What happens if I go out of range?

[Scratch]

I have a quadcopter, and today I went higher than I ever have taking pictures I think.

Got me to thinking what happens if I go out of range of my transmitter?

I have no RTH or anything, just a simple H-quad using a Turnigy 9x 9ch.

Will it keep going at that throttle, or will the throttle die, crashing to earth like a rock?


Do I need to worry about it if I can still slightly see an H in the air?

 

[Craftydan]

Scratch,

try this:

- ***take off the props***
- arm and throttle up and watch the motors spin
- turn off the TX.

whatever the motors do in response to the TX going offline, that's what they'll do when the RX can no longer hear the TX because of range.

 

[Scratch]

Ok Dan, I just tried that method...

Spun the throttle up to about half...
Shut of the TX...
All motors stopped (it's be falling now...)
Turned TX back on to simulate it falling back into range possibly...
Motors all turned on again with no response to any input on the TX...(now flying again... Probably away from me)
Once out of range again, all motors stop.

So in the end... It falls to its death, hopefully not on someone or something.
I guess it'd be easier to find than "keeps flying away"



Mental note...
"Don't go out of range."

 

[Stradawhovious]

Here's a silly question... do you know what your range is? That would be an important first step in not exceeding it...

just a though.

 

[Docko]

If you google "turnigy 9x receiver failsafe" you'll be able to set it up to slowly descend to the ground on lost signal.

 

[Craftydan]

If you google "turnigy 9x receiver failsafe" you'll be able to set it up to slowly descend to the ground on lost signal.

True, but when it hits the ground, the motors will continue to spin, becoming hazard to anyone around . . . or not if it lands inverted and then burns out the motor and ESC.

Cutting someone is no better/worse than dropping on someone's head (why we don't fly over people) but I'd rather break a frame any day than burn out a multirotor's power system that would probably tolerate the impact.

BTW, Welcome to the forum!

 

[joshuabardwell]

If you google "turnigy 9x receiver failsafe" you'll be able to set it up to slowly descend to the ground on lost signal.

I don't think the 2.4 GHz 9x receiver has failsafe. Only the older 72 MHz version.