did 'YOU' fly today??

[Bad Raven]

Catching Up:-

Tues 24th - Freezing ruddy cold!  Flew Babyhawk II HD No2 (flown a lot less than No1 as No 1 is now ELRS, No2 still FrSky).   On its second flight it seemed to glitch, try to roll right, uncommanded, but then steadied to normal.    Next flight OK. Followng flight about 1/3 way through pack it rolled inverted, stopping perfectly level.........inverted........... in acro.........        Was quite high, so managed even to disarm/arm, but no, no control back, and it fell inverted to ground with a fair thump. Walked to recover, no damage, so put to ground as soon as on patch and flown back, then flown in Angle, Horizon and Acro......... and it all worked as expected..........  Since looked in Betaflight, found nothing amiss.      Spotter confirms it stayed perfectly level inverted all the way to ground, very odd! 

Today Thursday 26th - Flew old Hawk5. Still one of my all time favourites. Even in uncomfortably cold conditions, with no pre-warming of packs, it does 5 to 5.5 minutes of aerobatic non-aggressive freestyle.  Windier, and after a hour and a quarter against all forecasts it started raining, obscuring vision, so escaped back to warm (and Mob6 HDZero round house!!)

[Bad Raven]

Yes, I did, went to field for a couple of hours, and while the wind wasn't hugely strong, it was bitter and extremely chilling despite a watery sun.

And the road access is getting extremely dangerous, with major surface loss and numerous deep potholes forcing you in one direction to be on the wrong side on a blind bend to avoid serious damage from the holes.

Flying buddy says his local free paper published a few pics a week or so back of a hidden deep water filled pothole with four cars beyond it with either ruined wheels or deranged suspension, and associated garage, AA, etc.

Council made bad investments and went insolvent, two adjacent councils are currently doing waste collection and other essentials, but roads are suffering big time.

The idiots have patched two holes at the edge that can be avoided, and left all the ones that cannot|!!

[Bad Raven]

Finally some consecutive decent days!   Three days on the trot, in February, amazing!

[Bad Raven]

Two nice sunny if a bit brisk days this week so far, with a promise of tomorrow and Friday.

Excitement today as:-

A guy reappeared last seen in 2019, and he has bought the DJI Avata Combo but not yet flown it in anger. We have swapped contact info again so we can coincide.  I'm quite keen to see what all the fuss is about!!   

Another guy lost a plane today, stuck in the absolute top of a very weak looking high tree after he decided it was nearing the end of the flight and handed back control to Instructor, only for the battery to sag out halfway round circuit to land.

REALLY frustrating as I'd advised him and the other learner he comes with to use really cheap but useful "screamer" low battery alarms and stressed NOT to rely on just a simple Tx timer.    One of them had even bought one but hadn't used it!     He'd flown a couple of GNB (good) and then a supposedly same capacity Overlander (spit) which gave (unsurprisingly, they are from my experience carp) less flight time.

Horse, Water, Drink....................   

[Bad Raven]

Bit colder today, and not the clear sky forecast, with me and flying buddy on our own, watched as always by a white horse in the next paddock, the only one of maybe 30 that does!  (Wonder what it makes of it, I take a quad over near the fence, hover and "nod" it, and it nods back!     )

Flying buddy had his one (compulsory) spin to earth, this time a broken wire to one ESC of the stack board.    

You can get through a lot of batteries when its just constant swap about pilot/spotter. Two hours, roughly 5 mins per flight (one was over 7) and I'm recharging 10 6S quad batteries plus three 3S once back at home flying little one round garden having flown that once at field and it needed camera brilliance/contrast adjusting.

STILL trying to get the Nazgul Evoque flying as well as my GEPRC Mk5. Its getting closer, but struggling trying to get it to "hang" inverted as long in a reversal currently. Last nights Betaflight tweaks made no difference good or bad.......... 

[Bad Raven]

Returned from Bologna, so arranged field today with two buddies.

Went a bit early as I guessed the lazy good for nothing majority of users would not have done anything about refuse strewn about or dumped in oil drum. And so that proved. Overflowing bin,  what toss pot decided it was OK to dump a pair of shoes? 

The lane was partly blocked by roadworks and it was obvious they would not be able to do anything without closure.  NOT logged for closure on Surrey CC website map though! I'd checked on Sun.

Typical of that group of cretins.

The other two buddies found lane closed, went on long detour to get in the other end, found that closed, too.

So I was all alone up there in perfect conditions.......  and no people around at all.......  Just as well no planes with me as the horses in the next paddock had broken through (and been recaptured) and the soft ground was a mass of deep horseshoe holes

When I left I managed to get out our gate and down the lane to the full width bollards/closed sign, move them, get out and put them back, no bother. As I was doing this a damn great car carrier arrived, having ignored the first closed sign back further at the junction part blocking the road as two cottages beyond, so he had a 1/4 mile reverse on his hands.

Anyway, The Foxeer CineWhoop 25 flew admirably!!

[ched]

Sounds like you had a 'fun' day. Well done for persisting.

[Bad Raven]

So, here we are two days later than the "road closed" fiasco, and the road is now WORSE than before, as all they did was to dump some loose gravel across the road (and up to the fallen tree in the road, which they left, no less!!    ).

48 hours on its already all been disturbed and migrated out by passing traffic and the potholes fully re-exposed, now with loose gravel lumps around them making them MORE of an issue!    

The Foxeer CineWhoop 25 worked well into the new goggles.

Even though its a 2.5" ducted Whoop, so hardly comparative to a 5"freestyle, flown against the GEPRC Mk5 back to back there is a clear improvement in responsiveness through the lower latency with HDZero, even with DJI running mostly at only 22-25mS.

[PropsToYou]

Rocked up to the South Brecons yesterday to bash through some batts on my 6" and 2".
What a beautiful day it was for flying!

[Bad Raven]

Rocked up to the South Brecons yesterday to bash through some batts on my 6" and 2".
What a beautiful day it was for flying!

    Excellent

I flew Monday, attempted to fly Tues but they'd closed the (only) road totally when their website stated two way lights, not closure. Flew today, but it was a bitter south east wind and no solar gain so gave up after two hours.

Surrey County Council seem to think filling deep potholes (like 500mm deep, etc) with loose gravel is an OK fix, they closed the road last week to only do that, it lasted less than a day, and all they did in the closure yesterday was throw some more loose gravel down. Its already getting spread out.

[Andy7]

Just a little bumble round the garden today. Getting everything ship-shape for the flying season. Marmotte, SCX200 and 4" all airworthy.
I don't usually FPV in the garden but after some LOS checking, gave them all a little float round the washing line and chrrry tree.
Sat on the steps to the office, Sirius on the top step behins me as range safety-officer. Encouraging ear-licks whenever I came into land certainy helps.

Something a little odd. I've seen it before. Flying in horizon mode, afer a very gentle takeoff, the throttle seems to bounce about a lot then settle down after a few seconds and perfectly smooth and stable. NOT prop-wash 'cos I flew nostly super-low and was okay at the same heights and the effect was recognisable. Almost seems like the PID loops needed a moment to get their bearings.  All fine at speed on the open field, just... odd that's all.

[Bad Raven]

Flying in horizon mode, after a very gentle takeoff, the throttle seems to bounce about a lot then settle down after a few seconds and perfectly smooth and stable. Almost seems like the PID loops needed a moment to get their bearings.  All fine at speed on the open field, just... odd that's all.

More likely due motors not having run for ages, so bearings not smooth, etc, or props if left on(?) and left against something being warped till spun enough, etc?

[Andy7]

More likely due motors not having run for ages, so bearings not smooth, etc, or props if left on(?) and left against something being warped till spun enough, etc?

Unnlikely. Had done some LOS hovers first to make sure all well. Also does it each launch.

[ched]

Unnlikely. Had done some LOS hovers first to make sure all well. Also does it each launch.

Hi Andy, how are you and Sirius doing? All good I hope.

[Andy7]

Hi Andy, how are you and Sirius doing? All good I hope.

Mighty fine, thanks! 
Both looking forward to getting out for some serious flying. Might bring him along to a BFU, though he'd get a little bored having to stay put while there's drones in the air.

How's things with you?

[ched]

Mighty fine, thanks! 
Both looking forward to getting out for some serious flying. Might bring him along to a BFU, though he'd get a little bored having to stay put while there's drones in the air.

How's things with you?

All good cheers. Started a new business and with covid I stopped flying really. Then they changed the rules again and I haven't bothered to register.
I keep meaning to get back in the air again. It's something I really should do, even just get back on the sim.
No idea what version of BF is now current and if I could update without messing things up.

[Bad Raven]

No idea what version of BF is now current and if I could update without messing things up.

If the quad flew OK before, it still will.

I have NO interest in blindly chasing the latest greatest update, often incurring issues. Its been a stable product so long all they are doing is fiddling for fiddling's sake.

Chill out, relax, go fly!    

[Bad Raven]

I have said here a number of times how much I like DAL "Fold" props.

Yesterday I was flying the GEPRC Mk5 with iFlight rigids when I lightly clipped a scraggle branch diving into a banked turn curving small gap between as yet still bare trees. I saw it coming, but wasn't able to sink fast enough, turning cross into a gusty wind, my mistake.

The clip was enough that while I flew it away it went unstable a couple of seconds past, cartwheeling and ending up in 6-8" long field grass.  When I got there it was minus one front prop, and nut.  Found the undamaged prop a few feet away. No chance of finding the nut, and no other damage, so I robbed one off another quad, and carried on.

Point......... Folds would have meant no issue at all and would have flown through it and away clean. 

Note to self, don't ignore your own advice, dummy............      

[Bad Raven]

Probably could have flown a  turbine 'copter around my garden yesterday without its noise being noticed as the next road had a street party from 10am to 8pm, with the seemingly essential thumping bass gradually being wound up and up as they gradually deafened themselves.

Had a good few fights before and after family visited here. Actually went back to my 25,000kV Mob6 analogue for most of it. That thing is quick, but I note that racers are now pushing to 30,000kV and beyond.    

I have a couple of "spare" Meteor75 frames, maybe one of those might get suitably kitted out with the current 65 racers preference, "just to see", you understand...............   

[Bad Raven]

After all this time, quite a number of years, I (we, as wife with me) came for the first time upon someone flying a camera quad today.  They were standing one side of the only path, a path just wide enough for a vehicle, cut along a steep tree'd slope. The quad was little more than head height over the path, near low tree scraggle, seemingly he was filming bluebells.

As we approached he saw us, but carried on.  As we got really close he said "don't worry, I'm not filming you", but brought it down nearer to chest height (and us).  He was then holding the Tx but was nowhere near the sticks so not in control of it.

I just commented as I walked past and could see all of it "You are flying a well over 250g weight camera equipped drone, no visible operator ident, operating it considerably under the legal safe distance to uninvolved people, using a screen for FPV viewing yet have no spotter, and are operating it on District Council land with a drone control no fly bylaw active.

He didn't comment back, but the look of shock was clear and he was rapidly packing up as we went out of sight.

All it needed was for him to show a little common sense and land while we passed.  (Nobody else in sight).

So, the "Three C's" people DO still exist then.

[Bad Raven]

Every year on the approach to the Epsom Derby dates (2nd-3rd June) we get issues with field access as the farmer is forced to close off fields to repel travellers.

This year they have arrived early and this morning I found the gate lock was missing and the chain made to look OK from a distance.  I know who was last in on Sunday and it was locked as normal.

Site is so far OK, but this is what they do, open up several sites for ready access so no-one is sure where they are going. Also they can then come back and say the site was already unsecured and open for access when then entered.

We then found that the Farmer was dealing with his north field where they had broken in over last night and dumped several lorry loads of contaminant loaded rubbish (on his crop, ruining its resale ability).

I seriously hope they all caught something terminal handling it............. 

So far its cost us a £150 padlock.

[Andy7]

A cheeky 3-pack at luchtime today. Sheesh, how the little bushes and trees have grown since I was last out.  Mumbled a few words to camera while I was out there... might do a vlog ep.  Maybe save it for tomorrow. Perhaps I can think of something more interesting to say! 

[Bad Raven]

Growth has been late here, the wet and cold.  Our field is "only" 560 feet up but its a high point in the area and the Oaks are still leafing up, only half out yet.

The farmers outfield grass though, a special type the farmer has been "told" to grow, is now finally visually growing ultra fast, noticeably higher in only two days.

Better check all those buzzers and finder aids!!   

[Bad Raven]

A cheeky 3-pack at lunchtime today.

Great you managed to get out, flying what quad please?  What's your favourite axe? And why? 

I have got far less variable on choice since I got the GEPRC Mk5 on 6S.  Even though I have now modded the Nazgul Evoque to 6S with the same motors, and have tried long and hard to get its handling as similar as possible.

I still take it all, but invariably its the 5" Mk5 that gets the air time. Yesterdays session was back to back flying with buddy, no gaps as no others arrived. Wind 10-15. I got through 10 packs, one on the Foxeer 25 Cinewhoop, all the rest on the Mk5.

And what was my previous favourite?   The 6" GEPRC Mk4 I built myself (The Mk5 was a BNF but with a receiver change as the GEPRC ELRS one sometimes decided not to connect to Tx until the LUA was run again).

Yesterday I spent a while with the Mk5 exploring its video reception (DJI Air Unit, Mk2 Goggles, standard antenna) as there is one point on our field that the image pixellates far more then anywhere else.  I can go to further away more leafed up trees and pass or hover behind them with no pixellation at all. This particular closer Oak always gives the poorest reception, even if flying under the canopy but pilot side of the trunk so clear direct line of sight on antennas.

By comparison the HDZero Cinewhoop (with only the Whoop Lite VTX fitted) is much better at the same point, but considerably worse than DJI if flown BEHIND that tree.

I have come to the conclusion that its not about poor link reception on DJI, but about its reaction to being asked to process a huge amount of detail in the grass and leaves. And this is reinforced by the fact that the slower I fly that section, the better it resolves the image viewed.

Now that trees are leafing up, I'm finding that HDZero is inherently similar in style when breaking up like my best analogue, but is still easier to fly than analogue as the pixellation flicker does not affect the base image behind that in any way, and its higher definition and better stability of that image with fixed latency left available allows far better vision even when reduced by interference pixellation.

Note, this interference can be removed (or severely curtailed) by upping the transmission power, its available, but I'm keeping power at suitably low levels to not create any other issues.

I'd like to compare back to back under the same conditions with Walksnail/Avata but don't know anyone with any. 

I have a second Mk5 to build with the Freestyle HDZero VTX, likely a better/fairer hardware comparison, but am being held back by the FC issue ranted about elsewhere here!   

[Andy7]

Cheeky 5 packs at lunchtime... well, if you can't rip a few on your birthdaythen when can you?



Vid to come in the next few days. 

[ched]

Belated Happy Birthday. Looking forward to the video.

[Bad Raven]

Well I did fly today, in Airbus A320Neo  G-TTND, from Basel (BSL) to London (LHR), so its maybe not completely off topic?     

Came over coast close to Hastings then solid cloud until into riding the beam into LHR from around Windsor, BUT something told me to check on Flight Radar (I pay a subscription) as it felt to me, and was, held on the Biggin Hill stack. It did two full racetrack ovals, then a circle out to run west and turn starboard 180 just east of Reading to land.

And the track shows it passed within 300 metres of being over my house on the first racetrack while at around 10k up.

[Bad Raven]

Well, that was a cold morning, I know we'd been away a week on the southern end of the Rhine in 22-24C, but we'd also been up the mountains in 10-11C. My relief showed when flying buddy arrived and was quickly also wearing woolly hat and fleece lined jacket that it wasn't just me!

My DJI Goggles V2 strap has started to fail, the material on one stitching shearing, so I did more flying on HDZero with the Cinewhoop 25.  I didn't fancy it falling off while flying the Mk5 freestyle fast around trees!! 

I still think Cinewhoops are a snare and a delusion and do not recommend them, too much noise, too limited aero ability/general agility (they will do it, but not smoothly, especially loops).

For use as a Cinewhoop you need a much lower camera angle than for any aero, so mixing styles in one flight is not really on. (OK, I get bored quickly!!)

And with no gimbal their cine ability is not really any better then a normal HD camera FPV freestyle with a lower camera angle than usual set.

This one's ONLY advantage is the close proximity safety of the ducts, largely negated by the row it makes! I have flown it round the house and even upstairs and furthest corner from me downstairs its clear where it is from the awful racket.

Tried a 3" and a 2.5" now, will NOT be buying/building any more.

SOMEONE was spending loads of money today, Two dual seat Spitfires and their Hurricane were up at once with the chase plane.  And several solo flights by each.

[Bad Raven]

ANOTHER cold morning, another one in fleece lined jacket and woolly hat.  Must be warmer as the packs are doing seven minutes as against the winter five, just does not feel it.

Got through 10 packs though........... again...........

[Bad Raven]

Not just cruising, and doing freestyle loops and flips and rolls, I got exactly 10 minutes from a 1550mAh 6S today. And a couple of 9 minutes plus.   

And one flat out ripping two pylon turns field length circuit flight gave barely 2 mins from the same capacity battery  (but it was "quite exciting")