What is the general fascination with doing updates?

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I can see the reason for doing them if an update fixes a bothersome problem or adds a new and desired feature but where they do not I see no reason for doing them.
In addition I get the impression there are a fair few "I did an update and now have a problem." threads and some remove features or changes them to something less desirable.

 

[old man mavic]

@Yorkshire_Pud ,if you go on the CAA web site ,you will see that keeping your firmware up to date ,is one of the requirement's for safe flight ,the problem you have if you dont follow the guidelines,is in the event of an investigation by the CAA because your drone injured ,or caused damage ,or even in the event of an alleged illegal flight ,then this would go against you because you were flying with old firmware ,of course as long as there was no incident ,then no one would be any the wiser,its something that only an individual pilot can decide
so why give a third party any ammunition to use against you

 

[March411]

Some folks (myself included) complete the updates as DJI doesn't clearly articulate what is in the updates. They use phrases like Optimized flight safety, improved overall software stability and fixed some minor bugs. The optimize flight safety is my main concern and much like Windows, I run the updates.

The real question is why DJI releases updates that cause issues.

 

[Starz]

I tend to let the folks that feel like updates are a”must”(regulations or not)be the experimental rat. Too many unknowns to be the first one on the bus. And yes, plenty of updates in the past reading material that give those people fits. DJI has no legal responsibility to list EXACTLY
what’s in the package. Father Time is the only one with those answers.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Good point Old Man Mavic. Though, at times, I would have to question whether some of the updates enhance or detract from safety. lol

 

[old man mavic]

i myself think that although we always seem to blame ,either an App update ,or firmware ,update for our drones having issues ,i think that it happens because during the update process ,even if the update seems successful ,when the update is being downloaded ,its possible that sometimes errors can happen during that process due to the internet connection we are using at the time,and even between the aircraft ,and RC as the update is being installed

 

[Deleted member 84685]

Even in the phantom days I refused till one locked me,,then I started to update on occasion depending if anything change or not,now days it's for my own piece of mine that it's up 2 date,its needed if you want dji care also,,never had no bad updates yet (thankfully) ,

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

i myself think that although we always seem to blame ,either an App update ,or firmware ,update for our drones having issues .....................

I would agree with that (though suspect we are probably wrong lol) which is why, with any mavic, when I have updated I have used the relevant assistant 2 and a USB cable connection. It seems faster too.

Thinking about the "optimised flight safety" generates some further questions,
1) if so many updates are required for safety reasons does that mean that the earlier and or original versions were unsafe?
2) That in turn makes me ask, are these softwares in any way certified as fit for purpose? If so by whom?
3) How is it that it is permissible for a manufacturer to cease making updates for a particular drone not long after that drone is out of production? Are we to believe that they somehow got everything perfect with the 'final' version?

 

[Starz]

i myself think that although we always seem to blame ,either an App update ,or firmware ,update for our drones having issues ,i think that it happens because during the update process ,even if the update seems successful ,when the update is being downloaded ,its possible that sometimes errors can happen during that process due to the internet connection we are using at the time,and even between the aircraft ,and RC as the update is being installed

I’ll agree with this line of thought as there are known cases of these events.
But, bugs are bugs, and they do pop their little heads out of the depths when least expected. I’ve learned that caution has its value when ANY update is generated by any system that I utilize.
DJI isn’t alone in this group. The name Apple comes to mind.

 

[Daytona500]

I don't do updates, they add more fencing which in my case would ground me at my house. About a year after i got my air they built a new Dr's office in town and for some unknown reason they registered a heli pad there. Its a small Dr's office theres no helipad there and in 5 years I never seen a helicopter land there. This is about 2 miles from my house and I have a 4.5 acre yard that I fly around and I'm usually at 100 to 200 feet there is a hospital about 10 miles down the road they have a pad. Anyway thats why Im not updating.

 

[Meta4]

3) How is it that it is permissible for a manufacturer to cease making updates for a particular drone not long after that drone is out of production? Are we to believe that they somehow got everything perfect with the 'final' version?

The main reason for updates is to fix little things that come to light after a drone is released.
After a year or so, there shouldn't be much to need to change or add anything.

 

[Meta4]

@Yorkshire_Pud ,if you go on the CAA web site ,you will see that keeping your firmware up to date ,is one of the requirement's for safe flight ,the problem you have if you dont follow the guidelines,is in the event of an investigation by the CAA because your drone injured ,or caused damage ,or even in the event of an alleged illegal flight ,then this would go against you because you were flying with old firmware

It would be extremely rare for firmware updates to fix something that would make any difference to flight safety.
I don't think I've ever seen a DJI drone released with a fault of that nature.

 

[MS Coast]

It's interesting that the anti-updaters trust DJI enough to buy their drones, but then don't trust DJI enough to make tweaks to the firmware and software.

I wonder how many of those folks have their Windows or IOS computers set up to do updates automatically.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

It's interesting that the anti-updaters trust DJI enough to buy their drones, but then don't trust DJI enough to make tweaks to the firmware and software.

I wonder how many of those folks have their Windows or IOS computers set up to do updates automatically.

Do we actually trust DJI enough to buy their drone or is it more the case that they are the only realistic choice for price and quality and perhaps availability?
I don't really trust them, I do not deliberately sync logs with them though I may be doing so when using airdata and maybe other websites to decrypt Mini 2 flight logs.

With regards to computers et al.
My MacBook is set to notify me of updates but not automatically install them.
I LOATH, with a passion, the compulsory updating on Windows 10, primarily because the instal process means it can take ages to shut down a computer and even longer to subsequently boot it. Almost invariably these occur at inconvenient times. Even if the process is blocked when switching the computer off it eventually become mandatory after a few 'blocked' switch-offs.
If you know a way around that please please tell me.
Windows 7 was set to notify that updates were available but leave the choice to me, a MUCH better system in my opinion.
My phone it set up to not automatically update as is google play.

 

[old man mavic]

@Meta4 I find your reply in post#12 somewhat strange
if a drone is being flown with firmware issues, that can cause it to not respond as it should ,then surely that is a flight safety issue
i did not say that DJI would release a drone with,flight safety issues ,

 

[umanbean]

I LOATH, with a passion, the compulsory updating on Windows 10,

Amen brother! I'm right there with you on that. The timing of updates and whether or not to even allow a particular update should be up to the user. I've been a computer tech for many years and have seen Windows updates break network infrastructures, printer drivers and other peripherals not work, and even change and/or rearrange your home screen, etc etc.

Seems to me that, these days, as hardware, software, and firmware evolve, users choice is slowly eroding away, and we're left at the mercy of what the manufacturers want to do with equipment that we bought and paid good money for!

 

[Meta4]

@Meta4 I find your reply in post#12 somewhat strange
if a drone is being flown with firmware issues, that can cause it to not respond as it should ,then surely that is a flight safety issue
i did not say that DJI would release a drone with,flight safety issues ,

The kinds of things that firmware addresses are usually trivial things that make no difference that would be a safety issue.
The chances of a serious accident due to not updating firmware would be negligible.

 

[Faster]

I don't trust DJI as a company at all (you should never forget China is a communist country). Their technology is good but unfortunately it doesn't come alone, politics is always involved in a communist regime. They are logging everything not to help you in case you need it. They are spying on you and therefore on your country too. They are after what you do, where/how and when, your interests, your rules, your laws, everything! Not for marketing purposes but for using that info against you and your country when they need it. I know this by firsthand. I was born and raised in a communist country. I know what they are capable to do.
I flight their drones because is the is no better choice out there at a reasonable price/quality/availability, but I disable everything I can related to sending any info to DJI.
To Mods, my apologies for talking politics, if you find this post inappropriate, please remove it.

 

[Meta4]

They are logging everything not to help you in case you need it. They are spying on you and therefore on your country too. They are after what you do, where/how and when, your interests, your rules, your laws, everything! Not for marketing purposes but for using that info against you and your country when they need it.

You are far too paranoid.
Your flight data would not be of any value to anyone even if DJI did have access to it.

 

[Starz]

updates automatically

Never.
Just the thought is silly.