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Recent content by Rick Morton

  1. R

    ATTI mode Spark question.

    That's what I was afraid of when I heard him talking about the Phantom. Oh well. Calibrate. Hope for the best.
  2. R

    ATTI mode Spark question.

    So I know there's no ATTI mode in the spark (without some kind of modification) but if the GPS goes haywire, the drone does go into ATTI mode. Not good for those of us who aren't great at flying yet. I saw a Phantom video where the guy said that when in the ATTI mode (available on the Phantom)...
  3. R

    Video file issue

    i imported a number of files with no problem. One file wouldn’t come in to final cut. I think this is one that was still recording when I shut down the spark. Can this be the issue? I did finally manage to import it but not sure exactly how.
  4. R

    [Noobie Question] Spark - really that unreliable?

    Yes. I have the Refresh care thing so it was only $49. They'll do that twice. From what I understand, it's not so much that you're losing GPS as it is that the GPS system needs a good compass to work. The GPS only registers a POINT on the map. The compass is what the Spark uses to update it's...
  5. R

    [Noobie Question] Spark - really that unreliable?

    Absolutey. I know that and that's why I wrote them back and said that couldn't have been the cause. There was literally, nothing around for 5 miles. Trees, some stream bed, some sand and water.
  6. R

    [Noobie Question] Spark - really that unreliable?

    Ok... I got my new, replacement Spark yesterday after losing GPS and crashing into trees. I should have been able to control it in ATTI but in the panic as it flew away fast, I couldn't respond fast enough. After receiving it, I wrote to Tech Support to ask what the "diagnosis" was. This is the...
  7. R

    Need an Expert's Opinion - ATTI flying

    My Spark is now at DjI for repair or replace... for $49. Not a bad deal. Maybe if I had calibrated the compass I wouldn't have had the flyaway. I'll definitely do it next time... and every time I fly. I, too, wish there were a way to force the ATTI mode so we newbies could learn to fly better...
  8. R

    Lost my brand new spark

    I feel your pain. Same thing happened to me twice. First time I got GPS back and got control. Second time I didn't and it hit the treetops. Got it back, damaged, and sent it in for repair. The consensus seems to be that we really need to calibrate the compass whenever you change locations. GPS...
  9. R

    GPS tracker for Spark

    I tried the Tile but realized it wasn't really any better than the "find my drone" in the Go4 app. The app will show you the last GPS location, which, unless GPS was lost, will work. Tile, being bluetooth, has a 100 ft. range, although I got the "sport" version which has a 200ft. range. If you...
  10. R

    Need an Expert's Opinion - ATTI flying

    Thanks. I think it's more the panic of seeing it take off that puts me in the panic mode and I don't know what to do. It's going fast and I can't see it changing position. I understand that we should be able to control without GPS, it's just that the whole "Spark thing" is about the GPS...
  11. R

    Need an Expert's Opinion - ATTI flying

    Ok... so it happens. The Spark loses GPS and goes into ATTI mode. If we're NOT experienced pilots, and we DO think we're doing everything right... WHAT should we do when this happens? Is there a "go to" fix when you're forced into ATTI? Both times it's happened to me, the Spark starts going a...
  12. R

    Compass error forces ATTI mode, even though I had 12-16 satellites

    Thanks. I spoke with DJI tech support and they sent me a label to send the Spark in for repair. I get all kinds of red errors when I turn it on so it definitely needs repair one way or the other. The guy said it might be a Spark problem, but they'll look at the flight records to determine...
  13. R

    Compass error forces ATTI mode, even though I had 12-16 satellites

    Let me chime in! I bought my Spark specifically to take to the Maine coast on our road trip. A week after I got it, it took off in ATTI mode while flying only about 50 feet from me in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, I got GPS back and brought it home. I've been scared to death flying ever since...
  14. R

    Help! Almost lost it in ATTI mode!

    I've talked to Tech support a number of times now and basically, they say recalibrate the compass, refresh the firmware or send it in. I really don't think there's anything "wrong" with my Spark. I think it's something with the way the Spark handles these "weak GPS" warnings. I've recalibrate...
  15. R

    Help! Almost lost it in ATTI mode!

    Hmmmm... that's almost like saying it could have been bird poop. Sounds pretty far-fetched tom me. A solar flare? I spoke with tech support this morning who said that since I didn't LOSE the drone, I don't need to send the log file. ?? He said I lost GPS. I said I KNOW I lost GPS. My question...