Loss of RC signal at 8M from RC!

[idiogenic]

So I had a big crash the other day. I was trying to shoot a sequence along a small creek bed. At 8m from the controller, I had a loss of RC signal, the drone went into RTH mode and crashed into a tree. No amount of mashing the pause button would help.

Damage is one buggered motor, a few small cracks in the rear of the case, bent leg on the front arm. The gimbal still seems to be working thankfully.

So, fellow pilots, make sure you remember to configure your RTH settings to suit your flying environment every time! (Not sure why I didn't this time, I usually do).

Also, why the **** would it lose signal when it's so close!?!?!?!?! Had direct line of sight, no obstructions... Not a happy camper right now.

 

[CC Rider]

Sorry for your luck. I know how you feel. Perhaps someone in the Forum can help you figure out what went wrong if they can take a look at your flight logs. (I can't help you there. I'm not advanced enough yet with my Mavic.) I've seen them do it here before.

I sure hope you had DJI Care or some sort of insurance on your machine. It's another bite either way, though. Flying these things does not come cheap.

Wish you a good resolution to this problem and that your Mavic is in your hands soon up and running. Hang in there. It's supposed to better tomorrow I hear.

 

[Anthonyk]

I have noticed the when I have my mavic hovering and I'm close walking around it I will get magnetic interference warnings. Just a thought look at the flight log in go4 play it back and it will show any warning that came up during flight.


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[CC Rider]

I have noticed the when I have my mavic hovering and I'm close walking around it I will get magnetic interference warnings. Just a thought look at the flight log in go4 play it back and it will show any warning that came up during flight.


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Is examining the Mavic flight logs in GO4 just that simple? I admit I have not investigated that aspect of my Mavic yet at all (I've just been flying the heck out of it and filming like crazy), and I assumed there was some "trick" that needed to be learned in order to review the flight logs. Apparently I was wrong. So, to read them all I need to do is go through the GO4 App?

 

[Anthonyk]

Yes open the app click on the three menu bars top right and you will see your flights. Select one and you can play it back


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[CC Rider]

Yes open the app click on the three menu bars top right and you will see your flights. Select one and you can play it back


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Gotcha, Anthonyk. I didn't realize it was that simple. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer me, buddy. I'll be booting up the App shortly to look into that, something I probably should have done a while ago when I first got my Mavic. Thanks, again, for teaching me something I needed to know. Have a great day.

 

[idiogenic]

CC Rider, thanks for the kind words mate.

No refresh, I do have insurance but the excess isn't worth it. Crashing is part of the hobby to some extent, I'm just annoyed because I don't think it should have happened in this case.


Here's a flight log if anyones interested:
HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters

I also have the .DAT showing loss of RC connection at a distance of 8M from the home point (which is where I was sitting).

I should have noticed the declining signal strength during the flight, but it wasn't something I was really worried about when I had a clear line of sight to the drone less than 10 metres away.

I'm mystified as to why the signal was so poor.

 

[idiogenic]

Actually, I've misinterpreted the flight data. RC Signal strength was green when control of the aircraft was lost.

I have a .CSV (converted from .DAT) showing the exact time signal was lost. Can anyone suggest some tools to interpret this data? Looking at spreadsheet columns is difficult!

Here's a Dropbox link to the .CSV if anyone is interested:
Dropbox - FLY084.csv

Edit: .CSV shows OUTOF_CONTROL_GOHOME shortly after it loses connection to the RC, which is what I thought it was doing. I just don't understand why it suddenly lost connection to the RC.

 

[_milo_]

Your launch location was a very poor choice, at 2.4ghz your signal can't blast through so many trees. If you wanted to fly over this forest you need to pick an open area and fly to it, maintaining enough height that you don't get a fresnel zone violation, picture your signal like a football shape between your controller and the aircraft, you want that area clear of obstacles. In the map where you flew there is a nice wide open area to the East, that would have been a good launch location to fly over the woods.

Also don't fly out of a hole, or have buildings or trees a few feet from you, you may have a clear signal close in, but as you fly further, you will need a lot more height to keep that fresnel zone clear, a lot more than if you had a more open launch site.


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[idiogenic]

I had clear line of sight to the drone at all times. No obstruction by trees. As noted in my first post.

Signal strength was green as per HealthyDrones log at time of signal loss.

This should not happen.

 

[_milo_]

OK, I was looking at the flight location, but see now that you were at a very low height.


That is completely abnormal, I would think that you have an antenna is disconnected. The signal score at healthydrones is very bad! Especially at that close range, the Mavic usually shows a 0 value and at times may go up into the single digits or very low double digits (rarely), not 60.4, and certainly not that close.

If it was mine it would be going straight back to DJI, I wouldn't put it up in the air.