New P3P, should i update the FW?

[Malster1]

I got my new bird and flew the first day no updating, then updated everything that night (followed the directions from the forums under firmware) with zero issues and flew my bird about 6 more times this weekend with no issues.


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[peterepeat69]

I'd be nervous to use 3rd party apps like Litchi with old FW.

Why? Give me an example where someone has had a horrible experience? I ask this because this forum is ALL about experiences, I've only heard of updating nightmares, nothing including litchi.


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[matti]

Just because Litchi recommends using the latest FW. I've heard no failures not doing so, though.

 

[peterepeat69]

Just because Litchi recommends using the latest FW. I've heard no failures not doing so, though.

Cool, I'm following this topic very closely and I intend to download litchi soon but on my old firmware, so let's see what happens. Thanks for your feedback.


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[MILLER4PRESIDENT2020]

Phantom 3 advanced here. Have not updated anything. it flew fine out of the box. Although it is psychologically tempting to do an update because people assume that it means something better is coming, I also have heard the horror stories. I has the phantom 3 standard, did an update and the controller range dropped down to 500 feet. I also have a shield tablet with Androdi 5.1.1 and it has the update for 6.0 but there are horror stories about battery drain with 6.0 so I did not update that either.

Yes you will get a brief warning that you have to ignore and it is tuff because your brain sees the word update and it is like Christmas time, you want to do it, but resist the urge! Moral of the story....if it aint broke dont fix it!

And you were asking if these updates make it less likely to crash? Become a good pilot and dont fly it into a tree and it wont crash. There is not some glaring error in old firmware that causes the drone to randomly flip upside and crash otherwise it never would have shipped. Crashes are human error, not software.

 

[peterepeat69]

Phantom 3 advanced here. Have not updated anything. it flew fine out of the box. Although it is psychologically tempting to do an update because people assume that it means something better is coming, I also have heard the horror stories. I has the phantom 3 standard, did an update and the controller range dropped down to 500 feet. I also have a shield tablet with Androdi 5.1.1 and it has the update for 6.0 but there are horror stories about battery drain with 6.0 so I did not update that either.

Yes you will get a brief warning that you have to ignore and it is tuff because your brain sees the word update and it is like Christmas time, you want to do it, but resist the urge! Moral of the story....if it aint broke dont fix it!

And you were asking if these updates make it less likely to crash? Become a good pilot and dont fly it into a tree and it wont crash. There is not some glaring error in old firmware that causes the drone to randomly flip upside and crash otherwise it never would have shipped. Crashes are human error, not software.

I only have three words for your comment "words of wisdom"



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[SteveAikens]

That's just me, seen to many posts on nightmare updates, does your bird fly ok? Some people have lost range on updates or bricked their controller or FPV fails to work which then means you need to downgrade again.

I agree there are always a number of posts regarding problems with every update, and it makes little difference if it's about DJI updates, computer updates, computer operating system updates - or ANY technology updates. There are people that simply do not understand the technology, or how important it is to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE UPDATING - AND FOLLOWING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER!. That means the probability they're going to have trouble is quite high.

It is an unfortunate side effect of "the internet" and forums that we see numerous posts regarding those problems. What you don't see and consider are the hundreds of thousands of people like me, that understand the technology, follow the instructions, do every single update as I learn of it, and never have any problems.

In my opinion, though we may see some downside - by design [added NFZ's for example] - I'm a believer that as a rule updates are going to make more improvements than they are going to increase issues for the flier.

Do the updates.

 

[peterepeat69]

Do the updates.[/QUOTE]

I know there are people who will disagree with me and that's fine,
Asking me to do my update is really like asking me to put 1100 dollars on the line, do I want to brick my controller? Do I want to brick my fpv do I want less range? do I need the pain of downgrading again, the simple answer is no,

So my answer to you is no, I will never ever do an update as long as I live, I simply don't need to suffer the pain and I'm very happy with how my phantom flies thank you very much, peace to you.



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[alokbhargava]

I know there are people who will disagree with me and that's fine,
Asking me to do my update is really like asking me to put 1100 dollars on the line, do I want to brick my controller? Do I want to brick my fpv do I want less range? do I need the pain of downgrading again, the simple answer is no,

So my answer to you is no, I will never ever do an update as long as I live, I simply don't need to suffer the pain and I'm very happy with how my phantom flies thank you very much, peace to you.



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I agree there is no reason to upgrade if you are not familiar with the process. Upgrades are generally made to enhance features or resolve the bugs. But if you are happy with the previous release, there is no concrete reason to upgrade it.

I have been updating on the very first day of the release and luckily all went well.

 

[HairyEyeball]

I updated mine right outta the box.
I only had one hiccup, I had to down grade the controller to previous version, then do the quad, then redo the controller. Also, before you start with and fw updates, do yourself a favor and calibrate the compass. You will need to redo the IMU calibration once your done with firmware. You also have to update ALL of your batteries. If one part (quad, rc, battery or the app) is not the latest, things won't work.

 

[peterepeat69]

I agree there is no reason to upgrade if you are not familiar with the process. Upgrades are generally made to enhance features or resolve the bugs. But if you are happy with the previous release, there is no concrete reason to upgrade it.

I have been updating on the very first day of the release and luckily all went well.

Nice one, well you are a lucky one, or an engineer.. The later I do believe is true.


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[alokbhargava]

Nice one, well you are a lucky one, or an engineer.. The later I do believe is true.


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You are correct. But I strongly believe a software upgrade should be made very easy to do else people with limited experience on software will be deprived of the benefits of upgrades. DJI should focus on making upgrades a very simple, intuitive and error free process which keeps on prompting users if they make any mistake. I know how many people have faced issues during upgrades and so many are not willing to jump into the fray anymore.

 

[Jtrjr]

Thanks in advance for any help!

Jer,

I have made an informed decision to not update my two P3P's. I can not, nor would I, endorse either decision. It's a personal decision that each must make based on their interpretation of the pros and cons and the way they fly.

I follow these pages thoroughly and have made the decision to leave my birds on 1.4. One controller is on 1.3 the other is on 1.4. After many months of trying various 3rd party apps with my P2V+v3 and my P3P's, about 8 months ago I decided to use Litchi (Android) as my daily flight app.

As the updates started rolling out and information about what "exactly" DJI was providing or doing in these updates became unclear to me, I chose to stay away from updating at this point. (There is no "exactly" at DJI as far as I'm aware). I would prefer to update but I'm not comfortable doing so.

As it sits today all of my hardware and software is "locked-down", including the OS and apps on my two flights pads (Nvidia Shield and Galaxy Tab S2). My birds are on 1.4, RC 1 is on 1.3, RC 2 is on 1.4, DJI Go is on 2.4.3 and Litchi is on 2.7.1. I use DJI Go for settings not included with Litchi and for test flights only.

I chose to stop updating Litchi as well with the introduction of SDK 3 (2.7.1 was the last version utilizing SDK 2) as there has been a lot of speculation that DJI may possibly be changing the way its products and apps operate and the way future updates may be initiated and implemented. I know I will miss out on some of the newer advanced flight modes but at present I'm quite content with what I have.

All 3 of my Phantoms are flying very well with this configuration and I am very pleased with my overall flight experiences. The only negative I have (intermittently) with one of my P3's is the tilted horizon issue. Since I'm simply a hobbyist and enthusiast and I'm not doing anything professionally, as many others are, it hasn't been an issue for me, just an annoyance.

Honestly, I'd prefer to be on the latest and greatest but I have absolutely no trust in DJI from an ethical perspective. I love the product but I can't stand the company. I think their willingness to exploit their customers and their unwillingness to effectively communicate the changes that they are implementing is well documented in these forums.

Obviously, all of this is just "my" personal opinion. I didn't write this note to engage anyone in a debate, I simply wrote it to provide "my" honest and personal perspective.

I say, to each his own! Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

Jerry

 

[movius]

For what it's worth, upgraded to latest firmware on my P3P aircraft, camera, batteries and remote without issue. Test flight indicated no difference to other firmware upgrades or performance but the caveat here is that I don't push the envelope, I fly within the CAA rules re altitude and distance. I know a lot of members here are pushing the envelope so will better know of any limitations at extremes.

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[alokbhargava]

Jer,

I have made an informed decision to not update my two P3P's. I can not, nor would I, endorse either decision. It's a personal decision that each must make based on their interpretation of the pros and cons and the way they fly.

I follow these pages thoroughly and have made the decision to leave my birds on 1.4. One controller is on 1.3 the other is on 1.4. After many months of trying various 3rd party apps with my P2V+v3 and my P3P's, about 8 months ago I decided to use Litchi (Android) as my daily flight app.

As the updates started rolling out and information about what "exactly" DJI was providing or doing in these updates became unclear to me, I chose to stay away from updating at this point. (There is no "exactly" at DJI as far as I'm aware). I would prefer to update but I'm not comfortable doing so.

As it sits today all of my hardware and software is "locked-down", including the OS and apps on my two flights pads (Nvidia Shield and Galaxy Tab S2). My birds are on 1.4, RC 1 is on 1.3, RC 2 is on 1.4, DJI Go is on 2.4.3 and Litchi is on 2.7.1. I use DJI Go for settings not included with Litchi and for test flights only.

I chose to stop updating Litchi as well with the introduction of SDK 3 (2.7.1 was the last version utilizing SDK 2) as there has been a lot of speculation that DJI may possibly be changing the way its products and apps operate and the way future updates may be initiated and implemented. I know I will miss out on some of the newer advanced flight modes but at present I'm quite content with what I have.

All 3 of my Phantoms are flying very well with this configuration and I am very pleased with my overall flight experiences. The only negative I have (intermittently) with one of my P3's is the tilted horizon issue. Since I'm simply a hobbyist and enthusiast and I'm not doing anything professionally, as many others are, it hasn't been an issue for me, just an annoyance.

Honestly, I'd prefer to be on the latest and greatest but I have absolutely no trust in DJI from an ethical perspective. I love the product but I can't stand the company. I think their willingness to exploit their customers and their unwillingness to effectively communicate the changes that they are implementing is well documented in these forums.

Obviously, all of this is just "my" personal opinion. I didn't write this note to engage anyone in a debate, I simply wrote it to provide "my" honest and personal perspective.

I say, to each his own! Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

Jerry

Totally agree with you. You are currently enjoying your P3 and why should you upgrade and loose your fun as you are not sure of the success of the upgrade.

I wish it was possible to upgrade remotely, then I would have offered my help to anyone who needed it.

 

[CCDD]

I remember when I first bought my P3P back in November, I struggled a bit with the understanding of exactly how to complete the FW updates. It was Alok that assisted me, even a couple of PMs here and there and I was all set and ready to fly. It's been smooth sailing since that time and I recommend upgrading only after having others test it first. I intentionally skipped 1.7 and went with 1.8 a day or two after release. I thought 1.6 was solid and 1.8 appears to be working just as well. Happy flying!!!

 

[CANEKiTA]

Just because Litchi recommends using the latest FW. I've heard no failures not doing so, though.

Maybe no failures but the app does have issues with older firmware, i could not get latest litchi to do Panorama shots with my P3P on 1.4. Kept saying "failure to load mission", uninstalled and tried litchi 2.7.1 and no more issues.
(Old P3P firmware\SDK2 = stick with old Litchi on SDK2)

 

[AL T]

Jer,

I have made an informed decision to not update my two P3P's. I can not, nor would I, endorse either decision. It's a personal decision that each must make based on their interpretation of the pros and cons and the way they fly.

I follow these pages thoroughly and have made the decision to leave my birds on 1.4. One controller is on 1.3 the other is on 1.4. After many months of trying various 3rd party apps with my P2V+v3 and my P3P's, about 8 months ago I decided to use Litchi (Android) as my daily flight app.

As the updates started rolling out and information about what "exactly" DJI was providing or doing in these updates became unclear to me, I chose to stay away from updating at this point. (There is no "exactly" at DJI as far as I'm aware). I would prefer to update but I'm not comfortable doing so.

As it sits today all of my hardware and software is "locked-down", including the OS and apps on my two flights pads (Nvidia Shield and Galaxy Tab S2). My birds are on 1.4, RC 1 is on 1.3, RC 2 is on 1.4, DJI Go is on 2.4.3 and Litchi is on 2.7.1. I use DJI Go for settings not included with Litchi and for test flights only.

I chose to stop updating Litchi as well with the introduction of SDK 3 (2.7.1 was the last version utilizing SDK 2) as there has been a lot of speculation that DJI may possibly be changing the way its products and apps operate and the way future updates may be initiated and implemented. I know I will miss out on some of the newer advanced flight modes but at present I'm quite content with what I have.

All 3 of my Phantoms are flying very well with this configuration and I am very pleased with my overall flight experiences. The only negative I have (intermittently) with one of my P3's is the tilted horizon issue. Since I'm simply a hobbyist and enthusiast and I'm not doing anything professionally, as many others are, it hasn't been an issue for me, just an annoyance.

Honestly, I'd prefer to be on the latest and greatest but I have absolutely no trust in DJI from an ethical perspective. I love the product but I can't stand the company. I think their willingness to exploit their customers and their unwillingness to effectively communicate the changes that they are implementing is well documented in these forums.

Obviously, all of this is just "my" personal opinion. I didn't write this note to engage anyone in a debate, I simply wrote it to provide "my" honest and personal perspective.

I say, to each his own! Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

Jerry

I have the same set-up as you. My findings and beliefs are also the same. I'm know I'm missing a few "advanced features", but I've been airborne for 14 months and I'm very content with my "limited capabilities". There are many experienced pilots on this forum. Some are outstanding when it comes to helping people like me. For that I am very appreciative!! To ALL of you fellow flyers Enjoy and Fly Safe.

 

[kingfisher555]

I did the newest update to my new p3p with no issues.

 

[Jeriami]

Figured you guys would want to know, i updated & my P3P is now stuck in limbo saying "abnormal", "please follow the academy guide & re-install firmware", i keep trying to reinstall or downgrade 1 FW but it fails every time. Kind of ironic, i just for a new P3P, i had a P3A previously & had major defects within 13 days of purchase & returned that several months ago, now i got a P3P & a few days later firmware seem to have bricked the unit. About to give up!

Fortunately, i bought @ BB & can return or exchange if i want, i just don't know if i want to return it or exchange it, i almost lost hope in DJI units..