Crashed the second drone in less than a month.

[fuzzybabybunny]

Ok, this is the second crash and I'm really regretting not getting a DJI. The Anafi just isn't reliable. I use it several times a day and it is JUST. NOT. RELIABLE.

I'm in Australia and it got WiFi interference in the outback (where there is zero chance of actual interference) and flew itself into a tree. It is running the latest firmware version 1.2.4 and the controller is running the latest firmware version 1.2.0. It's using a Samsung Galaxy S9+. I tried contacting Parrot but they said warranties go through the retailer.

This drone keeps experiencing WiFi interference when:

- there is absolutely zero WiFi interference around
- when I am extremely close to the drone itself
- batteries are always close to 100% when this happens

WiFi is used to remote control the drone and it has lost connection in the outback and along the Great Australian Bight (a totally remote expanse of cliffy coastline for hundreds of kms), sometimes hundreds of kms away from the nearest town. Strangely enough, it has never experienced WiFi interference while *IN* an actual town.

1. This video was taken along the Great Australia Bight with absolutely nothing around. While only 50 meters away from the controller with clear line of sight it said there was "strong WiFi Interference" and the remote control connection was lost as a result (which is why the video stays still for a number of seconds - it wasn't responding to any controller input). It automatically started to return home on it's own and luckily it came back safely.

2. This last video was taken in the outback between Fraser Range and Norseman at least 100km away from any kind of settlement. Only a primitive pit toilet was nearby. There wasn't even cell phone reception in this area.

It again experienced "strong WiFi interference" in the middle of absolutely nowhere and it started to automatically fly back to its home location. There was still "strong WiFi interference" even just 10 meters away from me, and it wouldn't respond to any kind of controller input as it automatically flew itself into a tree and crashed, breaking itself. I saw it get close to the tree and was absolutely helpless with the unresponsive controller.

Here is the flight log of the last flight where it hit the tree:

http://paragon.media.storage.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/misc/AnafiCrashLog2/log 5-12-2018.bin

3. At other times the WiFi connection has disconnected while the drone was only one meter away.

4. This drone says it has gotten WiFi Interference a number of other times while in the middle of nowhere with the controls cutting out each time.

This is the second Anafi that has destroyed itself in the past month. It has had a number of successful flights, but when it gets WiFi interference everything goes out the window.

 

[Kilrah]

Aren't Australia's sparsely populated areas precisely full of high power wireless links going in all directions to provide comms between isolated villages?
Remember reading things about that. Spectrum analyzer might be a good tool to have and actually check.

 

[nicholashickman]

1st up, that sucks.

I can only presume you have either a faulty controller antenna or a faulty drone antenna. You may get people suggesting putting your phone in aeroplane mode, but I can't see that making much difference in this instance. Have you tried using just your phone to rule out a problem with the controller? But I guess it's too late for that!

 

[Zamzara]

I'm not sure the message about intereferance can be reliably distinguished from simply losing connection. If it was the same controller each time I'd definitely suspect it.

 

[dashSolo]

Did you try switching channels? I get the same message on startup usually because I'm downtown, when I switch to manual I'm good to go.
I still don't get the advertised range but I can get the job done.
Good luck, hope this works for you.

 

[Skassa]

Out of urban zone in CE someone got 4132km like this:

I think some device make interference.

 

[jefmob_1]

Nice flight @Skassa.
Even in low altitude, 32m... incredible.

 

[Jed Anafi]

Apple, Pebble Watch.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

The problem with the wifi interference is that it happens when the drone is already away from me.

It starts up fine. Both GPSs are locked. Wifi connection strong.

Then sometimes when it's away it gets that interference (while out in the middle of nowhere) and so you've got no way to control it.

One of the times it did this it just happened to be hovering a couple hundred feet over a raging ocean, with me staring at it in agony and dread standing less than 50 feet away on the cliff top. There it was, hovering over the ocean, completely nonresponsive to any controls, within striking distance within an easy throw of a rock.

SO STUPID

 

[Dirk_ANAFI]

The problem with the wifi interference is that it happens when the drone is already away from me.

It starts up fine. Both GPSs are locked. Wifi connection strong.

Then sometimes when it's away it gets that interference (while out in the middle of nowhere) and so you've got no way to control it.

One of the times it did this it just happened to be hovering a couple hundred feet over a raging ocean, with me staring at it in agony and dread standing less than 50 feet away on the cliff top. There it was, hovering over the ocean, completely nonresponsive to any controls, within striking distance within an easy throw of a rock.

SO STUPID

No, normal behaviour when bad connection.
When battery gets low hoovering there, then it will start RTH.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

No, normal behaviour when lost connection.
When battery gets low hoovering there, then it will start RTH.

Wifi interference and losing connection when you're a hundred miles from civilization is not normal behavior. This should never ever happen.

 

[Dirk_ANAFI]

Sure. With "normal behaviour" I meant Anafi's behaviour under the obviously bad connection situation: hoovering.

 

[wscreate]

This happened to me on two of the first three flights with the Anafi. The two wifi interference messages happened at two separate locations, miles apart. Not only did I get the wifi interference message, I actually lost GPS functionality while flying just 400-500 feet downwind from me. The app was still functioning, but it showed a NOT CONNECTED error in red where it usually has the LAND button. And the Anafi GPS notification was in RED. To top things off, there was no video transmission so all I saw was snow like on old tvs. I was flying away from civilization along a river. There were no powerlines near me and no transmission towers. Just me, the river and the Anafi.

In short, I found myself looking at the screen below while I was 400-500 feet away at about 125 feet high. Luckily I was flying VLOS and was able to orient myself and manually return the Anafi to my location. Note, I have flown my DJI Spark in both locations multiple times and have never had any transmission problems. In fact, I flew the Spark moments after the Anafi flight and it flew without any transmission issues. It is my initial observation that the Parrot Anafi that I have purchased has a major issue keeping the validity of the transmission signal from the controller to the drone.

 

[AaronB]

@wscreate
If the Anafi drone loses on-board GPS then it cannot engage autonomous flight as it has no idea of it's position - coupled with loss of manual control this would lead to a catastrophic situation.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

This happened to me on two of the first three flights with the Anafi. The two wifi interference messages happened at two separate locations, miles apart. Not only did I get the wifi interference message, I actually lost GPS functionality while flying just 400-500 feet downwind from me. The app was still functioning, but it showed a NOT CONNECTED error in red where it usually has the LAND button. And the Anafi GPS notification was in RED. To top things off, there was no video transmission so all I saw was snow like on old tvs. I was flying away from civilization along a river. There were no powerlines near me and no transmission towers. Just me, the river and the Anafi.

In short, I found myself looking at the screen below while I was 400-500 feet away at about 125 feet high. Luckily I was flying VLOS and was able to orient myself and manually return the Anafi to my location. Note, I have flown my DJI Spark in both locations multiple times and have never had any transmission problems. In fact, I flew the Spark moments after the Anafi flight and it flew without any transmission issues. It is my initial observation that the Parrot Anafi that I have purchased has a major issue keeping the validity of the transmission signal from the controller to the drone.

View attachment 632

I had gotten this exact screen a number of times before as well on the latest firmware and flying around the coast where there is zero interference. Drone was about 400 feet in the air and over some steep terrain. Clear blue sky. If it fell out of the sky or hit anything safe retrieval would have been impossible.

I just made a thread on the DJI forums and none of the people there have had controller disconnect issues. Ever. This is in comparison to the Anafi where it is a *regular occurrence*.

 

[wscreate]

I had gotten this exact screen a number of times before as well on the latest firmware and flying around the coast where there is zero interference. Drone was about 400 feet in the air and over some steep terrain. Clear blue sky. If it fell out of the sky or hit anything safe retrieval would have been impossible.

I just made a thread on the DJI forums and none of the people there have had controller disconnect issues. Ever. This is in comparison to the Anafi where it is a *regular occurrence*.

I've never had this issue with my DJI Spark. Parrot has some work to do.

 

[wscreate]

@wscreate
If the Anafi drone loses on-board GPS then it cannot engage autonomous flight as it has no idea of it's position - coupled with loss of manual control this would lead to a catastrophic situation. So far I have put a lot of faith in the Anafi GPS, but these accounts are making me a little nervous.

I'm new to the Anafi. I'm hoping this was a rare glitch or possibly something which can be fixed in a firmware upgrade. For now, I will be flying the Anafi close to me so that I have clear visual line of sight. There is no way I would fly the Anafi over the ocean as I do my Spark.

 

[msande]

This happened to me too.
I was flying in a remote part of Spain with no wifi nearby, when I got the poor wifi connection message, followed by the red VERY poor message.
I am a new drone owner so I panicked and tried to bring the Anafi back to me, forgetting that I had moved about 700 ft to the left, so I ended up crashing it flying backwards into the hill.
As mentioned there was no other wifi around and I had my phone in airplane mode, so something sure seems fishy.
Luckily I had just installed DU recorder so I have the entire flight on video, including the part after the crash where I look for wifi and it also shows that I have it in airplane mode.
I opened a case with Parrot, but they won't look at it until I send them proof of purchase. My receipt is back home in Minnesota, and I won't be back until after Christmas, so it will be a while before I hear anything.

 

[Kilrah]

The app was still functioning, but it showed a NOT CONNECTED error in red where it usually has the LAND button. And the Anafi GPS notification was in RED.

The GPS indication is obviously irrelevant when there is no connection... It was likely perfectly fine.

 

[Dirk_ANAFI]

I often read here "there was no other wifi around" in many posts.
How do you know that?
To exactly know if there is/was no HF interference you have to walk the whole way your drone took and look on a Wifi analyzer app.
I bet in many cases users will find the source bringing your bird out of control.