P/S mode - battery efficiency
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120 meters (~400 feet) is such a short distance the difference would be negligible.
But the question really can't be answered as stated "Sport vs. P-mode"... depending on how much throttle you use P can be faster and consume more battery than S.
Ok, so what is the most battery efficient way of reaching some point? Can be much further than what I have used as an example.
If I need to go a great distance I'm gonna use Sport Mode to get there as quick as possible. I know your original post said to ignore the time factor but battery consumption is a function of flight time.
Sport Mode is definitely "less efficient" because there is greater voltage to the motors and therefore greater load on battery. But I feel this is more than compensated by the dramatically shortened flight time.
Max speed in Sport Mode is 4-5 times faster than P-Mode. But I strongly doubt SM uses 4-5 times the battery draw.
That is my personal experience and observation but without knowing the exact voltages, power draw and duration I can't prove it. I don't have the data or the math skills
Ditto.
I fly Sport mode to the point of interest, take my footage in P mode, then Sport mode back.
I feel there's less drag on the Spark in Sport mode because it tilts slightly letting each motor get a bite on the air, making it more efficient versus moving in P mode.
I fly Sport mode to the point of interest, take my footage in P mode, then Sport mode back.
I feel there's less drag on the Spark in Sport mode because it tilts slightly letting each motor get a bite on the air, making it more efficient versus moving in P mode.
That is exactly my flight pattern as well.
In the past when returning home a great distance in P-Mode I could watch battery fading fast -- sometimes it would try to force land and I'd have to fight it back. The effect was dramatically worse when returning against the wind (undesirable but not always avoidable). But now I flip into Sport Mode and I'm back in a flash with battery to spare. This is especially critical because I'm usually flying over water.
I understand that it's anecdotal and not scientific but we're talking about 100 fights or so. And there are other factors to consider besides wind direction.
I'm not sure if I can agree with you on that.
Max speed is 31 mph (50 km/h) in Sport Mode without wind. That would mean P-mode max. speed around 7.5 mph (12 km/h) - I think it's much faster than that!
But I understand your logic.
Max speed is 31 mph (50 km/h) in Sport Mode without wind. That would mean P-mode max. speed around 7.5 mph (12 km/h) - I think it's much faster than that!
But I understand your logic.
I'm sorry brother but the Spark is not nearly as fast as you think. Check the Owner's Manual. Page 9. "Flight Modes"
Max speed in Sport Mode is 31mph
Max speed is P-Mode is only 6.7mph
So my estimate of 4-5 times faster was spot on (4.63x to be exact). So I stand by my prior post.
What a surprise!
You are right, my apologies.
I was under the impression that normal speed is around half of Sport mode.
You are right, my apologies.
I was under the impression that normal speed is around half of Sport mode.
In p-mode and 3d sensors disabled, speed is 13.5 mph, about the half of sport mode.
McCloudSpark
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RTH is close to SP speed so that is the most efficient IMHO
nilanjan118
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Not a very specific response to the question asked but I can tell from my own experience that a combination of P-mode and Sports mode (more of Sports mode) always gives me more flight time than just P-mode. Also, P-mode and just hover (to take photos, panoramas) gives the least flight time.
And to specifically answer your question, if I have to fly straight to point X which is 120m away, 50m high from take-off point, I will definitely have more battery left if I do it in Sports mode as compared to P-mode.
And to specifically answer your question, if I have to fly straight to point X which is 120m away, 50m high from take-off point, I will definitely have more battery left if I do it in Sports mode as compared to P-mode.
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My experience is exactly the same as yours. No coincidence there.
Over time you learn how to get the maximum flight time from your Spark by trial and error. It's like learning to play an instrument by ear. It's more art than math.
nilanjan118
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That's right. My usage in Sports mode is limited to going from A to B in a straight line. I try to avoid yaw and roll as much as possible. And under such flight pattern, I can say with confidence that Sports mode will help you travel from any point A to point B with the least battery consumed and least time. However, it will be difficult to tell how a combination of movements will affect battery life in P-mode vs Sports mode.
RTH is close to SP speed so that is the most efficient IMHO
That makes perfect sense. I'm sure DJI engineers would determine the most absolutely efficient speed for RTH when drone turns back with low battery. It worthy let wouldn't make sense crawling home in P-Mode with a great distance to cover -- even though slow speed uses less battery it just takes too much time.
Every single "distance test" on YouTube is returning home manually in Sport Mode as well -- those guys have figured this out too.
nilanjan118
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Had completely missed this comment.
However, the RTH speed is not exactly Sports mode speed. It is about 36km/hr (22mph). So it is somewhere between P-mode and Sports mode speed. Here is one of my videos where the return flight is in RTH with no right joystick input.
And it surely makes sense after reading this.RTH is close to SP speed so that is the most efficient IMHO
However, the RTH speed is not exactly Sports mode speed. It is about 36km/hr (22mph). So it is somewhere between P-mode and Sports mode speed. Here is one of my videos where the return flight is in RTH with no right joystick input.
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Yes. That was our conclusion as well.
Wide open throttle (WOT) is usually beyond the the peak of a motor's efficiency on the power curve.
The OP was asking "P-mode vs. Sport Mode for peak efficiency". But that is overly simplistic because each selection is actually a range of speeds and not a binary choice.
Based on cumulative experience* and the default RTH speed chosen by DJI the peak efficiency appears to lie in Sport Mode just shy of WOT. When I manually RTH that's what has been working best. But I start RTH around 25% so it never gets that critical anyway. I leave "range tests" to braver souls like yourself.
*your mileage may vary
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