I noticed today that when I take off with 10/12  satellites and fly about for awhile everything is good, but as soon as I hit record video the number of satellites drops by about 3 /4, (Vision +).
I only looked at this after reading about it on Phantom pilots web forum  seems that either copper or alloy sheilding taped sometimes cures this problem  and sometimes not but the next time you are out have a look see  at your own set up .
Seems loads of folks are getting this so worth a check and i presume DJI are looking into this mater.

I have had similar experiences with my P2V+. I have also come across various posts and videos regarding simply removing the upper shell and rerouting the GPS units cable under the copper shield towards the back to add additional shielding to the GPS units cable. In my case perhaps it is a coincidence however when I switched from basic Phantom mode to NAZA I seemed to have more of a problem in acquiring satellites. When I stumbled across a post from someone that contacted DJI he claimed they informed him he could open up the shell and reroute the GPS cable or send it in to be modified. He also mentioned he was told if he sent it in it would take 8 - 10 weeks to get his Phantom back from DJI. In the end he opted to do the mod himself. In doing my research and seeing what a simple procedure it was to do I decided to do the mod myself. All I did was remove in total 20 screws, reroute my GPS cable under the copper shield after carefully peeling one side up, then put the shield back, and then reassembled my Phantom. I have to say I had a major improvement. Typically it was taking me several minutes to acquire satellites. Now I receive lock in relation to what are in the area in tracking them using the following website: http://www.spectraprecision.fr/s ... 977.kjsp?RF=PRUFWMP Prior to doing the modification I was also dropping several satellites when I would hit record during flight. At times I still drop a satellite every now and then but what an improvement. There is a gentleman named Simon Newton who has his own Youtube channel. He has a video out showing how to do the modification. I did it exactly the same way, here is the link: http://youtu.be/SmBdhHLIUes?list=UU1-HUeRKBGiKZrVhiOEtGjQ As far as dropping satellites when hitting record during flight that is a big issue in my eyes. With a little luck DJI will respond to what is causing the problem and what if any action they plan on taking to deal with the issue. Lastly check out this link: http://www.phantompilots.com/vie ... &hilit=warranty  DJI is apparently endorsing users to make the mod to there GPS unit themselves.

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-1 18:08
I have had similar experiences with my P2V+. I have also come across various posts and videos regard ...

I did the mod but it made very little difference so i am going to do the copper /alloy tape and try that. This is not a good thing to happen  and its annoying when you want to turn on the video only to see 3 or 4 sats drop out and if you are on the limit! well lost connection  .I wonder if this was on issue on the first vision ?.
A firmware update to allow 3 or 4 sats  could help as at least you could still get home ok .I feel that Dji should be addressing this issue asap  and i bet there are loads of flyer's who have never noticed and dont have a clue as to why the p2v+ aint doing as it should..Dji should supply a better sheilded cable  this would also help!

xzgraham@btinte Posted at 2014-10-1 18:37
I did the mod but it made very little difference so i am going to do the copper /alloy tape and try ...

With a little luck DJI will come across this thread and take swift action. In all fairness I absolutely love my P2V+ in the grand scheme of things I am extremely happy with it. In two months I have 90+ flights on it. Can things be made to function better? When it comes to the GPS in particular I would like to think they have there engineers on the case. It is frightening to think about loosing GPS for no apparent reason. Good luck in taking your mod to the next level. As I mentioned previously the simple way I did it gave me a significant improvement. I still am greatly concerned about by turning on my video record function that it will cause satellites to drop. That I saw such a big improvement I agree it must have something to do with the shielding of the cable. I have been tempted to add additional insulation around the short piece of wire coming out from under my shield now that I have rerouted it. I would really like to see DJI comment on there thoughts about doing that. Here is an interesting video about noise coming from the P2V+ and how it effects the GPS: http://youtu.be/tV0rOBewNf0 The issue with the GPS in general needs to be addressed. Obviously there is a significant issue.

There is a video out there that shows, A guy showing us, just that a you described.  He took some antistatic plastic and just set it in between the camera and the body of the phantom. When he hit the record button the satellites did not drop after he did that. With out it he was dropping 2 to 3 satellites. Test it out.
That must be common because I have seen it to.

hd_ultra@msn.co Posted at 2014-10-1 20:57
There is a video out there that shows, A guy showing us, just that a you described.  He took some an ...

You got a link ?.

JUST found it again here it is.

hd_ultra@msn.co Posted at 2014-10-2 01:06
JUST found it again here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hKcUcZPWww

That is exactly what I was encountering! Thanks for sharing that video. I will be doing additional testing for sure. I certainly am locking in faster and retaining more satellites since I have rerouted my GPS cable under the factory shield. If I receive similar results in taking the steps shown in the video you brought to my attention this is certainly something the DJI group needs to address in moving forward. Thanks again!

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-2 01:26
That is exactly what I was encountering! Thanks for sharing that video. I will be doing additional ...

I totally agree, they need to add more shielding under the GPS. And some type of shielding on the bottom portion of the phantom. The shielding they do have is copper lined under the GPS unit.
That is the reason I went with copper. They just need to expand it further down each arm.
I have not put any Antistatic plastic under the my phantom, because after the copper it seems that i'm not getting loss anymore.

People need to know thou it could void your warranty by putting the copper tape in.
I had to take that chance thou. If you can't fly with GPS it was almost worthless to me.
Happy Camper Now.

I was concerned about voiding my warranty until I came across this: http://www.phantompilots.com/vie ... &hilit=warranty I have had major improvements by just rerouting the GPS cable under the factory shield. To be honest I was afraid to add additional copper foil or tape, I was concerned about heat build up in particular as well as I did not want to jeopardise my warranty. During my next test if I simply temporarily insert a bit of Antistatic plastic between the gimbal mount and belly if I don't loose a satellite while engaging video during ground testing I will be pleased and annoyed at the same time. If it is that simple to address interference being caused by the camera gimbal assembly DJI needs to take action to resolve this. In addition to the apparent issue with the GPS units insulation in general.

Let me know how it works out for you Joseph.

hd_ultra@msn.co Posted at 2014-10-2 02:01
Let me know how it works out for you Joseph.

Without a doubt, will keep you posted! Thanks again.

I will try the anti static  sheet under the camera also  i thought i had some  bags that i had hdd drives in but threw them out so i will get some in the morning and give it a try .I hope these mods work  as i will be paranoid evey time i want to record video and  not loose sat lock .It seems the issue is with the camera  as i dont have any issues untill i switch on video.

Ok tried the antiststic bag on top of the camera and it never realy made much difference  at one stage my sat count went from 9 to 3 :@, what i did realise is that if you drop the resolution down it does not drop so many sats out and at the lowest it does not move at all .But thats not what people want to film in .I am going to line the inside with copper now and see what happens .I aint holding my breath with this issue  Dji need to step up to the plate with this one .I was in two minds when i bought my P2V+  as i already have a go pro but now i wish i had bought the P2 and fitted after market video set up.

xzgraham@btinte Posted at 2014-10-2 20:33
Ok tried the antiststic bag on top of the camera and it never realy made much difference  at one sta ...

Sorry the static sheet did not yield a positive result. I had to run to a local computer shop today to pick up a couple of static bags, I am still gonna give it a go. What I plan on doing is making a thin card board template to adhere to the underbelly with a couple of layers of static sheets stuck to it using double sided tape. I just want to do some ground testing for the moment. I don't want to go so far as to remove the gimbal assembly to line the belly. One thing I did do the last time I opened my shell to check connections etc. is reduce the amount of cable from the GPS unit coming out from under the factory copper shield. This morning I tracked my satellites and had 10 in the area at my local park. Sure enough I captured all ten. However when I engaged my video it dropped to 8. That is really bothersome. In the event someone is several hundred feet away flying with only 7 satellites and they turn on there video and drop to say 5 that could be a big problem. This could be the cause of what many people think is a flyaway. Having there bird loose satellites while turning on there video and it goes in ATTI mode and starts to drift away. Especially when flying at several hundred feet in altitude. When I got home this afternoon I went in my back garden with my Phantom. I captured 9 out of the 10 satellites that were in the area. That was a first considering I have tall trees on two sides and my home (2 stories high) on one of the other sides. I tried turning on my video and sure enough dropped 2 satellites. In lowering the resolution of the video it was much more solid hover dropped one and picked it up again quickly. Let us know how you make out with the additional copper shielding you plan on installing. I will post the results of my ground testing my with static sheet insert that I am going to try. Good luck!

xzgraham@btinte Posted at 2014-10-2 20:33
Ok tried the antiststic bag on top of the camera and it never realy made much difference  at one sta ...

DJI needs to come out with the fix for this,  I have seen so many users with this problem.

I'm not asking them to fix it, But to come up with a do it yourself fix.

hd_ultra@msn.co Posted at 2014-10-3 01:29
DJI needs to come out with the fix for this,  I have seen so many users with this problem.

I'm no ...

I bought a second Vision2+ lately and it immediately had the issue where when you hit Record it dropped to 2-3 Satellites..
My early Vision2+ does not have this issue.

I've RMAed this new one (Amazon), and hopefully the replacement doesn't do it, or ALL new batches of the VISION2+ will have this issue!

Not sure if it's the camera/gimbal causing the interference on/or the wires are?  Love to find out what it is..

DJI, you'll need to get on this ASAP our your going to get alot of returns from Amazon.. and else where..

In my case its the camera as i never moved the gimbal i only switched on the video  and sat drop is worse the higher resolution  you select .

hd_ultra@msn.co Posted at 2014-10-2 02:01
Let me know how it works out for you Joseph.

I made a template that that fits precisely on the underside of the belly that went all the way from the front to the back. I cut out a U shape to accommodate sliding it into position from the rear for the gimbal. Towards the rear I left little tabs that wrapped half an inch up the sides of the battery compartment. As far as sliding it into position it went from the back of the craft to the front in-between the part of the camera and the mounting plate attached to the bird. I used the template to cut out two pieces of static film that I double side taped together. I put the static film guard in place and affixed it with small pieces of electrical tape to conduct a ground test. In enabling the DJI app I was receiving noise on my display in using the app. I powered down my bird and removed the static film. All was well in picking up satellites with the exception of engaging video once again. It is strange I am consistently dropping satellites in 1080p 30fps. In trying 720p 30fps there does not seem to be a problem. This is a big issue DJI needs to address this. Perhaps better insulation on the GPS wiring, a noise filter, beats me? When I shoot video I like to fly in ATTI mode however I would like to know my GPS is going to work when I choose to use it. For the time being I am going to leave my bird alone with the GPS cable simply rerouted under the copper shield which DJI is endorsing as a solution. I just wish once again they would pick up on this post and offer advice from there perspective. A serious concern is the amount of people claiming to have "flyaways". I feel part of the problem can be beginners in particular not keeping an eye on there satellites and take off with the minimum needed for there GPS to wok from the get go. I am sure there have been instances where newbies took off with lets say 8 satellites. If video is enabled and  the number of satellites drop to 5 and a phantom goes into ATTI mode obviously this is going to create a problem for a novice. I have been flying RC aircraft for well over 15 years. I fly my Phantom with my wife who operates the camera and keeps an eye on my telemetry. I have had my satellites drop in the past to 5 during flight from 9+ when I turn on my video record. I am skilled enough that I just continue to fly in ATTI mode. DJI something needs to be done about this problem. Since I simply rerouted my GPS cable under the factory shield I have shown a drastic improvement. However I am annoyed that I still continue to lose a satellite every now and then when I turn on my video record function. I am still under warranty and reluctant to send my Phantom to be looked at. Reason being I don't want to go without it for months while the problem is addressed. I have no idea if this problem can be addressed within the firmware however if it can I sure hope it is within the next update you release. DJI if you are reading this what is your advice?

NOTICE THAT OUR GOOD FRIENDS HAVE NOT EVEN CHIMED IN.

1. DJI ARE YOU LISTENING

Copy the code

Aha! this answers my question. The minute I place my Fat Shark FPV unit and camera on the Vision 2 and turn it on I lose most of the links. THought I was going mad because it made no sense. I'll check out the fixes recommended here and report back.

hd_ultra@msn.co Posted at 2014-10-4 07:40
NOTICE THAT OUR GOOD FRIENDS HAVE NOT EVEN CHIMED IN.

Perhaps because DJI is going to announce a solution this week. Wishful thinking on my part. Come on DJI!!

hd_ultra@msn.co Posted at 2014-10-2 02:01
Let me know how it works out for you Joseph.

Added the foil yesterday! Moved my cable under the factory copper shield prior to that weeks ago. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN ADDING THE FOIL!! Solid GPS hold from the ground up with 11 satellites that took about 90 seconds to capture on the ground. In flying around turning video on and off in 1080p zero impact! Taking pictures in RAW mode and bouncing back to video in 1080p zero impact! At one point at 300 feet or so in altitude I captured 12 satellites even though when I tracked them there were 11 in the area using an online source and an app on my mobile. Clearly there is a problem that needs to be addressed. DJI are you monitoring your posts on your site? Feedback would be appreciated. I have been flying RC aircraft for well over 15 years. I can see how a newbie in simply flying around and losing enough satellites will panic as there Phantom goes into ATTI mode. This in my opinion is what an awful lot of novice pilots are considering system failure or flyaways. I love my PV2+ DJI, there clearly is an issue that needs to be addressed.

That is awesome Joe, It's nice to know that your satellites are now holding and even connecting to more.

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-7 04:24
Added the foil yesterday! Moved my cable under the factory copper shield prior to that weeks ago.  ...

I noticed an immediate improvement in the number satellites as well. I am averaging 10-12 now, when I was getting 8 or 9 before. But, it feels like the phantom doesn't hover as steady as it did prior to the reroute. I feel like now, even with 11 satellites and not much wind, there is a large variance both vertically and horizontally, when it hovers. I don't recall noticing this prior to the reroute. I have done the Full IMU calibration, everything is checking out perfectly in the assistant and pre-flight. It is still flying wonderfully. Just really notice it on hover.

I should mention I used a little foil tape (http://www.lowes.com/pd_135512-56291-FT210_0__?productId=3012014) to line the top shell. Not much, and definitely nothing over any vent holes. And it is holding tight and clear of any circuitry.

I am tempted to undo the reroute and see if it goes away. It's very strange. I am open to any feedback on this. Help would be appreciated.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-9 02:08
I noticed an immediate improvement in the number satellites as well. I am averaging 10-12 now, whe ...

Of course the compass calibration checks out just fine also.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-9 02:08
I noticed an immediate improvement in the number satellites as well. I am averaging 10-12 now, whe ...

Tony I initially rerouted the GPS cable under the factory copper shield and noticed a big jump in holding and acquiring satellites. Prior to that what was bothering me is I was dropping 2+ at times when I turned on my video record in 1080p. In tracking satellites I usually head out when 10 are in the area. Usually I would get all 10. However when I was out and had 9 during a high speed pass in GPS mode and turned on 1080p video record and my satellites jumped from 9 to 8 to 7 back to 9 then 8 within seconds I was concerned. This occurred prior to putting the GPS cable under the factory shield. My wife keeps an eye on my telemetry while I am flying and was reading the satellite numbers out, this happened within seconds. I told her to turn off the video and sure enough it jumped right back up to 9 satellites. For the heck of it I stayed close and took pictures in .jpeg and raw formats and had no issues. Once I rerouted the cable at most I would drop 1 satellite every now in then in turning on video record in 1080p. At that point rather than send my Phantom to DJI for from what I gather takes months to have checked out I opted to add the foil steering clear of the vent holes. All I used was a piece of standard kitchen aluminium foil. Cut out the foil, put it into place, cut quarter inch strips of a knock off duct tape from a shop around the corner and secured it into place around the edges. The tape was 1.75" wide so I took a good size strip to cover the large piece of foil in the center. Then I took several smaller pieces to cover the rest of the center and curved surfaces with one layer. The reason I applied tape was to add a non conductive layer of protection. I was concerned about electrical noise and potential electrical shorts. During my last couple of flights I was shocked! I had solid GPS hold and no satellites dropped no matter what I did. Turning video on in 1080p taking pictures in raw mode had zero impact. The day I flew was calm out, slight wind at best. Hover wise it was rock solid. When I brought my bird down to ground level to do a hand catch landing I almost giggled. It just sat there like it was frozen in space. Several hundred feet up and out i had the same result, rock solid! Of course after adding the foil I did an advanced calibration and the dance before liftoff and am amazed at the difference. My concern are the newbies out there that take off with lets say 7 satellites. During flight they drop to 5 and there bird goes into ATTI mode. Oh no its a flyaway! Is it really, not in my opinion. A newbie that can't fly in ATTI more than likely will panic and sadly ultimately lose control. I would like to think DJI is aware of this issue and hope they will address it soon. Have I lost faith in DJI? Not at all, I love there products and as time goes by I am sure things will get better and better. Lastly during my last 2 flights there were 11 satellites in the area. I captured all 11 on the ground prior to liftoff and held solid lock while flying. At one point at a couple of hundred feet in altitude I picked up 12 satellites. In tracking them using an online source there were 11 in the area.

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-9 04:03
Tony I initially rerouted the GPS cable under the factory copper shield and noticed a big jump in h ...

I just don't know what else would be causing my hover to be so sporadic. It's like it is dancing in a small space, instead of hovering solid. Maybe I'll video it and start a new post asking for help.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-9 04:09
I just don't know what else would be causing my hover to be so sporadic. It's like it is dancing i ...

Sounds like a plan. I would imagine an advanced calibration would resolve the issue. Then again you tried that. I am stumped on this one. Its a long shot perhaps one of your motors, maybe an ESC? In any event take it easy until you get is sorted out.

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-9 04:21
Sounds like a plan. I would imagine an advanced calibration would resolve the issue. Then again yo ...

I put on a fresh set of props and it could be coincidence, but it seems to be hovering better. The props weren't bad, by any means. But a few did look slightly warped, one was a tad bit dinged, and they had some bug guts on them. haha

I notice that at heights like 100 foot or more it seems to hover much better than at 6 feet. I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks!

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-9 04:47
I put on a fresh set of props and it could be coincidence, but it seems to be hovering better. The ...

Warped props, bug guts, and a dinged prop. I have a sneaking suspicion those could have been the culprit! Hmmm replace the props or deal with a possible catastrophic failure. Looks like you made the right choice! LOL All joking aside bug guts are a nuisance I certainly have cleaned off my share. However props developing a warp have gotta go! Ding wise not worth the risk. I have heard of a few instances where guys landed a few times gently toppling over. This in time lead to hairline fractures near the hub which could cause a prop to snap. I hand catch most of the time now however always inspect my props. After your last post I am going to inspect mine with a magnifying glass before my next flight. With a little luck the new props you put on solved the problem. I would still take it easy the next couple of flights just to make sure all is well. Keep me posted. Have a good night it is already 11:30 PM on my side of the pond.

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-9 06:32
Warped props, bug guts, and a dinged prop. I have a sneaking suspicion those could have been the c ...

Will do! I am optimistic this was the problem!

In the last 4 Weeks I have returned to my dealer 2 DJI Vision 2+ both with the GPS issues listed here. For the 3rd one I asked my dealer to send me the updated version with the new motors and transmitter and couldn't be happier. It got 6 Satellites lock in under 30 seconds and never drops any while recording video.

What ever was causing the GPS issues with the previous PV2+, DJI looks like they have fixed it in this latest revision. If your able to see if your dealer will let you upgrade as mine did.

I hope this helps someone.

So, I think my latest mod has solved completely the dropping of GPS. It is rather a bother to do, but now get 9-10 sats while recording in 60fps mode. Had to completely disassemble to get the cable out from the camera to the board. Used copper tape in strips to cover all section of the flat cable, then covered again in the kapton tape to insulate. Also did the small jumper on top of the board between the small PC board and connection to the main pc board. Fired it up and GPS lock is so fast is amazing. This is not a mod for the feeble, but if you can do neatly, it should solve all the GPS locking issues. I have also done the mod at the top of the copter to shield over the GPS as others mentioned, but that produced poor results for me. Now we are flying with 9 sats and even got 12 tonight during test run. Turned recording on/off/on, etc. and no issues at all.

Tony@CVP Posted at 2014-10-9 02:08
I noticed an immediate improvement in the number satellites as well. I am averaging 10-12 now, whe ...

"I feel like now, even with 11 satellites and not much wind, there is a large variance both vertically and horizontally, when it hovers. I don't recall noticing this prior to the reroute."

The only thing that I would add is that the Hover altitude is controlled by the Barometer not the GPS height as I first thought. I got educated by fellow members.

By adding stuff around and near the NAZA M flight controller you may have affected the performance of the barometer.

Cheers

bjr981s Posted at 2015-2-6 20:56
"I feel like now, even with 11 satellites and not much wind, there is a large variance both vertical ...

I guess it's possible, but a barometer measures the air pressure and that is unlikely to be affected by much.

Note: IMHO both the barometer and GPS (and possibly even compass) are used in various percentages to achieve stable flight and hovering.  The NAZA probably checks one against the other and favors certain instruments depending on mode.

Since the interference happens only when recording video, not when the video is simply working via FPV mode, doesn't this imply that the problem is with the CPU emitting interference when it is creating MP4 video files? If so, shouldn't you be shielding the CPU rather than everything else on the drone?

simon.roffey@in Posted at 2014-11-19 20:43
In the last 4 Weeks I have returned to my dealer 2 DJI Vision 2+ both with the GPS issues listed her ...

Sounds like the best solution for us with an  fairly new drone, I've  had mine less than a week and have had this issue since day one. How can you tell the difference between the v1 and v2 version? You'd think I would have gotten the newest version as I received it just a week ago.

manny@live.no Posted at 2015-2-9 17:18
Sounds like the best solution for us with an  fairly new drone, I've  had mine less than a week an ...

the newest version (v3) will show a "v3" near the model number by the UPC code.
It will have the plastic shielded compass on the landing skid, and it will have come with the tilt dial transmitter.

It will also have ferrite chokes on the inside (behind the battery compartment).

many, this problem can be easily fixed by doing this:
http://www.phantompilots.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=31054