How to control drone when beacon lost control?

[Ricky_the_road]

Hi to everyone.



I bought a new skydio 2, I use it only with beacon but I have a question.

I use it usually to film me on motorbike, in motion mode.

If, for instance, I drive my motorbike, and drone will stop behind me, for instance at 500 meters, How could I order to the drone to reach me in order to land in front of me?

Because if I could not se the drone, I could not locate it and come back with my motorcycle to land it



Many thanks

 

[kenmavic2zoom]

i would suggest always try to involve your phone in the connection so you maximum control.

 

[Ridefreak]

You haven't lost control when it stops like that behind you, because you've stopped so has the drone since it's tracking you, it's just waiting for you to move again. I do the recovery you describe every time I fly the drone. You don't need the phone and taking the time to pull that out of your pocket or riding gear and getting the app screen open is a good way to run into issues since it take time which you don't always have. If it's on the bars the phone would work fine. The app is not a requirement and many if not most who fly using the beacon (me included) use it to position and recover the drone at the end of a flight. It would be a royal pain for me since the phone is in my pocket with the screen locked.

Take a look at this clip, it's the end of a ride and I'm recovering the drone getting ready for a landing. I've got numerous vids of this same process, I often include the drone recovery at the end of a video.

When I'm ready to land I come to a stop on the bike, the drone automatically stops with it's location based off the positioning you selected, in front, off to the side etc... At that point you want to bring it in, I push the (-) button on the beacon till it's the standoff tic (distance) is at the closest point (that's what I'm doing as the drone is moving towards me in the video). Once it's come in as close as it's going to which should be 15 or 20' away you need to get it over a good place to land, I use the wand function for this, just point the beacon at the drone, push the blue button and move the beacon in the direction you want it to move, stop when it over a clear area you can easily walk up to. Pause the drone if it isn't already, if you don't it may back up as you walk toward it. Ideally the drone will be 20' or so in the air, if it's low (like 10') you'll have less time to grab it out of the air. I sometime take the wand and wand it upwards in that situation to gain a little alt. Then I get off the bike, tell the drone to land, when the lights will start flashing and the gimbal points down I start walking up to it, It will slow almost to a stop at head level and that's a great time to stick your hand out and let it drop right into it. I easily have over 100 recoveries doing exactly as I described and have even managed the whole process sitting on the motorcycle and have it land in my hand, that's a tricky one though. I never land it on the ground, always catch it.

My best suggestion is to get in an open area on or off your MC and practice stopping and recovering the drone. The better you are at it the less drama you'll have during recovery time which can easily damage the drone if you don't control the process sufficiently.

 

[Ricky_the_road]

Wow guys, many thanks, thanks also to Ridefreak for your details.
My fear is, when Skidoo will follow me, in case that it stops somewhere behind me, for instance for taking problem or any other case, I probably will realize after 2/3/4 km after it stops. How could I command it in order to reach me and found me again? Many thanks

 

[Ridefreak]

Yes, that's a concern, you can't just assume it's following you, I glance back about every 1/8 to 1/4 mi, Much beyond that and the search area becomes allot larger and you waste allot of battery getting back to it.

If the drone just stops following on it's own (looses subject lock) and I can see it sitting there hoovering I need to tell it where I'm at so it can relock onto me, It's typically well beyond visual range at that time so I point the beacon at it and push the blue button, I'll even possibly wand it a little, Basically you are sending a command to the drone that includes the beacon's location, you'll see the drone turn towards you and fly in towards you and stop at the set standoff distance. The trick is pointing the beacon at drone and pushing that blue button, it shouldn't need to be held down, like I said I wand it a little bit and I know it's receiving the command if it responds to that.

 

[baksideDisasterFlicks]

Yes, that's a concern, you can't just assume it's following you, I glance back about every 1/8 to 1/4 mi, Much beyond that and the search area becomes allot larger and you waste allot of battery getting back to it.

If the drone just stops following on it's own (looses subject lock) and I can see it sitting there hoovering I need to tell it where I'm at so it can relock onto me, It's typically well beyond visual range at that time so I point the beacon at it and push the blue button, I'll even possibly wand it a little, Basically you are sending a command to the drone that includes the beacon's location, you'll see the drone turn towards you and fly in towards you and stop at the set standoff distance. The trick is pointing the beacon at drone and pushing that blue button, it shouldn't need to be held down, like I said I wand it a little bit and I know it's receiving the command if it responds to that.

Whoa this is a great tip. Fully trying this next time that happens. Thanks!