Is my Mavic suffering from a cold?

[gavinski]

For any doctors out there, here's the symptoms:

• Dropped video signal (repeatedly)
• Data write errors (slow)
• Loss of GPS signal (auto switch to ATTI mode)

The last few times flying it has been in the cold air of the mountains in the Pacific Northwest, where the temperature has ranged from 25-35 degrees F.

Multiple times on each flight, the video signal will drop out. The quickest and easiest remedy is to disconnect the phone from the controller, then reconnect and the signal returns.

Today while flying (around 35 degrees F) I received an error stating that the writing to the card was slow even though it is a Class 10 card.

And later, after losing the video signal, the Mavic switched over to ATTI mode after losing the GPS signal. My son was flying at the time - luckily he has experience flying a homebuilt quad with no video or GPS.

I haven't checked the logs yet, but I am wondering if these are all related to cold weather? Or is it just a coincidence?

I have the latest firmware, IMU was just calibrated, clear LOS every flight, batteries warm right before flight.

Is my Mavic sick? Or does it just not like the cold? When flying in the tropical climes of Thailand recently, I had no problems at all.

Puzzled.

 

[BD0G]

Suggestion:
Switch cables from the Remote Controller to the device used. Cold makes normally flexible things inflexible. The connectivity may be suffering at either end of the cable connector.

 

[garysmacman]

Just guessing here gavinski but I live on a mountain at 1394'. The valley below me is at about 240' asl and there is a consistent difference in temperature of 7º +/- .5º. Don't know what altitude you were fling at but at 400' using the math I've noticed you'd be approaching 30º or even below. Then add in the wind chill factor of the props it has to be losing heat pretty quickly. As I said just a thought.

 

[gavinski]

Just guessing here gavinski but I live on a mountain at 1394'. The valley below me is at about 240' asl and there is a consistent difference in temperature of 7º +/- .5º. Don't know what altitude you were fling at but at 400' using the math I've noticed you'd be approaching 30º or even below. Then add in the wind chill factor of the props it has to be losing heat pretty quickly. As I said just a thought.

Good point Gary.

I have been flying at a lake at an elevation of 2,200ft asl. I am usually flying at an altitude of around 200-300ft, so it is probably be a bit colder at that height. My guess is that the cold is playing havoc with the electrical components and sensors. When I get a chance I'll fly again here in Seattle to test this hypothesis. But it has been raining here...every. single. day.

 

[garysmacman]

Well let me know how it goes would ya? I'm curious. I'm wondering how it would behave at around 40º ambient? Good luck!

 

[SteelFlyer]

I guess it depends on how long you had things out in the cold but I'm skeptical that those temps would cause the problems listed. I have flown a few times in 30 degree weather- once when it was spitting snow. I had zero issues at all and went out around 1200' distance and went through 2 batteries. Not sure what may have caused this but the Mavic appears to handle cold just fine.

 

[gavinski]

I guess it depends on how long you had things out in the cold but I'm skeptical that those temps would cause the problems listed. I have flown a few times in 30 degree weather- once when it was spitting snow. I had zero issues at all and went out around 1200' distance and went through 2 batteries. Not sure what may have caused this but the Mavic appears to handle cold just fine.

OK, that's good to know.

As for the dropping video signal, I might try and troubleshoot that one by trying the Litchi app, and also trying an android phone and a different cable.

The forecast for the lake this weekend is cold with more snow (we had a foot of fresh snow yesterday). Winter just won't quit this year here in the PNW.