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Spark – ‘healthy’ to ‘suffering from issues’ ratio
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
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I think that Spark has great capabilities presented on paper and it could serve its purposes very well. Reading the forum, arises the question - how reliably it does?

  
Certainly most Spark owners have fun with their crafts, never experienced any problems, but also many issue complaints are seen. There is a correct theory that most of the troubles are contributed by pilot actions. From another point of view, frequently encountered issues contribute to more pilot errors.

  
Digging in threads, it seems that not all but individual units suffer from specific issues, including falling from the sky, weak or lost GPS signal for no apparent reason, unexplained compass errors, etc. many of them lead to fatal consequences.

  
What is the ratio between healthy to suffering from some issues, we cannot know but compared to other popular DJI models, it seems to be the worst. That is another point to consider when purchasing a new Spark – what is the chance to get a healthy one?  

2017-10-7
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Sassafras4me
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Few people bother to take the time to write "everything is going great" posts. Given the lower cost and propertied ease of flight it also attracts a lower functioning group of pilots, and the incidence of user error is higher. My two cents.
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hallmark007
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You make some good points and there maybe trouble with some, however to compare to other models you would need to go back to when for instance Mavic was 4 months old, I think it would be more than fair to say that Mavic had just as many problems if not more at the same period in its history.
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Wachtberger
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Sassafras4me Posted at 2017-10-7 05:47
Few people bother to take the time to write "everything is going great" posts. Given the lower cost and propertied ease of flight it also attracts a lower functioning group of pilots, and the incidence of user error is higher. My two cents.

It is exactly this! Spark is reaching out to a completely new and much broader audience where many individuals unfortunately but obviously do not take the necessary time to read all manuals and to make themselves familiar with the aircraft step by step.
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
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hallmark007 Posted at 2017-10-7 05:51
You make some good points and there maybe trouble with some, however to compare to other models you would need to go back to when for instance Mavic was 4 months old, I think it would be more than fair to say that Mavic had just as many problems if not more at the same period in its history.

What, in your opinion, implied a visible improvement of Mavic.
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
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Wachtberger Posted at 2017-10-7 05:55
It is exactly this! Spark is reaching out to a completely new and much broader audience where many individuals unfortunately but obviously do not take the necessary time to read all manuals and to make themselves familiar with the aircraft step by step.

In the category ‘suffering from issues’ I exclude the cases where a human factor is involved.
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hallmark007
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djiuser_gjLUHKA Posted at 2017-10-7 05:59
What, in your opinion, implied a visible improvement of Mavic.

I think Mavic had more problems than spark, reasons are similar new users and new AC, although Mavic clearly sold 5/10 times more than spark , the history of problems is very similar . Why, I think biggest problems were many new users no experience with this technology and no experience flying drones, I think this accounted fo 90% of Mavics problems I also think it’s similar with spark. Other problems where mostly down to Aircraft software glitches I call them glitches because not everyone had these problems, most of these were sorted out with FW upgrades, and today Mavic flys with very little problems, I think also in time spark will become better with FW upgrades.
I think the problem with sparks falling out of the sky were never proved I also think this will be similar with compass problems, there was a period of 4 months with Mavic when they also had sudden power loss and Aircraft just fell out of the sky, also never proved as a malfunction. This is not to say they were not malfunction even if they were I’m not sure dji would come forward and accept blame .

I do think all of this is very normal for this type of technology and hobby.
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
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hallmark007 Posted at 2017-10-7 06:16
I think Mavic had more problems than spark, reasons are similar new users and new AC, although Mavic clearly sold 5/10 times more than spark , the history of problems is very similar . Why, I think biggest problems were many new users no experience with this technology and no experience flying drones, I think this accounted fo 90% of Mavics problems I also think it’s similar with spark. Other problems where mostly down to Aircraft software glitches I call them glitches because not everyone had these problems, most of these were sorted out with FW upgrades, and today Mavic flys with very little problems, I think also in time spark will become better with FW upgrades.
I think the problem with sparks falling out of the sky were never proved I also think this will be similar with compass problems, there was a period of 4 months with Mavic when they also had sudden power loss and Aircraft just fell out of the sky, also never proved as a malfunction. This is not to say they were not malfunction even if they were I’m not sure dji would come forward and accept blame .

It sounds wise and optimistic as well. Thank you!
2017-10-7
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Zbig
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Exactly this. It's pointless to draw any conclusions regarding the product's reliability based on forum threads. After all, when was the last time you've posted on a, say, Electrolux forum to say that your washing machine is working just fine and you're happy with the purchase? ;)

Further expanding on the "more available than ever to the broader group than ever" aspect: I have dabbled in RC hobby with helicopter models. Back in the day where the only electronic aid available to flier was the gyroscope stabilizing the yaw axis, so no "3D stabilization" or such. Other than trying to keep its tail from spinning frantically out of control, the only thing the helicopter wanted was basically to crash as soon as you looked at it funny or got distracted for a few milliseconds. The learning curve was steep. You progressed slowly from so called "coaxials" through fixed pitch models to collective pitch models. You logged hours on the RC helicopter simulator software on your PC before daring to actually try your new, more advanced model out. It required skill and dedication. You kept an inventory of spare parts and treated them as consumables as crashes were par for the course. You actually saw and felt how much effort it takes just to keep the thing in hover, every second. Enter modern multi-rotors or "drones". Those things basically fly by themselves. The skill required to fly them, compared to classic RC helicopters is zero. I can hover my Spark in my room, then walk away and brew myself a coffee, only to find it's hovering happily in the exact same spot I left it when I'm back. RC helicopter (back when no advanced electronic stabilization was available) would crash into the wall the moment you turned your head away and stopped actively working the controls. That's how much it takes just to keep the craft in a stable hover in windless conditions and it only gets harder from there. That's how much work the Spark's flight controller does for you. Now, most people buying Spark or any other advanced drone, don't realize any of that. They take all the advanced systems for granted. They expect it to be like the iPhone - that it will "just work" no matter what. They shoot off into sky, losing the visual contact, during their first flights. Often, they cannot actually fly - simple as that. The demonized ATTI mode just brings you a bit closer to what was the only way of flying an RC helicopter just few years back. Now, people are so reliant on the GPS mode and RTH functionality that when the GPS disengages, they panic, let go off the sticks and mash the RTH button frantically. If you'd enter an RC helicopter forum just a few years back and admit that you panicked and stopped trying to actively fly the craft in an emergency situation, you'd be laughed away. Now, you get sympathy and - in some cases - join with the others blaming DJI.

Now, I realize this post reads a bit elitist so let me tell you that I quickly realized I'm not willing to fully dedicate into RC helicopter hobby back then. But I tried just enough of it to realize how spoiled we all are with products like Spark.
2017-10-7
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Oracle Miata
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Zbig Posted at 2017-10-7 06:51
Exactly this. It's pointless to draw any conclusions regarding the product's reliability based on forum threads. After all, when was the last time you've posted on a, say, Electrolux forum to say that your washing machine is working just fine and you're happy with the purchase? ;)

Further expanding on the "more available than ever to the broader group than ever" aspect: I have dabbled in RC hobby with helicopter models. Back in the day where the only electronic aid available to flier was the gyroscope stabilizing the yaw axis, so no "3D stabilization" or such. Other than trying to keep its tail from spinning frantically out of control, the only thing the helicopter wanted was basically to crash as soon as you looked at it funny or got distracted for a few milliseconds. The learning curve was steep. You progressed slowly from so called "coaxials" through fixed pitch models to collective pitch models. You logged hours on the RC helicopter simulator software on your PC before daring to actually try your new, more advanced model out. It required skill and dedication. You kept an inventory of spare parts and treated them as consumables as crashes were par for the course. You actually saw and felt how much effort it takes just to keep the thing in hover, every second. Enter modern multi-rotors or "drones". Those things basically fly by themselves. The skill required to fly them, compared to classic RC helicopters is zero. I can hover my Spark in my room, then walk away and brew myself a coffee, only to find it's hovering happily in the exact same spot I left it when I'm back. RC helicopter (back when no advanced electronic stabilization was available) would crash into the wall the moment you turned your head away and stopped actively working the controls. That's how much it takes just to keep the craft in a stable hover in windless conditions and it only gets harder from there. That's how much work the Spark's flight controller does for you. Now, most people buying Spark or any other advanced drone, don't realize any of that. They take all the advanced systems for granted. They expect it to be like the iPhone - that it will "just work" no matter what. They shoot off into sky, losing the visual contact, during their first flights. Often, they cannot actually fly - simple as that. The demonized ATTI mode just brings you a bit closer to what was the only way of flying an RC helicopter just few years back. Now, people are so reliant on the GPS mode and RTH functionality that when the GPS disengages, they panic, let go off the sticks and mash the RTH button frantically. If you'd enter an RC helicopter forum just a few years back and admit that you panicked and stopped trying to actively fly the craft in an emergency situation, you'd be laughed away. Now, you get sympathy and - in some cases - join with the others blaming DJI.


^^^  Post of the Year  ^^^

Intellectual Honesty.
2017-10-7
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Madwand
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You can, however, compare the number of complaints from one model to another. The fact that people don't report positive experiences is irrelevant to the study of failures.
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Zbig
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Oracle Miata Posted at 2017-10-7 07:35
^^^  Post of the Year  ^^^

Intellectual Honesty.

Thank you.
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Zbig
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Madwand Posted at 2017-10-7 07:39
You can, however, compare the number of complaints from one model to another. The fact that people don't report positive experiences is irrelevant to the study of failures.

Without knowing the respective sales numbers? I don't think you can really, sorry. Also, it gets much more complicated than that. For example, I think it would be reasonable to assume that relatively more Mavics got purchased by more experienced users, looking for something more compact to complement their Phantoms. I'm pretty sure Spark attracts much more sizeable chunk of the "Ooohh, a flying toy!" crowd. And that is just one of the possible variables.
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
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Zbig Posted at 2017-10-7 06:51
Exactly this. It's pointless to draw any conclusions regarding the product's reliability based on forum threads. After all, when was the last time you've posted on a, say, Electrolux forum to say that your washing machine is working just fine and you're happy with the purchase? ;)

Further expanding on the "more available than ever to the broader group than ever" aspect: I have dabbled in RC hobby with helicopter models. Back in the day where the only electronic aid available to flier was the gyroscope stabilizing the yaw axis, so no "3D stabilization" or such. Other than trying to keep its tail from spinning frantically out of control, the only thing the helicopter wanted was basically to crash as soon as you looked at it funny or got distracted for a few milliseconds. The learning curve was steep. You progressed slowly from so called "coaxials" through fixed pitch models to collective pitch models. You logged hours on the RC helicopter simulator software on your PC before daring to actually try your new, more advanced model out. It required skill and dedication. You kept an inventory of spare parts and treated them as consumables as crashes were par for the course. You actually saw and felt how much effort it takes just to keep the thing in hover, every second. Enter modern multi-rotors or "drones". Those things basically fly by themselves. The skill required to fly them, compared to classic RC helicopters is zero. I can hover my Spark in my room, then walk away and brew myself a coffee, only to find it's hovering happily in the exact same spot I left it when I'm back. RC helicopter (back when no advanced electronic stabilization was available) would crash into the wall the moment you turned your head away and stopped actively working the controls. That's how much it takes just to keep the craft in a stable hover in windless conditions and it only gets harder from there. That's how much work the Spark's flight controller does for you. Now, most people buying Spark or any other advanced drone, don't realize any of that. They take all the advanced systems for granted. They expect it to be like the iPhone - that it will "just work" no matter what. They shoot off into sky, losing the visual contact, during their first flights. Often, they cannot actually fly - simple as that. The demonized ATTI mode just brings you a bit closer to what was the only way of flying an RC helicopter just few years back. Now, people are so reliant on the GPS mode and RTH functionality that when the GPS disengages, they panic, let go off the sticks and mash the RTH button frantically. If you'd enter an RC helicopter forum just a few years back and admit that you panicked and stopped trying to actively fly the craft in an emergency situation, you'd be laughed away. Now, you get sympathy and - in some cases - join with the others blaming DJI.

A nice story about your hobby. Everyone has some, thanks for sharing yours.
let me ask you - where in the thread you saw “conclusion”? And also - have you seen a product that performs differently from the same ones?
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Zbig
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djiuser_gjLUHKA Posted at 2017-10-7 08:08
A nice story about your hobby. Everyone has some, thanks for sharing yours.
let me ask you - where in the thread you saw “conclusion”? And also - have you seen a product that performs differently from the same ones?

Thank you. I'm not sure I follow. All I meant is it's kind of pointless to try to assess the product's reliability based on the forum query alone. There's a whole bunch of people out there flying their Sparks happily, taking photos, making videos and having a good time in general, who not once had visited this forum let alone posted on it. For what it's worth, mine is perfectly fine - feel free to add one more data point ;) Regarding whether I've seen a product that performed differrently than others: do you mean have I ever seen a deffective product in my life? Yes, I have.
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Madwand Posted at 2017-10-7 07:39
You can, however, compare the number of complaints from one model to another. The fact that people don't report positive experiences is irrelevant to the study of failures.

What we do know is with all new releases there are teething problems some because FW needs tweaking. [I have already had two updates on my iOS 11] and because of those who are new to drones and flying.
With Spark and Mavic a large amount of those who purchased these drones were first time drone flyers so maybe teething Time is going to take a little longer, but we can see from Mavic that this will settle down in time when FW is updated and new users become more experienced.
I think you will see when new FW comes out there will be a rush here to blame almost anything and everything that goes wrong on the new FW , it’s just the way things are. In January you will also see problems increasing ten fold mainly because new users got gifts for Christmas.
January on this forum will be busy as it was on Mavic forum last January.
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
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Zbig Posted at 2017-10-7 08:17
Thank you. I'm not sure I follow. All I meant is it's kind of pointless to try to assess the product's reliability based on the forum query alone. There's a whole bunch of people out there flying their Sparks happily, taking photos, making videos and having a good time in general, who not once had visited this forum let alone posted on it. For what it's worth, mine is perfectly fine - feel free to add one more data point ;) Regarding whether I've seen a product that performed differrently than others: do you mean have I ever seen a deffective product in my life? Yes, I have.

OK. “to assess the product's reliability based on the forum query alone” - I definitely agree with that.
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ACW
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The Spark is my 4th DJI drone and rather than recite stats I will give my view based on my personal experience after I took my Spark out yesterday and did three back to back flights. Total flight time was 42 minutes, 8 seconds. On one flight I reached 1,080M from my position at 120M AGL flying in a CE area with no OTG/cables and little lag. I hit 31.7MPH in sport mode. Took a stunning 180 pano and horizontal pano. Took a great vid using tripod mode over 130’ trees. Used all gesture controls to full effect. Did two dronies, a helix and a rocket quick shot plus very controlled flight paths using Tap Fly co-ordinate and direction. Tested smart RTH from 400m away. Palm launched and landed on all three flights as in the countryside over rough terrain. To conclude, I never experienced a single problem during the three flights, took 39 stills and 25 minutes of FHD video with and without an ND16/PL filter attached which took 90 seconds to import onto my mac. No horizon tilt issues with the gimbal, no digital artifact in the footage and no noise. And above all, I had a lot of fun and some of my footage is easily on a par with my Mavic and the 4K panos equal my P4P. Having paid £699 for this drone (fly more package) I think it is the best value for money out of all my drones to date. No regrets.
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ACW Posted at 2017-10-7 08:33
The Spark is my 4th DJI drone and rather than recite stats I will give my view based on my personal experience after I took my Spark out yesterday and did three back to back flights. Total flight time was 42 minutes, 8 seconds. On one flight I reached 1,080M from my position at 120M AGL flying in a CE area with no cables and little lag. I hit 31.7MPH in sport mode. Took a stunning 180 pano and horizontal pano. Took a great vid using tripod mode over 130’ trees. Used all gesture controls to full effect. Did two dronies, a helix and a rocket quick shot. Tested smart RTH from 400m away. Palm launched and landed on all three flights as in the countryside over rough terrain. To conclude, I never experienced a single problem during the three flights, took 39 stills and 25 minutes of FHD video with and without an ND16/PL filter attached which took 90 seconds to import onto my mac. No horizon tilt issues with the gimbal, no digital artifact in the footage and no noise. And above all, I had a lot of fun and some of my footage is easily on a par with my Mavic and the 4K panos equal my P4P. Having paid £699 for this drone (fly more package) I think it is the best value for money out of all my drones to date. No regrets.


This is exactly what I mean.  I love this thing.  It gives so much and asks so little.  Fantastic quad, maybe DJI's best given the money spent.  
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I love Spark.  The issues are small, like my LG G4 doesn't always want to connect to the RC, but it forced me to try my Samsung Tablet and now I have a tablet holder and OTS cable with my RC so that turned into a good thing.  Spark will palm launch fine, but it can't seem to hold onto my hand for more than a second or two...which is a problem, but I don't really care about that too much the "Selfie" Drone marketing approach wasn't what got my attention.  A great platform that impresses everyone who see's it.  For the month I've had it and the 14 hours and 128 KM I've flown and the fun we've had as neighbors tried to elude the Spark as it follows them around, I could lose it today and it would have been well worth the cost.
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
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ACW Posted at 2017-10-7 08:33
The Spark is my 4th DJI drone and rather than recite stats I will give my view based on my personal experience after I took my Spark out yesterday and did three back to back flights. Total flight time was 42 minutes, 8 seconds. On one flight I reached 1,080M from my position at 120M AGL flying in a CE area with no OTG/cables and little lag. I hit 31.7MPH in sport mode. Took a stunning 180 pano and horizontal pano. Took a great vid using tripod mode over 130’ trees. Used all gesture controls to full effect. Did two dronies, a helix and a rocket quick shot plus very controlled flight paths using Tap Fly co-ordinate and direction. Tested smart RTH from 400m away. Palm launched and landed on all three flights as in the countryside over rough terrain. To conclude, I never experienced a single problem during the three flights, took 39 stills and 25 minutes of FHD video with and without an ND16/PL filter attached which took 90 seconds to import onto my mac. No horizon tilt issues with the gimbal, no digital artifact in the footage and no noise. And above all, I had a lot of fun and some of my footage is easily on a par with my Mavic and the 4K panos equal my P4P. Having paid £699 for this drone (fly more package) I think it is the best value for money out of all my drones to date. No regrets.

I nobly envy you.
I can boast of such an excellent experience with my P3A. I am delighted by his smooth and flawless performance, to be honest, never shared in the forum. Regarding Spark I fall into the group of disappointed ones - I have had no any problems except constantly weak GPS signal for no apparent reason.
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Going through the forum is simply like reading a review, you can utilize it to generate your own opinion.  If you bother to go through the complaints you will find all the same people telling the person posting their good stories and lack of any failure, these would be where you generate the positive experience.  You could also take into account the hundreds of posts of people submitting great photos and videos as a positive, I did.  The forum is very helpful but there are a handful of fan boys that will always tell you its lack of experience, because they themselves have not had an instance similar to your own.  I had a failure, I was told it was pilot error, though I was very upset I still purchased another Spark because I know what its capable of at the price point.  I searched out tons of reviews and its always mixed, like most things are.  There are 100%, device and software error problems, I won't let anyone on this forum say otherwise, but when you're flying an AC you don't always have full control of there are going to be casualties! The only thing you can do is be informed, do the proper checks,practice, and pray.   
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agonzarn Posted at 2017-10-7 10:42
Going through the forum is simply like reading a review, you can utilize it to generate your own opinion.  If you bother to go through the complaints you will find all the same people telling the person posting their good stories and lack of any failure, these would be where you generate the positive experience.  You could also take into account the hundreds of posts of people submitting great photos and videos as a positive, I did.  The forum is very helpful but there are a handful of fan boys that will always tell you its lack of experience, because they themselves have not had an instance similar to your own.  I had a failure, I was told it was pilot error, though I was very upset I still purchased another Spark because I know what its capable of at the price point.  I searched out tons of reviews and its always mixed, like most things are.  There are 100%, device and software error problems, I won't let anyone on this forum say otherwise, but when you're flying an AC you don't always have full control of there are going to be casualties! The only thing you can do is be informed, do the proper checks,practice, and pray.

Thank you! I find your post very useful. My hesitations are about buying second Spark.
2017-10-7
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I love my Spark too. I can say it's even too easy to fly if I compare Spark to my toy drones for few $. Making videos with Spark is pleasure. It could fly further, battery could be better but this kind of issues sounds stupid . You wanna fly far and longer buy mavic or phantom or better boeing. I had compass error and that was my fault to expose my AC on magnetic interference but I flew back in ATTI. I crashed on trees in sport mode or flying thought goals on football pitch 30cm from ground with DJI Goggles. So I doing stupid things because I can and that drone is awesome and able to do it. I just don't want do it with mavic   
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agonzarn Posted at 2017-10-7 10:42
Going through the forum is simply like reading a review, you can utilize it to generate your own opinion.  If you bother to go through the complaints you will find all the same people telling the person posting their good stories and lack of any failure, these would be where you generate the positive experience.  You could also take into account the hundreds of posts of people submitting great photos and videos as a positive, I did.  The forum is very helpful but there are a handful of fan boys that will always tell you its lack of experience, because they themselves have not had an instance similar to your own.  I had a failure, I was told it was pilot error, though I was very upset I still purchased another Spark because I know what its capable of at the price point.  I searched out tons of reviews and its always mixed, like most things are.  There are 100%, device and software error problems, I won't let anyone on this forum say otherwise, but when you're flying an AC you don't always have full control of there are going to be casualties! The only thing you can do is be informed, do the proper checks,practice, and pray.


Who buys another Spark if it fails on you?  This "fan boy" would be done with anything if it failed on him and was not any fault of my own.  Especially if DJI told me to take a walk and refused to honor any warranty.  Sorry, but no hobby is worth that on principal alone.  Just my opinion.
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agonzarn Posted at 2017-10-7 10:42
Going through the forum is simply like reading a review, you can utilize it to generate your own opinion.  If you bother to go through the complaints you will find all the same people telling the person posting their good stories and lack of any failure, these would be where you generate the positive experience.  You could also take into account the hundreds of posts of people submitting great photos and videos as a positive, I did.  The forum is very helpful but there are a handful of fan boys that will always tell you its lack of experience, because they themselves have not had an instance similar to your own.  I had a failure, I was told it was pilot error, though I was very upset I still purchased another Spark because I know what its capable of at the price point.  I searched out tons of reviews and its always mixed, like most things are.  There are 100%, device and software error problems, I won't let anyone on this forum say otherwise, but when you're flying an AC you don't always have full control of there are going to be casualties! The only thing you can do is be informed, do the proper checks,practice, and pray.

I am not a fan boy and I am not blaming any individual for the loss or crash of their Spark or any drone - I am merely outling my own, personal experience and people may take from that what they will. I bought my P4P from DJI as soon as it was released in November last year and after I unboxed it the charger was hissing and I had constant IMU failures on setting it up - I returned it to DJI without ever flying it and it took 4 weeks for a replacement after they confirmed (with a massive apology) that they had sent me a faulty product. Thankfully, my replacement has been perfect. My post regarding the Spark is based entirely on the facts taking my three flights from yesterday as a snap shot. I may take off tomorrow and experience a fly away but, at the time of writing, I can honestly say that I am yet to experience a single issue with my Spark. My Mavic on the other hand has been riddled with artifact using 1080p @ 60p, horizon tilt issues, sharpness issues, gimbal disconnects etc. though many of these design faults have been rectified with FW updates but the Spark has been refreshing as faultless from day 1 of buying it last month. Whilst I have experienced faulty products there are also many cases where individuals are to blame for their loss - I read only the other day on here that someone landed their Spark 200m away from their position because the OA wouldn't let them fly any further - the guy didn't even know he could of just turned off the OA mid flight and resumed plus that direct sunlight can cause the OA to stop the drone mid flight - yet he opened his post by blaming the drone for having to land 200m away...
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ACW Posted at 2017-10-7 11:46
I am not a fan boy and I am not blaming any individual for the loss or crash of their Spark or any drone - I am merely outling my own, personal experience and people may take from that what they will. I bought my P4P from DJI as soon as it was released in November last year and after I unboxed it the charger was hissing and I had constant IMU failures on setting it up - I returned it to DJI without ever flying it and it took 4 weeks for a replacement after they confirmed (with a massive apology) that they had sent me a faulty product. Thankfully, my replacement has been perfect. My post regarding the Spark is based entirely on the facts taking my three flights from yesterday as a snap shot. I may take off tomorrow and experience a fly away but, at the time of writing, I can honestly say that I am yet to experience a single issue with my Spark. My Mavic on the other hand has been riddled with artifact using 1080p @ 60p, horizon tilt issues, sharpness issues, gimbal disconnects etc. though many of these design faults have been rectified with FW updates but the Spark has been refreshing as faultless from day 1 of buying it last month. Whilst I have experienced faulty products there are also many cases where individuals are to blame for their loss - I read only the other day on here that someone landed their Spark 200m away from their position because the OA wouldn't let them fly any further - the guy didn't even know he could of just turned off the OA mid flight and resumed plus that direct sunlight can cause the OA to stop the drone mid flight - yet he opened his post by blaming the drone for having to land 200m away...

I wasn't referring to any specific comments from this post, merely things I come across.  Personal experience with the product is always a plus, providing positive feedback.  Again, I've lost a Spark and purchased another because I think its a good product with some issues.  I'm just very cautious now!  I definitely agree, you should know how to operate the AC before sending it into the air.   
2017-10-7
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ACW
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Flight distance : 13838848 ft
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agonzarn Posted at 2017-10-7 15:08
I wasn't referring to any specific comments from this post, merely things I come across.  Personal experience with the product is always a plus, providing positive feedback.  Again, I've lost a Spark and purchased another because I think its a good product with some issues.  I'm just very cautious now!  I definitely agree, you should know how to operate the AC before sending it into the air.

Fair enough - enjoy your new one.
2017-10-7
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DJI Susan
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I'm sorry for the unpleasant experience. As you know first, Spark is introduced as consumer drones which has its specific audience. No matter which issue are you experiencing, we are glad to help you. Data analysis is always recommended to check the exact crash reason. We appreciate your feedback.
2017-10-15
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Centraltooth
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Flight distance : 76539 ft
Thailand
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I am also quite apprehensive after seeing so much negative feedbacks. I have been very careful with doing my pre-flight checks every time I fly, and right now, I have about 55 flights so far and no issues with my Spark yet. It's a really brilliant product imo. My advice is to treat your Spark more like a delicate piece of machinery rather than a toy and you'll be fine.
2017-10-15
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Gunship9
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My Spark is working fine.  It is my first drone.  I look in forums to find operating pitfalls I need to avoid.  

I like that there are plenty of options on how to use it.  Right now I hand launch it as gesture mode so I can fly where there is no flat/clear ground.  Then I connect the remote control to the spark and my phone.  I return to gesture mode to land in my hand.  Sport mode was surprisingly fun.  I have yet to try the Return to Home mode (not that trusting) and just manually bring it back to the landing area.

Funny the poster mentioning unstabilized helicopters, as that was how I learned RC.  My Trex 450 had a rudder gyro but relied on you for the rest.  It was constantly trying to fall off in one direction or the other.  The Trex 450 seemed an easier way to learn RC flying since I could learn to fly in steps.  Low hover with training gear, then to eye level hover, then to hovering a little off to one side or the other.  Took a few weeks to get to that with the nose turned in as you swapped hovering positions.  Eventually, you are flying figure eights inverted, flips, rolls and such.  I moved on to RC airplanes and found them tougher to learn since you could not stop and hover if things got too hectic.  

I am mostly nervous about loosing signal with the spark and haven't flown very far away.  It seems okay but I think it would be more susceptible to interference than my RC model's Spektrum radio.
2017-10-15
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
Flight distance : 16171 ft
Bulgaria
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DJI Susan Posted at 2017-10-15 20:25
I'm sorry for the unpleasant experience. As you know first, Spark is introduced as consumer drones which has its specific audience. No matter which issue are you experiencing, we are glad to help you. Data analysis is always recommended to check the exact crash reason. We appreciate your feedback.

My stories about unpleasant experience with Spark are shared here and here.
  
  
“Spark is introduced as consumer drones which has its specific audience” - Some my thoughts regarding this topic are posted here. It is kind of satire but I think that everyone could find some truth in it.
  
  
” No matter which issue are you experiencing, we are glad to help you” - I highly appreciate any offer for help. Regarding my experience with Spark so far, the only thing which is not clear and still disturbs me is described in this my post.  Can you clarify it for me, please?
  
  
And the good thing for finish – despite of my obviously unpleasant experience with the first Spark (finally lost) I decided to purchase second one because I like it as a flying compact camera and hope that “…in time spark will become better with FW upgrades” as stated above.

2017-10-16
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DJI Susan
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djiuser_gjLUHKA Posted at 2017-10-16 03:29
My stories about unpleasant experience with Spark are shared here and here.     “Spark is introduced as consumer drones which has its specific audience” - Some my thoughts regarding this topic are posted here. It is kind of satire but I think that everyone could find some truth in it.     ” No matter which issue are you experiencing, we are glad to help you” - I highly appreciate any offer for help. Regarding my experience with Spark so far, the only thing which is not clear and still disturbs me is described in this my post.  Can you clarify it for me, please?     And the good thing for finish – despite of my obviously unpleasant experience with the first Spark (finally lost) I decided to purchase second one because I like it as a flying compact camera and hope that “…in time spark will become better with FW upgrades” as stated above.

Thanks for getting back to us. And I have replied you in this post: https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... =1&extra=#pid999251

The drone will not hover or brake in ATTI mode. And when the accident happened, the aircraft was under your control as there were sticks input. I'm sorry it is not a warranty case according to the data we collected. I know it is a hard lesson, let's learn from it and move on.
2017-10-17
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djiuser_gjLUHKA
Flight distance : 16171 ft
Bulgaria
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DJI Susan Posted at 2017-10-17 02:17
Thanks for getting back to us. And I have replied you in this post: https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... =1&extra=#pid999251

The drone will not hover or brake in ATTI mode. And when the accident happened, the aircraft was under your control as there were sticks input. I'm sorry it is not a warranty case according to the data we collected. I know it is a hard lesson, let's learn from it and move on.

Dear DJI Susan,
Thank you for your response but it does not contain the requested clarification.
  
I understand that DJI could not provide warranty service in this case and I accepted this.

I am worried about the arguments on which the decision of DJI support is based.
“data analysis result:
1.The aircraft was controlled by pilot in ATTI mode due to no GPS signal.
2.T=02:15, H=1m, aircraft drifted and crashed and flight record interrupt..Before the crash pilot was pushing throttle stick upward. Then flight record interrupted.”
  
Even the screenshot attached for reference (T=02:09) is not selected properly.
  
CAS-968067-F7P8B0.png

  
If you take a closer look at the screenshots below, you can see that the speed of aircraft decreases after stick inputs. (The commands were an attempt to oppose the erratic movements of my Spark). After that there in an increase of horizontal speed with no input (T=02:13 – 02:16). You can also notice the insignificant response of the craft to throttle up input.
  
Screenshot_09-12.jpg
Screenshot_13-16.jpg
  
This behavior is explained by DJI support as follows:
  
“The aircraft "leaned" in a specific direction and started to speed up because of this. The movement would have to be conteracted by the pilot.
depending on the "leaning angle" of the unit, a throttle up command will result in a even higher acceleration.”

Note that I am aware of drone behavior in ATTI mode as you can see in my thread and Spark is not my first dronе.
  
This explanation disturbs me because it describes exactly what happened but this is not normal behavior, i.e. the aircraft should not remain leaned after the stick is returned in neutral position.
  
My request is to clarify the explanation given by DJI support.

2017-10-17
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DJI Susan
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djiuser_gjLUHKA Posted at 2017-10-17 10:58
Dear DJI Susan,Thank you for your response but it does not contain the requested clarification.  I understand that DJI could not provide warranty service in this case and I accepted this.
I am worried about the arguments on which the decision of DJI support is based. “data analysis result: 1.The aircraft was controlled by pilot in ATTI mode due to no GPS signal.2.T=02:15, H=1m, aircraft drifted and crashed and flight record interrupt..Before the crash pilot was pushing throttle stick upward. Then flight record interrupted.”  Even the screenshot attached for reference (T=02:09) is not selected properly.   [view_image]
  If you take a closer look at the screenshots below, you can see that the speed of aircraft decreases after stick inputs. (The commands were an attempt to oppose the erratic movements of my Spark). After that there in an increase of horizontal speed with no input (T=02:13 – 02:16). You can also notice the insignificant response of the craft to throttle up input.    [view_image][view_image]  This behavior is explained by DJI support as follows:  “The aircraft "leaned" in a specific direction and started to speed up because of this. The movement would have to be conteracted by the pilot.depending on the "leaning angle" of the unit, a throttle up command will result in a even higher acceleration.”

I have checked the email history, maybe you have missed the first part.

"the behaviour of the aircraft was the result of flying without GPS signal.
The flight in ATTI mode then results in the stick inputs being translated not to a movement, but to a tilt in a specific direction. This is not automatically controlled by the aircraft, but hat to be handled by the pilot.

The aircraft "leaned" in a specific direction and started to speed up because of this. The movement would have to be conteracted by the pilot.
depending on the "leaning angle" of the unit, a throttle up command will result in a even higher acceleration."

I think he is trying to illustrate the behavior in ATTI mode. Language barrier may make it a little hard to understand. I translate it as that the drone could not hover or brake in ATTI. All depends on your control.
2017-10-18
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