Drone Operator Manual¶

See drone specific advice under:

DJI
Potensic

Setup¶

a. Drone Model¶

b. Controller¶

Controller	App file copy	Web file copy	Manual file copy
RC-2*	✅	❌	✅
RC-N2	✅	✅	✅
RC-N3	✅	✅	✅

If using a controller without an in-built screen, then your mobile device will be used as the screen / controller. For best user experience (web file copy), ensure your device has ADB enabled (search how to do this for your model).

Note

*recommended controllers

Starred controllers have an integrated screen. We recommend them because they are guaranteed to work with our workflows.

Other models that require you to use your own phone as a screen will also work (e.g. RC-N2), but we have less control over the process and cannot guarantee every phone will work well (high-spec devices will perform better).

c. SD Card¶

Selecting a card¶

We need a micro SD card to capture the imagery in the drone.
You should look for models with a U3 rating or above, indicating a sustained write speed of 30 MB/s.
Models with less than this, e.g. a (10) rating meaning 10 MB/s, will not be fast enough to write multiple images in a row.

Connecting the card¶

Be sure to plug into the drone and not the controller.
When plugging in the SD Card, you may be prompted to format. Accept this prompt.
Otherwise, you must select and format the card via the controller settings menu, under the 'Image' section.
In the worst case scenario, when the SD Card is not recognized, first put the card into a computed, format to exFAT, then place back into the controller.

Flight Checklist¶

1. Assessing the takeoff point¶

Ensure you have assessed the surrounding before takeoff. Is there anything overhead? Might the conditions here change over time (e.g. a car might be present when the drone returns).
Try to wear a high-visibility safety vest while flying.
Check the ground on which you place the drone. Is it level? Are there nearby obstacles it could collide with easily? It's good to clear away debris and vegetation where possible.

2. Before flying¶

Is the drone facing away from you before takeoff? The drone should be in an orientation that is easily controllable, should there be an issue during takeoff and manual control is required.
Have you practiced how to manually control the drone? This is essential for if there are issues during the takeoff or landing and manual takeover is required.
Unfold the controller antenae and ensure they point at the drone to maintain a good connection. If signal is lost, the drone may return early.

3. During the flight¶

Ensure you keep line-of-sight of the drone at all times. Sometimes various issues can occur mid-flight, such as 'fly-away' for misconfigured drones that you may have to catch before they get too far, or uncontrollable issues such as being attacked by birds.
Regularly check the flight on the controller and ensure the mission does not return early due to an issue.
Try to keep the controller in the shade as much as possible during high temperatures, to avoid overheating. If possible, wear a big hat and face away from the sun. Or fly from a shaded area, but ensuring you can still see the drone.

Field Workarounds¶

This section covers some workarounds discovered by drone operators, to get around the limitations of the platform (until it's improved).

The drone returned while the flight was part way through¶

Ideally the task areas should be optimised to fly for ~70% of the battery capacity, but sometimes this doesn't happen.
There is a 'field hack' workaround for now to continue from where the flightplan cut out part way.
In the DJI controller, go to waypoint mode and delete waypoints (manually scroll to the beginning, delete one, scroll again to beginning, delete again, etc).
Save the waypoint flight and fly it again with only the required points.