Serious Defect: Too Much Fun

[timeless35]

I looked through the manual, found no reference to RTH battery setting, only Altitude. Although if new feature, it'd be after manual.

While scanning manual, the RTH has 3 modes.
Smart RTH, Battery RTH, Failsafe.

Just some thoughts, remote but possible.
Exploring other options... If you have more than 1 battery, is it triggering the same for all batteries? Possibly bad battery or IC reading. Prior to RTH trigger, what does the flight time indicate... also low or normal. Another option, was craft flown agreessivly going Out, and could distance and heavy draw equate to smart RTH calculating more battery than needed to fly back? Any time do you loose video signal, indicates that too will trigger RTH.

my 3 batteries do the same and I'm doing proximity flying at low altitude. When the warning and RTH triggers it shows around ~4 min flight left when I'm literally 20s away from my home point. Used to get 10min of flight on the original firmware and now it's more like 8min.

 

[dougcjohn]

my 3 batteries do the same and I'm doing proximity flying at low altitude. When the warning and RTH triggers it shows around ~4 min flight left when I'm literally 20s away from my home point. Used to get 10min of flight on the original firmware and now it's more like 8min.

Well that rules out a possible bad battery.
Ya have a mystery; I'll take note of my remaining minutes next time for a reference.

 

[timeless35]

Well that rules out a possible bad battery.
Ya have a mystery; I'll take note of my remaining minutes next time for a reference.

Yeah my other possible explanation is that I was on a trip where we had some 110F temperature for long period of time and I'm wondering if I damaged the batteries that way when they were in the car.

 

[dougcjohn]

Yeah my other possible explanation is that I was on a trip where we had some 110F temperature for long period of time and I'm wondering if I damaged the batteries that way when they were in the car.

Now that's a possibility considering all 3 perform the same. Were they exposed to that temp for long time... in sun too or in a case which would insulate the heat too. Are they swelled or normal.

It's a reach... but maybe worth a try. Some of my other DJI smart batteries (TB50 TB55) regained performance by a low level recalibrate (DJI words, not mine). When ya bring it home, if possible can you hold a hover above LZ a foot or so... or if not, land it but let it idle powered on. Idle til it powers itself off... then allow a few hours to cool... place in frig (not freezer) to chill them if needed. Recharge them fully. Take'em up and repeat if needed. If 2 deep discharges don't correct... it won't help correct the problem.

 

[timeless35]

Now that's a possibility considering all 3 perform the same. Were they exposed to that temp for long time... in sun too or in a case which would insulate the heat too. Are they swelled or normal.

It's a reach... but maybe worth a try. Some of my other DJI smart batteries (TB50 TB55) regained performance by a low lever recalibrate (DJI words, not mine). When ya bring it home, if possible can you hold a hover above LZ a foot or so... or if not, land it but let it idle powered on. Idle til it powers itself off... then allow a few hours to cool... place in frig (not freezer) to chill them if needed. Recharge them fully. Take'em up and repeat if needed. If 2 deep discharges don't correct... it won't help correct the problem.

That's a good point. I should try to run the down low to see if they recalibrate. No external sign of damage otherwise, no swelling,...

 

[Eagle Crow]

Really.

I've been flying DJI drones for 7 years. Never, not ONCE, has this ever happened to me.

I was just out, flying at home, launching off my back deck. Flying with the MC, I was an Ace in an fighter jet. Having a blast.

RTH kicked in for safe return, I was close to home so I canceled it and started heading back on my own (about 1200 feet away), Well, started having too much fun with the MC on the trip back, forgot what I was doing. The short of it is, I ended up at critical battery, forced landing, not in a good place.

I was lucky. 0% battery, starting at 250ft altitude, and just close enough to get it back over houses and trees to the court in front of my house. All the while descending without any choice. It was close with really no margin to spare.

I can go with the too much fun issue. Once in the air you don't want to come down. And flying the DJI FPV is mentally stimulating and draining at the same time.

Flew my FPV on our first Sunday out of our 6th Lockdown today (3 months including night-time curfew). Because of Melbourne's world breaking lockdowns, I have only been able to fly my FPV about 10 times since purchasing so am very new to its "quirks. Flew 3 batteries with no issues. Cruised around and took in the aerial delights of a glorious Australian spring afternoon. On my 4th battery, was flying home at about 2 mtrs and aiming for a soft landing spot as although the drone was only about 7 mtrs away, I wanted to get it down where it was hovering. At the last minute, and whilst landing, I noticed a small log on the ground so tried to maneuver away (about 4% battery). When I started to maneuver about half a metre to the right, the motors suddenly stopped and it fell out of the sky and landed hard right in the centre of the log. My reaction was something like "what the hell". As luck would have it, 30 cm either way would have been a soft rather than hard crash. I am certain I didn't touch any other buttons to cause a motor stop.

I heard a sickening crunch but drone not damaged. The battery has taken a knock and is slightly buckled at the impact corner. I believe I can get it replaced under care refresh. The only other damage was a bent prop (I have thrown all of them away and replaced the complete set for safety reasons).

Having flown M2 pros for at least 100hrs and the mini for much more, I believed the FPV would take over and land when critical battery point is met, but this doesn't seem to be the case, or perhaps something else was at play, maybe confused bottom sensor.

One thing I am learning from flying the FPV is that low batteries are not as forgiving as on other DJI drones. On my M2 and mini, at 10% I still have time to accurately position and land the drone smoothly. On the FPV it seems that at 10%, you need to get on the ground ASAP as the motors just suck out the remaining power in much less than a minute. I know the battery was way low and with suitably dented pride, the lesson has been learnt (in my defence I was actually in the process of landing), but any input in relation to auto landing on low battery for the FPV ie is it the same as the Mavics.

On a side note, and reading some of the comments, you need to fly an FPV to understand how demanding it is and also how easy it is to get sucked into the shear thrill of the difference in flying compared to a "normal" drone. I heard that, in FPV flying, you have to be good with a soldering iron"". How true!