DJI
On an earlier thread it was noted that the max altitude for the Inspire is around 100m (apparently the 4500m listed on the specs is above sea level only). Please confirm if this is accurate or not. If this is true this is a deal breaker, especially since my Phantrom 2 can go well beyond that limit... And before you get into the laws, regs, and safety, I'm well aware. If it is due to laws, regs and safety, I'm fine with that just need to know before cancelling my order. Thanks in advance!

Page 19 of the draft manual states that you may set any max altitude you wish with GPS enabled, with height restrictions imposed at varying distances from airports, for obvious safety reasons.  With GPS disabled, altitude is limited to 120 meters above whatever the craft considers 0 AGL upon initialization.

If limitations are set in the App, the maximums are height 0-300m and distance 0-500m.  However note that you do not have to turn them on.  At that point in GPS the height and distance are only limited by your lipos.  If you are in restricted airspace then the limits are built into the firmware.  As was stated in ATTI the limitation is 120m or about 400'.  

Thanks Ed.  That has been a confusing issue for some people.  I think it is great that DJI gives us the option to be in total control of the Inspire, while at the same time imposing the airspace restrictions, which is crucial even if you are smart about such things on your own.  

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-4 22:33
If limitations are set in the App, the maximums are height 0-300m and distance 0-500m.  However note ...

Thanks I appreciate your quick response.

cmontisano@smuh Posted at 2014-12-19 12:41
400 feet in California

Only in restricted airspace in GPS or when in ATTI.  

I understand the height restrictions but their can be an issue when you are surveying a mountainside for  potential rock failure sites. Your start point can be at the bottom of the hill but will readily be above 100 metres (and close to 300 metres)  above present ground level but perhaps only 50 above actual ground level. While I further understand the "camera in the air" design of the INSPIRE and PHANTOM range they are also good work horses for mapping, surveying and engineering...and we tend to get situations like the above. And while the case has perhaps been made earlier, the other uses for them may not have been....

regards
Regan

Maybe the 4500m is on the assumption that someone has sent the machine straight up.
So by then they will have surely lost all radio contact or about to.
And with the wind strength at that height it could be 50 miles away and a flying zombie.
Unless the operator had set up some sort of safety margin before hand.
At least by stating a limit DJI are covering their backs.

The 4500 meter spec is a service ceiling, or the highest barometric altitude the Inspire 1 can sustain flight.  If you launch a naked Inspire 1 (no aftermarket accessories) from a 14,400 ft. mountain peak, the spec implies that it can only give you a little over 300' above that altitude.

I've flown kites higher than 200' :p

cmontisano@smuh Posted at 2014-12-19 23:30
I read that the FAA in California is fighting to drop it down to 200ft, soon will have to file a f ...

ouch. i need to get above mountains and rivers in nor.cal. 200' would be ridiculous.

s.s.gibbs1@gmai Posted at 2014-12-22 01:54
ouch. i need to get above mountains and rivers in nor.cal. 200' would be ridiculous.

First off, there is no such thing as California FAA.  The "F" in FAA is "Federal".  The 200' limit for California is  fiction.  It may be a misinterpretation of the rules that the 6 commercial photo and video production companies granted regulatory exemption from the FAA must follow which allows them to reduce separation from the craft and those not consenting to be involved in the production from 500' to no less than 200 feet if it would not adversely affect safety.  In no case are they allowed to violate a 400' AGL flight ceiling limit, however.  Their exemption would be immediately revoked, and they would lose millions in revenue.

Secondly, the 400' voluntary safety limit that all of us RC operators have all been adhering to for more than 30 years now has proven a safe way to deconflict RC and manned aircraft.  To date, I have not yet seen a compelling video or photograph taken from more than a couple hundred feet up, so I have no problem with 400' feet as a current safety guideline, nor 400' as a future law.

Third, the 400' limit is an AGL (above ground level) measurement.  If you need to cross a ridge to get a photo or video on the other side, you can easily, safely, and legally do so as long as you are standing on that ridge and can maintain direct visual contact with the vehicle at all times, and never exceed 400' above the terrain.

bump this is great info

This could just be the maximum ceiling hight of the product like any rotor craft you have a ceiling hight were the weight to the effectiveness of the rotor are at their limits.
I was reading the manual and notice at the altitude of 4500m the battery life and flight time has degraded this I would assume is due to increase rotor rpm due to the air density.
Why are helicopter non pressurised simple most can't fly high enough to require it. The higher you go the thiner ther air less lift.
So I am guessing it's its limits.

Physical hypoxic symptoms such as tingling and headache may not become apparent for four hours or more at this altitude, although judgment has long gone by the wayside. Above 10,000 feet blood oxygen saturation and performance degrade steeply. 14,000 feet. Blood oxygen saturation is down to a dangerous 85%.
So at 400' AGL with the inspire at 4500m (14,750') put the operator at 14,350"
You shouldn't be operating the craft with out Oxygen.

I just got a reply from DJI - the 500m flight ceiling of the Inspire cannot be overidden

ghoonk Posted at 2015-1-6 01:46
I just got a reply from DJI - the 500m flight ceiling of the Inspire cannot be overidden

This could not be true... Please share the communication from DJI

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-4 22:33
If limitations are set in the App, the maximums are height 0-300m and distance 0-500m.  However note ...

How so? I just dropped a chat message to support and got a reply telling me that I cannot remove the 500m flight ceiling. Are you saying that this limitation can be removed via the app as well?

agallo33 Posted at 2015-1-6 01:51
This could not be true... Please share the communication from DJI

In the current app the max altitude is 500m but you can disable the distance. That is 1,640' above launch point. This is actually an issue for anyone?

I will check with DJI R&D.  I don't think that the 500m limit is set in stone.  If you do not engage the feature there is no limit but I will confirm with them.  There have been too many upgrades to the firmware and the App recently.  I get confused.

kgarrison@gmail Posted at 2015-1-7 13:51
In the current app the max altitude is 500m but you can disable the distance. That is 1,640' above l ...

Depends, really. I don't always need to go 1 km up (especially since the 'coming back down' part tends to be a bit nerve-wracking when battery life runs low), but at times it does make for stunning shots.

My query was more to do with the presence of a 'hard' lock, i.e. it's active all the time, as opposed to a 'conditional' lock, i.e. the 500m limit only comes into play when the quad is in or near a restricted area, in which case, I'd be happy to self-impose a height limit of 50m

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2015-1-7 14:10
I will check with DJI R&D.  I don't think that the 500m limit is set in stone.  If you do not engage ...

Thanks, Ed. If you could get some confirmation/clarity from them on when the restriction comes into play (e.g. only applies in or near restricted areas), that would be great. Most of my flights are done pretty far out in the desert where there isn't much air traffic.

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-4 22:33
If limitations are set in the App, the maximums are height 0-300m and distance 0-500m.  However note ...

Ed,
but in the app the height values cannot be changed. ?? I put for example 550m and after confirming go back to 500m ??

There is an option for "reset all settings" within the MC settings ... It will give you a "0" for maximum height ...
How high are you able to fly with this setting ?

ghoonk Posted at 2015-1-6 01:46
I just got a reply from DJI - the 500m flight ceiling of the Inspire cannot be overidden

Simply disconnect the barometer and the I1 won't know how High it is.

Bob "Never too High" Marley


everyone tends to overthink things

w1der Posted at 2015-4-11 03:14
There is an option for "reset all settings" within the MC settings ... It will give you a "0" for maximum height ...
How high are you able to fly with this setting ? ...

That could also be an easily tested solution, (if it gets off the ground, it won't have a height limit to adhere to)?


Bob

Bob Marley Posted at 2015-4-11 03:56
That could also be an easily tested solution, (if it gets off the ground, it won't have a height l ...

I think this is what tahoe_ed was trying to explain ...

You need a swede to explain stuff like this in english for you guys ...

w1der Posted at 2015-4-11 03:14
There is an option for "reset all settings" within the MC settings ... It will give you a "0" for ma ...

I can give it a try tomorrow
By the way, in the new firmware, slide have only in the distance limit

Mine is set to 120 meter as this is the highest we get to fly in sweden anyways ... and I think Im gonna stay there ...

Had a close encounter with three fighter jets the other day, well below 500 meters, as I was hovering in the air ...
That made me realize why there are regulations for this ...

I'm not sure if they saw me but I could sure see, hear and feel them passing by ...

w1der Posted at 2015-4-11 04:26
I'm not sure if they saw me but I could sure see, hear and feel them passing by ...  ...

Any footage?

Bob Marley Posted at 2015-4-11 04:33
Any footage?

The first one came in solo ... And my jaws dropped ...
The other two came in "formation" and I was able to point the camera towards them ... But I didn't realize that my camera was allready rolling so I accidently turned it off instead

So guys.........
Just came back from the field and tryed the thing with the reseating  all settings and.............. guess what ?
nothing happend. in the dial box was already the number 120m:@

@Tahoe_Ed did you hear back from R&D?

PQ2V+ Posted at 2015-4-12 00:34
@Tahoe_Ed did you hear back from R&D?

it is already 2 months almost from tha day hes said he will check back

ghoonk Posted at 2015-1-6 01:46
I just got a reply from DJI - the 500m flight ceiling of the Inspire cannot be overidden

The 500m ceiling applies to height from where you take off, not altitude.

We are surrounded mountains here and we can fly 500m straight up from where ever we are parked. The 4,500m limit applies to a max operating height above sea level due to air density, nothing more - less density equals less lift, plain and simple. However, there is a youtube vid of a guy at 5,200m (i think) in the Himalayas testing a Phantom and it did fly... just!

Looks like the State of Nevada will have a height limit of 250 feet in understandably restricted locations.. overall SB 239 looks very reasonable to me and although I might not support all of its provisions, I sure support the legislative intent and need. Here is the link to the amendment that passed the Assembly this week in the Nevada State Legislature
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/ ... ed%20Amendments.pdf

River 1 Posted at 2015-4-15 06:45
Looks like the State of Nevada will have a height limit of 250 feet in understandably restricted loc ...

My understanding was that 250 feet was the MINIMUM altitude above someone ELSE's property.
Anyway, not planning to fly in Nevada anytime soon... and very likely these may change several times in the future.

Hi there, I crashed the phantom 3 I was going down behind a telephone mast and no control any more bummer but ok . . . since I also wanna go into the clouds I was wondering if I should buy the I1 but if there is a possibility to adjust something on the P3 Prof. I would be grateful if anybody would share it with me . . . . best Thomas

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-4 22:33
If limitations are set in the App, the maximums are height 0-300m and distance 0-500m.  However note ...

Hi there, I crashed the phantom 3 I was going down behind a telephone mast and no control any more bummer but ok . . . since I also wanna go into the clouds I was wondering if I should buy the I1 but if there is a possibility to adjust something on the P3 Prof. I would be grateful if anybody would share it with me . . . . best Thomas