Satellite acquisition time related to high-latitude areas? Answer from DJI.

[akdrone]

Are you still with the initial firmware? The problems only arose with subsequent firmware versions (December 10th update). If you have the first release with no updates, you will have what everyone had -- normal acquisition times.

Chris

No. I have kept up to date.

 

[TigersFan]

I had the GPS-acquisition problem - and solved it by applying what others have written before me. I launch, rise to 3.2 meters, descend and turn off the Remote Controller, leaving the M3 activated, on the ground. I then immediately turn on again the Remote Controller, and launch again. The higher I fly, the more sats I acquire immediately. So far at 19-20 meters height I have acquired in one case 26 sats, and a second time 20 sats. So the problem no longer exists for me. This week I have run this procedure 4 times - it works flawlessly.

Thanks for this work-around! I had not seen it before; I'll try it as soon as the weather clears.

 

[VenomXts]

I had the GPS-acquisition problem - and solved it by applying what others have written before me. I launch, rise to 3.2 meters, descend and turn off the Remote Controller, leaving the M3 activated, on the ground. I then immediately turn on again the Remote Controller, and launch again. The higher I fly, the more sats I acquire immediately. So far at 19-20 meters height I have acquired in one case 26 sats, and a second time 20 sats. So the problem no longer exists for me. This week I have run this procedure 4 times - it works flawlessly.

I am struggling with the logic of this workaround... would you mind doing it sometime soon and then do a forced return to home? Maybe screen record if you are able to...

 

[RocketBrew]

I am wondering if the problem is the opposite of what we are thinking - it only works in high latitudes!

At least two of the folks reporting that they have no issues now are in Alaska and New Zealand.

High latitudes are found between 60 degrees N/S and the poles (90 degrees N/S): Alaska; Canada; Scandinavia; northern parts of the United Kingdom; New Zealand and southernmost Australia.

 

[Suren]

I am struggling with the logic of this workaround... would you mind doing it sometime soon and then do a forced return to home? Maybe screen record if you are able to...

In the time he is going up coming back down, turning of RC and still leaving drone powered up the drone is acquiring sats, so there is nothing magical about his method. He might as well just leave the drone on the floor for the time he takes it up and down and will get the same results.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I had the GPS-acquisition problem - and solved it by applying what others have written before me. I launch, rise to 3.2 meters, descend and turn off the Remote Controller, leaving the M3 activated, on the ground. I then immediately turn on again the Remote Controller, and launch again. The higher I fly, the more sats I acquire immediately. So far at 19-20 meters height I have acquired in one case 26 sats, and a second time 20 sats. So the problem no longer exists for me. This week I have run this procedure 4 times - it works flawlessly.

That's a new workaround I haven't heard about. I just power cycle the drone battery at 8 satellites. HP is acquired almost immediately upon rebooting, almost like on a warm boot after an initial HP acquisition. Lots of available workarounds for those that are interested in working around the issue, instead of insisting that it work like on all other DJI drones. It's a preference, not a requirement!

 

[Meta4]

I am wondering if the problem is the opposite of what we are thinking - it only works in high latitudes!

At least two of the folks reporting that they have no issues now are in Alaska and New Zealand.

One is in Alaska but Suren is at about 37° South

High latitudes are found between 60 degrees N/S and the poles (90 degrees N/S): Alaska; Canada; Scandinavia; northern parts of the United Kingdom; New Zealand and southernmost Australia.

UK, NZ and Australia are all outside what you've called high latitudes.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

[sat acquisition delay requiring silly work-arounds]

It's a preference, not a requirement!

No, it's a design flaw, pure and simple.

Chris

 

[RocketBrew]

But, I got that info from an Internet website!

UK, NZ and Australia are all outside what you've called high latitudes.

 

[Hi-Flyer]

This is good to know. But technically, it's not a resolution. Nothing was actually solved as the aircraft still has issues with setting HP in a timely fashion before take off.

In other words, it does not operate as designed. You have to do something special to set HP. Or wait several minutes.

A more appropriate term is "work-around". Yes, it matters, especially when conversing with DJI on the matter. We don't want them believing that flying up in the air to acquire sufficient satellites is a final "resolution".

Chris

I agree with what you have written. As an old IT professional (Mainframes, Unix, PC's, Android), my solution is at best a work-around. But the point is: this work-around works - I launch and fly, with no satellite-acquisition waiting. The M3 gives me what I want from it.

 

[Meta4]

I agree with what you have written. As an old IT professional (Mainframes, Unix, PC's, Android), my solution is at best a work-around. But the point is: this work-around works - I launch and fly, with no satellite-acquisition waiting. The M3 gives me what I want from it.

It's hard to see how this does anything to improve GPS acquisition.
Unless your launch point has obstructions that block a significant part of the sky and by climbing, you give the drone a view of more sats than on the ground.

 

[ftcros]

I had the GPS-acquisition problem - and solved it by applying what others have written before me. I launch, rise to 3.2 meters, descend and turn off the Remote Controller, leaving the M3 activated, on the ground. I then immediately turn on again the Remote Controller, and launch again. The higher I fly, the more sats I acquire immediately. So far at 19-20 meters height I have acquired in one case 26 sats, and a second time 20 sats. So the problem no longer exists for me. This week I have run this procedure 4 times - it works flawlessly.

Two issues - At a mile (line of sight) my M3 has loss of signal with the RC-Pro (the bars all go red) and it switches to RTH. I can recover it during the climb but lose it again when flying lower and the nose is pointed towards the RC-pro. My take is the front antenna are not working as well as the rear.
2. Where is the GPS antenna? Is the RC-Pro sending the GPS data to the M3 or does it get the fix from an onboard circuit?

 

[jonthecourier]

Hang on a moment don't they test these things before they put them on the new market, very poor.

 

[Meta4]

2. Where is the GPS antenna? Is the RC-Pro sending the GPS data to the M3 or does it get the fix from an onboard circuit?

Getting GPS data from the controller wouldn't be any use at all.
The controller isn't the thing that's flying around.
You and the app want to know where the drone is, not where the controller is.

 

[ZoneAerial]

If you believe the high latitude nonsense excuse that DJI is shoveling, you have other issues. I think plenty of people other than Inuits have GPS issues in non high latitude areas.

 

[akdrone]

I am wondering if the problem is the opposite of what we are thinking - it only works in high latitudes!

At least two of the folks reporting that they have no issues now are in Alaska and New Zealand.

High latitudes are found between 60 degrees N/S and the poles (90 degrees N/S): Alaska; Canada; Scandinavia; northern parts of the United Kingdom; New Zealand and southernmost Australia.

I find no problem even when traveling to the deep south. FWIW I traveled ~ 350mi south the other day down to 61deg Lat (Valdez AK area...AKA "the deep south") and had GPS Lock within seconds...well...at least short enough of a time frame that I got my Home Point Updated and was ready to fly without having to wait or think about it.

 

[Dynamic Learning Machine]

All four of my m3 units get hp fast. Purchased at 4 different retailers in the USA.
2 CINE & 2 regular m3. All using RC Pro Controllers. All three nail the RTH test too. All four are oval lens tele. They fly pretty smoothly also.
Strange all these reports of problems. It’s a real pain people are having such problems.

I purchased mine at:
CINE COMBO 1 (Dronerds Florida USA) December 2021

CINE 2 (Advexure Los Angeles CA USA)
December 2021

M3 Fly more combo/RC Pro (purchased here on Mavic Pilots from Saladshooter March 2022).

M3 Drone only (Rotor-Logic) RC Pro (Advexure Los Angeles) other parts Amazon & eBay batteries props…) purchased last week

I am lucky I guess. But I expect it this way.

PS. I just did a cold boot on a CINE with its RC Pro controller. 1:18sec.

 

[crlmjohnson]

I had the GPS-acquisition problem - and solved it by applying what others have written before me. I launch, rise to 3.2 meters, descend and turn off the Remote Controller, leaving the M3 activated, on the ground. I then immediately turn on again the Remote Controller, and launch again. The higher I fly, the more sats I acquire immediately. So far at 19-20 meters height I have acquired in one case 26 sats, and a second time 20 sats. So the problem no longer exists for me. This week I have run this procedure 4 times - it works flawlessly.

I did not know about this procedure.

I am going to try this, as soon as we get a break from rain here in Indiana.

 

[Meta4]

I did not know about this procedure.

It's not really a procedure or a solution ... it's more something to do to fill in time while you wait for satellites.

 

[bkushner]

I did not know about this procedure.

I am going to try this, as soon as we get a break from rain here in Indiana.

This takes longer than just waiting on the ground for the acquisition. Also probably uses more battery.