Apple Watch the reason for degraded signal?

easyheimer · Feb 10, 2020

So I flew my Mavic Pro last weekend and the signal kept cutting out for some reason. This is very uncommon with the Pro. I was trying to figure out why this was happening and even tried slapping the parabolic signal boosters on there (which make the signal worse btw), and still the same results.

Well yesterday I flew it in the morning and did not have a signal “flair up” or hiccup in signal. I was trying to figure out what I was doing different this time and the only thing I noticed is I wasn’t wearing my Apple Watch. That must be it.

Has anyone else noticed some interference with the Apple Watch? Looks like I’ll be flying Apple Watchless in the future.

sar104 · Feb 10, 2020

Correlation does not imply causation. No - it's not your watch causing that.

Paulf10 · Feb 10, 2020

sar104 said:
Correlation does not imply causation. No - it's not your watch causing that.

Thanks! The post had me concerned for a bit!

Paulf10 · Feb 10, 2020

easyheimer said:
So I flew my Mavic Pro last weekend and the signal kept cutting out for some reason. This is very uncommon with the Pro. I was trying to figure out why this was happening and even tried slapping the parabolic signal boosters on there (which make the signal worse btw), and still the same results.

Well yesterday I flew it in the morning and did not have a signal “flair up” or hiccup in signal. I was trying to figure out what I was doing different this time and the only thing I noticed is I wasn’t wearing my Apple Watch. That must be it.

Has anyone else noticed some interference with the Apple Watch? Looks like I’ll be flying Apple Watchless in the future.

Interesting thought. I’ve never noticed it, but still something to think about.

ringraham · Feb 11, 2020

Yes. I discovered this last year. Not the drop outs but I don’t wear my watch when flying after I found that my compass calibration failed every time I had it on. Calibration was good every time I took it off and left it in the car.

sar104 · Feb 11, 2020

ringraham said:
Yes. I discovered this last year. Not the drop outs but I don’t wear my watch when flying after I found that my compass calibration failed every time I had it on. Calibration was good every time I took it off and left it in the car.

That's real, and a completely different problem. The magnetic clasps create a significant magnetic field.

ringraham · Feb 11, 2020

Yes different. but true. Red and blue jellybeans are different also but they are both jellybeans.

sar104 · Feb 11, 2020

ringraham said:
Yes different. but true. Red and blue jellybeans are different also but they are both jellybeans.

OK - so what was it's relevance to the OP's issue?

ringraham · Feb 11, 2020

Just information.

sar104 · Feb 11, 2020

ringraham said:
Just information.

Right - hence my clarification above. It's important not to confuse people with simultaneous different jelly beans.

ringraham · Feb 11, 2020

True. Thanks for the lesson.

BobTheDog · Feb 11, 2020

easyheimer said:
So I flew my Mavic Pro last weekend and the signal kept cutting out for some reason. This is very uncommon with the Pro. I was trying to figure out why this was happening and even tried slapping the parabolic signal boosters on there (which make the signal worse btw), and still the same results.

Well yesterday I flew it in the morning and did not have a signal “flair up” or hiccup in signal. I was trying to figure out what I was doing different this time and the only thing I noticed is I wasn’t wearing my Apple Watch. That must be it.

Has anyone else noticed some interference with the Apple Watch? Looks like I’ll be flying Apple Watchless in the future.

Apple Watch will definitely cause magnetic interference due to proximity of watch on wrist to remote controller.

Keule · Feb 11, 2020

BobTheDog said:
Apple Watch will definitely cause magnetic interference due to proximity of watch on wrist to remote controller.

I cannot confirm. I'll be flying for years with an Apple watch with all kinds of DJI RC's and non-DJI RC's - never had a problem.

sar104 · Feb 11, 2020

BobTheDog said:
Apple Watch will definitely cause magnetic interference due to proximity of watch on wrist to remote controller.

It's unlikely to interfere with the controller. It could interfere with compass calibration.

BBOjai · Feb 11, 2020

Been flying for over 2 years now my M2P wearing my Apple Watch WITH a magnetic band and have never had any issues. Luck- Blessed? Well definitely Blessed!!!

MaxE1955! · Feb 11, 2020

easyheimer said:
So I flew my Mavic Pro last weekend and the signal kept cutting out for some reason. This is very uncommon with the Pro. I was trying to figure out why this was happening and even tried slapping the parabolic signal boosters on there (which make the signal worse btw), and still the same results.

Well yesterday I flew it in the morning and did not have a signal “flair up” or hiccup in signal. I was trying to figure out what I was doing different this time and the only thing I noticed is I wasn’t wearing my Apple Watch. That must be it.

Has anyone else noticed some interference with the Apple Watch? Looks like I’ll be flying Apple Watchless in the future.

I’ve worn my Apple Watch (1st Generation) on every flight I’ve made and never experienced any problem. I don’t think it’s the watch causing the pause. But I am not an electronics engineer.

WithTheBirds · Feb 11, 2020

With all the possible contributors to the cause of this issue you find it safe to assume it was the Apple Watch? The device you are flying with connected to your controller doesn't have bluetooth, wifi or cellular radios?

We are predisposed to fitting the obvious and convenient to the unexplained and very often wrong.

I never bother with aeroplane mode on any of the devices I fly with and have worn an Apple Watch on numerous occasions without issues.

Bekanne · Feb 11, 2020

easyheimer said:
So I flew my Mavic Pro last weekend and the signal kept cutting out for some reason. This is very uncommon with the Pro. I was trying to figure out why this was happening and even tried slapping the parabolic signal boosters on there (which make the signal worse btw), and still the same results.

Well yesterday I flew it in the morning and did not have a signal “flair up” or hiccup in signal. I was trying to figure out what I was doing different this time and the only thing I noticed is I wasn’t wearing my Apple Watch. That must be it.

Has anyone else noticed some interference with the Apple Watch? Looks like I’ll be flying Apple Watchless in the future.

Seems if I suspected my watch keeping me from flying, even if it's not the cause, I'd take it off.
You could experiment a bit to see if there's a pattern.