DJI Phantom 4 GO

[slbynum]

On my P4 which I got new 2 1/2 weeks ago I've used nothing but the go 4 app. Several flights now and no issues at all.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[ShivarenoP3]

While I have appropriate sympathy for you in this, I'm burning with a completely different question: How the H E double-hockeysticks did that thing flip itself?!?!?!? I didn't think it was even capable of that, period! I mean, unless a motor just powered down completely or something, which isn't possible from a control signal, it would seem to me.

All I'm saying is the fact that it flipped may suggest something deeper is wrong, like maybe the controller board. Not suggesting this is likely, just that the fact that it flipped at all seems suspicious.

I was doing a commercial shoot not long ago with (at the time) a virtually brand new P4. Hands were off the sticks, Home Point recorded, so I used the Go 4 app to Auto Take-off. Motors powered up like normal, and then immediately right about the time and sound that the Phantom should start rising to a hover, the thing lifted about 12 inches off the ground, motor(s) fully spun for some reason, and the phantom flipped over and landed perfectly on the props and spun until killed the motors.
Never happened since. Nothing is wrong with it, other than it still has the horizon, gimbal, level issue many of us have. It came like that though.

 

[dpwarren]

While I have appropriate sympathy for you in this, I'm burning with a completely different question: How the H E double-hockeysticks did that thing flip itself?!?!?!? I didn't think it was even capable of that, period! I mean, unless a motor just powered down completely or something, which isn't possible from a control signal, it would seem to me.

All I'm saying is the fact that it flipped may suggest something deeper is wrong, like maybe the controller board. Not suggesting this is likely, just that the fact that it flipped at all seems suspicious.

You can flip a Phantom in Manual mode. Full throttle and Full forward, rolls it forward. As you stated, this seems like more of a controller issue than a GO 4 or ipad issue. I'm pretty sure the mode has to be changed at the controller software level.

In order to enable manual yourself you have to go through Assistant.

 

[ShivarenoP3]

You can flip a Phantom in Manual mode. Full throttle and Full forward, rolls it forward. As you stated, this seems like more of a controller issue than a GO 4 or ipad issue. I'm pretty sure the mode has to be changed at the controller software level.

In order to enable manual yourself you have to go through Assistant.

Tell me how to do this on the 3's and 4's. I haven't tried to "hack" my phantoms, but true manual mode was taken away a long time ago, no?

 

[Skyler King III]

After 71 successful flights with my P4 using the old app, I finally followed the on screen prompt and upgraded to 4 GO. I was preparing for an weekend family event that I wanted to film so I took one flight out and back to insure that everything was working correctly.

After landing, I armed the motors, took off and it hovered while I read the manual to figure out my next move. After a couple of minutes of hovering, the P4 suddenly accelerated, flipped upside down and went into my driveway at full throttle, upside down. I could not shut it off and it finally shut itself off after a couple of minutes. Fortunately, the tops of the propellers took all of the abuse.

I contacted Tech Support and they told me I should not be using Pro 4 GO because it has glitches they are still working on. They told me to go back to the original program. Great!

Now my camera is no longer working and I have no confidence in the drone. If it hadn't inverted, it would have flown off into oblivion. So, I am sending the drone back to DJI for service. Who knows when I will get it back.

I have been using GO 3 with my P4 and Mavic with iOS with no problems. That said, since I presume you are referring to DJI when you say "tech support", I would see a free fix due to their self-admitted defective software.

 

[rogerhall59]

I hope my incident was an anomaly which it appears from the responses. The drone was just hovering at 8' when it started gyrating, worse each time, no response to controller, including the kill engine stick response. Finally flipped and drove itself into the driveway.
I put the whole package into a box and sent it to DJI support. I'll let you know what they find.

 

[Matchlock]

Here's what I received back from DJI with regard to the Go 4 app.

Dear Bud,

Thank you for reaching out DJI Support.

It is safe to use the DJI Go 4 app on an iPad Mini 4 with IOS 10.2.1 and a DJI Phantom 4 Pro, iPad Mini 4 is compatible with our drone(as long as the IOS version is 9.0 or later.), please don't worry about that.

If you have further questions, please contact us freely.

Coco
U.S. technical support
Tel: +1 (818) 235 0789
Online Support: http://www.dji.com/support/product

Thank you for choosing DJI.
Best Regards,
DJI Support
=================================

After 71 successful flights with my P4 using the old app, I finally followed the on screen prompt and upgraded to 4 GO. I was preparing for an weekend family event that I wanted to film so I took one flight out and back to insure that everything was working correctly.

After landing, I armed the motors, took off and it hovered while I read the manual to figure out my next move. After a couple of minutes of hovering, the P4 suddenly accelerated, flipped upside down and went into my driveway at full throttle, upside down. I could not shut it off and it finally shut itself off after a couple of minutes. Fortunately, the tops of the propellers took all of the abuse.

I contacted Tech Support and they told me I should not be using Pro 4 GO because it has glitches they are still working on. They told me to go back to the original program. Great!

Now my camera is no longer working and I have no confidence in the drone. If it hadn't inverted, it would have flown off into oblivion. So, I am sending the drone back to DJI for service. Who knows when I will get it back.

 

[wa5tef]

After 71 successful flights with my P4 using the old app, I finally followed the on screen prompt and upgraded to 4 GO. I was preparing for an weekend family event that I wanted to film so I took one flight out and back to insure that everything was working correctly.

After landing, I armed the motors, took off and it hovered while I read the manual to figure out my next move. After a couple of minutes of hovering, the P4 suddenly accelerated, flipped upside down and went into my driveway at full throttle, upside down. I could not shut it off and it finally shut itself off after a couple of minutes. Fortunately, the tops of the propellers took all of the abuse.

I contacted Tech Support and they told me I should not be using Pro 4 GO because it has glitches they are still working on. They told me to go back to the original program. Great!

Now my camera is no longer working and I have no confidence in the drone. If it hadn't inverted, it would have flown off into oblivion. So, I am sending the drone back to DJI for service. Who knows when I will get it back.

F

After 71 successful flights with my P4 using the old app, I finally followed the on screen prompt and upgraded to 4 GO. I was preparing for an weekend family event that I wanted to film so I took one flight out and back to insure that everything was working correctly.

After landing, I armed the motors, took off and it hovered while I read the manual to figure out my next move. After a couple of minutes of hovering, the P4 suddenly accelerated, flipped upside down and went into my driveway at full throttle, upside down. I could not shut it off and it finally shut itself off after a couple of minutes. Fortunately, the tops of the propellers took all of the abuse.

I contacted Tech Support and they told me I should not be using Pro 4 GO because it has glitches they are still working on. They told me to go back to the original program. Great!

Now my camera is no longer working and I have no confidence in the drone. If it hadn't inverted, it would have flown off into oblivion. So, I am sending the drone back to DJI for service. Who knows when I will get it back.

 

[wa5tef]

F

Finally. I hate to hear about your crash but up until that happened no one has had a flip over, on four forums. My Phantom 4 did a flip at about 200 feet and flew powered into the ground. I was using Litchi and there were no other issues or external influence. DGI took three days to turn my drone around and ship it back. The only damage was four props, top shell and gimbal. One tough bird! Cost was $239.00. I paid it immediately to get my drone fixed quickly BUT they have not admitted it is a drone flaw, either hardware or software. The usual cause is "pilot error" who's was not the case! I am expecting not to get my same drone back from what I have read on the forums. I will post updates as this plays out but you should think twice before you send it to DJI without getting some concessions from them first. I expect more of these Phantom 4's flying inverted into the ground. Please keep us all posted. Many are following this situation.
Thanks,
Jim
WA5TEF

 

[wa5tef]

I hope my incident was an anomaly which it appears from the responses. The drone was just hovering at 8' when it started gyrating, worse each time, no response to controller, including the kill engine stick response. Finally flipped and drove itself into the driveway.
I put the whole package into a box and sent it to DJI support. I'll let you know what they find.

Roger, see my lengthy posts here and the other forums about Phantom 's flipping and crashing! I believe there is a warranty issue here though DJI denies it.
Thanks
Jim
WA5TEF