Erratic Behavior

AP4me · Mar 19, 2016

I had something strange happen today. After not flying for a week I took my phantom out for a simple flight that I never ended up taking. When I took off, it started leaning slightly to one side, like it was maybe fighting wind. There was a 9mph wind to be clearn.

Then it starting drifting a bit. First to the right, then towards me, about 4 feet in either direction.

I was about 5 feet off the ground, and decided to land it. Then I took off to 5 feet again and got the same result.

I was somewhat near some power lines...about 150 feet away.

Any ideas? I didn't take it for a flight because I figured I may need to calibrate it or something. Maybe I'm just to jumpy, but I've always felt the p3 to be pretty rock solid in one place.

Thanks for any input!

Air Ontario · Mar 19, 2016

Maybe calibrate IMU.

With The Birds · Mar 19, 2016

How many sats did you have? Was GO indicating you had P-gps? If you were in p-opti perhaps you were just high enough for it not to have been working 100%....

With The Birds · Mar 19, 2016

Leaning to one side suggests fighting wind to try and hold position. You would not have seen this in ATTI mode.

AP4me · Mar 19, 2016

Hmm....maybe tomorrow I will try ATTI mode and see if it does it.

AP4me · Mar 19, 2016

I had, 16 or 17 sats.

With The Birds · Mar 19, 2016

AP4me said:
Hmm....maybe tomorrow I will try ATTI mode and see if it does it.

Just to clarify if you have wind tomorrow it will move with the wind in ATTI..... Will not hold position.

AP4me · Mar 19, 2016

Thanks for mentioning that. Got it. However, it wouldn't lean because it would just sort of get blown with the wind, correct?

With The Birds · Mar 19, 2016

AP4me said:
Thanks for mentioning that. Got it. However, it wouldn't lean because it would just sort of get blown with the wind, correct?

No, you may not notice the lean in atti. It leans in P as it is trying to hold position.

Air Ontario · Mar 19, 2016

It should not lean at hover unless ther is a pretty brisk wind, IMU is off, or you have non OEM DJI props on it.

alokbhargava · Mar 20, 2016

AP4me said:
I had something strange happen today. After not flying for a week I took my phantom out for a simple flight that I never ended up taking. When I took off, it started leaning slightly to one side, like it was maybe fighting wind. There was a 9mph wind to be clearn.

Then it starting drifting a bit. First to the right, then towards me, about 4 feet in either direction.

I was about 5 feet off the ground, and decided to land it. Then I took off to 5 feet again and got the same result.

I was somewhat near some power lines...about 150 feet away.

Any ideas? I didn't take it for a flight because I figured I may need to calibrate it or something. Maybe I'm just to jumpy, but I've always felt the p3 to be pretty rock solid in one place.

Thanks for any input!

I doubt if power lines can affect it unless they are Ultra High voltage lines but such power lines don't pass through city.

Try at higher heights like 50' and see its behavior. Ensure it has Home point established before u fly.

AlaskaMapper · Mar 20, 2016

I'm beginning to think the problems with this drone and this company are related to every other piece of merchandise they produce. MADE IN CHINA. It's overwhelming and without a doubt qualifies for the duck theory. If it Walks like a duck, quacks like .... Ya you get the picture. No American or European company would survive pulling this kinda **** on their customers. I stopped buying anything produced from these communists three years ago until I broke my own rule and got the pro. Nothing but disingenuous updates, conflicting narratives and poorly tested products. Don't get me wrong, as I understand user error also is a culprit but the law of diminishing returns on that was passed a while back. My next drone will be American or Israeli. People that care about quality and their reputation.

4wd · Mar 20, 2016

AlaskaMapper said:
I'm beginning to think the problems with this drone and this company are related to every other piece of merchandise they produce. MADE IN CHINA. It's overwhelming and without a doubt qualifies for the duck theory. If it Walks like a duck, quacks like .... Ya you get the picture. No American or European company would survive pulling this kinda **** on their customers. I stopped buying anything produced from these communists three years ago until I broke my own rule and got the pro. Nothing but disingenuous updates, conflicting narratives and poorly tested products. Don't get me wrong, as I understand user error also is a culprit but the law of diminishing returns on that was passed a while back. My next drone will be American or Israeli. People that care about quality and their reputation.

Or he could try calibrating it.
Most of us here find them almost 100% reliable.
Until it fails

I should tell you about my GoPro saga.
But it was probably made in China too.

Erroll · Mar 20, 2016

AlaskaMapper said:
I stopped buying anything produced from these communists three years ago until I broke my own rule and got the pro. .

With The Birds · Mar 20, 2016

The chinese are very capable of producing good quality reliable products, apple isnt the only big name. They produce a lot of rubbish also but at such a cheap price its no suprise its no good. I do find it amuzing when i hear the occasional claim DJI uses no western/foreign technology and its all in house. I purchase locally made when i can. Dont always get that choice.

StevenQX · Mar 20, 2016

This happens often when you took off from a surface with metal or something similar inside...

AP4me · Mar 20, 2016

I do have a short video of what I am talking about. Maybe it's nothing, I'm pretty new to this, so all of your responses are greatly appreciated!

Could these be a problem?

Thanks!

4wd · Mar 20, 2016

You do often see a tendency to circle round the spot in the first minute or two - it's almost as if it is somehow learning or checking bearings.
Usually if you go up higher it will settle down and when you come back down it is still much more stable even at low altitude.
Note when you are really close to the ground the phantom's own downdraught can cause similar wandering, though usually lower than in your example.