Another lost Spark...

[koffe]

Sad day today. My Spark flew away. Could not get it down. With help of the Airdata site I have registered an account and uploaded the fligts from 3 different phones. Huawei Mate 10 pro, iPhone 5S and iPhone 6S plus. After analyzing I can clearly see that some minor problems have occured from beginning of may and escalated until today. It started with some "Below Hard Deck", then came more and more "Data Loss" and some "GPS Bad".

First I thought that the new Autopilot app or the iPhone 6S was to blame. Back in time the smaller iPhone 5S also got the problems. And finally I could see trouble also with GO4 and the Android problem longer back in time.

Then I remembered that three times I have experienced IMU message for problem, that made me start a calibrating sequence. One of them was back in januari/februari and the last ones recently. All of these calibrations did not finish as the should. The Spark was sitting in stage 2 and 3 and nothing more happened over a long time. Finally I shut down and started over and the no more indication of fault.

So I think there was something wrong with the bird, that then escalated during may and these days of june. When she disappeared, I was flying with Autopilot, so I can imagine what DJI should respond if I was to try the guarantee. I don't even have the Spark longer, as it flew away with the wind and I guess it is buried in the sea now.

Anyone that have updated to a Mavic Air or something in Sweden or nearby, and want to sell me a used Spark?

 

[Rafa7]

Sorry you lost your Spark, I hope you find another Spark.

 

[koffe]

Thank you Rafa for your thoughts. Strange that people here try to sell used ones after their update to Mavic Air for £10 - 15 less than new cost. Very popular drone...

 

[Chrislaf]

Sorry about your Spark. That is my worst fear. The family and I will be going on a trip to British Columbia (Canada) in just over a week and I am planning on bringing my Spark. I am trying not to fly it too much this week and next because I don't want to have a crash and then not have my Spark available. I do have the Refresh warranty on my Spark, but don't want to be in a situation where I don't have my Spark available for the trip. So, I have been flying my Phantom 3 Standard more often now.

Chris

 

[koffe]

Thanks for your concern Chris.

I could not be glad again without my Spark, so I have already ordered a new one. I mentioned that the site Airdata.com gives good analyzing help flights have gone. After rigourus looking in the past, I am convinced that mine had a bad Connection someware inside. If you look Closer, the different faults have been more and more over time. I also remember that one or two weeks before, it happened several times that by powering up the gimbal did not rise to look up front, but hanging down. A shut down and new power up always helped. I look at it this way, that the initial pulse to raise the camera did not go all way through. Maybe caused by bad internal connection. The electronics warmed up a bit after first power up and then the signal came through the second time. That is at least my thoughts.

So when the new bird arrives, I will test every flight and do analyze for every possible malfaction through the "Black Box". This time I will buy the Refresh warranty package. Best of luck to the Canadian trip!

 

[Chrislaf]

What colour is your new one going to be? and what colour was the previous one? Mines white.

The Refresh warranty is piece of mind but you have to be able to recover the drone so hopefully if I ever crash mine, it won’t be where I can’t get to it. All of my flying is within VLOS so that might help a bit.

 

[koffe]

Both white. I had luck that that one shop here sells the Spark together with just the RC to the exact same price as the others sell only the Spark. That is a free RC in reserve.

In my flyaway case it would not help as the sea is st leadt 50 meters deep.

 

[NWSpark]

Sorry about your Spark. That is my worst fear. The family and I will be going on a trip to British Columbia (Canada) in just over a week and I am planning on bringing my Spark. I am trying not to fly it too much this week and next because I don't want to have a crash and then not have my Spark available. I do have the Refresh warranty on my Spark, but don't want to be in a situation where I don't have my Spark available for the trip. So, I have been flying my Phantom 3 Standard more often now.

Chris

Hey Chris,
Where yah headed to in BC? I'm in BC and heading to the interior in two weeks!!!

 

[Chrislaf]

We will spend most of our time on Vancouver Island doing a combination of camping/hotels. Hoping to get some nice shots with my Spark and regular camera.

Chris

 

[GafUK]

Sad day today. My Spark flew away. Could not get it down. With help of the Airdata site I have registered an account and uploaded the fligts from 3 different phones. Huawei Mate 10 pro, iPhone 5S and iPhone 6S plus. After analyzing I can clearly see that some minor problems have occured from beginning of may and escalated until today. It started with some "Below Hard Deck", then came more and more "Data Loss" and some "GPS Bad".

First I thought that the new Autopilot app or the iPhone 6S was to blame. Back in time the smaller iPhone 5S also got the problems. And finally I could see trouble also with GO4 and the Android problem longer back in time.

Then I remembered that three times I have experienced IMU message for problem, that made me start a calibrating sequence. One of them was back in januari/februari and the last ones recently. All of these calibrations did not finish as the should. The Spark was sitting in stage 2 and 3 and nothing more happened over a long time. Finally I shut down and started over and the no more indication of fault.

So I think there was something wrong with the bird, that then escalated during may and these days of june. When she disappeared, I was flying with Autopilot, so I can imagine what DJI should respond if I was to try the guarantee. I don't even have the Spark longer, as it flew away with the wind and I guess it is buried in the sea now.

Anyone that have updated to a Mavic Air or something in Sweden or nearby, and want to sell me a used Spark?

Sorry to hear you lost your spark mate, i've lost 4 in the past, so don't feel to bad.

 

[koffe]

Thanks GafUK, now that I have got the new one it feels a little better. This evening I will fly with new one to try a search and resque flight. Hope it does show up. First I thought it would have run all the way to the deep sea when battery was empty, but later I have learned that it will stop by default after 3 sec without RC contact and start a landing. Hopefully that is the case here.

I have preprogrammed 3 waypoint missions in the presumed area and taken the wind speed at the moment into consideration. "Knock on wood"!

 

[GafUK]

Oh good luck mate, Hope your find it. I did the same as you, as soon as i lose one i have to have another pretty much straight away. I'm not sure if this might help, or if someone has mentioned it, but there is a genius on this forum known as
sar104. if you contact him and see if he's free to look over your flight logs, he's excellent in working out where a lost device may have landed.
Let me know how you get on in your search.

 

[koffe]

I went out this evening for 3 wp missions. The first gave me some trouble but I did actually not believe it should be at that close part with the fairly strong winds prevailing at the time. But on the second I really thought I had found it. White top and sharp dark line as for the sensors. We went out again and my cousin helper made his way out in the whete field. I parked right above. And he lifted up a white rectangular stone. No sensors there it was just shadow under. Aahrrrg...

I tried to find the person called sar104 but could not find any members list. Do you know how to?

Another question, I did something wrong with the waypoint missions. I set focus point around 100 meters ahead and minus 112 meters under ground. Thought it would put the camera facing down. Instead I had to turn the gimbal wheel down all 3 x 9 minutes it did take. Is there a better way to point it down during the whole missions?

 

[GafUK]

Hi,

I've not really played around with missions mate. Cant really help. I normally put on some welly's and walk around lots (for days) then go home sad. LOL

It's very difficult to pick out missing drones from the air, I've tried and never managed to find one, esp in long grass or in your case in wheat.

So yea Sar104, try looking in https://mavicpilots.com.

This guy is a wizard. You will need to supply flight logs etc... take a look at this too FOUND! Lost my Mavic Pro during storm a guy lost his mavic in rural Pakistan and Sar helped him out.

Cheers
Gaf

 

[Chrislaf]

There are a number of members who might be able to help locate your Spark.

msinger - I think he’s on all the forums (sparkpilots, phantompilots,etc). It’s his log viewer that many people use.
sar104, Meta4, Fly Dawg and others from phantompilots probably could help too if you can contact them.
Hope this helps.

 

[koffe]

Thank you guys for your suggestions. I try here to ask for more help if it is possible to find my drone

@msinger if you have the time and possibility to help

Could not upload the normal way as I was flying with Autopilot and not GO4 or Lithci.
The logfile is instead uploaded here: www.bokningsprogram.se/logfile/

Greatful for all support