Any advise on how to hand launch... I will be on the boat next week

Thanks in advance

You can chack it on youtube - there's like 100 of these

This is the safest way to hand catch:

---

www.PhantomHelp.com
Find the latest must-haves, fixes, mods, how-tos, guides, and accessories for your Phantom.
Phantoms in stock and ready to ship worldwide! (see availability)

Phantom Help Posted at 2015-8-17 18:48
This is the safest way to hand catch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSCUGcEj5Z8

Ok, as he said, hand catch sorted, now hand launch??

young.selina@ro Posted at 2015-8-17 19:46
Maybe you just throw it up in the air and start the motors -
DO NOT TRY THIS - I'M JOKING!

Found a few videos on youtube on hand launching, but all P2's.

My question is on the P3, will starting us the P3 in your hand (which is not 100%) steady affect the electronics and maybe result in erratic stability?

Hand catch is not the safest procedure if you can even call it a procedure.  I'm not sure a hand launch is advisable there has to be a better way to takeoff.  Be interesting to follow this thread.

hand catch, hand launch is not advisable but only in an emergency situation. it certainly isn't something to do as a single person crew. use a spotter or someone who you can explain exactly what to do and not to do.

the PIC should advise the spotter to hold the landing gear with both hands and have it raised level as high above their head as possible, once the PIC starts motors, the spotter should let the UAS fly naturally.

when wanting to land, the PIC should bring it to a hover at about 10ft, let the spotter get underneath it and extend their hands to hold the landing gear. the PIC should power off immediately letting the UAS come to a complete engine power down

Hand catching is fine, routine, and relatively safe if you're safety-conscious. l've never landed my P3 on the ground.

Hand launching is something different. l think you'd need a second person for it to be safe, you didn't mention if you were planning to do this alone or have someone else hold it.

Check the Phantom 3 promotional videos as they do it on there I think.

But to do it have a second person hold the Phantom way over their head like they're lifting weights for the olympics, a hand on each landing gear/strut. Remind them it creates a bit of down-draft so not to look up but look down, or directly at you so they can judge the level of confidence on your face ;-) Ask them to cradle the bottom of the landing gear so that it is sitting on the up turned palm of their hand not hold on to it for dear life. I then power up the motors and as soon as the motors have done their spin up thing I rapidily ascend, not full power but more than usual so you are sure its up and clear with no chance of descending or toppling over.

Whoever is holding on to it should get some time to practise on dry land before hand and also to watch it take off from a flat surface so that they know how much noise and down-draft it creates.

I wouldn't try it without prop guards installed. I've seen those propellers chew thru small branches  and keep going...  Why are you wanting to hand launch it anyway?

sdharris Posted at 2015-8-17 21:55
Check the Phantom 3 promotional videos as they do it on there I think.

But to do it have a second  ...

Ive taken mine off using the hand land method several times with other peoples help before. I agree with everything sdharris said. Make sure to walk them thru whats going to happen several times before actually starting the motors. I would SUGGEST that they hold the legs ever so gently and not have it sitting in flat hands, when the motors start it could tip over if they aren't holding it perfectly flat that way.

Explain to them that you'll start it up and the props will do a small self test and then will idle, you'll then apply power and once they feel it pulling up they need to let go.

Practice it a few time on land, hand launch, hand catch, stop motors, start, hand launch, hand catch...should only take 2-4 times for the person to be comfortable doing it.

The need to catch and or release by hand?

two people!!
one person turns on p3 and holds it from the bottom of landing gear, no metal object such as watch or jewels to be worn. HAND STRAIGHT ABOVE HEAD.
2nd person, you, check mod values of compass, wait til you have 10+ satellite connection. if a moving boat set home point to RC if your device has GPS and data connection. manually arm the motors and take off.your partner has to be able to know and feel that the p3 is trying to take off and lets go at the right time. too soon and hospital time it will be!!
i only recommend this as a last resort and only if there is good communication with the second person. would i be the second person? only if i trusted you as i trust the p3 fully!!
good luck

Can it be done by one person?

If not, is it safe to take off from a yatch?

SectorDrone Posted at 2015-8-18 00:12
Can it be done by one person?

If not, is it safe to take off from a yatch?

I mean I guess that would depend on your skill and comfort level. You'll want to let it start up completely on a flat surface so gimbal is level, then handle it the same way that you hand catch it. Power it up and release at the right time. I've done this a few times when the grass was too high and no good place to launch from.

As for launching it from the boats surface that would work as long as the boats not rocking back and forth too much but since you said it would be from a yacht you should be fine ;)

This guy did it....

phresh_5 Posted at 2015-8-18 01:17
This guy did it....

https://youtu.be/hovQwk31Djw

He did what? He wasn't flying the drone, he was holding it while someone nearby kept it powered up.

Back to the one person question, I really wouldn't do it. The DJI GO auto take off requires a swipe of the finger on the screen, some alternatives like the apps being developed with the SDK count down from a set value before auto take off but they're not available outside of beta.

I guess you could hang the remote around your neck and hold the drone with one hand but that seems risky to me. Surely you will have someone else on the boat who can help?

sdharris Posted at 2015-8-18 02:11
He did what? He wasn't flying the drone, he was holding it while someone nearby kept it powered up ...

It's really not that difficult, I've done it a few times where there was too much long grass.
However I let it sit on the ground until it got homelock, then held it up with one hand while starting motors with the other.
You need a neck strap.

sdharris Posted at 2015-8-18 02:11
He did what? He wasn't flying the drone, he was holding it while someone nearby kept it powered up ...

Auto takeoff requires swipe of finger, but not manual takeoff.

4wd Posted at 2015-8-18 03:36
It's really not that difficult, I've done it a few times where there was too much long grass.
Howe ...

In long grass, I just hold the P3 upside down with motors running and cut the grass like a lawn mower, then re-launch again.  

Regards,

Stubby

young.selina@ro Posted at 2015-8-17 19:46
Maybe you just throw it up in the air and start the motors -
DO NOT TRY THIS - I'M JOKING!

Oh Selina......How I love thee!

what do you mean by hand launch?

young.selina@ro Posted at 2015-8-17 19:46
Maybe you just throw it up in the air and start the motors -
DO NOT TRY THIS - I'M JOKING!

I do that with my Syma and Traxx   haha

SectorDrone Posted at 2015-8-18 00:12
Can it be done by one person?

If not, is it safe to take off from a yatch?

If you must hand launch I would suggest using a long handled pizza spatula

I cut my wife's hair the other day with my P3P........complete new take on the flowbee