Hello again from portugal.
Since my last post about problemms with my videos in vision plus, i have been ding some more tests and my local dealer kindly swaped my gimble for a new one.
So, wath is the problem, can you hask?
The problem is that along with the old problem (that you can see in this video http://youtu.be/eTpIJn5U7SQ), i have encountered a new problem.
When i start recording a video, despite of the settings and the format of the video, my gps signal drops. In my last flight, i started flying with 9 satelites and 3 seconds after start recording, about 20 meters in the air, droped to 3 sattelites.
I saw my phantom starting to wonder in air, with the wind catching and i must say, i got a hell of a scary flight.
Any ideas on wath happened?
At this time, i'm contacting my local dealer so he can replace my phantom and give me a brand new kit vision plus...beacuse this one has given me a all lot of trouble.

Read this
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... &extra=page%3D1
I am still doing things to my Phanton + to try and eleviate this problem its a pain in the a**.

xzgraham@btinte Posted at 2014-10-6 19:21
Read this
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=644&extra=page%3D1
I am still doing thi ...

Did you try out the isolation inside the phantom? Or it didn't work?

Did do it but no difference but you could try it as it has helped some folks .I am looking at ferrite rings now on the cables.

I had the same exact problem in losing satellites when I started recording video. I opted to make the simple mod of running the GPS cable under the factory copper shield in the upper shell. Sure enough I picked up more satellites however I would still drop a satellite every now and then especially when I was recording in 1080p. Just yesterday I opted to take the plunge and add foil to see if it would truly be beneficial. UNBELIEVABLE RESULT! I track satellites using an online site prior to going flying here is the site: http://www.spectraprecision.com/ ... 876.kjsp?RH=PRUFWMP I also double check them using an app on my phone at my flying sights. When I went out last evening there were 11 satellites in the area. On the ground I captured 11 within 90 seconds. During flight I dropped zero satellites in between turning my video on and off in 1080p and shooting random pictures in RAW mode. At one point although I was getting a reading there were 11 satellites in the area I actually pick up 12 at 300 feet or so in altitude. This issue bothers me to no avail. I have a sneaking suspicion that many newbies are losing satellites during flight which in turn puts there bird into ATTI mode if enough satellites are lost. Under the right conditions due to height, wind, and panic they watch them fly away. This is a serious issue. Come on DJI this needs to be addressed!

Thanks Joseph.

It is unbelievable that after spending US$ 1700 in a phantom (That is its cost in Europe with extra bat and else) I now have to add copper shields and foil (!!!) to my brand new unit so it will do what the company that sold it promised it will do (Record at 1080p, lock satellites, fly back home if looses communication, be easy to fly "so everyone can do it") and avoid loosing my investment. DJI, you do need to address this matter ASAP, it IS your responsibility.

jorgesalasgueva Posted at 2014-10-7 04:43
Thanks Joseph.

It is unbelievable that after spending US$ 1700 in a phantom (That is its cost in E ...

Your very welcome with a little luck at last we will have DJI's attention.

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-7 04:10
I had the same exact problem in losing satellites when I started recording video. I opted to make th ...

Thanks for your post Joseph.
Can you please explain, to me a noobie , what do you mean witj "take the plunge and add foil".
I have seem to lost something between my translation, because i dont know what is plunge, foil and where and how to add.
Kind regards.

jorgesalasgueva Posted at 2014-10-7 04:43
Thanks Joseph.

It is unbelievable that after spending US$ 1700 in a phantom (That is its cost in E ...

I couldn't agree more.
After spending this amount of money, in portugal, and see my local dealer trying to refuse is responsabilites, and having no feedback from dji support, i am very disapointed.
I have buyed the vision plus so i could learn how to operate and record, and in a near by future upgarde to a phantom 2 with the gopro 4.
Now i'm guessing that i wouldn't choose anymore a dji product, unless they come clean with their costumers.

jprpires@gmail. Posted at 2014-10-7 23:54
Thanks for your post Joseph.
Can you please explain, to me a noobie , what do you mean witj "tak ...

Your welcome. As far as taking the plunge is concerned it is just a figure of speech that means I decided to do it. As far as the adding the foil is concerned it is a simple process that I decided to do in an effort to acquire additional satellites. Prior to doing that I did another relatively simple modification. The first modification I did was to reroute the cable from my GPS unit under the copper shield in the upper shell of my Phantom 2 Vision Plus. Here is a video that shows you how to do that: http://youtu.be/SmBdhHLIUes Once I did that modification there was a big improvement in acquiring satellites. What bothered me was when I would turn on my video record in particular in 1080p I would still drop a satellite. Prior to rerouting the cable it was not uncommon to drop 2 - 3 satellites when I turned on my video record in 1080p. After much thought I decided to add the foil, this is how you go about doing so: http://youtu.be/q31s6NDFUlA WHAT A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT! During my next test flights I captured 11 satellites while I was still on the ground and maintained them during two test flights that were 18 minutes long. In turning my video on an off I dropped NO SATELLITES! Taking pictures in RAW format also had no impact. So do these modifications work? In my opinion absolutely. In being a new pilot you also have to keep in mind the number of satellites you capture involves how many are in your area at any given time. I use two websites to track satellites at home using my  computer before I go out flying. Those websites are: http://satpredictor.navcomtech.com and http://www.spectraprecision.com/ ... 876.kjsp?RH=PRUFWMP My point is if you track your satellites and lets say there are 6 in the area do not expect to capture 11. In addition I also use an app on my mobile phone when I arrive at my flying sites to double check the number of satellites in the area. Additionally there is something known as solar storms (K-Index) when they occur they impact not only GPS but radio transmissions as well such as potentially your RC controller. I also monitor solar storms as well. A website that is great to do that is run by NOAA, there website address is: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov Overall I am pleased with my Phantom 2 Vision Plus. I have nearly 100 flights with it and have no complaints other than the issues I encountered with my GPS. I put faith in DJI that they are working on this problem and will provide a solution in the near future. Come on DJI this issue needs to be addressed!

jprpires@gmail. Posted at 2014-10-7 23:59
I couldn't agree more.
After spending this amount of money, in portugal, and see my local dealer t ...

There clearly seems to be an issue with the GPS in regards to the Phantom 2 Vision Plus in many documented cases. On a positive note you can now fly with other gimbals and cameras. Check out this link: http://dronexpert.nl/product/pre ... i-phantom-2-vision/ Other than the issues I have encountered with my GPS I absolutely love my Phantom. It is bothersome that DJI is not formally addressing this issue at this point. However I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they are working on doing so.

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-8 04:21
Your welcome. As far as taking the plunge is concerned it is just a figure of speech that means I  ...

Joseph,
Thank you very much for your explanation. I had seen that video, and others, before, but i was uncertain that this would work. I will try it. Do you think it would work with normal foil (in portugal, i only found foil to use in kitchen)? And this doesn't need to be isolated with some sorte of eletrical isolation tape? What is your experience about that?
Kind regards
João Pires

jprpires@gmail. Posted at 2014-10-8 07:09
Joseph,
Thank you very much for your explanation. I had seen that video, and others, before, but i ...

João I actually used ordinary kitchen foil myself. After installing it which was simple I covered it with a layer of non conductive tape. My concern was the foil coming into contact with something that it shouldn't and cause an electrical short. From what I have seen many people are just using the foil without tape. In my opinion I looked at it better safe than sorry. When I put the foil in and put it into position I cut small strips and taped off the edges first. an they put a few strips across the larger center area. I then cut smaller pieces to fill in the gaps where the shell curve upwards. In applying the tape I only put on one layer, not need to put multiple layers of tape. One thing to be careful about is do not cover the vents in the shell with foil or tape. The vents allow airflow to prevent your electronics from overheating. If you have any additional questions do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
Joseph Bobowicz

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-8 15:47
João I actually used ordinary kitchen foil myself. After installing it which was simple I covered ...

Joseph,
Thank you so much for all the time you spent trying to help a noobie ;)
I wish dji support were so efficient and quick as you are, you helped a lot. At this time my phantom is in the local dealer for some tests, but soon i have it again, i will do this alteration and tell you if this worked for me.
It is a nice surprise to see that even beeing in portugal, a small peace of land ;) , i can learn from the experience of somebody from another country that doesn't know me.
Kind regards,
João Pires

jprpires@gmail. Posted at 2014-10-8 18:06
Joseph,
Thank you so much for all the time you spent trying to help a noobie ;)
I wish dji support ...

João I went out of my way in particular to help you because I see that you are in Portugal. Although my wife was born in London she is Portuguese. It is especially nice to help out one of her comrades! All joking aside I am glad I could help you and am willing to help anyone else I can for that matter. As much as DJI has issues with products every now and then they do make amazing products. Its exciting to think as they continue to grow as a company and iron out the issues that users face things will only get better. Perhaps I should apply for a job working for them. My 15+ years experience of flying various RC aircraft and having a background in Marketing & Advertising would be an asset to there organisation. DJI if you are reading this . . . I am willing, able, and ready to join your team.   Best of luck João keep me posted how you make out. If you have any more questions don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Joseph Bobowicz

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-8 18:22
João I went out of my way in particular to help you because I see that you are in Portugal. Altho ...

Joseph,

I have received my vision plus from the shop today. They have downgraded the firmware of the main controler to 3.04 and that seems to solve the problem of loosing gps signal after start recording.
Hope this is helpfull for you.

jprpires@gmail. Posted at 2014-10-23 07:36
Joseph,

I have received my vision plus from the shop today. They have downgraded the firmware of  ...

Thanks for the update, happy flying! Since I rerouted my GPS cable and added the foil I no longer have any complaints. I certainly will remain a loyal DJI customer. I look forward to there future updates and product releases.

Picture of my last flight yesterday. 11 Satellites on the ground within 60 seconds, no more satellite drop out when turning on my video record in 1080p.

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-23 15:42
Picture of my last flight yesterday. 11 Satellites on the ground within 60 seconds, no more satellit ...

Nice
My only complain now is that with the old firmware, i no longer have the option to return home when the battery reaches a critical level...so, now i'm allways with one eye in the battery level

Received my vision 2 plus yesterday and having the same issues with lack of sats and dropping more with video use.

I've see the mod videos but I now see the latest firmware being mentioned. I upgraded everything to the latest before first flight so do I:
1) Return for refund (only 2 days old)
2) Attempt the mod and see if it makes a difference
3) Downgrade firmware
4) Combination of 2 and 3

I wish DJI were more forthcoming with this issue and what to do about it

brian.langley@g Posted at 2014-10-31 08:22
Received my vision 2 plus yesterday and having the same issues with lack of sats and dropping more w ...

My advice to you....
try to see if the downgrade to the 3.04 version of firmware works. This doesn't mess with the guarantee.
If this doesn't work....send it back or do the mod....but loose the garanty of the drone, in that case.

If i had not spent a load of cash on upgrading my complete antenna system then i would have returned it .But i am on a mission now to try and fix this  as i said before its not the GPS its the camera giving out rf and causing interference .
Dji should issue owners with an anti interference boards for the PV2+.

xzgraham@btinte Posted at 2014-11-2 06:10
If i had not spent a load of cash on upgrading my complete antenna system then i would have returned ...

I will be interested to see how you get on and if DJI come through with a solution I would re-purchase.

jprpires@gmail. Posted at 2014-11-2 06:01
My advice to you....
try to see if the downgrade to the 3.04 version of firmware works. This doesn ...

Thanks, I sent it back and will be monitor the situation to see if/when I should re-purchase.

Brian, I think you did good.  I didn't read this forum before,  so now I'm with this beautiful toy in my hand,  which actually doesn't work as it worth!
I don't know what to do.
DJI, you should work on new GPS  module, to be substituted!  Replacing spare part, even sell it a part, but something working: I spent more than 1000 € for this, not working... I can spend 80 € more to have it working as I expected...

josephbobowicz@ Posted at 2014-10-23 15:42
Picture of my last flight yesterday. 11 Satellites on the ground within 60 seconds, no more satellit ...

Hello Joseph,

I have been consumed with tracking down the answer to the video record/gps drop issue. Your comments in this thread fit me to a tee. Earlier in October you were hoping / trusting that DJI was working on thew fix and then on October 23 you indicate your problems have disappeared. I missed it. What was the fix? I am dying to get this resolved and would very much appreciate your knowledge.

Thoughts??

Jackson@srmdeve Posted at 2014-11-13 05:27
Hello Joseph,

I have been consumed with tracking down the answer to the video record/gps drop iss ...

Hello Jackson,

My fix was surprisingly simple to do and yielded amazing results. The first step I did was reroute my GPS cable from the front of my P2V+ to the rear under the factory cooper shell located in the top shell.  Here is video showing you how to do that: http://youtu.be/SmBdhHLIUes?list=UU1-HUeRKBGiKZrVhiOEtGjQ In doing the modification it made things better however it did not solve the problem. After a few test flights I decided to add foil to my upper shell as well. Here is how you go about doing that as a guide: http://youtu.be/q31s6NDFUlA that video also shows moving the cable. The only thing I did different in installing my foil was I used standard kitchen aluminium foil and used narrow strips of tape to secure it in place. DO NOT COVER THE VENT HOLES!  I also used non conductive tape to cover the foil to prevent electrical shorts should the foil come into contact with something is should not. After doing my modifications I typically get 10+ satellites on the ground and have no issues whatsoever with satellites dropping out. It is also a good habit to track satellites in the area. I use these two websites while I am at home: http://www.spectraprecision.com/ ... 876.kjsp?RH=PRUFWMP and http://satpredictor.navcomtech.com I also use an app on my mobile device when I arrive at my flying sites to perform a final check. Keep in mind if the satellites are not in the area you are not going to capture them. Best of luck, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me. If you have any complaints about your DJI products please share them on this thread I started: http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... eid%3D1&lang=en

I am facing the same problem.
Any solution????

helicopterwala@ Posted at 2014-11-13 18:50
I am facing the same problem.
Any solution????

DYI solutions can be found above or send it in for DJI to fix

Hello Joseph,

I appreciate the time you took in your reply. I have actually already performed all of the GPS increase mods and too have received incredible results with GPS receptivity. I also am extremely diligent in checking sat availability before each flight.  My issue is the moment I hit the record button, I lose all GPS. When I stop recording, I go back to the 8 to 12 I had previously. You had mentioned the same issue in your posts and then on the 23rd of October, you indicate the problem had been resolved. What did you do to repair the video record vs GPS drop issue?

Thank you

It looks like even editors from The Verge have bad experiences with the GPS issue. Read the comments!
http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/ ... omeone-with-a-drone

I am having the same problem "losing satellites" when I turn the video on. I sent my Phantom 2 vision plus in to have fixed to UAVDirect to be fixed that was October 7th 2014 cost me 60.00 to mail it which I feel I shouldn't have had to pay as it is warranty work, well they had it over a month and couldn't fix the problem, now last week they sent it to DJI in California to be fixed  they received it Friday this is the message I got "Congratulations! This is the first step in the repair process once we received your product. Next, your unit will be documented in our Repair Software, which the repair technicians use to track their work. This process typically happens the same day your unit is checked in Zendesk. Once that process is done, your product will be placed in line with other repairs, and continually move up until a repair technician services it at a work bench." I was told by DJI support technician that when they received it that my Phantom would be moved to the head of the line due to the fact it has been so long for repairs. No one should have to modify there Phantom after paying all that money and it doesn't do what it is advertised to do. I almost lost it twice. I am going to give the company DJI innovations a chance to make good. My phantom has been gone  for repairs longer than I have had it in my possession. I am pretty well fed-up with it all!

brian.langley@g Posted at 2014-10-31 08:22
Received my vision 2 plus yesterday and having the same issues with lack of sats and dropping more w ...

I would get a hold of support and tell them your problem before you make any mods, as it is under warranty, if you open it up and mess with it, it will void the warranty. My Phantom 2 vision plus has been sent in for the same reason, they replaced the Phantom's GPS module, GPS shielding and the 16 pin cable that connects to the camera. The firmware has been updated to version 3.8, the Phantom was test flown and is fully operational. So I should get it back Thursday and hopefully will be able to try her out once more.Take advantage of the warranty, then when the warranty is no longer good then do your mod's.

In the last 4 Weeks I have returned to my dealer 2 DJI Vision 2+ both with the GPS issues listed here. For the 3rd one I asked my dealer to send me the updated version with the new motors and transmitter and couldn't be happier. It got 6 Satellites lock in under 30 seconds and never drops any while recording video.

What ever was causing the GPS issues with the previous PV2+, DJI looks like they have fixed it in this latest revision. If your able to see if your dealer will let you upgrade as mine did.

I hope this helps someone.

Hi , I have done the shielding with copper foil shielding and covered it with some non conductive tape but still lose satellite's as soon as I start recording video ?? I rerouted the GPS cable under the factory copper shield as requested , took my time to make sure all was done properly ?? Any more suggestions  please ??

Tomwolves585 - I feel your pain dude!

Simon.roffey nailed it. The version 3 (Phantom 2 Vision +V3) is the ticket. DJI clearly fixed the TRUE problem in this version. Regretfully, I modded mine almost immediately so I know my warranty is out. I also ordered the unit directly from DJI so no chance of a local distributor allowing an upgrade. I was really hopiong for an easy DIY fix for this issue..... Very painful and expensive learning experience for me.

I will say however, this P2V+ version 1 is still awesome!!! I can live with losing GPS during video. I will just simply keep my video time to "no wind" days. Not the end of the world.

Shielding worked for me! However it took 5 revisions to get it right!!!
Here is what I did to discover and resolve the issue.
1. It's definitely a shielding problem between the GPS circuit and main board components. ( This was confirmed by removing the top shell, and placing away from the main board while ground testing... No loss of sats when record was on).
Sooooo.. I knew shielding would resolve if done right.
2. I first, pealed back the installed factory shielding half way and bured the gps connector cable, as stated and shown in the discussions above.
3. I then installed additional aluminum tape shielding over that, and covered the exposed metal surface with thick clear gorilla brand packing tape. (This has also been shown in the discussion). While this helped a bit.. loosing now only 2 sats instead of 4, it did not eliminate the problem.
4. Next, I made an open "box" out of 4 layers of aluminum tape with 1/8" sides to completely cover the components over the main board. The box was also covered in gorilla tape to insulate the metal so that nothing would short.  Better, only loosing 1 sat at this point when video recording on.
5. The key factor.... Cover the GPS connector lead ALL the way to the connector with the metal tape covered with the gorilla packing tape.
6. reassemble.... No loss of sats at all when recording.

This took a lot of experimentation and revisions to get right, as when the shell is closed, the space between the gps and the main is really close.

Like I said, It looks like a definite shielding, (or lack of) problem ... Had the above not worked... I was going to buy a new shell and modify it to put the gps circuit on top of the model.

Hope this helps out someone, let me know if you get it working using this method!
-Jeff

So, I think my latest mod has solved completely the dropping of GPS. It is rather a bother to do, but now get 9-10 sats while recording in 60fps mode. Had to completely disassemble to get the cable out from the camera to the board. Used copper tape in strips to cover all section of the flat cable, then covered again in the kapton tape to insulate. Also did the small jumper on top of the board between the small PC board and connection to the main pc board. Fired it up and GPS lock is so fast is amazing. This is not a mod for the feeble, but if you can do neatly, it should solve all the GPS locking issues. I have also done the mod at the top of the copter to shield over the GPS as others mentioned, but that produced poor results for me. Now we are flying with 9 sats and even got 12 tonight during test run. Turned recording on/off/on, etc. and no issues at all.

A user on another forum named Burlbark picked up some RF in the GPS band inside the Phantom case.  Later he put two and two together.  The connector from the Phantom's flight control board is leaking IF as RF at the connector and losing a good portion of the signal delivered to the flight controller.  His fix was to increase tension on the contacts which requires taking apart the connector:
  
http://www.phantompilots.com/thr ... eo-recording.33453/

I figured as long as I had it this far apart, why not solder the pin clips to the wire as well.  

This fix has allowed my to pull 11-12 sats, and I only lose 1 sat under 1080i filming.

Kudos Burlbark

I too have this issue and I always thought that this was just how the GPS was until I seen this thread.. If I fly the Phantom 2 Vision + without the Vision App connected to the Drone then it works perfectly. As soon as it is connected and recording then it looses the sats and it starts to drift all over the place leaving me afraid to fly this thing any distance.

My problem is that my drone is now over a year old (bought last June) so I think the warranty is only 12 months? I think this should be fixed by DJI as it's a design flaw and not something that is any fault of anyone who bought this version of the drone.

Has anyone got this covered by DJI when it was outside of warranty?