dji Phantom 2 Vision + User manual

Guide to the Phantom 2 Vision & Vision+
V. Dec-04-2014 – By Fantomas
What to Do & Not to Do First .....................................................................................................2
What to do After any Software/Firmware Update OR After a Crash.......................................4
Good to Know before you Go....................................................................................................5
Starting/Stopping the Motors ....................................................................................................6
DJI Vision Camera & Radar Function........................................................................................7
Know your S1/S2 switches ........................................................................................................8
Flight Environment Requirements ..........................................................................................10
Pre-Flight Checklist/Tips & Tricks/Notes................................................................................11
Inspection........................................................................................................................................... 11
Power UP ............................................................................................................................................ 11
DJI Vision Apps.................................................................................................................................. 12
Ready to Fly........................................................................................................................................ 13
Always be prepared for the Worst.................................................................................................... 14
A- Lost Orientation and/or Location...............................................................................................................14
B- Lost Video/Telemetry Feeds.......................................................................................................................14
C- Baby, Come Back........................................................................................................................................15
D- Failsafe (RTH) ..............................................................................................................................................16
E- GPS Lost.......................................................................................................................................................17
F- Flyaway.........................................................................................................................................................18
G- Vortex Ring State (VRS)..............................................................................................................................18
H- Low Battery..................................................................................................................................................19
Landing............................................................................................................................................... 20
Side Notes .......................................................................................................................................... 21
Led Status (Phantom, RC & Extender)....................................................................................23
Battery Status (RC & Extender & Smart) ................................................................................26
Compass Calibration................................................................................................................28
Take Good Care of your Compass..........................................................................................29
How to avoid Flyaway...............................................................................................................30
Recovering from a Flyaway .....................................................................................................31
Naza-M and IOC: Why and How...............................................................................................32
Failsafe ......................................................................................................................................35
IOC Flight - Course Lock & Home Lock..................................................................................37
Flight Limits ..............................................................................................................................40
Ground Station..........................................................................................................................41
Preventative Maintenance Checklist.......................................................................................45
Lipo Battery – Safety Advisory Notice....................................................................................46
Phantom and RC Assistant......................................................................................................47
Camera update..........................................................................................................................49
Page 1

What to Do & Not to Do First
- Never, Never, Never, start flying Right Out of the Box OR after a Firmware Update!!!
You WILL Crash, Hit Something, Hurt Someone or Hurt Yourself!!
Too many times I’ve heard: “I just bought one, in 15 minutes I was flying and…crashing”. So PLEASE, people!
Did I say NEVER? I’m gonna say it again: N . E . V . E . R .!
- Start by reading the manuals. I know, it’s no fun but DO IT anyway, at least once…twice…and again!
- DJI Phantom Disclaimer
- DJI Phantom Quick Start Guide
- DJI Phantom User Manual
- This Guide 
- Watch LOTS of Tutorials/Demos/How-to’s Videos. Peruse the Quad’s forums like Phantom Pilots, DJIGuys, RCgroups
and the new DJI forum. Familiarize yourself with the Vision assistant software, the aircraft characteristics, the Naza-M
and IOC. Learn as much as you can. Be careful, some tutorials are missing some important steps or doing things the
wrong way (like calibrating near a car...come on tutorial makers!). Use your good judgment to make sure you
understand what to do and when/where to do it.
- Write your contact information on your Phantom (in case you lose it). Also, it might be very helpful to label your
Sticks\Switches. For already made stickers, have a look at this Phantom Identify Set.
- Install the software from DJI Site/Apps Store (Check How-to’s Videos for more info)
1- On your PC/MAC:
- Drivers Assistant
- Phantom RC Assistant
- Phantom Vision Assistant
2- On your Smartphone:
- DJI Vision App
- Follow ALL the instructions from the “What to do After any Software/Firmware Update OR After a Crash” section.
Here are some good tutorials to watch and learn from:
- DJI Phantom Vision+ A Beginners How To Guide
- DJI Phantom 2, Radio Explained, Complete Tutorial <- A very practical "before taking off" instructions guide!
- Zero to Airborne: 1st time DJI Phantom Pilot Tutorial <- A very practical field guide for new pilots!
- DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus Review | with Calibration, Footage and Ground Station Demo
- How to Use DJI Phantom Vision + Plus Assistant Software. Calibration, Setup, Change to Naza-M
- Switches & Mode Setup Tutorial
- DJI Phantom 2 Transmitter Calibration Tutorial & Setup
- How to Calibrate DJI Phantom 2 Remote Control and Gimbal
- Calibrating the IMU
- DJI Phantom 2 Vision The basics of Flying, Recording & Sharing
- DJI Phantom 2 - FIRMWARE Update, Quick Tutorial
- DJI FIRMWARE 3.08 - Official Guide - What's new?
- DJI Phantom 2 Vision/Vision+ - New Remote Control and Firmware 3.08 - Tutorial
- How to bind/rebind a transmitter / remote controller to your DJI Phantom, Vision+
- How to bind/rebind the range extender / camera on DJI Vision+ or Phantom Vision
Page 2

You are now ready, but please allow yourself some flight training before attempting more advanced or adventurous
flight maneuvers. Start out in a wide open field, far from trees, buildings and power lines. Run through the DJI Pilot
Training Guide and get all of the techniques down. The important part here is to learn what the sticks will do in every
flying directions. After some good practice, turn on the Naza-M and IOC(Intelligent Orientation Control). This guide is
assuming you already have switched your Phantom to Naza-M (don’t forget to also turn IOC on...) and have S1 bottom
position set to FAILSAFE and NOT Manual.
Practice, Practice and Practice again!
I like this quote from Gaelmart on why training is so essential:
“When my “very expensive” Phantom is facing me and 1 foot from side impact with wall, I don't want to have to think
about which way to put the control stick, I want training to take over. Yes anyone can fly the Phantom - it just requires
practice. I've had it km out over mountains having a blast. That ain't the problem or why people smash 'em. It’s when
it's 2 feet from your face and you panic… that's the problem.”
Good tip from FAQstech :
“Before you ever even purchase a Phantom 2 as your first aerial vehicle, I’d suggest:
Buy a cheap quad to learn on (and crash). You’ll save yourself a considerable amount of money and still learn the
basics of flight. If you get good at flying a cheap heli or quad, then flying the Phantom 2 should be a breeze with its
stabilization and self-centering sticks. Just let go of the sticks and it should hover in place given a good GPS lock.
Something like the Hubsan X4 H107L, the H107D or the Walkera QR Ladybird V2 is a good starter quad. I bought an X4
after I started flying the Phantom 2 to have something to fly in the house when there was bad weather in order to keep
my hands on sticks. It’s a blast indoors and can even be flow outdoors in lite wind.”
In the same vein, have a look here: Don't Buy a DJI Phantom! - (before you watch this)
I also like this other quote found somewhere on the Net:
“It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground!!”
Remember: Practice Make Perfect!
Common Acronyms
ATTI = Attitude
BLOS = Beyond Line of Sight
CAA = Civil Aviation Authority (UK Regulator)
CL = Course Lock
CSC = Combination Stick Command
ESC = Electronic Speed Controller
FAA = Federal Aviation Administration (US Regulator)
FPV = First Person View
FS = Failsafe
GPS = Global Positioning System
HL = Home Lock
IMU = Inertial Measurement Unit
IOC = Intelligent Orientation Control
LIPO = Lithium-Polymer (battery)
LOS = Line of Sight
MC = Main controller.
POI = Point of Interest
RTF = Ready to fly
RTH = Return To Home
Rx = Receiver
Tx = Transmitter
UAV = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
VLOS = Visual Line of Sight
VRS = Vortex Ring State
VRx = Video Receiver
VTx = Video Transmitter
PITCH = Moving Forward or Backward
ROLL = Moving Left or Right
YAW = Rotating Left or Right
Page 3

What to do After any Software/Firmware Update OR After a Crash.
Don’t forget to ALWAYS Remove the Propellers/Gimbal Clamp and Camera Lens Cap when using the assistants.
For obvious reason, make sure all your batteries are fully charged before doing any firmware update.
1- Start Phantom RC Assistant Software:
- Turn On Remote Control & Range Extender
- Connect Remote Control to PC/MAC using USB cable.
- Update Firmware as needed.
- Calibrate the Sticks/Switches (follow on screen instructions).
- Close the Software BEFORE disconnecting the USB cable.
2- Start Phantom Vision Assistant Software:
- Turn On Remote Control & Range Extender
- Turn On and Connect Phantom to PC/MAC using USB cable.
- Update Firmware(s) as needed.
- Here also you need to Calibrate the Remote Control sticks (follow on screen instructions).
- Out the box, Calibrate the IMU. After an update, check the Status and Calibrate if necessary.
It is recommended to always do the Advanced Calibration. It takes longer but it’s more thorough.
Note: If you get the warning about IMU/Controller being too hot or the IMU Calibration seems to take forever or
looks stalled: turn off the Phantom and wait until it has completely cooled down (20-30 min), then fire it up and
immediately begin calibration when it is cool. If the Master Controller board = MC = Phantom is hot, it can throw
out the IMU's sensors which cause issues with Calibration. Also, make sure the unit is level, that nothing
ferromagnetic is in the vicinity and that there are no movements and/or vibrations during the calibration process.
- Close the Software BEFORE disconnecting the USB cable.
3- Do the Compass Calibration. Check out the “Compass Calibration” Section for more details.
4- Power Cycle everything.
Page 4

Good to Know before you Go
Flight Control System
IMU or Inertial Measurement Unit
An inertial measurement unit, or IMU, is an electronic device that measures and reports on a craft's velocity, orientation,
and gravitational forces, using a combination of accelerometers and gyroscopes, sometimes also magnetometers.
IMUs are typically used to maneuver aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The altitude part is the
barometric altimeter that measures altitude based on air pressure. The IMU works by taking readings from
ACCELEROMETER (this is movement in straight lines (forward, backward, side to side, and up and down ) and also
takes readings from GYROSCOPE (spinning or rotating, and pitching movement ), and finally GPS (where the phantom
a located in space) (latitude, longitude, altitude).
Some Specs (1m = 3.28084ft)
- Communication Distance (Open Area): Remote Control in CE/FCC mode: 400m/800m / Range Extender: 500-700m
- Vertical hover accuracy is +/- .8m (GPS/ATTI); Horizontal hover accuracy is +/- 2.5m (GPS only)
- Max Ascent Speed: 6m/s
- Max Descent Speed: 2m/s
- Max Flight Speed: 15m/s (not recommend)
Communication (5.8Ghz/2.4Ghz) explained
1. Your RC Controller and the Phantom do not talk to each other – that is, the RC Controller controls the Quadcopter
mostly in a one-way fashion. This occurs on one particular wireless frequency – 5.8Ghz. Most other multirotors use
2.4Ghz, but DJI uses the 5.8Ghz so that it won’t interfere with the second video/telemetry channel – which is what your
smart phone and the DJI repeater use!
2. The second channel – which allows video/telemetry – is a constant connection between your smartphone/tablet, the
DJI repeater/range-extender (small box on the RC Controller handle) and the Phantom. This channel is at 2.4Ghz.
3. In addition to the above, the Phantom is also constantly receiving signals from GPS satellites – all of this data
combines with #1 and #2 above to provide the information for safe and effective flight.
The reason for the repeater/range-extender is to amplify the wireless signal so that the range is increased. As you know,
your home wireless network can max out at 46m indoors/92m outdoors or so. DJI claims a range of 500-700m for the
Phantom telemetry, although this can vary with the terrain, weather, interference, etc.
The control signal is more or less line of sight though it extends far beyond where one could actually see the Phantom.
And, of course, the signal does get through "open" objects (like winter trees) and bends (somewhat) around solid
objects but be careful anyway as it might not always be the case; it depends a lot of your actual surrounding.
Need to Know: You’ll get a “Control Signal Lost” warning if you lose the First Channel - 5.8 Ghz: this will activate the
FAILSAFE mode. You’ll get a “Phantom Connection Lost” warning if you lose the Second Channel - 2.4Ghz: in which
case, you will lose Video and Telemetry feeds. Be sure to check the “Be prepared for the Worst” section.
Page 5

Starting/Stopping the Motors
Need to Know: You DO NOT have to worry about pulling the throttle all the way down for more than 3 sec while in the
Air (not recommended anyway because of VRS, more on that later): so NO, it won’t shut down the motors if you do it
while flying. The Phantom will NOT shut down until it feels it's not losing altitude for about 3-5 seconds (aka it's on
ground now).
The only thing I wouldn’t try is to execute CSC while in the air. If you do a CSC while flying, this will stop the motors
and your Phantom will drop like a rock. So be careful with the CSC sequence.
For some hard evidence on these theories, watch this: Motors Cut Mid-Flight???. Someone DID test it....both ways!
Page 6

DJI Vision Camera & Radar Function
The Radar Function is VERY useful to track down where your Phantom is heading or its relative location.
Page 7

Know your S1/S2 switches (Naza-M/IOC only)
The following only applies if you have switched your Phantom to Naza-M, activate IOC (Intelligent Orientation Control
and have S1 bottom position set to FAILSAFE and NOT Manual. See the “Naza-M and IOC: Why and How” section for
more info.
Good to Know: When both switches, S1 and S2, are in the upper position (THE only position they should be before you
start your Phantom, BTW), you are basically flying as if your craft was in the original out-of-the-box “Phantom / Vision”
mode.
Need to Know: When flipping S1 or S2 switches to any position, always wait a few seconds to make sure the selected
mode is activated.
S1 Switch : GPS(top) – ATTI(middle) – FAILSAFE(bottom)
GPS: In the default top position you are flying in GPS mode, meaning the Phantom will attempt to maintain the same
horizontal/vertical position in space (holds the aircraft in a fixed and stabled hover) by automatically compensating for
drift and light wind whenever you take your hands off the stick. This mode will probably be preferred by beginners.
ATTI: Move the switch to the middle position and you are now flying in ATT mode (Attitude Hold). In this mode, your
Phantom will attempt to hold height, orientation and keep itself level by means of the Compass and IMU (the GPS
module will only be used to maintain ‘some’ flight stability and allow the Return to Home feature to work in case
FAILSAFE activates) but it won’t counteract for any horizontal drift either from wind or stick move. Therefore, your craft
may drift with the wind or in the direction it was heading when you switch to ATTI (i.e. no horizontal positioning). You
will notice a huge difference in ATTI mode even if there is no wind. In ATTI mode it does not slow down by itself. It has
momentum and will continue flying in whatever direction it was moving until you counter that momentum with thrust in
the opposite direction.
Why would you want to use this? Maybe you have been flying upwind. For an easy return, flip it into Attitude mode and
let it drift back to you. Wind direction permitting, it can also be useful for smooth video. Fly upwind, start your video,
and then turn on Attitude mode and let the video run as your Phantom is born along on the wind.
Need to Know: You should get used to ATTI flying mode as soon as you can because you’ll have greater control of the
aircraft rather than relying on automatic systems, which, lets face it, could fail at any time and without warning.
A switch to ATTI mode is always a good idea if you think or suspect that the Compass and GPS are out of whack;
so be prepared.
Need to Know: When the aircraft is entering ATTI mode, either using the S1 switches or because you’ve lost GPS. The
Rear Led will start flashing slowly Yellow.
FAILSAFE: Move the switch all the way down and you will Initiate FAILSAFE, which means invoking the Return to Home
(RTH) feature without having actually lost the control signal. Basically you are telling the Phantom to fly itself directly
home, if GPS signal is good OR if GPS signal is lost or bad, to simply land straight down.
Need to Know: You must change the S1 bottom position to activate FAILSAFE using the Vision Assistant software,
otherwise the default is ATTI. Be careful not to set the switch to Manual Mode by mistake…
Need to Know: If you flip S1 to FAILSAFE by mistake, you have less than 3 sec to cancel it by flipping it back up
otherwise FAILSAFE is activated.
S2 Switch -> Off(top) – Course Lock/CL(middle) - Home Lock/HL(bottom)
(Most of the Text is from Visioneer)
OFF: In the default top position, the Phantom is directionally operated like any other RC craft, forward is the direction
the "nose" is pointed, back is the direction the "tail" is pointed, left is to its left, right is to its right.
Page 8

An issue with traditional RC flight is once the craft gets far enough away (or flies into the sun) it’s VERY easy to lose
track of how it's oriented...is it facing toward me, or away from me? Once you lose orientation your only recourse is to
give a command and see how it reacts - could mean disaster. The other issue with traditional RC flight is reversing your
control. When the craft is flying away from you, all's right with the world. If you want to go to your right, you push the
right stick right...BUT when the craft is coming toward you and you want to go to your right, you push the right stick left
because your right is now its left. This can get very confusing and dangerous, especially when you're about to crash,
are in personal panic mode, and are trying to recover. That’s why there are 2 other very interesting modes: Home and
Course lock. Home Lock being a very good option if you have no idea where the Phantom is now located OR You can't
tell what direction it's facing. Check the “Always be prepared for the worst” section for more info.
Need to know: For Home and Course Lock to work, 1) the pre-flight must have been completed (the Phantom got a
Home Point and Home Orientation fix), and, this only applies to Home Lock, 2) the Phantom must be flying at least 10
meters (33 feet) away from the Home Point.
Need to know: Course Lock can be used in both 'ATTI' Mode and 'GPS' Mode. Course Lock does not require GPS
satellite acquisition or establishing a Home Point. Course Lock relies on Orientation information only while Home Lock
uses both position (GPS) and Orientation (compass, gyro, accelerometers).
Course Lock (CL): Move the switch to the middle and you are now flying in Course Lock Mode. In CL, it doesn't matter
which way the craft is oriented (pointing). Now forward is whatever direction the craft was pointed before it took off (the
recorded Home Orientation direction). In Short, Course Lock relates to Initial Heading. It's like flying on an invisible,
fixed grid. If it took off with the nose pointing north, forward will always send it north, back will always send it south,
left will always send it west, and right will always send it east. When flying in IOC Home Lock or Course Lock you can
control yaw, while remaining on course. Useful, for example, if you want to track a target by flying “forward” while
rotating.
Home Lock (HL): Move the switch all the way down and you activate Home Lock Mode. In HL, like in CL, it doesn't
matter which way the craft is oriented (pointing). But in Home Lock, back is always back to the Home Point (the
Recorded or Dynamic(if activated-see below) Home Point location), forward is always away from the Home Point, right
is always 90° to the right of a line from the Home Point to the craft, and left is always 90° to the left of a line from the
Home Point to the craft. In short: Home Lock relates to Home Point. Think of the craft as being on the end of a string
which is the radius of a circle - shorten, it comes back; lengthen, it goes away; twirl (left or right), it goes in a circle
around the home point.
Need to Know: When in Home Lock mode, if any of the following situations happen, the system automatically quit
Home Lock(HL) and switches to Course Lock(CL):
a) The aircraft flies within 10m/33ft range of the Home Point.
b) You toggle the S1 to the ATTI Mode.
c) The GPS signal becomes bad or is lost.
H/L, just like FAILSAFE/RTH, is dependant on having enough satellites to properly triangulate.
Need to Know: It’s possible to manually change the Home Point and Course Lock direction after take off and while in
flight. Course Lock Direction reset is S2 Top-Middle-Top 3-5 times; Home Point reset is S2 Middle-Bottom-Middle 3-5
times. Make sure you do not cycle through all three positions (Top through Bottom). Doing all three positions may
result in the resetting of both CL and HP. Obviously, if you want to manually set a new Home Point, you need to turn off
Dynamic Home Point (see below). Be sure to check the IOC section for more info.
News to Know: With the latest DJI updates, it is now possible to activate a Dynamic Home Point function. When using a
GPS-enabled mobile device and activate the Dynamic Home Point from the VISION app, the Home Point will
automatically be reset to the location of the device every 2 seconds during flight. Dynamic Home Point is useful in
situations when you are in motion (on a boat, for example) and require a Home Point that is different from the takeoff
point. Note: Home Orientation at the point of take off will remain as the reference point.
Here are some interesting videos to watch and learn from:
(Just forget about the Manual Mode comments. Set S1 bottom position to Failsafe!)
- DJI Phantom Flight Modes
- DJI Phantom Intro to IOC
- DJI Phantom 2 Vision/Vision+ - Phantom- and Naza-Mode - Tutorial
- DJI Phantom 2, Vision, Plus: What is ATTI mode? What is Manual Mode?
- DJI Phantom - IOC Explained - ATTI, Course Lock, Home Lock, Manual Mode
- DJI Phantom 2, Vision, Plus: What is IOC, Course Lock/Home Lock? How do they work?
- DJI Phantom Tutorial - IOC Home Lock (HL) explained and demonstrated
- DJI Phantom Tutorial - IOC Course Lock (CL) explained and demonstrated
- How to manually set a new Home Position on your DJI Vision, Plus, Phantom 2
- How to set new Home Point while in the air
Page 9

Flight Environment Requirements
- Do not fly inside your house/office/store unless you really want to trash it. Why? Just have a quick look a the
“Failsafe” section then measure the height of your ceiling. But if you really need to fly inside, watch this:
Flying your DJI Phantom inside? Some things to consider...
- Note wind direction and weather conditions (actual and forecast). Do not use the aircraft in severe weather
conditions. These include wind (more that moderate breeze), snow, rain and smog. Watch out for wind gusts as they
are more of a problem that steady wind, especially when up in the air. To watch: High Wind/Wind Shadow-Flying Tips.
- Planning to do some winter flying, watch:
Winter R/C Flying Tips and Tips for winter flying with your Phantom - snow, fog, ice, batteries...
- Check for any hazards, high buildings, steel structures, constructions, vehicular traffic, personal property that may
affect the accuracy of the onboard compass or flight plan.
- Be careful when flying near tall structure/building. If you fly behind, you may lose connection. Also air/wind is a
matter and if it encounters an obstruction, huge pressure shifts are taking place that might create a vortex big
enough to get you into trouble.
- Stay away from obstacles, crowds, pets, birds, trees, bushes, or water. Do not fly over people or moving vehicles (the
Phantom is heavy; if it drops...) and keep children away. Use common sense to stay safe and protect others from harm.
- It is recommended not to take off from any kind of metallic structure like manhole cover, top of your car, reinforced
concrete and so on. Best way to take off will always be on a flat surface: ground, grass, portable landing pad…
- Reduce the chance of electromagnetic interference (EMI) by not flying in areas with high levels of electromagnetism,
including cellular towers, electricity pylons or power lines. Urban environments have more EMI interference.
- Avoid interference between the Remote Control or on-board Wi-Fi device and other wireless equipment including
your own or nearby houses wireless routers. This explains why it’s not really wise to fly in your backyard. Also, it’s
a good idea to ask other persons near you and carrying a smartphone to turn then off.
- Watch out for geomagnetic/solar storms. When the K-Index is at higher level(5+), it has a direct impact on GPS and
affect radio signals which can cause issues in obtaining lock in regards to satellites. To monitor the K-Index you can
use the following website: Planetary K-index or this Estimated 3-hour Planetary K Index.
- Check out what are the rules/laws/regulations in your country about flying these “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” (UAVs).
At the same time, check if you need any kind of license, insurance or personal liability insurance, especially if you're
planning on flying it commercially.
- Verify for airport, air traffic and restricted air space. Do not fly the aircraft within no-fly zones specified by local
laws and regulations. If you’re in the US or Canada, a good site to visit is the Don't Fly Drones Here web site.
This map represents areas where it is not recommended to fly drones due to regulations.
- Planning a trip? Be sure to watch Traveling with your DRONE + New FAA Rules about FPV
- For people who have issues with weak GPS satellites locked, someone recommended this nice tool to check and
see exactly how many GPS satellites should be visible based on a specified location, the day and time. Have a look:
Satellite Predictor Tool (Just make sure “glonass” is unticked, otherwise you will think its fine to fly all day). There
are some interesting APPS that shows GPS status, for IOS: GPS Plan and Android: GPS Test / AndroiTS GPS Test
- Do not fly if you’re drunk, taking drugs, under the influence of anesthesia, dizziness, fatigue, nausea and any other
conditions both physical and mental that could impair your ability.
- In case of emergency/problem…DON’T PANIC! Make sure you read the “Always be prepared for the worst” section.
- Plan you flight in advance. Where are you going, what are you going to do and so on
- Remember, this is literally a “flying camera”, so be sure you protect the privacy of others.
- Be sure to watch: Dude where can I fly my drone?
- And finally, try to never lose Line of Sight (LOS) with your Phantom.
Better Fly Safe Than Sorry!
Page 10

Pre-Flight Checklist/Tips & Tricks/Notes
(Big thanks to everyone for some very good ideas & additions)
Inspection (Someone has to do it)
- Remote Control (TX), Smart Battery(Battery), Range Extender(REx) and Smartphone(Phone) are fully charged.
- Attach Propellers Guards. Not recommended, unless you have good reasons to use them (they’re “ok” if you are
learning to fly); Prop Guards - Pros and Cons. They are known to enhance a wobbling state when hovering or
descending effect called Vortex Ring State; DANGER Turbulence Ahead. Also, watch out for the screws. The long
ones are ONLY for the Props Guards!!! Short ones are the normal one to use. One last thing to know: Props Guards
will reduce your flight time by up to 4 min.
- Turn motors shafts with your fingers and verify they are smooth without excessive play or binding. Check the
“Preventive Maintenance Checklist” section for more info.
- Propellers are mounted correctly: black on the black marked shaft, silver on the silver one. Check if not broken or
worn. Run finger along leading and trailing edges. Flex both Blades to check for hairline cracks. NOTE: When
installing brand new props, make sure you did not get a defective one: if it seems to go only half way on the shaft, it
is defective. Replace it! Check this out: WARNING: Watch for defective Phantom 2 Propellers
- Landing Gears are secure; not cracked/broken/loose. Compass is firmly attached, cable in place.
- Micro-SD card has been inserted and is formatted. (Do not insert or remove while Phantom battery is On).
Optimally, you should use a Class 10 Micro-SD card when filming HD videos.
- Damping absorbers are in good condition, not broken or worn. Anti-Drop pins are in place and locked.
- Remove Gimbal Clamp and Camera Lens Cap. (ALWAYS Remove Gimbal Clamp BEFORE powering On).
- Gimbal is functioning as normal; Camera is secure and moving normally. Camera lens isn't dirty, spotted,
smeared. Check condition of Gimbal/Camera black ribbon cables. Look for tears or signs of wear.
- Battery is not swollen, leaky or damaged in any way. Contact needles and pads are clean.
- Make sure GPS on Phone is ON (to lock the location of Pilot). Set the Phone to “Flight Mode/Do-Not-Disturb” mode,
if you like (to block phone calls/texts). It is recommended to “Forget” any other WiFi networks in range, especially
when flying in small areas. Also make sure the audio is on: you want to ear the battery low alarm warning!
- Note: Some Android devices do not allow for both a Wi-Fi connection and a mobile data connection at the same
time. When trying to connect to the Phantom 2 Vision+ Wi-Fi network, most devices will check whether an Internet
connection has a certain Wi-Fi setting enabled, e.g. Auto network switch or Test for Internet connection. If no Internet
connection is found because the Phantom 2 Vision+ creates a non-routable connection it will drop the Phantom 2
Vision+ Wi-Fi network connection and scan for the next available connection. Example: For the Samsung Note 3,
carry out the following procedures to solve this issue. Tap Settings -> Wi-Fi, and then tap the “Menu” button. Select
“Advanced” then uncheck the “Auto network switch”. You might see a warning that indicates the Internet connection
is unstable this message can be ignored.
- Be sure to watch: Pre-Flight Checks on your DJI Phantom - What to look out for.
Power UP (You’ve checked all your batteries, right?)
- Make sure S1 and S2 are in the Top position AND Gimbal Clamp/Camera Lens Cap have been removed.
- Initialize the equipment in the following sequential order (Check for Green Lights).
(Be sure you watch: ON and OFF-The Proper Procedure)
1. Range Extender. System is Blinking Green; Power is Solid Green.
2. Remote Control. 1 Beep = CE mode (range ~ 400m) ; 2 Beeps = FCC mode (range ~ 800m).
Green light On (not yellow or red).
3. Insert and Start the Phantom Smart Battery.
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Need to Know: Always turn on the Remote Control BEFORE powering on the Phantom and keep it on until the
Phantom battery is powered off. After landing, always turn off the Phantom BEFORE turning off the power on the
Remote Control. You don’t want the Phantom to think it has lost connection to the Remote Control and take off
heading to the last recorded home position. NEVER install or remove the battery when it is turned on.
- Watch Phantom LED startup sequence for abnormal indications. See next section for Led status indicators.
- Watch Gimbal startup to verify function. Must be in a stable horizontal position after a short while. If it’s not, watch
this DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ Gimbal repair or this Phantom 2 Vision Plus camera repair and solution.
- Check camera LED indicator. Should be solid green.
- Calibrate the Compass of Phantom whenever in new area, after update or after a few flights. Be sure to read the
“Compass Calibration” section.
- Place Phantom on an open flat ground with Battery indicators facing towards you and +/- 3 meters away from you.
- Wait until the Rear Led slowly blink Green for at least 10-15 seconds to make sure Phantom has acquired
enough GPS Satellite(6+), has Locked/Marked your Home Point (for FAILSAFE(RTH)/Home Lock(HL) mode)
and set Home Orientation (for Course Lock(CL) mode). Best if left standing for 1-2 min to make sure it has a
solid and stable GPS satellites lock and Home Point/Orientation are set.
- There will be two sets of rapid green flashes:
- The first rapid green flashing sequence indicates the Phantom has recorded the Home Orientation.
Home Orientation is based on the craft's orientation 30 sec after powering up.
Remember that orientation if you plan to fly in Course Lock mode.
- The second rapid green flashing sequence indicates it has just recorded Home Point.
Home Point is established after 6 or more GPS satellites have been found for 10-15 seconds.
- After that, the Rear Led will indicate GPS status. Slow green flashes means 6 satellites or more were found.
(Check the “Led Status” section if you are getting something else than Green or Yellow blinks):
- Slow Green Flashing: Ready to Fly (GPS) Good to Go: RTH/HL Mode Ok.
The Phantom will hover when all sticks are released. It will Return to
Home Point(RTH), if Failsafe is activated.
- Slow Yellow flashing: Ready to Fly (Non-GPS) You will be able to fly, but GPS is Off so No RTH/HL possible.
The Phantom will lock its altitude but will not have horizontal
positioning. It will land straight down, if Failsafe is activated.
NOTE: Personally, I wouldn’t fly if I only get 6 satellites; way too risky. You lose one and you lose GPS 
DJI Vision Apps
- Connect Phone Wi-Fi to the Range Extender (may take up to 30 secs to see Extender Wi-Fi).
If you’re planning to use Ground Station features: Before connecting your Phone to the Extender, load the map of
where you'll be flying (scroll to load wider location). Do it on location or in advance.
Launch the ‘DJI Vision’ App and :
- Check if the WiFi connection is the Phantom-##### and have a Green Dot
- Make sure your Settings are the way you want them to be.
- Open Camera page and verify connection to Phantom, no on screen errors or warnings,
- Check the Number of satellites (must be 6+). Make sure you have a solid & stable GPS satellites lock.
- Verify WiFi signal strength indicator and SD card indicator (enough space left?)
- Check Status(%) of Phantom and Range Extender Battery.
- If needed, verify Camera settings, rate, stills, video, burst, ISO, tilt, etc.
- Confirm good video on Phone (if not adjust Preview Quality in Settings).
- Set Camera at desired angle.
- Verify that both pilot's and aircraft location is the same before take off to ensure that if FAILSAFE is being
activated, it will return to your Home Point(RTH) and not 300 miles away...
- Check the location of aircraft in ‘Flight Radar’. Is it in right position/direction? If the distance reads N/A it doesn't
have a Home Point lock. If distance is 0, it has a Home Point. You could also try to move around the Phantom
and check if the Radar is following your moves. OR
- Use “Find my Phantom” (under Settings panel) or the “Ground Station Screen” (if you enabled it) to ensure that
blue and red dots are on the same current location [Blue: Home Point location; Red: Aircraft Location]).
Page 12

Ready to Fly (Are you sure, really sure?)
- Ensure the antenna of Remote Control is perpendicular to the ground (pointing upwards) and Range Extender is
angled properly (Front Flat Face pointed toward Phantom). Try to always keep them pointed at the Phantom and
AVOID Line of Sight obstacles (->Signal Lost)
- Phantom is ready to take-off. BUT ONLY if Rear Led are still slowly blinking green and you still have 6+ satellites.
Satellites lock drop in and out sometimes until finally staying stable. Do not take off is GPS signal is too unstable.
- Start recording. (A Common Mistake is to forget to Start Recording…I know, trust me)
- Start the Motors (CSC Command). Make sure they are functioning normally (no unusual noise or vibration and they
are all spinning at the same rate/speed).
- Double check for nearby obstructions, people, power lines, etc.
- Ready, Set, Fly…!! When taking off, don’t be shy about using the throttle to get off the ground a few feet. Trying to
throttle up slowly can lead to a tip over where the blades hit the ground causing a crash. If there is a strong wind, a
tip over is even more likely.
REMEMBER: If you get in trouble, let go of the sticks and it will automatically slow and hover in place
OR fly UP fast (watch for trees, power lines, etc).
NOTE: Vertical hover accuracy is +/- .8m (GPS/ATTI); Horizontal hover accuracy is +/- 2.5m (GPS only).
- Hover at 6-8 feet for a while. Watch closely for loss of GPS Lock; if it happens land and redo the pre-flight steps.
Ensure Phantom remains in place without drifting, flying in circles (Toilet bowl effect-TBE) or other signs of
erratic/abnormal/unexpected behaviour. Check that the Phantom holds position steady while yawing 360 degrees.
Check control response, yaw left-right, pitch forward-backward, roll left-right, throttle up-down.
If everything is ok, you're good to go, otherwise LAND IMMEDIATELY. It is recommended you switch to ATTI
before Landing, in case the Compass and GPS are out of whack. DO NOT attempt to yaw or move, just get it
straight down ASAP and recalibrate the Compass, then power cycle the Phantom. If that doesn't help, Recalibrate
everything (check the “After Firmware Update” section for more info). If THAT doesn't work either, DO NOT FLY at
all. Try to pin point the issue and ask for help or send the phantom for repair.
- During Flight: if Phantom ever seems to behave oddly, feel less responsive, or start moving without input, LAND
IMMEDIATELY wherever you are and Recalibrate everything. It is recommended you switch to ATTI before Landing,
In case the Compass and GPS are out of whack. Be sure to read the “Always be prepared for the worst” section.
- To make absolutely certain the Home Point has been locked (for FAILSAFE(RTH) and to avoid Flyaway):
Send the Phantom off about 30m and do a practice Home Lock return by flipping the S2 switch down to “Home
Lock”, and pull back on the right stick. No need to return all the way home; if it flies straight back to you or your
previously set Home Point, you’re good to go. Flip S2 all the way back up and enjoy what is usually a stress free
flight. Warning: HL turns to CL when Phantom is less than 10m/33ft from Home Point (see the section about IOC).
- Keep an eye on your flight parameters while flying; control sticks are quite sensitive. Be particularly gentle with the
left stick so that you don't accidentally cause elevation gain or loss while you are yawing: don’t assume you’re still at
the same altitude you were.
- Watch the Rear Led. Should be slowly flashing green(6+ sat). Otherwise check Led Status in the following section.
Make sure the number of satellites on the DJI Vision camera screen is always 6+.
- Always keep an eye on your batteries status (Smart & Extender). You don’t want to get caught with low battery while
being far away! (Check the “Battery Status” section for more info).
- Don't go zooming far or high until you feel comfortable with it. Remember that the farther away it is, the harder it will
be to see what it’s doing. If you are new at flying this thing, try to always keep the front pointing away from you.
That way forward will be away from you, left will be left, right will be right and finally backward will bring it back
towards you. Last advices: Always stay in control and fly safely & responsibly!
Page 13

Always be prepared for the Worst
Besides hardware/software issues, it is YOU, the operator, who is responsible to ensure the system is functioning
properly prior to take-off. So, if you did not follow the proper procedures before take-off (described in details earlier),
YOU AND ONLY YOU might be the person to blame for any issue occurring while flying!
Need to Know: If you’ve switched to Naza-M, enabled IOC and set your S1 switch bottom position to activate FAILSAFE,
you have much more options available to recover if something bad happens.
Need to Know: In some cases, if you did not or didn’t want to follow the previous Need to Know, your only options will
be to either Do Nothing and hope for the best OR activate FAILSAFE by turning your Remote Control Off.
Need to Know: When you activate FAILSAFE, either by using the S1 switch or turning off the Remote Control, always
wait at least 3 sec before doing anything else (flip S1 out of FAILSAFE or turn the Remote back on), otherwise
FAILSAVE is cancelled.
Need to Do: It is highly recommended you do some "recovery" practices in a more controlled environment (meaning,
you are not in "Panic Mode") before something bad happens. If you can eliminate the confusion of what’s going on
when something happen then most of the time it becomes relatively “easy” to deal with. Try to initiate a Manual Failsafe,
so you can understand what’s going to happen; same thing if you switch to Home Lock or Course Lock; do some
flying/landing practice in ATTI mode so you know what to expect and so on. Feel free to do as much as you can. The
better you get at reacting fast under pressure, the better chance you'll be able recover your aircraft intact or with
minimum damages! This is a very expensive piece of machinery, so be prepared...for the worst!
And always remember this simple rule: Don't trust anything, Test everything!
A- Lost Orientation and/or Location
1- Radar Function
Your best option when you can’t tell what direction the Phantom is heading (too far, bright sun…) or its current
Location (lost Line of Sight), is to simply look at the Radar Function(bottom-left corner) on the DJI Vision Apps
Camera screen. If it’s too small, just tap it to bring the Radar on the center of your screen (tap again to remove).
Look at “DJI Vision Camera & Radar Function” section for more info.
By default, the center of the radar indicated your recorded Home Point. Tap the center of the radar to switch the
center to your mobile device’s current location. The Red Arrow indicates the Phantom current heading, direction
and approximate distance from the center point. Playing with your Remote sticks and watching the way the
aircraft moves on the radar screen might help you regain control of orientation or bring it back in sight.
Need to Know: If your mobile device contains a compass, the top portion of the Radar is the direction you are
pointing. If not, the radar will be oriented due north. Be careful because this can be misleading.
2- FPV
If you know your surrounding very well (near, far and from an "Up in the air, point of view), you might be able to
approximate where your aircraft is located or where it is heading just by looking at what’s displayed on your DJI
Vision Apps Camera screen. Try to locate some known reference points (like a specific building,stadium,park,etc)
to get an idea of where the aircraft might be.
If you’re good at this and are using something much bigger than a simple smartphone screen…You could try to
move around using only your screen as your guide I.e. flying in FPV or First Person View. Watch out for your
aircraft surrounding if you can. Objects(obstacles) are always closer than you might think in FPV, especially for
wide-angle.
B- Lost Video/Telemetry Feeds
If you’ve lost Video link but Telemetry feed is still working, the first thing you should do is take your hands off
the sticks and wait for a moment. Sometimes the video link can stutter in and out. If this doesn’t work, try to exit
out of the DJI Vision app all together then relaunch it.
Page 14

If both Video and Telemetry are off, and your nose was pointing directly at or away from you when it happens,
"turn" your phantoms nose left or right a little, even though you can't see it rotating, it is. The Phantom has
greater FPV range with it's side facing you and your video/telemetry feeds may return.
if nothing happens immediately then fly a little forward or backward, you may just be flying over a small patch of
radio interference that once you pass-over the video may return.
If still no success, check out the next section.
C- Baby, Come Back
You find yourself in one of the following situations:
- Your Phantom has flown out of effective Extender Wi-Fi range or the signal has been blocked, meaning
you’ve lost the “Second Channel - 2.4 GHZ” connection and
- You got the “Phantom connection Lost” warning.
- You lost Video/Telemetry feeds.
And the steps from previous section didn’t work.
- If for some reason, you cannot use the Radar Function (previously described) and
- Have no idea where the Phantom is now located (lost Line of Sight).
- You can't tell what direction it's heading.
- Your battery is getting low.
- Your phantom seems to be floating away or is not doing what you think it should be doing.
- Any other reason you might think of… 
Now maybe a good time to bring your aircraft back, ASAP.
Always give Extra Elevation before doing anything else. Even if you can't tell it's working.
This will help avoiding obstacles on the way back. If you can’t see it, just assume it ascends at 6 meters a
second. In 10 seconds, it should be 60 meters up. You can now go ahead and do one or more of the following:
1- You could try to get it back using your ability to maneuver the remote control sticks, BUT, if you can’t see
where it’s heading or located, it’s going to be very difficult to bring it back safely and in one piece…
How to regain orientation without IOC - bring your DJI Phantom back!
Since Course Lock (CL) is dependant on Compass only to work and Home Lock (HL) is dependant on
GPS&Compass to work correctly, the next options depend on whether you still have GPS signal or not.
GPS signal is ok:
2- Flip the S2 down to HL (S1 must be on GPS) and pull down the Right Stick and keep it down till you get
back Connection or have the Phantom in sight then Flip S2 to Off. Remember: Home Lock changes to Course
Lock if your S1 switch is on ATTI, GPS signal is lost (less than 6 satellites) or not set. So be careful as you
might think you’re in HL when in reality you’re in CL.
Need to know: When the distance between the Phantom and the Home Point is less than 10m/33ft, HL(Home
Lock) turns into CL(Course Lock), so either flip S2 to OFF before the 10m mark or know your Home Orientation
direction. Otherwise you might get caught off guard as it might change direction when it reaches that 10m limit.
OR
3- Flip the S1 down to FAILSAFE (Just turning off the Remote Control will accomplish the same thing)
and wait for the Phantom to come back at Home Point(RTH). When in sight, take back control if you
want (Flip S1 to ATTI, then to GPS). More details on Failsafe in the next section.
Page 15

Need to Know: In FAILSAFE(3) mode, the aircraft speed is really slow and if you are low on battery it
may be an issue, where HL(2) returns much faster.
GPS signal is not ok:
2- If you’re not sure you still have GPS signal(no telemetry) but you remember your Home Orientation: flip the S2
switch to CL and maneuver the Right Stick till you get back Connection or have the Phantom in sight then Flip
S2 to Off. Be sure you always keep in mind your initial Home Orientation when moving the sticks, otherwise
you might get things worse. Tip: Position yourself facing in the same direction will help a lot.
Besides option 1 (above), this may well be the “safest” option available to regain some control if you've lost
GPS signal (HL won't work and failsafe will make it land straight down) and don't know where your aircraft is
now located. Why? Maybe because you flew over water, a forest or a crowd, for example, in which
case a straight down landing is not such a good idea.
OR (if you really have no choice)
3- Flip the S1 down to FAILSAFE (Just turning off the Remote Control will accomplish the same thing),
the Phantom will simply land straight down. In which case, you might need to use DJI Vision “Find my
Phantom” function to try locating it or check out the “Recovering from a Flyaway” section. More details on
Failsafe in the next section.
D- Failsafe (RTH)
You are flying and suddenly you get the “Control Signal Lost” warning followed by “Coming Home” (Meaning
you’ve lost the “First Channel - 5.8Ghz” connection). You’ve entered the Failsafe mode. Phantom tail lights turned
rapid Yellow flashing. Be sure to also check out the “Failsafe” section later in this guide, where you’ll find more
detailed information on what’s really happening during a Failsafe.
When will Failsafe activate?
1- The Remote Control is Powered off (maybe because of dead batteries) or you have flipped the S1 to the bottom
position by mistake or intentionally.
2- The Phantom has flown out of effective Remote Control range (CE mode ~400 / FCC mode ~800m).
3- The signal between the Remote Control and the Phantom has been blocked.
4- There is interference causing a signal problem with the Remote Control.
Need to know: if you flip S1 to Failsafe by mistake, you have less than 3 sec to cancel it by flipping it back up
otherwise Failsafe is activated.
When it activates, you have 2 choices:
1- Let the Phantom do is thing and land by itself:
How it will land depends on GPS Status.
- If GPS is still Active: The Phantom will either stay at current elevation OR raise up 20m/66ft (or to your manually
set RTH altitude (see below)) above your pre-established (auto or manual) home point,
whichever is highest, and then make a straight-line course back to your “Home Point”
(Return to home (RTH)), pausing for about 15 sec before descending, land and power itself
off.
Need to know: If there are obstacles, buildings or trees in the way when flying at that
elevation on Return to Home, the aircraft WILL hit them onits way back...!
Need to know: With the latest DJI’s update, we now have the ability to change the default
Return to Home altitude (20m/66ft) using the VISION app or the Assistant
software. If you did not update, you won’t be able to adjust the Return to Home
elevation height, unless you reset your Home Point. See the “IOC section” to
learn how to manually reset the Home Point and why you would want to do
that. The main reason being to effectively avoid crashing into obstacle higher
than 20m/66ft in case failsafe is activated.
- If GPS signal is Lost or not Active: Phantoms simply land straight down. It may be drifting during the descent
and landing process (ATTI mode). I hope you’ve bought some spare props…
Page 16

Need to Know: The Phantom cannot avoid obstacles during Failsafe. So it might be a good idea to try Regaining
Control as soon as you can.
Need to Know: In FAILSAFE mode, the aircraft speed is really slow and if you are low on battery it may
be an issue!
2- Regain Control:
This will depend on the position of the S1 switch (GPS or ATTI) when the Failsafe was triggered.
S1 was on ATTI: You will get back control as soon as signal is recovered.
S1 was on GPS: You WILL need to toggle the S1 switch to ATTI once to regain control. If the signal is
recovered, you will get back control; switch S1 back to GPS.
If you do not toggle the S1 switch, you won’t be able to control anything. Why? Because it’s the
“Phantom’s Flight Control System” that controls your aircraft now and land it automatically (it
will not exit the Failsafe mode by itself even if the signal is restored). So remember to switch
S1 from GPS (top) to ATTI (center) then back to top position after you regain control.
(The GPS > ATTI > GPS Flipping Sequences).
Need to know: What will happen if you have manually reset the Home Point way up in the air and Failsafe
activates; will it kill the motor when it reaches the Home Point and crash down?
Not to worry! The Phantom will just slowly descend until it cannot descend anymore. Once it feels
that the altitude is no longer changing for about 3-5 secs, it will turn off the motors.
E- GPS Lost
GPS ATTI
You are flying in GPS mode (S1 in the upper position) and suddenly the Phantom starts drifting when you let go of
the sticks OR you see the Rear Led suddenly slowly flashing Yellow. First thing to do is check the number of
satellites on the DJI Vision Camera screen (top right corner). If there are less than 6 sat, you've lost GPS and are
now flying in ATTI mode (Note: you won’t get any warning from the DJI Vision App). You WILL have control but it
will be a bit harder to fly/land because of the drifting.
It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the number of satellites when flying. Especially if that number changes
rapidly over a short period of time meaning, maybe, you have an unstable GPS signal.
GPS Lost maybe cause by several factors, like:
- You’ve decided to take off even though satellites signal were unstable or merely got 6 satellites.
- Flying under or near something that may have blocked the “Line of Sight” between the GPS Module and
Satellites: Trees, Buildings…
- GPS system might be damaged (after a crash, a hard landing)
Best thing to do is to try to stabilize as much as you can and see if you can regain GPS (moving up a bit might
also help) OR learn how to fly in ATTI mode...very, very fast. So now might be a good idea to do some ATTI
flying\landing practice, just to be prepared for this kind of situation.
Need to Know: When GPS is lost, Flipping S2 to H/L won't work because H/L, just like FAILSAFE/RTH, is dependant
on having enough satellites to properly triangulate. Flipping S1 to Failsafe will caused it to land straight down; in
which case you will have 3 things to remember : obstacle, obstacle and obstacle.
On the other hand, if GPS was ok (6+ sat) and the Phantom is still drifting away: Check out the Flyaway section.
Page 17

F- Flyaway. The worst nightmare of all pilots...!
A flyaway is a scenario where the Phantom pilot will suddenly lose control of the Phantom during a flight
resulting in lost or damaged units. If your Phantom starts flying away ignoring your input, try these steps,
only progressing if no success:
Need to Know: If you lose GPS while flying, the Phantom will enter ATTI mode and MAY get blown away
(drifting in the direction it was flying before losing GPS). This is not a Flyaway, it is normal. Just follow the
instructions in the GPS Lost section.
1- Immediately switch from GPS to ATTI mode by putting S1 in the middle position.
You will be flying without GPS. Meaning the Phantom will not automatically hold its horizontal position and
without position hold it will drift. Home Lock(HL) will not work since Home Lock changes to Course Lock if your
S1 switch is in ATTI.
If the Phantom seems to respond in ATTI mode and you have some control, manually increase altitude quickly
to avoid obstacles and try to bring it back. From time to time, retry GPS mode (S1 Up) to see if you have
regained control in GPS mode.
If the Phantom is out of sight and you are unable to use FPV (DJI Vision Camera feeds has stopped) you won't
be able to fly it in ATTI mode (you’ll be blind as a bat), go to step 2.
2- Initiate the FAILSAFE by putting S1 in the down position or by turning off the Remote Control.
If GPS is lost, the Phantom automatically switches to ATTI mode. It will attempt to land slowly wherever it is
(possibly land in a tree or crash into whatever the wind blows it into). BUT a soft landing is better than a drop.
If it has GPS or regains GPS, it may fly home. In which case you might be able to get back control by flipping
S1 to ATTI, then to GPS.
3- Send the CSC to kill the motors. You’d rather have a crash landing than a lost Phantom.
Very last resort. If it's out of sight this will prevent it from getting further away but if it's out of sight you will not
know if Step 2 was effective so be very careful with this one.
You should try ATTItude mode before Failsafe, as several people have had no luck with Failsafe even with good
satellites connection. If the Failsafe does not work, kill the motors before the Phantom goes out of range. It is
unlikely you will be able to search several square miles and find your Phantom when it goes in a changing direction
at full throttle.
Be sure to read the “How to avoid flyaway / Recover from a flyaway” sections.
G- Vortex Ring State (VRS) (Text by damoncooper)
If you are a new Phantom pilot and don't know what VRS is or how to avoid it, you may risk losing your investment
to a mysterious type of crash that will appear like your quad just dropped from the sky for no good reason.
Wind speed and direction, stick inputs (rapid yaw has been implicated on multiple occasions) and a host of other
factors make VRS a possibility. The results are frequently a crash or loss, especially if flying long distance or over
water. If you want to know more about VRS mechanics: Settling with Power.
I think it's critical that pilots (new and old alike) be able to recognize the early signs of VRS and have a VRS
"escape plan" they are prepared to execute immediately.
Be sure you watch:
- Quadcopter "Wobble of Death": VRS Recovery and Avoidance and
- How to avoid/recover from Vortex Ring State.
Recognizing VRS
VRS (Vortex Ring State) is most often caused by descending straight down too quickly.
If flying line of sight, it can look like a "wobble" or oscillations around one or more axis. On FPV, the signs are
usually the landing gear oscillating in and out of view and/or uncontrolled yaw movements. The first signs can
quickly be following by a rapid uncontrolled descent/drop from the sky.
Escaping VRS
Page 18

At the first signs of VRS something like the following make a good escape plan:
1) Release throttle.
2) Push Forward or Sideway at full thrust to get clean air and try to "punch out" of the vortex. If possible, punch out
into or across the wind (upwind or crosswind).
3) Flip to ATTI mode.
4) If uncontrolled yaw/rotation is occurring, apply opposite yaw to stabilize heading.
Avoiding VRS
Of course, none of this guarantees you WILL escape VRS, so it's highly preferred to avoid VRS altogether if possible.
Tips I've gathered from extensive reading on this topic as well as my own sad experience include:
1) Don't fly when wind speed is >13-17mph. DJI is explicit about this in the manual. Beaufort scale 4 for those of
you who prefer that sort of thing. Remember that winds aloft can differ greatly from wind speed on the ground.
A quick flip to ATTI mode aloft and observing drift or observing the OSD horizon line in GPS mode can help
gauge wind speed and direction at your flight altitude.
2) Limit your "straight down" descent speed.
3) Never descend straight down, especially if coming down fast. Maintain lateral movement when descending to
keep the quad in "clean air" (zig zag, side-to-side, circle, etc).. Always descend at an angle (preferably into the
wind) - Fly forward and down OR while flying a circle - Circling down in small spirals.
4) Avoid fast yaw movements where possible and avoid fast yaw combined with descent. You can enter your own
prop wash and provide the conditions for VRS.
5) There have been many reports of users with prop guards and heavily laden quads encountering VRS. Many
observers appear to agree that using prop guards appears to increase the chances of invoking VRS.
H- Low Battery
The Phantom has two levels of battery warnings: Low Battery Level Warning and Critical Battery Level Warning.
The battery warning level is no longer set by battery level. It's now controlled by estimated flight time remaining. The
thresholds for these warnings are automatically determined based on the current aircraft altitude and its distance
from Home Point. The yellow and red zones will grow or shrink depending on how far away your phantom is from
home point. Yellow is low battery warning, red is RTH.
If you enabled “Low Battery Auto Go Home” (using either the DJI Phantom Assistant or DJI Vision App) and the
battery level reaches the Low Battery Level Warning, a message will appear on the DJI Vision app screen. Tap
“Go Home” to have the aircraft return to the Home Point(RTH) and land automatically, or “Cancel” to resume
normal flight (be sure to land it manually, ASAP). If, after 10 seconds, no action is taken, the aircraft will
automatically go home and land. Personally, I have it disabled because RTH flies very slowly and odds are it may
not make it back anyway. Home lock and full back on the stick is much faster. Be sure you always keep an eye on
your battery status, if you disabled it.
When the battery level reaches a Critical Battery Level Warning, the DJI Vision app screen will flash red and the
aircraft will automatically land straight down and power off the motors after landing.
You may be able to keep it aloft by applying some throttle to manoeuvre to a safer area, but at that point you are
flying on borrowed time - you can't really know how quickly the battery will die. If the Phantom happens to be
fighting the wind, it could be much quicker than you think. And when the battery is exhausted…well you know
what’s gonna happen!
With the new firmware: the Phantom has maximum descent speed set to 0.6m/s when the aircraft’s altitude is less
than 10m and descending automatically (for example in failsafe mode). The maximum speed of descent remains
2m/s in other flight conditions (DJI way to try minimizing VRS). If you are way up in the air, you might find this
painfully(read stressfully) slow... So plan ahead. Remember to always keep an eye on your battery status versus
your current aircraft location. Know when it's time to come back safely. Personally, when I'm near 30%, I make sure
I'm close to my Landing Location. Better safe than sorry!
Need to Know: Avoid Over Flying your Battery. Over flying battery times can damage battery cell and life
expectancy. It is recommended to bring your aircraft on the ground when battery level is around 30%.
Be sure to check the “Battery Status” Section.
Page 19

Landing (What? You are still in the air…You’re Goodddd)
Need to Know: Pay particular attention to the Vortex Ring State (VRS) while descending (discussed earlier).
- To land, hover over a level surface and gently pull down on the throttle gently to descend. To minimize flip over
(especially if it’s windy), try to avoid unnecessary Forward, Backward and Lateral movement when landing.
If it’s really too windy, you may want to hand catch the phantom, but please know what you're doing and be
very CAREFUL; you could get hurt.
- After landing, execute the CSC command or hold the throttle at its lowest position for 3 seconds or more until the
motors stop.
- Don’t forget to stop recording after you land (wait for the recording to stop before shutting down)
- Shut Down the equipment in the following sequential order:
(Be sure you watch: ON and OFF-The Proper Procedure)
a. Phantom Smart Battery then Remove the Battery (just in case you think it’s Off, while it’s Not…)
b. Remote Control
c. Range Extender
- Before moving/storing away the Phantom: Re-Attach Gimbal Clamp and Camera Lens Cap.
Need to Know: Sometimes, it can be hard to pull out the battery (humidity/temperature/slippery fingers...). So I
recommend you put the Gimbal Clamp back on before trying to remove the battery to help protect your "very
expensive" Gimbal from flopping around when trying to take off that d... battery. Watch this first: Easy & Hard Ways To
Remove The LiPo Battery and if you’re still having a hard time removing the battery, someone suggested putting a bit
of grease to ease up battery removal, have a look: How to solve stiff/sticking battery. Remember: you have to protect
your Gimbal (meaning: treat it with respect), otherwise you'll have issues with it.
You may breathe now 
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