Buyer Beware Never buy DJI again (Flyaway)

[Thomas B]

First.. sorry about your loss. I have had a fly away and understand (not a DJI drone).

Whatever you replace your drone with I’d recommend getting a tracker. I use a Marco Polo, expensive, but much less than a new drone. It has the advantage of working for extremely long distance including finding a drone in the top of pine trees that are 100’s of feet tall. I know it’s after the fact. Again, I feel your pain.
Advanced Two Pet Tracking System | Marco Polo | Tracking and Recovery Solutions
They have a system intended for drones too.

 

[FoxhallGH]

One thing that I don't think has been covered here ... The default reset for RTH after the firmware upgrade is; 'fly directly back home at 30 metres' - yes - but do we know how the topography fits with this? Can somebody confirm that the landscape being flown over [posts 27 & 28] was flat? I'm just wondering ... If the loss-of-signal point is up-slope and e.g. 20 metres above the home point, then it's not going to take much of a tree to get in the way to stop RTH. Also - with the trees as bare as they are this time of year, then you may get the Mavic in amoungst branches too small for it to see to activate the avoidance sensors ...

 

[FoxhallGH]

Woops - just done a bit of research on your flight area ... flat as a pancake!
There's only one metre difference in altitude between ground-level at your home point and at the point where the drone went AWOL ...
Sorry - but it looks like it's back to looking up at all the tall trees ...

 

[BD0G]

Wondering if the OP (Original Poster) will be going out to look in the location that @Meta4 advises? Taking time to look up into each and every tree slowly and methodically is what is needed as the Mavic can blend in pretty well with the color of the bark on the tree's trunks and brances.

Prepare to make a day of it.

 

[Thomas B]

Wondering if the OP (Original Poster) will be going out to look in the location that @Meta4 advises? Taking time to look up into each and every tree slowly and methodically is what is needed as the Mavic can blend in pretty well with the color of the bark on the tree's trunks and brances.

Prepare to make a day of it.

One reason I skin my birds in bright colors like yellow and orange. Haven’t had to look, and hope I don’t, but the ponderosa pines in the Nat’l Forest around me are of course evergreen.

 

[BD0G]

Great idea! I need to pull my Carbon Fiber Skin and change it out for this very reason!

 

[Bryce steiner]

I plan on wrapping mine with a bright orange too. I think that would be the best to spot in various conditions.

 

[Meta4]

but do we know how the topography fits with this? Can somebody confirm that the landscape being flown over [posts 27 & 28] was flat? I'm just wondering ...

I took that into account and found the ground under the western RTH path was approx 5 metres higher.
The RTH path would have been at close to 100 feet.
That's why I suggested looking for any trees about 80 feet high.

 

[HueJorgan]

What’s a “magic”?

iPhone autocorrects of mavic at a guess

 

[BudWalker]

There isn't any need to determine what happens after an update (although I thing @Meta4 is correct). Looking at the .txt submitted it can be seen that
MC_PARAM.failSafeAction = GoHome
and
HOME.goHomeHeight [m] = 30

 

[Bitrootvz]

There is a post about a found drone in California. I didn't pay attention where you are but check it out and see if it is yours. I think it was in general discussions.

 

[mmtphoto]

random post removed-I'll figure it out.

 

[Meta4]

There is a post about a found drone in California. I didn't pay attention where you are but check it out and see if it is yours. I think it was in general discussions.

The OP is 1500 miles from California

 

[Bazzam]

The OP is 1500 miles from California

Now that what I would call nice battery life [emoji39]

 

[AMann]

One reason I skin my birds in bright colors like yellow and orange. Haven’t had to look, and hope I don’t, but the ponderosa pines in the Nat’l Forest around me are of course evergreen.

I used candycane striped reflective tape - ugly as heck but very easy to find with a flashlight. It works so well, the dang stuff looks like eyeshine and it scared the poo out of me once when I walked around a corner into it on a dark trail.

 

[Bitrootvz]

Maybe it landed in the back of a semi truck and then bounced out on its way to California. It could happen, I saw a Disney movie where it happened to a dog I think.

 

[Thomas B]

At this point I think the OP doesn’t care and just wanted to post a rant. I have similar issues with my 10 year old car and manufacturer won’t fix my newly discovered radiator leak.

Let’s let this thread die.

 

[BD0G]

Well now we cant cause you just pointed it in the direction of vehicle manufacturers that wont cover defects.

I have a Ford F150 that is a newer model and tuned on my rear defroster and one of the fixed windows in the rear (its a 3 piece window -slider in the middle)
shattered. Made a big boom when it did.
Searched the web and found it is a very common problem with many reports of this happening to others with the same model truck.

Contacted Ford and they said they will not over it as its out of warranty.
Contacted thier Consumer Affairs Department - same answer.
Had my attorney send them a letter stating the factory defect and requesting coverage. I expect them to tell me to go pound sand.

 

[Thomas B]

Well now we cant cause you just pointed it in the direction of vehicle manufacturers that wont cover defects.

I have a Ford F150 that is a newer model and tuned on my rear defroster and one of the fixed windows in the rear (its a 3 piece window -slider in the middle)
shattered. Made a big boom when it did.
Searched the web and found it is a very common problem with many reports of this happening to others with the same model truck.

Contacted Ford and they said they will not over it as its out of warranty.
Contacted thier Consumer Affairs Department - same answer.
Had my attorney send them a letter stating the factory defect and requesting coverage. I expect them to tell me to go pound sand.

My point exactly.