http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/planetary-k-index

K-INDEX live
BTW k-index has nothing to do with Jon's loss....it is a BUG in the latest iteration of firmware.....0.17

Of course, as upsetting as this is ..... If it is a State Park then you should not have been flying there anyway. (Assuming there is an ordinance like most of the State Parks in the US)

Involving the Ranger or authorities will probably only bring more questions than solutions.  I think you would struggle to get a tree surgeon to touch a single limb inside a State Park without express permissions and permits.

This would have to be a Ninja, stealth self recovery attempt if it is to be successful.....

The K index could be a factor weakening the GPS signals and going into Atti mode easier than on other days...I noticed that you said you did a Compass calibration but did you check your IMU as well ? When I first stated flying the Inspire 1 I went only few a few feet off the ground and set up a geofence using the Beginner Mode...I took it a step at a time and gradually increased  distance and height...I also bought a Blade Nano QX for under a hundred bucks and Realflight 7.5 Simulator months before buying the I1.  This will give you some stick time in Atti mode and wind conditions....Its a lot cheaper and safer than learning on the Inspire 1...It is a powerful platform and there is a responsibility on your part and not only DJIs  to do some Due Diligence  before you fly.   Even during this learning process I went through 2 sets of props like so many others.  Part of the process was due to my learning curve and dealing with some annoying bugs form DJI who is in the process of solving hopefully...My current experience with version 17 is it quite often pops in and out of GPS and Atti mode and you need to learn how to deal with that before you fly again...Because these things happen so quickly I also put a Garmin GPS tracker on my I1 as extra insurance....With any platform using RF there is always a possibility for flyaways. Part of the Voodoo science of RF.  Hopefully, you can retrieve your I1 with some help from others in your area and go through nothing more than a broken set of props and a  learning experience...Just watch out for the tree magnets, they will get you every time...

I hope you retrieve it.

You asked about avoiding this in the future - there are many many ways you can do that. As far as DJI firmware, it will never be perfect...the best we can all do is know what to do when things go wrong. These are some very simple actions which may result in less losses....

1. Get in a couple dozen hours with lesser craft - everything from nano quads to the RClogger Xtreme - ($25-$150).

2. As per DJI's instructions, always have your first flights and learning in a large open area.

3. Further to #2 - consider where it is worthwhile filming and where it is not. The area you were flying in looks like it would eat your quad - either in the trees or the water. It is also one of the windiest places in the USA. Lastly, I have seen photos of that area taken from the ground - further up the hill - and they are as good or better than what you would get with a quad. Since the chances of loss increase with the number of hours (especially over trees and water), being careful about your flight areas is one trick.

4. Learn some emergency tricks - I'd say the easiest is that "altitude is your friend". When things go wrong punch the throttle and rise up above the trees and buildings. This will allow you time to relax and take other actions which may retrieve your quad.

5. Make sure your RTH is set well higher than any trees or other obstacles nearby. This way you have a better chance of getting it back.

In your situation - you may have recovered it if you went higher (above the trees) - maybe it would have then obtained a GPS fix and even if windy and you are not proficient in ATTI, RTH would bring it home.

I know it's easy to monday morning QB, but since you asked.....I'm hoping you get it back and then keep it!

Hey everyone - thanks for all of the feedback.

It's safe to say that I have learned two BIG lessons from this:
1.  I need to hone my flying skills MUCH more than I have to date before flying anywhere where there are material risks to losing the drone.
2. The navigation capabilities in the unit are aids, not fault-tolerant tools that allow the unit to fly reliably on its own.  I will say that I think DJI is over-selling the navigation capabilities in their marketing materials.  They sell the units as simple to fly camera platforms when in reality they are complex RC units that require a lot of skill.

I have ordered a replacement unit and will apply much of what I've learned here to my flying of the new one.

If anyone is looking to pickup a second controller (or carrying case...) that's never been used, PM me...I've got an extra!

Thanks for all of the helpful feedback!

jon

Damn dude. If it's still up there I'd seek out a utility lineman heck maybe you could track one down on craigslist.  They are trained to climb the poles with spikes all day long, I have a buddy who does it for the cable co.  Wish I could help but I'm east coast.  Also ping the forest service.  They're manned much bigger out west.  They would actually probably assist and chalk it up to training!

Did you get a response from dji?

rare1a1 Posted at 2015-3-30 00:28
Damn dude. If it's still up there I'd seek out a utility lineman heck maybe you could track one down ...

Yeah,

Thats what I was trying to say.

Get a communication guy or lumberjack who use those spikey crampons on their boots for climbing the trees or poles.

Must be a friendly one that would do it.

Acidsnow Posted at 2015-3-30 00:49
Did you get a response from dji?

Frustratingly, no - almost 2 weeks now and I simply can get no response from DJI, which I find VERY disappointing.  To be clear, I did not open a ticket asking for a replacement unit - my ticket was solely to see if DJI could explain what happened, but to date I have simply heard nothing back and continue to be told that the ticket has been "escalated to management" and all I can do is continue to wait.

I run a software company and I KNOW that my customers would not accept silence back on a support issue.

Further, it is really somewhat shocking that there is simply NO way to buy a replacement Inspire without purchasing one of the full bundles.  It's pretty clear that we are all paid beta-testers as the firmware is refined.  That's ok, we all know what we are getting into, but it really does seem like it's a reasonable expectation that we could replace lost inspires at a cost less than $2,900 USD.

Here's an ebay auction to just the bird.  Don't think if this would help or if you would be buying someone else's problems.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DJI-Insp ... hash=item3f49a4a635

chris@bigchris. Posted at 2015-3-30 04:48
Here's an ebay auction to just the bird.  Don't think if this would help or if you would be buying s ...

I saw that...no camera, that's a deal-breaker for me.

Thanks for pointing it out!

jon

jon.rauschenber Posted at 2015-3-30 05:36
I saw that...no camera, that's a deal-breaker for me.

Thanks for pointing it out!

i didn't even notice that.  Good point.

Jon I might be interested in your remote. How much are you looking to get out of it?

4Blades Posted at 2015-3-30 08:39
Jon I might be interested in your remote. How much are you looking to get out of it?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161654588909

I'm an arborist here in Canada and own a tree service. Any climber worth being called one should easily be able to get it down, with or or without leg irons. Another option is a slingshot with fishing pole and a one ounce weight. The downside of that meathod is lack of control you can pull it out of the tree but the impact might not be nice. You could get some friends together and try the bed sheet trick one on each corner, tell them not too wrap fingers in bed sheet lest they don't mind broken fingers.

Seriously, the fine you would get even in a state park would be way less than the loss of the quad. Try a weight tied to sturdy fishing line, get a wrist rocket slingshot, open the bail on the fishing pole and shoot the line over the quad. It may take a few tries so take a couple extra weights. Also don't pull the weight over the quad, let the weight go over the quad and down to the ground, you now have two points of control try maneuvering the line back and forth, if that does not do the trick pull the weight up to the quad. Be careful when pulling weight over branches as it can wrap around them and get stuck. You can also use the fishing line to pull climbing rope up and over large branches then use a prussic knot or jumars to ascend the rope without Spurs, but that is for alpinists or tree workers. Good luck.

Good luck getting it down, sounds like your off on an adventure

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2015-3-28 02:09
It would seem to me that you could hire a lift to retrieve your Inspire rather than just writing it  ...

Hi Ed, sorry bad form to hijack a thread but can't find pm. Did I just get spanked? Something about a "personal Attack" ? Political maybe? I posed things as questions. And the stuff about Bob had nothing to do with me or the thread. If offended someone I apologize it was not my intent.

Right now we do not have PM's, soon.  No worries.  I just took care of the thread.  Now back to this thread.

To close out this thread, I did hear back from DJI Support today.  They have reviewed the details of this incident and are going to help get me back flying without having to purchase a full replacement at full retail.

Still a hell of an expensive lesson, but really glad to see know that DJI support is there when you have a problem...just need to be somewhat patient.

jon

jon.rauschenber Posted at 2015-3-31 02:20
To close out this thread, I did hear back from DJI Support today.  They have reviewed the details of ...

Nice to hear.

jon.rauschenber Posted at 2015-3-31 02:20
To close out this thread, I did hear back from DJI Support today.  They have reviewed the details of ...

been following this thread...Not my place to talk about coulda woulda shoulda... Sorry for your loss... Good to know a solution is in the works... Hopefully you have found the answers to your questions as to the cause of the issue... you certainly learned some great tricks for recovering the bird from a tree...hahaha

Marktho1 Posted at 2015-3-31 03:04
been following this thread...Not my place to talk about coulda woulda shoulda... Sorry for your lo ...

Yes, I did learn quite a bit about how to get things out of trees and how to get people up into trees :-)  That actually is helpful, I am going to put together a tree retrieval kit to take with me when I fly so I am better equipped to retrieve it in the case of an incident....telescoping latter, a line, some weights, slingshot, etc...

More importantly, I learned not to rely TOO much on the technology and sensors in the unit...I need to become a better pilot so I have a better chance to recover should the pilot aids fail me.   

Would have been nice to learn that lesson with a close call, but I guess it will likely be a better/stronger lesson given the price I am paying for it :-)

Hi Jon,

Are they going halfsies on a new one?  That's not a bad price.  Also, there's a couple of us here in Chicago as well.  We should all get together and fly.  

Hey Jon, really sorry to hear what happened. I can't imagine how you're feeling right now.

My bird flipped into ATTI mode right after takeoff yesterday for the first time. I had strong GPS signal. Compass values spot on. Even did an IMU calibration on a level table. I've spent most of my flights of late practicing in ATTI mode, but since this flight was near water and had a moderate breeze of 15-20 kph (9-12mph), I wanted to play it safe with GPS mode. Luckily this happened almost immediately after takeoff and I could bring her down, but DJI really needs to sort this out. The bird went back to GPS mode right after landing, but I decided to pack it in and not risk it.

Anyone know when the next firmware update is scheduled? Hopefully this issue is addressed ASAP as it seems this is happened to quite a few of us.

Jon, sorry for your loss mate, but that's another + in my book for Dji.

Mike.

Grimtheviking Posted at 2015-3-31 04:52
Jon, sorry for your loss mate, but that's another + in my book for Dji.

Mike.

Agree.

A bit slow to respond (almost 2 weeks since I submitted the support ticket), but very happy with the response once I got it.

jon

bostonlines@gma Posted at 2015-3-31 03:30
Hi Jon,

Are they going halfsies on a new one?  That's not a bad price.  Also, there's a couple of u ...

I don't see any option to send a PM, so shoot me an email - I'd love to hear about good/bad places you've found to fly and see about a meet-up.

jon@rauschenberger.net

Hi Jon
Sorry for your loss
I was just curious if you still had that extra remote for sale
I just checked the ebay link and they say its no longer available

Thanks
Rob

Jon,

You want to make sure you put a sticker on the next aircraft "If Found Call ........................  Reward"  that way if you do lose another aircraft, it just may find its way back if someone honest finds it.

I would also keep visiting the site of the stuck aircraft to see if it has been dislodged or removed with high winds etc.   Perhaps leave your name with the Ranger or could you tie a sign around the tree with your details.  I know you may incur some fine from the Park, but how much in reality is the max fine going to be if it gets the original aircraft back and you promise not to fly in the park again.

kelleyre@gmail. Posted at 2015-3-31 09:00
Hi Jon
Sorry for your loss
I was just curious if you still had that extra remote for sale

Hey Rob.

DJI offered to replace my lost unit at a discounted price, but to do that I have to send one of my controllers back to them....so I no longer have one to sell.

I didn't have an offer on the EBay listing, so I pulled it.

jon

GB44 Posted at 2015-3-31 16:37
Jon,

You want to make sure you put a sticker on the next aircraft "If Found Call .................. ...

The "If found" label is a great idea - thanks!

Unfortunately I live a few thousand miles away from where I lost the Inspire.  It's in Oregon, I'm in Chicago, so not really an option for me to keep checking the site.

I was driving cross-country when I lost it...

jon

jon.rauschenber Posted at 2015-3-31 20:37
The "If found" label is a great idea - thanks!

Unfortunately I live a few thousand miles away fro ...

Jon,

Could you not send an email to the local ranger with the Lat and Long of where you lost the aircraft, may be a shot in  the dark, but you never know.

Hi Jon,

Bad News!  I live in Portland and just saw your post yesterday evening and headed out to the park that you lost your drone at this morning.  I planned on calling an Arborist in hood River once I located it for you.  Your coordinates and pictures led me right to the correct area.  A pic after I arrived...



I didn't see it in the trees so I thought that it was probably blown out of the tree.  As it is always windy this time of the year.  I hiked over to the area to look for it and found the following...





Somebody had recently chopped the tree down with an axe.  I'm very sorry I wasn't out there sooner for you.  You might want to call the Hood River Police department and report it stolen.  Give them the serial number.  Here is their info...

Business Office: (541) 387-5256; FAX (541) 387-2134
8-5 Mon-Fri; Closed Holidays


You also might want to post the Serial Number on here as well.  That way if it shows up on Craigslist, Ebay or one of the Inspire forums you might be able to get it back.  As whoever has it isn't going to be able to use it without the remotes.  Plus it was probably damaged from falling with the tree.  I'll keep checking the web sites from time to time for you.

Was there anybody around when it flew into the tree?  Did you post this information anywhere else?

Averbouwens, Rob / Kelleyre, did you make it out there?


If this ever happens to anybody else I would recommend NOT posting the exact location without first talking to the person that is going to go out and retrieve it on your behalf.  Post enough to see if somebody in the area would be willing to go out and then after exchanging info give the location and pics.

Safe Flying

RK

Razor Posted at 2015-4-1 03:24
Hi Jon,

Bad News!  I live in Portland and just saw your post yesterday evening and headed out to to ...

I would have to think it would be someone on this forum????????
Cant think anyone would do this without knowing it was there in the first place, hopefully someone will post that they have it for Jon..
Man that Sucks!!!!!

Visual Air Posted at 2015-4-1 03:34
I would have to think it would be someone on this forum????????
Cant think anyone would do this wi ...

To be fair, it was visible from the path/parking lot particularly with the trees being largely bare of leaves.  Entirely possible someone in the park saw it...it has been almost 2 weeks since I lost it.

Razor Posted at 2015-4-1 03:24
Hi Jon,

Bad News!  I live in Portland and just saw your post yesterday evening and headed out to th ...

Wow...that's unbelievable!  

Thank you so much for checking and reporting back what you found...amazing community here on the board, hopefully I can repay the favor someday.

jon

Razor, nice of you to go out there!  
Now that it is down, what about contacting the ranger office?  Rangers are most likely to see it in the first place.  Second, you can report that someone cut down a tree and it wasn't you.

DJI should put that serial on the black list.  

I was thinking the same thing.

The state of Oregon might not care about a drone.  But the idea of somebody cutting down a tree in a state park to steel a drone might get somewhere Especially when there are several cameras going in and out of the park.  I hope Jon gives several agencies in the area a call.

You can tell it happened this last weekend, as the cuts and trunk of the tree are fresh.  It is a park that is not visited that much.  When I was there today the part that has to do with the location of the drone is closed/shut down.   


Ahhh...  It is what it is.

Razor Posted at 2015-4-1 07:38
I was thinking the same thing.  It pretty much pisses me off as well!  

Razor,

That was cool that you found Jons exact location.  It is just a pitty some scum bag beat you there.

Not only did they obviously steal the aircraft, it is clear they didnt have any other values in mind and just saw the tree as an obstacle that they swiftly felled to get the "booty"

If the Park Ranger has access to CCTV recording, the police should have an easy day finding the culprit.

I guess you guys in the US should also keep an eye out for anyone selling spare parts.

Perhaps another thing would be to report the issue with all the local DJI dealers just in case the culprits try to buy a controller or try to get it repaired and if Jon passes on his serial number to DJI and dealers they can keep an eye out.

I reckon if Jon was to offer to plant a young sapling to replace the tree that was cut down the Ranger would pass over the orginal offence of flying in the park if that is not permitted, as I would think they would be more bothered about catching the guys who felled the tree now.  This may be seen as Jon owning up to flying there, but by contributing to planting a new tree he may get off the hook and assist in finding the guys responsible for felling the tree.

Playing devils advocate, is it feasble that the Rangers could have felled the tree ?

Looks like this post is coming to a natural conclusion, but Jon lets us know what happens if you hear anything else.