Hangar Autopilot - P3-4k Issues

[Jon Hobbs]

I posted this to Hangar support, thought I'd post it here in case someone has had similar experience. It involves using Autopilot with my Phantom 3-4k:

Whenever I attempt to execute an automated mission, the Autopilot app goes into RC Override within 1-3 seconds after engaging.

So far I've attempted Zip Line, Orbit, Waypoint and Cruise modes. They all behave the same.

I've tried with the RC flight mode switch in the F position prior to starting the engagement process. I've tried starting the engagement process with the switch in P, then switching to F right before the final step.

I've tried toggling the flight mode switch back and forth between F and P as suggested in the FAQ (Why does Autopilot display RC Override after engaging?). I've toggled 6-8 times or more to no avail.

I've used the DJI Go app to verify that multiple flight modes are enabled. The Go app is force-closed prior to launching Autopilot.

I've tried running Autopilot on an iPhone 5c, an ancient iPad (gen 2 I believe), and a brand-spanking-new iPad (latest edition).

I keep the firmware on the bird (Phantom 3 4K) up-to-date; new versions are installed as they're released by DJI.

The only way I've been able to get an automated mission to execute is to engage LCMC. Apart from the obvious risks of engaging LCMC, this also disables many of the features that make Autopilot unique and desirable.

I've attached a flight log of a recent test of a simple 2 waypoint mission.

Help?!?

P.S. While completing the rest of this request form, the "Aircraft type" field indicates that Phantom 3 4K is not supported. Your web page and FAQ explicitly say that it is supported. DJI's site states that the P3-4k supports their SDK. So that's a bit confusing

 

[Jon Hobbs]

Here's what Hangar support had to say:

Thank you for your interest in Autopilot and apologies for the delay. Unfortunately, with the discontinuation of the Phantom 3 4K from DJI we saw an increasing amount of reports of the RC Override error. Our developers tried to resolve the issue but were not able to. Because of this we removed it from our Device Supported list. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you do not have an additional supported aircraft to use with Autopilot, please pursue a refund from the app store as they handle all sales and refunds.

Looks like all us P3-4K owners are SOL....

 

[With The Birds]

Hats off to hanger for a straight up response and offer of refund. The fact DJI couldn't manage to maintain the required firmware/SDK functionality to keep things working is disappointing.

 

[Jon Hobbs]

Yeah, I appreciate them being so open. I wish it had been a little more obvious that the P3-4k wasn't supported to begin with, but if I can get my money back, no harm, no foul.

The "Fly Like a Professional" portion of their Autopilot webpage still has the P3-4k listed.

The P3-4k is *not* listed in the "System Requirements" section, which is good. However, there's a link in the "System Requirements" section that says "See the full list of supported platforms". This implies that the list is not the "full" list. If you click on the link, you're taken to a DJI page which lists the P3-4k as being supported.

So it's confusing, at best.

I'm trying to find an economically viable way to "trade-in" my P3-4k for a bird that's supported by Autopilot before pursuing a refund.