Hand launching from sailboat

Operator74656 · Mar 6, 2016

i posted this on the Facebook group recently:

Hand launch and hand recovery from sailboat. Great video opportunity but finicky to get solo to arm while moving.

This is dangerous - attempt at your own risk!

Roy · Mar 6, 2016

Cool!
How did you shut it down once caught in hand?

Dash Hewes · Mar 6, 2016

In manual with throttle down and to the left, motor stop.
Good Job, nice to see something different posted.

Jubalr · Mar 6, 2016

Dash Hewes said:
In manual with throttle down and to the right, motor stop.
Good Job, nice to see something different posted.

That should be throttle down and left. Down and right is arm and I arm every flight.

pyrate · Mar 6, 2016

I am surprised there was not interference from the boat

Gary Burch · Mar 6, 2016

Very risky, but great video. I try to take off from an island when possible.

RichWest · Mar 6, 2016

Here's another option...coming to a planet near you.

Rich · Mar 6, 2016

Nice video!

@Operator74656 How did you get it to arm on a boat? This is the biggest issue with the current firmware. Do tell!

See this thead to see how others can't even arm on a boat:
Boat Mode

Pogo · Mar 13, 2016

Operator74656 said:
i posted this on the Facebook group recently:

Hand launch and hand recovery from sailboat. Great video opportunity but finicky to get solo to arm while moving.

This is dangerous - attempt at your own risk!

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Very nicely done. I have done a few hand launches from my boat but never while it was moving. Nice Job !!

mike sember · Jan 23, 2017

Did you guys get solo to arm while the boat was moving? I have tried many times, but the rocking of the boat makes solo not want to pass the pre flight checks.

andrew.baker.142 · Jan 26, 2017

Operator74656 said:
i posted this on the Facebook group recently:

Hand launch and hand recovery from sailboat. Great video opportunity but finicky to get solo to arm while moving.

This is dangerous - attempt at your own risk!

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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

You need one of these! May not save the electronics from getting fried, but at least you will might get the quad and camera back if you inadvertently go in the water. Weighs only 11g.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Pedals2Paddles · Jan 26, 2017

It is indeed risky. For many reasons. It can be done, and when successful it is simply luck. In the end, it is quite likely to have a bad calibration, even if you convince it to arm. The risk here is after you take off, it can easily go haywire on you with bad calibration. So be careful and be aware of the possible implications.

mike sember · Jan 26, 2017

I shot this video with solo this summer. I want to make many more, but it is a pain to launch off the boat. I had a still day and no movement and that was the only way it would link up. If anyone has a way of getting solo to link on a slow moving boat, or rocking boat, please let me know. I am willing to take the risk and land it. I am pretty good at catching solo in hand.

Earpo44 · Jan 26, 2017

mike sember said:
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I shot this video with solo this summer. I want to make many more, but it is a pain to launch off the boat. I had a still day and no movement and that was the only way it would link up. If anyone has a way of getting solo to link on a slow moving boat, or rocking boat, please let me know. I am willing to take the risk and land it. I am pretty good at catching solo in hand.

On the boat I put mine into Manual mode, hold above my head, ARM with throttle held down+right, then take off. To "Catch Land", bring it in close in Manual mode, grab hold (ABOVE HEAD), and hold throttle down+left to disarm motors. When in manual mode, solo does not need to be level to arm or disarm motors.

Pedals2Paddles · Jan 26, 2017

It isn't being level that is a problem. It is being in motion.

mikeo · Jan 26, 2017

I've launched and landed from my small (23') boat multiple times, but I'm usually in a calm cove on a lake. The biggest problem that I ran in to was the inboard engine puts out a huge amount of interference, so I had to make sure the engine was off in order to get everything to calibrate/pass check/arm. On my big boat (55') I usually launch from the top deck and I've never had an issue with calibration/pass check/arm.

The big important thing when operating on a boat is to set the "return to" option so that it's "return to me" and NOT "return to launch". If you lose signal you want to make sure Solo heads towards you and not away from you.

SARDG · Jan 26, 2017

mikeo said:
I've launched and landed from my small (23') boat multiple times, but I'm usually in a calm cove on a lake. The biggest problem that I ran in to was the inboard engine puts out a huge amount of interference, so I had to make sure the engine was off in order to get everything to calibrate/pass check/arm. On my big boat (55') I usually launch from the top deck and I've never had an issue with calibration/pass check/arm...

Gee... I call my 23 footer my big boat, and my 11' Sea-Doo, my small boat.

All things are relative, I suppose. Water never seems calm enough around here, though.

Earpo44 · Jan 27, 2017

Also another setting that can save your a$$ is to change the RTH feature to HOVER instead of LAND. This will prevent it from auto bathing itself if you get distracted (FISH ON!!!)

Pedals2Paddles · Jan 27, 2017

FYI Return to Me is broken on the Android version of the 3DR Solo app. If you use it, your solo will not return to you. It will return to somewhere else as the location request is wrong. Return to Me works properly in the Solex Android app and on the iOS 3DR Solo app.

Jubalr · Jan 27, 2017

Pedals2Paddles said:
FYI Return to Me is broken on the Android version of the 3DR Solo app. If you use it, your solo will not return to you. It will return to somewhere else as the location request is wrong. Return to Me works properly in the Solex Android app and on the iOS 3DR Solo app.

I believe it also still works in Tower. At least it did the last time I tried it..