Official DJI Response to the GPS Issue

[Wade L.]

This is totally disgusting ! Just when I was feeling pretty good about finally going to order the M3 I watched 51 Drones (Russ) do a video on his 5 and 6 minute tries at getting his GPS going! Then THIS! What good is a longer lasting battery when 5 or 6 minutes of its energy is taken up by waiting for GPS?

Dale

It’s a crap shoot. If have about 15 flights on my M3 since the December update, and I haven’t had any problems with GPS lock (knock on wood). Most of those that haven‘t experienced the issue aren’t going to make it as well known on this or any other forum as those that have, so the real prevalence of the issue is difficult to discern. But I’ll admit that based on all the posts here and elsewhere, it does seem to be quite prevalent.

That said, I certainly understand not having an appetite for that sort of gamble given the price you would be paying.

 

[Meta4]

So many on here were gripping about how long it was taking DJI to release the NEW Mavic 3. Speculation by all the armchair engineers and aeronauts about what it would and would NOT be able to do. The impatience and complaining was the topic of a large percentage of the traffic here on the forum for months. Now that it’s been released, people are nashing their teeth and pulling their hair out because the Mavic 3 hardware and app-ware are sketchy!

There's no reason for the GPS system to be sketchy.
It's not as if DJI needed to reinvent something they've achieved years ago.

 

[Meta4]

A thought: could this be because they are now using the Chinese GPS system and it is taking them a few moments to gather all your information?

GPS doesn't gather any information.
The satellites don't receive anything and the receivers don't transmit anything.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

GPS doesn't gather any information.
The satellites don't receive anything and the receivers don't transmit anything.

What about GPS acquisition? Is it not gathering information during this time?
No idea as why I am asking

​

 

[Meta4]

What about GPS acquisition? Is it not gathering information during this time?
No idea as why I am asking

All the acquiring is done by your GPS receiver.
It transmits nothing to the satellites.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

All the acquiring is done by your GPS receiver.
It transmits nothing to the satellites.

Ah thanks but your post was confusing as you said GPS doesn't gather any information, but then acquiring is done by your GPS receiver. Thanks for the update.

 

[mangle]

LOL !!


View attachment 143016

Dear Santa, that’s BS! Are the other drones inaccurate? I think not. DJI owes us a fix on this issue.

 

[Jarhead 96097]

Well, hopefully people will go to town on DJI for this disaster (see attached). Good ol’ “DJI Santa”. They asked for logs and had people run around in circles. Then they issue this.

Thanks Santa, it was all I wanted for Christmas!

 

[Skywatcher2001]

6 minutes idle on the ground is not 6 minutes of flight time. Maybe 3, tops. I’m not defending DJI but let’s not exaggerate.

The getting up quickly to grab a shot that is gonna pass by is the worst. Oh and if you get clipped by GPS in mid air, that’s not so good either.

That's why I mentioned "battery usage" . . . not sure what idle time equates to but here in the deserts of Southern California only two things can happen to a battery sitting on the ground waiting for GPS lock; and neither one of them are good. . . and yes, I was being a bit specious .

 

[Meta4]

6 minutes idle on the ground is not 6 minutes of flight time.

It's six minutes that you've missed after you tried to start the drone.
If you are shooting a landscape that might not matter much.
But for the things I shoot, it would mean my subject is now 1-1.5 miles further away and beyond reach.

 

[mswlogo]

It's six minutes that you've missed after you tried to start the drone.
If you are shooting a landscape that might not matter much.
But for the things I shoot, it would mean my subject is now 1-1.5 miles further away and beyond reach.

When I said 6 minutes idle is not 6 minutes of flight time. I meant 6 minutes of battery drain while idle on the ground waiting for GOS is not 6 minutes off your battery in the air.

Yeah, last I looked, 6 minutes is 6 minutes.

I’m not saying it’s good by any means. But people keep equating it to and equal capacity of air time lost while waiting for GPS and it’s not.

That doesn’t make time any less valuable though.

 

[Meta4]

But people keep equating it to and equal capacity of air time lost while waiting for GPS and it’s not.

If you are shooting subjects like this, it's worse than 6 minutes lost.

 

[mswlogo]

If you are shooting subjects like this, it's worse than 6 minutes lost.

Whatever.

 

[EpicFlight]

This is totally disgusting ! Just when I was feeling pretty good about finally going to order the M3 I watched 51 Drones (Russ) do a video on his 5 and 6 minute tries at getting his GPS going! Then THIS! What good is a longer lasting battery when 5 or 6 minutes of its energy is taken up by waiting for GPS?

Dale

Stipulating that I know this is little comfort, still good to have fewer things to be upset about...

5 min on the ground with the motors off does not drain nearly as much energy as being in flight. Ratio is about 5-10:1, so your losing 30-60 seconds of flight time.

I've sat on the ground fooling with camera settings for as much as 10 minutes with barely a dent in battery charge, and flight time.

 

[EpicFlight]

A thought: could this be because they are now using the Chinese GPS system and it is taking them a few moments to gather all your information?

I doubt it enough to be sure this isn't it. They use the same GNSS hardware everyone else does.

 

[EpicFlight]

Like I said "literally no issues", I did not say no issues

Uh, go to your favorite dictionary and review the definition of "literally".

 

[Hallmark007]

I think DJI has lost their path to release top notch products, they are putting all responsibility on their customers instead to invest in a QA department. No real testing before release, Release notes from DJI is Joke . No sense of quality thinking I hope they start to understand that the will loose their position as the number 1 prosumer/consumer drone manufacturer, and it sad to hear all canned answers from those on DJI forum that is some sort of "link" between DJI support and us drone enthusiasts " Thank you for reaching out, bla bla bla..."Sometimes they don't have a clue what they talking about and quite often the refer questions back to the community. And don't the see how much problem customers have with there products on You Tube etc. DJI Shape up now

I suppose they are a private company and no problems with explaining to shareholders. I think if the admitted they had problems and they were going to be sorted , then users would be ok with this. But media would take a different view one that caused the most hysteria and this is why private companies say little. All dji and all other drone manufacturers new release drones release with problems, both M1/M2 arrived with many many problems, but time healed them and they became great drones. I think if GPS was sorted what’s left to really complain about. “Not enough features” . Its a shame but so far dji have only produced drones that became really great drones and thats why most use them.

 

[Wreckhunter]

This is about my Air 2S I flew past weekend

Yes it takes a lot longer since the lastest Fly App update 1.5.8/.9 have not done any firmware updates on Air 2S , it takes now about 3 minutes at a cold start , and about a minute at warm start (same location) I have also noticed that the signal I much weaker now after the upgrade. Another issue is also the battery flight time, if it would take 4 minutes that would be about 10-15 percent less fly time, that is significant, especially if DJI talks about extended flight time.... hmmmmm.

I flew the air 2 on the new version 1.5.9 the other day,home point lock right away with no issues at all.
Flew two batteries,in 14 degree weather.Firmware updates current along with the new fly app.1.5.9.
Solid connection for me,but it could be where I was flying also.Enough satellites within 30 seconds at most.

 

[Wreckhunter]

6 minutes idle on the ground is not 6 minutes of flight time. Maybe 3, tops. I’m not defending DJI but let’s not exaggerate.

The getting up quickly to grab a shot that is gonna pass by is the worst. Oh and if you get clipped by GPS in mid air, that’s not so good either.

More non stop M3 bashing.

 

[Meta4]

Solid connection for me,but it could be where I was flying also.Enough satellites within 30 seconds at most.

That had nothing to do with where you flew.
There are always more satellites than needed, wherever you are.
There's no problem with the Air2, so it's no surprise that it worked normally.
It's the Mavic 3 that has the problem.