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Tired off .500 so I am back on .400

Robbyg

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Sorry, meant Tired Of .500

Between my own experiences and reading other stories I have come to my own personal decision that .400 is where it stops for me.

My two problems:

1) Video breaks up badly at distances that it never broke up at before. When it does start to break up it cuts out so suddenly that I cannot even gain altitude. Then on the RTH it seems like I have to be 30% of the way back before the signal comes back completely. With .400 if I lost signal I would always regain it the minute I bought it up to a higher altitude.

2) My second issue is the "NFZ Data Is Low" nag screen that now plagues me. I use a dedicated iPhone 6+ and keep the WIFI off unless I am caching maps. I have a nasty feeling that if I do update the NFZ file I am going to have some of those nasty experiences others have had. I fly responsibly and cautiously. I don't feel a need to be penalized because a few yahoo's in China and other places have decided to fly like idiots.

So my big problem is that unlike Android device users, with IOS your locked into an update and there is no going back. Well Maybe ;).

Anyway I can confirm one or two things.

First of all the extra GPS signal from .500 is just DJI putting lipstick on a pig. I laid the mavic on a spot in my bedroom and before downgrading I had 6 sats with 3 green bars and it was in a solid GPS mode. After upgrading I put it in the exact same spot and I had 6 sats with 3 Red bars and it was in ATTI mode and flickering into GPS mode on occasions. You can make your own decision on what was really improved.

Improved D-Log for me was not really an improvement. I think I was looking, hoping for it so hard I actually imagined greater Dynamic range but in fact I look back at the same location video with .400 and .500 and if there is a difference it's so thin that it's just not perceptible to me.

Precision landings are great with both firmware's. I think .500 has a slight edge so maybe that is something I will miss. The Audio recording was pretty much a wash. It was nice to have the audio even though it came with a buzzing sound but what I really need is the option for Instrument overlay which DJI does not want to include.

The Range issue and breakups well I will know next weekend when i go back out and do some flying.

As it stands now I just feel comfortable again. I got great results with .400 and so I am a happy camper again.

Rob
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the insight. Im still at .500, but I haven't flown in a month. Conditions here haven't been good. It's either snowing, or way too cold to fly safely. Today I had a chance but was unfortunately engaged in other mandatory activities.
 
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Well the title says it all. Between my own experiences and reading other stories I have come to my own personal decision that .400 is where it stops for me.

My two problems:

1) Video breaks up badly at distances that it never broke up at before. When it does start to break up it cuts out so suddenly that I cannot even gain altitude. Then on the RTH it seems like I have to be 30% of the way back before the signal comes back completely. With .400 if I lost signal I would always regain it the minute I bought it up to a higher altitude.

2) My second issue is the "NFZ Data Is Low" nag screen that now plagues me. I use a dedicated iPhone 6+ and keep the WIFI off unless I am caching maps. I have a nasty feeling that if I do update the NFZ file I am going to have some of those nasty experiences others have had. I fly responsibly and cautiously. I don't feel a need to be penalized because a few yahoo's in China and other places have decided to fly like idiots.

So my big problem is that unlike Android device users, with IOS your locked into an update and there is no going back. Well Maybe ;).

Anyway I can confirm one or two things.

First of all the extra GPS signal from .500 is just DJI putting lipstick on a pig. I laid the mavic on a spot in my bedroom and before downgrading I had 6 sats with 3 green bars and it was in a solid GPS mode. After upgrading I put it in the exact same spot and I had 6 sats with 3 Red bars and it was in ATTI mode and flickering into GPS mode on occasions. You can make your own decision on what was really improved.

Improved D-Log for me was not really an improvement. I think I was looking, hoping for it so hard I actually imagined greater Dynamic range but in fact I look back at the same location video with .400 and .500 and if there is a difference it's so thin that it's just not perceptible to me.

Precision landings are great with both firmware's. I think .500 has a slight edge so maybe that is something I will miss. The Audio recording was pretty much a wash. It was nice to have the audio even though it came with a buzzing sound but what I really need is the option for Instrument overlay which DJI does not want to include.

The Range issue and breakups well I will know next weekend when i go back out and do some flying.

As it stands now I just feel comfortable again. I got great results with .400 and so I am a happy camper again.

Rob
Thanks for this! I have not upgraded. Question i have an android S7e device, what is that NFZ file thing u mentioned ? Is it to do with the DJIGO4 app 4.0.5 (latest version for android) or the Mavic FW?
 
@Robbyg - please do report back regarding your range following the downgrade to .400. I'm on .500, and flew a route that I have flown a few times, and I lost the signal at about a half mile out (ridiculous). However, I saw another thread here where the OP did the same as you, but did not get their range back.

Curiously awaiting your results...
 
And see, that's why I said before that you should wait to do firmware updates, wait until other people report back, if there are issues then you either update and hope you don't get it or you stay with the firmware you have. This whole thing about well, if DJI puts a firmware update it HAS to be updated because of safety issues is bogus..
 
Thanks for this! I have not upgraded. Question i have an android S7e device, what is that NFZ file thing u mentioned ? Is it to do with the DJIGO4 app 4.0.5 (latest version for android) or the Mavic FW?


I don't know if it happens with Android also but with IOS every time I turn on the controller and the App I get the message.
It does not happen with 4.04 but it happens with 4.05

Rob
 
And see, that's why I said before that you should wait to do firmware updates, wait until other people report back, if there are issues then you either update and hope you don't get it or you stay with the firmware you have. This whole thing about well, if DJI puts a firmware update it HAS to be updated because of safety issues is bogus..
If everyone had that mindset, then no one would report back about the update. Just sayin'. :p
 
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Some are wiser than others ;)

Wisdom comes with experience. If you do not either see others perform,...or perform yourself,.....you cannot attain wisdom.
Intelligence is heredity. Some will always be considered to be above average in intelligence,
 
If everyone had that mindset, then no one would report back about the update. Just sayin'. :p

LOL yes we need to update but then it also reaches a point of diminishing returns for the consumer and more about butt saving by the manufacturer!

I think DJI has a few more things that they can do for the consumer, but I wonder if the current priority for the Mavic is mostly on improving the NFZ ability and also making non LOS flights less attractive.

They are also engaged in a practice that can often be disastrous and that is supporting multiple devices with one piece of software. They should have split off the Inspire 1 & 2 into a separate app. It's a safe bet that a lot of Inspire 2 subroutines are bloating up the code and making it less stable for both systems.

Rob
 
Wisdom comes with experience. If you do not either see others perform,...or perform yourself,.....you cannot attain wisdom.
Intelligence is heredity. Some will always be considered to be above average in intelligence,
I know from experience with the Phantom platform that Firmwares can be sketchy some times.. I tried to tell others that in the Mavic forum and all I got was you HAVE to update for safety! You don't have to..
 
Sorry, meant Tired Of .500

Between my own experiences and reading other stories I have come to my own personal decision that .400 is where it stops for me.

My two problems:

1) Video breaks up badly at distances that it never broke up at before. When it does start to break up it cuts out so suddenly that I cannot even gain altitude. Then on the RTH it seems like I have to be 30% of the way back before the signal comes back completely. With .400 if I lost signal I would always regain it the minute I bought it up to a higher altitude.

2) My second issue is the "NFZ Data Is Low" nag screen that now plagues me. I use a dedicated iPhone 6+ and keep the WIFI off unless I am caching maps. I have a nasty feeling that if I do update the NFZ file I am going to have some of those nasty experiences others have had. I fly responsibly and cautiously. I don't feel a need to be penalized because a few yahoo's in China and other places have decided to fly like idiots.

So my big problem is that unlike Android device users, with IOS your locked into an update and there is no going back. Well Maybe ;).

Anyway I can confirm one or two things.

First of all the extra GPS signal from .500 is just DJI putting lipstick on a pig. I laid the mavic on a spot in my bedroom and before downgrading I had 6 sats with 3 green bars and it was in a solid GPS mode. After upgrading I put it in the exact same spot and I had 6 sats with 3 Red bars and it was in ATTI mode and flickering into GPS mode on occasions. You can make your own decision on what was really improved.

Improved D-Log for me was not really an improvement. I think I was looking, hoping for it so hard I actually imagined greater Dynamic range but in fact I look back at the same location video with .400 and .500 and if there is a difference it's so thin that it's just not perceptible to me.

Precision landings are great with both firmware's. I think .500 has a slight edge so maybe that is something I will miss. The Audio recording was pretty much a wash. It was nice to have the audio even though it came with a buzzing sound but what I really need is the option for Instrument overlay which DJI does not want to include.

The Range issue and breakups well I will know next weekend when i go back out and do some flying.

As it stands now I just feel comfortable again. I got great results with .400 and so I am a happy camper again.

Rob
Rob,

Were you able to somehow downgrade the iOS app? Considering going back to .04 myself because of some strange issues.

Would .04 work if using it with the latest app?
 
Rob,

Were you able to somehow downgrade the iOS app? Considering going back to .04 myself because of some strange issues.

Would .04 work if using it with the latest app?

I remembered that when I updated the Mavic firmware the app came up and said that it needed updating. So I updated it to 4.05 if your still on 4.04 your certainly good to go with a firmware downgrade. If your on 4.05 it might work just fine with .400 firmware. I don't know, but what I did know was that I wanted everything back to the way it was.

Since I had already gone to 4.05 I was really in a pickle and I tried everywhere to find an IPA file for 4.04, but no luck. From what I have read I don't think a randomly pulled IPA file would have worked anyway so I had to do use another method to revert 4.04 and trust me it was not easy :cool:

Rob
 
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I am now really tired of the whole Mavic experience ... it started off exceptionally well but the device has degraded to being unreliable with a dodgy camera ... it really is now not fit for purpose.
 
And one other big negative to add about .0500... They removed the ability to cancel an auto-landing using the throttle. (The Sport mode switch is now the only way).

I think I'll be going back to .0400, too.
 
I never bumped up to .0500, and it looks like I won't do it. I am also being more careful about keeping my flight tablet off-line while flying, and not allowing Android to update the apps. To paraphrase, If it isn't broke yet, don't update it.
 
Rob, I'm very interested in how you get on, once you've had a chance to test it. I'm seriously considering doing the same, although it'll be easier for me as an android user.
 

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