.400 firmware and DJI GO 4 app questions

cirrusly · Jul 3, 2017

I posted this yesterday in the general section but I just saw this Firmware and Software Discussion section and thought it may be more appropriate to post it here.
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I just downgraded both my controller and Mavic Pro to .400 (thanks everyone that made this possible!) It seems to be working properly. I use my Mavic with the DJI Go 4 app (mainly just for calibration purposes), Litchi and Autopilot. I have a few questions that perhaps someone can answer:

I am running the current DJI Go 4 app (4.1.3) and it seems to work fine with the .400 firmware. Isn't is very possible / likely that DJI will make the DJI Go 4 app only work with the latest versions of the firmware forcing us to upgrade if we want to use their app (and I understand it is still mandatory for some functions like some of the calibrations.)
Is it possible to downgrade to an older version of the DJI Go 4 app, and if so which one was stable with .400, and how do you downgrade?
Isn't is also possible / likely that they'll change the API so that when Autopilot / Litchi etc. modify their apps to work with it that they won't work with the API from .400?
If I'm not in airplane mode when I start DJI Go 4 will it start to update the firmware automatically or does it require confirmation? So far I've just started it in airplane mode. It still gives me a warning that I'm out of date (I don't know how it knows since the network connection is shut off) but I can ignore that.

Thanks!

RavenTBK · Jul 5, 2017

1. It's entirely possible, and given the removal of official downgrade ability, it's also highly likely that a future Go4 release will not support "expired" firmwares.

2. Android, yes easily. Sites like apkmirror have most older versions. Download your choice, uninstall the new, enable "unknown sources" in your phone's settings, click the downloaded file to install. iOS, I understand it's a yes as well, but I have no info. iirc, 4.0.3 was put out the same time fw400 came out. I personally run 4.0.7 on my S8+ with no problems.

3. Highly likely as well, given #1.

4. If you have network connectivity, it will only nag you for confirmation. Nothing happens without permission.

cirrusly · Jul 5, 2017

RavenTBK said:
1. It's entirely possible, and given the removal of official downgrade ability, it's also highly likely that a future Go4 release will not support "expired" firmwares.

2. Android, yes easily. Sites like apkmirror have most older versions. Download your choice, uninstall the new, enable "unknown sources" in your phone's settings, click the downloaded file to install. iOS, I understand it's a yes as well, but I have no info. iirc, 4.0.3 was put out the same time fw400 came out. I personally run 4.0.7 on my S8+ with no problems.

3. Highly likely as well, given #1.

4. If you have network connectivity, it will only nag you for confirmation. Nothing happens without permission.

Thanks. All things considered I have decided to go back to using the current firmware. If necessary I have the .400 that I can go back to, but for me the downsides of not upgrading exceed the downsides of keeping current.

continuecrushing · Jul 7, 2017

so did you decide to give into the new firmware? I'm in the same boat, I've got 4.1.3 on the ipad now, and running .400 on mavic. I thought the app was a forced update, but not the firmware?

cirrusly · Jul 7, 2017

continuecrushing said:
so did you decide to give into the new firmware? I'm in the same boat, I've got 4.1.3 on the ipad now, and running .400 on mavic. I thought the app was a forced update, but not the firmware?

Yes. For me the latest firmware has little downside. If I ever need to go back to .400 I can, but I see no need to currently. I did notice that running the latest app and the .400 firmware I was unable to change from 50hz to 60hz.

I have no doubt that as going forward the app and even the api will be changing and will be incompatible with .400. Obviously I could find an old version of the app and keep that and the old firmware, however I use Litchi and Autopilot WAY more than I use DJI Go 4 so when DJI changes the API and Litchi and Autopilot have to adapt I highly doubt that either of them are going to make their apps backward compatible for the few that are running .400.

For me the latest software and firmware makes more sense. For others, perhaps not.

continuecrushing · Jul 7, 2017

Gotcha. I figured as much, there is no reason for me NOT to have the latest...but I also didn't need to either.

I'm about to buy litchi for waypoints, since the go 4 app doesn't change camera pitch/save camera position. Unless they've changed/updated it recently...

cirrusly · Jul 7, 2017

Litchi is WELL worth the money.

Erick705 · Jul 8, 2017

That 60hz will only get annoying when there's lights in your video. If you were trying to change it, I'm sure you already knew that....

cirrusly · Jul 9, 2017

Erick705 said:
That 60hz will only get annoying when there's lights in your video. If you were trying to change it, I'm sure you already knew that....

Yes, and the light really wasn't the issue as I'm not planning on flying and shooting at night. However, if the DJI app can't access the Hz setting if you're running .400, I'm guessing (and it's probably a pretty good guess) that as future updates come out other settings will be inaccessible as well.

That means either using .400 AND and an older version of the DJI app and not updating either and if DJI changes the api significantly and Autopilot and Litchi adjust their apps accordingly I won't be able to use either with the old firmware / api OR using the most current of everything and put up with (for me anyway) fairly insignificant inconveniences. For me I choose the latter.

I understand why some people feel so adamantly about remaining on .400 but for me it doesn't make sense after all things are considered.