P4P Orientation on DJI Go4 App Incorrect

[TCRay]

I just received my new P4P. I have been taking the Phantom & Mavic Filmschool since I also own a Mavic Pro Platinum. So I watched the portions of the Filmschool again that deal with setting the P4P up in the DJI GO4 app.

On the P4P I took time to go into the GO4 app and adjust my settings. When I went out to fly last evening everything went well. I was not in any particular program, just practicing intermediate and advanced maneuvers with my sticks. After a while, I was out quite a way and about 250 ft altitude. When I wanted to return to home, I looked at the P4P orientation on the radar in the lower left corner of my Asus Zenpad 10 and also the map in the lower right corner. Both show the triangular drone and the "H" representing home.

I oriented the nose of the triangle toward the "H" and pushed my right stick forward. As I watched the P4P visualy up in the air (not on the screen) it started going in another direction totally.

Might I have some setting incorrect that I am not thinking about?

Thanks!
Tom

 

[Fly Dawg]

I oriented the nose of the triangle toward the "H" and pushed my right stick forward.

Pointing the aircraft towards you reverses the stick controls unless you are using "Home Lock". That is basic flying, but a hard one to grasp when first starting out.

 

[TCRay]

Fly Dawg, I do understand the reversal of controls when the drone is pointed toward me. I had the right stick pushed up so the drone should have come to me. But instead, I watched it go about 90 degrees in another direction while on the screen it showed it was coming to me.

 

[Fly Dawg]

I had the right stick pushed up so the drone should have come to me

With the aircraft pointed toward you, pushing the right stick forward will send the aircraft away from you. Are you viewing the "radar" icon or the "map" icon. They are different entities.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Posting a screen shot would help.

 

[Meta4]

Fly Dawg, I do understand the reversal of controls when the drone is pointed toward me. I had the right stick pushed up so the drone should have come to me. But instead, I watched it go about 90 degrees in another direction while on the screen it showed it was coming to me.

If the Phantom is pointing toward you, the red paper plane icons in radar or map displays should also be pointing toward you and pushing the right stick forward should bring it back to you.
So either you were a little disoriented with what you think you saw, or you are describing a strange fault that's never been reported.
Check the radar display next flight with the Phantom in visual range to see what it's doing.

 

[Kman]

Is your Phantom and controller up to date with the latest firmware?

 

[Meta4]

Is your Phantom and controller up to date with the latest firmware?

The firmware shouldn't make any difference.

 

[TCRay]

Meta4, thanks for the suggestions. Yes the P4P and controller just had a new version update yesterday. This actually happened 2 times on the same evening so I am certain that what I saw is correct. I oriented the drone "triangle" so that it was pointed at the "H" in the radar and in the lower right screen. When I pushed the right stick forward (up) the drone headed in a totally different direction. It would not have come back to the home location.

As the drone took off, it hovered and the voice said "home point updated". So it knew its home, and had 16 satellites locked on.

 

[Fly Dawg]

As the drone took off, it hovered and the voice said "home point updated". So it knew its home, and had 16 satellites locked on.

Irrelevant to your primary question, but do not take off until after the Home Point prompt, to be assured it is correct. Just a small tip.

 

[RunningWithScissors]

I watched it go about 90 degrees in another direction while on the screen it showed it was coming to me.

Just curious, prior to take-off, does the direction your Phantom is facing match the compass direction of the icon on the map? If not, I'm wondering if you have a slight compass error.

 

[Fly Dawg]

If not, I'm wondering if you have a slight compass error.

There appears to be multiple confusions as to what the OP is referring to.....It must be something so simple that we are missing, but the wording is getting most difficult to follow.

 

[Meta4]

This actually happened 2 times on the same evening so I am certain that what I saw is correct. I oriented the drone "triangle" so that it was pointed at the "H" in the radar and in the lower right screen. When I pushed the right stick forward (up) the drone headed in a totally different direction. It would not have come back to the home location.

What you are saying is difficult to take in.
Either your Phantom behaves normally or it doesn't. And if it doesn't you should see this all the time.
When you are flying, does it all work properly .. go forward when you push the right stick forward etc?

Take it out again to a clear, open area.
Fly about 50 out in front of you.
Check the radar display - is the red icon straight out in front of the centre of the radar display.
Use the left stick to rotate the drone - does the red icon point the way the drone is facing?

 

[Skynet1]

I believe this concern is difficult to understand because of its rarity.
Having said that, It's probably a bit easier for me to understand the OP, having experienced this very same issue. In essence " the triangular radar icon is not in sync with the flight path of the model". In my case it has actually been 180 degrees out at times, and usually occurs after the model has established its home point and is in flight.
In some instances the A/C actual indicates the model is flying at a point behind me, while actually flying forward of my position. Weird Science. lol
This subject has actually come up from time to time on other such forums, but is quite rare, and I believe the model may ultimately need to be returned to DJI for further evaluation, something I particularly wasn't prepared to do for personal reasons.
Although there have been various suggestions to help rectify the issue, eg. performing a calibration of the compass within the personal device used, eg. phone/tablet, as well as an uninstall & re-install of the flight App itself. I have unfortunately found negative results in that regard.
Although I've experienced inconsistencies of flight path as portrayed on the radar icon, I have found the full screen mapping option to provide a more precise positioning of the models directional heading for some unknown reason, which I can't reasonably explain.
I can say however, of the several DJI models owned, this issue has been isolated to my P4P and Go 4 App. used.
Further, I have not thus far encountered any unusual flight concerns relating to the models compass, and have never received any warnings via the flight app or otherwise of an unusual nature during the past 18 months.
I would however suggest returning the model to DJI, as I understand this to be a brand new aircraft, loaded with the latest firmware/software, if for no other reason than peace of mind.
I apologize for not being able to be more helpful here, but maybe someone else will better able to provide a reasonable explanation and possible solution.
In any regard, all the best, with your new P4P.

 

[Meta4]

I believe this concern is difficult to understand because of its rarity.
Having said that, It's probably a bit easier for me to understand the OP, having experienced this very same issue. In essence " the triangular radar icon is not in sync with the flight path of the model". In my case it has actually been 180 degrees out at times, and usually occurs after the model has established its home point and is in flight.
In some instances the A/C actual indicates the model is flying at a point behind me, while actually flying forward of my position. Weird Science. lol

What you describe is commonly seen and indicates that the compass in the tablet is not calibrated and is not indicating north correctly.
That can often be corrected by calibrating the tablet compass (it has nothing to do with the Phantom and its compass).
SOmetimes a tablet's compass won't calibrate properly.
This was a common issue with the K1 early on and even if it was out, you could still tell when the drone was pointing towards home even if you couldn't easily tell where it was.

The OP said his red icon was pointing at him, in which case, pushing the right stick forward should make the Phantom fly forward.
Even if his tablet compass is out of calibration, if the red icon is pointing to the centre, the Phantom is pointing toward the home point.

 

[Skynet1]

I agree, and merely mentioned what had been suggested by others as a possible solution to the issue at had.
I further mention that neither of the suggestions provided were personally successful.
Realizing the possibility of the OP concern to be something perhaps related to the model itself, was my reasoning to further suggest it may be wise to return the model to DJI for further evaluation.
Hopefully my explanation as it relates to my own experiences may help clarify what the OP had described as faulty information of the radar directional icon, and not in any way substantiate any such suggestions as a means to a resolve. : )

 

[lmccluer]

There appears to be multiple confusions as to what the OP is referring to.....It must be something so simple that we are missing, but the wording is getting most difficult to follow.

Not sure, but wasn’t there something posted the last week or so about this problem? I faintly remember someone posted that his drone was turned, he turned it just as described in this post, and it went the opposite direction. If I’m wrong let me know.

 

[GA_Chef]

Maybe I can clarify.
The red triangle did not reflect the direction the drone was traveling. For example, I would be facing the drone flying it straight away from me, but the red triangle would indicate that it flew to my left or behind me.

This issue has stopped for me. Here’s what I did.
I reset my iPad, re installed Go app. Then poof, it’s working again.

I still find it very odd that the issue was present on my p4p, and when I connected my spark, no issue.

Thanks to all for the input and suggestions.

 

[FL_Mike]

Maybe I can clarify.
The red triangle did not reflect the direction the drone was traveling. For example, I would be facing the drone flying it straight away from me, but the red triangle would indicate that it flew to my left or behind me.

This issue has stopped for me. Here’s what I did.
I reset my iPad, re installed Go app. Then poof, it’s working again.

I still find it very odd that the issue was present on my p4p, and when I connected my spark, no issue.

Thanks to all for the input and suggestions.

As meta4 stated above it sounds like a compass in the tablet. Ive had this exact problem happen to me. I noticed it before I even took off and simply shut everything down and then did the tablet compass calibration in google maps. Its a figure 8 pattern and if way out of alignment Google maps will typically prompt you to calibrate with a visual demonstration.

Fixed my problem completely upon restart.

 

[Kman]

The firmware shouldn't make any difference.

A few firmware versions ago the live feed on the app would invert if you stopped too quickly. Controls, the view, etc. were all inverted. Was a firmware issue that was fixed with an update.