Mavic 3 landings after Drone-Hack

[DARKSeifer]

The first time you installed the hack, was the signal lost feature in "Hover mode" by default?
I installed the hack and the next day lost the drone. I am pretty sure this option was activated by default in hover mode after the hack. My fault really for not re-checking this. I always use it in RTH when the signal is lost. I was flying really far and lost signal. My assumption after waiting for it to recover signal for a while (plenty of battery left) is that the drone didn't have this option enabled by defaut, so it stayed in the same spot. I did press the RTH button on the controller in case a sudden signal recovery, which I did for a few seconds, but it didn't work. bat_land_off was on (not the the default setting by dji) so the drone fell to the ground after depleting the battery, I assume. Never got it back.
Would be good to read some experiences from other user here.
The hack was an amazing tool to have anyway! Right now looking for a second hand unit here in my country.

It's set to hover by default, which after the hack is not hover anymore, but climb to X altitude (by default is 500 meters) to avoid antidrone guns interference. Antidorone guns need to be 5 times closer to the drone than the controller to work, so by gaining altitude, you regain the control of the drone over the interference of the gun.

If the drone is set to hover behaviour when connection is lost and the low battery is set to "bat_land_on,", you'll lose your drone if you can't regain connection, because low battery won't trigger RTH. If it's set to "bat_land_off," (default DJI drones behavior) low battery RTH will save your drone unless you were flying with a strong wind on your back.

On the Drone-hacks page is not properly written. On the original russian pdf it says it correctly:

"bat_land_on," --> Enables the hack and disables low battery RTH.

"bat_land_off,"--> Default DJI behaviour.

So after the firmware installation, to regain the default DJI safety, you need to enter the fly app and switch to RTH when lost signal and set the parameter "bat_land_off,". Then do a test flight in VLOS at 100-150m or so (if you are too close RTH DJI default behavior will just land the drone at the drone's location) to see if it's working as intended. You can turn off the controller to test the lost connection behavior (then turn it on again ofc), and RTH should engage and when you reach the orange line of the battery.

 

[cmunozs]

It's set to hover by default, which after the hack is not hover anymore

Mmm hard to say now that I lost the drone. But it is the only reason why I can think of the drone loosing signal y not recovering it.

If the drone is set to hover behaviour when connection is lost and the low battery is set to "bat_land_on", you'll lose your drone if you can't regain connection,

That is what happened to me.

 

[DARKSeifer]

That is what happened to me.

It will lead to a lot of lost drones, I noticed it because I tested all features at close range after the firmware install and panicked when the drone started to climb on its own after I turned off the controller to test the connection lost behavior.

I was going to roll back to the official firmware, but then noticed that it was set to hover and that it was an intended feature. Documentation in drone-hacks should warn you in big red capital letters to default your drone to RTH in the app and set "bat_landing_off,".

Also, should insist in being careful with the Cine/Atti mode because in that mode, if you can't regain connection, you'll also lose the drone, because unlike the official Atti mode on previous DJI drones, the GPS is completely turned off, and low battery RTH won't work.

Those are the main 2 scenarios that can lead to a lost drone with this firmware if the user isn't aware.

On the other hand, I couldn't recommend any other drone and firmware these days, the tranquility of being able to fly anywhere without being listened by Aeroscope/RID is gold, now you can focus on photography like with any other camera, instead of trying to avoid being hunted down because you are a "pilot" flying an "aircraft" and 10.000 people will die if you crash your <900g plastic flying camera into a tree.

Mavic 3 + DH firmware (1001) + RC Pro is the perfect combination, and I'll stick to it both for hobby and professionally until the Mavic 4 or whatever can also be hacked to be invisible to Aeroscope/RID.

 

[cmunozs]

Also, should insist in being careful with the Cine/Atti mode because in that mode, if you can't regain connection, you'll also lose the drone, because unlike the official Atti mode on previous DJI drones, the GPS is completely turned off, and low battery RTH won't work.

I think you are right. This is the only thing that I really didn't want to have due to the amount of times I use the Cine mode. I basically use it all the time. However, I don't think the drone really looses the GPS entirely. It didn't behave as Atti mode when I tested it. I tried the Atti mode with strong winds and the drone didn't move at all from its position and once you switch it to normal mode, gps signal appears almost instantly. I did not tried the RTH feature, nor turning off the controller.

 

[Droning on and on...]

On the other hand, I couldn't recommend any other drone and firmware these days, the tranquility of being able to fly anywhere without being listened by Aeroscope/RID is gold, now you can focus on photography like with any other camera, instead of trying to avoid being hunted down because you are a "pilot" flying an "aircraft" and 10.000 people will die if you crash your <900g plastic flying camera into a tree.

Wow... all I can say is your experiences flying are way, way different than mine.

Like an alternate reality.

 

[cmunozs]

Would you describe your experience?

 

[DARKSeifer]

Wow... all I can say is your experiences flying are way, way different than mine.

Like an alternate reality.

There's been a witch hunt against drones in Spain after they got more than 60 portable Aeroscope units in 2018 and installed a few of the big Aeroscope antennas on the big cities. They also track you down through social media, and pretty much the entire map is forbidden to fly because there's no way to easily get approval to fly in controlled airspace.

Drones are basically forbidden between the lines, so no freelancer can sell aerial pics apart from the big companies that have the money to pay for their right to fly virtually anywhere.

I'm lucky enough to live in a remote area under uncontrolled airspace, so I can fly every day as a hobby, but professionally as a photographer, despite having A1/A3 A2 and STS I always do it as a hit&run, because no client is going to wait 20 days or more till you get a permit just to include a few aerial pics.

Either you learn to hit&run or you sell your drone second hand. On the other hand, the DJI annual report always tells me I fly more than 99.9% of the people, so maybe it's not just in Spain where the people buy the drone, see the rules, see the fines, and leave it on the shelf.

 

[TuT]

The first time you installed the hack, was the signal lost feature in "Hover mode" by default?
I installed the hack and the next day lost the drone. I am pretty sure this option was activated by default in hover mode after the hack. My fault really for not re-checking this. I always use it in RTH when the signal is lost. I was flying really far and lost signal. My assumption after waiting for it to recover signal for a while (plenty of battery left) is that the drone didn't have this option enabled by defaut, so it stayed in the same spot. I did press the RTH button on the controller in case a sudden signal recovery, which I did for a few seconds, but it didn't work. bat_land_off was on (not the the default setting by dji) so the drone fell to the ground after depleting the battery, I assume. Never got it back.
Would be good to read some experiences from other user here.
The hack was an amazing tool to have anyway! Right now looking for a second hand unit here in my country.

YES, when I first installed the new firmware the app was set to Hover Mode by default.
Luckily I had read on the forums to check this setting and changed it to RTH. RTH seems to stick once you change it.

 

[TuT]

I think you are right. This is the only thing that I really didn't want to have due to the amount of times I use the Cine mode. I basically use it all the time. However, I don't think the drone really looses the GPS entirely. It didn't behave as Atti mode when I tested it. I tried the Atti mode with strong winds and the drone didn't move at all from its position and once you switch it to normal mode, gps signal appears almost instantly. I did not tried the RTH feature, nor turning off the controller.

When I tried C mode it didn't go into ATTI until I was quite high. At low altitudes it seems to be Cinematic mode but at high altitudes the software will say "ATTI MODE" and you lose GPS. As I am new to this firmware I'm not sure what the height activation is, but this has been my experience so far.

 

[cmunozs]

Will double check this if I get a new drone.

When I tried C mode it didn't go into ATTI until I was quite high. At low altitudes it seems to be Cinematic mode but at high altitudes the software will say "ATTI MODE" and you lose GPS. As I am new to this firmware I'm not sure what the height activation is, but this has been my experience so far.

 

[DARKSeifer]

When I tried C mode it didn't go into ATTI until I was quite high. At low altitudes it seems to be Cinematic mode but at high altitudes the software will say "ATTI MODE" and you lose GPS. As I am new to this firmware I'm not sure what the height activation is, but this has been my experience so far.

When you are close to the ground, despite not having GPS, it still uses the bottom sensors to hold position, but that stops working at certain altitude.

 

[cmunozs]

Even if the sensors are deactivated? Probably answering myself here, but it was supposed to have the sensors activated anyway on that firmware, right?

 

[TuT]

When you are close to the ground, despite not having GPS, it still uses the bottom sensors to hold position, but that stops working at certain altitude.

But I have found it doesn't say "ATTI MODE" at low altitudes, and the device reacts slowly like it is in Cinematic mode.

 

[TuT]

It's set to hover by default, which after the hack is not hover anymore, but climb to X altitude (by default is 500 meters) to avoid antidrone guns interference. Antidorone guns need to be 5 times closer to the drone than the controller to work, so by gaining altitude, you regain the control of the drone over the interference of the gun.

If the drone is set to hover behaviour when connection is lost and the low battery is set to "bat_land_on,", you'll lose your drone if you can't regain connection, because low battery won't trigger RTH. If it's set to "bat_land_off," (default DJI drones behavior) low battery RTH will save your drone unless you were flying with a strong wind on your back.

On the Drone-hacks page is not properly written. On the original russian pdf it says it correctly:

"bat_land_on," --> Enables the hack and disables low battery RTH.

"bat_land_off,"--> Default DJI behaviour.

So after the firmware installation, to regain the default DJI safety, you need to enter the fly app and switch to RTH when lost signal and set the parameter "bat_land_off,". Then do a test flight in VLOS at 100-150m or so (if you are too close RTH DJI default behavior will just land the drone at the drone's location) to see if it's working as intended. You can turn off the controller to test the lost connection behavior (then turn it on again ofc), and RTH should engage and when you reach the orange line of the battery.

 

[TuT]

I found the opposite. I set bat_land_off and when I pressed RTH the drone started climbing.

When I set bat_land_on my RTH worked as normal. I also turned off my remote to confirm and my Mavic 3 flew back home. Not sure why some people are getting different results.