P3 Firmware Question about updating controller

[Great_Lakes]

Ok, when I start things up, the dji GO app tells me I need a firmware update. (already successfully updated the RC), but need to update the radio.

So I googled and watched a Youtube video which demonstrates 3 ways to update the firmware for the radio. (controller) The first way seemed the easiest. Here's the link.

1. insert a thumb drive that contains the .bin file on the root directory into the controller's USB port.
2. Turn on the controller and wait for the blue light. (the led on the far left)
3. The controller continually beeps three times in rapid succession while the update installs, and the blue light changes to green when the update is complete.
4. After the beeping stops, wait 30 seconds and turn off the controller and remove the thumb drive.
5. Check the .txt files on the thumb drive for "success" or "failure".

That was the first of 3 ways to update. My issue is: I follow steps 1 and 2 and the light never changes to blue, and there is no beeping. After maybe 5 to 10 minutes it begins to beep a single beep every 2 seconds and then the controller shuts off. I remove the thumb drive and there are no .txt files on it.

According to the youtube video, I'm supposed to use the same .bin file that I used to update the RC. The youtube video says so at about 3:00 minutes in. The video says to insert the same mini sd card used for the RC update into a thumb drive adapter, it doesn't say anything about the .bin file being a different one for the radio.

I have the same failed result when I try the other two options.

Now, afterwards I still flew the phantom and there were absolutely no issues, but I'm pretty sure the controller does not have the update.

 

[rockydog]

I think maybe you are getting your terminology wrong.....when you say you've already updated the RC, I think you are referring to the Phantom itself. The RC is the Radio Controller, and in later versions this is updated via the app, after downloading the firmware via wifi. You can't update the controller by using a USB stick with the .bin file on it.

 

[Great_Lakes]

Thanks rockydog. You are right, when I said RC I meant the phantom itself. So the instructions are wrong in the video then. Did you watch it? I will assume I need to have the radio controller connected to my iphone (which has the app) before the downloading the firmware via wifi. On the other hand, do I even need to update the controller? My phantom is flying great the way it is!

Thanks,

 

[rockydog]

When you look in the "about" section in the GO app, what versions are you showing for Phantom/RC/app.?

If you're sure you've got the latest firmware on the Phantom, it seems that you might have updated the RC as well because the latest version needs them both to be updated for everything to connect.

Latest versions; Phantom 1.8.80 / RC 1.6.0 / GO app 2.7.2 (2.8 has just been released, but not essential to update)

 

[Great_Lakes]

Thanks again rockydog for sticking with me through this. It shows that I have version 2.8 on the GO app, but it's not showing anything else, presumably because I'm not connected to the controller. (I'm at work right now). When I get home I'll connect everything up, including turning on the phantom and see what it shows me.

I've been flying the thing around a lot since I got it one week ago today, (48 flights) and it has performed pretty much flawlessly, however I did "trim" the bushes yesterday in my front yard but that was my fault. Nothing damaged. Last week I had one "incident" that recovered by itself in flight, but otherwise it has worked very well with the current firmware, whatever version(s) it turns out I have.

The "incident" which doesn't really belong in this thread but if the moderators will allow it I'll just describe it and be done with it. If there are any replies to it, then I'll open another thread about it. This was before I did any upgrades to any firmware, i.e. straight out of the box. I was flying at an altitude of probably 100 feet and about 300 feet away when the controller started audibly repeating "atti mode, atti mode" and the bird started flying sort of erratically. It eventually came out of it by itself Thank God! I clicked RTH and brought her home. I watched the video from that flight and about the time it went nuts, I could see the propeller blades prominently in the shot, and the horizon in the video was tilted as if the gimble wasn't working. It's like I lost the compass or the GPS signal for about 10 seconds. I was out in the middle of a huge open field so I know it wasn't obstructed from the satellites, and I had previously set up the compass successfully. I'll probably never know the cause.