AirSense not working with Air 3S/RC2

[JonJonPiperson]

Just got an Air 3S with RC2 and have taken it out a few times. Not sure why, but AirSense doesn't seem to be working at all.

I'm coming from an Air 2 with the non-smart controller hooked up to a phone. It's very clear I _should_ be seeing planes, because I'd see traffic all the time at my usual spots right on the edge of Class C airspace with the old controller and drone. I check FlightAware and definitely see traffic that I should be seeing on the RC2, and no. Yesterday I saw a plane within a thousand feet and up about a thousand, got no notification, but the plane was transmitting via ADS-B, visible on FlightAware.

I've checked the firmware and I'm up to date. Went to Safety -> Advanced Safety Settings -> And AirSense is turned on. I turned it off and on again just to make sure I wasn't missing some hidden acknowledgment. On the map view, I click the plane icon and have it set to "low, medium, high collision risk"

Does this require data/Wi-Fi to be on? I have the controller using my phone's hotspot via Wi-Fi. I read something about the connection not being on when the motors are running? Does this matter?

Is this a known issue? Anything else I may have missed here?

 

[Cafguy]

AirSense is designed to alert you to nearby manned aircraft equipped with ADS-B "out," but not all aircraft broadcast this signal.
The system also requires a direct line of sight with the aircraft's transponder.
Most Military aircraft do not use ads-b "out" and while they are equipped with it, It is usually disabled for security reasons.

 

[kenjancef]

Just got an Air 3S with RC2 and have taken it out a few times. Not sure why, but AirSense doesn't seem to be working at all.

I'm coming from an Air 2 with the non-smart controller hooked up to a phone. It's very clear I _should_ be seeing planes, because I'd see traffic all the time at my usual spots right on the edge of Class C airspace with the old controller and drone. I check FlightAware and definitely see traffic that I should be seeing on the RC2, and no. Yesterday I saw a plane within a thousand feet and up about a thousand, got no notification, but the plane was transmitting via ADS-B, visible on FlightAware.

I've checked the firmware and I'm up to date. Went to Safety -> Advanced Safety Settings -> And AirSense is turned on. I turned it off and on again just to make sure I wasn't missing some hidden acknowledgment. On the map view, I click the plane icon and have it set to "low, medium, high collision risk"

Does this require data/Wi-Fi to be on? I have the controller using my phone's hotspot via Wi-Fi. I read something about the connection not being on when the motors are running? Does this matter?

Is this a known issue? Anything else I may have missed here?

I actually had the same question for a while now, but I haven't asked yet. I came from an Air 2S, and I live about 1/4 mile from Class C, and planes fly a lot in my area. The Air 2S would alert me all the time, even with single engine planes (I also get commercial airliners as well). But my Air 3S with RC2 never alerts me, even with it turned on.

 

[GadgetGuy]

AirSense is designed to alert you to nearby manned aircraft equipped with ADS-B "out," but not all aircraft broadcast this signal.
The system also requires a direct line of sight with the aircraft's transponder.
Most Military aircraft do not use ads-b "out" and while they are equipped with it, It is usually disabled for security reasons.

Many private airplanes also do not have ADS-B.

• Aircraft age and type: Older aircraft, especially those with simple systems, are less likely to be equipped with ADS-B.
• Flight path: Aircraft flying at lower altitudes or in less-controlled airspace are not required to have ADS-B.

 

[kenjancef]

Many private airplanes also do not have ADS-B.

• Aircraft age and type: Older aircraft, especially those with simple systems, are less likely to be equipped with ADS-B.
• Flight path: Aircraft flying at lower altitudes or in less-controlled airspace are not required to have ADS-B.

But in my case I am literally in the flight path of the main airport in my area, I am about 3/4 mile outside the 5-mile radius. Commercial planes (Southwest, Delta, etc...) fly over my house on a regular basis, and I NEVER get alerted. But I got alerted all the time with my 2S.

 

[JonJonPiperson]

Many private airplanes also do not have ADS-B.

• Aircraft age and type: Older aircraft, especially those with simple systems, are less likely to be equipped with ADS-B.
• Flight path: Aircraft flying at lower altitudes or in less-controlled airspace are not required to have ADS-B.

Understood, but I was also using FlightAware on my phone. I'd visually spot a plane, look it up on FlightAware, look at the Track Log for the plane, and it would be all ADS-B data. I'm just outside of KOAK and these are all airliners headed on up to FL600, so they definitely have ADS-B out.

I'm not sure if this is the drone, the controller, or some buried setting that I don't know about.

 

[MS Coast]

Understood, but I was also using FlightAware on my phone. I'd visually spot a plane, look it up on FlightAware, look at the Track Log for the plane, and it would be all ADS-B data. I'm just outside of KOAK and these are all airliners headed on up to FL600, so they definitely have ADS-B out.

I'm not sure if this is the drone, the controller, or some buried setting that I don't know about.

It sounds like you have the correct settings. That aircraft 1000' away at about 1000' AGL should have shown up on the controller since you confirmed it was broadcasting ADS-B via FlightAware.

If you still have the Air 2S, is it showing aircraft nearby?

(FL600 is 60,000 feet. The Concorde was probably the only commercial airliner to reach that altitude.)

 

[JonJonPiperson]

If you still have the Air 2S, is it showing aircraft nearby?

I do still fly it, and it's giving me alerts just fine.

A possible wild card here is I'm using it with the RC-231 controller plugged into an iPhone, where I'm using the RC2 with the Air 3S. I don't think that would make a difference since the receiver is in the drone itself, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't something weird going on like I have to pair the RC2 with a phone even though it's a freestanding controller, or there's some magical setting I didn't see.

(FL600 is 60,000 feet. The Concorde was probably the only commercial airliner to reach that altitude.)

Either I wasn't fully caffeinated when I typed this, or Southwest has taken early delivery on those Boom jets.

 

[Cafguy]

Are you sure your settings are correct?

 

[Riptide]

Since you have a positive control that is working, I'd lean towards using assistant 2 to reflash the firmware on your drone and rc2 and then reset all your settings.

 

[kenjancef]

A possible wild card here is I'm using it with the RC-231 controller plugged into an iPhone, where I'm using the RC2 with the Air 3S. I don't think that would make a difference since the receiver is in the drone itself, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't something weird going on like I have to pair the RC2 with a phone even though it's a freestanding controller, or there's some magical setting I didn't see.

I used my Air 2S with the older RC (with screen, not the RC-N1), and I got alerts all the time. But still don't get them on my 3S with RC2.

 

[motocatfish]

My Air 3S alerted me to nearby planes for several months after the purchase early this year. It & the RC2 controller have had updates since. It seems like one of those updates has turned the function off.

I fly in the edge of Class D with LAANC approval and have not seem a plane alert in several months now. I hear the planes pass over almost every time I fly. AirSense is shown as turned ON in the Advanced Safety Settings.

Just another observation,

Catfish ...

 

[kenjancef]

My Air 3S alerted me to nearby planes for several months after the purchase early this year. It & the RC2 controller have had updates since. It seems like one of those updates has turned the function off.

I fly in the edge of Class D with LAANC approval and have not seem a plane alert in several months now. I hear the planes pass over almost every time I fly. AirSense is shown as turned ON in the Advanced Safety Settings.

Just another observation,

Catfish ...

I bet you are correct, an update may have done something to do with it. I got my 3S at the beginning of February, and I don't remember AirSense working at all since I got it.

 

[JonJonPiperson]

Since you have a positive control that is working, I'd lean towards using assistant 2 to reflash the firmware on your drone and rc2 and then reset all your settings.

I did this over the weekend. Reflashed both, started from factory settings. Same thing, no notifications.

What's the best way to report a bug to DJI these days? I don't expect much of a response, but wouldn't mind sending the data their way.

 

[kenjancef]

I did this over the weekend. Reflashed both, started from factory settings. Same thing, no notifications.

What's the best way to report a bug to DJI these days? I don't expect much of a response, but wouldn't mind sending the data their way.

Was thinking the same, but with the current state of things, I'm not sure what their support is like... or if there is any support at all.