Hi,

Are there any technical and/or safety issues to consider when flying and filming near lighthouses?  I thought I read somewhere that the equipment used in lighthouses could interfere with the P3's ability to operate correctly.

Yes, I've seen plenty of Phantom lighthouse videos on YouTube, but just want to know I'm being safe and responsible when flying.

Thanks!

DC

The lighthouse itself will be fine but often you will find marine surveillance radar situated close by which might cause issues.  Just have a good look around before flying.

helidan Posted at 2016-9-6 10:22
The lighthouse itself will be fine but often you will find marine surveillance radar situated close  ...

Thank you.  Can you elaborate as to what that might look like visually?

Regads,

DC

I had an issue flying around one; I got DISCONNECTED and I always have issues flying around them.

Even though this is a very small, very old historic  lighthouse, there must be some marine signal around there which caused me to lose connection for about 2 minutes.  Here is the video; when the P4 is moving backwards, at about the 2 minute mark, it is when I put it in ATTI mode a nd it flies with the wind, because I thought I was jammed, etc.  and my GPS may have been affected.  I then ran towards it and I was able to regain control.  Not a good experience! I was only about 0.8 miles away.

My suggestion is to go slow and try flying away from it first, then closer and closer and make sure you have a good Home Point Set, in the event you get disconnected and RTH is initiated.

Swarm Posted at 2016-9-6 17:25
Thank you.  Can you elaborate as to what that might look like visually?

Regads,

You wont miss a radar scanner.

Big wide bar (usually white) spinning round fairly slowly.

MD_Icarus Posted at 2016-9-6 13:53
I had an issue flying around one; I got DISCONNECTED and I always have issues flying around them.

E ...

Thanks very much for the info.

Were you using a pre-programmed Litchi mission or the Go app built-in waypoint function for that video?  Nice smooth pans makes me think so - or your are just damn good :-)

I have a Litchi app setup for a lighthouse near my home.  But having heard your story I think I'll try flying in manual mode first before trying it.

Thanks again,

DC

Swarm Posted at 2016-9-6 14:42
Thanks very much for the info.

Were you using a pre-programmed Litchi mission or the Go app built ...

That was a Litchi test mission up to the lighthouse, then manual after that.  

I flew many shorter test flights before and that was just a test flight prior to my final flight, which I never flew after the Disconnect. I was planning to go around the lighthouse across the other beach there.
If you use Litchi, then I would suggest letting it complete.  My initial concern was jamming, that is why I went closer and placed it in ATTI mode.

In this video, I lost complete connection at the 3.2 time mark, and this was a 12 minute litchi mission, which started at about 2.52 minutes and I never regained control! But I let litchi complete.  I turned off Litchi and then back on the regain control, but the mission remained in the P4 memory, so it completed fine. So if you lose connection in Litchi, let it go. But when the signal was back at 100% and I still had Disconnected, I felt that I had to restart the app, which is scary, but it did not cause any issues. It actually completed the mission, without even having the mission on the app screen, once I re-started the app.


Ironically, I was about 0.8 miles in this one too!

I would think that if stay away at least 50ft the lighthouse, then if there was anything causing interference you'd be ok.
You just have to test fly and see what happens.

MD_Icarus Posted at 2016-9-7 03:53
I had an issue flying around one; I got DISCONNECTED and I always have issues flying around them.

E ...

Flying around a lighthouse isn't the Bermuda triangle.
You weren't jammed and your GPS was not affected.

Well for me in New Jersey most of all the Lighthouses are on state parks and are a NFZ. They even have signs post NO DRONES :-(

And also Bridges have security systems, which are on wifi, and I am guessing, they may even have high power noise burst jammers too.

I’ve flown on a few lighthouses here is n Rhode Island. I did have 2 disconnects in a similar spot near the lighthouse.  I was about 200-300 feet from it and the disconnect occurred.  I fly a Spark and it started RTH. When the connection resumed I took over control again. Since then I have flown in the same spot getter no more pictures and no disconnects my thought is maybe the lighthouse sends info to a home base via radio signal or such and it just scrambled my WiFi signal. A bit scary.  

Regarding state parks. I know an administrator and he says our state parks have no fly zones. He also admits thy it is just a regulation and the rangers do not have any authority with fines or anything other than hassling you to enforce the reg.  BTW the FAA regulates the sky. I’m national parks you can fly over just cannot land or take off.  

In fact most Lighthouses do not have radar scanners ... for what ?  But those that do can be radiating in one or both frequencies 3cm or 10cm. Each requires own directional scanner. The radar IF fitted will normally be a relay setup - that results are relayed back to a central Coast Guard / Lighthouse Authority / Harbour Master Coast watch system. The relay can be RF or cable - with RF being the most common due to distance / geographic considerations. We shall ignore military as they rarely use such locations.

But what many have is what is called RACON.

This is a radar signal receiver that then pulse transmits it back to the ship - displaying an ID signal on the PPI (Screen). It's in the form of Morse code dot / dashes. List of radio Signals / Lights on board the vessel state the ID of each Racon station.
The racon display on the PPI is in direct line lighthouse back to sending unit ie to centre if in relative centred mode. Its a safety marker that then to the operator can determine direction and distance as well as identification of the lighthouse.

This 'bounced' signal can depending on its strength cause RF disruption if you are very close.

For anyone interested - many fairway buoys / special interest marker buoys have RACON as well.

Just for a bit of fun ...



I know - you've seen it before !