While losing Wi-Fi communication midair…

[YenAmiracle]

Since I solved the battery issue of SC3 2 months ago, I have made 29 successful flights so far, never crushed, got some awesome footages, too, just one time I lost connection while my Anafi was 392 fts in the air. I couldn’t reconnect it. Eventually it run out of power and land, luckily it didn’t land on any tree, because the wind actually blowed it 60 feets away from landing point, and I was in an area of high density of tree🙏🏻.
After that incident, I made home-made Wi-Fi booster, it actually work, it let me push my Anafi fly pass some points I used to get weak signal alerts.

AND THEN, it happened AGAIN:

Just an hour ago, I was in my second favorite spot flew my Anafi, and I pick a direction I never fly deep towards to, at beginning it shows signal strength reduced 2 bars, so I circled back to get a full bars and do it again, tried to observe signal status in that direction, then, without any warning my screen froze😱. Soon after it showed no connection on the top of the screen😱😱😱.

Now, I read some info when my Anafi disconnected for the first time, that if you DISCONNECTED mid-air, your Anafi will return home automatically.
In my first disconnection, my Anafi was right above landing zone, so I’m not sure if it ever did RTH.
This time the Anafi was 1200ft away, after I lost communication, it just hovered midair, at the end, surprisingly it actually flew back to landing zone before the battery completely drained, and it landed spot-on on the landing pad( I always make sure I got GPS green indication before take off).

I know if you lose connection of Anafi it will do RTH right away, so does that mean instead of lost the connection my Anafi’s signal was jammed? By some stronger signals that actually travel through my Anafi’s path?

Now I accept Anafi rather have weaker connection compare to DJI, but is there any other ways I can do to re-establish the Anafi connection or being jammed besides turn off the app/SC3 and turn them back on if it lose communication?

P.S. And I’m wondering what those whitening waves are in attachments’ ; should I pick a channel with wave or not?

 

[Dirk_ANAFI]

I never managed to reconnect Anafi midair.
Reasons for disconnections:
- flying near to strong Wifi hotspots or routers, at weekends e.g. flying over scools might be risky because they forget to switch their strong routers off
- GSM stations/transmitters
- power lines
- railways
- directional transmission lines (if you accidentally fly into this beam, you are disconnected)
- TV/radio transmitters
- ...
Tip: check the area you are flying in with a Wifi scanner app. If there are strong hotspots somewhere, don't fly there or use a Wifi channel far away from the used channels.

 

[YenAmiracle]

I never managed to reconnect Anafi midair.
Reasons for disconnections:
- flying near to strong Wifi hotspots or routers, at weekends e.g. flying over scools might be risky because they forget to switch their strong routers off
- GSM stations/transmitters
- power lines
- railways
- directional transmission lines (if you accidentally fly into this beam, you are disconnected)
- TV/radio transmitters
- ...
Tip: check the area you are flying in with a Wifi scanner app. If there are strong hotspots somewhere, don't fly there or use a Wifi channel far away from the used channels.

Thank you!
I think maybe I flew right into a transmission beam, but I’m just wondering why it didn’t flew back to home and just hovering where it got disconnected…
But I’m surprised it actually flew back to home and landed before it run out of power.

PS so channels with white waves are being used by other sources? I just need to pick ones without white wave?

 

[pmh1nic]

It should return home if it losses connection if return to home as been properly set prior to flying away. You have to make sure the drone has established enough satellites and the icon is green.


As far as transmission the Anafi WiFi is going to match Occusync. You have to remain line of sight and avoid transmission lines.

 

[YenAmiracle]

It should return home if it losses connection if return to home as been properly set prior to flying away. You have to make sure the drone has established enough satellites and the icon is green.


As far as transmission the Anafi WiFi is going to match Occusync. You have to remain line of sight and avoid transmission lines.

Then my Anafi was being jammed, because it didn’t return home after I losing communication, it only returned home when the battery is about to be dead 20 minutes later😅.

So if being jammed, the Anafi won’t return home until it almost running out of power?

 

[pmh1nic]

Then my Anafi was being jammed, because it didn’t return home after I losing communication, it only returned home when the battery is about to be dead 20 minutes later😅.

So if being jammed, the Anafi won’t return home until it almost running out of power?

Btw, I meant to say Wi-Fi would not match Occusync.

 

[parrotanafifan]

@ OP. Honestly I think it was your setup in FF6. If your wireless internet works with other peoples wifi routers on the same channel so will your anafi.

I had zero control issues in a crowded wifi area. Only my video feed was glitchy.
Still able to fly it rth etc.

 

[YenAmiracle]

@ OP. Honestly I think it was your setup in FF6. If your wireless internet works with other peoples wifi routers on the same channel so will your anafi.

I had zero control issues in a crowded wifi area. Only my video feed was glitchy.
Still able to fly it rth etc.

I’m all ears and humbly open to any suggestions to improve my connection with my Anafi🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Any recommendations on setting of FF6🙏🏻?

 

[BRC]

I’m all ears and humbly open to any suggestions to improve my connection with my Anafi🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Any recommendations on setting of FF6🙏🏻?

What type of home made wifi booster did you make??

Its pretty normal to have a very poor wifi signal when drone is directly above you
In addition when in close proximity of home point (maybe 50 to 75 feet or so) it will not return to take off point, will just land
The second time this happened at 1200 feet distance it should have returned home
Some suggestions:
Make sure phone wifi & bluetooth are off and suggest turning on airplane mode
It's important to keep controller antenna pointed directly at drone as its directional - needs to be line of sight without obstructions
If you notice video starting to freeze or wifi dropping out, press the manual return to home button - usually this brings it back into range and will reconnect
Try channel 165 - tends to be less interference
Check your safety settings for RTH - set minimum height to clear any obstacles, I also prefer to have mine set hover at 16 feet to ensure it does not land in an unwanted spot
Play around with it and let us know how it goes
btw... lots of good tips to be found on forum by using search feature
Happy Holidays and Safe Flying

 

[YenAmiracle]

What type of home made wifi booster did you make??

Its pretty normal to have a very poor wifi signal when drone is directly above you
In addition when in close proximity of home point (maybe 50 to 75 feet or so) it will not return to take off point, will just land
The second time this happened at 1200 feet distance it should have returned home
Some suggestions:
Make sure phone wifi & bluetooth are off and suggest turning on airplane mode
It's important to keep controller antenna pointed directly at drone as its directional - needs to be line of sight without obstructions
If you notice video starting to freeze or wifi dropping out, press the manual return to home button - usually this brings it back into range and will reconnect
Try channel 165 - tends to be less interference
Check your safety settings for RTH - set minimum height to clear any obstacles, I also prefer to have mine set hover at 16 feet to ensure it does not land in an unwanted spot
Play around with it and let us know how it goes
btw... lots of good tips to be found on forum by using search feature
Happy Holidays and Safe Flying

Thank you!
I made a booster with tissue box with tinfoil covered all over the inside, it does send my Anafi farther than before😅, I’m going to make one with foil takeout container that you can buy from supermarket, it has better shape and size😅.

I done all you suggested even before I got the Anafi!
When all the unfortunate elements add up altogether, I lose the transmission and I accept that now, BUT This is the only thing that bothers me:

WHY it did not return home when I lose transmission?

It did return home when the battery’s power is about to hit the bottom though, but the wait is just torturing.
I searched and got a theory also here in this forum first time I lost transmission, that MAYBE my Anafi still connected with the SC3 BUT was being jammed by stronger signals, maybe a transmission beam travel through that spot I flew into, I don’t know😩. So I didn’t really got “disconnected”, just the stronger signal blocked my control but didn’t disconnected me, so it didn’t trigger RTH maybe?

And in the attachment, I want to ask always, what is “End Behavior” means? Is possible that my Anafi didn’t return home after I lost transmission because instead of “landing” I selected “hovering”?

Thank you guys!

 

[BRC]

Thank you!
I made a booster with tissue box with tinfoil covered all over the inside, it does send my Anafi farther than before😅, I’m going to make one with foil takeout container that you can buy from supermarket, it has better shape and size😅.

I done all you suggested even before I got the Anafi!
When all the unfortunate elements add up altogether, I lose the transmission and I accept that now, BUT This is the only thing that bothers me:

WHY it did not return home when I lose transmission?

It did return home when the battery’s power is about to hit the bottom though, but the wait is just torturing.
I searched and got a theory also here in this forum first time I lost transmission, that MAYBE my Anafi still connected with the SC3 BUT was being jammed by stronger signals, maybe a transmission beam travel through that spot I flew into, I don’t know😩. So I didn’t really got “disconnected”, just the stronger signal blocked my control but didn’t disconnected me, so it didn’t trigger RTH maybe?

And in the attachment, I want to ask always, what is “End Behavior” means? Is possible that my Anafi didn’t return home after I lost transmission because instead of “landing” I selected “hovering”?

Thank you guys!

Hi yenamiracle
The hover setting allows the Anafi to end the RTH either hovering or landing at home point. In your case it was set at a hover of 7ft. This would not prevent the Anafi from initiating RTH.

Btw If the battery is at a critical low level then it will land regardless wherever it is located. It is not advisable to allow batteries to reach critical low level as it could have a negative impact of battery life. In some cases drone may shut off mid air. Suggest you try to land in the 25% range. Some good info in forum on battery care and best practices that is worth looking at
Happy flying

 

[parrotanafifan]

Hi yenamiracle
The hover setting allows the Anafi to end the RTH either hovering or landing at home point. In your case it was set at a hover of 7ft. This would not prevent the Anafi from initiating RTH.

I don't have the updated ff6 manual right now. I don't think that is correct, but that is for RTH hover OR land back at the pilot not hover at last known location.

 

[BRC]

I don't have the updated ff6 manual right now. I don't think that is correct, but that is for RTH hover OR land back at the pilot not hover at last known location.

Hello parrotanafifan,
I think you may have misunderstood what I meant as I wrote it poorly
With hover setting enabled -
When RTH is initiated the drone will return to home (take off point as long as there was a GPS lock at take off)
After it has returned to home point the drones RTH end behavior will be hovering at the specified height
I think the hover setting would also hold true for Advanced RTH Settings for Return Position whether RTH is set for take off point, pilot, or custom home point
Best Wishes

 

[YenAmiracle]

Hello parrotanafifan,
I think you may have misunderstood what I meant as I wrote it poorly
With hover setting enabled -
When RTH is initiated the drone will return to home (take off point as long as there was a GPS lock at take off)
After it has returned to home point the drones RTH end behavior will be hovering at the specified height
I think the hover setting would also hold true for Advanced RTH Settings for Return Position whether RTH is set for take off point, pilot, or custom home point
Best Wishes

Yes, it did hover around that height after returning home for another minute before finally land on the pad while I was rushing back to home point 1200feet away😅, I saw the footage to confirm that👍🏻.

And still can’t figure out why it did NOT perform RTH after I lost transmission😫😫😫
It’s good to know Anafi will come back before battery running out of juice, but waiting there for some 10~20 minutes just a pain in the neck and pains me to know that all that hovering in the air are reducing lives-spin of my Anafi’s props, motors and battery🤷🏻‍♂️😩

 

[Dani]

You did not lose connection to the drone. It could receive but not transmit data. When you check Wifi interference you never check the interference over it's path, you only check on the place you are standing. So if you lose connection the Anafi is sometimes able to receive commands and it will wait for you to control the sticks or push a button. Sometimes it helps to send it 20 meters higher to regain connection. Although closing the app and restarting it is a wise thingh to do.

 

[YenAmiracle]

You did not lose connection to the drone. It could receive but not transmit data. When you check Wifi interference you never check the interference over it's path, you only check on the place you are standing. So if you lose connection the Anafi is sometimes able to receive commands and it will wait for you to control the sticks or push a button. Sometimes it helps to send it 20 meters higher to regain connection. Although closing the app and restarting it is a wise thingh to do.

I suspected that, too. And still think that might be the reason it didn’t return home.
But unfortunately for me(twice) once I lost transmission, there’s no way to regain it at that state.