The long journey to using IOC

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My first post here, hello everyone. I have a month old Phantom 3 Advanced, and I've never been able to get it to go into basic IOC mode. The problem is that when I go to Advanced mode on the screen I can engage Multi mode, but the button to engage IOC mode remains greyed out and unusable.

I called DJI support several times and talked to several different people. There were many suggestions, ranging from updating firmware (I did) to recalibrating the compass (I did) to being sure I was in F mode (i did), and one support person suggested that apple mobile devices were buggy and wouldn't work with IOC (I think that was a stretch, for the record I have tried it with my iPad Mini, my IPhone 5s, my friends iPhone 6S, and his full size IPad). Nothing worked.

Finally they had me send it back to DJI for repair. I did, they replaced the main board (With no explanation), sent it back, and it will still not go into IOC mode.

I searched this forum and found several posts from people have the same or similar problem. Now, I'm starting to think that there is a glitch in the latest firmware (Vs1.5.30+) and that actually nobody using that firmware is successfully getting into basic IOC mode on the DJI App.

To be clear, I am able to get the drone into the intelligent flight modes once it is flying by switching to F mode, but even then the IOC switch on my DJI App stays greyed out. I am not trying to use the flight modes, I simply want the flight/control stick orientation to remain fixed as I rotate the drone to aim the camera. The most basic IOC function.

My question to the 3 Advance users here is, are you able to actually engage the IOC switch on your DJI app using an Apple device? If so, can you tell me what device you use?

I'm open to any suggestions, I'm not an expert drone pilot and I was very excited to have the IOC mode to help me keep the camera aimed where I want and controlling the drone without having to translate the orientation in my head. I don't think DJI is going to be able to help me any more.

Thanks very much for any help
 
Edit- I asked a question that you answered when I re-read. Not sure what's going on there. I haven't actually used F mode flights since updating to 1.6. Will try soon and check back.

Edit again. You're seeing what I believe is normal. IOC is now grayed out. You'll want to go into F mode and choose either course lock or home lock to do what you're looking for. The most frustrating thing is you sent in a bird for no reason. I doubt they actually fixed anything, frankly.
 
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Frankly, this confused me at first, too. As long as you have Multi mode engaged, forget about engaging IOC in the app (you can't do it there/stays grayed out/useless button). To engage, flip the RC switch to F mode after take-off. What @shockwave199 said.
 
Thank you both, this confirms what I had thought, that the IOC switch had been disabled and nobody bothered to inform the DJI support staff. No less than four different support people investigated my problem and not one of them knew this.

So that leads to my next question: It seems to me that none of the "modes" has the feature I was looking for in basic IOC. I'm interested in an IOC mode that fixes the direction of flight to compass orientation regardless of the direction the camera is pointed. In other words, my understanding of basic IOC is that if you initiate IOC with the drone facing due North, then forward on the stick will always take the drone due North regardless of it's location in relation to "home", and regardless of which direction the camera faces. Has this most basic (and for me most useful) IOC mode been eliminated?

Course mode follows a course, Home mode makes the drone fly towards home when the stick is pulled back. Neither of these is what I want.

Thanks again, looks like DJI needs to hire some folks from this forum who actually know what is going on with their products.
 
By the way, it looks like I should have posted this in Phantom 3 help instead of general discussion. Sorry.
 
It is normal for the engage IOC button to be grayed out when you are on the ground. You have to be in the air, above 10m altitude I believe, before IOC becomes available. Just flip the switch to F mode in the air & the IOC menu will pop up.


My first post here, hello everyone. I have a month old Phantom 3 Advanced, and I've never been able to get it to go into basic IOC mode. The problem is that when I go to Advanced mode on the screen I can engage Multi mode, but the button to engage IOC mode remains greyed out and unusable.

I called DJI support several times and talked to several different people. There were many suggestions, ranging from updating firmware (I did) to recalibrating the compass (I did) to being sure I was in F mode (i did), and one support person suggested that apple mobile devices were buggy and wouldn't work with IOC (I think that was a stretch, for the record I have tried it with my iPad Mini, my IPhone 5s, my friends iPhone 6S, and his full size IPad). Nothing worked.

Finally they had me send it back to DJI for repair. I did, they replaced the main board (With no explanation), sent it back, and it will still not go into IOC mode.

I searched this forum and found several posts from people have the same or similar problem. Now, I'm starting to think that there is a glitch in the latest firmware (Vs1.5.30+) and that actually nobody using that firmware is successfully getting into basic IOC mode on the DJI App.

To be clear, I am able to get the drone into the intelligent flight modes once it is flying by switching to F mode, but even then the IOC switch on my DJI App stays greyed out. I am not trying to use the flight modes, I simply want the flight/control stick orientation to remain fixed as I rotate the drone to aim the camera. The most basic IOC function.

My question to the 3 Advance users here is, are you able to actually engage the IOC switch on your DJI app using an Apple device? If so, can you tell me what device you use?

I'm open to any suggestions, I'm not an expert drone pilot and I was very excited to have the IOC mode to help me keep the camera aimed where I want and controlling the drone without having to translate the orientation in my head. I don't think DJI is going to be able to help me any more.

Thanks very much for any help
 
It is normal for the engage IOC button to be grayed out when you are on the ground. You have to be in the air, above 10m altitude I believe, before IOC becomes available. Just flip the switch to F mode in the air & the IOC menu will pop up.
The actual IOC button on my app will not engage no matter whether I am in flight or not. Have you actually gone to the Advanced mode during flight and tried to engage your IOC button? It will go into intelligent flight modes, but the IOC button is still greyed out (on my rig).

Again, the problem is that the flight mode that I'm interested in as described in my last post does not seem to be available. I want to be able to:

"initiate IOC with the drone facing due North, then forward on the stick will always take the drone due North regardless of it's location in relation to "home", and regardless of which direction the camera faces."

I think this feature used to be available when you turned on IOC but did not select a specific flight mode.
 
Yes but I have not tried to use that specific IOC function so I'm not sure? I believe that feature is referred to as "Course Lock" & of all the features it is the one I have never used.

The actual IOC button on my app will not engage no matter whether I am in flight or not. Have you actually gone to the Advanced mode during flight and tried to engage your IOC button? It will go into intelligent flight modes, but the IOC button is still greyed out (on my rig).

Again, the problem is that the flight mode that I'm interested in as described in my last post does not seem to be available. I want to be able to:

"initiate IOC with the drone facing due North, then forward on the stick will always take the drone due North regardless of it's location in relation to "home", and regardless of which direction the camera faces."

I think this feature used to be available when you turned on IOC but did not select a specific flight mode.
 
Look at autopilot, I believe that will do exactly what you want, and more


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app
I checked it out ( you are referring to the Autopilot app?). It does a lot of cool things but I don't see a function where it simply allows compass point orientation on the control stick.

View this video from 1:20 to 1:35. It shows IOC being engaged, and describes the function as "being able to move forward, backwards, left and right, no matter which way the drone is facing"

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That's what I'm trying to get to work on my drone.

Thanks for the suggestion though.
 
"initiate IOC with the drone facing due North, then forward on the stick will always take the drone due North regardless of it's location in relation to "home", and regardless of which direction the camera faces."
This is exactly what course lock will do. It will not "follow a course" as you say. Homelock is similar but different. Again, let go of trying to engage IOC in the app. It's done on the remote (F mode) as long as Multi flight mode is on and the quad is in the air (and beginner mode off). Switch from P to F mode upon launch and the IOC options will appear. Select Course Lock and follow the on-screen prompts. The video you reference must be using an old version of the app. 2.4.2 does not and will not behave exactly that way (IOC will be grayed out) but you can access the feature you want following these instructions.
 
This is exactly what course lock will do. It will not "follow a course" as you say. Homelock is similar but different. Again, let go of trying to engage IOC in the app. It's done on the remote (F mode) as long as Multi flight mode is on and the quad is in the air (and beginner mode off). Switch from P to F mode upon launch and the IOC options will appear. Select Course Lock and follow the on-screen prompts. The video you reference must be using an old version of the app. 2.4.2 does not and will not behave exactly that way (IOC will be grayed out) but you can access the feature you want following these instructions.

I may have read about "course lock" incorrectly. I'm going to try this today if the wind dies. I believe you are correct. If this works I'll need an address to send you a beer!
 
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Course lock is my go-to mode for capturing specific LOS shots for later editing.
 
Line of sight. I never let her out of my sight when flying course lock. If the camera is not facing the direction of flight, you have no way of knowing what you're about to run into unless you are watching it.
 
Line of sight. I never let her out of my sight when flying course lock. If the camera is not facing the direction of flight, you have no way of knowing what you're about to run into unless you are watching it.
Ah, makes perfect sense. I'm charging my batteries now to go check it out. Thanks very much for the help.
 
Saudio, try this.

Take off and fly the P3 to the altitude and course you want. Hover.
Flip to F. A warning screen will come up.
Select Course Lock and push apply to accept your course.
In a hover, adjust the camera angle with left stick and gimble control.
Now use your right stick only (forward or aft) to move along your selected "locked" course.

You can even move along your course (with right stick forward or aft) and spin the P3 in yaw (left stick right or left) as you go.

Warning: practice in a wide open area until you are confident in what the sticks are doing in course lock...
 

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