Scary issue,.. Anyone else having this happen?

[svenmarbles]

Does anyone else have this problem?

On occasion I’ll fly the drone out of control/feed range. The connection drops, you wait a few seconds, and then it pops back in as the drone starts heading back. But lately it’s been doing something else as well,.. Just about the moment things come back online I hear “Home point updated, check it on the map”. It doesn’t actually do it as the drone will indeed continue back to its marked home point. But it’s such an unnerving thing to hear as your drone is on the fringes of controllable range. If it indeed does establish a new home point uninstructed, it’s a pretty good way to lose the drone.

Has anyone else encountered this?

 

[Meta4]

On occasion I’ll fly the drone out of control/feed range. The connection drops, you wait a few seconds, and then it pops back in as the drone starts heading back. But lately it’s been doing something else as well,.. Just about the moment things come back online I hear “Home point updated, check it on the map”. It doesn’t actually do it as the drone will indeed continue back to its marked home point. But it’s such an unnerving thing to hear as your drone is on the fringes of controllable range. If it indeed does establish a new home point uninstructed, it’s a pretty good way to lose the drone.

It would be extremely unlikely that the drone would reset the homepoint during flight - it's just not programmed that way.
If you post recorded flight data from that flight, it will show what actually happened (and what didn't).

 

[svenmarbles]

It would be extremely unlikely that the drone would reset the homepoint during flight - it's just not programmed that way.
If you post recorded flight data from that flight, it will show what actually happened (and what didn't).

I’m pretty sure it’s not setting a new home point also. But the voice prompt definitely says it did.. Do I have just some kind of anomalous situation with my unit/software installs? Perhaps it’s just not as common for others to fly their drone out of range as frequently as I do ?

 

[Flying Scared]

Hello, not sure if it is the same exact issue but phillydronelife was doing a range test on youtube and had the same thing happen. He was sure he lost the bird but the home point never actually updated. Once it was enroute back to the original home point he regained control. New bug maybe?

 

[Meta4]

I’m pretty sure it’s not setting a new home point also. But the voice prompt definitely says it did..
Do I have just some kind of anomalous situation with my unit/software installs?
Perhaps it’s just not as common for others to fly their drone out of range as frequently as I do

There's probably nothing wrong at all.
Post the data and we'll be able to tell.

Go to DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help
Follow the instructions there to upload your flight record from your phone or tablet.
That will give you a detailed report of the flight.
Come back and post a link to the report it gives you.
Or just post the .txt file.

 

[GadgetGuy]

There's probably nothing wrong at all.
Post the data and we'll be able to tell.

Go to DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help
Follow the instructions there to upload your flight record from your phone or tablet.
That will give you a detailed report of the flight.
Come back and post a link to the report it gives you.
Or just post the .txt file.

All due respect, but the voice message that it has reset the home point, even if it hasn't actually done so, would be quite disconcerting. Does sound like an auditory bug that one of the new M2A updates may have introduced.

 

[Meta4]

All due respect, but the voice message that it has reset the home point, even if it hasn't actually done so, would be quite disconcerting. Does sound like an auditory bug that one of the new M2A updates may have introduced.

Without seeing data, all anyone can do is guess.
And guessing is usually a waste of effort.
Did the app actually announce that the homepoint was reset?
Was the drone launched and flown without proper GPS in the earlier part of the flight?
There are several possible explanations but the only way to solve the mystery is with data.

 

[bmwbob]

Mine said that once and I flew it home just in case. The fly app has reset HP option!!!

 

[dirkclod]

@svenmarbles upload your flight data so this can be figured out
as Meta posted.

 

[boblui]

Not just the announcement but also a text message on the screen. Looks like a software bug to me. Doesn't appear to be anything disasterous as the drone is reported to come back always.

 

[Meta4]

Hello, not sure if it is the same exact issue but phillydronelife was doing a range test on youtube and had the same thing happen. He was sure he lost the bird but the home point never actually updated. Once it was enroute back to the original home point he regained control. New bug maybe?

In the video, it's obviously a glitch in DJI Fly that made it replay the audio message.
When he reacquired signal the drone is showing 11000 ft from home, so the homepoint hadn't been reset.
DJI's homepoint recording and RTH has always been reliable and it looks like it still is.
But hearing that message would cause concern.

 

[svenmarbles]

Not just the announcement but also a text message on the screen. Looks like a software bug to me. Doesn't appear to be anything disasterous as the drone is reported to come back always.

View attachment 113889

That’s correct, it displays that message on-screen as well.

Ok, I will try to replicate the occurrence again tomorrow at daylight. If I can induce it again I’ll put the log up on here for you guys to pick through.

 

[svenmarbles]

Ok I got the log here.. See what you can learn from it ??‍. In any of that, if you can see the second time a home point was set it was done without my directing it to do so..

 

[boblui]

Sequence of events indicated by the flight log :

- The flight started off with the craft tracking the RC on a moving vehicle.
- The craft switched to sport mode on the way and went into hovering as there was no subsequent stick inputs
- However, the RC continued to move in the same direction
- The signal gradually got weak and disconnection occurred.
- The craft went home by itself
- Realizing that something was wrong, the pilot turned back
- Connection resumed shortly before the craft started landing at the home point.
- The message "HOMEPOINT UPDATED. RTH ALTITUDE ADJUSTED TO 0 FT! " was issued when the craft was landing and 58 m above the home point. Strange but nothing scary.
- Disconnection occurred again probably because the signal was blocked by obstacles on the ground as the craft got low.
- The pilot posted the ( partial ) story here.

 

[SmilingOgre]

Does anyone else have this problem?

On occasion I’ll fly the drone out of control/feed range. The connection drops, you wait a few seconds, and then it pops back in as the drone starts heading back. But lately it’s been doing something else as well,.. Just about the moment things come back online I hear “Home point updated, check it on the map”. It doesn’t actually do it as the drone will indeed continue back to its marked home point. But it’s such an unnerving thing to hear as your drone is on the fringes of controllable range. If it indeed does establish a new home point uninstructed, it’s a pretty good way to lose the drone.

Has anyone else encountered this?

I've had that message "home point updated" as well and it has never changed the home point. Beyond that, I don't know. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me either unless it's trying to say it is now navigating to the home point. As far as signal drop, absolutely I have had instances. I know just enough about signal propagation to know many things effect it and it can be unpredictable. I lost signal once under a bridge and thought for sure the drone was toast. Had it went into auto return mode it would have smashed into the bottom of the bridge ascending to return home altitude. The signal was "flickering" in and out and I got enough control to get it out from under the bridge.

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

Hello, not sure if it is the same exact issue but phillydronelife was doing a range test on youtube and had the same thing happen. He was sure he lost the bird but the home point never actually updated. Once it was enroute back to the original home point he regained control. New bug maybe?

I watched the same range test that Mikey flew and yes, his Air 2 drone reached about 13K feet out and then broadcast a Home Point has been Updated message just before blanking the screen feed. Mike quickly tapped the RTH button and then waited for about 30 seconds before the vision feed was restored. The map check confirmed that the Air 2 was retracing its outward path and the drone returned close to its origin point; he had to do a manual landing, as I recall. But it is a definite bug that DJI need to check. I have commented that on Mike’s YT channel (PhillyDroneLife). My own Air 2 has not shown this issue (yet!) but then I have not flown it out to its maximum range. ?

 

[kidroc]

Does anyone else have this problem?

On occasion I’ll fly the drone out of control/feed range. The connection drops, you wait a few seconds, and then it pops back in as the drone starts heading back. But lately it’s been doing something else as well,.. Just about the moment things come back online I hear “Home point updated, check it on the map”. It doesn’t actually do it as the drone will indeed continue back to its marked home point. But it’s such an unnerving thing to hear as your drone is on the fringes of controllable range. If it indeed does establish a new home point uninstructed, it’s a pretty good way to lose the drone.

Has anyone else encountered this?

Yes I have witnessed that on occasion but it always comes back even my mp1 has done it.

 

[svenmarbles]

Sequence of events indicated by the flight log :





- The flight started off with the craft tracking the RC on a moving vehicle.


- The craft switched to sport mode on the way and went into hovering as there was no subsequent stick inputs


- However, the RC continued to move in the same direction


- The signal gradually got weak and disconnection occurred.


- The craft went home by itself


- Realizing that something was wrong, the pilot turned back


- Connection resumed shortly before the craft started landing at the home point.


- The message "HOMEPOINT UPDATED. RTH ALTITUDE ADJUSTED TO 0 FT! " was issued when the craft was landing and 58 m above the home point. Strange but nothing scary.


- Disconnection occurred again probably because the signal was blocked by obstacles on the ground as the craft got low.


- The pilot posted the ( partial ) story here.





View attachment 113895

Yep, you pretty much nailed it. This was actually a test I was running. I wanted to see what would happen if the drone lost it’s subject in Active Track and then just left completely alone.

I launched from my back yard.

Climbed to 200ft (a good margin above the height of my flat neighborhood).

Sighted my car in from the driveway and locked on in active tract trace.

Then we began driving. The goal was to lose it, so we got on the first high speed limit road around and took off at about 70mph ?. It kept up for a surprisingly long time.

After the target was lost, feed remained strong for literally miles down the road as we kept driving. That was both impressive and annoying at the same time.

Eventually all signal was lost.

Then the scary stuff started happening. As we were driving back, at a certain point the signal popped back in, and right when it did I got “home point updated”, then lost the signal again!!

As we rounded the corner back towards the house the picture came back in and it just showed the drone sitting perfectly safe on the landing pad.

Here’s the video cache file.

What’s to be taken from this experiment? If you have your home point set well, fly your drone a mile out, shut down the controller and go back in the house, the drone will be sitting on the landing pad when you come back out 10 minutes later.

The amount of trust I’ve gained with this drone is pretty unreal. It just really comes through, every time. Which is why this anomaly really got to me. It’s the very first scary moment I’ve encountered.

 

[svenmarbles]

I've had that message "home point updated" as well and it has never changed the home point. Beyond that, I don't know. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me either unless it's trying to say it is now navigating to the home point. As far as signal drop, absolutely I have had instances. I know just enough about signal propagation to know many things effect it and it can be unpredictable. I lost signal once under a bridge and thought for sure the drone was toast. Had it went into auto return mode it would have smashed into the bottom of the bridge ascending to return home altitude. The signal was "flickering" in and out and I got enough control to get it out from under the bridge.

Lost my spark that way..

 

[Jet skier]

Does anyone else have this problem?

On occasion I’ll fly the drone out of control/feed range. The connection drops, you wait a few seconds, and then it pops back in as the drone starts heading back. But lately it’s been doing something else as well,.. Just about the moment things come back online I hear “Home point updated, check it on the map”. It doesn’t actually do it as the drone will indeed continue back to its marked home point. But it’s such an unnerving thing to hear as your drone is on the fringes of controllable range. If it indeed does establish a new home point uninstructed, it’s a pretty good way to lose the drone.

Has anyone else encountered this?

No