I sent this note to DJI Support: "Even with the controller connected to a very fast network I cannot get any detailed satellite mapping on my P4P+. Can you help me with this, please?"

The reply: "About your question we regret to inform you that we don't have an information regarding to satellite mapping because it is a third party app. We appreciate your understanding in this matter."


After reading several notes on DJI map sources and caching map data, not to mention seeing satellite as a map option, this answer doesn't seem right to me . Is it true I need to add a third party app? If so, is there a clear choice?

I suspect the third party they are referring to is the lame excuse for mapping that replaced Google maps called "here".  Some brain-dead corporate MBA probably figured it would save DJI some coin.

Hello gvgeorge, I'll help to report this issue. Thank you for your feedback.

DJI Mindy Posted at 2016-12-22 05:03
Hello gvgeorge, I'll help to report this issue. Thank you for your feedback.

Thanks, Mindy.

To me your response implies that satellite mapping should be working. Is that right?  

In case it would be helpful, my ticket number is 369687.

With the "Here" maps - you may as well not even bother - they are like 9 - 10 years old.

Devildog9999 Posted at 2016-12-22 12:49
With the "Here" maps - you may as well not even bother - they are like 9 - 10 years old.

I just checked Here for our area and see what you mean.

I do not use map much, but i have noticed that on my android tablet, while trying to play back a flight from my p3advanced.. i think it's a bug with the new dji go.. hope they have a fix pending next app release.... pretty much the satellite image never load to any usable detail. Map in "map" mode is ok, but hybrid or sat look like crap.

Same here, + controller doesn't show sat data where I fly, but there is data on the here.com webmap where I am, not current, but good detail and better than nothing.

In Australia with brand new P4 Pro +:
*Inside the house (no GPS) I can not get any satellite map data at all. It aways seems to end up in Germany, Berlin area as a map.
*Outside with GPS lock, obviously no satellite map date. I then hooked up a 4G wireless router via WiFi. I now have correct position - however the satellite map view is so fuzzy that it's just a series of unrecognisable blotches on the screen, i.e. totally unusable.
* After having a local home point from outside, if I go back indoors and connect to my very fast home wireless - I am back in Berlin rather than Australia.

What happened to the ability to cache maps at home around were you are going to fly (as one could do previously). There used to be a setting in the menus allowing one to cache map data!
And, by the way, what happened to the circular radar view in the bottom left corner showing orientation and tilt angles???

joachimb Posted at 2016-12-22 22:11
In Australia with brand new P4 Pro +:
*Inside the house (no GPS) I can not get any satellite map data at all. It aways seems to end up in Germany, Berlin area as a map.
*Outside with GPS lock, obviously no satellite map date. I then hooked up a 4G wireless router via WiFi. I now have correct position - however the satellite map view is so fuzzy that it's just a series of unrecognisable blotches on the screen, i.e. totally unusable.

Exactly my experience on this post.

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D394%26typeid%3D394

joachimb Posted at 2016-12-22 16:11
In Australia with brand new P4 Pro +:
*Inside the house (no GPS) I can not get any satellite map data at all. It aways seems to end up in Germany, Berlin area as a map.
*Outside with GPS lock, obviously no satellite map date. I then hooked up a 4G wireless router via WiFi. I now have correct position - however the satellite map view is so fuzzy that it's just a series of unrecognisable blotches on the screen, i.e. totally unusable.

Radar is still there, just gotta hit the little circle in the corner of the map.

Ouch! Thanks for that. Can you find the 'cache maps'' in the menus ? Maybe it's still in the pro using you own device? Mine is the inbuilt screen- does not seem to be there (apart from the whole map issues discussed above)

joachimb Posted at 2016-12-22 18:27
Ouch! Thanks for that. Can you find the 'cache maps'' in the menus ? Maybe it's still in the pro using you own device? Mine is the inbuilt screen- does not seem to be there (apart from the whole map issues discussed above)

I don't see map caching in either my phone or the built in screen.

For the crappy satellite imagery in the maps, there is a discussion in the Mavic forum about this and it seems to be just on Android devices, which the Pro+ is running on. Apparently the Here maps app itself for Android is doing the same.

Viewing the here.com map using the P4P+ display's web browser, the level of detail in the satellite image is pretty decent. However, using the DJI Go 4 app, the satellite images are basically just smudges -- I cannot make out streets / parks / houses. The detail does not get better -- no longer how long I wait on that page.

In other words, The DJI Go 4 App's level of detail in the satellite images is much worse than what here.com provides.

DJI Mindy Posted at 2016-12-22 12:03
Hello gvgeorge, I'll help to report this issue. Thank you for your feedback.

Why don't you ask the guys in this thread to post of video of this problem as you have asked me here?

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... D394%26typeid%3D394

Fotch Posted at 2016-12-22 11:27
Same here, + controller doesn't show sat data where I fly, but there is data on the here.com webmap where I am, not current, but good detail and better than nothing.

Aloha Fotch,

     Here is a trick to get the satellite maps to load.  When you start up the app, go into the "General Settings" menu and enable the two Chinese settings.  Then go into the flight program and maximize the map.  Choose the Hybrid option.  You will see Chinese characters above or below the English names and the satellite maps will start to load.  See how far they get.  Both of mine stopped in the same place.

     When you are satisfied, go back and disable the Chinese settings and restart the whole network.  The maps should load after that.

     Hope this helps!

Aloha and Drone On!

DJI Mindy Posted at 2016-12-22 02:03
Hello gvgeorge, I'll help to report this issue. Thank you for your feedback.

Aloha Mindy,

     This is a copy of what I sent to Natalia when she offered to help with this issue.  I am posting this for you to keep you up to date.  After the quote of what I wrote Natalia, I posted a trick that I discovered when my DJI GO & DJI GO 4 would not even load the satellites at all.  Fotch's post in this thread was that he was having the same problem.  Maybe it could be useful.
***
     "Just in case this information might be useful, my problem is the satellite view of Oahu (in Hawai'i) is for the most part very blurry and is only slightly less blurry for the South-East portion of the island.

     I have two different Phantoms (P3P & P4) running the two different DJI GO & DJI GO 4.  BOTH sets of maps on each app have the SAME problem in that they look like they were downloading the satellite imagery for the island when the second pass froze at the South-East part of the island.  The blurriness of the images look like the maps are supposed to have 3 or 4 download passes before a clear image will emerge.  I fly in the mountains and jungle and clear maps are a serious benefit for successful flight."
***
     In this part for Fotch I wrote, "Sometimes, those with problems cannot even get the satellite views to open.  Here is a trick to get the satellite maps to load.  When you start up the app, go into the "General Settings" menu and enable the two Chinese settings.  Then go into the flight program and maximize the map.  Choose the Hybrid option.  You will see Chinese characters above or below the English names and the satellite maps will start to load.  See how far they get.  Both of mine stopped in the same place.

     When you are satisfied, go back and disable the Chinese settings and restart the whole network.  The maps should load after that."
***
     Mahalo in advance for any assistance you can provide in this matter.

Aloha and Drone On!

Yeah, another marketing induced, customer-friendly, giant leap backwards.

My map shows nothing at all.

Thanks DJI.  Hope that extra cash comes in handy.

Sheesh.

Cetacean Posted at 2016-12-23 04:14
Aloha Fotch,

     Here is a trick to get the satellite maps to load.  When you start up the app, go into the "General Settings" menu and enable the two Chinese settings.  Then go into the flight program and maximize the map.  Choose the Hybrid option.  You will see Chinese characters above or below the English names and the satellite maps will start to load.  See how far they get.  Both of mine stopped in the same place.

Cetacean, this did absolutely nothing for me. Are you using a Android or iOS device? Because the problem is with Android, iOS works.  

trance728- Posted at 2016-12-23 06:55
Cetacean, this did absolutely nothing for me. Are you using a Android or iOS device? Because the problem is with Android, iOS works.

Map problems on my end as well, I do not see any detail in the maps either.
sounds like a software change for the worse.

Cetacean, after following the procedure you outlined, the level of detail in the satellite map improved to the point where individual houses with tile roofs appear as rectangular red blobs. So quite a bit better than before but still not as detailed as the standard here.com maps. Somewhat better but not ideal. Thanks for the tip.

"Here" is a Nokia solution, formerly NavTeq.

trance728- Posted at 2016-12-23 03:55
Cetacean, this did absolutely nothing for me. Are you using a Android or iOS device? Because the problem is with Android, iOS works.

Aloha trance,

     Sorry to get your hopes up.  This trick worked on my Android Galaxy TAB Pro 10.1 running DJI GO and my nVidia K1 running DJI GO 4.  It did take some tinkering with the Map, Hybrid and Satellite views and a few restarts, but it worked with those devices.  Mind you the quality of the satellite maps is just as bad as has been noted before on the Forum but the satellite views were there.  I wonder if anyone else is having problems with this trick.

     I am still working on these issues.  If I come up with anything new I will post to you directly.

Aloha and Drone On!

Cetacean Posted at 2016-12-23 16:27
Aloha trance,

     Sorry to get your hopes up.  This trick worked on my Android Galaxy TAB Pro 10.1 running DJI GO and my nVidia K1 running DJI GO 4.  It did take some tinkering with the Map, Hybrid and Satellite views and a few restarts, but it worked with those devices.  Mind you the quality of the satellite maps is just as bad as has been noted before on the Forum but the satellite views were there.  I wonder if anyone else is having problems with this trick.

Thanks for the update, I'll just wait until Here maps fixes whatever is wrong. I didn't really use the satellite view but was just dumbfounded at how bad it was when I looked.

Here map satellite images are still no downloading , is it a Here map server problem ?
please bring back Google maps .

Mine really took a bunch of time to update.  It started with me in Berlin Germany.  No where close.  later it updated.

trance728- Posted at 2016-12-23 12:34
Thanks for the update, I'll just wait until Here maps fixes whatever is wrong. I didn't really use the satellite view but was just dumbfounded at how bad it was when I looked.

Aloha trance,

     With the DJI GO 4 app, the map is in alternatives with the radar.  I could not get them both to come up at the same time.  Oddly enough though, my P3P running DJI GO 3.1.1 did get a very high resolution satellite image for just one load.  When I went back to test it, the old situation was present.  So, it looks like they are trying something!  BTW, the radar also showed along with the maps.

     From what Sakumar indicates; there may be a preference for Chinese operators, (they would enable the two Chinese options) who would use their "Here" system.  This is not racist or prejudicial in any way, it is just because the company that hired them is Chinese.  It is simply an efficient way of doing business.  The intent is to handle the whole World, but you have to start somewhere.  If the company is based in China, start in China with the whole World to follow.  Works for me!  That is only efficiency.

     I forget who posted to check our current locations on the WeGo.Here.com site but that was a very good tip.  When you look up your flying location at wego.here.com, the true resolution of the maps is presented.  In my case, the resolution was as good or better than GoogleEarth.  Even with my P3P and my Remote Controller using DJO GO 3.1.1, that teaser showed a very good resolution, one that I can work with.

     We just need to use some more patience as DJI solves some more problems to get us comfortably in the air.  I know this is not your issue, but responding to your post is the best way I can present the issue and its current status.  I hope you do not mind.

Aloha and Drone On!

DJI Mindy Posted at 2016-12-22 05:03
Hello gvgeorge, I'll help to report this issue. Thank you for your feedback.

Do you have any more information on this, Mindy?

gvgeorge Posted at 2016-12-26 07:55
Do you have any more information on this, Mindy?

Hi, I had reported this issue. Our engineers are working on it.

If you want to use satellite map, please choice the satellite type of the map , the option will be appear when you switch the small map to large.

DJI GO Android Posted at 2016-12-26 02:02
If you want to use satellite map, please choice the satellite type of the map , the option will be appear when you switch the small map to large.

Well,technically it does work, it just won't zoom in to decent resolution, the zoom scale maxes out with like 3km pixels, useless..

I have the same problem. When I first got my P4 about a month and a half ago, the satellite imagery was pretty good. Now I don't have any at all!! What happened?

DJI GO Android Posted at 2016-12-26 03:02
If you want to use satellite map, please choice the satellite type of the map , the option will be appear when you switch the small map to large.

Yes, doing that results only in the useless blur sometimes seen as data is downloaded and processed to provide a useful image. With my P4P+, even with a very fast internet connection, nothing happens. Even after ten minutes only the useless blur remains.

I already placed an order for the other controller without the built in display.  Don't get me wrong I really like the P4P+ but I don't trust the controller yet.  I have always used IOS.  I am sure the bugs will get worked out.

I am having the same problem too on Android. I wish DJI would just go back to what works: Google Maps. Shame to lose such a good feature.

Here's your Android fix fellas,,,,,,
DJI Mindy have your engineers look into why this solution fixes the problem. This takes care of it. Normal Google maps and they are fast!!!

on your android devices go into Settings/Apps/DJI GO4/ Permissions/Disable "Storage"
Device will automatically revert to Google maps instead of the HERE junk.

fansb6ba52fb Posted at 2016-12-28 01:23
Here's your Android fix fellas,,,,,,
DJI Mindy have your engineers look into why this solution fixes the problem. This takes care of it. Normal Google maps and they are fast!!!

Thank you this worked!!!

I haven't changed anything, and it is working for me now. without any updates?? wierd..

gvgeorge Posted at 2016-12-26 15:21
Yes, doing that results only in the useless blur sometimes seen as data is downloaded and processed to provide a useful image. With my P4P+, even with a very fast internet connection, nothing happens. Even after ten minutes only the useless blur remains.

Can you provide the location of the area, we will look at the map data in this area, in order to prove that the data is a problem or procedural problems, and then forward the solution, thank you.

Fotch Posted at 2016-12-26 13:02
Well,technically it does work, it just won't zoom in to decent resolution, the zoom scale maxes out with like 3km pixels, useless..

Can you provide the location of the area, we will look at the map data in this area, in order to prove that the data is a problem or procedural problems, and then forward the solution, thank you.
In addition, have you tried dragging the map to trigger the refresh?