Flying Mavic with controller ONLY?

[LaurenD]

I recently did something pretty dumb, lost my Mavic. I don't think I will be able to get it back, but have to ask anyway. I was flying it with just the remote controller since my iPhone was dead. It flew away and never came back. My question is there any way to get the GPS from the controller? I've connected the controller to my computer and downloaded all the log files. But I'm thinking the controller doesn't store this information, although you think it would.

 

[WIMMPYIII]

where exactly did this happen for starters

 

[Robbyg]

I think its only stored on the phone but maybe someone else has found something on the controller.

 

[Cyberpower678]

I could swear I've seen log files on the controller, but are encrypted differently, and since hardly anyone uses them, can't be opened by conventional software. :/

 

[Robbyg]

He can hookup DJI assistant 2 and plug in the controller and
Under Black Box it will allow you to save some info into a folder that you choose.

You end up with about 20 Log files with a txt extensions but they are encrypted files. I am not sure what they contain, I know many are useless but one of them might have the Data he needs. I suggest after he pulls those files he drops BudWalker a message and see if he knows what to do next.


Rob

 

[LaurenD]

He can hookup DJI assistant 2 and plug in the controller and
Under Black Box it will allow you to save some info into a folder that you choose.


Rob

There is no blackbox option when connecting the controller. Just option to export log files, which I have done. But none of the online tools for reading log files accept the files. They are only .dat and files without extension.

 

[LaurenD]

I could swear I've seen log files on the controller, but are encrypted differently, and since hardly anyone uses them, can't be opened by conventional software. :/

Yes I have obtained the logs, but what do they contain? Is it just stick movements? I am unable to read them with any of the online log tools.

 

[LaurenD]

where exactly did this happen for starters

On top of a mountain.. Pure pilot stupidity in my case, but still would like to find it if possible.

 

[Cyberpower678]

Yes I have obtained the logs, but what do they contain? Is it just stick movements? I am unable to read them with any of the online log tools.

Try to upload the latest one. Maybe I can access it.

 

[Cyberpower678]

Mavic - Google Drive

Thanks.

These were the only files? They don't look like flight data.

 

[LaurenD]

These were the only files? They don't look like flight data.

Yes they were the only files, which is why I was asking what kind of data the controller actually stores? Would be great if it kept all the information it displays on the controller screen somewhere...

 

[Cyberpower678]

Yes they were the only files, which is why I was asking what kind of data the controller actually stores? Would be great if it kept all the information it displays on the controller screen somewhere...

Hmm. I can't access these. I guess these aren't log files.

I tried. I do wonder what these files are.

 

[AlwaysAWOL]

Sorry to hear your Mavic is lost. Can't help with the logs, but thought you could help others by telling what went wrong? I've thought about doing a quick flight without my phone attached, but the Mavic is so small that even though I'm LOS I've lost sight of it. I suppose I would pop up and use the distance to try and home in at that point. Really hope you're able to find it!

 

[LaurenD]

Hmm. I can't access these. I guess these aren't log files.

Not flight log data anyway. I wonder what they have. Do you have a Mavic? What do you see on yours? I wonder what they are. I've searched internet high and low to try to figure it out. LOL

 

[LaurenD]

Sorry to hear your Mavic is lost. Can't help with the logs, but thought you could help others by telling what went wrong? I've thought about doing a quick flight without my phone attached, but the Mavic is so small that even though I'm LOS I've lost sight of it. I suppose I would pop up and use the distance to try and home in at that point. Really hope you're able to find it!

I was hesitant to say what happened because my stupidity in the situation is embarassing, but here goes:
I took it up to the Delaware Water Gap in NJ and launched it off the top of a mountain (Mt. Tammany). It was windy, but not so windy where I thought I couldn't fly it, and I really wanted to get some great shots of the mountains and river. As soon as I launched it, all of a sudden it started moving away from me. I panicked and tried to get it back, but it just kept moving away and I couldn't get it back. Eventually it disappeared from sight. About midway through flight I figured out how to press the Return To Home button. I did press RTH on the controller immediately after it started flying away but it didn't work because I didn't realize I had to press it and press again holding it down, like you do to the controller and drone on. It tried to come back, but the distance on the controller was only going down a little bit at a time after pressing RTH. Almost like the drone couldn't propel itself against the wind? I remember looking at the controller and it was ~4,000 ft. away at this point and I knew it wasn't going to make it back in time. And I was right, a few minutes later controller was in "connecting" mode. And my drone was gone. It was a heart wrenching experience, I loved that thing. I'm thinking about buying a replacement, but want to make sure I absolutely can't get it back first.

Lessons Learned:

1. do not fly in questionable conditions
2. do not fly without a phone
3. don't panic, think
4. know EVERYTHING and read every manual about the drone and more before flying it...twice

 

[LaurenD]

Hmm. I can't access these. I guess these aren't log files.

I tried. I do wonder what these files are.

I was able to make them look a little bit more friendly using Notepad ++ and changing the encoding to UTF-8 BOM. But still not easy to read. Does possibly look like controller inputs..Attaching screenshot..

 

[Cyberpower678]

Not flight log data anyway. I wonder what they have. Do you have a Mavic? What do you see on yours? I wonder what they are. I've searched internet high and low to try to figure it out. LOL

I do have a Mavic. It's charging next to me right now. I'll see if I can look at it.

I was able to make them look a little bit more friendly using Notepad ++ and changing the encoding to UTF-8 BOM. But still not easy to read. Does possibly look like controller inputs..Attaching screenshot..

Looks like 8 bit encoding.

 

[AlwaysAWOL]

Lessons Learned:

1. do not fly in questionable conditions
2. do not fly without a phone
3. don't panic, think
4. know EVERYTHING and read every manual about the drone and more before flying it...twice

Thank you for sharing, and I'll take your lessons learned to heart. Do hope you find it! Which reminds me, I'll put my cell number/reward if found on mine tonight

 

[Cyberpower678]

I'm not sure if I'm doing it right, but partial decoding gets me a bunch of Chinese stuff. Feeding it through the translator, I get some odd stuff.

"The money and the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, the money, and the money."

"The United States of America, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America, the United States of America,  嫯 뀞 뀞 㿁               ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ ֌ Uranium strontium 왶 锶 쫆 쫆 쫆 그 권 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 㛅 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕 芕ꫢ 뮮 鏩 鏩 鏩 鏩 茯 茯 茯 ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ ዞ This item is eligible for Free International Shipping This item is eligible for Free International Shipping This item is eligible for Free International Shipping Important information about purchasing this product: This product is out of print and no longer available from the publisher. This item is eligible for Free International Shipping This item is eligible for Free International Shipping Important information about purchasing this product: This product is out of print and no longer available."

 

[WIMMPYIII]

I was hesitant to say what happened because my stupidity in the situation is embarassing, but here goes:
I took it up to the Delaware Water Gap in NJ and launched it off the top of a mountain (Mt. Tammany). It was windy, but not so windy where I thought I couldn't fly it, and I really wanted to get some great shots of the mountains and river. As soon as I launched it, all of a sudden it started moving away from me. I panicked and tried to get it back, but it just kept moving away and I couldn't get it back. Eventually it disappeared from sight. About midway through flight I figured out how to press the Return To Home button. I did press RTH on the controller immediately after it started flying away but it didn't work because I didn't realize I had to press it and press again holding it down, like you do to the controller and drone on. It tried to come back, but the distance on the controller was only going down a little bit at a time after pressing RTH. Almost like the drone couldn't propel itself against the wind? I remember looking at the controller and it was ~4,000 ft. away at this point and I knew it wasn't going to make it back in time. And I was right, a few minutes later controller was in "connecting" mode. And my drone was gone. It was a heart wrenching experience, I loved that thing. I'm thinking about buying a replacement, but want to make sure I absolutely can't get it back first.

Lessons Learned:

1. do not fly in questionable conditions
2. do not fly without a phone
3. don't panic, think
4. know EVERYTHING and read every manual about the drone and more before flying it...twice

Sounds like a wind problem for sure. I have and similar happen when flying in strong wind. I was able to get it back by allowing the RTH to kick in just long enugh for it to set its direction and then cancel RTH and flip it into sport mode full stick forward. Doing this will make it return 2x faster then it will in RTH mode. RTH is around 20mph sport mode is around 40mph
Also when flying in mountainous areas a small change in elevation can increase / decrease the wind velocity exponentially.