When long range FPV GOES WRONG!

I thought I was ready to try and break 2 miles on regular FRSky with a 5db antenna. I thought my failsafe would save me if something happened...I was WRONG!

This happened back when I was first experimenting with flying out further than a mile. Although I made my distance goal, things go terribly wrong as soon as I try to turn around.

It wasn't a simple matter of just walking the tracks to get it back either. The old swing bridge was left open when they shut it down way back in 1980...and that's an island it crashed on!

The original LR quad!

Shiv 6”
Omnibus f3
DYS XD 20A
Cobra 2204 1960kv
HQ 6x3.5
Foxeer 600mw
HS1177
Foxeer Cloverleaf
M8N GPS
X4r
Tattu 2300mah 3s 45c

[wattage]

Been there too but never found my plane, a mini talon worth about £400, disarmed at 6 miles out due to failsafe not working correctly. Glad you found your quad!

[Wakefoilman]

I had a similar experience and turned out to be the xt60 connector. One of the male plugs had become squeezed and didn't contact properly.

[nasaman]

Thanks for sharing the experience with this video .Glad you found your quad

[tamisonsresources]

Great Video. Glad you got it back. Please do another video showing the condition after you retrieved it

[Artat-home]

Glad you found it. Try using Vifly buzzer on your builds

[smoothvirus]

omg I can't believe you found it in that marsh

[thelongranger]

Wow, this is crazy with 2.4ghz, I only have brushed builds and i6s Flysky Tx with dual 4dbi external antennas. I’ve only gotten over 1, 000 feet away @ 50 feet up in my neighborhood before I failsafe, I used x6b rx on a 2s brushed build that weighs 80 grams with a battery,

[woodrunner]

How did you find it in that....darn. cool!

[EbonySeraphim]

Did you test your GPS failsafe? And how did you test it? Nurk FPV has like two separate 30 minute videos before he finally gets GPS rescue working. Before I take my quad out for real long range I would make sure I:

1) Verify behavior activates with a switch in a very controlled and easy environment (and always have the switch assigned in case I lose video completely, in an instant, before I lose control for some reason)
2) Verify it raises to an expected height (if I told it to), or goes back to maximum height of the flight if I told it to
3) Verify it heads back in the direction of the arrow
3a) I may not verify landing behavior because GPS rescue doesn't really "land", it'll just kind of drop the quad
4) Verify activation when I shut off my controller cold
4a) Verify it lets me control the drone after manually deactivating the GPS rescue mode


Nurk really had to put in a bit of effort time getting step 4 to behave properly as BetaFlight wasn't that obvious with the settings. I watched Joshua Bardwell's video about setting up GPS mode and it seems correct based on what Nurk spent time finding out via trial and error.

Shy of getting that setup, it can still fail...so for sure. Lat and Long will always be on DVR. Further I first only fly in spaces I'm completely aware of how to get there on the ground for a test (doesn't mean easy access). You're a bold person going long range on a 3s battery.

[spleenware]

Looks like GPS RESCUE mode. Had same thing happen. Never going to trust Betaflight for long range again. Am back to iNav now.

[Ukat]

wait ... you wanted to go foe a mile ... how far did you fly??? 10km?? crazy .... just a wee further than a mile me thinks. lol ...for sharing and glad you found it again.

[stonedDawg]

i think i know what caused your disarm, your 2nd stage(before failsafe) arm value is not on hold or not on hold on the correct value.

[vipersnh]

What was the root cause for the failure ?

[hostsurfer]

so, you found the quad without LAT and LONG

[brandohim]

just got this link off of Oscar's websight, had to see this.

[davidayarra]

Looks like you were jammed, the towers up ahead may bave disrupted your signal as ive heard some do

[BOYDELL]

WHATS YOUR GROUND STATION SET UP? ARE YOU ONLY USING GOGGLES? WHAT ANTENNA?

[StacemanFPV]

Did you get your failsafe settings fixed for the next time?

[josephhecht]

Very interesting... just wondering, what kind of goggles, camera, and transmitter do you use? Seems like you've got FPV figured out! Thanks

[airmode_fpv]

Just for the record - you set up gps rescue mode properly and set as failsafe procedere right?