Problematic GPS Barrier

[Bodkin's Best Photography]

So I decided to take a flight in a self authorization zone today and ran into some issues. Launching was the usual process, take off, tick the check boxes and away we go. Coming back was the issue. As the enclosed image shows, I was well outside of the red zone, yet when flying back to the takeoff point my drone halted mid air and would not proceed over an invisible line. I actually had to walk 20 feet down the rock face and hand catch it to bring it back to the home point.

 

[Aerial Edge]

Ok so I dont make the rules but have had to work through them many times. When near a Red zone like a Military base SSI DJI will let you launch in close proximity, but they keep about a 100 feet around that zone as a lockout for GPS variances. When you launch within that 100 feet zone you cannot move closer to the zone but can move away from it. This becomes a problem if you launch and cannot get to a good landing zone.
Anytime you launch you should really verify the drone hovers fine for 5-10 seconds, then give a little bit of stick input in all directions as an operation check. This lets you know if something is not working, and you have a good GPS signals. Its amazing how many crashes this helps avoid, most of the time when they have an issue you know right then. It will also show you that you have lost an input due to the warning zone and will not be able RTH. I will get a screen shot of where we were flying for a big job and learned that one.
I dont agree with it at all, but that is DJI for you

 

[Phantomrain.org]

So that is how the Red Zone works as it should stop your drone from flying forward, however you can sometimes blast your way thru where you should not be and in the process get caught in the Black Hole where it will not allow you to move forward or backward, the technology is not perfect.

I just tested this myself as i had read in the forum of Drones dropping out of the sky , so i flew into a zone and just stopped me from flying forward , but allowed me come back .

The Moral is dont bother messing with the Zones as they have a big advantage of time, and your drone does not.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Land on the Water.

 

[Aerial Edge]

So that is how the Red Zone works as it should stop your drone from flying forward, however you can sometimes blast your way thru where you should not be and in the process get caught in the Black Hole where it will not allow you to move forward or backward, the technology is not perfect.

I just tested this myself as i had read in the forum of Drones dropping out of the sky , so i flew into a zone and just stopped me from flying forward , but allowed me come back .

The Moral is dont bother messing with the Zones as they have a big advantage of time, and your drone does not.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Land on the Water.

Yes

We had to fly this power line, we normall do inspections from both sides but could not cross the line due to the restrictions. We originally took off on the right side of this picture, facing towards the bottom and had no left input on the drone. We had to block traffic and land in the road.
The section to the left we had just enough room to maneuver. To top it off it is in Military Airspace and that is an International port Terminal so just getting in there to fly, the Class C/D shared airspace COA and then of course the DJI unlock. Then run into the problem of the 100 foot extension of the SSI zone blocking us. Glad that section is over.

Here is a better look. You will learn a lot about Geofencing flying in the Airspace in Tidewater Virginia. One of the reason there are questions about it on the 107 test.

I know the OP is in Canada but I am sure DJI keeps that same buffer around the red zones.

 

[Bodkin's Best Photography]

Yes
View attachment 128955
We had to fly this power line, we normall do inspections from both sides but could not cross the line due to the restrictions. We originally took off on the right side of this picture, facing towards the bottom and had no left input on the drone. We had to block traffic and land in the road.
The section to the left we had just enough room to maneuver. To top it off it is in Military Airspace and that is an International port Terminal so just getting in there to fly, the Class C/D shared airspace COA and then of course the DJI unlock. Then run into the problem of the 100 foot extension of the SSI zone blocking us. Glad that section is over.
View attachment 128956
Here is a better look. You will learn a lot about Geofencing flying in the Airspace in Tidewater Virginia. One of the reason there are questions about it on the 107 test.

I know the OP is in Canada but I am sure DJI keeps that same buffer around the red zones.

Thanks for the clarification. That seems very similar to what I experienced this afternoon. I'll just give red zones a wider berth from now on.

 

[Bodkin's Best Photography]

So that is how the Red Zone works as it should stop your drone from flying forward, however you can sometimes blast your way thru where you should not be and in the process get caught in the Black Hole where it will not allow you to move forward or backward, the technology is not perfect.

I just tested this myself as i had read in the forum of Drones dropping out of the sky , so i flew into a zone and just stopped me from flying forward , but allowed me come back .

The Moral is dont bother messing with the Zones as they have a big advantage of time, and your drone does not.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Land on the Water.

According to the map I didn't even enter the red zone, but I guess the zones can't be 100% accurate. Definitely avoiding this area from now on.

 

[GadgetGuy]

According to the map I didn't even enter the red zone, but I guess the zones can't be 100% accurate. Definitely avoiding this area from now on.

Also, be aware that when you are inside an unlocked GEO authorization zone, anything outside of the unlocked authorization zone automatically becomes an NFZ, so you may have to turn off the authorization zone to fly outside of it, to return to your home point, or to be able to fly in a new location, because the unlock survives a reboot! If it says you cannot take off because you are in an NFZ, and you know you aren't, turn off all unlocks that are stored on the aircraft! The NFZ message should go away, and you are free to move about the cabin again!

 

[Bodkin's Best Photography]

Also, be aware that when you are inside an unlocked GEO authorization zone, anything outside of the unlocked authorization zone automatically becomes an NFZ, so you may have to turn off the authorization zone to fly outside of it, to return to your home point, or to be able to fly in a new location, because the unlock survives a reboot! If it says you cannot take off because you are in an NFZ, and you know you aren't, turn off all unlocks that are stored on the aircraft!

Wow. This sounds more like a bug. DJI really needs to spit shine their software before moving on to the next project.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Wow. This sounds more like a bug. DJI really needs to spit shine their software before moving on to the next project.

It's not a bug. It's working as DJI intends, whether we agree with it or not. This is how DJI designed their unlocks, and the unlocks are sticky. The real gotchas occur when the drone loses connection and needs reauthorization of the unlock permission on the screen to do anything other than autoland, so set your loss of signal settings carefully. Ascending is the best choice with a high enough RTH elevation, as it most likely to restore signal to allow reauthorizing, unless you have flown out to the extreme of the signal range, in which case it only makes it worse.

 

[netfolks2000]

Pardon if I'm off track here...but be sure also that you don't accidentally have limits preset in your settings for distance.

 

[Capt KO]

Interesting thread. Still learning everyday. I know that in my son's yard (many acres) if I fly West it stops like it hit a wall. I'm glad, it's an NFZ for Chattanooga Int Airport.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

I just had a Major Revelation : LOL

All these year I have been trying to take off from the Metal Pier about 2500 ft away from me ,

I have made a few videos on how the Drone would not Fly Forward , and I always thought is was Magnetic Interference causing it but it was the NFZ stopping me from moving forward,

I have seen it on the Map but thought it was much further down and since I really did not know what happened when you went into a zone until recently i was not aware.

Now all the videos make sense. Still learning also.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Land on the water.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Speed is also severely restricted at the edge of an NFZ or restricted zone, while you try and navigate around, or away from it. Once you head away, max speed capability is restored. The real problem occurs when the zone is not displayed on your map, because of a map mismatch, and you have to guess as to its shape and location, as you try and regain full control, while not wasting the precious battery power needed to make it all the way back home!