First Drone.. Scared to fly far.. help needed

RyanG · Jul 2, 2015

So I am wondering. I just bought the Solo and love it so far. I have only flown it 3 times so far. I got probably 150' altitude and about 300' away from me. I can't really get beyond that since I don't see how to KNOW where the heck it is and what might be in the way.

Any tips or tricks to flying it farther away? What about trees or other buildings? I would love to get some of the footage I see from other people with really amazing over water and showing off my downtown area, but well I have no idea how to tell what might be in the way.

Do you put the Go Pro on Narrow so things are closer to you so you don't get to close. Do you periodically do a stop and pan 360 to see what's around you?

Thanks guys and gals. I am totally new to flying so any tips would be awesome.

Ryan G

Adimuzio513 · Jul 2, 2015

I'd keep it line of sight flying at least for now until the bugs that some are having are worked out for sure. Beside that, keep in mind I've not been flying but nearly a year myself, both your ideas seem like good options to help you get used to flying first person. Really I think more of it just comes from practice and experience than anything else. You should be able to get most shots you come across flying line of sight though just be up high enough to avoid obstacles if your having trouble with orientation, that way you can move your stick forward back left or right to figure out which ways which when it's too far to see your LEDs. Then once your sure which ways which you could come down if need be yo get better shots.

When you lose signal it's supposed to go to 98 feet I think it is and head home so as long as nothing's that tall you should be ok, you can also change your Return height if 98 feet still has obstacles. But I personally am trying to avoid much in between me and solo until issues are confirmed to be fixed. 3dr has great service and are doing what they can, just be kinda patient and a little extra cautious until you get more confident and solo is updated and tested as being bug free and more refined and you should be fine. Just my 2 cents but I'm by no means experienced just yet like some here so they may have better tricks to teach.

1013D · Jul 2, 2015

49 feet is the preset RTH altitude...not 98 (error in the manual).

Change this ASAP to 150 or more using the tower app.....that will help.

Also study Google maps satellite view of the area You are flying so you can recognize landmarks in reference to where you take off from so you don't lose orientation. You can also measure distances on google maps an get an idea of how far you realistically can go.

1013D · Jul 2, 2015

make sure you are taking off from a nice clear open area. It never returns to exactly where it takes off from, but usually within 6 feet of it.

also hit the home button at a few different altitudes so you can see what it does for yourself. seeing what happens will help build confidence.

the other advice is FLY FLY FLY......fly as often as you can, once or twice a day for 2 weeks will build your confidence. Try some fly-manual as well.

also practice flying only while looking at the solo app video, after you are comfortable flying while looking at it. when you get way far out, this is the only way you can realistically fly.

Raybro · Jul 2, 2015

Use your pull out map as well, it will show you the orientation of the Solo. Take it slow, keep the performance in slow mode until you get used to the controls. If you lose sight or start getting uncomfortable hit the Return Home button. Most people pickup a little cheap quad ($60) and practice with it to get used to how they fly. You might consider that. Anyway, be slow and methodical. Have fun and happy flying!

Dirby · Jul 2, 2015

Adimuzio513 said:
I'd keep it line of sight flying at least for now until the bugs that some are having are worked out for sure. Beside that, keep in mind I've not been flying but nearly a year myself, both your ideas seem like good options to help you get used to flying first person. Really I think more of it just comes from practice and experience than anything else. You should be able to get most shots you come across flying line of sight though just be up high enough to avoid obstacles if your having trouble with orientation, that way you can move your stick forward back left or right to figure out which ways which when it's too far to see your LEDs. Then once your sure which ways which you could come down if need be yo get better shots.

When you lose signal it's supposed to go to 98 feet I think it is and head home so as long as nothing's that tall you should be ok, you can also change your Return height if 98 feet still has obstacles. But I personally am trying to avoid much in between me and solo until issues are confirmed to be fixed. 3dr has great service and are doing what they can, just be kinda patient and a little extra cautious until you get more confident and solo is updated and tested as being bug free and more refined and you should be fine. Just my 2 cents but I'm by no means experienced just yet like some here so they may have better tricks to teach.

if you are above 150 feet it will stay at that altitude anf fly home.
if you are below 100 feet it will DROP to 49 feet and fly home.
at 49 feet it probably strain itself through some trees destroying your solo.

Adimuzio513 · Jul 2, 2015

Thank you both I've been nervous to use Rth so was just quoting the info I read only hit it once so far and quickly pushed fly with pretty quick results. Sorry for the misinformation even if it was an error in the manual, still could have been bad for ya. Other tips here are great as well thanks fellas as I said still fairly new to aerial at least myself,so this is appreciated.

Adimuzio513 · Jul 2, 2015

49 feet seems like a bad idea and to assume people will change it being new to quads in tower is very unlikely. They should add that to the app itself sooner than later. 150 is about a comfortable height for me here in the Midwest. It would make sense to have in app anyway as I'd like to change it myself when I go to different places, would that be difficult for some reason I mean isn't it basically same as alt limit you set. Curious why they decided to leave it to tower.

1013D · Jul 2, 2015

Dirby said:
if you are above 150 feet it will stay at that altitude anf fly home.
if you are below 100 feet it will DROP to 49 feet and fly home.
at 49 feet it probably strain itself through some trees destroying your solo.

it WILL NOT lower altitude during RTH....It will only raise altitude if you are below the set point, or stay at the altitude you are at if you are above the set point.

best thing to do is to always fly higher than any obstacles you are flying near....then it will always safely return home, even if you have not changed the parameter

1013D · Jul 2, 2015

Adimuzio513 said:
.... I'd like to change it myself when I go to different places....

You can easily do this now with tower....takes 30 seconds.

They probable left it out of the solo app because if someone sets it too low, it can hit something on the way home.

there are times when having it raise up is a bad thing.....like if you are flying under a bridge.

Adimuzio513 · Jul 2, 2015

Yea I know it's no big deal I just doubt new folks that don't come on a forum like this will ever even see or use tower. That just seems very low and to make the option to raise it a seperate app may keep people from raising it to where it really should be to begin with is all I meant.

I see what you mean about lowering causing issues but I'd think it best to raise to at least the 98 feet they intended on I'd assume at one point when you get it would make more sense. IMO just to help new flyers from one mistake all together then those of us who wanted to lower it could but it'd be safer overall. I do see why they decided on tower though and lower Rth likely set for a reason too, I can think of a couple possibilities.