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Robert W Greif

Posted 6/13/2021 14:21 (#9056903)
Subject: Find My Drone and a Stupid Mistake

Dallas Center IA 515-720-2463

A Stupid Mistake and Find My Drone

Since the start of my drone ventures I have lost drones three times.
By lost I mean left a area without the drone I had been flying.
All three were found later.
The last lost drone was last Friday. Will get to the other two later.

I was at the High Trestle Trail, walking and bike trail, area of the trestle over the Des Moines River.
Had done a flight at the east end of the trestle.
Then went east to a vehicle overpass replacement.

Second flight., about four minutes into, lost signal. And did not regain signal.
There has been a couple times that has happened before. But the battery is getting about used up, the drone has returned to home on it’s own.
So I waited around for well over 30 minutes. Nothing.
But left for home.

Back at the house I did at last look a Find My Drone.
Still about three hours before sunset. So back to the trail I go.
Had the phone with the app. Also hand held Garmin GPS, lat & long written down.

At the general area. Real steep, loose dirt, very hard walking.
Looked for quite awhile. Using both Find My Drone and the Garmin.
About ready to give up. Headed down that slope. Was just as hard going down as up.
So headed west into some trees, figured would be easier walking.

And there it was!

No battery. Now remember something I saw at takeoff. The battery door was not latched tight.
Pretty sure the battery came lose and fell out. At about 300’ up, the last altitude on flight log. Without power the drone fell to earth.

The Stupid Mistake. That not quite shut battery door.
There is a latch deal on the battery. But maybe during some sudden aircraft movement, the battery latch came loose.
Maybe that latch on the door is a backup.

So before takeoff check to make sure the battery door is closed and latched!!!!

This post is now too long.
So the other two lost drones in a RE.

Picture #1- A screen shot of Find My Drone on the DJI Fly app of the phone.
The lost drone location is the Red arrow within the White circle.
The Green line, down and to the left is a line from the drone to the the present location of the phone with app.
Since at the time of picture the phone is here at home, that line is about 20 miles long. Can zoom out and see.

Lower left is the lost drone’s latitude and longitude.

#2 & #3- The drone as found

#4- After picking it up.

#5- The embankment I climbed looking for. Steep and loose dirt. Pretty hard climb for a old man with shot legs.

Edited by Robert W Greif 6/13/2021 14:26