Follow Me Mode Weak Satellite

[lekrantz]

This works for US iPhones, curious what European iPhone 7s show.....
"In fact, if you’re wondering whether Qualcomm or Intel is powering your LTE experience on your iPhone 7 right now, the following is all you need to do to get a quick answer. Head on over to the Settings app and select General > About > Legal > Regulatory. Here, at the top of the screen, should be the model number we’re looking for in order to carry out a quick and dirty identification.

Now if the model number shown here reads A1778 or A1784, then the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus in question is an AT&T or T-Mobile version making use of the Intel modem. If the model number is A1660 or A1661, however, then it’s going to be a Sprint or Verizon variant with a Qualcomm modem. We told you it was easy."

I got a A1784 iPhone 7+ here in Sweden.

 

[FlashGJ]

I got a A1784 iPhone 7+ here in Sweden.

So it is an Intel modem, just as I suspected.

 

[ThorH]

[QUOTE="FlashGJ, post: 144117, member: 1480"
Now if the model number shown here reads A1778 or A1784, then the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus in question is an AT&T or T-Mobile version making use of the Intel modem."[/QUOTE]
A1784

 

[FlashGJ]

A1784[/QUOTE]
So an Intel modem also, which explains the Follow Me function not working. Interesting that you can set Home to controller though. Can you reset Home to controller every time without fail? I have had it work on mine once, for some reason, but failed every other time I have tried.

 

[ThorH]

Yes, never had a problem.

 

[Ewilson222]

This is intriguing, I hope to hear some more responses about this. A good test might be to take a phone that's on at&t and a phone that's on a different network and fly in the same area with the same drone where the at&t phone won't work on follow me. If I get the chance I will for sure try this out.

IPhone 6 plus model A-1522

Carrier = Verizon

This is not a locked Verizon phone even though I have it on their network. This phone uses simcard. Right now the sim card is removed. Everything that uses GPS works fine on this phone except the DJI go 4 app. It doesn't use the GPS properly. Even if this is the " cheap" modem in this phone it should work. I have REAL cheap devices with crap hardware and they work fine. Like my old motog phone. Nexus 7 2012. 40 dollar LG phone. All work fine. Non- cheap would be my Nvidia shield. GPS connectivity to DJIgo4 work great. But the iPhone.. Weak satellite signal when using or trying to use follow me or RTH (controller location).. I believe this is an app failure. I don't care who you are. You can't tell me that any iPhone has crappy GPS hardware when compared to my trash, throwaway phones that work well. Not on at&t. Removed sim card. Originally on Verizon.

 

[KiterTodd]

Same issue. 7plus. No love.

Still have my old 6, will have to test it with that.

What is the mode actually supposed to do? Follow the controller?
I always get the error when I hit this mode by mistake instead of ActiveTrack.

 

[wolfmad]

Yes

 

[Jussaguy]

Has anyone figured this issue out? I am using an iPhone 6s and no matter where I go, follow me mode just simply won't work. It says I have a weak GPS signal and that's all i can get.

Guys, I have been working with the high tier engineers on this issue and they have no idea what is going on.

I have tried it on at AT&T iPhone 7 and 7+, and 6+, and a Verizon iPhone 7+. 6, 6+ and iPad Pro and its not doing it on any of them.

Here is the weirdest part. It was doing the same thing with my P4 that they sent me that was a refurb but before I got the Mavic.

Naturally I thought the transmitter (what sends the GPS signal to the RC FROM the bird) was just bad and sent it back and they are sending me another one). I just figured it had to be that.

Now this was a BRAND new referred P4.

So here is where it gets weirder. So I get my Mavic and the same thing is happening and with all the same iPhones.

Now I am nervous that they switched transmitters and the new one sucks and is not working with iPhones which actually do have traditionally crappy GPS receivers but it almost needs nothing for follow me and HP setting. That is was working with the Android above makes me less nervous that they switched transmitters because I had a friend that was fixing (for DJI) at someone's house a P4 and P4P+ and it worked on the P4 and not on the P4P+.

They have offered me my money back for my Mavic (which DJI never does) and I bought it from them which that alone makes me nervous.

It is either a bad transmitter, an iOs issue, or a firmware (software issue) or a combination of the two latters but since there is no real atti mode in the Mavic, it is not safe to send it in the air without a way to set a homepoint should the software set a wayward HP which it has been known to do.

Say it sets a HP 8 miles away, the bird will think it's far away from home and start to RTH and there is no real ATTI mode in the Mavic. You would have to put it in smart mode and HOPE it overrides the RTH and if it doesn't the bird will fly away and you will probably be blamed for it.

It's a real issue and they need to acknowledge it and fix it immediately. It is my guess that a LARGE, like 80% or more are flying with this issue and have no idea.

UGH! Just when I thought DJI finally rolled out a product well and with good software.

 

[FlashGJ]

This is a very perplexing issue. My iPhone 7 on AT&T has always given me the weak satellite issue. I purchased a used 6S + and it works great and has never given me the weak satellite error. Why does it work for most, but for others, it never works.

 

[wolfmad]

Intel modem is the issue!!

 

[Johnmcl7]

I'm not particularly up on iPhone variants particularly US ones but on having a search around, it seems only the iPhone7 has variants with an Intel modem as any references I find are for the iPhone 7 including an article detailing how the iPhone 7 is the first Apple mobile device to use Intel hardware. Reading through this thread, there's people with iPhone 6's and iPad Mini cellulars that are also getting the same weak GPS issue and those device appear not to have the Intel modem. Some people have posted their 6 works fine although I can't see any significant differences with 6 variants.

What would be useful to know if people with an iPhone 7 that have A1660/A1661 variants (sold on Verizon and Sprint) are having the weak GPS issue or not.

John

 

[ThorH]

As I have no problem setting a home location, and the iPhone's positioning is flawless with any other app, my guess is that it is a bug in the Go 4 app.

 

[Hogbert_1999]

A1784 (iPhone 7plus) here in Australia (intel variant) and getting weak gps signal issue?

What are my next steps? Is there a case open with DJI?

 

[ThorH]

I have not opened a case.

 

[judexromo]

Also having the same issue! Will be calling DJI.

 

[KiterTodd]

...Say it sets a HP 8 miles away, the bird will think it's far away from home and start to RTH and there is no real ATTI mode in the Mavic. You would have to put it in smart mode and HOPE it overrides the RTH and if it doesn't the bird will fly away and you will probably be blamed for it.

It's a real issue and they need to acknowledge it and fix it immediately. It is my guess that a LARGE, like 80% or more are flying with this issue and have no idea.

UGH! Just when I thought DJI finally rolled out a product well and with good software.

Wait, you lost me here. I feel like I'm missing a key point?

Why is the failure of "Follow Me Mode" a major issue for all performance? I don't doubt you...I just know I'm not connecting the dots. Thanks.

 

[Johnmcl7]

There was a bug in the Android version of DJI Go 4 that it would suddenly set a distant home point itself which the Mavic would detect it was too far from the home point and immediately RTH. That issue has now been fixed though and I can't see that happening with this iPhone issue as it simply doesn't give a GPS location rather than a wrong one and as a few people have pointed out. it seems to have an issue with the app as the GPS location in other apps works fine.

 

[FlashGJ]

Wait, you lost me here. I feel like I'm missing a key point?

Why is the failure of "Follow Me Mode" a major issue for all performance? I don't doubt you...I just know I'm not connecting the dots. Thanks.

It is not the failure of follow me mode that is a major performance issue, it is the inability to set new RTH homepoint to the current location of the controller (which is a related issue) that can definitely be a major issue for many of us.

 

[Jussaguy]

Wait, you lost me here. I feel like I'm missing a key point?

Why is the failure of "Follow Me Mode" a major issue for all performance? I don't doubt you...I just know I'm not connecting the dots. Thanks.

I am sorry if I confused you. It is not a major issue for ALL performance.

It is indicate of an issue with the bird and it's ability to read the GPS in the tab or phone. Or the maybe it's the software, I just don't know.

For example, here is how my phone is reading the GPS sats. This is an iPhone 7+ and the best diagnostic app for GPS in the app store.

As you can see there is nothing wrong. i have quality read on all the sats and thats's from indoors.

GPS has a transmitter and a receiver.

For MOST of the things we do with our birds we rely on the GPS that has a receiver inside of the bird and the transmitter is in the RC, That is how you RC knows where the bird is, how the bird knows where IT is, how it knows where to go on WP missions, braking, and all kinds of stuff. Most of the stuff happens with that GPS.

The only two things that the bird needs a GPS signal AT THE RC (where the transmitter on board the bird reads back to the GPS receiver on the tab if you have one) is when you want to change the homepoint (say if you are floating on a boat), shooting a car commercial and you want to set a new homepoin at the end of the road of the take, or if you are using "Follow Me", aside from "Active Track" which is really just a little gimmicky track based in software although cool, it's not like "Follow Me".

So Follow Me not working is indicative that you are having a problem with your GPS receiver for whatever reason (I think software/firmware) and that means you have less control. I won't fly a bird that is a non-racer where I can't have it speak to me and change homepoints and follow me, etc.

Hope that clears it up a little.

I sort of rambled. It's quite simple.