cannot connect RC to drone

[laurencewithau]

Hi everyone. I have just bought a mavic 2 pro drone and RC.My mobile is a motorola E7 with Android OS.
I have downloaded the DJI Go 4 app to the mobile.
when I connected the RC to the phone with a USB cable and turned the RC on, it displayed the battery charge but then went off.
Nothing was displayed about its trying to connect to the drone.
The drone was on the desk near the RC, the antennas of which were pointing at it.
I went online and discovered that I also needed to download, I presume to the phone, the mavic assistant 2 app..
I have been unable to do it.
I can find assistant 2 for Windows and Mac but not for Android. I'd really appreciate any help. I'm a complete beginner so any advice or instruction would have to be in simple terms for me to understand it. Cheers, Laurence

 

[Kilrah]

Assistant is not for the phone but for PC/mac, and you don't need it to connect your aircraft.

when I connected the RC to the phone with a USB cable and turned the RC on, it displayed the battery charge but then went off.

Sounds like you didn't actually turn it on, just pressed on the button once which only displays current battery level. See manual.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Ditto Kilrahs's post.

In addition, the controller will connect to the drone without the phone being connected to the controller.
If you can move the gimbal with the dial on the controller then the controller is connected to the drone.
The rear LEDs of the drone flash in a certain way when the controller is NOT connected to the drone and in a different way when the controller and drone ARE connected, these are detailed on p14 of the manual.
Likewise, the display on the controller will change from "connecting" (when the drone and controller are NOT connected ) to the display shown on p46 of the manual when they are connected.

 

[tlswift58]

Hi everyone. I have just bought a mavic 2 pro drone and RC.My mobile is a motorola E7 with Android OS.
I have downloaded the DJI Go 4 app to the mobile.
when I connected the RC to the phone with a USB cable and turned the RC on, it displayed the battery charge but then went off.
Nothing was displayed about its trying to connect to the drone.
The drone was on the desk near the RC, the antennas of which were pointing at it.
I went online and discovered that I also needed to download, I presume to the phone, the mavic assistant 2 app..
I have been unable to do it.
I can find assistant 2 for Windows and Mac but not for Android. I'd really appreciate any help. I'm a complete beginner so any advice or instruction would have to be in simple terms for me to understand it. Cheers, Laurence

Is your phone a DJI approved one? They have a list on their website of those that work or not. As they update FlyApp, some older phones drop off the list due to the FlyApp requirements.

If you have not watched any YouTube videos for beginners - I'd highly suggest them. Have a lot of great info to get you started on right foot. Also vids on safety and rules for flying in EU / UK are a must so you stay within the law.

 

[laurencewithau]

Is your phone a DJI approved one? They have a list on their website of those that work or not. As they update FlyApp, some older phones drop off the list due to the FlyApp requirements.

If you have not watched any YouTube videos for beginners - I'd highly suggest them. Have a lot of great info to get you started on right foot. Also vids on safety and rules for flying in EU / UK are a must so you stay within the law.

Hi tlswift58,
Thanks for your reply and the advice about compatibility. I could not find a list of compatible devices on the website. But I was able to download the DJI Go 4 app to my E7, which I take to indicate compatibility. That said, I can do nothing with that app when I connect the E7 to the RC. I still have a lot to learn. The trouble with You Tube videos, even for beginners, is that the presenter always assumes that you have everything set up and connected, which I don't. Thanks again

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Phone list

DJI Go 4 - Download Center - DJI

Capture the world from above. Compatible with the Mavic Series, Spark, Phantom 4, and more.

www.dji.com

 

[laurencewithau]

Assistant is not for the phone but for PC/mac, and you don't need it to connect your aircraft.


Sounds like you didn't actually turn it on, just pressed on the button once which only displays current battery level. See manual.

Hi Kilrah,
Thanks very much for your help. I realised after your post that I had not been pressing the RC button correctly. It now connects to the drone. As for the next step, I'm learning fast but at the moment I can't get the RC to control the drone. Thanks again, and for pointing out that the assistant is for the pc not the E7.

 

[laurencewithau]

Ditto Kilrahs's post.

In addition, the controller will connect to the drone without the phone being connected to the controller.
If you can move the gimbal with the dial on the controller then the controller is connected to the drone.
The rear LEDs of the drone flash in a certain way when the controller is NOT connected to the drone and in a different way when the controller and drone ARE connected, these are detailed on p14 of the manual.
Likewise, the display on the controller will change from "connecting" (when the drone and controller are NOT connected ) to the display shown on p46 of the manual when they are connected.

Hi PhiliusFoggy,
Thanks very much for the info. I'll use it when trying to control the drone with the RC. By the way, some of the presenters on You Tube, excellent as they are, have this habit of unfolding or folding the drone legs and letting them go, so that they snap back. I read, also on You Tube, that the spring-loaded legs should be gently placed in position, not allowed to snap into place, because it weakens the mechanism. Just thought I'd share that tip. Thanks again.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

I would be inclined to agree that "snapping" is not good.
The spring mechanism, in the front legs at least, is a cam & follower and a spring all mounted on a common shaft. The cover of these is the square thing that fits into the end of the arm, this cover is held in place by a tiny circlip/E-clip that fits in a groove in the shaft.
Moving the arm from open to close or vice versa pushes the follower along the shaft and compresses the spring, increasing the load on the above circlip, once past the highpoint of the cam the follower 'descends'.
I don't imagine "snapping" open or shut does the circlip or its groove much good, nor what ever holds the shaft in place in the bracket at the other end of the assembly. ( I dismantled (took the cover, spring and follower off the shaft) and reassembled one from my crashed M2Z, the crash bent the end of the shaft and I got curious).
But my bigger concern would be damage to the plastics that act as rotation-stops for the arms, especially the rear arms. I think the internal stop of the rear arms is a lug on the end of the arm's pivot shaft and this lug was snapped off in the crash. When the drone was throttled up this allowed the arm to lift from the position dictated by the presumed cam in the rear pivot and the drone wobbled.
A new arm was required.

 

[IMADMAN]

Did you create a DJI account as well as activate the drone?

 

[tlswift58]

Hi tlswift58,
Thanks for your reply and the advice about compatibility. I could not find a list of compatible devices on the website. But I was able to download the DJI Go 4 app to my E7, which I take to indicate compatibility. That said, I can do nothing with that app when I connect the E7 to the RC. I still have a lot to learn. The trouble with You Tube videos, even for beginners, is that the presenter always assumes that you have everything set up and connected, which I don't. Thanks again

Here's a list on a website that may help - not sure how up to date it is. The Motorola E7 is not on that list. I used to use a Motorola Moto-G and it worked fine with FlyApp. I moved to a tablet due to having such a hard time viewing the small screen. I got the Lenovo M10 MFD, which is on the list and under $200. Works fine except in super bright conditions; yet that happens with most of the cheaper tablets. The Tripltek has the highest visibility of them all that I'm aware of - but about 2-3 times the price of my Lenovo.

Best Tablets and Phones for DJI GO & DJI Fly (Updated Daily) | Phantom Help

Phantom Help is a site for help with DJI Phantom drones. Find the latest fixes, how-tos, guides, accessories, modifications, and more.

www.phantomhelp.com

As for YouTube, I found the very beginner video's took you thru the process - esp the correct sequence of starting the RC and drone - as there is that. Look specific to "Your drone version" Beginner and it should help.

 

[tlswift58]

Hi PhiliusFoggy,
Thanks very much for the info. I'll use it when trying to control the drone with the RC. By the way, some of the presenters on You Tube, excellent as they are, have this habit of unfolding or folding the drone legs and letting them go, so that they snap back. I read, also on You Tube, that the spring-loaded legs should be gently placed in position, not allowed to snap into place, because it weakens the mechanism. Just thought I'd share that tip. Thanks again.

As you have found - not all YouTube video's are created equal - esp when it come to flying way beyond Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) - an FAA and most other countries requirement. Expecting your drone to fly the distances DJI and a few others say is totally unrealistic when it comes to VLOS. Putting strobes or bright vinyl decals does help increase range to some degree; but when you see people stating they see their drone out 1 mile away - be wary. Of course everyone's eyesight and flying conditions are different. I'd safely say to expect between 100 feet to about 1/4 mile for normal VLOS. Adding strobes - very bright ones - may increase to 1/2 mile. But, it's up to the pilot to decide those factors and conditions.

Watch a few of the videos and take away the good points and discard what may seem as odd or just plain wrong.

The US pilots are required to take an FAA Test called TRUST. Very good basic info and some rules for drone flying. Think the UK / EU has some similar things going on, but the UK pilots can direct you appropriately to that. We in the US are required to carry that "certificate" with us every time we fly the drone; should some law enforcement / etc want to see it.

You'll also want an app like Aloft or B4UFLY (which has a web based version for us with bad eyesight and preplanning a flight) for telling you where restrictions are. There may be a more apropos app for the UK / EU that is more attuned to your countries / continents flying. I also like UAVForecast - simply as a weather app to help determine a "fly" or "no fly" weather day. Esp with winds, you have to keenly aware of wind speeds at altitude and which direction in comparison to being upwind or downwind from your homepoint. Many posts / comments on lost drones due to not paying attention to that one item and battery dying before it got back home.

Search function is great on this forum for all things drones, so use it to better your skills / knowledge.

 

[laurencewithau]

Did you create a DJI account as well as activate the drone?

Hi Imadman,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I created an account. In fact, everything is connected now, but a new problem has emerged. The RC keeps repeating that there is' "mag" interference, check app', so I went online and was told to calibrate the compass. Can't at the moment because I'm indoors and it's dark, but I know how to do it and will take the drone and RC into the garden tomorrow. One day, I might even get to fly the thing.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

You should be able to calibrate the compass indoors. BUT Just try switching the drone off and moving it away from any ferrous/magnetic objects and switch it back on.

 

[laurencewithau]

I would be inclined to agree that "snapping" is not good.
The spring mechanism, in the front legs at least, is a cam & follower and a spring all mounted on a common shaft. The cover of these is the square thing that fits into the end of the arm, this cover is held in place by a tiny circlip/E-clip that fits in a groove in the shaft.
Moving the arm from open to close or vice versa pushes the follower along the shaft and compresses the spring, increasing the load on the above circlip, once past the highpoint of the cam the follower 'descends'.
I don't imagine "snapping" open or shut does the circlip or its groove much good, nor what ever holds the shaft in place in the bracket at the other end of the assembly. ( I dismantled (took the cover, spring and follower off the shaft) and reassembled one from my crashed M2Z, the crash bent the end of the shaft and I got curious).
But my bigger concern would be damage to the plastics that act as rotation-stops for the arms, especially the rear arms. I think the internal stop of the rear arms is a lug on the end of the arm's pivot shaft and this lug was snapped off in the crash. When the drone was throttled up this allowed the arm to lift from the position dictated by the presumed cam in the rear pivot and the drone wobbled.
A new arm was required.

Hi PhiliusFoggy. Thanks for your reply and all the technical info. After reading it, I'll be very careful with the legs, almost as if they were my own, and in fact I'm getting into a bit of a state at the thought of my first piloting experience or ordeal, but I've been told by a neighbour who used to have a drone that I should set it up in "beginner" mode, which I know how to do, and to adjust the maximum height and distance values right down to below 50 metres. And, of course, to make sure the return home function is enabled. Thanks again.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

and in fact I'm getting into a bit of a state at the thought of my first piloting experience or ordeal

You will naturally be nervous but being honest if everything is functioning correctly these DJI drones more or less look after themselves, they are FAR FAR less hair raising than the toys I tried to fly.

One thing I would suggest is, if your first flights are near anything switch the obstacle avoidance off. That may sound bizarre but the obstacle avoidance can lead to all sorts of complications in such circumstances, I found that out the hard way.
In truth your first flights would be better in a WIDE open clear space for many reasons.

 

[laurencewithau]

Here's a list on a website that may help - not sure how up to date it is. The Motorola E7 is not on that list. I used to use a Motorola Moto-G and it worked fine with FlyApp. I moved to a tablet due to having such a hard time viewing the small screen. I got the Lenovo M10 MFD, which is on the list and under $200. Works fine except in super bright conditions; yet that happens with most of the cheaper tablets. The Tripltek has the highest visibility of them all that I'm aware of - but about 2-3 times the price of my Lenovo.

Best Tablets and Phones for DJI GO & DJI Fly (Updated Daily) | Phantom Help

Phantom Help is a site for help with DJI Phantom drones. Find the latest fixes, how-tos, guides, accessories, modifications, and more.

www.phantomhelp.com

As for YouTube, I found the very beginner video's took you thru the process - esp the correct sequence of starting the RC and drone - as there is that. Look specific to "Your drone version" Beginner and it should help.

Hi tlswift58. Thanks very mush for going to the trouble of looking up the E7. I suspect that the list may be out of date, but I say that only because the DJI Go 4 app on my E7 is now working, and the drone camera is recording onto the E7 screen, so as far as I can see, the E7 is compatible. I may get in touch with DJI to settle the question one way or the other. I still can't use the drone because it needs the compass calibrated. It's the only way, apparently, to get the RC display to stop telling me to " Mag Interference. Check app". Thanks again.

 

[laurencewithau]

You will naturally be nervous but being honest if everything is functioning correctly these DJI drones more or less look after themselves, they are FAR FAR less hair raising than the toys I tried to fly.

One thing I would suggest is, if your first flights are near anything switch the obstacle avoidance off. That may sound bizarre but the obstacle avoidance can lead to all sorts of complications in such circumstances, I found that out the hard way.
In truth your first flights would be better in a WIDE open clear space for many reasons.

Hi. I can see what you mean about wide open spaces and in fact there's a very large are of common land within walking distance of Pontypridd, so that's where I'll try it out, provided there is no wind or rain. My neighbour said he used to fly his drone indoors, but I can't see myself doing that. OK, I'll defer to your expertise and switch the obstacle avoidance off, given that there won't be any obstacles, apart from me if I get in the way. Thanks again

 

[Deleted member 103366]

It's not expertise, it's practical experience of having made many mistakes/ scares etc.
The M2P can be flown indoors but it needs a delicate touch and the upward looking sensor is a pain in the derrier with my ceiling heights.

 

[tlswift58]

Hi. I can see what you mean about wide open spaces and in fact there's a very large are of common land within walking distance of Pontypridd, so that's where I'll try it out, provided there is no wind or rain. My neighbour said he used to fly his drone indoors, but I can't see myself doing that. OK, I'll defer to your expertise and switch the obstacle avoidance off, given that there won't be any obstacles, apart from me if I get in the way. Thanks again

Calibrate compass & IMU inside as @PhiliusFoggg says. Very easy to do and no need to open legs to do it either. Screen guides you thru the whole process.

Wide open spaces - very best learning to fly location - just make sure drones are allowed.

HAPPY FLYING!