Hello all,

I'm probably what one should call an intermediate user. I've owned and operated Drones for more than 5 years, from the Original Phantom, a custom DJI (Previously chinese name only) Build yourself one, the Inspire 1 , Mavic Pro, used a Phantom 4 Pro and now am on the Inspire 2 platform.

Allways had a love hate relationship with the Inspire 1 drone. I bought the one with the X3 camera, which flew fine but had poor image quality- inferior to my Phantom with Gopro Hero 3+ back then- but it was a fantastic drone in terms of operation. The drone charactreristics completely changed with the X5R upgrade, it became a drone that handled poorly but with great image quality. I think the motors and balance just couldn't handle that camera with the Olympus 12mm F2. iIt would be near impossible to keep a good 360 around a subject shot with the Inspire 1 Raw, something I could easily achieve with the Phantom series, or the X3 camera, for example.

Fast forward and I got the Inspire 2. I've been loving it, but, still, with the X5S, I am getting poorer stability that the Phantom 4 Pro. Can we assume that the Phantom 4 Pro is just a more stable drone platform in outdoors scenarios than the Inspire 2?

While control is much improved vs the Inspire 1 Raw, I'm still getting some issues with straight down crane shots in medium wind situations, something I get perfect with a Phantom 4 Pro, or simple, straight line flying. The Inspire two "S" a bit coming down, not straight and balanced. Phantom usually does this excellently. When flying on a straight line, the drone tends to drift to the right. I'm not sure if its an engine related issue or simply a calibration issue.

I do have to say that I am currently not recording raw, and don't use any "counterweight" for the gymbal. My main workflow consists of only 2 lenses: the Olympus 12 f2 and the Olympus 9-18 f4-5.6 .

I would like to ask what sort of calibration, counterweights or situations people can recommend for optimal I2 with X5S performance? I'm obviously happier with the Inspire 2 than the Inspire 1, but still, in terms of maneuvrability I'm getting much better results with the phantom 4 Pro. Is it a limitation of the design, do we need an exacopter to have Phantom 4 performance with a X5S camera?

Appreciate your support to DJI product and sorry for the experience with our Inspire 2.
Even you have rich experience on flying, I still have to confirm with you some points for troubleshooting if you don't mind.
1. Did you calibrate the compass and IMU when this issue occurs?
2. And how about Vision Systems? Please try to calibrate via DJI Assistant 2.
3. Does this issue occur in every flight?
4. What is the firmware version?

DJI Mindy Posted at 2017-8-14 22:51
Appreciate your support to DJI product and sorry for the experience with our Inspire 2.
Even you have rich experience on flying, I still have to confirm with you some points for troubleshooting if you don't mind.
1. Did you calibrate the compass and IMU when this issue occurs?

Hello Mindy, thanks for the quick reply!

Let me see if I can answer your questions:

1- Yes I did. It was one of the first things I did when I saw this issue.
2- Just calibrated them now and will see in an upcoming flight if it helped, thank you!
3- Unfortunately yes. Mostly I can work around it specially on "grand, wide" shots where I don't need to make many complicated moves. But when I have a foreground subject, a character to follow, or to fly in a not wide environment, Its really hard to keep the drone flying consistently straight, or have it "crane down" without "S" ing,

4- 01.01.0010 .  I've always upgraded as soon as the firmwares came out, DJI Go says its up to date.

Thanks again Mindy, is there anything else I can do to improve this?

fans9b6e10b7 Posted at 2017-8-16 01:31
Hello Mindy, thanks for the quick reply!

Let me see if I can answer your questions:

Please sync the flight records in APP and inform us the date, I will forward to our engineers for analysis.
Here is the tutorial video of syncing flight records for your reference:
Thank you.

I can also confirm that my i2 also drifts to the right while flying straight. I have also calibrated the usual IMU, compass and vision systems.

It seems to alway be angled to th eright slightly and never sits completely level.

fansc776fa97 Posted at 2017-8-17 04:58
It seems to alway be angled to th eright slightly and never sits completely level.

When Is the Firmware Coming as I am still grounded .... and don't wish to chance CRASHING

For the OP, you can use some small Velcro stick-on dots from a fabric store on the back of the camera for balance if it will not balance with your Olympus lens while off.  Then use some coins or similar on the other Velcro dot if needed.  Some like that Blue-tacky stuff to hold weights.

As to the filming, I find the yaw is far too fast for me and more so with the Olympus 45mm lens.  I have the EXP settings turned all the way down and it still is too fast and leads to jerky video.  I have a P4 and find it smoother than the I2 as well.  I cannot get a decent yaw shot with the I2 unless I manage to do it super slow (>7 seconds across a frame), but forward/back, and side-to-side is fine.

The drift could be your IMU calibration.  I had one level that was a quarter-bubble off and was giving me drift issues.  I replaced it with a 3 foot carpenters level and found the two levels disagreed.  The longer one was better and helped with the drift.  Worth a try.

Myself, I have serious issues with the X5S camera with regards to the awful magenta tint when I try and use it in manual white balance so I have to fly it with green filters to counter it.  That issue has been present for two years now in the X-series cameras I found.  Maybe it will be addressed soon.

Good luck sorting it all out.

I have had 2 inspire 2 setups and both can't hover stable to save their life. Imu has been calibrated gps and sensors has all been calibrated. It drifts side to side and up and down.  
Outdoors and indoors. I am busy with a major production and I am considering using another system. I keep on being let down with the tech from dji and I really can't anymore. I have been using their products since the naza m. So I am no newbie to this. For somthing that is suppose to be a pro product it's far from that....I wish I could have a meaningful telephone conversation with a real person or someone in R&D but all we always get is damn boots and auto response emails.

Steven brooks Posted at 2017-10-26 05:09
I have had 2 inspire 2 setups and both can't hover stable to save their life. Imu has been calibrated gps and sensors has all been calibrated. It drifts side to side and up and down.  
Outdoors and indoors. I am busy with a major production and I am considering using another system. I keep on being let down with the tech from dji and I really can't anymore. I have been using their products since the naza m. So I am no newbie to this. For somthing that is suppose to be a pro product it's far from that....I wish I could have a meaningful telephone conversation with a real person or someone in R&D but all we always get is damn boots and auto response emails.

Mine is suffering from instability on hover as well.  I think this is carryover from the poor firmware update last summer that also was installed in the P4 series affecting their flight characteristics.  My P4 emits a throbbing sound while in hover and does the shaking that visibly shows it too, even in zero winds.  I'd rather smash the P4 than the I2 so I've grounded the I2 in the interim until DJI gets their IMU/ESC flight issues fixed.  I haven't played with their betas at all so no I have no knowledge there.

My I2 remote controller also sometimes shuts itself and disconnects in flight, but it is random and some of the LEDs remain on too.  Very intermittent when it happens so trying to fix an intermittent issue would be tough to do.  Frightening when it first happens and I thought it was the iPad and GO, but it's from the RC itself where the green LED goes off.  Just need to remain calm and turn the RC off and on while the I2 hopefully stays put (Hover in place.).  Fwiw, one of the DJI dealers say this has happened on the Cendence as well and they've reported it to DJI so keep an eye on the green RC LED when the GO screens says "Disconnected."

This stuff seems to be getting more bug ridden with each update, imho.

fansa84fe8a4 Posted at 2017-10-26 06:37
Mine is suffering from instability on hover as well.  I think this is carryover from the poor firmware update last summer that also was installed in the P4 series affecting their flight characteristics.  My P4 emits a throbbing sound while in hover and does the shaking that visibly shows it too, even in zero winds.  I'd rather smash the P4 than the I2 so I've grounded the I2 in the interim until DJI gets their IMU/ESC flight issues fixed.  I haven't played with their betas at all so no I have no knowledge there.

My I2 remote controller also sometimes shuts itself and disconnects in flight, but it is random and some of the LEDs remain on too.  Very intermittent when it happens so trying to fix an intermittent issue would be tough to do.  Frightening when it first happens and I thought it was the iPad and GO, but it's fomr the RC itself where the green LED goes off.  Just need to reamin calm and turn the RC off and on while the I2 hopefully stays put (Hover in place.).  Fwiw, one of the DJI dealers say this has happened on the Cendence as well and they've reported it to DJI so keep an eye on the green RC LED when the GO screens says "Disconnected."

Did you calibrate the IMU and compass before flight? For your RC of I2, please ensure that the firmware of RC is compatible with drone. Also, please change a cable for check. Keep us updated, if the problem remains.

Steven brooks Posted at 2017-10-26 05:09
I have had 2 inspire 2 setups and both can't hover stable to save their life. Imu has been calibrated gps and sensors has all been calibrated. It drifts side to side and up and down.  
Outdoors and indoors. I am busy with a major production and I am considering using another system. I keep on being let down with the tech from dji and I really can't anymore. I have been using their products since the naza m. So I am no newbie to this. For somthing that is suppose to be a pro product it's far from that....I wish I could have a meaningful telephone conversation with a real person or someone in R&D but all we always get is damn boots and auto response emails.

Steven, can you shoot a video about the hover status? Please choose a place with low wind. Thanks.

DJI Elektra Posted at 2017-10-30 02:35
Steven, can you shoot a video about the hover status? Please choose a place with low wind. Thanks.

This issue is not limited to a few users. There has been issues across the board since the last firmware update.

IntrepidDrone Posted at 2017-11-7 07:03
This issue is not limited to a few users. There has been issues across the board since the last firmware update.

Or you can change the propellers and see if it can work better. Did you change an environment for check? Here is the information of GPS Hovering Accuracy.

Steven brooks Posted at 2017-10-26 05:09
I have had 2 inspire 2 setups and both can't hover stable to save their life. Imu has been calibrated gps and sensors has all been calibrated. It drifts side to side and up and down.  
Outdoors and indoors. I am busy with a major production and I am considering using another system. I keep on being let down with the tech from dji and I really can't anymore. I have been using their products since the naza m. So I am no newbie to this. For somthing that is suppose to be a pro product it's far from that....I wish I could have a meaningful telephone conversation with a real person or someone in R&D but all we always get is damn boots and auto response emails.

  

I have same hovering issue with I2.  here it is vs. my mavic on the left

DJI Elektra Posted at 2017-10-30 02:35
Steven, can you shoot a video about the hover status? Please choose a place with low wind. Thanks.

mine has same hovering instability.  here is my Mavic and I2.   and just so you know its not wind or vision, here's a hover shot at 80'.  no wind on those leaves...

DJI Elektra Posted at 2017-10-30 02:35
Steven, can you shoot a video about the hover status? Please choose a place with low wind. Thanks.

SkyFilms Posted at 2017-11-15 10:54
https://vimeo.com/242468042  

I have same hovering issue with I2.  here it is vs. my mavic on the left

Mindy is following your case, please wait patiently and I believe she will help you solve the problem. Please update your situation in this thread, so we can follow your case easily. Thanks for your support.

I've been shooting with the BBC and had that same issue with the Inspire 1 Pro and had to use my Inspire 1 to finish the job. When working with actors/hosts, your drone MUST BE STABLE and you need to have confidence in that. The Inspire 1 Pro simply wasn't stable. But if I'm shooting from a distance using various lenses, it's fine (usually). But any shooting that requires finesse, I won't use the Inspire 1 Pro which sucks since I bought it so I could capture finesse shots with various lenses. (The videos above in the other feed are exactly what I experience). I use the Inspire 1, the Inspire 1 Pro and the Osmo.... and use the Beholder with various cameras.

Where are the lateral and fore/aft trims adjusted to ensure a drift free hover in no wind?  
I can't find them in the Dji GO App ... have I missed them or are they omitted for some reason?
I'm talking about the functions equivalent to trim offset tabs on conventional transmitters.
... should not rely on GPS or vision systems for compensating for poor hover trim,
... the resolution steps are too coarse and lead to instability / jumping around.