Hi everybody!

My name is Simone, I'd like to talk to you about an issue which is affecting my Spark since a week.
When I fly in Normal Mode nothing strange happens, my drone locks all the required satellites, avoidance sensors are ok, IMU and compass are cailbrated and all the firmwares are update.

When i switch to Sport mode, the problems begin:
during take off, if I push the stick to max ascent rate, it raises for about 4 feet than seems to slow its run, almost stopping the motors, then again max power and it ascents until I decrease power command from the RC stick.

When I'm flying in Sport mode, if I try to push the left and right sticks trying to gain height and go forward, both at their maximum, Spark goes up and forward in a "sobbing", "intermittent" way: it seems like something cuts power every 2 seconds...Sparks goes forward at a 30mph speed...nothing strange but its intermittent fly is real annoying...

Does anybody know what is happening? Could anybody be so kind to have a try and give me feedback? If some hardware component was faulty I think it should fail also in Normal mode...

Thanks in advance,
Simone

I think that your problem is another side of this problem:



And till now, there is only a workaround: Don't use your sticks "100%" on start!
It seems to be a temporary problem during the start, as more distance to the ground, as less a problem.

S-e-ven Posted at 2018-6-12 23:55
I think that your problem is another side of this problem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Vo_1nBUQk

Hi S-e-ven,
thanks a lot for your reply: I think this could be a fix for the take off problem but...
I do not really know if the "flying sobbing issue" is a normal behavior or not...it seems like Spark is cutting power in order to prevent some damages to motors/esc...does your drone have the same issue during Sport mode flying? It is very simple to test...sport mode, height stick maximum position, forward stick maximum position...

Hi, We apologize for the inconvenience. Please try to restore the factory defaults and update the firmware again of your aircraft using DJI Assistant 2.

DJI Paladin Posted at 2018-6-13 01:39
Hi, We apologize for the inconvenience. May I know if the firmware is updated? Please try to restore the factory defaults and update the firmware of the aircraft using DJI Assistant 2.

Hi DJI Paladin,
thanks for your reply: I already updated the firmware using DJI Assistant 2.
Yesterday evening I experienced a strange thing: downgrading to version 700 thing seemed to be better...updating again to 900 the issue seemed to return...

Simo83 Posted at 2018-6-13 01:33
Hi S-e-ven,
thanks a lot for your reply: I think this could be a fix for the take off problem but...
I do not really know if the "flying sobbing issue" is a normal behavior or not...it seems like Spark is cutting power in order to prevent some damages to motors/esc...does your drone have the same issue during Sport mode flying? It is very simple to test...sport mode, height stick maximum position, forward stick maximum position...

Like I wrote, I see that as another side of the above (in video) problem.
I have, sometyimes, with one Spark, the starting problem.
Lately I had almost always starting problems like that, the stick start workaround wasn't always working.
But that may be on me, 'cause I found for some time a workaround with starting in sport, and as quick (100%) up as possible.
Forgot about, that the workaround was: smooth starting with RC.

But I have, sometimes, the intermitting midair, in  the beginning of a flight, too.
And, funny enough, sometimes with left and right stick 100% up/forward, up to 360° turns.
I have one on video here, will look for the link.
Yep, that spinning stops and gets back to 100% in the original direction, when leting the left controlstick go

Ah, here it is:
https://forum.dji.com/thread-118446-1-1.html

My gosh! It seems it lost compass directions... Or maybe some IMU malfunction.
By the way I'm waiting for some answer from DJI support: they said to me that they cannot repair on analyze my Spark because I bought it on a Chinese website and they do not provide any international warranty, so it is impossible to send my drone to repair from Europe. I could only send it to their support center in the Netherlands paying the repair for full...
Sad situation.

Simo83 Posted at 2018-6-13 06:13
My gosh! It seems it lost compass directions... Or maybe some IMU malfunction.
By the way I'm waiting for some answer from DJI support: they said to me that they cannot repair on analyze my Spark because I bought it on a Chinese website and they do not provide any international warranty, so it is impossible to send my drone to repair from Europe. I could only send it to their support center in the Netherlands paying the repair for full...  
Sad situation.

Not really, it looks more that it flew headless.
Or courselocked. It still flew the direction it should.


To your problem:

You have more batteries?
Is it on all the same?

I had for some time only with one this problems.
And every flightrecord I checked after, had one cell breaking a bit in, for some seconds.
Not much, 0.1 Volt I think, but always it was a red warning to spot on the right side of the log on Phantom help


And try the workaround, starting with RC in P and just the left stick slowly ascending

Please upload the related flight log from the DJI Go app to http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/  &/or www.dropbox.com, then share a link to the result(s).
There are three useful sources available to obtain flight data.

1) The related DJI Go *.txt flight record, via the IOS/Android device. Eg:  Android plugged into PC - This PC\ZTE Blade A462\SD card\DJI\dji.go.v4\FlightRecord\DJIFlightRecord_2018-02-04_[19-27-48].txt
2) The related DJI Go *.dat flight record in the - Eg:  This PC\ZTE Blade A462\SD card\DJI\dji.go.v4\FlightRecord\MCDatFlightRecords\
3) The flight record from Spark directly.  Use DJI Go Assistant on a Microsoft PC & 'download' the flight data & convert with CsvView/DatCon

Check the dates & match the files. Some data may be in UTC time? I'm guessing - convert the time zone if you can't find exact matching files between DJI Go & DJI Assistant, before 'pairing' the information.
Upload the 3 files to dropbox.com  & share.
You may use CsvView/DatCon &/or 'Fraps' to view data on a PC & clarify the effect of stick movements.  

Personally, I think Sports mode has a fault, or it enhances a basic fault. IMU & compass faults are common during quick/sharp movements. Spark looses balance & the IMU/compass fail to compare. Software says broken compass/IMU.   If Spark compared data once the interference stabilised, it could resume flight. But the software is not that smart & prefers to fly away in atti mode & fails to restore the  GPS/IMU/Compass data when available... (check logs). The data is there but Spark is not programmed to recover during flight after major signal faults & remains in a 'fault mode'?   Seems like bad programming within Spark during quick movements via Sports mode, wind etc. The data I've collected from various flight logs indicate similar problems.

See what happens if you gently move the sticks up/forward. Wait for GPS signals as required & take off away from metal, undergound cables etc. Sudden movements may confuse the insides of Spark. Again, this may be a hardware/software fault or flying condition/environment/wind causing the problem.

Without logs or video, 'we' can only guess.   Anyway, I'll call Sports mode Fly away mode for now!

Best to not start in sports mode, I find.  Fly the drone high and away from things. Then, when everything looks very stable switch to sport mode.  Everything should be fine.  When I start in sport mode i have similiar problems.

Hi Sparkz71!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XPZQ7R6F7xIYSq-6PXb3mao5JndhMbtK

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1x69Z1Pg5GBWSgqCopKIeP2CkRLQQw1Ot

These are two links to the logs from my last 2 flights...Maybe they could help you understand my problem... Hopefully...I can't see anything wrong... What about you?

Blellow, thanks for your reply: the problem occurs when I ask my Spark to do something full power when in sport mode: if taking off it will ascent for about 3 feet then stop then keep going full power; if I am high in the sky and I ask it to go high and forward at the same time, full throttle, it will proceed in a go-stop-go-stop way. It goes high and ahead but not in a linear way.  

Hi everybody,

did anybody manage to have a look to my logs?

Simone

Problem solved.
Drone sold.

Thx everybody

Simo83 Posted at 2018-6-13 06:13
My gosh! It seems it lost compass directions... Or maybe some IMU malfunction.
By the way I'm waiting for some answer from DJI support: they said to me that they cannot repair on analyze my Spark because I bought it on a Chinese website and they do not provide any international warranty, so it is impossible to send my drone to repair from Europe. I could only send it to their support center in the Netherlands paying the repair for full...  
Sad situation.

I've had the same issue with buying my Spark from China also , maybe they won't honour an international warranty because the Chinese ones are more faulty