Looking for General P3P Connection help

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

RESOLVED: well heck, it was a bad cable after all. I tried another and all is well.

Hey all, long time, long time no post here. How ya been?

So I have my old P3P that I kept as a backup when I went Mavic Pro.

Now I want to sell the P3P kit, so I pulled it out and charged everything up. This morning, before heading out to test fly it, I decided to just go through the paces here in the kitchen, no props installed. (I'm glad I did because it went through several approval screens and required my home Wifi.)

I simply cannot connect, using the same iPad Air 2 that I did before. After running DJI Go (not Go 4), I got past all of the initial screens (allowing permissions, agreeing to terms, signing in to my DJI account, etc.) and got to the main connect page. It shows the Inspire, so I swipe left until the Phantom 3 page comes up and I select Pro. There is no CAMERA button. There's an Equipment link, which just takes me to this same main page. The only button is "How To Connect" (see screen cap below).

Here's what I've already tried:

• Made sure I was logged into my DJI account
• Got the Fly Safe database updated (which also shows the remote can see my wifi).
• Tried running DJI Go on my smartphone, which DOES go straight to camera, but it keeps crashing. I figure the iPhone 13 is just too new for the old version of DJI Go (so not tested). However, since I can see the camera feed for a moment pre-crash, I take that as a sign that the cable is good.
• NEW: I just checked the motors and the CSC stick movement from the remote starts them up, shuts them down like normal, without the controller app (DJI Go) running. This confirms that the AC and remote are linked.

What else should I try?

Thanks in advance, Speck

 

[RodPad]

Welcome back, I remember you from the 20's
P3A, P3P connects to the mobile device with a USB cable?

I'm lost on this statement.
"(I'm glad I did because it went through several approval screens and required my home Wifi.)"
Why is Wifi part of this?

Could you make a connection with the remote and the bird with out the mobile device in the loop?

Some how I know missing something,

Any other members, please help out.

Rod ..

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Yes, the P3P AC and remote connect via a USB cable.

For the P3P, I've always had to be signed on to DJI. I believe it's required for flight log sync. Usually, I just do it from home, then it persists for a long time. One time I drive all the way to the desert (from another state) and DJI Go would just not let me fly until I logged in.

Also, if you install DJI Go on a new device, the first time you run it, it's going to ask a lot of permissions for the device (camera, connection, bluetooth, etc.) and several other things (fly safe database, a user-level agreement that you must check), and finally be logged into your DJI account. I guess the install on this tablet had been reset and had to go through the process again.

Perhaps you don't recall having done that when you first set things up. If you've continued to fly since then, it simply persists, remembers its settings.

It's true that the remote and AC should be connected without the controller app. I actually did not try to start the motors up. I suppose I could try that next, but I still won't go out and fly until I got a proper connection in DJI Go. [EDIT: I did try the sticks and it starts/stops the motors just fine, so the AC and remote are linked)

I have LITCHI too, but I would still not fly without a good basic connection to DJI Go.

Chris

 

[captainmilehigh]

Good to see you again 'Speck'. Been a while......

I'm no expert on the P3P, but I'm wondering why it wants a wifi connection when it's a USB wired connection. ? My 'Ol P3S's are only wifi, so that make me wonder if it is a compatibility issue with the older version of DJI Go.

I wish I could help, but I only really know Standards. Hopefully someone with extensive P3P knowledge will chime in soon. But you are right in your testing. Leave the props OFF until you know it's right...

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Good to see you again 'Speck'. Been a while......

I'm no expert on the P3P, but I'm wondering why it wants a wifi connection when it's a USB wired connection. ? My 'Ol P3S's are only wifi, so that make me wonder if it is a compatibility issue with the older version of DJI Go.

I wish I could help, but I only really know Standards. Hopefully someone with extensive P3P knowledge will chime in soon. But you are right in your testing. Leave the props OFF until you know it's right...

Hey there,

Indeed, the P3P flies by USB and not WIFI like the standard. But you still need WIFI if you need to talk to the internet for various things (download of fly safe DB, log in to DJI account, authorize approved flights, etc.).

No app compatibility issues: the P3P uses DJI Go (not Go 4). I verified this on the DJI support page for the P3P, I also ensured that DJI Go on both my tablet and phone are up to date (they're still on the App store). Also, when you start DJI Go, you are presented with a home screen that lists the Phantoms, so I know I'm using the correct app. And it's the same app I've always used for the Phantoms, always kept it installed (did not need to download the version I found this morning on the DJI site).

So, as far as I can tell:

• The AC and remote are linked
• The remote and AC both work (I can fire up the rotors)
• The app is the right one
• The USB cable is good

It's just that the DJI Go app will not connect to the AC (camera mode, telemetry, map, etc.).

It's amazing how much you forget in a few years of disuse. I used to help people with similar problems earlier because I'd worked out all the solutions, but I can't think of any of them now! #frustrating

Speck

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

RESOLVED: well heck, it was a bad cable after all. I tried another and all is well.

Thanks all for your responses.
Chris

 

[RodPad]

How much you forget!!
Actually you are triggering my memory also.

I recall having to do something goofy, flight tutorial test and create or have a DJI account before you could fly?

Yo, I hadn't finished this post yet..
Anyways good to hear what you found!!

Rod ..

 

[captainmilehigh]

Geez. Wonder how far you threw that bad cable ? Glad it worked out.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

I recall having to do something goofy, flight tutorial test and create or have a DJI account before you could fly?

Yeah, and like I said earlier, I had to log in once deep in the desert with no connectivity (I forget if LITCHI saved me on that one or not).

Another peeve with DJI Go / Fly that I was reminded of with this today's tests. I live near an airport, so when I fired up the rotors here, I get a message warning me that I'm in a restricted zone and must check the "Agree" radio button and press okay.

But DJI makes the that "Agree" radio button as a very small circle in DARK blue, on a BLACK background. It was hard for me to see in the kitchen here, but outside in the glare of daylight, it's absolutely invisible. That stopped a flight for me one time until I got home because I was convinced the checkbox/radio button wasn't there (I now know to put a hood (jacket) over my head if I have to search for a UI element that DJI made very hard to see in daylight).

Chris

 

[RodPad]

$hit

Rod ..