Mavic 2 Pro (or Zoom) *.DAT Files

[sar104]

So it's a hardware issue, either with the aircraft or the remote controller.

 

[RedBird2020]

So it's a hardware issue, either with the aircraft or the remote controller.

That make sense with all the testing done so far. Using the same firmware versions in previous testing that BudWalker is using and he is able to record the .DAT files and I'm not able to and with all the software upgrades and still nothing, it strongly points to hardware.

Thanks for everyone's help and advice.

Will update post when DJI responds back.

 

[Turn11]

@RedBird2020 did you consider trying another factory stock RC (my post #32)

 

[RedBird2020]

@RedBird2020 did you consider trying another factory stock RC (my post #32)

I think that is the next step to try. I'll try to find someone local to do some testing with and see if I can isolate the offending hardware

 

[RedBird2020]

Heard back from DJI 4-26-2019, they pointed me to the folder with the 1KB and 2KB .dat files which are useless for evaluating flight data and events.

Sent "Another" email REPLY back further explaining the YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS_FLYxxx.DAT files I am trying to record/retrieve on iPad.

Stay Tuned

 

[RedBird2020]

Have had several email responses back from DJI none of which answered the question. DJI engineering is not reading the emails very closely be for making a cook book response.

Keep putting the ball back in their court.

 

[RedBird2020]

Update:

Was not able to connect with a local M2P flyer (schedule, weather, etc.) -- AND -- After repeated emails back and forth with DJI technical support, DJI finally requested that I send in my aircraft and controller for evaluation. So off to UPS this morning to drop it off.

Never identified any other issues while flying. All seemed to work except for the issue of recording the FLYxxx.DAT files.

Will post an update again once I get it back.

 

[AndresS]

Hi

Same situation with my Mavic 2 Pro.
I have tried AC firmware downgrading to V01.00.0100 and older DJi GO versions on Android.
Also with iOS 12.3.1 with latest DJI GO. MCDatFlightRecords folder is empty. One small difference between iOS and Android that Android did not have this folder at all. I have created it but it's still empty.
RC firmware downgrading was not successful. Can't go below v01.00.03.00.
Personally i think there is a problem with RC.
AC build date: 15. January 2019

Andres

 

[RedBird2020]

AndresS

I'm sad and happy to hear that. Sad that your not able to record these valuable files like everyone else is able to do, but happy to hear from you and that I'm not alone in the world with this problem.

Up to now, it seemed everyone with a Mavic 2 (Pro or Zoom) were able to record those FLYxxx.DAT files as well as the text files.

I just checked the build date and mine was built on 18 December 2018.

You tried some things that I had not tried, that being step backwards in the firmware updates looking for a point that the files may be written and then they stop being written. Reason I did not try this is that 2 of the experts here on the forum were able to record and review the FLYxxx.DAT files and we were all running the same firmware/updates from the AC to the Controller to the iPad.

I've been working closely with DJI trying to resolve this issue with not being able to recording these files but the proper folder (MCDatFlightRecords) being created.

If you are able to figure out what is going on Please PLEASE share how you were able to resolve the problem.

I'm thinking there are a lot of folks out there with this same issue but they have been flying and have not needed to come to this forum asking flight related questions. They don't realize these files are not being recorded. Most probably don't know this information is even being recorded (or supposed to be recorded). The aircraft and remote controller appear to operate normally either way.

I hope to have some updated information soon that I plan to post here.

 

[RedBird2020]

Its been quit a while since I last posted and an ordeal trying to get the problem of not being able to record the
yyyy-mm-dd_hh-mm-ss_FLYxxx.DAT files in folder FlightRecords/MCDatFlightRecords.

There will be a lot of details posted below. You may or may not care to read it all.

Final chapter for this post -
Bottom Line Up Front: DJI was not able to state positively DJI knew what the problem was or how to correct the drone/controller issue so that the yyyy-mm-dd_hh-mm-ss_FLYxxx.DAT files will be recorded in folder FlightRecords/MCDatFlightRecords on my iPad/iPhone or friend’s Android device. Lots of conversations back and forth, try this, try that. Finally, I did get a resolution but it’s not at all what I expected. I’m back flying and enjoying the hobby again, but still no *.DAT files being recorded on the new drone and new remote controller.

I hope if you have to get your drone serviced, you get better results from DJI than I did.

 

[RedBird2020]

DJI multiple email exchanges while I continued to fly it:

Multiple emails were exchanged between DJI’s email based trouble shooting service and myself from March 23rd to June 10th. Did the best I could to explain to DJI what I was looking for (submitted screen shots too). I was not having any issues with drone flight or camera performance. I was able to record and review *.txt files, and explained to DJI in agonizing detail step by step all the testing that had been done. Was not able to resolve the issue of the missing yyyy-mm-dd_hh-mm-ss_FLYxxx.DAT files via email exchanges.

 

[RedBird2020]

SOME DETAILS:

• First, DJI sent an email showing me how to access the FLightLogs folder where I would find the *.DAT files. Well, there are *.DAT files in that folder but they are 1 to 2 KB in size (way too small and not readable) and were not the yyyy-mm-dd_hh-mm-ss_FLYxxx.DAT files in folder FlightRecords/MCDatFlightRecords I’m searching for. Sent an email REPLY back to DJI with a better explanation of the files, pictures of the files/sizes that I was looking for, pictures of correct folder but showing it was empty, and where they should be found.
• Next response back from DJI Engineers said “The DAT files that you saw were compressed. Because the flight log takes up space, Mavic 2 has been optimized. DJI has not provided official viewing software of DAT files for Mavic 2. If you have any questions, it’s is recommended to supply a DAT file and we will provide the analysis results.” Again DJI ignores the fact that there are a lot of people (here) posting their FLYxxx.DAT files from their Mavic 2 for experts on this form to help them explain what happened.
• DJI then asked me why I wanted to see the that data? If there is a problem, DJI would analyze the data for me. Well, based on the type of analyses you will read about below, I don’t have high confidence I’d get the REAL answer.

 

[RedBird2020]

• DJI Engineers asked me to uninstall the GO 4 app and then reinstall the GO 4 app on both my iPad and my iPhone. There was No change. Even tried installing GO 4 App on my wife’s iPad, That did not resolve the problem either.
• Three weeks into email exchange another response back from DJI Engineers reads – “This is normal. In order to take up less space, the flightlog of the Mavic 2 was optimized.” (Read that as recording of FLYxxx.DAT files has been disabled for consumers viewing). Ah-NO, I seem to be the only “Mavic 2” owner on the forums that cannot record these FLYxxx.DAT files. How does DJI explain that? (turns out, another forum poster said he had the same problem)
• Next, after saying these files were “optimized”, DJI engineers sent me a detailed explanation of how to download the yyyy-mm-dd_hh-mm-ss_FLYxxx.DAT files using iTunes. Pretty much followed what BudWalker and sar104 have documented and posted here for directions. DJI’s process did not work. Files don’t exist where they should be found. Sent DJI Engineers screen captures of what I was (not) seeing.

 

[RedBird2020]

• DJI Engineers asked me to reinstall all firmware. This did not resolve the problem.
• It seemed DJI Engineers were following a fault tree analysis diagram that says “IF Yes, then tell customer to do this; IF No, then try that”. DJI Engineering appeared to totally ignore all the technical information which I provided to them via emails.
• Received a lot of responses from DJI to assure me they had not dropped the case file (as it would sometimes take 5 to 7 days between responses, guess they have other drones to work). Typical ‘WAIT” response: “Thank you for reaching back to me and I am here to assist you further. I've forwarded your email message to our Engineers to have this reviewed. We'll send you an email response when there's a feedback from them.
  We appreciate your time and effort following up on this.
  Thank you for choosing DJI and have a nice day!”
• After 2 months, DJI finally reached the conclusion they could not resolved it by email exchanges and requested that I send my drone and controller into the U.S.A. service center. This is when things went bad, real bad.

 

[RedBird2020]

SEND Drone and Controller into DJI Service Center:

Once DJI received my equipment and were able to evaluate it, the response I got was a repair bill for $225 to replace the camera gimbal. WHAT ???? Fix the camera gimbal??? There’s nothing wrong with the camera gimbal. I’d only had the drone for 3 months.

DJI Invoice Remark:

“Dear Customer After carrying out the damage assessment, we found Gimbal motor overload. Unfortunately, damage that is not caused by a product malfunction or is out of the warranty period is not covered by DJI aftersales policy. Damage was not caused by product malfunction. We'll either repair it or replace it with a product that's new or equivalent to new in both performance and reliability after payment has been received. For more information, please visit (http://www.dji.com/service/policy).

Another DJI email stated; “According to the analysis, no crash was found in the available flight records and there's obvious damage that impairs the normal function of the unit. The cause of the issue is due to physical damage. Therefore the incident was not caused by any product malfunction. We can still proceed with the repair, however, you will cover the repair charges.
Your understanding and cooperation will be highly appreciated.”

 

[RedBird2020]

Has DJI not been listening to anything thing I’ve said? Has DJI not read the reason for the return for inspection? Is DJI even looking at MY DRONE or someone else’s??? Surely, they track by serial numbers.

Knowing my aircraft had never been crashed, never suffered a hard landing, never been dropped, never left outside in weather, always transported in a foam line hard case made specifically for Mavic 2 equipment, AND it’s been covered with a DecalGirl skin before its maiden flight, there was no possible way there was any physical damage even to the body surfaces.

 

[RedBird2020]

When I asked DJI to provide photographic evidence of the damage they were claiming was “Obvious”, DJI sent a photograph of a darken and blurred video screen with only two words visible “Gimbal Error”. No hardware serial numbers visible on the screen, no nothing, just those two words. No way to show that it was my equipment they were providing info for. So where was the photographic evidence of the “Obvious Physical Damage” claimed by DJI? DJI never provided any evidence to substantiate their claim for my drone. I do remember the drone landing just off the landing pad on to the grass with the camera resting on the grass on the 4th flight. Went back and reviewed the flight (.txt) files. Sure enough the 4th flight .TXT file had an entry “Gimbal Motor Overload” for that event. There have been an additional 43 flights flown since that event and not a single problem, not a single error in the *.txt flight logs. There’s been enough flights since that event to clear the drone internal log files (keeps the last 10 files). Therefore, DJI must have a permanent storage where that type data is retained forever.

 

[RedBird2020]

Next email back to DJI pointed out the claim by me of no damage and asked them to review the DJI service analysis and provide a detailed description of “Obvious Physical Damage”. Instead DJI now added another claim stating “Just received the feedback from our internal team, According to our internal team, the unit was opened/tampered prior to sending into our repair facility, therefore, we are standing by with our initial decision that the case will remain non warranty.” Oh, by the way, my warranty is NOW VOID. Keep that in mind if you decided to look under the hood within the first 12 months.

Which I immediately replied back that the unit had never been opened by me. DJI answered back with their decision was final, the unit had been opened/tampered prior to sending into repair facility. I know that was not true. When I received it from Amazon, best I can recall, is that all the security tab tapes were intact indicating the boxes were factory sealed. Don’t remember if the boxes were shrink wrapped or not.

DJI stated they have ways to determine if the unit (Drone) was opened and tampered with. OK, fine that’s a good idea to protect yourself. I’ll state AGAIN, I never opened or tamper with the unit. So how does the customer prove that? It’s my word against their process.

 

[RedBird2020]

Now, I’m at the 3rd level of problems DJI claims to have found wrong. Each time getting more serious, and more costly. It’s worth noting that in the beginning, no mention was made of gimbal errors or opening/tampering with the unit and for $255 they would be more than happy to replace the camera gimbal on my drone.

I’ve yet to see a description or pictures of DJI claimed was Obvious Physical Damage. Now, nothing will be covered under warranty because of the DJI claim that it had been opened and tampered with. DJI NEVER responded to recording the FLYxxx.DAT files which was the original reason for sending in my equipment. How was replacing the camera gimbal going to solve the original reason for shipping it to repair facility to start with. After more emails with DJI service center, DJI would not provide evidence of what they were claiming only ambiguous words like ‘Obvious Damage’ ‘Opened/Tampering’ in the DJI email response.

 

[RedBird2020]

How do you prove you never opened/tampered with the insides of the drone as DJI claimed? You can’t. There is no way to “Officially Certify” something like that to prove your position. DJI as a company gets involved with and must guard against false claims by people who desire to get free repair work done and they are on the watch for that. But when you know you have not done what they claim, you have not caused physical damage or that you have never opened and tampered with the inside of the drone, and if you assume it was factory sealed packaging when shipped, I now begin to question the trustworthiness of DJI providing honest repair services.

Interesting thing is, I had no indication from flight activities of the drone, control unit, *.txt log files that other than FLYxxx.DAT files not being recorded that there was anything wrong. Camera and gimbal were giving great photos and movies.