Unable to connect to Litchi anymore

[torqum]

I never used to have problems before with connecting to Litchi, but I haven't flown in a little over a year and am flying a mavic pro on a 2 year-old firmware version* and using Litchi version 3.10.9 (which must be about the same age). That outdatedness shouldn't be a problem though because I've always been able to fly. But when I went to fly today, I had no problem connecting the controller to the mavic, but when I plugged in the usb cord and the Litchi app automatically launched, it said "disconnected" at the top and that never changed.

What might be the problem? I guess, more specifically, what kind of diagnostic can I run, if any?

*The reason I never updated the firmware is because I always like to wait and see if there are any bugs or flaws in new firmware versions. But when DJI started getting more restrictive with each firmware update, that was a major turn off and I'd rather not deal with all the hoops they want us to go through now. The reason I haven't updated Litchi is the same. It would probably tell me that I'd then have to update my Mavic firmware for it to work.

edit: it occurred to me that because the default usb mode on my phone (LG G5) was charge-only, that might be the issue. So I changed the default to file-transfer. But it still doesn't connect. Oddly, I don't know if I can rule out the usb mode as the issue though because when I connect the cord to my phone it vibrates a bunch of times over a short period, indicating re-establishment of a connection each time, and sometimes reverts back to charge-only mode (even though I selected file-transfer and "always" as the usb mode). The problem isn't the cord itself, since I've tried it with multiple cords. Does this sound like a familiar issue to anyone?

 

[crlmjohnson]

I agree....I am pretty sure it is the updates that you need. the new features in the updates are not really that bad, once you get use to them, and the extra steps you have to go thru, especially in protection air space.

 

[torqum]

I agree....I am pretty sure it is the updates that you need. the new features in the updates are not really that bad, once you get use to them, and the extra steps you have to go thru, especially in protection air space.

But what I don't understand is how the drone or app know that I need to update. Can someone confirm if Litchi's servers communicate with the app in the background (even if you aren't running the app) and tell the app to no longer let me connect with the mavic at some point?

 

[BrucenYvette]

Couple ideas come to mind for you to try.

1. Idea #1: Try rebooting your phone, then see if things return to normal and you can fly Litchi
2. Idea #2: Suhut down AC and the Controller, then on your phone go to SETTINGS/APPS/Litchi and do a "Forced Close". Then turn on Controller, then AC and see if everything connects.
3. Idea #3: Try a new USB cable connecting between controller and phone
4. Idea #4: Try uninstall / reinstall Litchi App. Then see if things return to normal.

 

[bliksem]

I always need to restart my Android phone after running DJI Go 4 and before running Litchi. If I don't restart then I get the Disconnected status. After the restart it connects fine. I have the latest version of everything. I find I need to start up DJI Go 4 and do a launch and get it to go through any warnings, accept them and clear them and actually launch the drone, then land and restart my phone before opening Litchi or Drone Deploy. If I don't do the DJI Go 4 startup then the GPS does not lock in my other apps. I've tried shortcuts but always seem to have to go through the same startup routine. YMMV

 

[BrucenYvette]

Solution: Instead of rebooting your phone try this instead AFTER EACH FLIGHT.

1. Go to SETTINGS/APPS and scroll down to the App that you used to fly the mission.
2. Click FORCE CLOSE.

I've been flying Litchi and DGI Go 4 about 6 months and I have found that, for example, if I've flown using DJI Go 4, and then forget to do the FORCE CLOSE, the next time that I go out to fly using Litchi, I get DISCONNECTED status. So I have to:
1. shut down the Mavic,
2. shut down the Controller,
3. shut down the Litchi App, and then
4. go in and FORCE CLOSE the DJI Go 4 App.

Works the opposite as well. If my last flight I used Litchi and forgot to FORCE CLOSE Litchi at the end of the flight, when I try to fly DJI I get DISCONNECTED status on DJI and have have to go through the process.

This should solve the problem.

One other "weird" thing is that I have to make sure that I have to unlock my android phone screen BEFORE I turn on the Mavic and turn on the Controller. If I try to start things up with my screen locked dark, the flight app (Litchi or DJI) will not auto-start.

 

[torqum]

After a bit more googling around I'm pretty sure I found the problem. The problem isn't with Litchi or with any other app. The problem is with connecting to the controller. Specifically, the problem is that after I upgraded my LG G5 to the Nougat version of the Android operating system, the phone is no longer able to connect to the controller in anything but charging-mode. If I try to select any other mode (even if I click "always"), the connection is lost, then re-established in charging mode.

 

[BrucenYvette]

Ah-ha! I had the same experience!! So here is the solution. You need to access "Developer Options" on your phone. Here is a link to how to to do this and what you are supposed to do.

Install DJI GO on an Android Tablet or Phone (Step-by-Step Guide) | Phantom Help

 

[torqum]

Ah-ha! I had the same experience!! So here is the solution. You need to access "Developer Options" on your phone. Here is a link to how to to do this and what you are supposed to do.

Install DJI GO on an Android Tablet or Phone (Step-by-Step Guide) | Phantom Help

No, I'm way past that. The problem really is with the operating system. It's actually the Oreo operating system (I misspoke when I said it was Nougat). The workaround I found for a different model LG phone was to access developer options, connect the phone to the controller, then toggle "debugging" on and off several times until the connection is stabilized. Then leave debugging on and manually open the app. However, even though I'm able to stabilize the connection that way, it still reverts to "charging-mode". If I select to change the mode then it immediately disconnects from the controller and tries to re-establish a connection, going haywire again until I toggle debugging on and off several more times, but then it's back to "charge only". There really is no way around it. Either I revert back to the Nougat operating system, which from what I can tell is a real pain in the *** to do (LG phones aren't meant to allow you to downgrade operating systems) or I buy a tablet to operate the drone.

 

[BrucenYvette]

Ouch! I've been flying with this android phone and been pretty happy it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CPWMKQ4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_E4rBCbPZJW8VX

 

[torqum]

Ouch! I've been flying with this android phone and been pretty happy it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CPWMKQ4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_E4rBCbPZJW8VX

Thanks for the suggestions. Do you use it as a dedicated drone-operating device or as a phone too?

 

[BrucenYvette]

It also serves as my phone. However, there are some things I do to keep my phone "clean" because I don't want ads and apps disrupting my flying.

1. I refuse to install any apps that contain ads- yes, that means if I want an app on my phone, I only us "pro" versions which are "paid" apps.
2. I have ALL "APP Notifications" blocked except for absolute essential (ie. phone, messaging)
3. I use a paid "Cleaner" app and use that to "clean" my phone before each flight. It cleans up unnecessary use of my phone's RAM which is key to trouble-free flying.
4. I keep "background" apps running to a minimum.
5. And I keep my app installations to a minimum.

I'm retired, so my cell phone is no longer my all-and-everything work phone. If I were still a working man, I'd seriously consider a dedicated phone. I've never seen the Doogee Mix listed anywhere as a good Android option for flying....but my Doogee Mix has superior screen resolution and is EXCELLENT (as excellent as is possible) in the sun and I have been EXTREMELY happy with its performance.

BTW, when I first started flying last May, I started out with a tablet. I liked the "real estate" (i.e. the large screen) of the tablet, but I soon tired of the cumbersomeness of the tablet. Often times I fly at a beach and a couple of other places where I just don't want to have to carry the backpack with all the goodies (like a tablet, the sunscreen for the tablet, the mounting bracket for the tablet, the extra USB cord for the tablet, etc., etc.).