First flight - hover only!!

Dooden · Oct 12, 2018

Very excited to have my first Spark fly today. Using remote controller and OPPO S9 phone - 'beginner' mode, compass and IMU calibrated. Launch OK - but then my Spark just hovered about 1.5 metres above take off point and nothing I did with the joysticks had any effect whatsoever. Responded to RTH button on phone. 4 x hovers and landings. Would like to do a bit more LOL. Any ideas? (3 x batteries, RC and phone fully charged prior to flight).

FeK9 · Oct 12, 2018

Hi

from your above description it looks like you might still need to pair the RC to the your Spark, then connect your smart phone to the RC... If the status LED on the RC controller is red this means that the controller needs to be linked with the aircraft, the LED should be green....

graywoulf · Oct 12, 2018

Mine did that while flying indoors after one of the last Go 4 updates. I did have everything connected. Green light on the controller and even used the controller for a manual takeoff. I opted to grab the Spark and flip it upside down to shut it off. I restarted everything all over and tried it again with success the second time. I have been afraid to fly it outdoors since. And now with the iOS 12 update on my iPad Mini 4, I am waiting to see if there is another Go 4 update to keep up with the iOS update but nothing so far as I know of.

Northwood Mediaworks · Oct 12, 2018

iOS 12.1 is already out... I will test it this weekend, pray for me!

Northwood Mediaworks · Oct 12, 2018

And congrats on your first flight Dooden, and welcome to the forum. Sounds for sure like the phone was the controller not the RC. Lots of YouTube videos on pairing the remote to the Spark. Read up on OTG cables too, as you will find you will want one. Good luck and fly safe. We're all here to help along the way too.

lmel2005 · Oct 12, 2018

Dooden said:
Very excited to have my first Spark fly today. Using remote controller and OPPO S9 phone - 'beginner' mode, compass and IMU calibrated. Launch OK - but then my Spark just hovered about 1.5 metres above take off point and nothing I did with the joysticks had any effect whatsoever. Responded to RTH button on phone. 4 x hovers and landings. Would like to do a bit more LOL. Any ideas? (3 x batteries, RC and phone fully charged prior to flight).

If you bought fly more combo, controller should be paired with spark.

Otherwise, you must pair them.

Davenwolf · Oct 12, 2018

FYI, I have the OPPO F1s, and I still have plenty of processing power and ram to run GO4 app. I can't find OPPO S9 though. F9?

Dooden · Oct 13, 2018

Sorry, the phone is actually an OPPO R9s. I now think I didn't have the RC paired properly with my Spark - (not a fly more combo). Have more carefully read the manual and completed the pairing procedure at home. Hope to fly today. thanks for the responses. Cheers

Dooden · Oct 13, 2018

Northwood Mediaworks said:
And congrats on your first flight Dooden, and welcome to the forum. Sounds for sure like the phone was the controller not the RC. Lots of YouTube videos on pairing the remote to the Spark. Read up on OTG cables too, as you will find you will want one. Good luck and fly safe. We're all here to help along the way too.

Thanks for the welcome. Did have an OTG cable between RC and Spark for my 'hovers'. Pretty sure it was a non-paired controller /Spark - trying again later today.

Dooden · Oct 13, 2018

Having successfully 'paired' my Spark and RC last night according to manual procedure, I headed out again today to do more than hover, ha. Or so I thought. After spending an infuriating hour (and one and a half batteries), I returned home without even a hover. I'm sure it must be something simple but an hour of switching things on-off, with and without OTG cable, checking and rechecking was enough and I returned home totally frustrated. Where to now?
RC and Spark are definitely 'paired' (green lights both)
RC wifi connected to phone - confirmed in Go 4 app and in phone wifi list.
Whenever I try to go into the app via "Enter Device" I can't get past this screen..

....I followed each option down - even scanning as requested (failed). Camera view leads to a darkened flight screen with "Aircraft Disconnected" message up in top menu. OK, how do I connect it when all indications are that its on, paired and 'ready'.
Fast becoming the most frustrating hobby ever!!
Hope you experienced pilots can point out something to get past this dilemma - shouldn't be so difficult??
Cheers

lmel2005 · Oct 14, 2018

No, in fact it is very easy.

BUT it needs some knowledge, about procedure and operation, best practices, and first of all rules and regulations.

I would suggest a careful reading of the manual, if you didn't do it already.

To fly a new drone, you must activate it with DJI.
If activation failed through go4 app, you could use DJI assistant 2, with spark connected to your pc.

Have you activated your drone successfully?

Dooden · Oct 14, 2018

lmel2005 said:
No, in fact it is very easy.

BUT it needs some knowledge, about procedure and operation, best practices, and first of all rules and regulations.

I would suggest a careful reading of the manual, if you didn't do it already.

To fly a new drone, you must activate it with DJI.
If activation failed through go4 app, you could use DJI assistant 2, with spark connected to your pc.

Have you activated your drone successfully?

Thanks,
I have read the manual several times now. It contains the following on 'activation'.

Activate the Aircraft
Launch DJI GO 4, tap the icon in the upper right corner, scan the QR Code on the storage box or in the battery compartment, and follow the prompt for activation.
Use your DJI account to activate the aircraft. Activation requires an internet connection.

As already indicated, the scan method failed. On attempting the second method via the DJI assistant, I got the following screen....View attachment 7232 View attachment 7232

Inspire2??
Finally I just ignored the Assistant "instructions", connected the Spark to my computer and eventually managed to upload the latest firmware. Hopefully that has solved the problem - will find out tomorrow. I suppose my point is that watching 100 youtube vids, reading the manual and following instructions to the letter hasn't been enough to get flying yet.
Cheers

lmel2005 · Oct 14, 2018

Dooden said:
Thanks,
I have read the manual several times now. It contains the following on 'activation'.

Activate the Aircraft
Launch DJI GO 4, tap the icon in the upper right corner, scan the QR Code on the storage box or in the battery compartment, and follow the prompt for activation.
Use your DJI account to activate the aircraft. Activation requires an internet connection.

As already indicated, the scan method failed. On attempting the second method via the DJI assistant, I got the following screen....View attachment 7232 View attachment 7232 View attachment 7233
Inspire2??
Finally I just ignored the Assistant "instructions", connected the Spark to my computer and eventually managed to upload the latest firmware. Hopefully that has solved the problem - will find out tomorrow. I suppose my point is that watching 100 youtube vids, reading the manual and following instructions to the letter hasn't been enough to get flying yet.
Cheers

The procedure is, run assistant, connect spark, assistant finds spark, activate it, update with last firmware.

It is good for drone to be connected to controller before connected to pc.

And you're right. Activating spark is a little tricky.

steve.r · Oct 19, 2018

Please update, are you flying yet ?

Dooden · Oct 20, 2018

Hi, sorry, I've been away a few days. Yes thanks, am flying now - a combination of firmware update, pairing RC and Spark and a bit of luck got me there. All seems OK now.