTH procedure which kicks in when you lose connection with the craft.


The choices you can make are 3 fold:
*Land immediately
*Return to Homepoint
*Hover

Furthermore, the option 2 you mention, 'return to controller', does not exist. You do have the ability to reset the homepoint to your current location. This however is not a dynamic homepoint, its a one time reset of the homepoint to your current remote controller location and it will not update when you are on the move with the controller.
Be mindfull when you use this reset option, if you are on the move on a boat or by car, your drone could end up in either the water or somewhere in the middle of the road if you lose control and failsafe RTH is initiated.


2018-3-31
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msinger
Captain
Flight distance : 228255 ft
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Just to clarify a bit:

  • ''You have three options when the battery low message and conditions initiates a RTH''

    When the aircraft determines it only has enough battery to make it back  to the home point, it'll display a message in DJI GO alerting the pilot  that RTH will be auto initiated if not cancelled within 10 seconds. That  feature is what DJI commonly calls ''Smart Return-to-Home''.

  • '''Return to the exact spot the aircraft took off from - this is very very  accurate and the aircraft will literally land within inches of where it  took off from''

    Each time the aircraft is started, it will always default to return to  the last marked home point. After the aircraft starts up and first  establishes a good GPS connection, it'll auto mark the home point.  That's the location the aircraft will return to if the pilot does not  manually reset the home point after it's initially marked.

  • ''Return to the controller - This is more complex and the issues with this will be discussed below''

    There is no option to return to the remote controller. If flying with a  mobile device that contains a GPS receiver, the pilot can manually reset  the home point to the mobile device's current location. After moving  away from that new location, the pilot will need to manually reset the  home point again (if desired).

  • '''The last option you can set is for the aircraft to hover where it stops''

    This is only an option for controlling what the aircraft does after the  remote controller disconnects from the aircraft. By default, that  setting is set to ''Return-to-Home''. It can be configured in the  following section of DJI GO:

DJI-GO-RC-Signal-Lost-Mavic-Air.jpg

2018-3-31
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LoSBoL
First Officer
Flight distance : 666483 ft
Netherlands
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I wanted to add one more thing which is good to know:

If Return to Home is selected and you loose connection, the craft won't come home immediately. It will first ascent to the configured RTH height (if flying lower then RTH height), and then retraces its flown path for 60 seconds. If connection doesn't come back within those 60 seconds, the craft will stop retracing its flown route and fly straight home to the homepoint.

Good to know if you are flying back towards you, and you suddenly lose connection, that 180 degree turn is not the start of a fly away. ;)
2018-3-31
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Kevjones1959
Second Officer
Flight distance : 61932 ft

South Africa
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msinger Posted at 2018-3-31 02:56
Just to clarify a bit:

Edited with your recommendations thanks
2018-3-31
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B1houdini
Captain
Flight distance : 927927 ft
United States
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Everyone had good advise here on this post..
I am sure the new pilots who are new to the Mavic's will appreciate the RTH information,
I sometimes forget what the manual said about RTH and these threads are a good refresher course for me.
2018-3-31
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maurom82
Second Officer
Flight distance : 143757 ft
Italy
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good post..thanks to refresh me about the RTH
2018-3-31
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Jack Beans
lvl.3

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Excellent advice...and explanation...THANKS
2018-3-31
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Zangyzang
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Jack Beans Posted at 2018-3-31 07:30
Excellent advice...and explanation...THANKS

Thank you for he advice. I am new and just got a Mavic Pro. Trying to learn as much as I can!
2018-4-8
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Rawsome
First Officer
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I would love to see a third option, return to manually set home point. As an example, being on a boat and you are bound to drift around, instead of returning home to the two settings that could lead to potential disaster the craft would return to a specified location, a beach or a clearing on land somewhere. Just a thought but i think it could be a most useful safety feature.
2018-4-8
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msinger
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Rawsome Posted at 2018-4-8 17:16
I would love to see a third option, return to manually set home point. As an example, being on a boat and you are bound to drift around, instead of returning home to the two settings that could lead to potential disaster the craft would return to a specified location, a beach or a clearing on land somewhere. Just a thought but i think it could be a most useful safety feature.

The Mavic will return to the last marked home point -- whether that was the home point that was automatically set on takeoff or you manually reset the home point mid-flight. As long as you're flying with a mobile device that contains a GPS receiver, you can manually update the home point location to your current location at any time.
2018-4-8
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3-D
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Zangyzang Posted at 2018-4-8 16:39
Thank you for he advice. I am new and just got a Mavic Pro. Trying to learn as much as I can!

You are definitely in the right place. I come here everyday.  It's like a class for me.  You'll not only get a lot of good pointers and instruction, but you'll also get to share stories and plans with a group of people that areas excited as you are to fly.

Welcome to the Mavic Family!
2018-5-11
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Adriano Araujo
First Officer
Flight distance : 731565 ft
Brazil
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Let´s assume you configure RTH to "hover". So it will hover on signal lost. And will be there... sitting on air wayiting for you.

Let´s also assume you can not restablish signal. Will it "real" RTH (to the poit it took off) when it reach critical battery?

2018-5-11
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hallmark007
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Adriano Araujo Posted at 2018-5-11 09:30
Let´s assume you configure RTH to "hover". So it will hover on signal lost. And will be there... sitting on air wayiting for you.

Let´s also assume you can not restablish signal. Will it "real" RTH (to the poit it took off) when it reach critical battery?

You can’t configure RTH to hover you can configure it to hover when signal is lost but not on all dji aircraft  and this should not be used when Aircraft is out of Los , it can be used effectively when flying in forests or if you are in a boat because you are in a moving vehicle and RTH would not be a good choice, and having it as a choice when you lose signal if your going to be out of VLOS would be a real mistake.
It is also beneficial when flying indoors.
2018-5-11
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Free2be
lvl.4
Flight distance : 229570 ft
Belgium
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A newbe question, when you set you RTH max height to 20m and you fly on the lost signal about 50m, will the RC return to 20m height and than come to RTH? I own a Air.
2018-5-12
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Kevjones1959
Second Officer
Flight distance : 61932 ft

South Africa
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Free2be Posted at 2018-5-12 00:44
A newbe question, when you set you RTH max height to 20m and you fly on the lost signal about 50m, will the RC return to 20m height and than come to RTH? I own a Air.

Yes it will ascend to the height specified unless you are below I think 1.2 meters.
2018-5-12
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msinger
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Adriano Araujo Posted at 2018-5-11 09:30
Let´s assume you configure RTH to "hover". So it will hover on signal lost. And will be there... sitting on air wayiting for you.

Let´s also assume you can not restablish signal. Will it "real" RTH (to the poit it took off) when it reach critical battery?

It will hover until the battery reaches the critically low level. At that point, it will land at its current location.
2018-5-12
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msinger
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Free2be Posted at 2018-5-12 00:44
A newbe question, when you set you RTH max height to 20m and you fly on the lost signal about 50m, will the RC return to 20m height and than come to RTH? I own a Air.

When RTH is initiated, the Mavic will ascend from the altitude currently displayed in DJI GO (the altitude over top of the takeoff point) to the RTH altitude. If the current altitude in DJI GO is a negative number (which happens when the Mavic is flown below the takeoff point), the Mavic will ascend up to 0 feet and then up to the set RTH altitude before returning to the home point.
2018-5-12
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Free2be
lvl.4
Flight distance : 229570 ft
Belgium
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msinger Posted at 2018-5-12 04:37
When RTH is initiated, the Mavic will ascend from the altitude currently displayed in DJI GO (the altitude over top of the takeoff point) to the RTH altitude. If the current altitude in DJI GO is a negative number (which happens when the Mavic is flown below the takeoff point), the Mavic will ascend up to 0 feet and then up to the set RTH altitude before returning to the home point.

Thanks for the answer, msinger.
All things clear about the RTH aditude.
2018-5-12
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Kevjones1959
Second Officer
Flight distance : 61932 ft

South Africa
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Free2be Posted at 2018-5-12 04:46
Thanks for the answer, msinger.
All things clear about the RTH aditude.

Just don't forget the nuances though.

Smart RTH, Low Battery RTH, and Failsafe RTH follow this procedure:
1. The aircraft adjusts its orientation.
2. a. If the aircraft is further than 20 m from the Home Point it ascends to the pre-set RTH attitude and
then flies to the Home Point.
b. If the aircraft is between 5 m and 20 m from the Home Point:
i. If the RTH at Current Altitude option is enabled (the default setting in DJI GO 4) the aircraft flies
to the Home Point at the current altitude, unless the current altitude is less than 2.5 m, in which
case the aircraft ascends to 2.5 m and then flies to the Home Point.
ii. If the RTH at Current Altitude option is disabled, the aircraft lands immediately.
c. If the aircraft is less than 5 m from the Home Point it lands immediately.
5. The aircraft lands and stops its motors once it reaches the Home Point.
Be careful of pressing the RTH button if your aircraft is over your swimming pool

2018-5-12
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aesculus2
Second Officer
Flight distance : 69245 ft
United States
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One question and one statement:
If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, will it stay at that altitude or will it descend first when executing an RTH?

Once I pressed the RTH near a building and a tree.  The drone was below the top of the tree and there was some branches nearby.  I believe the drone sensed the building and then moved towards the tree and starting climbing to get to the RTH altitude.  Next thing the drone embeds itself in the overhanging branches of the tree and had to be extracted with a long pole.

Is this the expected behavior (little or no sensors vertically?) and any thoughts how this could/should be prevented?
2018-5-12
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Free2be
lvl.4
Flight distance : 229570 ft
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My first outdoor fly, shocked! I was about 4 meter far from my MA and test the RTH function..The drone was fly under the tree and going up..With my clear head, pressed the mute button. Now I will test all the safety functions on a open space, before I make some redicule misstakes.
2018-5-13
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msinger
Captain
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aesculus2 Posted at 2018-5-12 12:09
One question and one statement:
If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, will it stay at that altitude or will it descend first when executing an RTH?

If the current altitude displayed in DJI GO is higher than the RTH altitude, the Mavic will return to the home point at its current altitude. It will never descend before returning to the home point.
2018-5-13
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Zatx
First Officer
Flight distance : 158166 ft
United States
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Any chance of fixing the missing pictures from the original post?
2018-5-14
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Lobstah Mobstah
Captain
Flight distance : 1218379 ft
United States
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Also, when initiating a RTH, just tapping the button will not start a RTH.  The button must be pressed for a bit before it begin the sequence.
2018-5-14
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msinger
Captain
Flight distance : 228255 ft
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Zatx Posted at 2018-5-14 06:22
Any chance of fixing the missing pictures from the original post?

There are no missing pictures. This forum just added some weird markup when the OP copied his post from here.
2018-5-14
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