Any one flown their M200 series since the latest update, I recieved an email from DJI mid January sayong every thing is working great with the batteires now.
It has been toooo cold here to fly (even the birds are grounded)?  I am just curious if in fact the problem is resolved.
Thanks
Jim

Hi Jim, we unfortunately had a crash due to loss of control immediately after take off (1 metre off the ground) in late December (after update). DJI completed the repair on our M210, but refused to look at the log files as it was out of warranty. Looking at the log files ourself (which we are not experts at!) there is definitely a voltage drop, then regain in one of the battery cells immediately prior to loss of control. Seems like a battery issue, but as I mentioned, DJI have not come to the party to help with any analysis (not even as a paid option).  This is frustrating for us, as how do we answer the question "will it happen again" when we don't know why it happened in the first place?

We have completed about 20 flights with 6 pairs of batteries with current firmware. No issues to report (until today i'm having an unusual glitch, will post about in a new thread). All autonomous flights with GS Pro.

Nate

lmcindoe Posted at 1-21 15:52
Hi Jim, we unfortunately had a crash due to loss of control immediately after take off (1 metre off the ground) in late December (after update). DJI completed the repair on our M210, but refused to look at the log files as it was out of warranty. Looking at the log files ourself (which we are not experts at!) there is definitely a voltage drop, then regain in one of the battery cells immediately prior to loss of control. Seems like a battery issue, but as I mentioned, DJI have not come to the party to help with any analysis (not even as a paid option).  This is frustrating for us, as how do we answer the question "will it happen again" when we don't know why it happened in the first place?

Can you give more detail on your crash event?  Were you taking off or did the aircraft take off on it's own?  How high did it go?  Did is move laterally or just go straight up and stop?

We had a strange event occur last week with our 210.  We started the drone and then the controller.  The controller prompted for the DJI account login, which we assumed was because the app was updated the last time the drone was updated.  While logging into DJI, the drone suddenly started and lifted about one foot off the ground.  It travelled about 7 or 8 feet where it crashed into a vehicle.  We are unsure if the drone actually moved laterally or just drifted since the window was blowing at 8 to 10 mph.  We are not even sure that the controller had connected with the drone because we never got past the login process before the drone took off. The only unusual circumstance about the flight is that it was only 5 degrees outside, although the drone was only outside for about three minutes and therefore could not have been cold.  We were flying at a large fire scene in a neighboring county and the plan was to fly for a short time with attention being paid to the battery levels due to the cold.  

Following the crash, there was no record of the flight on the controller.  We are sending the onboard SD card data to someone for evaluation tomorrow.  We are really curious if there was a severe voltage drop and we are completely puzzled how the aircraft could take off without any controller function since it wasn't logged in and may not have ever been connected.

Any help or comment is welcome.

JCOMMAIRFORCE Posted at 2-6 18:51
Can you give more detail on your crash event?  Were you taking off or did the aircraft take off on it's own?  How high did it go?  Did is move laterally or just go straight up and stop?

We had a strange event occur last week with our 210.  We started the drone and then the controller.  The controller prompted for the DJI account login, which we assumed was because the app was updated the last time the drone was updated.  While logging into DJI, the drone suddenly started and lifted about one foot off the ground.  It travelled about 7 or 8 feet where it crashed into a vehicle.  We are unsure if the drone actually moved laterally or just drifted since the window was blowing at 8 to 10 mph.  We are not even sure that the controller had connected with the drone because we never got past the login process before the drone took off. The only unusual circumstance about the flight is that it was only 5 degrees outside, although the drone was only outside for about three minutes and therefore could not have been cold.  We were flying at a large fire scene in a neighboring county and the plan was to fly for a short time with attention being paid to the battery levels due to the cold.  

In my own experience of 700+ take-offs and landings with Phantom/M100/M200, believe the approved start-up sequence is App to Controller to Drone, and shut-down sequence is Drone to Controller to App...Thank you.

So it sounds as if something may still be going on with the firmware. Its -32c here so am not going to try until a lot warmer out.  Any more flyers out there?

JCOMMAIRFORCE Posted at 2-6 18:51
Can you give more detail on your crash event?  Were you taking off or did the aircraft take off on it's own?  How high did it go?  Did is move laterally or just go straight up and stop?

We had a strange event occur last week with our 210.  We started the drone and then the controller.  The controller prompted for the DJI account login, which we assumed was because the app was updated the last time the drone was updated.  While logging into DJI, the drone suddenly started and lifted about one foot off the ground.  It travelled about 7 or 8 feet where it crashed into a vehicle.  We are unsure if the drone actually moved laterally or just drifted since the window was blowing at 8 to 10 mph.  We are not even sure that the controller had connected with the drone because we never got past the login process before the drone took off. The only unusual circumstance about the flight is that it was only 5 degrees outside, although the drone was only outside for about three minutes and therefore could not have been cold.  We were flying at a large fire scene in a neighboring county and the plan was to fly for a short time with attention being paid to the battery levels due to the cold.  

Hi,
We took off under control and started to test the controller (yaw, lift, etc) the way we do each flight. About 3 seconds after take off we lost control and the drone travelled sideways about 15m and crashed into a fence.
This was the 2nd flight for the day. 1st flight of about 20 minutes completed without incident.
When looking at the flight log, the joystick position was not aligned with what the drone was actually doing.
I can't offer anything further than this though as we were unable to get DJI to complete a data analysis as it was out of warranty.
The drone has been repaired, but we still don't actually know what happened, so heres hoping it doesn't happen again. Not a great solution in my eyes for a commercial drone.
Luke

lmcindoe Posted at 2-7 18:42
Hi,
We took off under control and started to test the controller (yaw, lift, etc) the way we do each flight. About 3 seconds after take off we lost control and the drone travelled sideways about 15m and crashed into a fence.
This was the 2nd flight for the day. 1st flight of about 20 minutes completed without incident.

Imcindoe: Thanks for the info.  A little bit different scenario but interesting none the less.

Second Officer: I have to admit that I had never been taught that the sequence was that important.  I have been flying DJI products for three years and I  was always concerned primarily with the controller linking to the aircraft.  I will definitely try out your procedural order from now on.  


I guess my only problem is that if the controller was not yet connected and therefore didn't give the drone a command to take off, then what told the drone to do so?  Shouldn't it just sit there awaiting a command?  It's still troublesome to me that the drone would fly on its own, even if it was only a foot in the air.  

JCOMMAIRFORCE Posted at 2-11 12:07
Imcindoe: Thanks for the info.  A little bit different scenario but interesting none the less.

Second Officer: I have to admit that I had never been taught that the sequence was that important.  I have been flying DJI products for three years and I  was always concerned primarily with the controller linking to the aircraft.  I will definitely try out your procedural order from now on.  

Although the DJI's recommended starting procedure was always RC>aircraft indeed, I don't think it's that much relevant anymore. With either Inspire 2 or M200 I often power the craft first. That way the RC know which model to dial to. Never had any issue. Why the mighty M200 decided to take off by itself will remain a mystery, I guess. One of these glitches, perhaps ...

From Post #10  ( edit- not sure how I got 8 when it was post 10 )
"Second Officer: I have to admit that I had never been taught that the sequence was that important.  I have been flying DJI products for three years and I  was always concerned primarily with the controller linking to the aircraft.  I will definitely try out your procedural order from now on. "

There are thousands of radio signals in the air.  By turning on the RC first,  THAT radio signal is there so when you turn on the A/C there is an immediate hand shake, and they are connected.

By turning on the A/C first you leave to chance that the A/C will connect to a slightly different radio signal before seeing the RC, and then you have a confused flight controller, and THAT CAN CAUSE loss of control.

Randy

rwynant V1 Posted at 5-31 10:36
From Post #8
"Second Officer: I have to admit that I had never been taught that the sequence was that important.  I have been flying DJI products for three years and I  was always concerned primarily with the controller linking to the aircraft.  I will definitely try out your procedural order from now on. "

Nicely re-stated...

Now with nearly 800 take-offs and landings, the process still seems to work OK with no snafus so far.