DiveApp Posted at 2017-8-22 05:51
Is there any good new about the issue? Have they fixed it with the latest firmware? I just got my spark yesterday and I'm starting my first flights, not far not high, but I need to do some recordings of boats in a couple of weeks, on the sea obviously, and that issue really scares me...

My primary use case is boating (on a lake).  I've not had any catastrophic experiences flying the spark over water.  I get super anxious, I breath a sigh of relief every time I complete a flight and successfully land, and I have to take a few minutes to personally "cool down" after I complete a flight.  But thus far no bad experiences.

Some unsolicited advice:  Don't wait for 30% battery to return.  Return with a bit more battery (I return at 40-50%) so that I have plenty of time to land, and I can abort if winds pick up or if waves hit.

Charles Adams Posted at 2017-8-22 10:19
My primary use case is boating (on a lake).  I've not had any catastrophic experiences flying the spark over water.  I get super anxious, I breath a sigh of relief every time I complete a flight and successfully land, and I have to take a few minutes to personally "cool down" after I complete a flight.  But thus far no bad experiences.

Some unsolicited advice:  Don't wait for 30% battery to return.  Return with a bit more battery (I return at 40-50%) so that I have plenty of time to land, and I can abort if winds pick up or if waves hit.

Yes, I get anxious too even flying in the garden at no more than 20 meters

Thanks a lot for your advice, I will remember that.

And let's hope that our sparkies don't go for a dive!

I had a narrow escape with my spark a couple of weeks ago. I got a bit ambitious and decided to launch it from my sea kayak. I paddled out through the break before popping my spray deck and retrieved the spark, phone and controller hidden between my legs. I hand launched and all was going well until a big wave splashed over me and got the controller a little bit wet with sea water. The right stick stopped working so lost a lot of control. Fortunately I was able to paddle underneath it and execute a landing using the dji go icon and put my hand under it as it became reachable - snatched it and turned it over to stop it and shoved the lot in a dry bag and got the spraydeck on before being hit by the next wave set. (I'd never have dreamed of trying to land it where is was when I lost control normally). In hindsight I could have used one of the modes like active track I could have accessed on screen to move it's position before trying to land it but was not thinking straight.


The controller spent a couple of days in rice which did not help but a good squirt of isopropyl alcohol on to the stick and the circuitboard (and leaving it for a few hours for that to evaporate) and it's as good as new again.

I don't plan on being so ambitious again!

Convert Posted at 2017-8-22 11:07
I had a narrow escape with my spark a couple of weeks ago. I got a bit ambitious and decided to launch it from my sea kayak. I paddled out through the break before popping my spray deck and retrieved the spark, phone and controller hidden between my legs. I hand launched and all was going well until a big wave splashed over me and got the controller a little bit wet with sea water. The right stick stopped working so lost a lot of control. Fortunately I was able to paddle underneath it and execute a landing using the dji go icon and put my hand under it as it became reachable - snatched it and turned it over to stop it and shoved the lot in a dry bag and got the spraydeck on before being hit by the next wave set.

Controller spent a couple of days in rice which did not help but a good squirt of isopropyl alcohol on to the stick and the circuitboard (and leaving it for a few hours for that to evaporate) and it's as good as new again.

I paddle board, and I've been tempted to take the spark out on the board and try it.  My wife has commented that most of the action is of other people, and I'm not in any "action" shots.  Of course she isn't willing to learn to fly, so I've had to give some thoughts on how I want to get "me".

I've thought of "active tracking" me, but the idea of taking eyes and hands of controls and phone is just a bit too much for me to consider right now.

I experienced my first "palm launch flop" yesterday, so any ideas I had about doing gesture controls while paddle boarding bit the turf with the spark!  (BTW, I've not been able to repeat the "flop").

Charles Adams Posted at 2017-8-22 11:13
I paddle board, and I've been tempted to take the spark out on the board and try it.  My wife has commented that most of the action is of other people, and I'm not in any "action" shots.  Of course she isn't willing to learn to fly, so I've had to give some thoughts on how I want to get "me".

I've thought of "active tracking" me, but the idea of taking eyes and hands of controls and phone is just a bit too much for me to consider right now.

Hahahahahaha. She isn't willing to fly.
Soon we will get our first divorce somewhere in the world with this exact reason.
My wife refused to film me with my drone.....

Completely off topic, so back on track:

I for sure hope this last update smashed a bug (or several bugs) that will give the Spark more reliability.