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Mavic Mini and fog

Bojan

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Yesterday I wanted to go in fog with mini, and try to climb above clouds. So turn on the mini, remote, phone, everything great. No wind.
He started buzzing and hoovering. Everything ok. I pushed stick and he started climbing. Since 120m is legally ok height. He stoped there. It was still fog.
So I wanted to move him more above. I moved those sliders in Mavic Fly for height maximum. And now I am speaking in real time. While I was doing that I noticed red message pop up on screen. Noticing me that Mavic is "max power load reached". In that second I realized that I can hear mini above me. And there he was. I just dont understand how. Since I was holding stick for up. He was freefalling. And now all of this happen in 2-3 seconds. He was falling. But not like his motors where dead. They where running, and his propellers where working. So he actually did trying to fly. But he was just to week so he was declining. I realized that he was going to fast to stop above earth. So I figured out that if I put my hand under him, his sensor will notice that ground is under him and he will start hoovering above my hand. THAT DIDNT HAPPEN. So I literally grab him while he was falling. He continue to keep his motors on, and propellers running but I didnt wont to let him go. So he popup the message "landing, press to cancel". Then I managed to push both sticks down, and activate emergency motors off.
He cut my fingers with his blades. But beside that. There isnt scratch on mini.
I dont know what happend. I guess that the fog was too moisture. And his sensors were start acting crazy. Or he start acting nut when I wanted to edit maximum height.
Dont know how to share logs quite well. Except like this if its working.
 
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You cannot fly the Mini in an abusive manner, as there seems to be some problems. So do not hold the motors at full power for too long, don't try to climb continuously for long and in Sports mode do not fly at full speed for too long, especially if it is cold and there is fog, very bad combination..

Cool cool
 
Thank you for reply. Although thing you said are probly right. I dont feel like I did anything abusive. Its not that I act with mini too harsh. If its ok to go with mini 120m, and I dint even get to that hight. Than its ok I gues. If its not than it would be nice that dji said something about that in those 200 user manuals in pdf email web app or any other material. If the motors where in too long excessive speed, then app could notice you with that problem. And another thing. It was critical situation. And I am dissapointed with minis response and software about all that. Because NOTHING didnt try to warn me. Or anything. But thank you very much. I will remember those thing you said and try to keep that in mind.
 
The fog and freezing temps are a recipe for things to go wrong.

The software doesn't know it's foggy but the manual tells you not to operate it in those conditions.
No no, I said he was in right. I was talking about user manual and too much holding motors. And I am dissapointed that software didnt recognize that there is problem. It is obvious even for software that drone was loosing big height in short time.
 
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No no, I said he was in right. I was talking about user manual and too much holding motors. And I am dissapointed that software didnt recognize that there is problem. It is obvious even for software that drone was loosing big height in short time.
Looking at your airdata link it was warning you "Not Enough Force/ESC Error (repeated 50 times)"

You've misunderstood what @Mavic_Mini_Pilot posted as facts, where they are suggestions.

What is in the manual is don't fly in fog and below 0c, which you ignored.
 
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I saw that after I downloaded the log. But that wasnt showing on app. First time that appears on my phone is when he was already 20m above me. And even so, 50time?, how can I ignore that in 2 minutes? It was obviusly glitch in program, probably by fog and me. I am just saying that mini software didnt act right in that situation. If there is problem for 50 times, than drone should go home. Is there any trace to that? No. I dont wont to go in arguing with you. I shouldnt go in fog. My mistake. I am just saying that software didnt act properly. If there is strong wind, you get popup notifications "strong wind, take him lower or ground him." In this occasion. There isnt anything like that. You cant say that software couldnt recognize that mini was loosing altitude in extreme time. On the ground wasnt 0, probobly in air was much colder. I say my fault even for that. But you cannt fly with measuring temp 120m above it.
I post this, just for everyone else to see why not driving in fog.
 
ok, i assumed (wrongly it turns out) that the app would have been displaying those warnings. I agree with you that it does make sense that it should warn you when it's losing altitude due to this.
 
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The fog did affect the sensors at the belly making the drone believe that there was some obstacle 1.4 meters beneath it. That's perfectly OK though. The drone should be able to fly just as usual.

The real problem occurred about 92 seconds after take off. The height started dropping steadily and there was no response to full throttle input

1579963345200.png

I am afraid this is another case of "motors maxing out" which has become a kind of signature problem of the Mini.

Similar incidents on Youtube :

Dji Mavic Mini CRASH!!! - YouTube
DJI Mavic Mini Crash!! With no reason?? - YouTube
Crash mavic Mini falls into the sea - YouTube
Mavic Mini descended into the water and not responding - YouTube
Mavic Mini descending three times unexpectedly. - YouTube
THE SEA CRASH - YouTube
5 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW | DJI Mavic Mini - YouTube

As reported in the last Youtube video above, the problem is not very consistent. Despite the fact that numerous reports about the problems have been made I am yet to see a solution.

If you can post the .DAT log file ( the one you have uploaded to Airdata is the .TXT file ), may be some more info can be dug out. Follow this thread to get the .DAT file : Flight log retrieval and analysis guide
 
Even without the motor power problem, one could get stuck in or above the fog, since the downward sensors see the fog as ground or obstacle. If it doesn't get stuck, it may try to "land" on the fog, thinking it is actually solid ground.
 
Looking at the temperature could it have been freezing fog causing an issue?

A proper helicopter will turn anti-ice on at 5c in clouds.

Speaking to an army helicopter pilot and instructor he instantly said "freezing fog and too little power"
 
Looking at the temperature could it have been freezing fog causing an issue?

A proper helicopter will turn anti-ice on at 5c in clouds.

Speaking to an army helicopter pilot and instructor he instantly said "freezing fog and too little power"
That's what I was thinking, if the props iced up then the motors would struggle. I'm not sure what temperatures that would happen at or how quickly.
 
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