IPhone shut down mid flight!

Elsopix · Oct 12, 2016

Hello all,
I am
Still running my test flights and easing my way into quad flying. That said I had my first experientoday that's was less than ideal. I started flying and my iPhone 6 said "20% battery switch to low power mode?" I chose yes and didn't panic as only had about 10 mins fly time left. However 30 secs later the phone shut down as if it was out of power. It would not restart. Luckily ElsoPix1 was still in sight so I brought it home safely. However there is clearly a weak link in my set up here. Has any one else had this? Anyone know where I'm going wrong?

Ps when I put the phone on charge it lit up and said 43% power!

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Cobs · Oct 12, 2016

My advice would be to make sure everything your gonna use is charged and not be so dependent on apps/devices and expect things to go wrong at times ... and be ready for them ... which you were ... and you managed to fly it back, theres always RTH for those kinda moments where youve lost visual on it. Seems like a normal (Pilot Error) event to me.

With The Birds · Oct 12, 2016

Make sure the phone is juiced up before flying and all should be good. It's working hard to decode your video downlink so this isn't surprising.

Elsopix · Oct 12, 2016

It was on about 90% but it's getting on a bit now. Just one of those things I will get used to with more experience.

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MacCool · Oct 12, 2016

I've had an issue lately with my iPhone 6 iOS 10.0.02 shutting down mid-mission. It's happened a few time using latest version of Litchi. I never fly with DJI GO so I don't know if it's a problem with that app or not. Fortunately, with Litchi, the mission is uploaded to the drone at takeoff, so the iPhone going down didn't affect the flight at all No RTH needed...the Phantom 4 just finished its mission and came back to hover at the last waypoint and I landed it visually.

The phone was fully charged, I got no warnings, just looked down and saw the phone was dead. After landing, I turned it back on just fine. I always make sure there are not other apps running in the background. I also switched up cables and mad sure that i was using an Apple-brand lightning cable.

I'm not sure what's causing it. I'm wondering if it's causing the phone to overheat.

Elsopix · Oct 12, 2016

Sounds just like my experience. I'm using DJI GO could well be overheating. May be an issue to watch

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toegema · Oct 12, 2016

My experience is also that even if my iPhone is fully charged, especially in cold weather, the charge drops extremely fast when flying with DJI GO /litchi.
Then when the phone can't deliver the charge anymore it shuts off. When I put in the charger or force restart it by holding home button and power button, the battery percent is still almost as high as it was before flying.

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Techcop50 · Oct 12, 2016

Sounds like a bad battery on the iPhone, to me. Replacing it (the battery) would be a good starting point.

foxtrot101 · Oct 12, 2016

Had that happen to me once too... only difference was that I was about 200' off the pacific coast, and about 200' up in super heavy fog... I couldn't see it or hear it and that's the moment that I did not realize that you had to long press return to home for it to activate haha... you could say I panicked, I did. Thanks to the help of my son, he finally spotted it, and I immediately brought it home and landed it... I learned a lot that day

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Elsopix · Oct 12, 2016

Yeah it's a learning curve! I think the over heating theory may be right!

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CrispyClaret · Oct 12, 2016

Techcop50 said:
Sounds like a bad battery on the iPhone, to me. Replacing it (the battery) would be a good starting point.

I agree, my experience with iphones is that when the battery has had enough its indicated charge level is all over the shop. Not an expensive fix for older iphones, dunno about newer ones.

skyacramer · Oct 12, 2016

Hey take your phone to the closet Apple Store, or maybe you're carrier, the do free diagnostic

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skyacramer · Oct 12, 2016

When my phone said 100% it was really 30%

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dg8882 · Oct 12, 2016

Where are you located? Is it getting cold where you are flying?
It's not a secret that the go app is resource intensive and will drain your device battery rather quickly. normally my iPhone will drain from 80% down to 30% after exhausting my two batteries.
However a problem I have noticed flying last winter and I am seeing it happen again now that temperatures are dropping to the 50s and 40s when i am flying.
I start at a fairly decent charge on my phone (70%-80%) and usually in the first half of my second flight, i get 20% low power warnings starting. Usually it wouldn't be a concern but within a minute or two my phone will shut off, sometimes giving me the 10% warning, sometimes not. I RTH and land manually after this happens and go back to my car to plug my phone in. It shoots right back up to anywhere between 20%-50% after i plug it in.
I believe because the output of lipo batteries is lowered with lower temperatures, going from my warm car to have it preform an intensive task with the cold weather and windchill on it, the phone gets some false readings on the battery. An easy way to counter this if you have a P3S is to just pick up a power bank. I got a 10000 mah one for only $12 that can charge my phone a few times without needing a recharge itself.
If you aren't flying in any cold temperatures then I would be looking at a problem with your phone battery, especially if you have had it for a year or more. iPhones are a bit tough since apple tries to make them as tamper-proof as possible but it is still possible to change the battery yourself if you have some tech knowledge. If not, apple will do it for a nice and high price or some phone repair place for probably a little less.

Elsopix · Oct 13, 2016

dg8882 said:
Where are you located? Is it getting cold where you are flying?
It's not a secret that the go app is resource intensive and will drain your device battery rather quickly. normally my iPhone will drain from 80% down to 30% after exhausting my two batteries.
However a problem I have noticed flying last winter and I am seeing it happen again now that temperatures are dropping to the 50s and 40s when i am flying.
I start at a fairly decent charge on my phone (70%-80%) and usually in the first half of my second flight, i get 20% low power warnings starting. Usually it wouldn't be a concern but within a minute or two my phone will shut off, sometimes giving me the 10% warning, sometimes not. I RTH and land manually after this happens and go back to my car to plug my phone in. It shoots right back up to anywhere between 20%-50% after i plug it in.
I believe because the output of lipo batteries is lowered with lower temperatures, going from my warm car to have it preform an intensive task with the cold weather and windchill on it, the phone gets some false readings on the battery. An easy way to counter this if you have a P3S is to just pick up a power bank. I got a 10000 mah one for only $12 that can charge my phone a few times without needing a recharge itself.
If you aren't flying in any cold temperatures then I would be looking at a problem with your phone battery, especially if you have had it for a year or more. iPhones are a bit tough since apple tries to make them as tamper-proof as possible but it is still possible to change the battery yourself if you have some tech knowledge. If not, apple will do it for a nice and high price or some phone repair place for probably a little less.

Sounds like my symptoms exactly. I have been meaning to get a battery pack for a while. I think that is a good idea. I too have two batteries and my failure happened in the middle of the second flight.

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firestars · Oct 14, 2016

The latest iOS is causing the phones to shut down at over 20% battery. My 6s and my work 7 do exactly the same.

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CClifton · Oct 14, 2016

I had the same issue and reported it to DJI. They told me to check the software versions. I'm current on those but the issue keeps happening. I'm beginning to feel like it's an issue with iOS 10.

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MercmedicSAR · Jan 13, 2017

toegema said:
My experience is also that even if my iPhone is fully charged, especially in cold weather, the charge drops extremely fast when flying with DJI GO /litchi.
Then when the phone can't deliver the charge anymore it shuts off. When I put in the charger or force restart it by holding home button and power button, the battery percent is still almost as high as it was before flying.

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I made a phone warmer with 3 layers of 1/4" Felt. Cut top layer to 1/2 wider than the phone. Middle layer is the size of an Air activated Hand warmer. Bottom layer is solid with air holes punched in the back.
The phone sits on top the heated pad and it fits tight in the iPhone camera clamp on the RC. Flew today for 2 full Batteries and phone never missed a beat temp was +9 F. 31" of snow. Calm winds.
Touch screen gloves work best for covering your hands. Your hands will fail before the battery in your phone.
Just be careful in cold weather with humidity..
Any fog and your going to ice up and that's not good. Trust me on this.
I've come close several times filming guys hunting geese in Questionable conditions.
Pay attention to your master caution lights that pop on the go app screen.
Your motors start overworking it's a land immediately situation. So be careful where you fly. P3 icing and she's coming down spinning as you will loose Lift fast on the leading edges of the rotors.
Warm electronics are happy electronics!
Safe and happy flying!
Stay Frosty

vikassi · Jan 13, 2017

I had this happen. It was cold out and windy. My phone had 67% battery and then it just shutoff. Luckily, the drone was close and I just landed it. I tried to turn the phone back on and it gave me the symbol to plug the USB charger in. I'm sure most of you with iphones know it. I then plugged it in the car charger and it came back on with 66% battery. I have flown in the cold before, but now I understand that the cold weather can just fail a battery, regardless of how much battery life it has. Makes me wonder if the drones battery can fail and fall from the sky the same way the iphone can.

MercmedicSAR · Jan 14, 2017

Drone battery seems to create a lot more heat due to the higher consumption rate of electrons!
Check your battery temp preflight, and during flight you will see that it stays fairly warm during flight > 25C.
These drones are not Toys and are to be flown like a your really riding if you want to avoid issues.
Prewar the Drone battery before hand. Sure your going to loose some flight time burning gas on the ground. Basic Physics.
Stay Frosty

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