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djiuser_aZIZx54
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Argentina
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Good moring...
Yesterday I had the bad experience of loosing the drone. I had a Phantom 4 Advanced.
I´ve been flying it for more than a year... i work in environmental conservation isuess and the drone happens to be an excellent tool for moitoring esting birds in the shore and islands.
Yeterday I lunched it and after 35 secs of flying suddenly the coectiog gne lost and the drone went flying forward, getting lost in the sky. I hoped that it will come back to the starting point as it was supoused to do, but it ever did.
The screen one black as if there were o camera, the signal, battery and others signs in the creen went dead and the small square were it refereces position freezed. I hasked i the command to fly back... it sounds a beep and othig else.
Everything was done as allways... GPS signal was set, the lunching spot also... I have o idea what happened.
Up to this moment I ecomended the drone to all my colleges... I thought it was somethig really amazing... but certainly this kind of problems are something very disgusting.
Is it something usual? which are the reasons for this? how can it be solved?
I´m ot and english speaker... I hope I was clear in my explanation and request.
Thanks for your answer.
G.  
2017-8-1
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ALABAMA
Captain
Flight distance : 10442687 ft
United States
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What do you mean by "GPS signal was set" ?
2017-8-1
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Labroides
Captain
Flight distance : 9991457 ft
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Australia
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If you can supply flight data, I'll look at it and see what it shows.
Go to http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
Follow the instructions to upload your flight record.
Come back and post a link to the report it provides.
2017-8-1
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EduBaeta
lvl.3
Flight distance : 543885 ft
Brazil
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I did a flight last week and my P4 ADV disconnected 10 times during this flight.

I see that one day I'm going to lose it, until DJI fixes the problem.
2017-8-1
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Labroides
Captain
Flight distance : 9991457 ft
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Australia
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EduBaeta Posted at 2017-8-1 04:34
I did a flight last week and my P4 ADV disconnected 10 times during this flight.

I see that one day I'm going to lose it, until DJI fixes the problem.

Losing signal shouldn't cause you to lose the Phantom.
Learn how RTH works.
2017-8-1
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DJI Susan
Administrator
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Sorry to hear the accident of your drone. May I have the RC serial number to confirm the warranty? For warranty period, we would like to arrange data analysis to check the exact reason. Thanks for understanding.
2017-8-1
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gsolvera
New

Singapore
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Labroides Posted at 2017-8-1 04:00
If you can supply flight data, I'll look at it and see what it shows.
Go to http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
Follow the instructions to upload your flight record.

Hi there...
Thanks for your answer...
I´m pasting flight data link... as I can understand it might be a problem in the cell voltage... though the battery charge is in 91% and the voltage says 12.256V
I hope you can explain me better what might happened.
Thank you very much.
G.
http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/82JN5VR83DDC4LCZPA0R/
2017-8-2
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Nigel_
Captain
Flight distance : 388642 ft
United Kingdom
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gsolvera Posted at 2017-8-2 09:35
Hi there...
Thanks for your answer...
I´m pasting flight data link... as I can understand it might be a problem in the cell voltage... though the battery charge is in 91% and the voltage says 12.256V

It does look like a battery problem, but I don't know if the logged data is correct, the battery temperature never changes so there is something wrong with the measurements.

Towards the end the current goes up to 48.5 amps which is a huge amount and would explain the voltage drop, but the voltage starts dropping before that so again I am doubtful that the data is correct.

Did you fully charge the battery before use?  Or had it been sitting unused for a long time with no charging?

If it is still under warrantee then I suggest you ask DJI support to look at it and give an explanation.  If it is not under warrantee then I don't think there is anything we can do.
2017-8-2
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Labroides
Captain
Flight distance : 9991457 ft
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Australia
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gsolvera Posted at 2017-8-2 09:35
Hi there...
Thanks for your answer...
I´m pasting flight data link... as I can understand it might be a problem in the cell voltage... though the battery charge is in 91% and the voltage says 12.256V

As you've seen, the problem was with the battery.
It was a combination of cold conditions and a partially discharged battery.
Under those conditions the battery could not deliver the voltage the Phantom needed and the Phantom fell from the sky.

The early error message was a big warning  ..  Battery temperature is below 15 degrees Celsius. Warm up the battery temperature to above 25 degree Celsius to ensure a safe flight.
Cold temperatures are a serious problem for most types of batteries.

The battery was partially discharged so the percentage indicator is misleading.
The Voltage is what's important.
At 0:19.3 just after you gave it full throttle, the voltage dropped from 16V to 13.7V.
The Phantom needs a minimum of 13.2V to fly.  The last voltage showing in the flight record before your Phantom shut down was 12.256V.
2017-8-2
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gsolvera
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Singapore
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Labroides Posted at 2017-8-2 14:26
As you've seen, the problem was with the battery.
It was a combination of cold conditions and a partially discharged battery.
Under those conditions the battery could not deliver the voltage the Phantom needed and the Phantom fell from the sky.

Thaks for your answer...
As you said the early error message was a warning... but I never saw it in my display. I only had the chance to see it once I downloaded the data log in my computer at home... is it possible to set the configuration in order to see those warning messages while I´m working in the backcountry?
On the other hand... I live and work in southern Patagonia... 15C° is a luxury that we can give to ourselves not very often.  Not to mention the 25C° "to ensure safe flight. If this case... this drone is not a suitable tool to use in my work?. Disapointing...
Thanks for your answer and advice.
G.
2017-8-3
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fans417abfbd
Second Officer
Flight distance : 434593 ft
United Kingdom
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gsolvera Posted at 2017-8-3 03:05
Thaks for your answer...
As you said the early error message was a warning... but I never saw it in my display. I only had the chance to see it once I downloaded the data log in my computer at home... is it possible to set the configuration in order to see those warning messages while I´m working in the backcountry?
On the other hand... I live and work in southern Patagonia... 15C° is a luxury that we can give to ourselves not very often.  Not to mention the 25C° "to ensure safe flight. If this case... this drone is not a suitable tool to use in my work?. Disapointing...

There are things you can do if you fly in cold climates and many people do that successfully. Pre warming your batteries is one thing you can do. I'm sure there will be plenty of advice on YouTube etc about flying in cold conditions. Good luck if you decide to continwith drone flying.
2017-8-3
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embayweather
Captain
Flight distance : 556667 ft
United Kingdom
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I would not give up on the DJI craft either. You said that you had been flying it successfully for a year, that at least must say something about the platform that you are using in your work. Get another drone somehow and carry on with you valuable work just remembering to heat your batteries because its cold outside. If you have a nearby weather station, check their values before you fly.
2017-8-3
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Aardvark
Captain
Flight distance : 384432 ft
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United Kingdom
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gsolvera Posted at 2017-8-3 03:05
Thaks for your answer...
As you said the early error message was a warning... but I never saw it in my display. I only had the chance to see it once I downloaded the data log in my computer at home... is it possible to set the configuration in order to see those warning messages while I´m working in the backcountry?
On the other hand... I live and work in southern Patagonia... 15C° is a luxury that we can give to ourselves not very often.  Not to mention the 25C° "to ensure safe flight. If this case... this drone is not a suitable tool to use in my work?. Disapointing...

By hovering for a minute or two just after take off should allow the battery temperature to rise above 25 C. This is the internal battery temperature. You then should be safe to fly.

Regarding the 'Warning' there is a 'Warnings' list now in the 'General Settings' menu in DJI Go 4 which could be quickly checked for any warnings that may have been missed on screen
2017-8-3
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Landbo
First Officer
Flight distance : 502792 ft
Denmark
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gsolvera Posted at 2017-8-3 03:05
Thaks for your answer...
As you said the early error message was a warning... but I never saw it in my display. I only had the chance to see it once I downloaded the data log in my computer at home... is it possible to set the configuration in order to see those warning messages while I´m working in the backcountry?
On the other hand... I live and work in southern Patagonia... 15C° is a luxury that we can give to ourselves not very often.  Not to mention the 25C° "to ensure safe flight. If this case... this drone is not a suitable tool to use in my work?. Disapointing...

Just keep your battery temperature above 20-25 degrees C before you start flying, everything will work normally. This is the basic rule when using an LiPo battery in cold weather.

Regards Leif.
2017-8-3
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Nigel_
Captain
Flight distance : 388642 ft
United Kingdom
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15C is not cold, the UK climate is similar to Patagonia and the only issue we have is that sometimes we have to wait for it to warm up before it will let us take off.
But like I said in my post above, the temperature value was stuck, never changed.  To me that says that there was a fault in the battery or the communication between the battery and aircraft.  I doubt that the battery temperature was 15C by the time it was flying.

We do not see many problems like this on the P4, it is normally very reliable.

I'm repeating my question, but did you charge the battery shortly before use or was it a week before?
2017-8-3
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gsolvera
New

Singapore
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Nigel_ Posted at 2017-8-3 04:41
15C is not cold, the UK climate is similar to Patagonia and the only issue we have is that sometimes we have to wait for it to warm up before it will let us take off.
But like I said in my post above, the temperature value was stuck, never changed.  To me that says that there was a fault in the battery or the communication between the battery and aircraft.  I doubt that the battery temperature was 15C by the time it was flying.

Hi there... thank you for your post and interest.
We charged it the evening before. All our batteries were already charged, but as a rule, we always recharged them before using them... the night before or even the same morning.
Certaily the temperature was lower than 15C° in the air.
G.
2017-8-3
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fans4cbdf079
lvl.3
United States
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Is this the Phantom 4 or Phantom 4 Advanced?  The Advanced has just been released this year.
2017-9-16
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Geebax
Captain
Australia
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fans4cbdf079 Posted at 2017-9-16 20:54
Is this the Phantom 4 or Phantom 4 Advanced?  The Advanced has just been released this year.

The answer is in the first post.
2017-9-16
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