All i can say, downgrade to Spark firmware .300 is the best. No issue so far and i can unlock full potential of this mini beast.
[Noobie Question] Spark - really that unreliable?
- Thread starter Rockdeme
- Start date
I'm new to the Spark and drones too but like you I read what I could find and in most cases the problems were due to not reading the damned manual first and failing to do the pre-flight checks and setup, being in too much of a rush to fly it out of the box. On this forum there are plenty of reminders to prepare and fly with caution.
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 first response.
"Our technicians concluded that it was a user error since the last recorded command were your input controls when you were trying to regain control. As for the reason the Spark lost GPS signal was the fact that there was weak satellite signals attributed by underground wires such as fiber optics and other electrical wiring with a certain frequency range overlapping over the satellite signal."
I wrote back to say I was at the edge of a small inlet and marsh with no wires, towers, buildings, NOTHING around for miles. I didn't see any reason for any disastrous interference with satellite signals.
He responded:
"The only data they have was the flight logs saved on your crashed Spark. And that data simply shows the recorded flight and system issues the drone was experiencing an the time. External factors would be difficult to determine as all they can go by would be GPS coordinates during the time of the incident.
Since the data shows that there was still connectivity with the remote during the flight the crash would not be considered as a drone malfunction but due to factors than voided the warranty. And with that last known command before impact was your input commands.
While specifically not considered your fault due to the fact you were simply trying to regain control but the conclusion and end result was as data stated. All in all it was an unfortunate unforeseen incident."
So... bottom line. Pilot error. I'm assuming because I had been driving with the Spark and did NOT calibrate the compass before flying, the GPS system failed. I have to assume this because I don't want to be afraid to fly for fear of losing control again. I want it to have been MY fault... something I can prevent by learning to be a better pilot. Hopefully this is true.
"Our technicians concluded that it was a user error since the last recorded command were your input controls when you were trying to regain control. As for the reason the Spark lost GPS signal was the fact that there was weak satellite signals attributed by underground wires such as fiber optics and other electrical wiring with a certain frequency range overlapping over the satellite signal."
I wrote back to say I was at the edge of a small inlet and marsh with no wires, towers, buildings, NOTHING around for miles. I didn't see any reason for any disastrous interference with satellite signals.
He responded:
"The only data they have was the flight logs saved on your crashed Spark. And that data simply shows the recorded flight and system issues the drone was experiencing an the time. External factors would be difficult to determine as all they can go by would be GPS coordinates during the time of the incident.
Since the data shows that there was still connectivity with the remote during the flight the crash would not be considered as a drone malfunction but due to factors than voided the warranty. And with that last known command before impact was your input commands.
While specifically not considered your fault due to the fact you were simply trying to regain control but the conclusion and end result was as data stated. All in all it was an unfortunate unforeseen incident."
So... bottom line. Pilot error. I'm assuming because I had been driving with the Spark and did NOT calibrate the compass before flying, the GPS system failed. I have to assume this because I don't want to be afraid to fly for fear of losing control again. I want it to have been MY fault... something I can prevent by learning to be a better pilot. Hopefully this is true.
by underground wires such as fiber optics and other electrical wiring with a certain frequency range overlapping over the satellite signal."
I promise you Fiber Optics had nothing to do with the problem. They function with light and that light is contained in a very, very small fiber in a cable. It does not radiate.
I promise you Fiber Optics had nothing to do with the problem. They function with light and that light is contained in a very, very small fiber in a cable. It does not radiate.
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.
So was it only $49 to fix it (from your other post), or did it cost more cause it was "your" fault.
My GPS has gone bust. It doesn't matter where I take it. It's been calibrated. Still no recovery. When I think about all the other GPS devices that I've owned, they have never suffered GPS loss like the Spark has. I can't help thinking it might be an Achilles heel for the Spark.
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 location by knowing what direction it's moving. So, apparently, if the GPS system thinks it's going north, but the bad compass is heading west, all hell breaks loose. The message we get is Lost GPS and it goes into ATTI mode. This, actually, is a safety feature saying, in essence "I can't talk to your compass so you take over". Compass calibration is really important and perhaps more important than DJI makes it out to be. I'm not an expert. Just relaying what I've learned in my searching for an answer.
So really the GPS and the Compass need checking in mine because either one not working could trigger the ATTI mode. Thanks
You're right, there are a lot of such videos and it concerned me before I bought my Spark. However, if you think about it, who's going to post a video about how trouble free their drone is or how they've never had an accident with it? Crashes make great clickbait for people chiefly interested in promoting their channels.
If the UK Drone Magazine has just published a survey of drone flying. When asked about accidents over 50% of owners surveyed said they'd never crashed their drone and those that had done only once came in a distant second. Likewise, those that had crashed a drone blamed 'human error' as by far the biggest reason for it.
Roy Talangbayan
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- Aug 30, 2017
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Make a routine preflight checklist as they do in the real air flight world and you’ll be okay. (KP index, wind speed and direction, battery properly installed and full, props, any sign of cracks, compass, no. of GPS and fly safely.
I am also new on drone flying. Bought a spark to jus up my holiday videos. Practiced with it at home and went off with the spark to Scotland. Unfortunately it flew away on the fifth day whiteout any reason. It was the 20th of august. When I was back home I contacted DJI, send in the flight records. After analyzing, they concluded it was not a pilot error and offered me a new one. That I call great service!
Good news congratulations[emoji1417] Stories like this can at least give credibility to the fact that these things really are flying away for no reason!
Yes, it is quite possible that there is a failure in the GPS/Compass department, but the self correcting department is still driving it madly off into the distance (or into the water in some cases). There are just so many possibilities for a glitch in such a complex machine.
BingErr
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- Sep 28, 2017
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I have only had very small problems with the Spark. Occasional video lag is the biggest problem. Most of the time fixed by moving to a better location. That said, I cut my teeth on my Phantom 3 Standard and crashed it several times (but learned from each crash). I've never crashed my Spark. Not even close. Maybe because it's built better. Maybe because I learned the hard way on my P3S.
I own a spark, a mavic and have seven other drones, two custom builds.
The fact is if you buy dji, only use dji approved phones or accessories, read the manual, keep up to date on the patches and spend the time that the investment merits. You will have a great experience with their, djis', products. These products are not in the category of a casual user area.
Lastrexking
Well-Known Member
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