RTH Tragedy

[colinfowler]

Took it to a reasonably safe place today (is there really a truly safe place) and flew in beginner mode until I got a low battery warning. Took it to 90+ feet once and to bear the limits horizontally a couple of times. Most of the time it was about 20' off the ground. No phone connected, just the controller. Not one single issue.

Got home just in time to collect my repair parts from the Amazon delivery guy. Next flight will be with phone attached and an older version of Go 4 app installed. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a fully functional gimbal. I'll try to finish reading the manual tonight.

Hope all goes well and you can get back to enjoying

 

[Afremont]

Update:. I replaced the gimbal cable and everything seemed to go well enough. I power it on, it does the weird thing where it rolls the camera around and exercises it. It finally points it straight ahead. No more gimbal motor overload messages either. New problem.is it says no sd card and streams no video. I was worried about the no video, but read a bunch of posts saying that pretty much any kind of error on the card and this is the result. I'm going to try reformatting it in the morning. Also got magnetic interference message but was able to recalibrate the compass. I used a magnetic screwdriver to remove and install the screws. I'm sure I didn't tear anything up while I was inside. Maybe the residual magnetism on the screws is the problem?

 

[colinfowler]

Good to hear you've sorted your problems.
The gimbal jigging about is normal when starting up

 

[TerryJ]

Hello, first post and new to drones. I'm sure this is all my in doing, but I do have a question. I used to fly RC planes a lot, but it's been a while.

Yesterday, I was showing my new Mavic Pro to friend. I flew it around the front yard at less than 20' and all was fine until I was going to show him how it could fly itself back to home. I pushed the button and the drone immediately rocketed straight up into a tree canopy and then proceeded to do it a couple more times before dropping to the concrete driveway (naturally). I broke the camera gimbal mount (actually the anti-vibration plate) and ripped the flat circuit cable in half. Video still works, but of course I get motor overload messages about the gimbal. I watched a bunch of repair videos and I think I can fix this myself for about $40. At least I don't seem to need a full $300 camera setup or even the metallic thread video cable. I've worked on mechanical wristwatches before, so I think I can delicately handle this surgery.

My question is about overhead obstacle avoidance. Does it have any ability to do that?

BTW, I won't be flying in the yard anymore until I know every aspect of the software features. Before the crash, I also got messages about heavy interference and experienced blocky video to my phone even at very close range. Is that likely from the phone's WiFi being turned on during flying?

Thanks for reading.

Yip, it went to its set rth altitude just as it's supposed to.

 

[sar104]

Update:. I replaced the gimbal cable and everything seemed to go well enough. I power it on, it does the weird thing where it rolls the camera around and exercises it. It finally points it straight ahead. No more gimbal motor overload messages either. New problem.is it says no sd card and streams no video. I was worried about the no video, but read a bunch of posts saying that pretty much any kind of error on the card and this is the result. I'm going to try reformatting it in the morning. Also got magnetic interference message but was able to recalibrate the compass. I used a magnetic screwdriver to remove and install the screws. I'm sure I didn't tear anything up while I was inside. Maybe the residual magnetism on the screws is the problem?

If you magnetized any screws near either of the compasses then that certainly could require a recalibration. I would have recommended demagnetizing the screws as a better option since, ideally, you want as little distortion of the earth's magnetic field as possible, but recalibration should work as long as the fields are not too strong.

 

[Afremont]

Took it all back apart and checked the gimbal cable. Redid it and ordered a couple of spares since they seem to be quite prone to damage. Turns out that one of the ribbon cables going to the main computer board might not have been fully plugged into its connector. After reassembling it, minus the upper shell and GPS module, it powered up, ran its gimbal test and suddenly had video again. It also stopped claiming that there was no SD card. Of course there was no GPS, but that was expected. After putting it all back together, it works! Running Go 4 version 4.1.10, I did some test flying and had one disconnect. I reinstalled 4.1.18 and it worked much better than originally. Video was smooth and not seriously lagging. I did have one disconnect though. The quad hovered and waited for a reconnect which I was able to effect. The controller was showing connected, but the aircraft knew better and so did the app (I tend to think the problem is the app) because when flying without a phone attached, everything stays connected fine. I do like flying with the app, even though I'm old school and used to having only VLOS. Took a few snapshots and captured some video. The snapshots look good on the phone, but I haven't pulled the video from the drone yet.

What I've learned: Read the manual, don't try features if you don't know exactly what is supposed to happen, the gimbal parts (cable, rubber hangers, drop hook, vibration board) are easily damaged but can be fixed inexpensively, people with the no video and no SD card complaint might have a minor problem that doesn't involve replacing the main boards, removing and reinstalling the phone app might help, many other things.

 

[phantomi]

Hello, first post and new to drones. I'm sure this is all my in doing, but I do have a question. I used to fly RC planes a lot, but it's been a while.

Yesterday, I was showing my new Mavic Pro to friend. I flew it around the front yard at less than 20' and all was fine until I was going to show him how it could fly itself back to home. I pushed the button and the drone immediately rocketed straight up into a tree canopy and then proceeded to do it a couple more times before dropping to the concrete driveway (naturally). I broke the camera gimbal mount (actually the anti-vibration plate) and ripped the flat circuit cable in half. Video still works, but of course I get motor overload messages about the gimbal. I watched a bunch of repair videos and I think I can fix this myself for about $40. At least I don't seem to need a full $300 camera setup or even the metallic thread video cable. I've worked on mechanical wristwatches before, so I think I can delicately handle this surgery.

My question is about overhead obstacle avoidance. Does it have any ability to do that?

BTW, I won't be flying in the yard anymore until I know every aspect of the software features. Before the crash, I also got messages about heavy interference and experienced blocky video to my phone even at very close range. Is that likely from the phone's WiFi being turned on during flying?

Thanks for reading.

 

[Callum]

Took it all back apart and checked the gimbal cable. Redid it and ordered a couple of spares since they seem to be quite prone to damage. Turns out that one of the ribbon cables going to the main computer board might not have been fully plugged into its connector. After reassembling it, minus the upper shell and GPS module, it powered up, ran its gimbal test and suddenly had video again. It also stopped claiming that there was no SD card. Of course there was no GPS, but that was expected. After putting it all back together, it works! Running Go 4 version 4.1.10, I did some test flying and had one disconnect. I reinstalled 4.1.18 and it worked much better than originally. Video was smooth and not seriously lagging. I did have one disconnect though. The quad hovered and waited for a reconnect which I was able to effect. The controller was showing connected, but the aircraft knew better and so did the app (I tend to think the problem is the app) because when flying without a phone attached, everything stays connected fine. I do like flying with the app, even though I'm old school and used to having only VLOS. Took a few snapshots and captured some video. The snapshots look good on the phone, but I haven't pulled the video from the drone yet.

What I've learned: Read the manual, don't try features if you don't know exactly what is supposed to happen, the gimbal parts (cable, rubber hangers, drop hook, vibration board) are easily damaged but can be fixed inexpensively, people with the no video and no SD card complaint might have a minor problem that doesn't involve replacing the main boards, removing and reinstalling the phone app might help, many other things.

Well done on getting it working again.

Bet you didn't think you'd know so much about the mavic in such little time.

 

[ScubaBob]

Hello, first post and new to drones. I'm sure this is all my in doing, but I do have a question. I used to fly RC planes a lot, but it's been a while.

Yesterday, I was showing my new Mavic Pro to friend. I flew it around the front yard at less than 20' and all was fine until I was going to show him how it could fly itself back to home. I pushed the button and the drone immediately rocketed straight up into a tree canopy and then proceeded to do it a couple more times before dropping to the concrete driveway (naturally). I broke the camera gimbal mount (actually the anti-vibration plate) and ripped the flat circuit cable in half. Video still works, but of course I get motor overload messages about the gimbal. I watched a bunch of repair videos and I think I can fix this myself for about $40. At least I don't seem to need a full $300 camera setup or even the metallic thread video cable. I've worked on mechanical wristwatches before, so I think I can delicately handle this surgery.

My question is about overhead obstacle avoidance. Does it have any ability to do that?

BTW, I won't be flying in the yard anymore until I know every aspect of the software features. Before the crash, I also got messages about heavy interference and experienced blocky video to my phone even at very close range. Is that likely from the phone's WiFi being turned on during flying?

Thanks for reading.

As others have said, sorry to learn of your error. I did the same thing on one of my earlier flights but luckily my MP sustained no damage. I have found that spending hours (and I mean HOURS) practicing in wide open spaces (I used beach areas in Cancun) before trying anything in a confined space is best. I keep my MP within sight so I can watch what happens if I do a RTH, etc. to make sure I understand the consequences of my actions. After all, the drone will only do what you tell it to do or what it is programmed to do. I never use RTH to land the drone but I do use it when it is far away and I cannot see it clearly to get it back within view. Then I cancel RTH and manually land the drone. I like to practice landing it on small tables or backing it into tight places so that I know I have the skill to land it in a difficult situation if ever needed. Those practice sessions came into invaluable use when trying to land my MP on a scuba diving boat a few weeks past. Practice, practice and then practice more in open spaces.

 

[Pipes101]

Hello, first post and new to drones. I'm sure this is all my in doing, but I do have a question. I used to fly RC planes a lot, but it's been a while.

Yesterday, I was showing my new Mavic Pro to friend. I flew it around the front yard at less than 20' and all was fine until I was going to show him how it could fly itself back to home. I pushed the button and the drone immediately rocketed straight up into a tree canopy and then proceeded to do it a couple more times before dropping to the concrete driveway (naturally). I broke the camera gimbal mount (actually the anti-vibration plate) and ripped the flat circuit cable in half. Video still works, but of course I get motor overload messages about the gimbal. I watched a bunch of repair videos and I think I can fix this myself for about $40. At least I don't seem to need a full $300 camera setup or even the metallic thread video cable. I've worked on mechanical wristwatches before, so I think I can delicately handle this surgery.

My question is about overhead obstacle avoidance. Does it have any ability to do that?

BTW, I won't be flying in the yard anymore until I know every aspect of the software features. Before the crash, I also got messages about heavy interference and experienced blocky video to my phone even at very close range. Is that likely from the phone's WiFi being turned on during flying?

Thanks for reading.

Plenty of videos on YouTube for beginners. I watched vids about every detail that can be known about the mavic for 3 months before I made that purchase.

 

[netfolks2000]

One more bit of advice..... When near power lines that carry a high voltage you can get signal interference on either end, the Mavic or the controller. It can mess up the signal, even the video. I've walked just a few yards away from a high power line and seen my signal improve. I have a meter that measures electromagnetic waves and they do encompass a large area near power lines. And, of course, remember that even with obstacle avoidance on it is still hard for the drone to detect thin obstacles like power lines.

 

[Homersimpson]

Probably been said, but it might be worth learning to fly a drone with a cheaper model, rather than risk damaging an expensive mavic.... even flying a drone without all the fancy stabilisation and hover technology so you learn how to fly properly.

 

[DAMIANG]

I know I should have studied harder. I watched all the DJI promotional videos, but I should have put a lot more effort into going through the menus and understanding what all the options are about. That said, I put my gimbal lock on to keep the video cable from being tugged at and took the drone to a much safer location to play/learn. It's hovering fairly decently, but there was a little bit of a breeze. I have trouble with the phone app disconnecting and poor video etc. I turned off wifi and Bluetooth on the phone, but that didn't much, if any at all.

It might be the USB connector on my Moto g4, I can tell when charging the phone that moving the cable will cause a disconnect and reconnect. That may be the root of most of my trouble. That's probably more than the Go 4 app can tolerate. When I separate the phone from the controller, everything seems to work fairly smoothly. No disconnects from the drone.

I do notice that the reported height, not clearance, will drop as I run back and forth over a 50-75' distance. I'm thinking that is from GPS bouncing around as it does, especially with altitude. I'm guessing without the phone providing a second opinion it errors on the side of caution.

BTW, I was having these phone app disconnects and poor video before the crash. Again, I'm thinking the USB connection to the phone is just flakey enough to cause a lot of data communication errors between the phone and the controller. I have a pretty extensive background with embedded software and hardware such as mems sensors like gyros and accelerometers. I'm hoping that if the aircraft is getting crazy data from the obstacle cams and ultrasonic sensors that it will show up on the phone messages. Right now, it only complains about gimbal issues and interference when I'm near my home. The interference messages seemed to go away when I got away from the plethora of wifi points, but the video to the phone still had issues.

Thanks again for reading my plight.

If you are having problems with your cable, get rid of it. A lot of users have problems with there connections not worth the risk. Pick up a new cable ASAP. I purchased an Anker cable for my iPhone that works great. Here is a similar one for your phone if you want to check it out:

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerL...663&sr=1-3&keywords=anker+1ft+micro+usb+cable

 

[hqm]

I lost my first Mavic in a similar fashion. I was flying it from behind a hill and I sent it under a big metal bridge. It lost radio contact right when it was under the bridge, and then flew up into the bridge when it tried to return home.

I'm not sure what I should have done differently; I guess setting the RTH altitude to lower than the bridge height before going under the bridge...

 

[OzoneVibe]

If you are having problems with your cable, get rid of it. A lot of users have problems with there connections not worth the risk.

Not forgetting, it can be the actual phone socket and a new cable achieves nothing. This was the situation with the phone I was using when I got my MP.
Solution? I had a second phone!

 

[sar104]

I lost my first Mavic in a similar fashion. I was flying it from behind a hill and I sent it under a big metal bridge. It lost radio contact right when it was under the bridge, and then flew up into the bridge when it tried to return home.

I'm not sure what I should have done differently; I guess setting the RTH altitude to lower than the bridge height before going under the bridge...

I can think of several things you could have done differently, but the one that you suggested is likely not one of them since the minimum RTH altitude value is 20 m. I'd offer as options: ensured that you understood the lost connection action settings before flying, not flown under the bridge in the first place, or set the lost connection action to hover rather than RTH?

 

[Homersimpson]

Not forgetting, it can be the actual phone socket and a new cable achieves nothing. This was the situation with the phone I was using when I got my MP.
Solution? I had a second phone!

Yes, a dedicated screen is an excellent idea..... maybe not a phone, but a tablet... lots of info on here regarding tablets that work well.....

 

[code_ultra_zyl]

I fly in and around trees all the time. I edit my RTH settings every time I lift off. I typically use a rather high RTH altitude to get above all trees (the tall trees in this area are up to 65m). If I will be spending time filming under overhead obstacles... I disable RTH and set the 'controller signal lost' behavior to 'hover'. I also use an Ipad 4 mini for a monitor, and this gives me much better ability to see. One year of successful flying, no crashes! Hope your repairs go ok, have fun, and be safe. One more: Don't take off with a low battery (it can initiate a force-landing if you lose controller signal by flying behind obstructions).

 

[Ramakristan]

I learnt a lot from this Mavicpilots.com with regards to others Mavic owners experiences, the do’s & do not.
Thank you all Mavic pilots to post all about Mavic, it is not cheap for a drone, utmost checks before flight

 

[Afremont]

All has been going really well since the incident. I turned off local video caching in the go app. Not one disconnect since. Spent a lot of time in a safer location yesterday. Shot some incredible video. Learned some things, but haven't tried any of the fancy features yet. Took it to 350' and around 500' out.

Beautiful video the whole time using the latest version of the phone app. It appears that the cable and phone jack are okay, it was just problems with the first install of the app. Running an older version and then upgrading back to the new version seems to have cleared it all up.

I love it now. Definitely staying well away from power lines and checking all my settings before take off. So much easier than flying RC 25 years ago. So much more gratifying too. Old RC habits keep me from losing VLOS, and make me uncomfortable even being 500' out.

I showed several folks how a drone 100' away is pretty much incapable of invading their privacy due to the extremely wide angle lens. I like to present this hobby in a positive light.