Almost lost my Spark

[Per Holgersen]

hello

I’m a new user of Spark, and on my last flight was I out of control due to a GPS loss. Can anyone explain what happened. I use the RC together with a IPad with the latest app. 4.2.4 and the latest firmware on my spark.

Please see the link below

Thanks in advance

DJI Flight Log Viewer - PhantomHelp.com

 

[Dilf]

I don't see any GPS loss in the flight logs.

Only: "Compass Error. Exit P-GPS Mode; Yaw Error"
and lots of "Yaw Error".

Probably compass calibration necessary.

 

[Per Holgersen]

I don't see any GPS loss in the flight logs.

Only: "Compass Error. Exit P-GPS Mode; Yaw Error"
and lots of "Yaw Error".

Probably compass calibration necessary.

 

[REMUS1]

Doesn't ATTI Mode imply lost GPS Lock ?

 

[Per Holgersen]

Thanks for your prompt response
The loss of GPS was shown on the IPad but you are right not shown in the log

 

[ASD]

Looking at the data there wasn't any loss of GPS signal but the FC detected an error "YAW_ERROR_LARGE" and when errors like this or compass errors occur then the FC no longer uses the GPS signals it is receiving and the aircraft is put in to Non GPS 'ATTI' mode, basically giving total control back to you until the FC is satisfied that the discrepancy / error is no longer present and then it resumes with P-GPS (GPS_ATTI) or whatever the normal GPS controlled flight mode is called I forget.

Unfortunately this dataset doesn't have all of the usual parameters, was it from GO 4 logs? Or was it downloaded from the AC with Assistant?

Again I forget why and when the various types of dataset are generated but the parameters which would tell us more about the cause of the error aren't present in this dataset, but a compass calibration wouldn't hurt in the hope it fixes the problem but it could be something else?

 

[Per Holgersen]

Hi again
The data are downloaded from the GO4 app, from where can I also retrieve the data?
And once again thanks for the help

 

[ASD]

You need to use DJI Assistant 2 and download the Flight log off the AC

 

[nutsnbolts]

Stupid question but if you lost GPS. You technically still had control of the drone. It was manual at this point correct? Or did it just went haywire and either took off from you or didn't respond??

 

[Per Holgersen]

Not fully sure what happened. I was testing the max speed on my drone, and then this warning regarding loss of GPS.
I lost control of the drone and it continued to fly. Even the “emergency “ button didn’t work. But as you see did I get the control back and the RTH starts to work
When you say AC do you then mean the remote control?

 

[Sparkbart]

I'm no expert when it comes to deciphering these logs. But It appears to me that when you were in Sport Mode it had that Yaw error and you had problems with GPS and the drone went into ATTI mode. It seems to me the "loss of control" was just the drone being in ATTI mode and you probably not being familiar with how to fly a drone in ATTI mode or without GPS...

Why your drone had that Yaw issue? That I don't know. But it appears when it got resolved it was flying/operating normally...

My suggestion to you is to learn how to fly a drone in ATTI mode or buy one that doesn't use GPS and learn to fly it that way. Back in the day, older DJI drones could be put in ATTI mode intentionally and flown that way. Its a worthwhile skill to have.

 

[cozzykim]

I'm finding that ATTI mode on the Spark is nothing like as scary as similar on, for example, a simple 4 axis V959 drone.

At least the Spark will maintain its altitude when you let go of the sticks, gives you time to collect your thoughts.

Hope I'm not living in cloud cuckoo land.

 

[Tess]

I'm finding that ATTI mode on the Spark is nothing like as scary as similar on, for example, a simple 4 axis V959 drone.
At least the Spark will maintain its altitude when you let go of the sticks, gives you time to collect your thoughts.
Hope I'm not living in cloud cuckoo land.

ATTI mode just means the Spark is flying without GPS so will drift in the wind without fighting to stay in the same place. It will still maintain level flight and altitude if the sticks are released. I think Sparkbart was referring to 'acro' or 'acrobatic' mode which is when the drone flies like a racing quad without any auto-levelling or maintaining altitude. I.e if you bank to the right and release the sticks it will continue banking to the right until you correct it by banking to the left. This is much harder to fly and not supported by the Spark as far as I know.

 

[Per Holgersen]

Hi
Thanks to all for your great help and support
It’s a pleasure with such an active forum
I have now tried to recalibrate the IMU and compass. I will fly with care the next number of times. What’s concern me must is that Ihad that feeling that my spark continued with full speed after I didn’t touch the controls

 

[sinaus]

19 satellites and yet it said to have weak signal??? Shoot DJI support and email regarding this and let us know will you? Luckily you got your spark back. Phew!

 

[ReinhardtRas]

I had 4 flyaways. Luckily I got control back before the spark crashed. One of them happened while my spark was descending in rth, it judt started drifting away from my home point. Since my last flyaway about 3 weeks ago, I decided to calibrate the compass before each flight. Never had a problem since. Today I took my spark for a range test and got 797 meters in distance and 292 meters in height before signal loss. Rth worked 100% and it was without otg using a Samsung S7.

 

[Per Holgersen]

Hi Reinhardt

It’s sound concerning that you have had 4 flyaways. I have bought the DJI “crash” warranty but that doesn’t help by flyaways :-(
Sounds like a good idea to calibrate, but in my understanding a gps lock should be sufficient for the drone to know where it is?
But I don’t know the priority between the different sensors. I think we should address these flyaways concerns to DJI support?

 

[ReinhardtRas]

I've been thinking alot about why this happens. When I looked at my flight record I always had 17 + satellites with full signal strength. My conclusion is that when the spark notices that the compass is wrong it automatically switches of the gps signal and forces it into atti mode. I also noticed that during some flyaways the gimbal behaves the same way as when it is in sport mode. Also, since the last few updates I saw that when calibrating the compass it sometimes tells me that there is magnetic interference and that i must retry the calibration. I think DJI knows about the problem and is keeping silent about it because they do not know how to solve it yet. Theres some glitch in the software that triggers flyaways when the compass is off, I think..

 

[ReinhardtRas]

Maybe if they would just give us the option, that when the spark realizes in mid air that the compass is off, the pilot can decide either to go into atti mode or to continue flying with gps. Automation can can a dangerous thing

 

[nutsnbolts]

Maybe I don't understand fly aways as I thought I did. When it loses GPS from what I am reading I'm assuming it starts to do things on it's own. That is ATTI mode? Can't you take control and redirect it in manual mode? Or does it start to go off and you have no say or control over it???

I haven't had a fly away yet but not enough flight time to really have a chance.