Hello,
I have noted recently that my M3 has started to gain height without any assistance from me...ie i keep my fingers well away from the Left Stick ( I am in Mode 2)

Yesterday at about 50feet high and about the same from me it appeared OK then i sent the M3 straight out over flat ground for about 1000feet and at that point if was over 90feet high

Anyone similar experiences please?

I have recalibrated just about everything with no apparent difference to performance, the only thing over the last few days the wind has been fairly "gusty".

Thx

JohnW

Some people have reported that this happens with APAS turned on.

Hello, there. Sorry for your inconvenience. Could you please change to other flight environments with low wind speed?  If the abnormality still persists, we recommend you send it back for repair.

Hello,

Thanks , i will take a look at that.

JohnW

ejwjohn Posted at 3-24 01:36
Hello,

Thanks , i will take a look at that.

I have no idea why the moderator mentions low wind speed as wind speed won't ever make the drone increase altitude.
The issue could be related to obstacle avoidance where the sun gets identified as an obstacle.
When/if you observe it again, try flying in a different direction and see if that makes a difference.
Another thing to try is disabling Obstacle Avoidance.

ejwjohn Posted at 3-24 01:36
Hello,

Thanks , i will take a look at that.

Okay. We are looking forward to your reply.

Labroides Posted at 3-24 02:11
I have no idea why the moderator mentions low wind speed as wind speed won't ever make the drone increase altitude.
The issue could be related to obstacle avoidance where the sun gets identified as an obstacle.
When/if you observe it again, try flying in a different direction and see if that makes a difference.

Hello,

Ref the obstacle avoidance i will disable it and try it, then i will change the config to Stop as opposed to go around and also try that.

ref the comment regarding the Sun, by coincidence not planning i tried the flights yesterday in both directions into and away from the Sun and they reacted more or less identical, where i gained considerable height.

I will try and get out later today if not it will be tomorrow.

Thanks for all the advice.

JohnW

Hello,
Ok i managed to get out for an hour to check over a few things associated with this issue.

• I disabled Obstacle Avoidance and flew the M3 at 10meters high for about a 300+meters into the sun...no issues whatso ever.
• For the return trip i enabled Stop on the Obstacle Avoidance and there was no issues.
• Landed and started a new trip with Obstacle Avoidance set to bypass, on a short trip away from the Sun i could visably see the M3 rise in altitude, but it was not gradual, it was as if it had "jumped up a few meters" over a very short distance the altitude increased by over 10meters, that is a 100% increase from where it was at the start.... Not great i think???
• I return on a similar path with similar results.
• I tried this test again into a different direction and the results were just as staggering... with significant increase in Altitude (over 20 meters) over a longer distance from "Home"
  

Summary:-

• With Obstacle Avoidance off No issues that i noticed, pretty rock solid flight with no noticable increase in Alititude.
• With Obstacle Avoidance set to STOP also no noticable increase in altitude and i also did not notice any stoping of the video loaction either but it is pretty difficult to watch sometimes, and i have bothered watch the video yet.
• With Obstacle Avoidance neabled to ByPass --- very noticeabel erratic flight path with alititude increases, it appeared that the further the M3 was away from the Controller the issue got worse but that is an assumption on my part which could prove incorrect over many test flights.
• 
  

Poiint of note... the Wind was not gusting as much as yesterday......may be of interest...


Hope this is useful

JohnW

ejwjohn Posted at 3-24 09:43
Hello,
Ok i managed to get out for an hour to check over a few things associated with this issue.

Poiint of note... the Wind was not gusting as much as yesterday......may be of interest...
Wind doesn't cause changes in altitude.

Labroides Posted at 3-24 13:26
Poiint of note... the Wind was not gusting as much as yesterday......may be of interest...
Wind doesn't cause changes in altitude.

Hi,

i thought i would mention the condition of the wind....... so readers had a more complete understanding, and on that point, i should have also provided a little info on the location.

Where is am flying is a local tidal Estuary (inlet) it is approx 2 -3 miles wide where i am flying, and there are no steep cliffs surrounding the area, the terrain is generally flat with the land gently rising much further inland.

Thank You.
JohnW

Hi,

Just to keep you up to date.

I emailed DJI Support on this issue and they responded today with an email requesting a video of the flight showing the issue.

Very interestingly, when i enabled video on the flight showing the increase in Altitude, the issue stopped occurring !!!!... i tried this several times and it now appears that on my M3 if i do not have Video enabled i get intermittent and sometime "aggressive" altitude increases (Never decreases...which is a bonus), if i enable Video thaen the problem "goes away"!!!!!

Is this just my M3 or what? is this design intent?

Thx

JohnW

Hello,

Just thought i would update you on my latest info from DJI Support, which is included below:-

......
We received the update from our engineer stating that if disabled Obstacle Avoidance the issue would disappear, it can be determined that the aircraft wrongly identified that there is an obstacle. In this case, the issue is caused by a significant change in the vision system calibration parameters during transportation and usage, and the aircraft will perform automatic calibration. DJI will continuously optimize the calibration experience in future firmware.

However, we would like to recommend some suggestions as below.

In an open scene with rich textures and no backlight (avoid water surfaces, white walls, large glass surfaces), push the stick to adjust the flight route in four directions (front, back, left and right). * (If the aircraft fails to fly, try disabling Obstacle Avoidance.) Check whether the automatic ascending or drifting disappears. This issue is expected to disappear in 2~3 minutes after pushing the stick to adjust the flight route. If not, wait for several minutes.
.......


I have responded requesting clarification on what they are saying in this final para above, it seems like they are recomending that to get the automatic Vision System calibration to work the Drone needs to "get to know" the landscape where it is first and if that does not work then wait a few minutes.......... ( so between waiting for the GPS system to find sufficient satelites and the Vision System calibration requirment then those requiring a reliable platform to fly within 30 sec or so are going to be very dissapointed...not great).


As a point of note when i get the drone out and set it up to fly i always go through a process of flying the unit left, right, forward, and back to verify that the Drone has not had items come loose within the carrying bag etc, so i will have to increase that routine a little now to see if it make any difference???



And they did not respond to my comment that during limited flying i have noticed no occurrances of the problem if i enable Video as soon as i start flying.


Thanks
JohnW

ejwjohn Posted at 3-29 02:28
Hello,

Just thought i would update you on my latest info from DJI Support, which is included below:-

A mind of its own. The instructions are a bit crazy. If this is a problem , its better they make a video instead of all the gobblygook. It doesn’t serve for a good flying experience.

The sensors are calibrating themselves. Well thats a big help, except you have to spend half your battery checking it calibrated correctly. This is a joke ! It might be time to ask for a better explanation or a replacement.

Hi,

I will wait to hear from them ref my current response and report back……

Thx
JohnW

Mine has the same problem, if "brake" selected, it stops and goes always. If you select 'bypass', it goes left, right and up. OA is too sensitive now. It realy needs and firmware update.

Hello,

My latest feedback from DJI Support suggests that they are making further changes to the optimization code within the Vision System Calibration code to improve the performance of the M3.

No further detail received, but they suggest it will be available on the next firmware update, possibly the same release that will be available to "fix" the GPS delay issue, but i am making an assumption on that, so may be totally wrong.

Thanks

JohnW

ejwjohn Posted at 3-26 01:55
Hi,

Just to keep you up to date.

I tested this, and I continued to experience a non pilot commanded raise in altitude, even when recording video.  Your observations are intriguing, but I can't replicate them.  Maybe someone else can try.

ejwjohn Posted at 3-29 02:28
Hello,

Just thought i would update you on my latest info from DJI Support, which is included below:-

I also tried this today, or what I am interpreting as the directions.  I flew forward and backward, then left an right, repeatedly, and slowly.  Then I flew at full speed, and continued to experience aggressive altitude gain (not pilot initiated).

Hi Charles,

Just went out to do some further testing on the issue and surprisingly, i had no aggressive altitude changes either with or without Video, so not sure what is going on there???

The one difference was in the weather, the sun light was constant bright sun and appeared to be more reflective of the land.. what ever it was the M3 did not display any of the altitude change issues as previously reported, however tomorrow is another day.

And on the Video issue i cannot offer any innovative thoughts on that.... but will continue to test...

Thanks

JohnW

All,

I feel really disappointed in the recent communications I have had with DJI Support, I hope I am not being too naive but:----

My issue had been accepted by the technical people within DJI Support, as they had asked for and I responded with logs and other technical info in regard to the issues and had responded with clear commitments to issue an update in the next Firmware update to improve the Automatic Calibration of the Vision System.

I then received a response offering a small gift as a way of compensation because of the inconvenience i had been put through as a result of the technical issues. i responded with a refusal to accept any such gift.  My response was very clear that I did not pay in excess of £2,500 for a product just to be bribed with gifts from Technical Support, I want the issues resolved professionally and in a timely manner, both of which seem a distant dream now....

The next correspondence I receive is from their Complaints Department indicating that my issue is now no longer a technical issue but a COMPLAINT......... absolute RUBBISH.....   and their response.....

"..... We asked the technical team to double-check your request, however, the product does not have any quality issues. The key point is to choose the appropriate flight environment....."

My estimation of this company has now nearly hit rock bottom and I am a relatively new owner of their products, I cannot begin to understand how some of the users on this forum are feeling after years of amateurish support with totally incredible responses.

Thx

JohnW

ejwjohn Posted at 4-4 14:09
All,

I feel really disappointed in the recent communications I have had with DJI Support, I hope I am not being too naive but:----

The purpose of this response is to not "rebut" your disappointment.  You spent a great deal of money, and you have every right to be disappointed when the product does not meet your expectations.

I have found that non-piloted altitude increase occurs only in "bypass" mode, and I typically use "break" for Obstacle Avoidance, and in some instances I turn Obstacle Avoidance off when I am certain of my ability to keep the drone safe.

I have used "bypass" to test "active track" when I'm walking, and I have found "bypass" to actually function amazingly well.  I'm unwilling to try "bypass" for any activity that is faster than "walking", because I do not trust the drone to make the necessary decisions fast enough at speed.

DJI's comment to "choose the appropriate flight environment..." is not an acceptable response or solution.  I manifest this issue in every environment I have flown, every time without fail.  What is an appropriate environment if every environment I have flown has been inappropriate?

It is not my style to flame DJI support, but I will politely and diplomatically say that this is not an acceptable response.

Hello,

Thanks for your considered response, much appreciated.

The DJI Support people who were originally involved in this appreared to be working a logical path for a solution, and i was happy with that. Why they introduced the Complaints group into the mix is a mystery.

But i will do some further work with the M3 on using Brake instead of Bypass and again thanks.

JohnW

ejwjohn Posted at 4-4 14:09
All,

I feel really disappointed in the recent communications I have had with DJI Support, I hope I am not being too naive but:----

What was the offer?

Sparky Spark Posted at 4-28 22:10
What was the offer?

Hello,

their initial offer was in the region of £10, then it was increased to about £25, i am not in this to receive gifts from Technical support, i paid good money for this Drone like everyone else, and i expect real responsible service from Technical Support.

JohnW

I recently lost my drone in a river after it gained altitude and crashed into a bridge. I had been flying it under a bridge i was stood on and had done so a few times with no issue. On the last pass the drone had gained a metre in altitude without me noticing and hit the bridge. I hadn't touched the pitch stick at all up to the crash and it showed in my flight data. DJI blamed me for the crash for flying close to water saying it can make a drone suddenly lose altitude and crash. I Pointed out the drone had actually gained altitude. DJI then corrected themselves and said it can cause a gain or loss in altitude. We went back and forth over a few emails with DJI sending me screenshots from the manual about how the vision system is affected by reflective surfaces etc but as I pointed out, how has this got anything to do with the barometer? No matter what i said it didn't matter, blame lies solely with me and i'll have to pay £619 to replace a drone that in my eyes is faulty. Even if i do replace it, i'll have no confidence in flying it, especially after reading so many issues on here and other sites. The whole experience with DJI customer service (which is very poor) is making me think i should just replace it, cut my losses and sell it on. After spending close to £3000 on the fly more combo plus DJI care refresh I'd never be able to recommend them to anyone and would tell anyone thinking of buying a drone to consider all other manufacturers before settling on a DJI.

Ging3rNinja81 Posted at 9-3 16:48
I recently lost my drone in a river after it gained altitude and crashed into a bridge. I had been flying it under a bridge i was stood on and had done so a few times with no issue. On the last pass the drone had gained a metre in altitude without me noticing and hit the bridge. I hadn't touched the pitch stick at all up to the crash and it showed in my flight data. DJI blamed me for the crash for flying close to water saying it can make a drone suddenly lose altitude and crash. I Pointed out the drone had actually gained altitude. DJI then corrected themselves and said it can cause a gain or loss in altitude. We went back and forth over a few emails with DJI sending me screenshots from the manual about how the vision system is affected by reflective surfaces etc but as I pointed out, how has this got anything to do with the barometer? No matter what i said it didn't matter, blame lies solely with me and i'll have to pay £619 to replace a drone that in my eyes is faulty. Even if i do replace it, i'll have no confidence in flying it, especially after reading so many issues on here and other sites. The whole experience with DJI customer service (which is very poor) is making me think i should just replace it, cut my losses and sell it on. After spending close to £3000 on the fly more combo plus DJI care refresh I'd never be able to recommend them to anyone and would tell anyone thinking of buying a drone to consider all other manufacturers before settling on a DJI.

No matter what i said it didn't matter, blame lies solely with me.
If you are flying so close to the underside of a bridge that a meter change in altitude makes you crash ... from your brief description it does sound like it's your fault.

i'll have no confidence in flying it, especially after reading so many issues on here and other sites.
I'd have no confidence accepting any of those opinions on incidents without analysing the recorded flight data.
Forums are full of uninformed accounts from people who don't understand what actually happened in their incident, but are certain it wasn't their fault.

I'd never be able to recommend them to anyone and would tell anyone thinking of buying a drone to consider all other manufacturers before settling on a DJI.
The fault might have been a DJI issue or it might not, you still don't know what actually happened in your incident.
DJI make great drones, but their communications and explanations can be poor.
If you want an independent assessment of the incident and a better explanation than DJI gave ...
Go to http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/
It has instructions to find the .txt file from your phone or tablet which you can upload to that site
Upload it and it gives you a summary of the flight data.
Post a link to that summary.

Or just post the .txt file