Smart Contoller GPS Restricted Flight

[pnovotny]

Issue: Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual flight was restricted due to no satellite lock on Smart Controller

Responses sought: fix, hack or similar experience

Story: I was doing approved work in a RESTRICTED Geo Zone (airport).

The next day I tried lifting off for another job elsewhere and satellite reception was not great (narrow road with some buildings).

The drone was eventually able to lock on to 10 satellites but would not let me lift off indicating I was in a restricted zone.

Upon checking the map I noticed that the drones position was correct but I believe the Smart Controller was listed as still in the restricted zone (there was a line stretching from the drone elsewhere but I did not zoom out to check).

I tried restarting both drone & SC, tried connecting to my phone's Hotspot but nothing worked.

I couldn't apply for an unlock because the previous job was in a restricted zone and required a letter from the airport which I would not be able to receive again.

After a very long time I heard the 'homepoint message' and the drone was good to go.

Has anyone come across this?
Are my assumptions correct?
What can be done to avoid this next time?

Thanks for your help with this.

 

[Meta4]

Upon checking the map I noticed that the drones position was correct but I believe the Smart Controller was listed as still in the restricted zone (there was a line stretching from the drone elsewhere but I did not zoom out to check).

It was probably somewhere else because of sketchy GPS rather than at your last location.
Zooming out would have confirmed whether this was the case.

I tried restarting both drone & SC, tried connecting to my phone's Hotspot but nothing worked.

The drone's GPS was OK.
Restarting it won't make any difference to the GPS receiver in the controller which is completely separate.
Hotspotting shares internet data, not GPS location data.

If the problem was that your tablet had poor GPS reception due to obstruction at its location, the only remedy is to get a better location for the controller and start somewhere less obstructed.

 

[Meta4]

The drone was eventually able to lock on to 10 satellites but would not let me lift off indicating I was in a restricted zone.

10 satellites is a low number for the Mavic 2.
It is likely that the location data was very poor and the position was only approximate.
The recorded flight data would confirm if this was true.
The number of satellites is only part of what is required for good GPS positioning.
The GPS receiver must get signals from satellites with a good spread in the sky to have the required angles for triangulation.
When much of the sky is blocked, the sats it can see are likely to be bunched close together rather than having the good spread that's needed.

 

[pnovotny]

Thank you for your response.

Your suggestion makes sense.
I think I'll start the drone outside the restricted geo zone next time if I know I may encounter choppy gps at my next location.

What I'm still puzzled with is the relationship between drone & controller especially when one does have a gps lock...

 

[Meta4]

What I'm still puzzled with is the relationship between drone & controller especially when one does have a gps lock...

They are completely separate, with independent GPS receivers.
One receiving location data (when reception is not obstructed) for where the drone is and one for where the controller is.
What are you puzzled about?

 

[pnovotny]

They are completely separate, with independent GPS receivers.
One receiving location data (when reception is not obstructed) for where the drone is and one for where the controller is.
What are you puzzled about?

I would have thought that if the drone has 'gps lock' and the controller does not, I wouldn't be prevented from taking off.

It would make no sense for the drone to be located in a authorized to fly area and the remote many miles away.

Since these rules are preset by humans I guess I would have expected a different outcome unless this is a fight safety issue regardless of the restricted zone.

(BTW, If any of the two can be tampered with, its the controller through 'fake GPS').

BTW, as far as I know cell phones use wifi data to determine location (I've been asked to allow this on many occasions on phones), so I had hoped it would help...

Thanks again for your responses.

 

[Meta4]

I would have thought that if the drone has 'gps lock' and the controller does not, I wouldn't be prevented from taking off.

Are you certain that the reason for failure to launch had anything to do with the controller?
It's the location of the drone that is important and with poor reception, it's likely that the position data from the drone was only approximate.

BTW, as far as I know cell phones use wifi data to determine location (I've been asked to allow this on many occasions on phones), so I had hoped it would help...

Phones use wifi for approximate location data.
DJI want accurate location data from GPS and you can't share GPS data by hotspotting, even in a clear location.
It's likely that your phone's location data was as similar or worse than what the controller already had in that location.

For good GPS reception you need to be somewhere with half of the sky unobstructed by trees, terrain or buildings.

 

[pnovotny]

Are you certain that the reason for failure to launch had anything to do with the controller?

I'm not certain of anything... merely trying to learn from the more experienced

I came to the conclusion it was the Smart Controller as based on prior experience the drone had enough satellites to launch and the location seemed accurate on the map...

On a related subject: I am aware of the risks of flying with minimal GPS reception but I understand that this would only be the case until I clear roof tops (my experience supports this). What's your take on this issue? How would you handle a similar situation?

Thanks again

 

[Meta4]

On a related subject: I am aware of the risks of flying with minimal GPS reception but I understand that this would only be the case until I clear roof tops (my experience supports this). What's your take on this issue? How would you handle a similar situation?

I've flown from areas where it wasn't possible to get GPS at the launch spot and had to carefully fly up to where it was possible.
With no GPS, the drone will launch, but if the drone's GPS data is only approximate, could that cause the app to think the drone was in a restricted area and prevent takeoff?

 

[pnovotny]

Thank you for the wonderful information!

 

[mobilehomer]

Does Israel use GPS jamming? I know other countries do, especially during conflicts.

 

[pnovotny]

None that I know of... that would disrupt so many things in a modern technology dependent country...

We get interference every now and then and I can only assume some of it is military related (ours and others, such as foreign fleets sailing the Mediterranean) since we're a very small country and everything is very close.