My question to the group is, if I was going flying the AVATA indoors on a regular basis, would you recommend flying in only manual mode to avoid the lurching and unexpected movements from the Avata seeking GPS signals?  

I bought the Avata specifically for this kind of work but now I am hearing people say that they lurching and jumping from the Avata always looking for GPS.   There will be no acrobatics and little to no flying through gaps.   


Is there any way of turning off the GPS on the AVATA besides flying in manual mode?


The reason I ask this is because I have a large interior  FACTORY/INDUSTRIAL project at the end of the year and want to get ahead of this issue.

Manual mode or NOT?

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Dear DJI -

This is a big issue for the Avata!!  

It is such a great drone for real estate, but the GPS ruins it.

Please do a firmware update to give the option of turning off the GPS.

Fines Aerial Posted at 4-14 10:30
Dear DJI -

This is a big issue for the Avata!!  

So it sounds like Manual Mode or the Avata is useless for flying indoors.
This makes absolutely no sense since the bird is supposedly designed for flying indoors.

Any thoughts folks?

Hi, Ed. Thank you for reaching out. Taking off in Manual mode still needs a GPS signal while normally, there is no GPS indoors. Also, GPS can't be turned off manually but I will take it as a suggestion of yours and will forward it to our designated team for attention. All significant suggestions will be implemented after the evaluation of our relevant team. For the latest updates please stay tuned to our DJI official website at ( www.dji.com ). Thank you for your kind understanding and support.

Ed Carreon Photography Posted at 4-14 10:46
So it sounds like Manual Mode or the Avata is useless for flying indoors.
This makes absolutely no sense since the bird is supposedly designed for flying indoors.

In many indoor settings the GPS can manage to eventually acquire enough satellites to make a location solution possible. It's during the transition to a GPS location solution that erratic flight will occur.  

You could try to disable the GPS by covering the GPS module with aluminum foil or an adhesive metallic tape. I think it was a Mavic Pro where the GPS module didn't work because it was covered with the FAA ID that was printed on metal lined label tape.

Yea, I was wondering the same thing. I will post the results of my experiment.

Yea, I was wondering the same thing. I will post the results of my experiment.

Yea, I was wondering the same thing. I will post the results of my experiment.

DJI Gamora Posted at 4-16 00:46
Hi, Ed. Thank you for reaching out. Taking off in Manual mode still needs a GPS signal while normally, there is no GPS indoors. Also, GPS can't be turned off manually but I will take it as a suggestion of yours and will forward it to our designated team for attention. All significant suggestions will be implemented after the evaluation of our relevant team. For the latest updates please stay tuned to our DJI official website at ( www.dji.com ). Thank you for your kind understanding and support.

I am not sure that you are correct since I have received notices in the past tell me that there was no GPS signal and I flew anyways without issue.

Edward Carreon Posted at 4-16 07:22
Yea, I was wondering the same thing. I will post the results of my experiment.

You might also want to cover the two vision system cameras on the bottom. Otherwise the Flight Controller may attempt to navigate using them.

BudWalker Posted at 4-16 05:59
In many indoor settings the GPS can manage to eventually acquire enough satellites to make a location solution possible. It's during the transition to a GPS location solution that erratic flight will occur.  

You could try to disable the GPS by covering the GPS module with aluminum foil or an adhesive metallic tape. I think it was a Mavic Pro where the GPS module didn't work because it was covered with the FAA ID that was printed on metal lined label tape.

Where is the GPS module located?

Ed Carreon Photography Posted at 4-18 21:02
Where is the GPS module located?

BudWalker Posted at 4-19 06:42
[view_image][view_image]

Poor Avata needs some cleanning... LOL

BudWalker Posted at 4-19 06:42
[view_image][view_image]

Thank you BudWalker!!!!

ro_walker Posted at 4-19 06:54
Poor Avata needs some cleanning... LOL

So does my truck. Cleaning them won't last long. Both the truck and the Avata will soon get dirty again.

Edward Carreon Posted at 4-16 07:37
I am not sure that you are correct since I have received notices in the past tell me that there was no GPS signal and I flew anyways without issue.

Hi, Ed. Specifically, the drone will take off from the ground without GPS however, the distance and height will be limited and the home point will not be recorded and the RTH will not work.

BudWalker Posted at 4-19 07:41
So does my truck. Cleaning them won't last long. Both the truck and the Avata will soon get dirty again.

Those things are meant to get dirty!! Happy flying!!

BudWalker Posted at 4-16 05:59
In many indoor settings the GPS can manage to eventually acquire enough satellites to make a location solution possible. It's during the transition to a GPS location solution that erratic flight will occur.  

You could try to disable the GPS by covering the GPS module with aluminum foil or an adhesive metallic tape. I think it was a Mavic Pro where the GPS module didn't work because it was covered with the FAA ID that was printed on metal lined label tape.

Apologies for late reply but if I cover the GPS part of the Avata, won't I also interfere with the controller signal?

Ed Carreon Photography Posted at 5-13 21:03
Apologies for late reply but if I cover the GPS part of the Avata, won't I also interfere with the controller signal?

No, the controller antennas are in the left and right legs.

BudWalker Posted at 5-14 06:11
No, the controller antennas are in the left and right legs.

Thank you Bud!!!!

Please keep us updated on how your experiment went. I thought my Avata went crazy today when I went from outside to inside a larger building.

Middel48 Posted at 5-17 13:42
Please keep us updated on how your experiment went. I thought my Avata went crazy today when I went from outside to inside a larger building.

I flew inside the movie studio without trying to block the satellite module and it flew just fine. It was a very, very large building with lots of impediments between me and the drone, so I lost RC connection once it went outside and there was an additional metal wall between us. At that point, the drone just went bonkers and crashed.

So the problem I encountered was not intermittent GPS signals but too much environmental interference. I have looked into using repeaters but no one seems to know about how I would go about doing this. I am not sure it is a thing beyond use for radios. I would love to hear otherwise.

This happened several times. I did get some decent footage indoors but it required some stabilization in post-production and a friend of mine is speed-ramping the piece as well.