UAV app not very accurate

[Nonprophet]

I'm finding that about 75% of the time when the UAV app tells me "Not Good to Fly" because of low GPS signal, the reality on the ground is quite different. Many times the app will predict only 9-11 GPS satellites, but when I get on location I'll have 16-18 locked in. Are others experiencing the same thing? I'm glad I started ground-truthing the GPS signal strength--otherwise I would have missed out on a lot of flying opportunities if I trusted the app.......

 

[sar104]

You can completely ignore virtually everything that the UAV app tells you - it is mostly irrelevant or inaccurate. Provided that you have a reasonable view of the sky there are always sufficient GNSS satellites to fly. The Kp forecast is irrelevant, and the rest of the stuff presented is just a basic weather forecast. In terms of wind speeds you are better off just going outside to check - the winds aloft are interpolated from higher altitude forecast winds, and are generally wrong because of surface friction unless you are flying very high.

 

[Meta4]

Many times the app will predict only 9-11 GPS satellites, but when I get on location I'll have 16-18 locked in.

That sounds like the app is predicting only US GPS sats, but your drone is receiving US sats + Russian GLONASS sats.
But you don't need the app to tell you when there are enough sats.
Because wherever you are there will always be more than enough sats.

 

[Dakarenduro]

I find UAV fairly accurate for current weather conditions. I do not bother to check GPS through the app. If I can see the sky than I am fairly certain I will have enough sats. I do use it to predict the weather over the course of the week and as I said I find it fairly accurate.

 

[Slade]

I use the app as a guide, not scripture etched in stone. I also use the tops of surrounding trees that are 65’+ to gauge the winds aloft.

 

[lancealotg]

If you click on the Sats Locked button on the main screen, you can change the GPS Elev Mask to give you a more accurate reading.
I have mine set to 10 degrees and it seems to match what the drone sees.

 

[WDKZoom]

I'm finding that about 75% of the time when the UAV app tells me "Not Good to Fly" because of low GPS signal, the reality on the ground is quite different. Many times the app will predict only 9-11 GPS satellites, but when I get on location I'll have 16-18 locked in. Are others experiencing the same thing? I'm glad I started ground-truthing the GPS signal strength--otherwise I would have missed out on a lot of flying opportunities if I trusted the app.......

I too have found the same problem.......its kind of scary first but more annoying. I check it against B4UFLY and Kitty Hawk and if they are ok, I fly. I am thinking that the only thing I should use UAV for is to tell me the wind at altitude and even then I don't know how much stock to put in it.

WDK

 

[AKQuads]

I do know that it isn't accurate the instant you look. I wanted to see when it was going to clear up just last Monday. I looked at 5:21pm or so. The weather was pouring rain, thunder lightening for 30 - 45 minutes prior looking at app.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

Mine said N/A on the satellites in the middle of a soccer complex the other day for about 10 minutes, then it jumped to 14.

 

[rbtmckny]

It's not accurate, I stopped using it. I can tell when it is good to fly by observing the weather and checking the number of satellites on my controller.

 

[JAW]

If you click on the Sats Locked button on the main screen, you can change the GPS Elev Mask to give you a more accurate reading.
I have mine set to 10 degrees and it seems to match what the drone sees.

I, too, discovered this "hack" and use it all the time. I've found that for the most part it displays about 30-50% more locked sats.

 

[WDKZoom]

Giving that a try!!!

WDK

 

[Meta4]

Giving that a try!!!

Just ignore the GPS predictions in the app.
Wherever you go, whatever the time, there will always be more sats than you need.