cant get solo past 150ft

[crazydad]

Hey, new here and seen ppl with solo can go up to 400ft.. i bought mines 2 days ago and cant get it 150ft. Am i missing something? Yes i knw i am a newbie.. lol. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[crazydad]

Btw its 150ft high... as in max ceiling i can get it..

 

[Maddog]

Welcome to the forum Dad!

When you are connected to Solo, go to "settings" in the Solo app then "Solo" settings. There, you will find a setting for max altitude. What is it set on?

 

[crazydad]

Welcome to the forum Dad!

When you are connected to Solo, go to "settings" in the Solo app then "Solo" settings. There, you will find a setting for max altitude. What is it set on?

It was set to 150ft... didnt even knw i could change that there.. the tutorials 3dr had were a little hazy.. lol.. but now i changed it to 400 even though i think 150ft is good for me for now. Thanks for your help Maddog!!!

 

[Maddog]

You bet- that's what we're here for!

 

[crazydad]

Any other advice or tricks you can give this newbie?

 

[Maddog]

Any other advice or tricks you can give this newbie?

Sure- download & read the operators manual from the 3DR website.

Fly in open areas- don't try to takeoff, land or fly between closely spaced buildings.

If you're new to drone flying, practice a lot in manual mode. If the automation fails, you need to be able to take over and safely control & land Solo. Lots of YouTube videos.

Be aware that when the battery hits 25%, the remaining power drops off much more rapidly than before- time to land. You will probably only get 15 minutes tops with the gimbal.

Read this forum- check out the threads on GPS issues. Sometimes Solo GPS gets "wonky" when flying near trees and buildings- map FLY:MANUAL to your A or B button. If Solo is flying under GPS guidance and gets wonky, you can quickly switch to manual flight and hopefully get control and prevent a crash.

Have fun and post your videos for us to look at!

I'm sure others will add stuff I didn't cover.

 

[crazydad]

Awesome thanks!!! Now to figure out how to get to manual mode... lol.. lots of reading to do!! Again thanks!

 

[Maddog]

Awesome thanks!!! Now to figure out how to get to manual mode... lol.. lots of reading to do!! Again thanks!

Go into the Solo settings, advanced settings, enable advanced flight modes.
Then go back to "Solo settings"' and select the A or B button. You can then see which smart shot or flight mode to map to the button.

 

[Chuck]

Welcome to the forum, crazydad. Maddog is right on with his comments. Personally, I use my gut feeling as to when I am about to get in over my head. If my gut gets nervous, I back off whatever I am doing. It has served me well.... Happy and safe flying to you......

 

[crazydad]

Awesome guys!! Thanks alot! I will post vids and pics as soon as i get at least a little better at this. And Chuck your right.. lmao happend to me the first day and let go of the controls ... lmao.. kinda sucks only 17 min flight time.

 

[Chuck]

Getting comfortable with Solo in Fly mode is definitely your best friend. It is important to learn Manual as well, but seeing how Solo responds to your commands with GPS backup as a kind of safety net, will help build your confidence. When you want to try Manual, find an open area with no obstacles, and have fun. Just remember to establish a good home point before takeoff.

 

[Maddog]

Don't forget about the PAUSE button- airborn brake!

 

[Robert Rose]

I recommend lots of takeoffs and landings, and lots of slow movements until the sticks become familiar. I would ignore the smart shots at the beginning. I am a big fan of the Return to Home button and the Pause button for the beginner. Auto takeoff, ascend to 50 feet. Tiny movements, rotate slowly, move camera up & down, fly left, right, forward back, then RTH and take a breath. Repeat. Fly high enough to avoid roofs and light poles, but not so high that the thing is out of sight. Once RTH becomes familiar you will want to try landing with the Fly button. Then try breathing while flying, and how to take a glance at the screen. I don't recommend trying manual until you understand more about the craft. Yes, if automation fails it is good to be able to fly in manual mode, but I personally think learning to fly in manual mode for a beginner is daunting.

 

[crazydad]

Yea ive been doing that, both manual and auto. Been practicing takeoffs and landings too. Like you said, just getting used to it. Lol. Almost crashed into a house, thank god for pause!!!

 

[Maddog]

I recommend lots of takeoffs and landings, and lots of slow movements until the sticks become familiar. I would ignore the smart shots at the beginning. I am a big fan of the Return to Home button and the Pause button for the beginner. Auto takeoff, ascend to 50 feet. Tiny movements, rotate slowly, move camera up & down, fly left, right, forward back, then RTH and take a breath. Repeat. Fly high enough to avoid roofs and light poles, but not so high that the thing is out of sight. Once RTH becomes familiar you will want to try landing with the Fly button. Then try breathing while flying, and how to take a glance at the screen. I don't recommend trying manual until you understand more about the craft. Yes, if automation fails it is good to be able to fly in manual mode, but I personally think learning to fly in manual mode for a beginner is daunting.

That's why I started with a $50 Syma X5C to learn. Then I moved up to the $100 Syma X8C which is as big as Solo.

I've flown the X8 into trees, my house, you name it. The worst damage has been a few bent props. Usually I just pick it up and start flying again. Props are about $1. Cheap way to learn before moving up to Solo.