Firmware "update": Is this thing safe to fly or what?

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OK, I did like I was told and "updated" my firmware to whatever version is current and now from what I'm hearing I am scared shi'iteless to even try to fly it. I've got better things to do than wave goodbye to $1,300.00 as it flies off into the sunset and lands on god-knows-what causing possible damage and injury.

Is this thing safe to fly? I haven't flown it since the so-called update.

Is there any "revision" pending, or do they ALL have to go back to the factory for a factory reset?

I have feared the greeks, ESPECIALLY when they're bearing gifts ever since I started doing business with DJI. This is the 3rd Phantom I've bought and I love the previous products but if I could get my hands on a factory rep I'm afraid I'd be arrested after I beat the living crap out of them, and I'll be DAMNED if I EVER swallow another "update" after I get this **** thing straightened out.

I have yet to see an "update" that gave us anything, without taking another dozen things away. I sure wish DJI would stop pissing on us and telling us it's raining.
 
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Go ahead, let it all out and say what you really mean. But seriously, from what I have read, and I have been reading a lot because mine arrives Monday, there are too many Phantoms that are working properly after the update to think that it's all DJI's problem. There has to be pilot error involved in some fashion or the folks that get it right would have to be getting the "good ones" off the assembly line and everybody else is catching what falls off. I asked the other day about what are some of the hard and fast rules that I need to know before I fly, and the first response from all the ace pilots was, "Read the manual and then read it again". Until proven wrong, I'm going to go with that. Maybe it is raining.
 
This is my 3rd Phantom and I've NEVER had any problems with one. But after reading all about the last firmware update I've been afraid to even TRY sending it up again.

I calibrate my compass before EVERY flight...

I recalibrate the IMU regardless of what it says after EVERY firmware update.

I recalibrate my R/C unit after EVERY firmware update.

I recalibrate my gimbal after EVERY firmware update.

Is that really so hard? It takes about 5-10 minutes total, not counting the firmware updates themselves. I can't believe all these idiots that post "It didn't tell me to recalibrate my IMU" and "The quick check said I didn't need to calibrate the IMU"...really, really? They went out and spent over $1k for a R/C toy and don't care enough to spend another 3 minutes working on it? Didn't care enough to read the manual???

Should I go try it anyway? I'll confess I haven't even tried to fly it since the last update because of all the wailing, moaning, and gnashing of teeth that I've read in this very forum about failed firmware.

Should I tie a looong piece of string to it in case it gets squirrely?
 
ETA: I'm not kidding about never updating firmware again though. I haven't seen a single firmware update for P1, P2V+, or P3 that didn't take away more than it gave in return.
I don't know what I will do to this one yet, but I never upgraded my P2 NV V1, and I don't have any complain about it! (and never had an issue) This one doesn't know anything about no fly zones, vertical speed limit, toilet bowl, Battery issues ... I mean, I don't get this need to plug the bird for transfusion every other flight. As I said before, there is no need to repair something that's not broken, but apparently I'm wrong... maybe I am, some are happy with the updates, maybe the unhappys are doing mistakes upon mistakes that put them in trouble... So if you're cold about FW updates, don't worry you're not on your own, and so far time proved me right.
 
I don't know what I will do to this one yet, but I never upgraded my P2 NV V1, and I don't have any complain about it! (and never had an issue) This one doesn't know anything about no fly zones, vertical speed limit, toilet bowl, Battery issues ... I mean, I don't get this need to plug the bird for transfusion every other flight. As I said before, there is no need to repair something that's not broken, but apparently I'm wrong... maybe I am, some are happy with the updates, maybe the unhappys are doing mistakes upon mistakes that put them in trouble... So if you're cold about FW updates, don't worry you're not on your own, and so far time proved me right.
Sounds to me like you're the only one here with their shi'ite together...I'll learn from you.
 
I'm not getting the issue either. The firmware update went smoothly, actually much faster then the quoted 25 minutes. The controller was done in less than 5. I pulled the micro SD card and checked for the correct message and all is good.

I'm thinking this is a RTFM issue :)
 
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...so this isn't "everyone"?

I have to admit, I haven't even tried it since the firmware upgrade...first because I didn't have time and later because I'd read of all the catastrophic failures immediately following the upgrade.
 
...so this isn't "everyone"?

I have to admit, I haven't even tried it since the firmware upgrade...first because I didn't have time and later because I'd read of all the catastrophic failures immediately following the upgrade.
No .. you read of a few people with relatively minor issues.
Most users are happily flying. The sky is not falling.
Here's a pic I shot 2.5 km offshore an hour after doing the firmware update.
DJI_0935a-XL.jpg
 
No .. you read of a few people with relatively minor issues.
Most users are happily flying. The sky is not falling.
Here's a pic I shot 2.5 km offshore an hour after doing the firmware update.
DJI_0935a-XL.jpg
Over open water, no less.

Beautiful work!
 
There are a select few that have upgrade issues. And there are the masses that havent said a word. There there are the few that mention they DONT have issues and get chewed out for our success. Updates happen for a reason. Weather its something you see, or something you dont. It could be as simple as a voltage tweak to reduce heat. You would never know it happened until age takes its tole and your bird dies from the added stress of that heat. Updates are obviously being produced to keep up with what WE see as problems, what DJI sees as failures, and to add no abilities. Its easy to not to them. But that makes it really easy for DJI to laugh at you when your bird crashes and you cry warranty. And for us to laugh because we can do some cool **** that you cant.

You WILL crash! Eventually it happens to all of us. I've totaled multi thousand $ planes. Its part of the hobby. After the first one you will calm down a lot.Until then, the pucker factor will remain! YOU make your decisions about updates based on YOUR understanding of why the update was released. Everyone else only has their opinion, based on their experience. ALL DIFFERENT! Fly, record, be safe, and have some **** fun!
 
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Either fly and crash a $1300 quad or have a $1300 paper weight. My update when fine. Got about 3 hours of flying time since the update with zero issues. All forums are the same no mater the subject. Only takes a few negative comments to scare the **** out of people. You might hear a handful of people who crash and want to blame it on anything other than pilot error but you don't see the post about the thousands of successful flights cause nobody feels the need to post that they had a solid 20 mins in the air. If every flight was posted I'm sure it would be about 99.9% successful (if you don't include operator error)
 
Either fly and crash a $1300 quad or have a $1300 paper weight. My update when fine. Got about 3 hours of flying time since the update with zero issues. All forums are the same no mater the subject. Only takes a few negative comments to scare the **** out of people. You might hear a handful of people who crash and want to blame it on anything other than pilot error but you don't see the post about the thousands of successful flights cause nobody feels the need to post that they had a solid 20 mins in the air. If every flight was posted I'm sure it would be about 99.9% successful (if you don't include operator error)
What he said!!
 
This has to be one of the most impressively aggressive and long rants from a user without having experienced any problem I have ever read.

I can't recall someone crashing post upgrade (I may have missed it so that's not definitive). A subset of users have had VPS issues or reported it's not quite as stable as before. Both things are non terminal generally speaking and better than sitting in the case.
 
Go ahead, let it all out and say what you really mean. But seriously, from what I have read, and I have been reading a lot because mine arrives Monday, there are too many Phantoms that are working properly after the update to think that it's all DJI's problem. There has to be pilot error involved in some fashion or the folks that get it right would have to be getting the "good ones" off the assembly line and everybody else is catching what falls off. I asked the other day about what are some of the hard and fast rules that I need to know before I fly, and the first response from all the ace pilots was, "Read the manual and then read it again". Until proven wrong, I'm going to go with that. Maybe it is raining.
If what you say is so, how come DJI tech support told me to send mine in for warranty repairs?
 
Zero problems with my P3 and the 2 firmware updates. Got a compass error one time when I first got it but I don't call that a "problem." 115 flights as of tonight.
 
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Go ahead, let it all out and say what you really mean. But seriously, from what I have read, and I have been reading a lot because mine arrives Monday, there are too many Phantoms that are working properly after the update to think that it's all DJI's problem. There has to be pilot error involved in some fashion or the folks that get it right would have to be getting the "good ones" off the assembly line and everybody else is catching what falls off. I asked the other day about what are some of the hard and fast rules that I need to know before I fly, and the first response from all the ace pilots was, "Read the manual and then read it again". Until proven wrong, I'm going to go with that. Maybe it is raining.

Maybe that's because you are writing and don't have your phantom yet. I am a very experienced drone pilot and firmware 1.1.9 is NOT safe to fly. It's problems include Ultrasonic Systems Errors (VPS) and erratic vertical drifting. I have experienced some toilet bowling as well. This was 100% caused by the most recent firmware update. The fact that not everyone has experienced it after the update is great. But when significant numbers of people (many experienced pilots) report the same exact problem days, not weeks, after a new firmware update, suggesting user error is a bit idiotic.
 

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