After being cleared, flight restrictions return with power up (battery change) [Fixed with 3.1.15?]

[Oso]

I have noticed that several people have reported on this and other forums that the 30m/50m flight restrictions are sometimes returning after a battery change even after the user had already updated and had already done the "one time" log out / log in to register the app. A common theme is (I'm summarizing) that all was fine after the update, there were no more restrictions, and they flew a battery with no issues. Then when they changed batteries, suddenly the restrictions are back.

It seems like this may be a bug and probably not related to the batteries. A bug like this is hard to pin down because everyone seems to have a different process for starting up and flying so some will trigger the issue and some will not. Even so, this can be bad for folks who fly with no internet access. They could be thinking they are good to go and have removed the restrictions already at home only to be surprised with restrictions in the field when they change a battery. I can see that easily ruining someone's vacation or someone's big job.

I have not updated my Phantoms for a very long time, so I can't speak from personal experience on this. I just thought that since I have seen it reported several times in a short period that I would bring it to everyone's attention.

Perhaps someone here will be more versed on the topic and can add more facts or perhaps may already know of a work around that will help others.

Update. See post #17 for a potential work around:
After being cleared, flight restrictions return with power up

Second update.
There have been a few reports now that iOS GO app v3.1.15 has fixed this issue despite no word of that in the release notes. Of course, we know that not every change (good or bad) is listed in the notes so this is not much of a surprise.

A couple of examples:
"Yesterday my first flight went fine, I flew up to about 400 ft and a little over 2000 feet out, distance. Landed after 14 minutes as the battery was low, Then I packed it all up in the car and then went over to my other favorite launch site ,using one xtra fully charged battery I got it all set up calibrated have the ladys voice...LIFT-OFF!.....Up it goes...to 93 feet and then I hear Maximum Altitude reached, then I fly it out just a ways and now...Maximum Distance Reached!.."

"I went out to a shoot at location #1, when bird was ready, I GOT the, "Home point...' message, deployed the bird and expended one battery; perfect flight. Moved to location #2, less than a quarter of a mile away, loaded second battery and when bird was ready to fly, I DID NOT get the message, 'Home point..' but deployed the bird. I then got both a voice and visual alert that I had reached my maximum distance of 100' and that I needed to change that in the settings. Nowhere in the settings, do I have a maximum altitude or distance set."

"I have a second full battery, its a nice evening, so I thought I'd go a few miles away and film a short clip of an ancient church and graveyard that I have just discovered. Take off with no issues, until I try to fly up and I get a warning that I have reached maximum altitude. Strange, on the last flight I was over 200m up. Ok, low level it is then. A bit of FPV lag, but it soon cleared. I set up a POI over a tower and that worked fine. Over I fly to the old church and I get a maximum distance reached warning. Now I haven't adjusted anything in the app since the harbour flight, the only difference is the battery. Same phone, GO app etc. So I land and try again."

"i did all updates before and log in my account. flight will be unlimited. if i change battery its limited again until i turn it off a moment and restart."

 

[Numone]

I just wonder if the order the updates to the AC/RC were undertaken has any relevance? I say this because following the notification to update the app, I updated the RC first then the AC, then logged on to DJI. Since then I've flown multiple times with two battery changeovers without any issues.

 

[Oso]

I just wonder if the order the updates to the AC/RC were undertaken has any relevance? I say this because following the notification to update the app, I updated the RC first then the AC, then logged on to DJI. Since then I've flown multiple times with two battery changeovers without any issues.

I was thinking maybe it could be related to updating the battery firmware. For instance, if someone had done the AC/RC but then did not do their additional batteries? Does this latest FW have a battery update? The release notes don't mention it.

I read here that doing the AC first was the "wrong way" for this update, but it seems that people have done it a number of ways.

 

[Numone]

I was thinking maybe it could be related to updating the battery firmware. For instance, if someone had done the AC/RC but then did not do their additional batteries? Does this latest FW have a battery update? The release notes don't mention it.

I read here that doing the AC first was the "wrong way" for this update, but it seems that people have done it a number of ways.

Yep, but in my case, I didn't update the batteries; I just flew them!

 

[Oso]

Yep, but in my case, I didn't update the batteries; I just flew them!

Hmm. Okay. That blows up my theory about battery updates maybe being the cause. Thanks for adding the info sir.

 

[happydays]

I'm example three above. When I turned off and on a few times, the restrictions cleared and I was able to fly normally. Just to add though, that I had no phone signal and therefore no data at that time, so you may be on to something there.

 

[Oso]

I'm example three above. When I turned off and on a few times, the restrictions cleared and I was able to fly normally. Just to add though, that I had no phone signal and therefore no data at that time, so you may be on to something there.

That aligns with one of the other examples when he said, "if i change battery its limited again until i turn it off a moment and restart." That's similar to what you said and it sounds promising as a work around.

Question @happydays - are you using all OEM batteries? I'm just still poking around trying to see if there is any sort of commonality to all of the reports we've seen here and elsewhere.

 

[Rungel]

I had a similar issue:

Flew the ac with no problems or restrictions, landed at 20% battery and swapped out with a fully charged battery. I left the remote and app on when I swapped out batteries . Started up the ac , all good and I took off only to have height and distance restrictions. I checked all the settings in the app and nothing changed, I landed and turned off the ac and remote and closed out the app, restarted everything was normal and no restrictions.

I only had this issues after the recent IOS update to the GO app.

 

[ksiads]

I'm example #1 above. Only difference is, I flew an OEM battery a few days ago. Everything was fine. 400' max height, no max distance notification.

Then, yesterday, I thought I'd cycle through my batteries and get some practice in. It had been awhile since I flew my non-DJI batteries so I thought I'd run them down first. Since I wasn't anticipating any problems I can't be certain if I got the "Homepoint" message. All information on my Tx was good to go (including the 500m max height). I took off and went to climb but got stopped at about 100' AGL.

I took the P3P inside to get a better look at the iPad Mini 2 screen. Everything seemed nominal. Took it back outside to try again. Same thing, max height of only 100'.

I packed it in and figured I'd check here today, and I was interested to find this thread.

If it doesn't rain today maybe I'll put an OEM battery in to see if it makes any difference. I may also try using an Android tablet in case this is an iOS issue.

 

[happydays]

That aligns with one of the other examples when he said, "if i change battery its limited again until i turn it off a moment and restart." That's similar to what you said and it sounds promising as a work around.

Question @happydays - are you using all OEM batteries? I'm just still poking around trying to see if there is any sort of commonality to all of the reports we've seen here and elsewhere.

Yes. After my post the other night I flew again in test mode and had absolutely no issues using both OEM batteries. I did, however, delete and reinstall the GO app following someone else's suggestion.

 

[deltamike]

I read here that doing the AC first was the "wrong way" for this update, but it seems that people have done it a number of ways.

That's the way I did it and everything's good

 

[DVP]

I am example #2.

How can it be, that after I did the update I flew numerous missions, with zero issues? Then the problem starts. I had done nothing between the last successful flight and when the problem arose. Stayed signed in, did not need relink. Everything was the same.

How is that even possible? It is getting reset out of the blue. Scientifically, that does not work.

I have done the delete/ re-install the app operation and one out of four batteries worked. Now two batteries work and two do not. [I will beat you to the punch in saying, if you keep going, eventually all of your batteries will work.]

So let's face it, it is a wide spread problem but not effecting everyone.

Support just told me to switch to the Deutsch version on their website and download their latest version; 1.8.8. This, once on mSD card and run as any FW update would be, did nothing. Seems I could not downgrade as far as the bird was concerned.

So the latest upgrade is for the states alone at least according to the Deutsch page of DJI P3P download?

But what was the update all about? Supposedly to stop us at those limits IF our smart device was not attached. Yet you can take off with your smart device and then disconnect it and the restriction remains off. So that would seem to intimate the update wasn't for that at all or least wise, not only what it was for. And only in the states?

Brian | DVP

 

[Roamer105]

All this information is stored in the AC not the RC or GO app. Every time the RC connects to the AC, all of these parameters are retrieved from the AC. Rolling back the AC firmware to 1.10 and the RC firmware to the first available rollback (IOS) version (1.6) fixes all of it for good.

 

[DVP]

Your time permitting, please explain or point to a source for the procedure of 'rollback' on AC/ RC.

Thanks in advance.

Brian | DVP

 

[Kibroggg]

Hello Everyone.
"Oso" asked if I can post this here. So here it is. My Phantom 3 Adv can not fly more than 30m in height and in the distance. After 5 days of research, downgrade, upgrading and more, I think I found the cause and solution of the problem. I think the problem is DJI Go application. After more hours of testing and testing, I came to the conclusion that if you do not cancel the application after each flight, but completely from the recently launched applications you will have a problem with the limitation of flight height and distance. Every time I repeatedly turned on the remote, I started the application but from start, loading the app (of course, I was loged in), so I started the phantom, I flew more than 30m every time. I tried that with 6 batteries in 2 days. Every time I turned on the remote and the application was already running, although I was logged in, I was limited to 30m in height after flight. I suggest that until the correct version of the application is there, you turn it off completely before the next flight.This is for iOS devices. Not shure for android. I hope I helped someone this. greetings from Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

[RodPad]

Hum, good stuff!
Is this only occurring on the P3 Advance and Pro?

Rod

 

[Oso]

Based on several posts here (including from @Kibroggg) and in other forums, some people who experience the issue of returning flight restrictions have been able to work around it by completely closing out of the app and then restarting the app once the P3 is powered up again. This would need to be done each time as part of their battery change over process.

It appears that we've confirmed it is likely not the batteries themselves per se which did always seem strange and unlikely to me. At least not OEM batteries anyway. It may simply be caused by powering down and up again during the battery change with the app still open, and then something not aligning with the connection to the app once the P3 powers up again.

A complete app close out and restart seems in some reported cases to correct this and allow full distance flight once again. Not doing so has resulted for some in the flight restrictions returning.

** Note: I just want to repeat that we are talking about the 30m/50m flight restrictions sometimes returning even after the user had already updated and had already done the "one time" log out / log in to register the app.

 

[Numone]

Did anyone try the IT Helpdesk standard response, and I don't mean "what have you done now..?" no, the other one - "Can you turn it off and turn it on again". So just try a logout of your DJI account and and log back in.....?

 

[Roamer105]

Your time permitting, please explain or point to a source for the procedure of 'rollback' on AC/ RC.

Thanks in advance.

Brian | DVP

Check out this thread: Downgrading firmware on P3P from 1.10.9 to 1.7.6

I believe some folks successfully used this method on P4s as well.

 

[Oso]

Did anyone try the IT Helpdesk standard response, and I don't mean "what have you done now..?" no, the other one - "Can you turn it off and turn it on again". So just try a logout of your DJI account and and log back in.....?

Yes, I have read others note that trying to log out and log in again did not clear the flight restrictions once they returned. I can only go with what I have read since I am not using the latest FW or app.

We have seen countless new threads asking the same questions such as, "since the update my flights are limited to 30m/50m - has anyone else seen this?" Most of these are simply people who have not read the release notes and not used the search function so they just need the basic advice to re-link and log in/out, etc. Since there are so many though, I'm having a harder time quickly finding the posts noting a log out / login did not work with returning restrictions since they seem to be posted in with the other basic threads. I do know that I read them however.