My Mavic 3 flew away - Any Help Please with Location

[slup]

... has anyone actually checked to see if the M3 mobile device DAT files are readable, or is it just being assumed that they are not?

We have checked... it's encrypted unfortunately.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

your best bet will be DJI & their access to the mobile device DAT log... both when it comes to the cause & where it might have ended up.

As friendly banter ............Uuuum but Slup, with regards to where the drone ended up, to paraphrase one of your replies to me "The TXT DAT log isn't going to help because it stops when the motors stop phone disconnects."
Consequently wont DJI will be a clueless as the rest of us.

 

[slup]

As friendly banter ............Uuuum but Slup, with regards to where the drone ended up, to paraphrase one of your replies to me "The TXT DAT log isn't going to help because it stops when the motors stop phone disconnects."

yeah, it's late... Time to hit the bed

 

[wco81]

Yes, that is what it is set for and did work during my first flight this morning when it disconnected.

I had a disconnect in NZ just before the pandemic.

Was in Lake Wanaka in December 2019, flying from north of Wanaka town. I flew south, over a gentle hill which went down towards Wanaka and I got a report of a lost connection on my M2P.

I don't recall if it just RTH or it regained the connection and I flew it back or initiated RTH. I was near the water line and there were some homes but tall trees between where I was and where the town was.

Had other brief disconnects in other places, usually when the aircraft wasn't that far away. Sometimes with direct LOS.

Maybe there was some military radio interference or maybe unlicensed radio interference of some kind. No rhyme or reason to these brief disconnects.

Once I regain control, I usually bring the AC back.

 

[Tufargon]

Just throwing this out. Could the Kp index/solar flares have anything to do with this?

 

[Meta4]

Just throwing this out. Could the Kp index/solar flares have anything to do with this?

Absolutely not.
There's never been a single incident that could be attributed to flying in a high Kp index event.

But if it did have any influence, that would be limited to a small increase in the error that your GPS already has and you probably wouldn't notice it.

And on top of that, the Kp index isn't high anyway.

 

[sar104]

The below video is from my first flight today and is evident there was an issues. As you will see it only reconnects above me

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This is the same thing - it's not the aircraft disconnecting from the RC, it's the mobile device disconnecting from the RC.

 

[Suren]

This is the same thing - it's not the aircraft disconnecting from the RC, it's the mobile device disconnecting from the RC.

If it was just the mobile device that disconnected the drone would not initiate RTH. The RC lights were flashing on both occasions which verified that there was no connection to the drone. When the M3 is connected and talking to the RC-N1 controller the 4 Leds stay solid on it showing that the drone and RC have an active connection. A simple test would be for someone else that has this setup to test it and report it back. The RC lights will flash when not connected to AC.

 

[sar104]

If it was just the mobile device that disconnected the drone would not initiate RTH. The RC lights were flashing on both occasions which verified that there was no connection to the drone. When the M3 is connected and talking to the RC-N1 controller the 4 Leds stay solid on it showing that the drone and RC have an active connection. A simple test would be for someone else that has this setup to test it and report it back. The RC lights will flash when not connected to AC.

I can't comment on that since it's not in the log, but the screen recordings that you posted clearly show the "RC disconnected from mobile device" message. The RC might also have disconnected from the aircraft, but there is no obvious reason why those would happen at the same time.

None of what you have so far described makes much sense, so I suggest that you wait to see what DJI support find when they look at the logs.

 

[Suren]

I can't comment on that since it's not in the log, but the screen recordings that you posted clearly show the "RC disconnected from mobile device" message. The RC might also have disconnected from the aircraft, but there is no obvious reason why those would happen at the same time.

None of what you have so far described makes much sense, so I suggest that you wait to see what DJI support find when they look at the logs.

Dji support has responded already and said I should have an answer in 3-5 working days so I will wait and see. I was out there looking again with my sons and we failed to locate this drone. The search area is just to vast and we are not sure if it even landed there or is on top of a very tall tree, which are plenty there.

 

[TonyPHX]

I just read your posting on the DJI forum and came over here to read all details. I'm really annoyed at my M3. I purchased a standard one, and it is already getting a care refresh because of the controlability issue. Your fly-away does not help my confidence flying the M3. I have a hard time believing all of us having problems are due to our faults.

I have come to my own conclusion that this drone needs serious attention and fast.

 

[TonyPHX]

Can anyone also explain how the drone vision system assumed it was night and gave that error message at the beginning of the flight.

I had the vision sensor error issue. I was in daylight. tried it in all flight modes, cine, postion and sport. (yes I know sport mode deactivates them.). The icon stayed red and I continued to get the vision sensor unavailable for that entire day. (about eight flights total while I was trying to figure this out.)

Next day, tried again. No error. Has not come back. (Of course that drone is now being refreshed....)

 

[Suren]

I had the vision sensor error issue. I was in daylight. tried it in all flight modes, cine, postion and sport. (yes I know sport mode deactivates them.). The icon stayed red and I continued to get the vision sensor unavailable for that entire day. (about eight flights total while I was trying to figure this out.)

Next day, tried again. No error. Has not come back. (Of course that drone is now being refreshed....)

These drones do have issues and granted they are beasts when it comes to flight time, distances and camera but still, it needs to be reliable. I started losing confidence in my drone when I had an issue of the drone failing to fly back properly during an RTH. It kept on coming to a complete stop mid air and then taking off again and this happened while it was in RTH during the day, bright sun at 160 meters high. I posted the logs in the Dji forum and no one could figure this out and put it down to overly sensitive OA sensors. I am still waiting on the dealer to give me an answer to that but now I have no drone and again at the start of my video there it was OA sensors not working and thought it was night time.

 

[Suren]

I just read your posting on the DJI forum and came over here to read all details. I'm really annoyed at my M3. I purchased a standard one, and it is already getting a care refresh because of the controlability issue. Your fly-away does not help my confidence flying the M3. I have a hard time believing all of us having problems are due to our faults.

I have come to my own conclusion that this drone needs serious attention and fast.

I fully agree with you

 

[TonyPHX]

These drones do have issues and granted they are beasts when it comes to flight time, distances and camera but still, it needs to be reliable. I started losing confidence in my drone when I had an issue of the drone failing to fly back properly during an RTH. It kept on coming to a complete stop mid air and then taking off again and this happened while it was in RTH during the day, bright sun at 160 meters high. I posted the logs in the Dji forum and no one could figure this out and put it down to overly sensitive OA sensors. I am still waiting on the dealer to give me an answer to that but now I have no drone and again at the start of my video there it was OA sensors not working and thought it was night time.

Well, I am watching and rooting for you. I hope to hear that yours gets replaced promptly.

 

[Suren]

Well, I am watching and rooting for you. I hope to hear that yours gets replaced promptly.

Thanks, I am hoping so as well but if Dji forces me to use my refresh I will be selling the M3 when I get it. Cannot deal with such a Hugh loss because paid $4500 for the kit and a further $1450 for flyaway coverage( if they don't give warranty) that puts me back $5950NZD

 

[Deleted member 103366]

If it was just the mobile device that disconnected the drone would not initiate RTH. The RC lights were flashing on both occasions which verified that there was no connection to the drone. When the M3 is connected and talking to the RC-N1 controller the 4 Leds stay solid on it showing that the drone and RC have an active connection.

The drone may have disconnected from the controller after the phone/App disconnected from the controller but only you will have seen that.
The log only shows what happened up until the phone/App disconnected from the controller and the video shows that the phone/App disconnected from the controller. We do not see anything that happened AFTER the phone/App disconnected from the controller.
Saying this is not arguing with you, it's just that we have no evidence either way from the video or log.

 

[calmar81]

Dji support has responded already and said I should have an answer in 3-5 working days so I will wait and see. I was out there looking again with my sons and we failed to locate this drone. The search area is just to vast and we are not sure if it even landed there or is on top of a very tall tree, which are plenty there.

Good luck, buddy

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Dji support has responded already and said I should have an answer in 3-5 working days so I will wait and see. I was out there looking again with my sons and we failed to locate this drone. The search area is just to vast and we are not sure if it even landed there or is on top of a very tall tree, which are plenty there.

I think the only thing I might be tempted to do , is try is to get another drone up in the Air and simply fly the tree line near those hills. This is where it would really be nice if the M3 had a nice bright color on it that Might pop on the camera.

Something to consider if DJI blesses you with a new drone or someone is willing to search for you.
Dont be surprised if your case gets escalated as that is a good thing but will take more time.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your M3 in the Rain. and stand out in a Search and Recovery.

 

[fiddlepilot]

If DJI does indeed replace the drone I’d be concerned if you are still using the original controller.