My Mavic has suddenly gotten “weak GPS signal” while flying this week. Is this normal? Flight log pics included.

[Rockowe]

Im freaking out about this -
My MAVIC PRO Platinum- is doing the same-

Latest firmware - and previous firmware-
It gets 15 GPS sats… on the ground
Green slow flashing back light - … (meaning food GPS)

As Soon as I launch - it flips to OPTI Mod …. (and RED Contant LIGHT on the Back)
On the New Firmware it says weak GPS - which is nonsense aas I have a separate Mavic Zoom system as well.

If I take it too high it loses that OPTI and goes into ATTI Mode.

Once I LAnd the RED Light remains on … and will not allow a Restart of engines until I CYCLE a REBOOT on the drone (Off and ON)
then again the SATS are 14-19.

I launch from Similar areas with the Zoom with No Problem...

Im an established Pilot - but cannot fly my MPP like this !
Something is throwing the drone OFF GPS mode - thinking that theres an accuracy error-
Maybe not matching with compass-
Iv calibrated too many times...

Iv seen Multiple MP1 and MPP pilots complaining of the same thing on this Platform - No Solution !?

 

[JDawg]

Careful about that test. It requires that the device's compass running the app is accurate, and I've yet to come across a phone or tablet who's compass is accurate without having calibrated it at point of use.

You can take that one up with sar104. I have watched as many crashes were revealed to be because the pointer on the Go 4 app screen was pointed a different way than the drone was pointing.

 

[Mossiback]

Well I get the GPS error while in the air and then it’s too late. If it told me not to launch because of Mag interference then that would be great.

I used to fly from an old school site that had a number of concrete slabs. There was one spot that Go 4 would not let me launch from. It would display a message about magnetic problems and said to launch somewhere else. Hand launching fixed that problem and for all I know DJI has dropped the warning from current Go 4 versions to make room for something new.

 

[Mossiback]

...2) It seems to always slowly pan to the right when hovering in the air no matter the altitude. It can be up 5 feet with no wind and it still slowly pans to the right. Very frustrating. I dont even necessarily get an error message when that happens.

I have heard similar problems being fixed by demagnetizing the Mavic using Cfixer. CFixer is the Compass Error Fixer

 

[JDawg]

I used to fly from an old school site that had a number of concrete slabs. There was one spot that Go 4 would not let me launch from. It would display a message about magnetic problems and said to launch somewhere else. Hand launching fixed that problem and for all I know DJI has dropped the warning from current Go 4 versions to make room for something new.

I received a warning yesterday.

 

[Ejp1288]

I have heard similar problems being fixed by demagnetizing the Mavic using Cfixer. CFixer is the Compass Error Fixer

Thanks! The drone is only a week old basically so I refuse to spend $72 on a product to make it work. Hopefully DJI can sort this out but I have heard nothing but bad things for the most part about them... Thanks though!

 

[Meta4]

Not with my experience.
If it's structural as for a building, then yes, it's likely. But not usually for sidewalks or driveways.
Heck, even homes built on slabs don't have rebar.

I'm not sure what kind of 3rd world country you live in, but here they kind of like structures to stay together.
SIdewalks and driveways always have mesh and this is what a house slab looks like before they pour the concrete.

.. and this is a section of sidewalk

You'll note that there are big holes in the steel mesh, places where you could place a Mavic and maybe its compass wouldn't be close to too much steel.
And other places where the mesh is overlapped or there may be thicker strengthening rods.
Too bad you can't see through the concrete to tell what's under there.
Launching from reinforced concrete is a lottery.
You might get away with it sometimes but enough flyers have lost their drones because of it, that's it's good practice to just avoid it.

 

[Ejp1288]

I used to fly from an old school site that had a number of concrete slabs. There was one spot that Go 4 would not let me launch from. It would display a message about magnetic problems and said to launch somewhere else. Hand launching fixed that problem and for all I know DJI has dropped the warning from current Go 4 versions to make room for something new.

I see! I have seen Magnetic Interference warning on my controller when I have held the drone near something bad but I have never seen it as I am about to launch or anything.

 

[Mossiback]

Thanks! The drone is only a week old basically so I refuse to spend $72 on a product to make it work. Hopefully DJI can sort this out but I have heard nothing but bad things for the most part about them... Thanks though!

If it is only a week old, return it. It should have a rock-steady hover.

EDIT: You might try calibrating your sticks using Go 4.

 

[Ejp1288]

If it is only a week old, return it. It should have a rock-steady hover.

EDIT: You might try calibrating your sticks using Go 4.

I bought it online so its a bit of a hassle to exchange for a new one but ill do so if this doesn't get resolved this week i think. I did the Calibrating the other day and it didn't fix it. Thought it would!

 

[Meta4]

I have heard similar problems being fixed by demagnetizing the Mavic using Cfixer. CFixer is the Compass Error Fixer

Thanks! The drone is only a week old basically so I refuse to spend $72 on a product to make it work. Hopefully DJI can sort this out but I have heard nothing but bad things for the most part about them... Thanks though!

It's perfectly normal for a perfectly working compass to get screwed up from launching from right on top of steel.
There are reports here every week of flights that ended badly because of launching from reinforced concrete surfaces.
There's nothing for DJI to sort out.
Don't launch from magnetically dirty surfaces!

If it is only a week old, return it. It should have a rock-steady hover.
EDIT: You might try calibrating your sticks using Go 4.

His joystick calibration is not the problem.

I did the Calibrating the other day and it didn't fix it. Thought it would!

Calibrating anything won't fix the problem because the problem is your launch site.

 

[Ejp1288]

It's perfectly normal for a perfectly working compass to get screwed up from launching from right on top of steel.
There are reports here every week of flights that ended badly because of launching from reinforced concrete surfaces.
There's nothing for DJI to sort out.
Don't launch from magnetically dirty surfaces!

His joystick calibration is not the problem.

Calibrating anything won't fix the problem because the problem is your launch site.

I took a magnetic compass out to the launch site and it didnt budge at all or do anything out of the ordinary. I put it right on the ground where i launched. I feel like if it had magnetic interference it should either say so at launch or show up on the magnetic compass.

Also, launching from a sidewalk can cause a drone to lose signal 13 minutes into a flight? (DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com)

 

[Ejp1288]

It's perfectly normal for a perfectly working compass to get screwed up from launching from right on top of steel.
There are reports here every week of flights that ended badly because of launching from reinforced concrete surfaces.
There's nothing for DJI to sort out.
Don't launch from magnetically dirty surfaces!

His joystick calibration is not the problem.

Calibrating anything won't fix the problem because the problem is your launch site.

I just went outside and launched from the center of my yard on top of cardboard. While in the air the drone still panned slowly to the right when joysticks are not touched. Launch pad shouldn't be an issue for this unless I can't launch from sidewalks, streets AND yards.

Also just found out that my seller on Newegg doesn't do returns and refers everyone to DJI support so that stinks.

 

[Meta4]

Also, launching from a sidewalk can cause a drone to lose signal 13 minutes into a flight? (DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com)

Your flight data shows yaw errors (that's a particular kind of error with the compass)
You will find that compass errors often flip the drone to atti mode and ignore GPS data because it disagrees with the data from the compass.
There is no loss of signal anywhere in your flight data.
From 14:40.6 - 14:56.5 your GPS receiver was picking up 18-19 sats but the flight controller ignored GPS data and GPS level shown in the data for that time period dropped from 5 to 0.

 

[Ejp1288]

Your flight data shows yaw errors (that's a particular kind of error with the compass)
You will find that compass errors often flip the drone to atti mode and ignore GPS data because it disagrees with the data from the compass.
There is no loss of signal anywhere in your flight data.
From 14:40.6 - 14:56.5 your GPS receiver was picking up 18-19 sats but the flight controller ignored GPS data and GPS level shown in the data for that time period dropped from 5 to 0.

Hmmm ok. It does say “weak gps signal” a couple of times though in the data.

I am not quite sure how to launch any better. I launch from the grass in a field on top of some cardboard and I seem to have issues too. I am not sure what else to do.

 

[DanMan32]

I'm not sure what kind of 3rd world country you live in, but here they kind of like structures to stay together.
SIdewalks and driveways always have mesh and this is what a house slab looks like before they pour the concrete.

.. and this is a section of sidewalk

You'll note that there are big holes in the steel mesh, places where you could place a Mavic and maybe its compass wouldn't be close to too much steel.
And other places where the mesh is overlapped or there may be thicker strengthening rods.
Too bad you can't see through the concrete to tell what's under there.
Launching from reinforced concrete is a lottery.
You might get away with it sometimes but enough flyers have lost their drones because of it, that's it's good practice to just avoid it.

I hardly call Tampa Bay Area third-world.

 

[JDawg]

I hardly call Tampa Bay Area third-world.

LOL I know but that was kind of funny.

 

[Meta4]

Hmmm ok. It does say “weak gps signal” a couple of times though in the data.

Read post #54 again

 

[Meta4]

I hardly call Tampa Bay Area third-world.

Maybe it's not.
But if they don't use reinforcing in their concreting, that's 3rd world standards and the place will crack up and fall apart.
Perhaps your observations aren't correct?

 

[Ejp1288]

Read post #54 again

Ok this is all new language to me!

But why in the world would the drone be turning to the right slowly while hovering if I’m taking off In my front yard on top of cardboard (on top of grass)? Picture above.