Horrifying flyaway with DJI spark when circling

[mertsendag]

Hi guys,


A week ago, I had this crazy incident where Spark just decided to go away out of the blue (screenshot belowed).

I was circling a cathedral in the Ukrainian city of Odessa. In the middle of the quickshot, my spark decided to end it, go backwards at full speed. It quickly went away 300 meters and I lost sight of it.

Pushing the sticks didn't help, it was completely unresponsive and it was still in quick shot mode while doing this. After disconnecting completely, I was losing hope but thankfully it had recorded the home point. It switched to GPS mode and came back to home point.

How on earth is this possible? Any ideas?

Regards

 

[nilanjan118]

Questions galore. Please upload your flight log here and share the link if you want answers from the experts here.

 

[DameEdnaBrown]

We'd all like to know

 

[twickers14]

Here here. Looking forward to diagnosis.

 

[ExcitingHeadgear]

When your Spark starts doing something you don't want it to, try hitting the pause (| |) button or move the switch to Sport mode and back.

 

[Pearson]

When your Spark starts doing something you don't want it to, try hitting the pause (| |) button or move the switch to Sport mode and back.

That pause button has saved more than a few props of mine. Great feature. Have not heard of the Sport mode switch n return tho. Will keep in mind.

 

[nilanjan118]

Have not heard of the Sport mode switch n return tho.

It's particularly useful when you want to exit a QuickShot and quickly fly to a new position.
Say, you are doing a dronie. At the end of the shot, although the AC flies back to you, it is rather slow. Instead, you can quickly flip to Sports mode and the AC exits the QuickShot mode and hovers in place. Then you can fly it back manually or to any other location.

 

[mertsendag]

Thank you all.
The pause button did not work. No button worked actually.
I will upload the logs tonight. Is the logs in SD card okay?

 

[monty.roman]

I've tried the circle quickshot couple times (I prefer Point of interest function instead of this) and once or twice it failed of locked onto something else and went off on its own. It might was an issue with object misrecognition. In your case there could be some GPS dropout due to compass or other failure involved.

 

[hscrugby]

Interesting. I came here to ask about the same thing, except I was able to cancel the straight back flight. I tried circle mode a few times from the cathedral and it zoomed straight back every time.
I'm guessing it didn't like the steeple as a lock. Here is my log, fortunately the gap in the trees was directly back from the steeple or I'd be crying.

DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help

Upload and view DJI Phantom, Mavic, and Spark flight logs online

www.phantomhelp.com

 

[nilanjan118]

Interesting. I came here to ask about the same thing, except I was able to cancel the straight back flight. I tried circle mode a few times from the cathedral and it zoomed straight back every time.
I'm guessing it didn't like the steeple as a lock. Here is my log, fortunately the gap in the trees was directly back from the steeple or I'd be crying.

DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help

Upload and view DJI Phantom, Mavic, and Spark flight logs online

www.phantomhelp.com

I think it is common with any automated flight modes on the Spark. I have experienced this while using Active Track. As soon as the AC loses track of the subject, it just zooms at quite a good speed. Now I don't know whether it attempts to go to the home point or some other location as I always hit the pause button in such a scenario.

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

The only comment I can make is that you were standing inbetween the two buildings, close to one of them, i would have stepped well out into the open so that nothing in the environment could mess with the controller.

 

[Multikoe]

and once or twice it failed of locked onto something else and went off on its own. It might was an issue with object misrecognition.

That's a really interesting point. However, it depends on the way the Spark makes the circle. Is it based on GPS coordinates? Or based on image recognition. If the latter, this could in certain condition lead to the Spark "latching" on to another subject or become totally confused.

 

[hscrugby]

The only comment I can make is that you were standing inbetween the two buildings, close to one of them, i would have stepped well out into the open so that nothing in the environment could mess with the controller.

I wasted an entire battery trying to get it to circle the steeple. I walked over closer, but with the sunlight, it was hard to see my screen, hence standing near the building. The signal was perfect the entire flight. Advantages of country churches, I don't have any interference. (Other than making sure to dodge the above ground power lines. )

Just to add, the "weird" part for me, helix worked fine, rocket worked fine, dronie worked fine. Circle just did a "bizarre" dronie straight away, but not up at all. just straight back.

 

[monty.roman]

That's a really interesting point. However, it depends on the way the Spark makes the circle. Is it based on GPS coordinates? Or based on image recognition. If the latter, this could in certain condition lead to the Spark "latching" on to another subject or become totally confused.

I believe it's based on object recognition like Active track. On the other hand - Point of interest is based on the GPS coordinates since you have to hover above the desired point to lock it and then fly aside before you start circling.