Allow me to introduce myself. My name is huba Bubba. I recently purchased a DJI mini four pro and I am new to the drone world.

[Huba Bubba]

I sent my mini four pro back to the seller for a refund because of controller issues. Here are just a few. I can’t get the active track to work. I can’t get the little green box to appear around the subject. Instead, I get a little yellow box and a little sun icon to adjust the exposure. Sometimes if I get the little green box to appear the sub menu for active track keeps disappearing on me and won’t let me choose an option. And a couple of times when I did get the active track to create the little box around my subject, the drone would all of a sudden take off and just fly away, requiring me to hit the return to home button. Sometimes when I try to fly, I get an AUTHORIZATION ZONE warning even though the authorized flight ceiling is 200 feet and then it tells me that I don’t have a network connection, other times in the exact same spot It lets me go ahead and fly. What’s up with that?
A couple of times I’ve had the screen on the controller lock up, requiring me to reboot the controller. All you seasoned drone pilots out there. Do you have these kind of problems? Is it my controller or is it me or both?

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Crossroads of America Huba Bubba.

I feel your pain as a new drone pilot trying to get things to cooperate, but unfortunately I don't have a mini four PRO to assist you.

But other members do and may help.

Hang in there, you'll be up and flying soon.

Welcome to the Forum.

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[Huba Bubba]

Thanks for the comforting words I feel better already

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

 

[sarahb]

Welcome!

 

[Bad Santa]

Did you do the firmware upgrade when you first powered up?
Did you do a compass calibration when you powered up the drone?

Both are important.

 

[Huba Bubba]

You know, I have been doing the firmware updates every time I turn it on the first thing I do is make sure that that’s updated but what I haven’t done is calibrate the compass so thanks for that little tidbit of info I’ll give it a try and thanks again.

 

[PakNheat380]

Welcome to the forum from NW Montana

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum @Huba Bubba!

After flying many DJI consumer drones since 2016 (I own most all of them), here's what I recommend you do (at the minimum) to get started with your DJI drone:

• Skip buying a non-DJI practice drone and start with any of the DJI consumer drones (ideally the model you'll be flying most). While it's true DJI makes one of the most expensive consumer drones, you likely won't learn much about your DJI drones by flying drones made by other manufacturers. And then you'll be back to square one again when you finally decide to ditch the practice drone and start flying a DJI drone.
  
  
• Before attempting to fly, watch some videos on YouTube.com to learn more about your drone. Search for something like "Mini 2 Beginner's Guide" (replace "Mini 2" with your drone model).
  
  
• Read the DJI manual (available in the "Products" section of the DJI Download Center) from beginning to end (maybe a few times). You're certainly not going to remember everything, but it'll give you a good understanding of the available features and capabilities of your drone. And then you can go back to the manual or YouTube videos when you need to take a deeper dive into a specific topic.
  
  
• Before flying in the US, you must register your drone with the FAA (if it weighs 250 grams or more) and take the free online TRUST test (I like this one).
  
  
• When flying in the US, your drone must broadcast RID if it weighs 250 grams or more (or is registered with the FAA). Many DJI drones (especially the newer models) have that feature built into them. If you're ever flying a drone that does not broadcast RID (meaning it's not on this list), then you'll need to attach an external RID module like the Holy Stone or Ruko RID module.
  
  
• Don't power on your drone or take off when within about 20 feet of any magnetic metal objects (like your car or rebar in concrete sidewalks). See more on compass interference in this compass calibration guide.
  
  
• Before taking off, always review the drone settings in DJI Fly (or the app you're using) to ensure everything is set as expected. If you do plan on flying near any obstacles, ensure the RTH altitude is set properly in case your drone needs to automatically return back to the home point mid-flight.
  
  
• Never take off before DJI Fly (or the app you're using to fly) audibly mentions or shows the home point has been set. The drone will attempt to fly back to the home point location automatically if it loses connection with the remote controller, so it's crucial to ensure that location has been set prior to takeoff.
  
  
• DJI drones have a lot of awesome automated flight features. Use them with caution and never assume they are always going to function as expected (always be ready to take control if needed).
  
  
• Sensors are great and they can help prevent your drone from crashing into obstacles. They are not foolproof though. Never rely on them 100% or assume they are going to work perfectly in all flight conditions -- or react the same way when flying in similar conditions from past flights.
  
  
• Find a flat, wide open place to practice (free of people, trees, and all other obstacles). It's pretty hard to crash a DJI drone into the ground, so you'll likely have the best success if that's your only obstacle. Continue flying in this location (or similar locations) until you're able to control your drone without thinking about it (like riding a bike).
  
  
• Make sure you can easily see your drone at all times (required by law in most countries). After removing all nearby obstacles, nearly everyone who crashes/loses a drone is either not watching it with their eyes or cannot clearly see where it's located.
  
  
• The screen is chock-full of great information. Use it as a reference (sparingly) as you do when looking at your dashboard while driving a car. It's also a great tool for framing the perfect photo or getting your drone in just the right spot before hitting record. If you're mostly staring at the screen while flying, you'll probably have no idea where your drone is located.
  
  
• Don't fly in sport mode until you're comfortable controlling your drone. You don't want to get into a situation where you need to maneuver quickly and aren't quite sure which stick to move (another reason not to practice near obstacles).
  
  
• DJI batteries require special care that is unlike other batteries you commonly use. To prevent any damage to your DJI batteries, follow the tips in this DJI battery maintenance & storage guide.
  
  
• DJI drones record a lot of useful information in the TXT flights. The logs are helpful for things like troubleshooting issues you experienced during a flight, locating a lost drone, and many other things. The TXT files can be found on your phone/tablet or remote controller (if it has a screen). See these instructions for more details. And then you'll need a tool like my free online DJI log viewer or Flight Reader (keeps your flight logs offline) to decrypt and access/view the data within.

For ActiveTrack, it might be helpful to check out some videos on YouTube (for example) so you can learn more about that feature.

 

[Bad Santa]

You know, I have been doing the firmware updates every time I turn it on the first thing I do is make sure that that’s updated but what I haven’t done is calibrate the compass so thanks for that little tidbit of info I’ll give it a try and thanks again.

The compass is important for the automated stuff. Without the compass, the drone doesn't know which way it's facing. It knows where it is in location to the satellites but can't tell if it's rotating left or right.

 

[Kendallfordguy]

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

[careless]

Welcome from Kentucky

 

[twickers14]

Welcome from the U.K.

 

[Cafguy]

If you are flying in or near an Authorization zone -YOU need to find out why the restriction is there. Are you near an Airport? The place you are flying may not be Legal even if the APP says yes. There is a park here that will give me those warnings and let me check the box and fly BUT The park is across the street from a Cal Fire heliport and they would probably lock me up if I tried to fly there, Make sure you check it out completely before flying there again. get the name from the check box you were given and start calling.
ALSO Welcome to the Forum From Bakersfield!

 

[Starz]

what I haven’t done is calibrate the compass

That information will be visible in the app if there is an issue with your compass.
Suggestions from any other source that you need to calibrate that compass would be suspect.

 

[SparePartz]

Welcome.....

 

[Jim622]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Laborous]

Welcome to the forum from the beautiful woods of Maine!
As stated above, a compass calibration my be the cause of this erratic behavior….

 

[LoudThunder]

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Click on "Members" and then Click on "Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.

Member Map

mavicpilots.com

Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 4 Pro, including the User Manual.

After you read the Manual, read it again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"

DJI Mini 4 Pro - Download Center - DJI

Learn and download DJI Mini 4 Pro related apps, software, and manuals at the DJI Download Center

www.dji.com

I also get authorization alerts, two of them and it depends if I am in my front yard or my back yard. In my back yard, I had to get an Authorization from the FAADroneZone.com to fly in the Class D Airspace of an Air Force Base and I must call the ATC prior to each flying. In my Front yard, I need to get a LAANC Authorization to fly in the Class D airspace of an airport.

Below is a map of my flying area and it also shows the warnings I receive when I turn my drone on…

 

[wjkrysak]

Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your participation and your view of the world.