Hi everyone,
Not sure what sort of issue this is. Last time I took my DJI Spark out it said I had no GPS, even though we should have had it as I phones did. I was in the countryside and tried in a few places but no joy.

How do I troubleshoot this, please?


I had a search on the forums and youtube but can't find the answers I need.

I've checked Bluetooth isn't on at that was one thing that came up.

I tried calibrating compass but failed because I was near a metal object. I can't try that again as it has started raining. Hopefully will stop soon and I can drive to an open field.

What else can you suggest, please?

thanks,
Kathryn

not sure if you can troubleshoot that..
was there any thick cloud ceiling? that may influence..
try again and see if anything changes. otherwise a case with DJI support would be probably the best solution

dj_dread Posted at 2018-2-9 04:58
not sure if you can troubleshoot that..
was there any thick cloud ceiling? that may influence..
try again and see if anything changes. otherwise a case with DJI support would be probably the best solution

No, it was a beautiful clear blue sky. As soon as it's stopped raining I'll take her (does anyone else call theirs a her or a him?) out again and see what happens. If still no joy I better contact support.  Thanks, Kat

open up a case meantime..they may ask you to export black box data and flight records so you can do that while it's raining and when the sun comes out again you'll be all set

Hi Kathryn, based on my own limited experience, sometimes it takes a few minutes for the Spark to locate enough GPS satellites to be able to take off. It's possible that the metal object you were near may have been causing enough interference that your Spark was not able to connect to enough satellites. I think your next best option to troubleshoot this would be to head to an open field and try again. Hopefully it will stop raining.

Linny&HerSpark Posted at 2018-2-9 05:12
Hi Kathryn, based on my own limited experience, sometimes it takes a few minutes for the Spark to locate enough GPS satellites to be able to take off. It's possible that the metal object you were near may have been causing enough interference that your Spark was not able to connect to enough satellites. I think your next best option to troubleshoot this would be to head to an open field and try again. Hopefully it will stop raining.

When the problem started I was in the middle of nowhere so I'm pretty sure that wasn't it. But I'll try again  and fingers crossed it will have magically corrected itself.... maybe.... with a bit of luck :-)

dj_dread Posted at 2018-2-9 05:08
open up a case meantime..they may ask you to export black box data and flight records so you can do that while it's raining  and when the sun comes out again you'll be all set

Good idea but the sun's come back out so rushing off out to try it but if it fails I'll send them my black box data. I found that earlier for the first time today while trying to figure this out!

Just tried it out in a field and everything fine again. Wanted to try it on the beach too but too windy. Fingers crossed it was a one-off but I'd love to know what caused it. It was a perfect day, middle of nowhere by a river with a castle a little way off. So picturesque. I know just the spot I want o fy from now and how to get there so will try again another time.

Was the ATTI function on top of the screen? If so then there is nothing to worry about

Travel With Kat Posted at 2018-2-9 06:40
Just tried it out in a field and everything fine again. Wanted to try it on the beach too but too windy. Fingers crossed it was a one-off but I'd love to know what caused it. It was a perfect day, middle of nowhere by a river with a castle a little way off. So picturesque. I know just the spot I want o fy from now and how to get there so will try again another time.

So glad everything ended up working out for you.

Linny&HerSpark Posted at 2018-2-9 06:50
So glad everything ended up working out for you.

Thanks, I'm hoping to go to Rodrigues Island in a couple of weeks and don't want it playing up when I'm away. It's a press trip so probably won't have a lot of free time to mess around with it.

SOUNDWAVE439 Posted at 2018-2-9 06:47
Was the ATTI function on top of the screen? If so then there is nothing to worry about

I don't remember. I don't think so. It just said no GPS and wouldn't let me fly.

When I tried it again at home this morning. The ATTI function kicked in and announced it out loud so i think I would have noticed it if it had when the GPS initially stopped working.

Travel With Kat Posted at 2018-2-9 06:57
I don't remember. I don't think so. It just said no GPS and wouldn't let me fly.

When I tried it again at home this morning. The ATTI function kicked in and announced it out loud so i think I would have noticed it if it had when the GPS initially stopped working.

it is working then?

Travel With Kat Posted at 2018-2-9 06:57
I don't remember. I don't think so. It just said no GPS and wouldn't let me fly.

When I tried it again at home this morning. The ATTI function kicked in and announced it out loud so i think I would have noticed it if it had when the GPS initially stopped working.

I think Spark gets GPS information from the phone/DJI Go app so it knows where it is, and when it is, so it knows what satellites should be overhead to look for.  

If your phone is not giving time or place information to the DJI Go app, the Spark has to start with a default date and time  0.0 long and 0.0 lat.  Then it looks for each of 24+ gps satellites that could be overhead at that location.  Once it has lucked upon a satellite, it can download current GPS satellite orbits and locations.  A possible long download from the satellite signal.  Most receivers keep a clock and memory of where they were last to speed up lock-on, but this can be deleted with power off, or over written by bad data.

That is why sometimes the GPS lock-on is fast, and why it is sometimes slow as the ice age.

Update: went back to the exact same place and it all worked like a dream!

SOUNDWAVE439 Posted at 2018-2-10 15:46
it is working then?

It worked straight away when I went back a week later. Just one fo those things I guess.