Sport mode vs Non-Sport mode & battery efficiency

[SoccerRef12]

Here's the scenario: I live on a ranch in Texas with a pond out front sometimes I want to take photos/videos of the cows on the far side of the pond, about maybe 150' away.
Here's the question: is it more battery friendly to fly over in non-sport mode at about 6 mph, or switch to sport mode and fly 30 mph, then switch to non-sport mode and take pics/videos? Same question for returning.

 

[Spark 317]

I fly to my subject in Sport mode and switch when I get there.

Same thing on the return trip.

The Spark tilts slightly giving each motor a bite in the air when in Sport mode rather than dragging along.

The sticks are very sensitive in Sport mode so I tend to line up my path and fly straight there and back to eliminate zig zaging around wasting more power.

 

[RotorWash]

I find the Spark will cover more ground in Sport mode in comparison to P Mode given the same amount of battery percentage used. Others have not but maybe it depends a bit on battery age as well. That said don't forget that sometimes you get lucky and getting to the shot is better than the shot itself.

 

[nilanjan118]

Here's the scenario: I live on a ranch in Texas with a pond out front sometimes I want to take photos/videos of the cows on the far side of the pond, about maybe 150' away.
Here's the question: is it more battery friendly to fly over in non-sport mode at about 6 mph, or switch to sport mode and fly 30 mph, then switch to non-sport mode and take pics/videos? Same question for returning.

The answer I think lies in the way DJI has programmed the RTH feature. Since RTH is an emergency feature, I am sure DJI must have selected a speed which ensures that the drone returns home with the most efficient use of the battery. In other words, RTH is designed in a way that the drone has to cover max. distance in least time without going too hard on the battery to drain it fast. Now if you have ever used RTH at a distance greater than 100m from home point, you would have noticed that obstacle avoidance is turned off and the drone travels at ~36kmph (22mph). That to me is the most "battery friendly" speed as you asked. So all we have to do is switch to sports mode but not go full throttle on the sticks. I have tried it myself and with little practice, it isn't difficult to maintain a speed of 30~35kmph in sports mode. Hope I was able to make sense.

 

[RotorWash]

The answer I think lies in the way DJI has programmed the RTH feature. Since RTH is an emergency feature, I am sure DJI must have selected a speed which ensures that the drone returns home with the most efficient use of the battery. In other words, RTH is designed in a way that the drone has to cover max. distance in least time without going too hard on the battery to drain it fast. Now if you have ever used RTH at a distance greater than 100m from home point, you would have noticed that obstacle avoidance is turned off and the drone travels at ~36kmph (22mph). That to me is the most "battery friendly" speed as you asked. So all we have to do is switch to sports mode but not go full throttle on the sticks. I have tried it myself and with little practice, it isn't difficult to maintain a speed of 30~35kmph in sports mode. Hope I was able to make sense.

I came back to edit my post to say if DJI has 10m/s RTH then that's probably the sweet spot but you said it far better nilanjan118. Wind and other factors can vary it as well no doubt and yes not gong full throttle is important, which I rarely do unless horsing around.

 

[nilanjan118]

I came back to edit my post to say if DJI has 10m/s RTH then that's probably the sweet spot but you said it far better nilanjan118. Wind and other factors can vary it as well no doubt.

You are right. The number will surely vary depending on wind speed and direction. I said 36kmph because that's what it seems in one of my videos which I had made while I was trying to experiment with Dashware telemetry overlay.