Few problems - OTG, 2.4Ghz, range

[Myszku]

Hello, yesterday I bought my first drone.
First of all sorry for my bad english.

I have a problem with range, I live in Europe and my Spark use default 5.8Ghz mode and I can't change it. When I do this I can click to 2.4 mode and select channel (I try to select low/high green, it doesn't matter), then it appears notification that I must restart wifi, I clicked button and that's it. After that the screen gets gray and I have no connection to RC - smartphone does not detect the wifi from Spark. It's no restarting, but shutdown. So it's only working in 5.8Ghz mode (I can change channel, but all of them are stable).

When I using 5.8Ghz without OTG cable I can fly upwards to max. 100 meters (328 feet), but even at 30 meters (100 feet) sometimes the connection is lost (emergency landing). And live video is very laggy 2-5 seconds delay.

I read a bit about it, so I bought OTG adapter. I power drone, RC - diode is green, and I connect smartphone to RC using cable. DJI Go says it's connect and I can fly, but 5 seconds later loses connection, reconnecting and over and over again. I try 2 different OTG adapters.

I updated firmware and app on all devices to the newest version. I bought Spark yesterday, so I must do that.
I reinstalled app few times with and without deleting DJI Go files (logs etc).
I have disabled bluetooth, and I even try with airplane mode + wifi on, nothing happens.
Oh, and I'm using OnePlus X smartphone and I live in small village, around me there are only 2 wifi networks and only ~10 houses.

 

[Myszku]

Now I've downgrade app to 4.1.5 version and OTG cable working better, but it still disconnecting every ~5s for 1-2s, during that I can still control my Spark, but I can't see the live preview for few seconds.
Using OTG I can only fly to ~100 meters up. And also I've more tested 5.8 Ghz mode and my record is 200 meters distance with 30m height and ~100m upwards. I can't still change mode to 2.4 Ghz, after approval channel change it will disconecting and screen gets gray. Any ideas?

 

[ageloreyes27]

"When I do this I can click to 2.4 mode and select channel (I try to select low/high green, it doesn't matter), then it appears notification that I must restart wifi, I clicked button and that's it. After that the screen gets gray and I have no connection to RC - smartphone does not detect the wifi from Spark. It's no restarting, but shutdown."

I get the same, then I plug in the OTG cable and it picks it up, and the spark stays on 2.4ghz

Only way i can keep it on 2.4 and keep video signal

 

[Dronason]

"When I do this I can click to 2.4 mode and select channel (I try to select low/high green, it doesn't matter), then it appears notification that I must restart wifi, I clicked button and that's it. After that the screen gets gray and I have no connection to RC - smartphone does not detect the wifi from Spark. It's no restarting, but shutdown."

I get the same, then I plug in the OTG cable and it picks it up, and the spark stays on 2.4ghz

Only way i can keep it on 2.4 and keep video signal

It is not shutdown, it is change to 5.8G.
You have probably an android phone that cannot see the RC wifi channels used for 5.8G. At first the Spark use 5.8G for link to RC as usually less disturbance in Europe. RC wifi is then at 2.4G, so the phone connect easily. When you switch to 2.4G, the Spark change and the RC link to your phone change to 5.8G. If your phone cannot see these channels, then it looks like dead.
After you connect the OTG cable an it bypass the 5.8G wifi and then all is ok.

 

[Myszku]

It is not shutdown, it is change to 5.8G. So I think
You have probably an android phone that cannot see the RC wifi channels used for 5.8G. At first the Spark use 5.8G for link to RC as usually less disturbance in Europe. RC wifi is then at 2.4G, so the phone connect easily. When you switch to 2.4G, the Spark change and the RC link to your phone change to 5.8G. If your phone cannot see these channels, then it looks like dead.
After you connect the OTG cable an it bypass the 5.8G wifi and then all is ok.

Maybe, but OTG cable won't work properly. It's always reconnecting after few seconds. I've decided to restore factory defaults and install firmware again and now on cable it's working. But yes, after change mode from 5.8 Ghz to 2.4 Ghz I don't see RC wifi connection and I must plug OTG cable. Range in this case increased, I can fly to 300m and I don't have any notifications about weak signal. So I think the problem is solved, thanks

 

[rcflyingaddict]

I had two OTG and one seems to work better than the other so I'd suggest trying another to see if you get better connect/less disconnects.

 

[Danny D]

I had same problems, spark conect RC, have green light, then conect OTG cable, i can fly only 120m distance, further than that it loss signals and loss video too, try alot methods but nothing better, feel really sad. Anyone give some tips. Thanks alot.

 

[Dronason]

I had same problems, spark conect RC, have green light, then conect OTG cable, i can fly only 120m distance, further than that it loss signals and loss video too, try alot methods but nothing better, feel really sad. Anyone give some tips. Thanks alot.

I know it is basic, but are you sure of the antennas orientation?
Are you in urban area or in a remote place ?

 

[Danny D]

Yes i'm sure my antenna is right position, i had read some manuals.

Yes i lived in urban area, but i fly my spark at top floor with line of sight. I tested at the frame, it still same, every work fine, just the video lagy at 130m.

 

[Dronason]

Did you tried to change the wifi band and channel ?
The Spark has limited "brain" when it is matter to connect. It is like, if I see signals in 2.4G then I used 5.8G and the channels used is not always the most quite one.
You need to be first connected with wifi to set it and then connect the OTG cable. Then in Spark screen, Settings / Wifi Settings. You will see the channels and if they are used.
Are you using android or IOS device ?

 

[Danny D]

Did you tried to change the wifi band and channel ?
The Spark has limited "brain" when it is matter to connect. It is like, if I see signals in 2.4G then I used 5.8G and the channels used is not always the most quite one.
You need to be first connected with wifi to set it and then connect the OTG cable. Then in Spark screen, Settings / Wifi Settings. You will see the channels and if they are used.
Are you using android or IOS device ?

thanks for great help, i used iOS device, i tested again today at open area, my spark got 500m then lost video and signal, i think it good enought for me, i'll check out your method when i fly again. first time being a pilot, when it go out of my sight, i feel nervous. hihi. Thanks you very much. Have a good day.

 

[Dronason]

thanks for great help, i used iOS device, i tested again today at open area, my spark got 500m then lost video and signal, i think it good enought for me, i'll check out your method when i fly again. first time being a pilot, when it go out of my sight, i feel nervous. hihi. Thanks you very much. Have a good day.

You are welcome and good flights.

 

[vaorr]

If you want to fly more than 500mts, you have to use FCC...

 

[Dronason]

If you want to fly more than 500mts, you have to use FCC...

It depend where and when, that's wifi. But tricking firmware is not supported here.
Best is Windsurfers antennas reflectors. You can reach at best 1500 meters in CE mode. So in normal use, that's really nice.

 

[Danny D]

hi guy, may i asked a questions, my RC cant connect with Spark in 5.8Ghz, i try couple time, it cant link together, i have to switch back 2.4GHZ they link no problems. Thanks guy.

 

[Dronason]

hi guy, may i asked a questions, my RC cant connect with Spark in 5.8Ghz, i try couple time, it cant link together, i have to switch back 2.4GHZ they link no problems. Thanks guy.

Not sure it is really a problem with your RC. It is more probably a problem with your phone.
Is your phone android or IOS ?
Are you in an area under FCC or CE mode ?

Don't be afraid if some terms you don't get it. This drone staff is not always that easy as DJI marketing would tell you.
Just ask and we will try to clarify. This forum is here for that.

 

[Danny D]

Not sure it is really a problem with your RC. It is more probably a problem with your phone.
Is your phone android or IOS ?
Are you in an area under FCC or CE mode ?

Don't be afraid if some terms you don't get it. This drone staff is not always that easy as DJI marketing would tell you.
Just ask and we will try to clarify. This forum is here for that.

Hi thanks for reply.
i used IP6+ and alway fly with RC.
first my Spark and RC linked with green light on RC, then i connect my IP6+ to RC, then check in DJI Go app Wifi is 2.4Ghz and have option to choose 5.8Ghz, so i want to try 5.8Ghz to see how far my spark can fly. When i choose 5.8 it pop up message Wifi restart, then my Spark not link with RC any more, i try to link RC again but not connect, i have to reset both Spark and RC do again and so it only link with 2.4Ghz.
i dont know my area under FCC or CE, i lived in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City.

sorry guy, should i start new post or just keep post in this thread. So Sorry for my bad English.

 

[Dronason]

Thanks for th extra explanations. So your phone should be right.
When you say "then my Spark not link with RC any more" do you mean that on the RC the link LED is RED ?
Normally it should reconnect automatically. Maybe you can check in the phone settings if the wifi is still connected to Spar-RC-xxxx wifi.
To know if it use FCC or CE mode, you can check in the Go4 app settings / Wifi settings. At 2.4 GHz, if it shows 13 channels, you are in CE mode else it is 11 channels and FCC.

 

[Dronason]

Hi thanks for reply.
i used IP6+ and alway fly with RC.
first my Spark and RC linked with green light on RC, then i connect my IP6+ to RC, then check in DJI Go app Wifi is 2.4Ghz and have option to choose 5.8Ghz, so i want to try 5.8Ghz to see how far my spark can fly. When i choose 5.8 it pop up message Wifi restart, then my Spark not link with RC any more, i try to link RC again but not connect, i have to reset both Spark and RC do again and so it only link with 2.4Ghz.
i dont know my area under FCC or CE, i lived in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City.

sorry guy, should i start new post or just keep post in this thread. So Sorry for my bad English.

In extra to my previous post, if you try at home, there is great chance that your phone pick your home wifi when you switch from 2.4 to 5.8G, then you need to set the phone back to Spark-RC-xxxx manually.

 

[Danny D]

Thanks for th extra explanations. So your phone should be right.
When you say "then my Spark not link with RC any more" do you mean that on the RC the link LED is RED ?
Normally it should reconnect automatically. Maybe you can check in the phone settings if the wifi is still connected to Spar-RC-xxxx wifi.
To know if it use FCC or CE mode, you can check in the Go4 app settings / Wifi settings. At 2.4 GHz, if it shows 13 channels, you are in CE mode else it is 11 channels and FCC.

Today i checked again.
1st i go outside, used my ip6+ check wifi around me, wifi in the phone dont have any wifi available.

2rd i turn on RC and Spark wait for they linked together, then used ip connect with RC, after that i open DJI Go4, check wifi band it 2.4Ghz, with 13 chanel's, so i'm in CE Mode.

3rd in DJI Go4 i have options to choose 2.4Ghz or 5.8Ghz, then i choose 5.8Ghz, it promt to restart wifi, after restart RC and Spark not relink, RC red light on, my phone connected with RC on 5.8Ghz band, so i pressed back to home screen of DJI Go app, choose RC symbol, relink with Spark, but they not want to link on 5.8Ghz, try couple time with no luck, reset both RC and Spark, they linked again on 2.4Ghz.

I order the windsurfing already, next time i will check how far my spark can go. I live at downtown, dont have much sightseeing place, so i'm cool for now, pratice some flight skills, when i have vacation will have some cool clip. Thanks guy very much, i keep reading all topic to learn more. Have a nice day.