Unable to take off.

[GadgetGuy]

Having a title on a vehicle does not disable the vehicle so it couldn't operate or drive on the road for those that don't have the title. That's where the "stupid" comes it. And I'm sure you know, just because you have a piece of paper called a title in your hand, doesn't always mean much.

Perhaps my "stupid" title analogy needs refinement. The binding is more similar to the uniquely programmed keyless remote for your vehicle. Without it, you can't unlock it or drive it. If someone finds your car unlocked, or tows it away, they still can't drive it without the original remote. Is that "stupid," too?

 

[mavic3usa]

Perhaps my "stupid" title analogy needs refinement. The binding is more similar to the uniquely programmed keyless remote for your vehicle. Without it, you can't unlock it or drive it. If someone finds your car unlocked, or tows it away, they still can't drive it without the original remote. Is that "stupid," too?

Yes that would be utterly stupid if the car was permanently disabled if the original remote was broken, lost, or destroyed and the vehicle was forever unable to be driven by anyone including the legal owner and not even the car manufacturer could offer a replacement key because they don't have the codes. What would be stupid is when you can sell the car to someone, transfer the title, the new buyer drives the car for 50 miles and then the car is disabled and tells the new buyer to find the other set of keys if you want to continue to drive this car any further. But everybody knows when you buy a used car you need to get the keys to the car but not everybody knows when you buy a used drone you need to get the keys to the drones. In reality, if you drive away with the car, you are satisfied you are in complete control of the car but in reality, if you drive away with the drone, with might still be screwed. There's a secret ticking timebomb counting down inside that drone, you don't find that to be "stupid?" Just for the record, I'm saying what DJI has done is stupid by not providing enough information up front or by not providing a viable solution to the problem. Imagine if you lost your keys and you go to the manufacturer and they told you sorry there's nothing we can do, that car is a paperweight! I understand as cars become more and more advance, that's likely to be the case today but we haven't yet reached that point.

 

[GadgetGuy]

But everybody knows when you buy a used car you need to get the keys to the car but not everybody knows when you buy a used drone you need to get the keys to the drones.

Caveat emptor when you buy a used drone. Not DJI's responsibility if the seller doesn't fully inform the buyer of a found used drone! DJI doesn't sell used drones. Your issue is with the sellers of used drones. If anyone, it's the buyer of a used drone who is "stupid."

 

[mavic3usa]

Caveat emptor when you buy a used drone. Not DJI's responsibility if the seller doesn't fully inform the buyer of a found used drone! DJI doesn't sell used drones. Your issue is with the sellers of used drones. If anyone, it's the buyer of a used drone who is "stupid."

You are missing the point but I think you know it and you're not happy because you think I was calling you "stupid" when in fact, I was calling "the binding process which cannot be unbound by DJI" a stupid process. Merchants like Best Buy are refurbishing drones and customers are coming in and buying these drones and having to return them because they cannot be used. Nobody can possibly think that's a good thing.

 

[GadgetGuy]

You are missing the point but I think you know it and you're not happy because you think I was calling you "stupid" when in fact, I was calling "the binding process which cannot be unbound by DJI" a stupid process. Merchants like Best Buy are refurbishing drones and customers are coming in and buying these drones and having to return them because they cannot be used. Nobody can possibly think that's a good thing.

No. I get your point. You want a different functionality. No, I knew you were calling DJI stupid, not me. If Best Buy or Amazon is refurbishing drones without the RC they are still bound to, and "stupidly" selling them to customers with another RC, that's on Best Buy and Amazon, who will, of course, refund the unhappy customer, that they never should have sold the drone to, in the first place!

None of this ever an issue when the drone and its original paired RC from the factory is bound by the customer to the same RC for the life of the drone. That's probably like 99% of the owners. Pairing the drone with another RC has its limitations and pitfalls, as described previously.

Bottom line, anyone buying a used DJI drone must be certain the drone is unbound from all other RC's prior to purchase. DJI Refurbished drones are always "smartly" unbound prior to sale. Anyone else selling used drones must do the same.

 

[shb]

Consider what might happen if drones and controllers were automatically linked.

Here's one situation that you might not find desirable. After your drone went out of connection range, someone else near to it could switch on a controller and assume control.

As for that automatic wifi connection in a restaurant, that only happens after you've first selected the network name and entered a password to initially pair/bind your phone to that network.

I'm not saying automatically linked to any drone. I'm saying if it's been previously linked to a drone, it should remember that.

 

[shb]

If you were to always use the same controller each time you fly the drone, as most do, you would never have to repair or rebind. The drone was already paired to the RC it shipped with from the factory. Changing that factory RC/drone pairing creates the issues you have encountered, but they are easily dealt with.

I need to change it because I like the larger screen, and the smart rc has lower google maps resolution, so you can't safely make waypoint missions on it.

 

[shb]

DJI could certainly come up with a more elegant way of allowing an owner to use two different controllers, but that doesn’t make them "stupid" just because the OP voluntarily unpaired the initial controller, and now has created his own set of problems, where he needs to re-pair it with the original RC to use it again.

I guess I should only use the remote control that came with the drone?

 

[mavic3usa]

No. I get your point. You want a different functionality. No, I knew you were calling DJI stupid, not me. If Best Buy or Amazon is refurbishing drones without the RC they are still bound to, and "stupidly" selling them to customers with another RC, that's on Best Buy and Amazon, who will, of course, refund the unhappy customer, that they never should have sold the drone to, in the first place!

None of this ever an issue when the drone and its original paired RC from the factory is bound by the customer to the same RC for the life of the drone. That's probably like 99% of the owners. Pairing the drone with another RC has its limitations and pitfalls, as described previously.

Bottom line, anyone buying a used DJI drone must be certain the drone is unbound from all other RC's prior to purchase. DJI Refurbished drones are always "smartly" unbound prior to sale. Anyone else selling used drones must do the same.

DJI Refurbished drones are always smartly unbound prior to sale, how so? DJI has this ability?

 

[GadgetGuy]

I'm not saying automatically linked to any drone. I'm saying if it's been previously linked to a drone, it should remember that.

It does, but not if you unpair it, or unbind it.

 

[GadgetGuy]

DJI Refurbished drones are always smartly unbound prior to sale, how so? DJI has this ability?

Of course they do, if they have possession of the drone, in the same way a guy in China will unbind it for you for $250. They have the keys to the Kingdom, but they don't share them freely!

 

[mavic3usa]

Of course they do, if they have possession of the drone, in the same way a guy in China will unbind it for you for $250. They have the keys to the Kingdom, but they don't share them freely!

Ok got it! LOL

 

[bwatson0109]

Unable to take off in my experience is due to being in a area restricted requiring an unlock. I always wondered if the FAA or DJI knew if I were to travel beyond line of sight. 4000 feet away or more would be in my opinion unable to see with the naked eye. I would be worried about loosing the drone being that far away getting a fine from the FAA for thousands. I cant see mine more than about 500 feet away. The internet is the internet. Some times I have to re connect it. Or it reconnects automatically when I get back into range.