The DJI techs really can not handle tough problems. The just want to push my machine out the door. Back in December when it finally got cold here in Texas, the machine had a very hard time connecting to the Inspire. I finally put the machine in a warm truck and got it to connect. Then half way through the flight, it lost full connection, and landed on it own. I tried multiple remotes with the same issue. The temperatures where in the low 40's with some wind. I sent it in, and with lots of communication, they sent it back. Here is a youtube video showing the issue.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9X1UqlcoBQ




Now I get it back, and it is warm in Texas again, but then I had another close to 40F day, and the machine returns to home again on a flight. I now record this next video.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXxIJNfhGg




And now they want to blow me off again because it is on a metal table, which the metal table does not affect RF with in five feet of the unit. And I sent them my flight logs, which show the degradation in signal as the temperature of the machine drops.




Now they want to send me this unit back with out fixing it. This is a super high liability issue. This machine needs to be fixed properly or they need to send me a new one.




I had to go buy another machine, just to keep something in the sky. If they do not fix this, may have to get the lawyers involved.

     Does this happen everywhere you fly or only in some spots.  The reason I say that the Table will cause interference is because when i set my aircraft  down in the back if my pick up I get the same  loss of signal and compass errors.  Now, I do not loose total connection like yours  and I  dont  loose Video which is something I notice in your video.  Paul may have a good point, You may have some other interference as well . Microwave etc.  The round metal table may be a red herring in this whole matter.  
   I apologize if it is not user error as well.  I just find the same anomolies with metal that you are experienceing ( I did not notice the loss of video on first examination, this I do not experience)  Maybe I just looked at the Giant elephant in the roon ( The metal table ) and did not realize there may be a small gremlin causing your grief.

Im not sure what the problem may be in your case. Maybe the main circuit board,  I dont know how it even flies if the interference is that bad.  

-donnie

This is not a compass issue at all. This is a radio going out. Every time it gets cold the control signal goes zero, and the machine returns to home.

If you look at the first video. The aircraft was outside on the ground. A table like that will interfear with the compass, but not the RF. I have another DJI inspire, and it does not have this issue at all with this table. As soon as the machine gets to a cold temperature, the RF goes completely away. This has happened at three different locations.

And by cold, this is Texas cold. The last flight lockout it was in the lower 45F with 12MPH winds.

joe@jbdww.com Posted at 2016-2-22 18:18
This is not a compass issue at all. This is a radio going out. Every time it gets cold the control s ...

   You say you use multiple radios and you have the same problem ?  Then there must be interference.  Or it is something in the aircraft.  when you sent the aircraft in did they find anything?  Also i appreciate you adding information, you say you have other Inspires and they dont do this. That adds alot to the information gathering.  If those other machines are not doing this and you are flying in the same areas , it must be the aircraft.  The antennas run down the tubes and into the back legs of the aircraft.  Perhaps the problem is there.  but when you sent it in, they should have spotted this.  Its also on both ends of the spectrum because your video and Your RC is going Out 2.4 and 5.8.This is very strange. Maybe the circuit board ?  Once again i am sorry, like i said when i saw that huge metal table I thought that was the cause of your grief obviosly its not.  
Like they say in Medicine when you hear hoofbeats you think horses Not Zebras.................. I heard horses when i should have thought maybe there is a Zebra.

-donnie

I just placed my other Inspire on the same table, in the same spot, and I walked a mile away with no issues. The problem is inside the airframe I sent DJI, and only when it get cold enough.

If it was out of warranty I would get a good techo to inspect the Circuit boards inside the bird and the radio with an inspection microscope......more likely the bird.
I think you may have a badly soldered joint somewhere..Seeing as you have changed radios, its going to be a fault in the bird I guess
I see this fault a bit in stuff that goes into cold environments........things shrink due to the cold and break contact.
it it were possible , could you do this near mains power and soon as it drops out, warm the bird up with a hair drier.......see if it comes back online.
These things are mass produced and wave soldering machines used when putting them together can let bad joints go through.......test test test.........I'll bet a fiver its a bad or dry solder joint.

Yes. Agreed. I got this bird to get the X5 camera, so I got it back in November. This issue did not happen until we got cold here in Texas. On warm days it works like a champ.

Paul,
Can you tell me where you got the hand warmer, I found one but it is not as nice as yours.
thanks,

Joe,

I wonder if this could be a simple as recalibrating the IMU?

Put the Inspire into the Refrigerator for about 30 minutes. before you take it out of the refrig, get your charged battery, remote control and iPad with DJI Go ready to go. Pull out the Inspire, put the fresh battery into the quad start up the remote, iPad and Inspire 1.  Now go to the seniors page and then do a complete IMU calibration  while in the house where it is warm. upon completion go outside and do the normal compass calibration and preflight checks.

This might be all it takes to get your machine back online

Rich
  

joe@jbdww.com Posted at 2016-2-23 09:15
Yes. Agreed. I got this bird to get the X5 camera, so I got it back in November. This issue did not  ...

Hey Joe! It's not only about the compass, metal objects can pevent RC signal from transmitting.  

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-2-22 21:47
Joe,

I wonder if this could be a simple as recalibrating the IMU?

Funny, but no. Radio is not connected to the IMU. IMU is the gyros, accelerometers and compass.

DJI-Tim Posted at 2016-2-22 21:59
Hey Joe! It's not only about the compass, metal objects can pevent RC signal from transmitting.  
...

It will not affect it from three feet away. I can put my other working Inspire on that same exact table, and walk a mile away, and things work. And I used to put HAM antennas all over my car, and the metal on the car does not block the signal. The metal will reflect the RF signal, but it will not block it if the RF antenna is on top of it. If I where to put the Inspire Inside a metal box, then yes. The Inspire on top will actually improve the signal as the Metal underneath will reflect the signals. Now if the metal part of the antenna was touching the Metal table, then yes it would change the RF, but there is at least an inch of plastic between the metal and the Inspire.

Also, why does it cut out in flight. Complete signal lose? Do you guys read everything?

joe@jbdww.com Posted at 2016-2-23 12:21
It will not affect it from three feet away. I can put my other working Inspire on that same exact  ...

Alright, I see!  What is your case number?  I'll be checking it here

DJI-Tim Posted at 2016-2-22 22:26
Alright, I see!  What is your case number?  I'll be checking it here

RMA: 0203201682148253579

This is for sure a one off thing, but I keep sending the unit back for the same problem, and I know that it is bad. More than likely it is what someone above said, cold makes things expand, and more than likely it is a bad connection that only shows it face when it gets cold. I fly around high end clients, and this is a huge liability for both of us. The risk is not work just playing guessing games and doing small little trouble shooting skills to get it out the door. This one needs to be fixed right.

I have flown in 30-40 degree weather and never had an issue. But, that doesn't help you and I understand your frustration. I hope things get better and worked out for you. We are all in this together, one way or another.

joe@jbdww.com Posted at 2016-2-22 20:16
Funny, but no. Radio is not connected to the IMU. IMU is the gyros, accelerometers and compass.

I get it and yes I read everything... I was just trying to think outside the box...

Rich

Sir Shepherd Posted at 2016-2-22 22:38
I have flown in 30-40 degree weather and never had an issue. But, that doesn't help you and I unders ...

Thank you for the kind words. One way or another, it will get fixed. I know that most of there RMA's are stupid simple to fix, but there are some hard ones out there. In my past I was an RMA engineer for a company that produced silicon chips, so I understand.

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-2-22 22:48
I get it and yes I read everything... I was just trying to think outside the box...

Rich

I hear you. I am just frustrated.  I know what the problem is, but I keep going through the same ringer over and over about calibrating the IMU, updating the firmware, etc.. that usually have nothing to do with RF signal strength.

joe@jbdww.com Posted at 2016-2-22 21:05
I hear you. I am just frustrated.  I know what the problem is, but I keep going through the same r ...

So, what are you going to do? Is it time to send it back to DJI?

sorry you are having trouble!
Rich

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-2-22 23:10
So, what are you going to do? Is it time to send it back to DJI?

sorry you are having trouble!

I have sent it back twice for the same problem. That is why I am here.

joe@jbdww.com Posted at 2016-2-23 12:30
RMA: 0203201682148253579

Thank you Joe, we are working on it!

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-2-22 23:10
So, what are you going to do? Is it time to send it back to DJI?

sorry you are having trouble!

     Rich this is a strange case indeed,  I at first was thinking IMU and compass as well but as more information was disseminated I think it may be a bad circuit board on the Aircraft.   Something in cold weather I think would be CONTRACTING  and perhaps pulling away from a connection.  It is just so strange that it would happen at 40 F !   Also Joe added in additonal Posts that he has other Inspires that he has as well that do not demonstrate these characteristics.

As we gather more information , hopefully we wil get to the soloution.  I appreciate you chiming in with suggestions as well.  And without a schematic , you never know how these componints tie together.
Intermittent or Unique problems are the hardest to fix.  I think DJI will have to put Joe's in the refirgerator to duplicate his problem.

Harb  and Paul  offer good suggstions as well to a possible cause.  

-donnie

I have been using DJI since they started to sale the Wookong - M. I still have a dozen wookongs laying around. I spent my fair share of cash with them. Been very happy, but I also try to do everything myself. I really love the Inspire product, and can not wait to get the X5R in my hands. This is my first and only hickup with them, and hate to have to go this far to gain the right attention. I have done lots or work with the movie industry here in Texas, as high as MGM, and would really hate to risk all of that with a single bird that just needs a little extra attention.

My phantom 3 works fine in cold, but my phone turn off after 3 minutes flight.

I got word last night that they are going to take care of the issue. Very happy that they are taking this serious. This is a one off case, which will happen in the electronics worlds. Being a past RMA Electronics Engineer, cases where thing are intermittent, is the worst nightmare cases to deal with.

Thank You DJI.

joe@jbdww.com Posted at 2016-2-24 08:07
I got word last night that they are going to take care of the issue. Very happy that they are taking ...

      That is great News,  I am glad you have resolution. Sorry if i mis-diagnosed the challenge at hand,  I had compass and not RC on my mind.  

cheers -donnie