First flight after switching to NAZA mode didn't go well

[Sasquatch]

Went to fly tonight and it was m first time since switching over to NAZA mode.

Everything was checked before takeoff. S1 and S2 switches up, had 10 - 12 satellites. antennae at 90 degrees. Everything the same as always and like when I was flying in Phantom mode.

Shortly after lift off and while doing maneuvers at about 20 feet up and about 100 feet away, she started to drift all over the place when hovering. Then she started moving on her own with no input from me with the sticks! The controls were working but a couple of times I had to fight her to make her go the direction I wanted. It was really scary! In my haste to get her back on the ground I had a minor crash with her landing a little hard and blades tipping into the grass. That was the first time I've ever had that happen and always land on the ground. I think if she had been very high up or far away from me, I would have lost her tonight.

Does anyone have any ideas on what might have gone wrong or what may have happened? Should I switch back to Phantom mode...can I do that?

 

[JWarren]

did you recalibrate your compass after switching modes?

Regards,
J.

 

[Sasquatch]

I did recalibrate the compass using the Phantam assistant software a few days ago because it told me I needed to. This was after switching to NAZA mode.

 

[JWarren]

Well, I'm still flying in GPS mode on both my aircraft with about 50 flights between them. I've never been in a big hurry to switch to NAZA mode and your post certainly makes me think don't do it, but I know the vast majority switch and have no problem. Sounds like something with the compass, I don't know and wish I could help you. Glad you got your Phantom back on the ground though.

 

[Sasquatch]

I wonder if I should have switched now myself, everything was working great before and I had no issues whatsoever. Do you know if I can switch back to Phantom mode?

Thanks Jwarren for trying to help me, I appreciate it and glad too I got my bird back on the ground. All of this happened in the course of about 12 minutes and I had hoped this would have been a good flight tonight. Weather was perfect, nobody around and brought both my batteries for a good long bit of flying.

 

[JWarren]

Switching back should be as easy as just clicking the Phantom/NAZA button I think.

 

[Sasquatch]

Yes, I would think so too but I haven't tried it. When you hover your mouse over that button however, it doesn't say it will switch back.

I guess I'll wait to hear from some others and then if I'm able or need to, might be switching back to Phantom mode.

 

[JWarren]

good luck! I'll be watching because I'm quite curious.

 

[Mori55]

How many sats did you have? I've always flown naza and can't understand why it's being blamed for these things. The vast majority if naza controllers are naza mode. When all your switches are up it just like phantom mode. Are you sure you weren't in atti ? Or you may have lost GPS lock and went into atti.

 

[Mori55]

If your not used to atti it will drift and go with the wind , won't feel locked in.

 

[Sasquatch]

Hi Mori55,

I had no less than 10 sats, up to 12 at one point. Yes, I'm positive that both switches were up. All I can tell you or anyone that this was my first flight after switching to NAZA mode and things went wrong. All my previous flights were perfect and I had no issues with control or the bird trying to move on its own.

 

[D_Tshudy]

Went to fly tonight and it was m first time since switching over to NAZA mode.

Everything was checked before takeoff. S1 and S2 switches up, had 10 - 12 satellites. antennae at 90 degrees. Everything the same as always and like when I was flying in Phantom mode.

Shortly after lift off and while doing maneuvers at about 20 feet up and about 100 feet away, she started to drift all over the place when hovering. Then she started moving on her own with no input from me with the sticks! The controls were working but a couple of times I had to fight her to make her go the direction I wanted. It was really scary! In my haste to get her back on the ground I had a minor crash with her landing a little hard and blades tipping into the grass. That was the first time I've ever had that happen and always land on the ground. I think if she had been very high up or far away from me, I would have lost her tonight.

Does anyone have any ideas on what might have gone wrong or what may have happened? Should I switch back to Phantom mode...can I do that?

I'm happy to hear that you stayed calm and brought it down safely. This doesn't sound like something caused by switching to Naza mode. It sounds like you were in Atti mode, drifting with wind and momentum. Are you sure both switches were up? Lights green (not yellow)? If so, you may have other problems. Plug her in and check everything.

You can switch back to Phantom mode but I would encourage you to not do that just yet. You will really like Naza mode once you are comfortable with it.

 

[Cocoa Beach Kiter]

+!

Not sure what happened, but my experience with NAZA has been error free. I would not go back now that I have used it.

I would look for other issues first before abandoning NAZA. In another thread there was discussion regarding failures of the S1/2 switches. I would be curious if that may be a problem.

 

[dannytroy]

From what I've read there is nothing magical about Naza mode, and it is only an enhanced Phantom mode. For me, the Home Lock function alone is enough reason to use Naza mode. I used it twice today when I needed to quickly bring it back to me and away from distant trees.

 

[michaeljp]

You have me a bit worried now as i switched over to naza a few days ago but havent flown due to weather. When you were in assist and doing the change did you assign the S1 switch to be GPS up, ATTI mid and RTH bottom postition? Because it think the default position or the S1 switch in naza is Atti up Atti mid and Failsafe bottom postition.

 

[Sasquatch]

Thanks D_Tshudy,

Yep, I'm 100% absolutely positive I had both switches up and even double checked once she started to act funny. Also, this wasn't drifting, it was the bird actually moving on its own and I had to use the sticks to 'fight' it to go the direction I wanted. It didn't continue to resist my control input for the whole flight, but a couple of times it did. When I first saw her starting to 'drift' or move around considerably while hovering, I might have thought it was ATTI Mode behaviour, because it didn't seem rock steady like it usually is while hovering. Again though, there is no chance she was in ATTI Mode, at least by the switch.

There was no wind tonight that I could detect.

 

[Sasquatch]

You have me a bit worried now as i switched over to naza a few days ago but havent flown due to weather. When you were in assist and doing the change did you assign the S1 switch to be GPS up, ATTI mid and RTH bottom postition? Because it think the default position or the S1 switch in naza is Atti up Atti mid and Failsafe bottom postition.

I'm pretty sure the modes are in the right corresponding positions. I didn't actually think you could change their positions and only had the option to change the bottom (3rd position) to either be Failsafe or manual. I set it to failsafe for sure. I'll double check the switch positions, but I am sure they are where they should be.

 

[Sasquatch]

From what I've read there is nothing magical about Naza mode, and it is only an enhanced Phantom mode.

That's what I thought too and I've read quite a bit about NAZA mode lately. I was under the impression that as long as the S1 & S2 switches were up, it would fly the exact same as it did in Phantom mode.

All I can tell you guys is something went wrong and the only variable was I had switched over to NAZA mode before this flight.

 

[Sasquatch]

+!

Not sure what happened, but my experience with NAZA has been error free. I would not go back now that I have used it.

I would look for other issues first before abandoning NAZA. In another thread there was discussion regarding failures of the S1/2 switches. I would be curious if that may be a problem.

Thanks and I do want to find out what happened or at least be given some suggestions to try and fix the problem. I don't think the switches are failing, because when hooked up to the Phantom assist software, I can see the switches changing between modes on the screen.

 

[___]

I have read the same about the all switched up being the same as phantom mode.

Today while in NAZA mode (first day flying, actually) I tested it by hovering about 2 meters and pulling (literally on it's skids, not the controller) the drone about 2 meters horizontally. When I let go it went back to it's original position. Another test I did to check the home lock was fly a few feet out and switch to home lock and see if I could pull back on the right stick and have it come towards me as opposed to flying away if home lock was not on. This tests the location of the home position.

When I switched to NAZA mode there were three pop-ups. One said "this is for advanced blah blah", the second, "are you sure?", and the third was "Just click the button again to return back to Phantom mode".

Also you can see on the screen while in the program the switches changing as you physically move them on the controller, assuming you have the controller and phantom on while plugged in via USB.