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Beacon range

Jim_bo

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I typically fly my Skydio with the beacon connected with my phone app. However, I’ve had some issues. Last flight, my drone lost me because I went behind some trees. I thought that wasn’t supposed to happen with the beacon. Also, on more than one occasion, the drone flies out of range while doing a dronie. This makes no sense to me at all. Typically, it comes back, but then I have to re-aquire myself as a target.
Anyone else have these issues???
 
Yep, all of them. I just hope that Skydio fixes them. Most of these are well documented.
 
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Anyone tried not to hold the beacon in the hand to get better GPS signal? Perhaps Velcro it to your arm or something?
 
I typically fly my Skydio with the beacon connected with my phone app. However, I’ve had some issues. Last flight, my drone lost me because I went behind some trees. I thought that wasn’t supposed to happen with the beacon. Also, on more than one occasion, the drone flies out of range while doing a dronie. This makes no sense to me at all. Typically, it comes back, but then I have to re-aquire myself as a target.
Anyone else have these issues???
Perhaps the problem you describe could simply be avoided by doing more to assure the beacon "constantly" has better visibility of the GPS satellites on your chosen ride or walking path.

Does the Skydio or beacon manual recommend where the beacon should (or maybe more importantly not) be held to maintain good visibility with GPS satellites?
 
Perhaps the problem you describe could simply be avoided by doing more to assure the beacon "constantly" has better visibility of the GPS satellites on your chosen ride or walking path.

Does the Skydio or beacon manual recommend where the beacon should (or maybe more importantly not) be held to maintain good visibility with GPS satellites?
I’m not sure how that would prevent the been losing contact while doing a dronie.
 
Perhaps the problem you describe could simply be avoided by doing more to assure the beacon "constantly" has better visibility of the GPS satellites on your chosen ride or walking path.

Does the Skydio or beacon manual recommend where the beacon should (or maybe more importantly not) be held to maintain good visibility with GPS satellites?
I just tried to do a dronie again yesterday. Phone mounted on my bike handlebars, beacon held in my hand up high for good satellite visibility. I still lost contact with SD at the pinnacle of the dronie. WTF??
 
I just tried to do a dronie again yesterday. Phone mounted on my bike handlebars, beacon held in my hand up high for good satellite visibility. I still lost contact with SD at the pinnacle of the dronie. WTF??
Hmm... what happened next? ... how did you re-acquire contact?
 
I had to use the home button on the phone to recover it.
Since communication between your phone and the S2 was working properly (i.e. you could initiate a RTH) try doing a dronie without the beacon and see if the loss of contact re-occurs.

If the loss of contact doesn't happen again, I'm guessing the problem is some how related to the beacon.
 
Somethings wrong I do dronies often from inside a vehicle with no disconnect. I've even driven away when my S2 was stuck in the Forrest trying to find it's way out. I was a good 1/3 mile away and it found its way back.

Remember when you lose optical GPS takes over, did you have strong GPS that day? If not I'd start a ticket with SD
 
Somethings wrong I do dronies often from inside a vehicle with no disconnect. I've even driven away when my S2 was stuck in the Forrest trying to find it's way out. I was a good 1/3 mile away and it found its way back.

Remember when you lose optical GPS takes over, did you have strong GPS that day? If not I'd start a ticket with SD

perfectly clear sky in the desert. Not much better conditions than that.
 
If you can't get a couple hundred feet away with clear weather in the desert I'd contact SD. Not sure if you can refresh the software but I would try that if available?
 
I've lost the bacon's lock on the drone a few times and like you say, it takes the RTH on the phone to recover without any drama. My beacon is only held in my hand when I'm re positioning the drone, otherwise it's hanging from a lanyard connected to my shoulder strap on the backpack. I don't think holding it or having it attached to your person makes any difference. Mine has never happened when I was doing a dronie though, always when it was tracking me and I got going too fast.
 
I've lost the bacon's lock on the drone a few times and like you say, it takes the RTH on the phone to recover without any drama. My beacon is only held in my hand when I'm re positioning the drone, otherwise it's hanging from a lanyard connected to my shoulder strap on the backpack. I don't think holding it or having it attached to your person makes any difference. Mine has never happened when I was doing a dronie though, always when it was tracking me and I got going too fast.
Strange, since I seen someone claim that the GPS antenna is located in the part where you actually hold the beacon.
One would think that exposing that to the open sky would make reception much better.
 
Strange, since I seen someone claim that the GPS antenna is located in the part where you actually hold the beacon.
One would think that exposing that to the open sky would make reception much better.
I don't think the problem is a loss of GPS location although that might be the issue, I think it looses visual lock and can't make the switch to GPS tracking. For me it was at higher speeds which I'm sure was a factor in loosing the subject lock. Truthfully I really don't know, it would be nice to know how the system transitions between the two types of tracking and when it decides to switch from visual to GPS.
 
I don't think the problem is a loss of GPS location although that might be the issue, I think it looses visual lock and can't make the switch to GPS tracking. For me it was at higher speeds which I'm sure was a factor in loosing the subject lock. Truthfully I really don't know, it would be nice to know how the system transitions between the two types of tracking and when it decides to switch from visual to GPS.
Another wrinkle would be knowing how often and when it decides on one type of tracking (visual vs GPS) over another.

What governs a switch over would be out side of the pilots hands but it sure has to cover a large number of changing conditions.
 
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For sure, I would like to understand all of that better, when you're aware of how it accomplished something you can utilize it better and take advantage of it's strengths and avoid the weaknesses.
 
I think this is where Parrot has some experience. Watch my Anafi get blown for a spin to have GPS reaquire the subject then optical lock on.

 

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