Just curious if anyone has had a chance to fly their new Mavic Air in the cold and if they experienced any issues?  I own the DJI Spark and have flown all winter without issue.  I heard some grumblings from 1 person on YouTube about flying in cold weather.  He reported an issue with the IMU getting to cold causing his Mavic Air to shake.  Just curious to see if anyone else has seen anything similar?  

I plan on taking my Mavic Air out this weekend for it's maiden flight and the temps look like they'll be 40's F (10 degrees Celcius).  Not to cold for it's maiden flight.  I've flown my Spark when it was 12 F (-11 C) without issue.  

i went out in -10c yesterday and flew through a battery . no problems.  a few other threads about some vibration if the drone isn't warmed up ..

i couldn't test this cause it wouldn't launch off my hood so had to palm launch it so was warm by then

AIister Posted at 2018-2-8 09:44
i went out in -10c yesterday and flew through a battery . no problems.  a few other threads about some vibration if the drone isn't warmed up ..

i couldn't test this cause it wouldn't launch off my hood so had to palm launch it so was warm by then

Thanks for the heads up.  I normally do palm launches as well and keep everything warm until I'm ready to fly.  I think I'll be fine.  You just can't leave these things lying around in the cold (common sense).

Thanks again...

For others...Also, found this video which I think speaks to this issue but is easily addressed;

good vid

i didnt fly mine though, i started it and it warmed up sitting on my hood for a minute or so.  doubt the fan turned on though lol

Actually I think this video should put much of the 'cold flying' questions to rest.  Just warm everything up a bit before flying off into the wild blue yonder.  He's flying in Alaska (Portage Glacier) in -17 degree weather with his Mavic Air.  

Thanks for sharing my videos ;). I have really been enjoying the Mavic Air so far. It’s a great very capable drone for ultra portable quality drone video.

If you want to see the behind the scenes of my trip out to the glacier you can see it here. It has some more Air footage in it as well.

https://youtu.be/vmxbqrHFn4s

JakeS Posted at 2018-2-8 15:29
Thanks for sharing my videos ;). I have really been enjoying the Mavic Air so far. It’s a great very capable drone for ultra portable quality drone video.

If you want to see the behind the scenes of my trip out to the glacier you can see it here. It has some more Air footage in it as well.

Of course...it's a great video!  Keep-um coming.....great stuff!  

RGMG...

I just had my maiden flight here this afternoon in a suburb of Chicago.  It was 19 F without the windchill.

I did a have a few problems but I'm not sure if it was the cold or not.  Based on what I had read about the vibrations, instead of the auto takeoff like I normally do, I started the motors and just let them spin for about 30 seconds or so, and then gave it some throttle to about 8 feet.  I did not notice any shaking at all, rock solid.  Overall, I was happy with the performance.

I did have some weirdness, here are the few things I noticed:

• A few times I received a front sensor calibration error
• I received a message indicating I had reached my maximum distance (not sure what this is as I'm pretty sure beginner mode was off, I was about 1,000 feet out)
• At one point, my gimbal seemed to lock sideways and I couldn't seem to unlock it, fearing that I might crash, I pressed the return to home button and then it correct itself
• I'm not used to using my cellphone as I stopped using it when I got my Crystal Sky, but since the CS doesn't work with the MA (c'mon DJI) I had to use it.  When I plugged my cell into the controller, it seems it was charging my phone, and later in the flight (several times) an error message would pop up on my screen indicating the charging had stopped as the battery was too cold.
  

I don't know that any of these had anything to do with the weather or not.
Once I get myself sorted out here (probably tomorrow), I'll upload my flight logs and a vid clip of the gimbal weirdness.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

Todd in Chicago Posted at 2018-2-8 20:04
RGMG...

I just had my maiden flight here this afternoon in a suburb of Chicago.  It was 19 F without the windchill.

Thanks for the feedback.  Regarding item #2 about 'Maximum Distance'.  There are 2 settings; 1 for Beginner Mode, and a 2nd to Enable/Disable Max Distance.  It appears to be ENABLED by default so just turn that off as well.

I just activated my Mavic Air this evening and did notice a 'Gimbal Calibration' setting in the options.  I re calibrated mine this evening (just for good measure).    Just something worth looking at.  

Not sure about the other issues but good feedback.  

Oh, one other thing.
Even though I had my brand spanking new high speed SD card, by default (apparently I didn't notice) the MA was recording to internal storage, which then apparently filled up.

So here are of the messages extracted from the Phantomhelp that seem to be different than my Spark:

• Video cache has stopped because there is not enough storage space. You can enable Auto Cache Clear or manually delete cache to get enough space.
• Maximum flight distance reached. Adjust the distance in MC Settings if required.  **This was at 1,567 feet
• Internal storage is full. Do you wish to switch to SD card?
• Propulsion output has been limited to ensure battery health.  **Battery was at 35% at 697 feet away
• Attitude is too large. Backward Obstacle Sensing is not functioning.; Attitude is too large. Forward Obstacle Sensing is not functioning.
  

I'm really not too sure of what to make of #2,4, and 5.

Here are the two flight logs:

File 1

  

http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Z5GMVYO8UG9CUN8YFDXQ/

  

  

File 2

  

http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/IIH3FBPPDTATD19GZQY7/

Any ideas?

I'll see if I have the video from the gimbal lockup, for some reason I don' think I do.  I don't see any errors in the logs.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

Just downloaded the DJI Go 4 update for my phone and connected back to my MA.

As expected, the maximum distance problem was user error, apparently even though I was not in beginner mode, there is both an altitude and distance setting that needs to be set.  I've corrected that.

When I went into my camera settings, it shows the default as the SD card, and not the internal storage, so not too sure what happened there.

For these last 2, still not sure what the problem was.

Propulsion output has been limited to ensure battery health.  **Battery was at 35% at 697 feet away
Attitude is too large. Backward Obstacle Sensing is not functioning.; Attitude is too large. Forward Obstacle Sensing is not functioning.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

attitude means the drone is angled down, the back is higher than the front so the rear sensors are aimed upwards , thus will not function - same as the front aimed down.  this shuts off automatically in sport mode i believe.

should be no problem with the battery.. maybe got cold or was windy and drone was working hard.  lots of times it will do this if you fly too fast too quickly from launch before things warm up, or maybe too cold etc.

So....  ;-)....ummm...lol...

I think most of what I reported could be, might be, my own damn fault - to paraphrase Jimmy Buffet.

So the max distance problem and video cache problem sure was my own fault, so those 2 are explained.

I'm pretty sure the that error message popping up on my screen indicating the charging had stopped as the battery was too cold was an Android message, and not a DJI Go 4 app message, there is certainly nothing in the flight logs about that.  I just need to figure out how to turn off the ability for the remote to charge the phone, as that is not the behavior I want anyway.

There are 3 things I can't really explain:

• Why the MA by default was using the internal card and not the 64gb card in the slot.  When I checked later, the default is now the SD card.
• Propulsion output has been limited to ensure battery health.  **Battery was at 35% at 697 feet away, have no clue on this one.
• Attitude is too large. Backward Obstacle Sensing is not functioning.; Attitude is too large. Forward Obstacle Sensing is not functioning.  It was not very windy, so not sure what was going on here.
  

And.....I might have an answer for this one:  At one point, my gimbal seemed to lock sideways and I couldn't seem to unlock it, fearing that I might crash, I pressed the return to home button and then it correct itself.

I'm wondering in the very flat and waning light, and the snow covered ground, if I may have experienced a bit of an optical illusion.

So, let me give you the setup....I'm out on the maiden flight of my brand new Mavic Air on a day when I'm freezing my butt off and I'm quite certain UAV Forecast would have said "Are you kidding?", I've already gotten some strange messages that I'm not used to seeing, the light is very flat and the ground is snow covered, and I'm looking at what is to me (I'm used to using a tablet) a small screen, and this is what I see:



I think it was a bit of an optical illusion and me not being comfortable so I hit the RTH button.

Maybe I'm wrong and I'll keep an eye on it, but I have no evidence in any of my videos of a the gimbal locking up except what I'm showing here, which if you look at it closely (or maybe YOU don't need to!) is NOT a gimbal locking up, just a weird perspective.  Additionally I have no errors in the logs which indicate a gimbal overload which is what I would expect to see.
I would love any help on the three things I was not able to understand or solve.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

pretty funny illusion since on a day this the sky could be the same color as the snow covered ground.  

Hi there. Thanks for your support.
Actually, we do recommend users to operate the drone within its operating temperature range: 0°C - 40°C.
FLy safe and hope you have fun with your Mavic Air.

Good feedback..I just went thought my MA settings last night.  Maiden flight will be today.  I'll have to double check the settings for the SD card just to make sure it's not set to the internal storage.  

DJI Paladin Posted at 2018-2-9 02:00
Hi there. Thanks for your support.
Actually, we do recommend users to operate the drone within its operating temperature range: 0°C - 40°C.
FLy safe and hope you have fun with your Mavic Air.

Yes sir....understood.

I just couldn't wait!  I got out last night before a very large snowstorm was supposed to hit (actually started snowing on the way home).  We were forecast for 8-12 inches of snow, so I reckon I won't be flying anytime soon again, so I saw it as my last opportunity for a while.

I understand the risks, and do accept them and would/could not have blamed DJI for any of my troubles yesterday.

:-)

I had some fun anyway!

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

Todd in Chicago Posted at 2018-2-8 21:55
So....  ;-)....ummm...lol...

I think most of what I reported could be, might be, my own damn fault - to paraphrase Jimmy Buffet.

FYI:  In case you didn't see it.  DJI just released a new FIRMWARE UPDATE for the Mavic Air earlier today (2/09/2018).  

https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... p;extra=#pid1188491

RGMGFitness Posted at 2018-2-9 11:09
FYI:  In case you didn't see it.  DJI just released a new FIRMWARE UPDATE for the Mavic Air earlier today (2/09/2018).  

https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=134268&page=1&extra=#pid1188491

Thx...

I'll git her all loaded up a little bit later....we had like 8 inches of snow today and it finally stopped.  But we are expecting more over the next two nights.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

Todd in Chicago Posted at 2018-2-9 13:43
Thx...

I'll git her all loaded up a little bit later....we had like 8 inches of snow today and it finally stopped.  But we are expecting more over the next two nights.

I exactly know how you feel. Was once in Chicago and as E. A. Poe would say... nevermore.
Man, how cold it was.... and chilly wind on top of that.
Penguins were getting frostbites how bad it was. So no wonder poor MA can't handle it as well.

eYeSkYeYe Posted at 2018-2-9 13:48
I exactly know how you feel. Was once in Chicago and as E. A. Poe would say... nevermore.
Man, how cold it was.... and chilly wind on top of that.
Penguins were getting frostbites how bad it was. So no wonder poor MA can't handle it as well.

LOL....

In the end, I think the Mavic Air did way better than the pilot!

We've had around 15 inches of snow in the last 3 days or so, but next week it may be near 40f, so I'll see if I can get another run in.  

I've changed some settings, so I expect the Mavic Air will react better to the pilot this time....since the pilot was mostly in error last time.  ;-)

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

Mavic Air, Fly More Combo, Lava Red. I currently live in Ottawa Canada. If you drop a new drone on me in the middle of winter, of course I am going to try it out regardless of the cold weather. I have noticed two issues: 1) In cold weather, the IMU caused the Mavic Air to shake/vibrate on takeoff. This continued for about 45 seconds and faded away to a steady hover. The problem was fixed with a firmware update from DJI. 2) I have noticed that I must perform a compass calibration every single time I fly in cold weather. Rarely required indoors (warm) but always on the first battery use outdoors. Since this is the only issue and others have the same problem, I assume DJI will fix it in a future firmware release. The conditions to recreate this issue are: a freshly charged battery, rural outdoor location (no magnetic interference), using remote control and iPhone 6+, temperatures between 5 and -15 Celsius, and locations are less than 30 kilometers from the home residence. In my opinion, the only variable in need of consideration is the cool temperatures.

In my opinion, the Mavic Air is a fantastic cold weather flyer. I always keep the small batteries warm (in my pockets). I do not notice a reduced flying time. I do not typically use "sport mode". I film nearly constantly and only stop to take a photograph, then resume filming. No issues with normal winds 10 -15 kmph.  I launch from a flat surface and always catch the drone for landings. I usually travel about 1 - 2km from my launch point. If I have clear line of sight, I am certain I could go further but I choose not to. If trees are in my way, I can expect signal degradation and a much shorter range. Keep this drone in an unobstructed line of sight and you will have no regrets.

FWIW, I video the entire flight. then I use VCL for playback and take screen shots from the video. this way I dont have to switch back and forth the modes in flight.

I have done around 10 flights by now. Temeperatures here in the northern part of Europe have been constantly between  -5 to -10 degrees celsius and I have not had a problems with my Mavic Air.

RGMGFitness Posted at 2-9 11:09
FYI:  In case you didn't see it.  DJI just released a new FIRMWARE UPDATE for the Mavic Air earlier today (2/09/2018).  

https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=134268&page=1&extra=#pid1188491

Hi Ron, I'm running my MA on 0300 firmware . Has cold weather flying been any issues for you? I'm thinking of getting a Lipo case for the batteries and using hand warmers for warmth. Not sure if it would be too hot against the batteries though. I'd like to add, I've learned a lot from your videos on the MA!! Thanks, Ray

raypaula123 Posted at 11-12 04:04
Hi Ron, I'm running my MA on 0300 firmware . Has cold weather flying been any issues for you? I'm thinking of getting a Lipo case for the batteries and using hand warmers for warmth. Not sure if it would be too hot against the batteries though. I'd like to add, I've learned a lot from your videos on the MA!! Thanks, Ray

I've had no issues flying in the cold.  The secret is to keep your drone indoors until your ready to fly.  Don't leave it in your car more than you have too. If your hiking or something like that try to keep the batteries in your chest pockets or something close to your body and you won't have any issues.  You'll be fine as long as your smart about flying in the cold.    I've never had to use any external warmers.  Hope that helps....