Basic Question- I'm sure it's been asked a thousand times

[Dale D]

I did a search of this but couldn't find it .

So briefly, after a year and a half of safe flying, I crashed my Mavic Air and found it. The right front sensor was damaged. I had DJI CareRefresh plan, sent it in (Texas branch) and just got it back in today's UPS after paying the $69.00 fee. It is in a new box, and it is a completely new machine (?or refurbished- don't really care) with the plastic covers, new case, etc.They asked for my controller and I sent that in and got my original controller back. The drone serial number is totally different and obviously it's either a new drone altogether or a refurbished one . The color (red) is the same. They sent new props with it. So my questions are, (1) do I start all over again with DJI Go4 app? (2) do I use my old FASA registration number or apply for a new one? Do I uninstall the old DJI app first and then reinstall the new app? Do I calibrate everything again ?

 

[Flycaster]

1. You can still use the GO4 app on your device not an issue, unless you want the latests/update, if different from what you have. But you should still verify all your previous settings for your new bird. IF you do install another version of the app, I suggest you "uninstall the "older" version, go into your file explorer, and delete all DJI files/and folders. Reboot device, install new app, reboot device, and you should be good to go.

2.Use your current Registration number. If you have 3 drones, you use the same registration number on all them.

3. As to calibration, the manual states to only calibrate if prompted to do so. Get your bird and controller connected, and check your sensor states (compass, both, and the IMU, ALL should be in the green. Also, the red pointer on the radar map should always reflect the orientation of your AC. Then you should be good.

I always check those before takeoff, and after takeoff when hovering for a couple minutes while checking all controls work as expected, and precision landing takes the snapshot.
I have never calibrated anything, just what came from DJI in the box. BUT I always check my sensor states.

 

[Mossiback]

What @Flycaster suggests. I would add that you may need to update firmware on the batteries. Go 4 should let you know if that is needed.

 

[Dale D]

1. You can still use the GO4 app on your device not an issue, unless you want the latests/update, if different from what you have. But you should still verify all your previous settings for your new bird. IF you do install another version of the app, I suggest you "uninstall the "older" version, go into your file explorer, and delete all DJI files/and folders. Reboot device, install new app, reboot device, and you should be good to go.

2.Use your current Registration number. If you have 3 drones, you use the same registration number on all them.

3. As to calibration, the manual states to only calibrate if prompted to do so. Get your bird and controller connected, and check your sensor states (compass, both, and the IMU, ALL should be in the green. Also, the red pointer on the radar map should always reflect the orientation of your AC. Then you should be good.

I always check those before takeoff, and after takeoff when hovering for a couple minutes while checking all controls work as expected, and precision landing takes the snapshot.
I have never calibrated anything, just what came from DJI in the box. BUT I always check my sensor states.

Wow! what a rapid reply and I love you guys and this forum!!! Thanks.

 

[Flycaster]

Wow! what a rapid reply and I love you guys and this forum!!! Thanks.

I'll send you a bill.........????

 

[Dale D]

What @Flycaster suggests. I would add that you may need to update firmware on the batteries. Go 4 should let you know if that is needed.

As a follow up, I received my replacement Mavic Air yesterday from repair service in Texas by UPS. It was a new machine (at least it looked new) with a different serial number. No flaws whatsoever. The entire turn around from UPS shipping to delivery was a week. I thought that was great service on DJI's part. I am thankful to have had DJI Refresh warranty service. It cost me $69.00 but it was worth it. I spent the better part of the remainder of yesterday re-calibrating everything (I am still not finished). I uninstalled the DJI GO 4 app on my iPad and iPhone X and reinstalled it. Then went through about two hours of trying to learn how to re-connect these back to the new drone. Two calls to DJI were only mildly helpful due to the language/accent of the support people, although they tried mightily. Wit the help of the You Tube video they sent to me, I was able to reconnect, and then I did the IMU and vision systems. All seem to work fine now. As an addendum, in today's e-mail, my DJI Refresh plan expires next week! So I received a notice from DJI to renew and I have already renewed for another year for one more replacement available for $79.00 plus Fla. tax.

All in all I lost/ crashed the drone which was found by my Madagascar guide in a tree branch. It turned out to be a positive experience. Thank you to everyone who immediately answered my questions in the forum. This is a great service to us all.

 

[Smokieflies]

Glad you had a positive experience.

 

[DanMan32]

I'm surprised they asked for the remote. They usually don't want you to send the remote unless the remote is part of the issue. Usually too, if they have the AC and remote, they'll already have it paired for you.

 

[Dale D]

As a follow up, I received my replacement Mavic Air yesterday from repair service in Texas by UPS. It was a new machine (at least it looked new) with a different serial number. No flaws whatsoever. The entire turn around from UPS shipping to delivery was a week. I thought that was great service on DJI's part. I am thankful to have had DJI Refresh warranty service. It cost me $69.00 but it was worth it. I spent the better part of the remainder of yesterday re-calibrating everything (I am still not finished). I uninstalled the DJI GO 4 app on my iPad and iPhone X and reinstalled it. Then went through about two hours of trying to learn how to re-connect these back to the new drone. Two calls to DJI were only mildly helpful due to the language/accent of the support people, although they tried mightily. Wit the help of the You Tube video they sent to me, I was able to reconnect, and then I did the IMU and vision systems. All seem to work fine now. As an addendum, in today's e-mail, my DJI Refresh plan expires next week! So I received a notice from DJI to renew and I have already renewed for another year for one more replacement available for $79.00 plus Fla. tax.

All in all I lost/ crashed the drone which was found by my Madagascar guide in a tree branch. It turned out to be a positive experience. Thank you to everyone who immediately answered my questions in the forum. This is a great service to us all.

This a follow up and a question. As previously noted, my saga with the Mavic Air crash/DJI Refresh replacement rapidly/and re-linking the new Mavic with my RC all went well. Now I have hit a snag.

Try as I may, I am UNABLE TO CALIBRATE THE VISION SENSORS. They probably came pre-calibrated from the factory but I was double checking. I tried with the old DJI Assist 2 app and kept getting error that connection of USB to iMAC and USB to drone was lost. Steps I have taken include uninstalling the. DJI Assist 2, and reinstalling it on the iMAC. I got through the steps (click on Mavic Air/watch demo/start calibration) I have sometimes gotten as far as the actual calibration steps (aiming the drone at the big black dots on the screen and conforming to the patterns} but then the connection is lost and I get an error message that I did not un-plug or eject the device properly (unmounted drive). I repeated this for about 30 minutes, always getting disconnected, and finally gave up and put it away for today. Why is this happening?

 

[DanMan32]

Bad USB cable perhaps?
Could also be security software intervening.

 

[Dale D]

Bad USB cable perhaps?
Could also be security software intervening.

There was, indeed, a security lock from outside (non Apple) developers but I was able to allow the download. The cable is one year old and was working just fine with the other Mavic Air before all of the lost/found/crash/replacement issues. Error report says to connect to the controller when the You Tube from Mavic Air says to connect to the drone. I am connecting to the USB (micro) of the drone and to the USB of the iMAC.

 

[DanMan32]

To use Assistant, you do indeed connect it directly to the device to be managed, in this case AC. If you were wanting to update firmware on RC, then you'd connect to the RC.

Assistant can be temperamental, especially when the alternative use for connecting the AC to PC is to access the SD and internal storage without Assistant being used.
Assistant uses several available protocols over USB including using it as a network connection. Again, security software including PC firewall can intervene.
Be sure you're using the correct version of Assistant.

 

[GadgetGuy]

You got some bad advice. In the future, leave everything alone on the replacement drone. No need to recalibrate anything unless prompted to do so. Everything is already properly factory calibrated, as it is a new drone. No reason whatsoever to delete GO 4. Plenty of reasons NOT to! Binding the RC to the new aircraft is easily done through the GO 4 app. Takes 30 seconds. Just need to know where the binding button is on the new aircraft. Your original GO 4 settings should transfer to the aircraft automatically, but double check critical settings like RTH height and such. Done!

 

[Dale D]

You got some bad advice. In the future, leave everything alone on the replacement drone. No need to recalibrate anything unless prompted to do so. Everything is already properly factory calibrated, as it is a new drone. No reason whatsoever to delete GO 4. Plenty of reasons NOT to! Binding the RC to the new aircraft is easily done through the GO 4 app. Takes 30 seconds. Just need to know where the binding button is on the new aircraft. Your original GO 4 settings should transfer to the aircraft automatically, but double check critical settings like RTH height and such. Done!

Thank you. Wish I had known this before hand. I have tried to calibrate the vision sensors twice and keep getting a lost connection error. I hope it defaults to the factory pre-sets and that I didn't screw anything up. I'm going to try some safe flights in my favorite drone friendly park nearby to see if it will avoid the trees while I watch it like a hawk. I am feeling really unsafe with flying it until that test is over.

 

[DanMan32]

If the vision calibration did not succeed, it hasn't changed so you're good. The final step is to upload the the final calculations and you didn't get that far.

As for Obstacle Avoidance (OA), the default is to warn you of an approaching obstacle and stop if you're too close.
However if you enable APAS, then it will evade obstacles. Careful though, it's not fool proof. Last year I was testing it out and it worked well. However when it zigged to avoid the roof of a park bathroom facility, it hit the power wires going to the building. Minimal damage thankfully.

 

[CyrusBlack]

You got some bad advice. In the future, leave everything alone on the replacement drone. No need to recalibrate anything unless prompted to do so. Everything is already properly factory calibrated, as it is a new drone. No reason whatsoever to delete GO 4. Plenty of reasons NOT to! Binding the RC to the new aircraft is easily done through the GO 4 app. Takes 30 seconds. Just need to know where the binding button is on the new aircraft. Your original GO 4 settings should transfer to the aircraft automatically, but double check critical settings like RTH height and such. Done!

Where is said "Binding Button"? My replacement will be here tomorrow . . .

 

[Dale D]

I didn't realize that starting this thread would cause so much discussion. Let me please copy/past this sentence from the DJI support call and e-mail. The actual term is LINKING, as in, linking your Mavic Air to the remote controller. Like everything else in electronics these days, the two devices must be able to "Talk" to each other. After watching this DJI official video, I got my answer. Click on the link I have copy/pasted from DJI to link the bird with the remote controller.

DJI Support （DJI Support） 10月10日 CST02:02 Hi Dale, Thank you for contacting DJI Technical Support. Here's the link to LINKING MAVIC AIR TO REMOTE CONTROLLER: