Can't Change My RTH Point To The Mobile Device/Controller

[Andrewandron]

It's a common problem with Apple devices and no solution has been found.

But it's probably no big deal really.
On a boat, the main reason to use this is to prevent the drone trying to go back where you launched when the battery gets low.
Just reset the home point a few times through the flight to the current location of the aircraft and that will be just as effective.

I fly Android so I can use both but since the boat is always moving and you don't want the drone to actually land on the boat, it's not important to have a precise home point.

Apple solution I’ve found works.
As long as your using an iPhone or an iPad (with cellular capabilities), you load Apple maps before loading DJI Go 4. and click the “current location” button on maps. You then should have a controller location in Go 4.
Works for me with my iPad 6th gen/ Celular. I don’t subscribe to cellular services with it but I hotspot my cellphone and connect my iPad to it during setup. I then can cancel the hotspot to fly. I have full satellite map and remote controller location showing on my iPad.
I also can select my controller as my new home point. Same should work with iPhone.
You’ll know it’s working when Go 4 shows distance to pilot distance as being different from distance to “home”

 

[zappy54]

Do you need to close Apple map after ?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Apple solution I’ve found works.
As long as your using an iPhone or an iPad (with cellular capabilities), you load Apple maps before loading DJI Go 4. and click the “current location” button on maps. You then should have a controller location in Go 4.
Works for me with my iPad 6th gen/ Celular. I don’t subscribe to cellular services with it but I hotspot my cellphone and connect my iPad to it during setup. I then can cancel the hotspot to fly. I have full satellite map and remote controller location showing on my iPad.
I also can select my controller as my new home point. Same should work with iPhone.
You’ll know it’s working when Go 4 shows distance to pilot distance as being different from distance to “home”

Since you are using a cellular iPad, it already has its own internal GPS, even without cell service. The iPhone hotspotting only provides access to maps in the field, which, after they are loaded, is no longer necessary. So, you should be able to set the Home Point to the controller, but Meta4 was indicating this hasn't worked reliably over the last year due to a likely problem with iOS GO 4. So, if it is currently working still correctly for you, please tell us which iOS version are you running on the iPad, which version of GO 4, and which FW version on which aircraft.

 

[Meta4]

Apple solution I’ve found works.

Because you didn't mention it, can you confirm that you can reset the home point to the controller's location when you do this?
If you can ...
I would think it's unlikely that the map display makes an difference, so could you also try resetting the home point to the controller's location without the process you described?

 

[zappy54]

I found by closing dji go4 tapping home button or swipe up and than reopen dji go4 it starts to work again for abit

 

[DanMan32]

The only points I see is that you aren't interested in any of the viable alternatives that I've made some effort to point explain.
I imagined that your problem was that you really wanted to use this little-used feature but perhaps you just wanted to engage in a hypothetical discussion?

I was saying that resetting home point to RC location seems typically more logically desirable than resetting to AC location, if a reset is even needed. Of course if you don't have access to GPS on your mobile that Go can access, then setting to RC location is not an option.

It seems that if iOS did provide GPS through tethering, it was limited where not all apps could make use of it.

 

[GadgetGuy]

It seems that if iOS did provide GPS through tethering, it was limited where not all apps could make use of it.

It's been clearly established by Apple that tethering/Hot Spotting will not pass GPS through to any app on an iPad from a phone. However, an external BT device will officially work, but may or may not reliably work with the current GO 4 version on the latest iOS.

 

[JDFMavic]

So, again.... If I was to purchase a Bad Elf and BT to my Ipad mini, GO4 may or may not lock on to GPS?

 

[GadgetGuy]

So, again.... If I was to purchase a Bad Elf and BT to my Ipad mini, GO4 may or may not lock on to GPS?

It should, but so should a cellular iPad. It uses a different method of supplying GPS, so there is a possibility that it might work with GO 4 even if the internal GPS doesn't. Still not entirely clear why the cellular GPS isn't always usable by GO 4. Could be the iOS version or the GO 4 version, or a unique incompatible combination of the two. If it is important to you, borrow one to test, or buy one you can return, if it doesn't work.

 

[DJ Wes]

No one has mentioned it here but some time ago a solution was posted that works for me with my M2Z. I use an iOS device and normally, attempting to reset the home point to my current location results in the "GPS signal too weak" message. When this happens, if I unplug the USB cable to my phone, then plug it back in, I can successfully use the Go 4 menu to reset the home point to my current iPhone GPS location.

If you take the DJI Go 4 error message at face value (GPS signal too weak), unplugging and re-plugging the USB cable somehow magically strengthens the GPS signal. However, it is more likely, that, like many other DJI Go 4 messages, this one about the weak GPS signal, is bogus, misleading, or otherwise, simply wrong.

BTW, I tried the "Apple Maps" solution posted earlier in this thread and that did not work for me.

 

[GadgetGuy]

No one has mentioned it here but some time ago a solution was posted that works for me with my M2Z. I use an iOS device and normally, attempting to reset the home point to my current location results in the "GPS signal too weak" message. When this happens, if I unplug the USB cable to my phone, then plug it back in, I can successfully use the Go 4 menu to reset the home point to my current iPhone GPS location.

If you take the DJI Go 4 error message at face value (GPS signal too weak), unplugging and re-plugging the USB cable somehow magically strengthens the GPS signal. However, it is more likely, that, like many other DJI Go 4 messages, this one about the weak GPS signal, is bogus, misleading, or otherwise, simply wrong.

BTW, I tried the "Apple Maps" solution posted earlier in this thread and that did not work for me.

Good info! Great workaround! It clearly has nothing to do with a weak GPS signal. With which iOS device, which iOS version, and which G0 4 version is this workaround now working for you?

 

[DJ Wes]

Good info! Great workaround! It clearly has nothing to do with a weak GPS signal. With which iOS device, which iOS version, and which G0 4 version is this workaround now working for you?

This workaround has worked for me on:

Device: iPhone 8
iOS: 12.4.1 (and previous few versions)
DJI Go 4: v4.3.24 (and previous few versions)
Firmware: v01.00.0510 (and previous few versions)

It would be interesting to hear if this also works for others. I'm guessing it would because there is nothing special about my setup.

 

[09KR0058]

I opened a support case with DJI and just received this response:

We are sorry to hear about the issue you are having with using the GPS with your phone. This is certainly not the experience we want for you.

We understand how difficult it is to deal with this issue, please note that this is due to the weak signal of the iPhone's GPS. iPhone GPS accuracy is not good enough, so it can not reach the GPS accuracy requirements of drones. We don't recommend iOS device, you may try to use an Android device and have a try.

We appreciate you for raising your concern, feedback such as yours can help us improve our service and software for the convenience of our customers. We would want to let you know that we will forward your Inquiry to our Research and Development Team. I'll get back to you once I received their response.

So now I have to buy an Android device just to use this functionality? UN-FREEKING-BELIEVEABLE!!!!!

I composed a response to them but probably should cool off for a few minutes and perhaps edit it before hitting Send. ?

 

[Camino Ken]

I have used a iPhone X for 1 1/2 years with no GPS issues.

 

[Meta4]

So now I have to buy an Android device just to use this functionality? UN-FREEKING-BELIEVEABLE!!!!!

Before getting too worked up over this, do you really need to reset the homepoint to the controller's current location?
What are you are wanting that for?

 

[09KR0058]

Before getting too worked up over this, do you really need to reset the homepoint to the controller's current location?
What are you are wanting that for?

This weekend will be my first time taking the MA out on the boat. I want to do a few test runs using Follow Me and Active Track to see how each mode reacts. What I'm looking for is the quickest and easiest way to bring the drone back at the end of each run.

My thought process is that once I stop the boat and it becomes relatively stable, I set the home point to the controller. I then initiate the process and watch as it comes back to me. Once its about 20-30 feet from me, I then fly it manually back to the boat and hand-catch it. I've now practiced hand launching and catching at least a dozen times and feel pretty comfortable with the process. I'm also fashioning a plywood landing pad for the bow of the boat (yes, with the H-circle painted on it just for kicks) and will test using that for takeoffs and landings. Really looking forward to all this!

 

[Meta4]

This weekend will be my first time taking the MA out on the boat. I want to do a few test runs using Follow Me and Active Track to see how each mode reacts. What I'm looking for is the quickest and easiest way to bring the drone back at the end of each run.

Sounds like fun.
Presumably you'll be close enough that you can visually see your boat on the screen and just aim the drone towards it.
The thing to watch out for is going a long way from where you start flying.
You could get to a point where the drone wants to head back to where it launched if it calculates battery level is just enough for that distance.
You can avoid that by resetting the home point to the drone's current location a few times during the flight just to keep it close rather than it being 5 miles astern.

 

[09KR0058]

Sounds like fun.
Presumably you'll be close enough that you can visually see your boat on the screen and just aim the drone towards it.
The thing to watch out for is going a long way from where you start flying.
You could get to a point where the drone wants to head back to where it launched if it calculates battery level is just enough for that distance.
You can avoid that by resetting the home point to the drone's current location a few times during the flight just to keep it close rather than it being 5 miles astern.

@Meta4 Thanks so much for the reply, not only to this thread but to so many posts I've been following. You seem to have a wealth of experience.
Yes, the drone will always be pretty close, but being new to droning-from-a-boat, I guess I'm a bit nervous. I was looking for a quick way to bring her back after a run on the boat which will be for increasing distances as I get comfortable with the process. Based on so many posts I've read, the plan is to stop the boat and start to bring her back when the battery hits 40%. No way I'm pushing that issue!
Great point about resetting the current location during flight, but again that is something I'd have to get accustomed to. It just seems more efficient to me to just update it to the controller location when I stop the boat and am ready to bring her home.

 

[Meta4]

It just seems more efficient to me to just update it to the controller location when I stop the boat and am ready to bring her home.

Just make sure you don't go four miles downstream with the drone close by and then see the drone start heading back to the launch spot with the battery at 50%.
Updating the home point every mile or so should keep the HP close enough to prevent that.

 

[DanMan32]

I opened a support case with DJI and just received this response:

We are sorry to hear about the issue you are having with using the GPS with your phone. This is certainly not the experience we want for you.

We understand how difficult it is to deal with this issue, please note that this is due to the weak signal of the iPhone's GPS. iPhone GPS accuracy is not good enough, so it can not reach the GPS accuracy requirements of drones. We don't recommend iOS device, you may try to use an Android device and have a try.

We appreciate you for raising your concern, feedback such as yours can help us improve our service and software for the convenience of our customers. We would want to let you know that we will forward your Inquiry to our Research and Development Team. I'll get back to you once I received their response.

So now I have to buy an Android device just to use this functionality? UN-FREEKING-BELIEVEABLE!!!!!

I composed a response to them but probably should cool off for a few minutes and perhaps edit it before hitting Send. [emoji34]

Sounds bogus to me.
I get the same thing with my HTC 10 phone and S3 tablet. GPS is not that inaccurate on Androids or iOS (except non-cell iPads, they don't have GPS receivers) that the HP wouldn't be reasonably close.
Even with AC GPS, you can get inaccuracies by as much as 5 ft.