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Using lights on Typhoon H

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1. I have a Typhoon H, and have been in the air half a dozen times or so. I always keep the drone within line of sight but some times I lose track of which way it is facing. It is easy to get disoriented which direction it is facing the farther, or higher I am from the drone. Would putting LED lights on it help with this even during the day.

2. My second question is, I was thinking about getting this case for my drone.


Would it be ok if I sat the drone on top of the case to take off and land to keep it off of the ground? (Thinking at the beach or if the ground is wet.) Thanks for suggestions and input.
 
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I have that case. It's cheap and somewhat flimsy but works fine unless you're planning to use it very frequently in which case you'd want to upgrade. You will probably need to take a long, sharp bread knife and expand the cutout for the controller. The default cutout is a little too tight and will snag the sticks as you slide it in and out. That's not hard to do. You will also find that there isn't a good place to store the propeller box - you're supposed to take them out of the box and stick them in one of the holes, but I don't like them rattling around like that. I found that you can slide the box into one of the leg holes after you put the drone in the case.

I also had to re-glue the top layer of foam because the factory glue job wasn't very good and it was separating. Not hard to do.

The case itself is aluminum *framed,* but the flat panels are not. They're some sort of plastic. If you ever intend to fly with your drone in baggage, this is not the case you want to do it with. When I start flying more frequently, I will almost certainly upgrade the case.

I like to take off and land from the ground because I am less likely to dump the drone off the side of the case if I'm not landing on the case. A gust of wind at just the wrong moment would be enough to skip one leg off the edge and cause issues.

I have a collapsible fabric helipad that I can stake down if the ground is wet or dusty. This is the one I use, but there are lots of choices out there. Just be sure to get a larger one - some of them are meant for drones a lot smaller than ours.
 
For question 1, lights can help but are not necessary if the UAV is visible. Study this simple RC method to learn how to identify orientation at a distance when the aircraft is all but a speck in the sky.


For question 2, sounds like the other person has experience with the case, but for the launch pad you need to consider the landing even more than the takeoff. Taking off from the case is easy as you place it there before powering on the aircraft. Landing is totally different because if you are off by just a bit the UAV can easily tip over. With a flat pad on the ground you won’t have that problem. The pad can be a commercial one, a door mat, a piece of carpet, or other suitable material that can be rolled or folded for easier transport.
 
For question 1, lights can help but are not necessary if the UAV is visible. Study this simple RC method to learn how to identify orientation at a distance when the aircraft is all but a speck in the sky.


For question 2, sounds like the other person has experience with the case, but for the launch pad you need to consider the landing even more than the takeoff. Taking off from the case is easy as you place it there before powering on the aircraft. Landing is totally different because if you are off by just a bit the UAV can easily tip over. With a flat pad on the ground you won’t have that problem. The pad can be a commercial one, a door mat, a piece of carpet, or other suitable material that can be rolled or folded for easier transport.
I'd rather land on a folding mat than a box would require a high degree of skill, which could also end in disaster if it topples over trying to land, if it strikes the side of the box.
 
If the Green Arrow is pointing straight up, the nose is facing you. If it's pointing straight down, the tail is facing you. You can move the right stick in the same direction the Arrow is pointing and it will fly back to your location.
 
Practice and watch how the arrow moves when you fly around, of course watch the drone also.
 
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Strobe lights are good for the novice to maintain orientation but to be able to see them in the daylight they need to be quite bright. I say for the novice because those of us with more experience there are far better ways of determining orientation even if the aircraft is some distance away... The video that DoomMeister posted above is one such method. I use a similar method. Then there is the green arrow on the screen that AH-1G mentions above...particularly good for determining which way to pull your stick to return to the controller.

Taking off from a case isn't a particularly good way to launch in my opinion. Better to launch from the ground. Landing on the case will be very difficult and will lead to a disaster in short order. You may get away with it a few times but you will crash within a few attempts. When I take off when the ground is wet or very dusty I take off from a large flattened shopping bag which I always have in my car...good for shopping or as a launch pad...duel use :)
 
I often fly against a background of tall green trees and I find bright LEDs very helpful at times in maintaining my bearings on the TH 480.

I bought some DroMight Rechargeable Drone 3W LED Strobe Lights that meet the FAA requirement for 3 mile visibility on a clear night. I don't fly at night but at dusk or in shade they are a boon.

I bought them from Terrestrial Imaging. They have a few colors available.

They seem reasonably priced
. For me they were a good investment. You don't have to turn them on unless you feel the need.
 
Count me among the novices then. I use LED lights, not all the time, but when conditions and flight may require them. They are especially useful when you are out a bit and glance down at the screen. Makes it much easier to reacquire visual with the lights. Sometimes I'll just use a single white light for that.

I like the Firehouse 4 LED lights. Super bright.

 
1. I have a Typhoon H, and have been in the air half a dozen times or so. I always keep the drone within line of sight but some times I lose track of which way it is facing. It is easy to get disoriented which direction it is facing the farther, or higher I am from the drone. Would putting LED lights on it help with this even during the day.

2. My second question is, I was thinking about getting this case for my drone.


Would it be ok if I sat the drone on top of the case to take off and land to keep it off of the ground? (Thinking at the beach or if the ground is wet.) Thanks for suggestions and input.
I have relatively little experience with my H and it appears most of the things I've learned have been addressed in this thread. I'll just relate my experiences. I have no experience with lights but when I was confused as to the direction the drone was pointing I'd try to check the arrow and didn't realize that the arrow had to point up to have it point to me. I though down was correct and it took me a while to figure out why it wasn't working. Prior to this realization I found that I could just switch to Smart mode, hold the stick down and it would come close enough to where I could see the H clearly and switch back to Angle mode. But this almost caused me to crash into some power lines. I managed to loose sight of my H and brought it back to where I could see it but in reviewing the video I saw that I came within inches of hitting the lines. So please, if you ever find yourself in a situation where Smart mode is used turn on OBS. This is addressed in the modified user manual but the wording is a bit confusing. Here's a quote:
"When you use the Right Stick to maneuver the aircraft it will turn (its front) in the new direction it is being commanded first to see if it’s clear and:...
I believe this wording would be clearer:
When you use the Right Stick to maneuver the aircraft, it will first turn in the new direction to see if it’s clear and:...
I, too, have been concerned about the take off ground conditions and have ordered a pad recommended it this thread. I found it for a couple of bucks cheaper by doing a bit of browsing around on Amazon. Either pad shipped free by Amazon in 2 days with Prime.
 
Most of your problems will fade away with expetience[emoji6]

Here’s a handy tip when you aren’t sure if it will clear everything on the trip back; add throttle and climb higher, much higher. Doing that will also help you see it if it had gotten lost in background clutter.

Pushing the stick in the direction the green arrow is pointing will always bring it back.

As for lading on a box, I recommend against it. Unless you are very, very good with depth perception and fast control inputs the odds you’ll miss the box are pretty high. Missing the box with one gear leg will end up a crash. A beginner is hard pressed to land consistently within a 4’ circle. For a beginner to land on a box less than 2’ square is nigh on impossible.
 
......I like the Firehouse 4 LED lights. Super bright......

I use the Firehouse Arc II as well....seriously bright lights.
 
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I have relatively little experience with my H and it appears most of the things I've learned have been addressed in this thread. I'll just relate my experiences. I have no experience with lights but when I was confused as to the direction the drone was pointing I'd try to check the arrow and didn't realize that the arrow had to point up to have it point to me. I though down was correct and it took me a while to figure out why it wasn't working. Prior to this realization, I found that I could just switch to Smart mode, hold the stick down and it would come close enough to where I could see the H clearly and switch back to Angle mode. But this almost caused me to crash into some power lines. I managed to lose sight of my H and brought it back to where I could see it but in reviewing the video I saw that I came within inches of hitting the lines. So please, if you ever find yourself in a situation where Smart mode is used turn on OBS. This is addressed in the modified user manual but the wording is a bit confusing. Here's a quote:
"When you use the Right Stick to maneuver the aircraft it will turn (its front) in the new direction it is being commanded first to see if it’s clear and:...
I believe this wording would be clearer:
When you use the Right Stick to maneuver the aircraft, it will first turn in the new direction to see if it’s clear and:...
I, too, have been concerned about the takeoff ground conditions and have ordered a pad recommended it this thread. I found it for a couple of bucks cheaper by doing a bit of browsing around on Amazon. Either pad shipped free by Amazon in 2 days with Prime.
In case it wasn't clear the text changes I was suggesting were in the "Smart Mode with OBS on" section.
And for your amusement (and my terror) here are a few seconds of video where I almost hit the power lines: Box
 
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Smart mode ,bad, bad, bad!
Angle mode, your friend!
OBS will not detect power lines, maybe a pole but not the line itself.
 
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Smart mode ,bad, bad, bad!
Angle mode, your friend!
OBS will not detect power lines, maybe a pole but not the line itself.
That should be a firmware upgrade, option to remove Smart mode for those who wish, the switch position can be used for something else.
 
Hey Smart Mode critics.
I've found Smart Mode handy when I want to get back to where I want to land as expeditiously as possible. I only have the Yuneec battery charger and don't want to discharge the batteries too much. I suspect that leaving the batteries in this state is not much worse than the "ideal".
Regarding the criticism: Is this from personal experience or what you've seen written? If personal could you share the experience or point to the written source if it's available? I'm still learning about this stuff and really don't have a handle on evaluating what I see posted.
 
That's why us very experienced pilot real and not real are here to help and give suggestions.
We never stop learning from anyone including novice pilots.
"Constructive criticism"
When pride appears, disgrace accompanies it, but humility is present with wisdom.
 
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That's why us very experienced pilot real and not real are here to help and give suggestions.
We never stop learning from anyone including novice pilots.
"Constructive criticism"
When pride appears, disgrace accompanies it, but humility is present with wisdom.

That, and never spit in a man's face unless his beard is on fire!!
 

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