Firmware updates?

[cventu6]

I'm sure this has been asked before on here but i couldnt really find anything. I have the latest phantom 2 with hd-3d gimbal and an fpv set up and havent updated the firmware in it. Still currently at the first firmware so I dont have any restrictions as far as being near airports and what not.

My main question is if any of the updates have any fly away fixes or anything I should have to keep this thing more reliable in the air. My biggest concern with this thing is it taking off on its own and crashing into someone or someones property and doing some damage. I do a bit a filming in the city and just dont want to hurt anyone. All the fly away stories have me a bit concerned. I have flown mine a good 50+ times without any issues or weird behavior (knock on wood).

I know DJI mentioned something about if the phantom takes off in a fly away after 10 secs it should know that it isnt a human controlling it and it will go into failsafe mode. Does this feature actually work and does it need the new firmware to be activated? or is it programed into all the new phantoms?

Also are people having just as many issues with fly aways on the new phantoms or was this just a bigger issue on the older models?

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks!

 

[Pull_Up]

The recommendation from DJI (and any manufacturer of anything) would always be to run with the latest version of their firmware. The anti-interference measures you mentioned should certainly help if it gets overwhelmed by another 2.4GHz transmission for example. Most "flyaways" I've seen can be attributed to user error (incorrect/no compass calibration, flying without a good home lock, unsuitable wind conditions, pilot disorientation, etc). I've not personally had a sniff of a "true" flyaway in over 9 months of flying Vision and P2 - always on the latest available firmware. I always do a hover test at the beginning of every flying session to make sure everything is behaving as usual and make sure I've got a really good lock before I fly.

Don't forget you're flying a box full of complicated electronics in a high-vibration environment, and there hasn't been a single bit of consumer electronics built yet that I'm aware of that anyone can guarantee won't fail, glitch, hang or reboot on occasion. Also don't forget the potential for electrical/mechanical failure - components don't last forever and the power train is dealing with a fair amount of amps as you buzz around, etc. In my opinion you're much more likely to suffer an ESC or related physical failure in flight than a "flyaway" if you take suitable care with pre-flighting. Probably a good idea to fly accordingly and carry some third party insurance to cover yourself.

We don't have the ability to "glide clear" if anything goes wrong - it's one of the reasons why I don't fly over congested areas (the other being it's illegal to do so (or be within 150m of one) in the UK if you have a camera-equipped UAV) and carry £5M of thrid party liability insurance...