P3S no signal on screen but still in control

[sforza]

Hi guys,

I hope I can use your expertise here please, I've been reading the forum and found nothing like this. Looks like a remote-phone issue to me, while drone-remote connection works fine. Details:

• First symptom: sudden loss of signal. Failsafe return to home is triggered as per screen message but drone won't "receive" that. It times out. Just hovers. Sometimes at 20m/65ft, in first video happened at 150m/500ft. Right before signal loss, both video and radio link are good quality. Sometimes it lasts quite long, 1m20s as seen on 1st video, sometimes it's intermittent as seen on 2nd video.

• Second symptom: I am still in control of the drone while "Disconnected". It responds to the remotecontrol perfectly, even if screen is greyed out and says "disconnected". I fly it around and after a while it would reconnect.

• Third symptom: if while "Disconnected" I trigger RTH via S2 switch, it works.

Tried with a different android phone, same problem.

It's not a range issue as such, because when I get no disconnection I can fly it pretty far, 341m/1118ft. I'm CE mode.

A friend flew his 100% identical P3S right after mine on exact same location (2nd video) and his worked just fine, so interferences in the area are discarded.

It's a brand new drone Phantom 3 standard. Upgraded firmware to 1.6.8 before first flight. Official DJI Go App 2.8.1 on Android phone.

Long disconnection

Intermittent disconnection

Can this be a bad soldering at the remote maybe?

Need to decide wether to return it to dealer or keep it.
Thanks in advance!

 

[unklodie]

hello there.. P3S had the range issue with the 1.6.80 fw. try to downgrade to 1.5.70 until DJI release new fw to fix this problems.

(After 1.6.8 update) Phantom 3S Weak RC signal problem SOLVED!!!

 

[sforza]

Hi unklodie, appreciate the reply.

I'm not sure my issue can be compared with the one described in that thread though. I'm not experiencing weak RC signal as such, it's the signal on the app what fails, yet I can still control the drone using the remote. RTH is not triggered.

 

[RodPad]

Hi unklodie, appreciate the reply.

I'm not sure my issue can be compared with the one described in that thread though. I'm not experiencing weak RC signal as such, it's the signal on the app what fails, yet I can still control the drone using the remote. RTH is not triggered.

Yes you are correct,
Here a a couple, there is a lot more.
Terrible signal performance
Standard - Losing connection form the app to the Phantom

 

[sforza]

Nice input RodPad, thank you.

The case on the second thread you've linked is definitely closer to mine. He complains he gets no video, but telemetry works fine. I don't even get the telemetry.

First thread is a bit more of a mix

I'm trying to return my phantom 3 and get a full refund. What worries me though is that there is no guarantee that a new one from a different dealer will work fine out of the box.

 

[Cameronb1]

Hi guys,

I hope I can use your expertise here please, I've been reading the forum and found nothing like this. Looks like a remote-phone issue to me, while drone-remote connection works fine. Details:

• First symptom: sudden loss of signal. Failsafe return to home is triggered as per screen message but drone won't "receive" that. It times out. Just hovers. Sometimes at 20m/65ft, in first video happened at 150m/500ft. Right before signal loss, both video and radio link are good quality. Sometimes it lasts quite long, 1m20s as seen on 1st video, sometimes it's intermittent as seen on 2nd video.

• Second symptom: I am still in control of the drone while "Disconnected". It responds to the remotecontrol perfectly, even if screen is greyed out and says "disconnected". I fly it around and after a while it would reconnect.

• Third symptom: if while "Disconnected" I trigger RTH via S2 switch, it works.

Tried with a different android phone, same problem.

It's not a range issue as such, because when I get no disconnection I can fly it pretty far, 341m/1118ft. I'm CE mode.

A friend flew his 100% identical P3S right after mine on exact same location (2nd video) and his worked just fine, so interferences in the area are discarded.

It's a brand new drone Phantom 3 standard. Upgraded firmware to 1.6.8 before first flight. Official DJI Go App 2.8.1 on Android phone.

Long disconnection

Intermittent disconnection

Can this be a bad soldering at the remote maybe?

Need to decide wether to return it to dealer or keep it.
Thanks in advance!

Yep, i have the same issue with mine, except in some areas it works perfectly fine :/

 

[BaDvs3viL]

Nice input RodPad, thank you.

The case on the second thread you've linked is definitely closer to mine. He complains he gets no video, but telemetry works fine. I don't even get the telemetry.

First thread is a bit more of a mix

I'm trying to return my phantom 3 and get a full refund. What worries me though is that there is no guarantee that a new one from a different dealer will work fine out of the box.

You and your buddies P3S do not actually fly the exact same. We know that without it being modded, the P3S will randomly select 1 of 3 WiFi channels to use. 3, 6, or 11. If you keep getting stuck on a channel that has inference and your buddy does not, would explain this issue. Take it to some other location and fly it.

As a side note, on Android, I have had the DJI GO app running in the back ground after a flight and not known, so the next time I go and try to fly, I will get no data until I go in and kill the app and restart it. Not sure how that works on an iPhone.

 

[Rommel]

I've seen someone with your issue on YouTube and it has happened to me once. The only difference with me was that it was 1200 feet out in a busy area, so range was maxed out.
It's weird cuz I've had RTH many times. I'd keep video and telemetry with aircraft coming back right away. This time the app showed disconnected and went gray. RC led went red and she just hovered. When I tried the sticks, RC still showing red, I had full control and was able to bring her back to where she reconnected.

If you do return it, consider getting the advanced. Lightbridge seems really nice

 

[tberton]

Same thing exactly, happen to me it drove me crazy. I kept looking for updates for the app, then uninstalled the app and reinstalled it. Fixed everything.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[RodPad]

You and your buddies P3S do not actually fly the exact same. We know that without it being modded, the P3S will randomly select 1 of 3 WiFi channels to use. 3, 6, or 11. If you keep getting stuck on a channel that has inference and your buddy does not, would explain this issue. Take it to some other location and fly it.

As a side note, on Android, I have had the DJI GO app running in the back ground after a flight and not known, so the next time I go and try to fly, I will get no data until I go in and kill the app and restart it. Not sure how that works on an iPhone.

To be clear,
I am assuming the WiFi channel you are talking about is between the Phantom and the remote. Not the remote and your Mobile Device.
Is the channel selected on startup, or when you re-link your remote to the Phantom?

For those of you with a Android, there is an app called Wifi Analyzer by farproc.
It will show you how busy it is in the area and you remote to mobile signal level.
But doesn't show signal from the Phantom.

Rod

 

[BaDvs3viL]

To be clear,
I am assuming the WiFi channel you are talking about is between the Phantom and the remote. Not the remote and your Mobile Device.
Is the channel selected on startup, or when you re-link your remote to the Phantom?

For those of you with a Android, there is an app called Wifi Analyzer by farproc.
It will show you how busy it is in the area and you remote to mobile signal level.
But doesn't show signal from the Phantom.

Rod

The 2.4Ghz WiFi channel is between the RC, Phone and Drone. Controls video and tele data. 5.8Ghz is separate and controls flight.

The channel is select randomly when you turn on your RC.

Also I use WiFi Analyzer and it shows my RC's WiFi just fine. I switch the channels myself all the time.

 

[RodPad]

The 2.4Ghz WiFi channel is between the RC, Phone and Drone. Controls video and tele data. 5.8Ghz is separate and controls flight.

The channel is select randomly when you turn on your RC.

Sorry, I am still messed up.
Is there a signal directly from the Phone and Drone, without it going through the remote?

 

[BaDvs3viL]

Sorry, I am still messed up.
Is there a signal directly from the Phone and Drone, without it going through the remote?

Nope, the RC is the WiFi hot spot per say. The Drone and Phone connect to it.

 

[RodPad]

Nope, the RC is the WiFi hot spot per say. The Drone and Phone connect to it.

Thanks, I have been correct!

 

[Phantom_Bintaro]

The 2.4Ghz WiFi channel is between the RC, Phone and Drone. Controls video and tele data. 5.8Ghz is separate and controls flight.

The channel is select randomly when you turn on your RC.

Also I use WiFi Analyzer and it shows my RC's WiFi just fine. I switch the channels myself all the time.

How do you change rc's wifi channel?


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[BaDvs3viL]

How do you change rc's wifi channel?


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

Linux hacking - Phantom 3 Standard range mod , let's do it together...

 

[sforza]

You and your buddies P3S do not actually fly the exact same. We know that without it being modded, the P3S will randomly select 1 of 3 WiFi channels to use. 3, 6, or 11. If you keep getting stuck on a channel that has inference and your buddy does not, would explain this issue. Take it to some other location and fly it.

As a side note, on Android, I have had the DJI GO app running in the back ground after a flight and not known, so the next time I go and try to fly, I will get no data until I go in and kill the app and restart it. Not sure how that works on an iPhone.

Very good point on the wifi channel. Our condicions could indeed have not been identical. Will try flying it again and check with wifi analyzer.

Never happened to me so far that I forgot to kill the app, can't comment on that.

 

[sforza]

Same thing exactly, happen to me it drove me crazy. I kept looking for updates for the app, then uninstalled the app and reinstalled it. Fixed everything.

Will try reinstalling the app too, just in case. Thanks!