My H+ just flew away using 750 firmware! Can't find drone anywhere! **Now with updated Telemetry***

[Wingnutz]

TyPilot, Is this the first flyaway we’ve seen. Haven’t done a search to see but if it’s not, I don’t recall reading about one. All others have been crash/power related issues.

 

[Ty Pilot]

I think so Wing, this is the first 'flyaway I have read of. Also to your previous post:

15 miles on a 25 minute battery puts the H+ at about 35-40mph. This assumes it went at top speed and probably with wind as a factor. Please correct my math if it seems wrong.

Takeoff at 12:11:02 and the flight data ended at 12:13:23 so it seems to only have flown for about Two minutes and twenty seconds. However the TAS at the end was 17.6 if if I am right that is meters per second or about 40 MPH

 

[Ty Pilot]

Then this showed up on the first page of this thread

Had the same problem and loss several weeks ago. Sent the log to Yuneec CS and was told it was a GPS failure. They replaced the H Plus with a new one.

 

[Ty Pilot]

. . . .and this on page two of this thread

I feel your pain, bro. I’m about to also write about my experience from yesterday’s flight until I read this.

Mine was a horrifying near flyaway until it regained GPS. I had a total of 12 GPS prior to flight, during flight and halfway through the flight it drifted, I had to fight with it, luckily I had VLOS throughout the 5min (or so) ordeal that I was able to safely land 90ft (guesstimating) away from where it took off.

I now have zero confidence of flying this drone for work.

 

[Ty Pilot]

So we are looking at 3 (possible) fly aways in the span of 'several weeks'.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

Right about now, I'm kinda happy with the geofence of my Blade Nano QX being the walls of my apartment...

 

[Ty Pilot]

Since I am using an older version of @h-elsner 's program and he has confirmed that some of the errors from the Plus are not factual. I would defer to him for evaluation of the telemetry files from @JackMTaco 's final flight

 

[Ty Pilot]

I feel your pain, bro. I’m about to also write about my experience from yesterday’s flight until I read this.

Mine was a horrifying near flyaway until it regained GPS. I had a total of 12 GPS prior to flight, during flight and halfway through the flight it drifted, I had to fight with it, luckily I had VLOS throughout the 5min (or so) ordeal that I was able to safely land 90ft (guesstimating) away from where it took off.

I now have zero confidence of flying this drone for work.

@record.play.rewind did you have a thread about this? We are trying to get our heads wrapped around this new problem. I am also a 107 and work regularly with my Typhoon and Plus and these events are startling. Can you provide more detail please? TIA

 

[Barton]

I don't want to cause too much of a thread drift, but a couple of days ago I purchased drone tracking/recovery products from this company: RC Model Tracking and Recovery - Tracking and Recovery Made Easy | Marco Polo the Tracking and Recovery System specifically because of my personal fear of fly-aways (the drone and RC models). Don't know if I purchased false peace of mind or if these units have a decent range and are effective. Hopefully, they will be like insurance, never used to locate a UAS but there just in case... Will hopefully have units in hand by the end of the week.
In the mean time, I think I'll tie a rope to my H+ .

 

[Ty Pilot]

Not a bad thing, I have had a water recovery device on my standard H for over a year and a half and: knock on wood, never had to use it in over 350 flights. May the same befall your Plus

 

[Steve Carr]

we couldn't even try to narrow it down because the search area is too large!

Did you have your FAA aircraft number on the bird or your name and phone number?
After you turned on the aircraft how long did it sit before you launched?

 

[JackMTaco]

Did you have your FAA aircraft number on the bird or your name and phone number?
After you turned on the aircraft how long did it sit before you launched?

My registration was on the drone. About 60 seconds + waiting for GPS confirmation. I didn't lift off till I received acknowledgement that Location was recorded.

 

[Steve Carr]

Do you recall the number of sats on both units when you launched?

 

[JackMTaco]

Do you recall the number of sats on both units when you launched?

8 on the drone, 6 on the controller. I uploaded the telemetry.

 

[record.play.rewind]

@record.play.rewind did you have a thread about this? We are trying to get our heads wrapped around this new problem. I am also a 107 and work regularly with my Typhoon and Plus and these events are startling. Can you provide more detail please? TIA

I haven’t started a thread, I soon will be. Stay tuned.

 

[Steve Carr]

8 on the drone, 6 on the controller. I uploaded the telemetry.

I have not yet looked at the telemetry. Just trying to get caught up on what you recall about the flight.

My first impression would be there was insufficient time to acquire enough sats for both units. I like to see at least 15 sats on the bird before I launch and 7-8 on the controller. I think the firmware update on the controller allows it to now use Glonass as well as GPS, so it should show close to whatever the H Plus shows.

Was this your first flight following the firmware update?

 

[Steve Carr]

This is the possible flight path.

 

[JackMTaco]

I have not yet looked at the telemetry. Just trying to get caught up on what you recall about the flight.

My first impression would be there was insufficient time to acquire enough sats for both units. I like to see at least 15 sats on the bird before I launch and 7-8 on the controller. I think the firmware update on the controller allows it to now use Glonass as well as GPS, so it should show close to whatever the H Plus shows.

Was this your first flight following the firmware update?

Are you serious!!!??? So 30-45 seconds is insufficient time for the drone to acquire 8-10 Sats before takeoff... and to say it lost GPS while having 19 SATS is unacceptable?

This was the third flight since updating firmware as previously explained in previous post.

***Edited because my response was in appropriate.

 

[Steve Carr]

Yes, I am serious. It isn't just about the satellite count. It takes time to download the almanac. The time required on the first flight of the day or following a firmware update is much longer than the following flights.

 

[Steve Carr]

While there are differences with the H Plus, there are also some things in common. The preflight check list for both is important.
This is the one I suggest for the H and most of it applies to the H Plus. The voltages of course, are different.

Preflight Checks are important on the Typhoon H.

Check:
Props are locked
Battery is locked and flush with the H
Battery voltage on the display is 16.3 or higher
Sat count on the H is at least 15, on the ST-16, 7 or more
Switches in the correct position
Open Hardware Monitor and test the sticks
Stand 30' away from the aircraft
Take off full throttle to 15', then test sticks.
Land when the battery voltage reads 14.7

If this is your first flight remove the camera until you can fly it well.