Very very frustrating problem

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I have a Phantom1/FC40. I bought it used and it flew fine. I keep the software updated, but now it gets the flashing red light as soon as I take off. The book says it is low battery or bad calibration. But I tried 3 different batteries and calibrated it many times. Opened it up and checked all the connections. Checked battery voltage settings, etc.
So here is the kicker, it flies great at home! No problems! Then I take it to the RC field and it does the flashing red thing. No fly.
Re-calibrated the compass every time and it is successful.
Now, our RC field is three miles from an airport. My home is not near any airport. Is it possible I got some limitation in the last software download? If so, how do I bypass it? We have a letter of understanding with the airport manager so we are good to go.
Thanks for any insight you can give.
 
What version of software are you using. I have 3 P1s and the latest on them is ver 4.02 although I think there was a later version. Mine have no limitations as where to fly.
 
The latest update is 4.02....I am out of ideas.
I read some time back there was a 4.06 I think but I have never seen it. The phantom does not know where it is in relation to NFZs. It only uses gps for it's position hold and recorded home point. No restrictions.
 
.just checked and the latest firmware I have installed is 4.06
Not sure what change in ver 4.06 . Was it doing this before you upgraded to 4.06? What was it on before? My first P1 is ver 4.00. The other two are 4.02. This is the way they came. I saw any reason to upgrade. Is it a fast red flash or slow?
 
The problem popped up about the same time as the upgrade, but I'm not really sure.
 
It flies really good at home. On the same batteries that it wouldn't fly on at the RC field.
Like I said.....frustrating.
 
It starts and boots up just fine. Acquires enough satellites, etc. When I lift off it starts blinking red right away and self-lands. The batteries check out fine and one of them is brand new. 3s-2200 30C or better.
All this disappears and it flies fine at home.
I always calibrate the compass before the first flight because of the distance between the house and the flying field.
 
It starts and boots up just fine. Acquires enough satellites, etc. When I lift off it starts blinking red right away and self-lands. The batteries check out fine and one of them is brand new. 3s-2200 30C or better.
All this disappears and it flies fine at home.
I always calibrate the compass before the first flight because of the distance between the house and the flying field.
So before starting rotors, you got two sets of quick green flashes indicating course direction and home point are recorded with no red flashes. You start motors...still no red flashes?? You take off and it immediately goes to red flashes??Fast or slow?
 
Next time at the field I plan on running without GPS so it won't know where it is. Just a shot in the dark....
 
Next time at the field I plan on running without GPS so it won't know where it is. Just a shot in the dark....
You might go back to assistant and check all parameters and settings. Voltage settings, distance limits, check compass mod values etc. You might even go back to ver 4.02. I have no problems with it at all. Once you have a good compass calibration, no need to keep doing it unless you have a problem or add something to the Phantom or travel a long ways away. I have no problems with ver 4.00 either. Not sure what 4.06 changed.
 
I have no idea how to go back to an earlier version. I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I will recheck the parameters as you suggest.
 
While there on computer, do a full IMU calibration on a level surface being sure not to disturb it while in process. You might also calibrate your tx.
 
Well, I down loaded an old assistant version with 4.02 on in and used it to change the software on the quad. That cured the problem. Flies just fine at the club field. Since that was the only change I made I can only conclude that the 4.06 software was the problem.
No more "upgrades" for me.
thanks to everyone who responded.
-Bill=
 
Well, I down loaded an old assistant version with 4.02 on in and used it to change the software on the quad. That cured the problem. Flies just fine at the club field. Since that was the only change I made I can only conclude that the 4.06 software was the problem.
No more "upgrades" for me.
thanks to everyone who responded.
-Bill=
Glad that worked.. In the earlier version . ...maybe ver 4.00 ..one problem they had was ..let's say you set your horz range limit to 500 feet. If you flew out and hit that virtual wall, you lost control with right stick. You could yaw and go up and down, but that was it. I think think that was corrected in ver 4.02. Maybe other things. Not sure. That's why I said set your range to max which I think is 2000 feet. I'll never fly that far so it won't be a problem for me. My first P1 in on ver 4.00. The other two on 4.02. I have never upgraded and all is well for me. I had no idea what 4.06 brought but it must not have been so good.
 

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