Dear all,
After give a thorough thought, and try to imagine a big picture here, I come to a theory, or better to say an assumption. I would like to emphasize this is all my theory and please believe me, I do really hope I am wrong, and hope DJI can prove me wrong. Other users can curse, use bad words on me, I do not care as long as DJI can give a satisfying answer, I will take them all.
First of all, who am I and why my background would make this thread a bit more convincing. I got my bachelor in mecha-tronics, where I have knowledge in mechanics such as motor, actuators as well as programming for embedded systems, circuits. To speak in English: I understand about both hardware and software. Furthermore, I also got master degree in project management, therefore, I do understand how you should manage stakeholders, in this case: users.
And I would like to involve in this thread the users (who are using Spark), Mr. Captain Hallmark (Who has been very helpful to us and would be un-biased in this discussion since he got many experience with DJI product) and our supportive mod DJI Thor and Natalia.

OK, to start with, we are all happy with Spark in terms of its functionalities, convenience and entertainment. However, recently, we are all aware of cases about Spark shut-down in the middle of the flight. I am aware that Mr. Hallmark did said those cases are just small number (which involved both user error and AC error), however, you must admit that there are cases with AC error, DJI did confirm "it is not pilot error" to those users (and I believe this is another way to say "it is AC error", DJI just trying to playing with words). Anyway, the threat is there, I have not yet had that issue, many of us not, but again, the threat is there.

I will analyze my theory, again, this is totally my theory, other users if you think I am right, please back me up and give pressure on DJI since we are paying for the product and we have that rights, if you think I am wrong, please feel free to prove it, and even better, please prove it by releasing the fix "right now" rather than saying "will be released soon". And please believe me, I am very happy to be wrong in this case:
1. Let assume those errors until now is software matter, coding is quite easy to debug if problems happen, since these days, codes following the object-orientation style where they have 3 characteristics: encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism. The modules are encapsulated, for example, if you have issue with dronie code, it should be encapsulated in a module call dronie, and programmer just need to focus on debug that module, and that will not take so much time. So, if it is really software matter, DJI should be able to debug and have already released the fix already by now. I remember Mr. Hallmark also kept saying in few threads that he himself also does not understand why DJI is a bit slow in answering Spark issues. My guess is that because there is no issue in their code at all, and they do not know what to fix since the code is correct.
Again, Mr. Hallmark did say error with software is quite common by looking at Inspire, Mavic in their first days of release. However, I do believe Spark is not so much different from those model, they should have already learnt from those mistake and with the "inheritance" characteristic, they should be able to fix Spark from those mistake rather than learning the mistakes again.
Oh, and quickshots issues, don't worry, programming matter can be fixed, and they maybe fixed already. But, I think they have not yet released because they still do not know what is going on with the the falling cases and the release would not be so useful without fixing it. And as my assumption, the code overall might be already optimized and correct by learning from other previous drone model, so does not really need minor firmware to fix.And the test firmware for the remote control, come on, I think DJI can do better than that. And don't treat users as kid. First of all, the issue in the aircraft, what will a firmware for remote control do about the power matter of Spark. Secondly, if that is really a beta test, I don't think you will simply send that to any users who provide you their account like that. My assumption again is that, since users are craving for some firmware, you just basically use a current firmware, edit a little bit here and there, to calm us down. Let's ask all the tester if they see any real improvement. Because actually the current firmware is working well already, if it is the signal issue, you cannot just boost the signal range by programming, and the wifi nature, itself, is vulnerable to interference. I am actually happy with the OTG method. The matter to be concerned now is the fall-off cases.

2. Then, this will come to the second assumption that the issues in hardware. And to answer why some users have issues, some don't, I think because maybe matter will only trigger after a certain period of flying (obviously, some of us fly more than other), Or the issue in quality control during manufacturing that only some units got issue some don't, that is why only a few got issues while other not (again, please note all is my guess). And DJI cannot announce that because it would be hard to know now how many units got matter and it will create an outbreak if they accept the matter with hardware...But DJI slowness in answering the question, and quietness in answering the issue ... this assumption sounds more convincing to me.

Anyway, whoever your project manager is, I think quiet is not the way, I believe we are high importance and high influence stakeholders, you need to keep us update, not promise. only. Please again, prove me wrong and release a fix, or at least let us know what is your research so far about the fall-off cases. We do not really want to play with a ticking bomb which can fall whenever that we do not know.
I do understand Mr. Hallmark will have a say here and again, to explain that the cases until now is small and related both user's error and AC error, and do not panic. However, not yet happened doesn not mean no will never happen, especially there are cases that DJI admitted "It is not pilot error" already. So, in other words, Spark is like a timing bomb to me now...

You have different idea, please say, but again, the best way to say I am wrong is that DJI release a fix.
Ah, I also want to add that, I remember some guy in the forum said: "If you bought the drone, you have already take the risk". Sorry, I do not agree. If DJI, in there website, and their commercial Video, official says: "Please note that there is a chance that our drone will shut-down midflight, buy it at your own risk", I will agree with him. But, since DJI did  not warn anything like that mean the Drone should not shutoff. And if the drone shut-off, no matter it is still in warranty or not, they have to fix / or replace at DJI's own cost. That is called ethical business.

I think you give 'Mr Hallmark' way to much credit. At best he is simply a diehard fanboy who reads the manuals, and knows them inside and out. Beyond that with regards to programming / electronics his knowledge quickly drops off and he defaults to 'user error' or 'stop whining.. dji must have a good reason'  

I am sure DJI is aware of these issues you have mentioned, however, certain 'flaws' have been exposed in all of their aircraft very recently and I am sure they are scrambling to put the 'genie back in the bottle' so to speak. This is taking the developers away from upgrades, bug fixes etc and put them in full blown panic mode on how to fix the urgent 'flaws' that have been recently exposed. They will never be able to put the genie back in the bottle of course, but they certainly will try their best.

Mr Hallmark, I recall you saying something about 'crying into a glass' to me in another conversation when inquiring about a feature I would like to see added to my AC.... well.. who is crying into their glass now?  Certainly not me.. I now have the feature I was looking for, no thanks to you or DJI.

DroneX4 Posted at 2017-7-17 22:23
I think you give 'Mr Hallmark' way to much credit. At best he is simply a diehard fanboy who reads the manuals, and knows them inside and out. Beyond that with regards to programming / electronics his knowledge quickly drops off and he defaults to 'user error' or 'stop whining.. dji must have a good reason'  

I am sure DJI is aware of these issues you have mentioned, however, certain 'flaws' have been exposed in all of their aircraft very recently and I am sure they are scrambling to put the 'genie back in the bottle' so to speak. This is taking the developers away from upgrades, bug fixes etc and put them in full blown panic mode on how to fix the urgent 'flaws' that have been recently exposed. They will never be able to put the genie back in the bottle of course, but they certainly will try their best.

+1
You nailed it!

Your concern is not new and I kept hearing that kind of complaints from the days of NAZA-M, probably before that forum exists. But, honestly, DJI make really great drone and only small portion of their products were problematic. It surprised me is that people assumes drone is not a timing bomb. You simply do not know when the hardware issue would arise and cause the drone suddenly dropping from sky one day. The only thing you can do is not flying over people, building, roads to reduce the damage if anything bad happens.

Now I wonder why DJI should care about ethical business when they dominate the market so much.  You have just no other option in the market if you want a drone. Admitting hardware issue would be the last resort of any high-tech company and you should not expect that much from DJI, especially that affect only a tiny portion of their product. If DJI should list the risks/issues in their video, there would probably a very long list of that. DJI probably would like to spend more resource on making their drone smaller and get more people involved in this hobby rather than fixing some hardware issue rarely happened.  Your request would be ignored as usual.

DroneX4 Posted at 2017-7-17 22:23
I think you give 'Mr Hallmark' way to much credit. At best he is simply a diehard fanboy who reads the manuals, and knows them inside and out. Beyond that with regards to programming / electronics his knowledge quickly drops off and he defaults to 'user error' or 'stop whining.. dji must have a good reason'  

I am sure DJI is aware of these issues you have mentioned, however, certain 'flaws' have been exposed in all of their aircraft very recently and I am sure they are scrambling to put the 'genie back in the bottle' so to speak. This is taking the developers away from upgrades, bug fixes etc and put them in full blown panic mode on how to fix the urgent 'flaws' that have been recently exposed. They will never be able to put the genie back in the bottle of course, but they certainly will try their best.

What is that feature that mentioned above?

isaacchu Posted at 2017-7-17 23:02
Your concern is not new and I kept hearing that kind of complaints from the days of NAZA-M, probably before that forum exists. But, honestly, DJI make really great drone and only small portion of their products were problematic. It surprised me is that people assumes drone is not a timing bomb. You simply do not know when the hardware issue would arise and cause the drone suddenly dropping from sky one day. The only thing you can do is not flying over people, building, roads to reduce the damage if anything bad happens.

Now I wonder why DJI should care about ethical business when they dominate the market so much.  You have just no other option in the market if you want a drone. Admitting hardware issue would be the last resort of any high-tech company and you should not expect that much from DJI, especially that affect only a tiny portion of their product. If DJI should list the risks/issues in their video, there would probably a very long list of that. DJI probably would like to spend more resource on making their drone smaller and get more people involved in this hobby rather than fixing some hardware issue rarely happened.  Your request would be ignored as usual.

You got your point...anyway, "never give up hope" is my motto

First it's impossible for us here to know what's going on, we can only give our opinion and that opinion depends on the information we have, I have said that dji have been slow to point to what the problem with power cut off is. Much of this could be solved if those who have surviving AC get the dat file results from dji and post here, those who have lost AC to sea or water are relying on evidence from flight log in there app, and in one case dji has decided to not to offer warranty but couldn't say power failure was due to any fault of operator, if you read my post on this you will see I disagreed with this decision. I asked operator to contact other member who had similar problem, to get his dat file results and follow up his case which might show what could have happened to his lost AC.

From experience, I have yet to see dji being proactive when these problems occur, and I don't see it happening here, that's clearly a failure on there part.
Members of the forum can put some pressure on dji engineers by asking for full disclosure on what happened to their AC, and then should be able to come back here with full result of what happened to their AC , but that's up to members of the forum. If this power failure is proven to be a real problem, then those who have lost their AC should have recourse, and this is right and proper.

Regarding hardware, firmware or software, well again many will have their opinions and many will agree or disagree, so we have a forum to discuss these matters, some are here learning some have knowledge of drones some experience in electronics, some have experience in flying drones, and some can be pragmatic in their views, it's not about being wrong or right, it's about sharing knowledge and views.

From experience I have yet to see dji come out and admit mistakes with their AC, I don't see this changing, so we will probably get some new firmware, software, this has been the way with all their AC, the only thing I can say about this is in all of there recent released AC over a period of time they settled down and became excellent AC. This is of no comfort to those having problems now I understand this.

I feel I must answer people like DroneX4, he is here for nobody but himself, to knock where he can, and to try to force his point by becoming personal as much as he can.
He has discovered a way to track himself outside 100 meters without using RC, but seems shy about sharing it here, he will always have his clingons to help with personal insults.

DroneX4 Posted at 2017-7-17 22:23
I think you give 'Mr Hallmark' way to much credit. At best he is simply a diehard fanboy who reads the manuals, and knows them inside and out. Beyond that with regards to programming / electronics his knowledge quickly drops off and he defaults to 'user error' or 'stop whining.. dji must have a good reason'  

I am sure DJI is aware of these issues you have mentioned, however, certain 'flaws' have been exposed in all of their aircraft very recently and I am sure they are scrambling to put the 'genie back in the bottle' so to speak. This is taking the developers away from upgrades, bug fixes etc and put them in full blown panic mode on how to fix the urgent 'flaws' that have been recently exposed. They will never be able to put the genie back in the bottle of course, but they certainly will try their best.

I am throughly enjoying those " Flaws" you speak of.

Dirk52 Posted at 2017-7-17 22:34
+1
You nailed it!

It sounds as though he was speaking about you?

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-7-18 02:00
First it's impossible for us here to know what's going on, we can only give our opinion and that opinion depends on the information we have, I have said that dji have been slow to point to what the problem with power cut off is. Much of this could be solved if those who have surviving AC get the dat file results from dji and post here, those who have lost AC to sea or water are relying on evidence from flight log in there app, and in one case dji has decided to not to offer warranty but couldn't say power failure was due to any fault of operator, if you read my post on this you will see I disagreed with this decision. I asked operator to contact other member who had similar problem, to get his dat file results and follow up his case which might show what could have happened to his lost AC.

From experience, I have yet to see dji being proactive when these problems occur, and I don't see it happening here, that's clearly a failure on there part.

I agree with you 100% , if you notice most complaints come from first timers, like with every new release of DJI products someone buys there first quad and accidentally does a mid-flight csc shutdown and thinks there's a defect. I've read it many, many times. Now with the spark there seems to be an above average list of complaints so maybe there is something hardware related causing these  issues.

I, myself have had no problems bescides the dronie quickshot. I am kind of nervous of the spark plummiting to the ground for no reason so i believe if they cant give us the firmware/software update or fix the problem now, than atleast update us tell us when it will be resolved!

Phuong Do, we appreciate that you share your opinion about our product and we listen to all the feedback on social media.
We have been aware of this issue and our engineers are working on it, that is why we collect so many data log to locate the root reason of the shut-down issue in the middle flight. No matter it may be the software issue or hardware related, we will not ignore it and leave it alone. Please note that our engineers care much about this issue and are trying their best to figure it out. Please give us some time. We will be grateful to your patience and understanding.
Mr.Hallmark is a user who we respect so much, he is professional and kind and help so many users with their issues. We really appreciate all he has done to this platform and other users.
I have forwarded all your opinion and feedback to our engineers, I will keep you updated once there is any update.

DJI Mindy Posted at 2017-7-18 05:12
Phuong Do, we appreciate that you share your opinion about our product and we listen to all the feedback on social media.
We have been aware of this issue and our engineers are working on it, that is why we collect so many data log to locate the root reason of the shut-down issue in the middle flight. No matter it may be the software issue or hardware related, we will not ignore it and leave it alone. Please note that our engineers care much about this issue and are trying their best to figure it out. Please give us some time. We will be grateful to your patience and understanding.
Mr.Hallmark is a user who we respect so much, he is professional and kind and help so many users with their issues. We really appreciate all he has done to this platform and other users.

Dear Natalia,
Thanks for your reply. Please note that just like you, I also respect Mr. Hallmark for all his advice to newbies like us, so you can see I had nothing against him in my thread. I tagged him just so that he can help to give some thought on the matter.

Secondly, please do not take this personal, and I have nothing against you or DJI Thor, I tagged you guys merely because you are the communication channel between users and the company.

Finally, again, I do understand you are working on the issue, but as I said in the thread: "Promise will not solve anything and might not be able to make us feel comfortable". Please at least confirm on the date of the next update, and better if can explain what you will solve in the update. Well, I am aware that DJI will never do something like that, but I am still saying and requesting.
To be honest I am totally new customer to DJI, and I have also saying good about DJI and introduced Spark to many of my friends, some of them already bought one. So just to say, please make us (New customer) become DJI fans rather than make us stay away from DJI.

Thanks again.

I've been watching this issue with great concern. My spark is currently in transit.  I have very high confidence with DJI products. I've used my P3 for over a year and my P4P for as long as it's been out. When I launch one of those AC, I 'know' it will do what I tell it. I have NO reason to think that it won't. I would let it hover over my own head - that's how confident I am.  Now, I've been watching the stories of the sparks that have fallen out of the sky.
I was hoping that 1) it only happened with gesture control (NOPE), 2) it only happened with device control (NOPE) 3) it only happened with 'new' drone users who were doing a CSC without knowing it (NOPE).

It's happening with the remote as well as all other methods of control. It's happening with pilots of all different skill and experience levels. That tells me that there is a defect in SOME of the units already shipped. You'll either be lucky or unlucky when your buy one.

Having said all that, I wouldn't be worried if it had been reported that "once I let DJI know what happened and that the logs show that it wasn't my fault, they replaced my (clearly defective) product under warranty." THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE REPORT.  Being offered 30% off of a new drone when your $500-$700 investment lasted less than a week (in some cases) is just wrong.  

DJI seems (to me) to be trying to replicate Apple (in advertising, packaging and even in accessories - being white like Apple).  One thing that Apple does (like them or not) is they provide excellent customer service. It's stellar really.  I could give you several stories that happened to me that proves that.  I'm not a fanboy for Apple - it's just true..  So DJI, if you want to be like Apple - then follow their lead on how they treat their customers. If a customer has a defective product and it gets damaged or lost at no fault of their own - replace it.   That's the cost of doing business.

As others have pointed out;   DJI is the 'big fish' right now.  One thing about that..... sooner or later a bigger fish comes along.  If you take care of your customers, you don't have to worry about the other fish. If you don't, your customers WILL jump to the next big fish when they come along, and that will happen at some point.

I can only hope, when my spark arrives, that I'm one of the lucky ones.  I'll be keeping it very low and very close (and not fly over water)  until I hear the resolution of this issue - just to be on the safe side.

Flying Wolf_NOL Posted at 2017-7-18 05:55
I've been watching this issue with great concern. My spark is currently in transit.  I have very high confidence with DJI products. I've used my P3 for over a year and my P4P for as long as it's been out. When I launch one of those AC, I 'know' it will do what I tell it. I have NO reason to think that it won't. I would let it hover over my own head - that's how confident I am.  Now, I've been watching the stories of the sparks that have fallen out of the sky.
I was hoping that 1) it only happened with gesture control (NOPE), 2) it only happened with device control (NOPE) 3) it only happened with 'new' drone users who were doing a CSC without knowing it (NOPE).

I fully agree with you service is very important , and dji seriously need to improve to keep customers. Yes they have like others followed Apple lead with great packaging as a lot of manufacturers do.

There is however the fact that comparing Apples with Apples in this situation, "pardon the pun" is not exactly fair. If you were to go back and compare Apple at eleven years old, you would not be able to hold them in such esteem, you will remember they had just sacked Steve Jobs, had some real failures and the company was not in a great place financially and service was not what it is today.

Yes dji should look to companies like Apple and their best practices dealing with customers, they are a private company with world domination in the small drone market, so must be doing something right. But now that they have reached this height, it is time to try to hold onto their place in the market, and I fully agree to do this they need to improve in their customer service.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-7-18 06:49
I fully agree with you service is very important , and dji seriously need to improve to keep customers. Yes they have like others followed Apple lead with great packaging as a lot of manufacturers do.

There is however the fact that comparing Apples with Apples in this situation, "pardon the pun" is not exactly fair. If you were to go back and compare Apple at eleven years old, you would not be able to hold them in such esteem, you will remember they had just sacked Steve Jobs, had some real failures and the company was not in a great place financially and service was not what it is today.

Thanks for the reply.  I agree. Apple was a mess 'back in the day'....... Then Steve Jobs came back and got them on the right track.

I used to work for a national food company (that shall remain nameless). During a meeting the CEO actually said: "In the 'hay day' we were making so much money and had such a grip on the market that we didn't even care about customer service."  The meeting was being held BECAUSE their numbers were starting to slip.

Today that company is completely out of business. Another company came into the market who actually cared about their customers and knocked them off.   That's how it goes.  The same thing can (and will) happen in this case.   

With an entry level of $500, good customer service is to be expected. FACT.  

DJI Mindy Posted at 2017-7-18 05:12
Phuong Do, we appreciate that you share your opinion about our product and we listen to all the feedback on social media.
We have been aware of this issue and our engineers are working on it, that is why we collect so many data log to locate the root reason of the shut-down issue in the middle flight. No matter it may be the software issue or hardware related, we will not ignore it and leave it alone. Please note that our engineers care much about this issue and are trying their best to figure it out. Please give us some time. We will be grateful to your patience and understanding.
Mr.Hallmark is a user who we respect so much, he is professional and kind and help so many users with their issues. We really appreciate all he has done to this platform and other users.

This is the best example of customer service I've seen from DJI yet. It's polite. It acknowledges that DJI at least has awareness of the issue. And it expresses a desire to set things right.
Now you just need to actually back that up with actions.
DJI has a stellar product line but the customer service is just not there yet. Here are a few things that I think you can do to improve:
1. You need to put the customer first, even if it means being taken in once and a while by a dishonest customer. If there is any doubt at all, assume that the customer is telling you the truth unless you can prove otherwise.
2. Respond with meaningful replies that address the customer's problems; not with formulaic responses that suggest you aren't really listening.
3. Act QUICKLY! Repairs should take days; not weeks. Send out replacement units with return shipping boxes for customers to return their defective units in cases where it's obvious a full replacement is warranted rather than waiting for the customers to send their unit in first and wait weeks for the return. Yes, you will probably lose a few units that way but you'll win many more loyal customers which should more than make up for your losses.
If following these suggestions means that you have to price your drones a little higher to compensate, then do it, so long as it's within reason. If the customer service is stellar, your customer base will be willing to pay a little more for it.

Thanks for starting this particular thread. As an experienced Inspire pilot, engineer and QA manager, the power-off problem is real. And the dilemma for DJI is that when the power fails, it is highly probable the logs/data stop as well. The only hope is that something occurs immediately before the power-off. But from feedback so far, it doesn't sound like DJI is finding anything.

It is 100% correct that failures like these seldom happen to all or even a majority of newly released products, or it would have been caught during initial testing. That said, it does happen that a small subset can experience a problem like this either from hardware/engineering/manufacturing defect, etc., or from a software/firmware issue that reflects a condition not tested/seen during development. As a beta tester for a variety of computer and related companies over the years, I have caught many previously unknown bugs.

This is an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT issue for DJI. If a Spark drops out of the air and hits, harms or even kills someone, it will be costly for them. It's not just us as users losing our drone.

My girls who had a failure were very lucky. They were at the club practice field, were not over people or parked cars, and it landed on soft turf from only 20-30 ft. high. My Spark that arrived yesterday was purchased for over water use. Do you think as an experienced pilot (drone and general aviation) that I will take my Spark out over water right now? No way! My new unit may never fail. But I don't know that. We all need to wait until DJI can determine what is happening. Until then, we ALL need to be very careful when flying a spark. My girls' spark flew 6 batteries worth of flying before it shut down and dropped. A prudent person must realize that any spark might do the same thing, even if a majority sold will never fail. But those sparks that do shut off and drop could cause serious harm. One serious injury or death will be a HUGE black mark on all drones and the industry itself! And right now, that CAN happen!

hfog Posted at 2017-7-18 09:55
This is the best example of customer service I've seen from DJI yet. It's polite. It acknowledges that DJI at least has awareness of the issue. And it expresses a desire to set things right.
Now you just need to actually back that up with actions.
DJI has a stellar product line but the customer service is just not there yet. Here are a few things that I think you can do to improve:

I agree somewhat about sending out replacement drones, with box to return crashed ones, but using what Apple does in these situations, take credit card payment on hold, until crashed drone has been returned and malfunction determined.

This would save lots of time for honest consumers, and may deter dishonest consumers sending back drones that were obviously crashed.
It obviously won't help those who have lost their drones.

nwhit Posted at 2017-7-18 10:19
Thanks for starting this particular thread. As an experienced Inspire pilot, engineer and QA manager, the power-off problem is real. And the dilemma for DJI is that when the power fails, it is highly probable the logs/data stop as well. The only hope is that something occurs immediately before the power-off. But from feedback so far, it doesn't sound like DJI is finding anything.

It is 100% correct that failures like these seldom happen to all or even a majority of newly released products, or it would have been caught during initial testing. That said, it does happen that a small subset can experience a problem like this either from hardware/engineering/manufacturing defect, etc., or from a software/firmware issue that reflects a condition not tested/seen during development. As a beta tester for a variety of computer and related companies over the years, I have caught many previously unknown bugs.

Exactly.  I was somewhere in the 50-60 flight range on my drone and was extremely comfortable with it. Flew it indoors and outdoors in all modes. Was extremely happy with my purchase and was happy to show it off to anyone that wanted know about it.

I want another SPARK. They are fun. If I had a new one I would fly it like I stole it.  I can afford hundreds of SPARKs. Cost isn't the issue.

Principle is the issue. My SPARK shut off mid flight in front of me. I saw it. I heard it. I watched it hit the lake. I was unable to retrieve it.

I sent DJI everything they asked for and then some. I described the event in excruciating detail. They have chosen to not warranty the craft after review of the flight logs. The refuse to let me discuss it with a supervisor or the next level up the chain.

I can't, in good conscience, condone this sort of behavior. I may miss out on another SPARK which makes me sad, but hopefully if enough people say NO to bullies like DJI then maybe something good will come of it.

BriRi Posted at 2017-7-18 11:01
Exactly.  I was somewhere in the 50-60 flight range on my drone and was extremely comfortable with it. Flew it indoors and outdoors in all modes. Was extremely happy with my purchase and was happy to show it off to anyone that wanted know about it.

I want another SPARK. They are fun. If I had a new one I would fly it like I stole it.  I can afford hundreds of SPARKs. Cost isn't the issue.

I'm sure 'Mr Hallmark' will be along shortly to tell you to stop crying into your glass.... As he is both a reflection and enabler of the terrible customer service.

On another thread regarding this matter, the issue of possible bad battery batch or firmware came up. I do agree that the problem may be a batch of bad batteries. That is possible since these are "smart" batteries. For example, they are "shut off" when you get them and need to be on a charger for a minute or two before "activating". Thus not impossible that there is a firmware or hardware issue with a batch of batteries.

Would be a good idea for anyone who has had this problem to try isolating the battery used during the crash to see if other batteries have the same issue. In the case of my girls' crash, we had a battery that came with the bird plus 2 others purchased at a local shop, so the battery batches were different. Unfortunately, they are now mixed up so cannot remember which battery was used during the power-off crash.

Well, I went to add more to the list of mid air shut offs reported on this forum.... My post has been removed. Maybe it was taking up too much space;)

Happy flying y'all, I might not be welcome around here anymore.

BriRi Posted at 2017-7-18 12:30
Well, I went to add more to the list of mid air shut offs reported on this forum.... My post has been removed. Maybe it was taking up too much space;)

Happy flying y'all, I might not be welcome around here anymore.

I was wondering where your list went. I still am awaiting a reply to see what they say. Lets hope they realize there is something wrong and replace our drones.

Hi guys, I am trying to make a poll to understand if it is really the battery issue, because I did experience some strange behaviour when first used the extra battery.
That thread here, please have a look and help to vote: http://forum.dji.com/thread-105214-1-1.html
Thank you

DJI Mindy Posted at 2017-7-18 05:12
Phuong Do, we appreciate that you share your opinion about our product and we listen to all the feedback on social media.
We have been aware of this issue and our engineers are working on it, that is why we collect so many data log to locate the root reason of the shut-down issue in the middle flight. No matter it may be the software issue or hardware related, we will not ignore it and leave it alone. Please note that our engineers care much about this issue and are trying their best to figure it out. Please give us some time. We will be grateful to your patience and understanding.
Mr.Hallmark is a user who we respect so much, he is professional and kind and help so many users with their issues. We really appreciate all he has done to this platform and other users.

So this means that you Will replace mine amongs others who have lost their brand new drone because of this?  See my post
http://forum.dji.com/thread-105089-1-1.html

DJI Mindy Posted at 2017-7-18 05:12
Phuong Do, we appreciate that you share your opinion about our product and we listen to all the feedback on social media.
We have been aware of this issue and our engineers are working on it, that is why we collect so many data log to locate the root reason of the shut-down issue in the middle flight. No matter it may be the software issue or hardware related, we will not ignore it and leave it alone. Please note that our engineers care much about this issue and are trying their best to figure it out. Please give us some time. We will be grateful to your patience and understanding.
Mr.Hallmark is a user who we respect so much, he is professional and kind and help so many users with their issues. We really appreciate all he has done to this platform and other users.

So this means that you Will replace mine amongs others who have lost their brand new drone because of this?  See my post

http://forum.dji.com/thread-105089-1-1.html

Second day with spark, on the second battery mobile app close with error and refused to open again, 2min later my remote lost connection with spark and RTH kicked in, I was flying low knowing that there is a problem with power cuts but when my spark gone into RTH and flew 30m up I got a bit worried. Shame that app is not reliable, remote control for 250£ is not reliable and possibly 520£ drone is not reliable nigher. Bit dissapointed with the whole thing.

I got it on video when spark lost connection with remote, will upload later today

NdFeB Posted at 2017-7-18 23:22
I got it on video when spark lost connection with remote, will upload later today

Hi NdFeB, I think the lost signal is a bit off-topic since we were discussing the power cut-off midflight.
However, I am sure other guys can give you some comment on the video you upload, so please feel free to share us.

Also, just wonder is it Androind or IPhone that you were using, and did you use the OTG method to connect remote with phone? How is your antenna during the controlling.
Antenna direction does have impact on the signal, please see the clip below:

You are right, sorry for off topic, I'm aware how controller works, no worries, just surprised that it lost connection just 50m away maybe less. Mobile app is not stable on HTC 10 & Samsung s7 If I knew that only iPhones can be use I would have bought it. There is a lot of apps but DJI rating says it all. I know I cannot return it as it was use (only 2days old) but can I sell it? Or is it connected to my address & account and cannot be sold to someone else? Sorry again for off-topic, I will post here again when it shuts off in mid air.

DroneX4 Posted at 2017-7-18 11:39
I'm sure 'Mr Hallmark' will be along shortly to tell you to stop crying into your glass.... As he is both a reflection and enabler of the terrible customer service.

It sounds like hallmark nailed it because it's still happening........

I don't know if you feel the same or not, but every day I come to the forum to check if DJI got news about the fall out cases and new update yet.
Any of you got any experience with DJI update, how often is it? It's been a month with only issues everyday and no firmware to fix.

BriRi Posted at 2017-7-18 12:30
Well, I went to add more to the list of mid air shut offs reported on this forum.... My post has been removed. Maybe it was taking up too much space;)

Happy flying y'all, I might not be welcome around here anymore.

Hi Mr. BriRi,
According you all your posts/reply on the forum, I am aware that you had the power off issue, and your Spark can still fly after that?
Is there any chance that you can try to fly with that battery pack again, let it hover over something really soft (the mattress for example), at a very low altitude to see if it cut-off the power again? Please try to create the same procedure that time if you can remember: for example how long have you fly before if cut-off (I was thinking maybe overheat cut-off the power as well).
If it is the real problem of battery, most likely the case will happen again. if it does not the power like last time, I think the issue is worse than we thought because it is random.
I understand that you cannot risk your product to experiment, but we beg for your help (if you feel comfortable to do so), so that we can narrow down the issue.
Thank you,

nwhit Posted at 2017-7-18 11:47
On another thread regarding this matter, the issue of possible bad battery batch or firmware came up. I do agree that the problem may be a batch of bad batteries. That is possible since these are "smart" batteries. For example, they are "shut off" when you get them and need to be on a charger for a minute or two before "activating". Thus not impossible that there is a firmware or hardware issue with a batch of batteries.

Would be a good idea for anyone who has had this problem to try isolating the battery used during the crash to see if other batteries have the same issue. In the case of my girls' crash, we had a battery that came with the bird plus 2 others purchased at a local shop, so the battery batches were different. Unfortunately, they are now mixed up so cannot remember which battery was used during the power-off crash.

Mr. nwhit,
I understood you said that the battery were mixed up and you cannot remember which one was using with the Spark when falling. However, I am sure if it is the battery issue, then the mal-function battery should still be there among all the batteries you have, correct?
Is there any chance that you can help us to put in all the batteries, let Spark hover over something really really soft (the mattress for example) and at a very low altitude, to see if Spark falls again when using 1 of those battery. If it fall, we can 100% sure that it is the battery issue that we are dealing with.
If it is not falling when you use all the batteries, the the situation is more complicated because we do not know what is the issue here.

Please note this is just a favor for all of us, so if you don't feel comfortable doing so, it is fine.
Thank you.

In line with the bad battery batch theory, I did fly at the club field yesterday using all 3 batteries from the spark that had crashed. No problems from any of the 3 batteries, just like in previous flying except the one crash. I also flew with my new Fly-more spark that came with 2 batteries. No problems. The original spark came with the 1 battery, and we bought 2 other batteries from a local dealer. Those 2 batteries were, obviously, from a different production batch.

My thought is this: I have read a post where the person said it definitely was the individually purchased battery that failed and not the one that came with his spark. It is also possible that my crash happened with one of the later purchased batteries.

PLEASE, ANYONE WHO HAS HAD A MID-AIR POWER-OUT CRASH, please post if you had only original batteries or were using a later-purchased battery. This might help determine if there is a possibility of a bad batch of batteries causing this issue, or if that theory can be eliminated. If people have power failures with the battery(s) that came with the spark, then it lowers the chance of a bad production batch of batteries. At least we would know that.