S800 does great in windy conditions!

[olof]

Here is a video from a demo day at a RC field in VT. I am a member of the club. I fly a lot of RC planes and copters and I have 3 DJI video MRs. And I have over 2000 hrs of full scale flying a lot of it instrument time.

This one is a 6 month old S800 and Z15, with over 100 flights on it all stock with the new anti vibe kit, it was fine w/o as well. It flies great, and the video from the NEX5n is plenty good enough for my video productions. Mostly commercials and doc work.

This flight was in 20mph + gusty wind, a small tornado blew through a little later, and I had my F450 up at that time. Everyone was amazed the 450 did not bow away. I just put it in GPS hold and kept it as far away from the twister as possible. A bunch of the hay you see in this video was picked up more than a 100' in the air.

Anyway this video was not an attempt at beatiful video as a matter of fact the second flight, the whole raw video is shown, the camera was run by one of the RC pilots that had never done this before, everyone was amazed at how smooth the video came out in these windy conditions.

I have tremendous faith in the S800 it has served me very well and made me quite a bit of money.

I just figured I would post this vid here to show the S800 is really pretty rugged and for someone used to RC very easy to fly, if you understand the limitations of your craft and how the wind reacts to trees, mountains, buildings etc.

You will see that I did some pretty aggressive moves even with the gusty wind and the video remains steady and the S800 is very responsive.

 

[PeterLester]

Excellent..... give me a sense of hope........which WKM firmware are you using and where is your IMU positioned? BTW - Here is my custom 800mm Hex c/w GoPro on brushless gimble in gusty conditions....... buckaroo bonzai.... My IMU is mounted top dead center but maybe the props are exacerbating the barometer sensor issues. This system flies flawlessly in still air and light steady breezes...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dti_bPGPaRg

Regarding understanding turbulence close to ground level...... took a course years again called micro-meteorology for HangGliders..... and as I am still alive today.... I must have learned something!

Here is a video from a demo day at a RC field in VT. I am a member of the club. I fly a lot of RC planes and copters and I have 3 DJI video MRs. And I have over 2000 hrs of full scale flying a lot of it instrument time.

This one is a 6 month old S800 and Z15, with over 100 flights on it all stock with the new anti vibe kit, it was fine w/o as well. It flies great, and the video from the NEX5n is plenty good enough for my video productions. Mostly commercials and doc work.

This flight was in 20mph + gusty wind, a small tornado blew through a little later, and I had my F450 up at that time. Everyone was amazed the 450 did not bow away. I just put it in GPS hold and kept it as far away from the twister as possible. A bunch of the hay you see in this video was picked up more than a 100' in the air.

Anyway this video was not an attempt at beatiful video as a matter of fact the second flight, the whole raw video is shown, the camera was run by one of the RC pilots that had never done this before, everyone was amazed at how smooth the video came out in these windy conditions.

I have tremendous faith in the S800 it has served me very well and made me quite a bit of money.

I just figured I would post this vid here to show the S800 is really pretty rugged and for someone used to RC very easy to fly, if you understand the limitations of your craft and how the wind reacts to trees, mountains, buildings etc.

You will see that I did some pretty aggressive moves even with the gusty wind and the video remains steady and the S800 is very responsive.

 

[Benjamin Kenobi]

My S800 is dependable and awesome! Pack it up, cart it somewhere and have fun. Looks cool too!

 

[gtranquilla]

Thanks for that posting and video Olof..... which firmware version are you using now? Did you have any issues with barometric pressure sensor of controller program/fw causing sudden motor surging or drops in rough air?

 

[olof]

Thanks for that posting and video Olof..... which firmware version are you using now? Did you have any issues with barometric pressure sensor of controller program/fw causing sudden motor surging or drops in rough air?

I use 5.20 FW, I have never had a problem with motor surges. I fly with low gains and this smooths things out a lot. If the air is rough, I just allow for some vertical and horizontal motion, just like a full scale heli or plane. Smooth flying is the key and anticipation of air movements, stay ahead of your craft at all times and only fly if everything is in top shape including yourself.

Most pilots are killed by get-homeitis, if things don't seem right don't fly. It can be embarrassing to not fly but sometimes you have to make that call. As a pilot I have cancelled flights several times because of weather and some mechanical or avionics problem, even if I have a bad cold. There are old pilots and bold pilots but very few old bold pilots. The great thing about RC is your life is not on the line (most of the time anyway) but I fly as if I am actually in the craft.

In turbulent air around a cliff or buildings, you can have big changes in pressure, that is why I like low gains and I also don't fly much in GPS, it can be erratic. But GPS is a great way to park your MR for a while waiting for a scene to be ready. I like to use the wind to move my MR, just drift with it. That produces the smoothest flights.

 

[nnevonyjr]

Hello,


I'm new here and am intending to buy a S800 for performing aerial surveys.
How am newbie could someone help me on the best configuration that will need considering I intend to work with a Cannon 5D.
Sorry for my English and my lack of experiênica with rc.
I'm from Brazil, I live in the state of Rondônia, in the city of Porto Velho in the Amazon which is legal.
I am Electronic Engineer and Systems Analyst and develop software on. NET and C #.


thank you

 

[PeterLester]

nnevonyjr....

As you are an engineer you likely have made it this far due to your diligence and thoroughness which are critical for flying an MR without serious incidents.
You have come to the right place for additional help beyond what is provided by your dealer, DJI documents, online videos etc.
But may I offer a few suggestions based on personal experience.
1) start with a smaller, lighter, less expensive Hex such as the DJI F550 but use a good RC system such as the Spectrum or Futaba T8FG Super (8 to 14 channels)
2) Move up to an 800mm MR airframe of your choice and get comfortable with flying and adjusting the gains before adding payload weight.
3) Repeat step 2 with a low cost brushless gimbal system and camera such as the Hero GoPro3 Black....... set it to 1920 x 1080 60fps NARROW FOV.

The video image quality is not compromised with the narrow field of view as that choice draws upon the built-in higher resolution features to ensure your pixel resolution is not reduced.

4) Before moving up to the Canon 5D adjust attach an equivalent dummy weight in place of the camera and during RTH testing confirm that your MR can land safely on it's own in windy conditions without jumping around like a jack rabbit and/or tipping over.
If it does, set your motor idle speeds below recommended..... in this way the props will not continue to allow gusts to lift your machine off the ground after RTH landing.

The attached image shows how the wrong placement of the IMU can lead to strange flight behavious caused by baro sensor issues. In this case the nearby props exacerbated the gusty wind effect causing altitude sensing challenges for the controller. The IMU needs to be located away from prop wash..... hence the addition of the DJI anti-vibration kit that allows you to relocate the IMU below flight deck and away from severe air turbulence. The anit-vibe components also help.View attachment 12501

 

[nnevonyjr]

PeterLester

Thank you for your quick response.
I found very interesting your perspective on the subject and I notice you have a lot of experience and knowledge of aircraft flight.
I had a hard time finding the best forbnecedor equipment. Here in Brazil the figure is too high. I am marking a trip to the U.S. in September going to Miami and Orlando. Could you direct me to a vendor that I could buy and bring back home in the luggage?


thank you

 

[ChrisViperM]

Hello

Try to get in contact with Thiago Kraus, the owner of Drones4You : http://www.drones4you.com.br/

http://www.youtube.com/user/krausdiver?feature=watch

He was one of the first guys using Multirotors in Brazil....he is living in the Sao Paolo area. A very friendly person who can help you most, since importing ANYTHING into Brazil without good contacts and the knowledge what to get where is a nightmare. He built up a very good network with different suppliers outside Brazil.

S800 and Canon 5D is not a good idea.....the only way the S800 is of any use is if used together with the Zenmuse gimbal, and there you only can use a SONY NEX 5/Nex 7 or a Panasonic GH2.


Chris

 

[PeterLester]

Buen día. ¿Cómo estás? Yo no hablo español...

I live in Canada so had to do a quick search....

UAVProducts phone number will point you towards the state his business is located.
I suggest that you contact Robert Remund at UAVProducts here..... http://www.uavproducts.com/contact-form.php
then ask him for his address..... I have had excellent online mail order service from Robert especially with the larger purchase items.
Robert offer very strong technical support. Buying a fully assembled and flight tested system is a very good way to go for you and for the seller.....saves hours of follow-up work.
But the purchase of smaller items especially from outside of USA does not go so well......


I have also dealt with Horizon Hobbies in Mesa Arizona during a visit over Christmas but if you deal with them make sure you tell them in advance what you require. T
hey often have to bring items in from their US supplier/distributor which is EmpireRC and thay also run low on stock.

Very large volume distributors and some local hobby shops will not be able to offer the degree of technical support that is essential for Multicopters and especially for the GCS datalinks etc.
Most DJI dealers provide adequate tech support.

PeterLester

Thank you for your quick response.
I found very interesting your perspective on the subject and I notice you have a lot of experience and knowledge of aircraft flight.
I had a hard time finding the best forbnecedor equipment. Here in Brazil the figure is too high. I am marking a trip to the U.S. in September going to Miami and Orlando. Could you direct me to a vendor that I could buy and bring back home in the luggage?


thank you

 

[nnevonyjr]

PeterLester
Hello
I appreciate your interest in helping, it seems really hit me in registering here, I'm finding people very friendly and helpful.
I've had a contact with Mr. Robert, the UAV, he informed me he did not even new versions of DJI800 and I waited and that once the DJI sent to him he would contact, however this has not happened yet .
Thanks again for your interest and hope to share new experiences with you.


thank you

 

[nnevonyjr]

Hello my friend
I appreciate your advice and try to contact them here in Brazil.


thank you