Sudden bad interference - Help!

[chessman]

I have been flying my P3A happily for two years without much trouble. I have allowed updates when prompted and had no crashes or knocks.
I had not flown for maybe a month or so , and took my P3A along for a weekend away in Cornwall just before Xmas.
I had a test flight over farmland and was experiencing interference from the word go that I had not had in the past. I thought maybe there was some nearby transmission/machinery to blame as my last flight some weeks previous has been faultless.
The next day we set off for the coastal town of Bude. I was gutted to discover the interference was not clearing. I had ideal filming conditions but issues with my equipment made it all but impossible to fly the thing. Really frustrating. The footage on the SD card was good. The link between bird and remote was appalling. Even standing next to it.
Does anyone have any ideas to what the hell has changed? Crappy update?
I have reinstalled all software & firmware. No change. Currently unusable in this state

App: 3.1.23
Version: 1.11.20
Remote: 1.9.2
FW: V01.11.0020
Display: Samsung Galaxy Tab S (SM-T800)

I have uploaded an example to Youtube:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I have never had to reel-back firmware but I'm suspecting this may be necessary. I'll need to know where to get this if it's the case.
Thanks in advance

 

[Fly Dawg]

My first thought would be to see if you get the same results using Litchi. That may tell you if it is an app vs firmware issue. I currently fly with 2 year old AC and RC firmware....(1.8.8/ 1.60) and have no issues with either GO or Litchi, transmission wise. And both apps are up to date.
Also, if I am not mistaken, but could be wrong, I seem to recall reading around here that once you go to 1.9xxxx AC firmware, you cannot roll back. Might do some looking around in the forums for that.

 

[chessman]

Thanks, I do have Lichi, I'll give it a go. I really don't know what else I can try.

 

[peter west nz]

Does the link light on the rc flash red/green continuously?

 

[chessman]

My first thought would be to see if you get the same results using Litchi. That may tell you if it is an app vs firmware issue. I currently fly with 2 year old AC and RC firmware....(1.8.8/ 1.60) and have no issues with either GO or Litchi, transmission wise. And both apps are up to date.
Also, if I am not mistaken, but could be wrong, I seem to recall reading around here that once you go to 1.9xxxx AC firmware, you cannot roll back. Might do some looking around in the forums for that.

OK, further to my original post I have now been out and tested with DJI vs Lichi.
I tested in a large field near to my home that I have flown in dozens of times in the past.
DJI go stated immediately that calibration was required, then said there was strong electromagnetic interference. Again, I have flown numerous times in this same spot with no issues. The camera view was crackling all over the place as before.
Would not let me calibrate.
Shut down DJI GO. Removed as default app and force closed.
Opened Lichi. No issues. Launched and flew for 15 mins with no interference.
Restarted Lichi with a new battery and again getting magnetic interference warnings. Couldn't launch.
I was not getting the awful screen interference with Lichi as I am experiencing with DJI GO.
All software is the latest.
Can someone please point me to a tutorial which will explain how to strip back the firmware and RC software to enable me to try a fresh install from the ground up. I can reinstall all my tablet software no problem, but while I have the latest firmware the bird & rc are not gonna sort themselves out. Need to strip it bare first.

Ideas?
Its so frustrating, I need to get this problem cleared before the decent weather starts.

Thanks all.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Just out of curiosity, what version of Android are you running? And is it possible that during the time you were not flying the system upgraded? This could possibly cause an issue with the USB port.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Double check your tablet and make sure you have "Developer Options" enabled and within that also have "USB Debugging" enabled. See if that helps, if you have not done so already.

 

[chessman]

Double check your tablet and make sure you have "Developer Options" enabled and within that also have "USB Debugging" enabled. See if that helps, if you have not done so already.

Will do! Thanks.

 

[chessman]

Just out of curiosity, what version of Android are you running? And is it possible that during the time you were not flying the system upgraded? This could possibly cause an issue with the USB port.

Android version 6.0.1
Build MMB29K.T800XXU1CPK2

It is quite possible it updated as I have it set for auto-updates.

If it was the USB port would this not affect Lichi too?

Thanks again

 

[Fly Dawg]

If it was the USB port would this not affect Lichi too?

To a certain extent, as you stated it is possible. I'm running Android 7 on a Galaxy Tab S2. So far clean as a whistle for both GO and Litchi.

 

[chessman]

To a certain extent, as you stated it is possible. I'm running Android 7 on a Galaxy Tab S2. So far clean as a whistle for both GO and Litchi.

How come I'm only running 6.0.1?
Thought it updated automatically...

 

[Fly Dawg]

Some tablets ( and phones) don't support new system updates. I still have Android 4 on my phone as it will not support above that.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Oh, sorry....that was my older phone...LOL.....But even the one I have now is 6.0.1, and doesn't support 7.

 

[Elbert Hill]

I've had similar issues, flying in a remote area but expeiriencing interference issues. And this is an area I fly a LOT.

In the first case, I changed the "auto Channel" select to user dfined. I designated the chaneel that showed the most blue (good signal) and the problem went away.

In other cases, in fact just about evrytime, that I fly with a friend who has a Phantom 4 .....I have issues, and the other day, it was the most serious.. it was total chaos. I don't know when I'm going to learn to not fly with Phantoms 4's around. My P3P went totally berserk, last thing I saw in the FPV was blue shy, my bird flipped upside down, and drilled itself down 145 feet right into the ground !

So assuming no Phantom 4's were around, you may want to try the user defined channel selection, it may help.

 

[alebrije]

Similar thing happened to me last night. Until now I have not connection with the camera. Say strong signal interference in areas where always work including my house. Just updated firmware reset, etc. Won’t connect with the camera

 

[chessman]

Ok an update...
I have now narrowed the problem down to the Samsung tablet I am using.
I have used this tablet flawlessly for the two years I've had the P3A.
Something has clearly changed in the last couple of months. Probably an android update.
A have this morning force reinstalled all firmware/software to the bird, controller and tablet.
Fir some reason my Galaxy Tab 2 did not want to download the RC software, so I swapped for my Samsung S8 phone, which has DJI GO installed.
All good. Tested connection to drone and zero interference. In hindsight I should have tried using my phone weeks ago when the problem started, but hey ho.
So... I uninstall DJI GO from the tablet and download fresh from Play Store.
Whilst downloading I noticed this message on Play Store stating that the app my not be optimised for my device. Never seen this before. I install regardless.
Tested and the terrible interference problem remains.
I am feeling that I may need to retro-install a previous version of Android on the Tab S2. Pain in the a$$.
Tab model SM-T800
Android version 6.0.1
Build MMB29K.T800XXU1CPK2.

Any advice on this appreciated.
I've never had to backtrack android firmware before.

 

[chessman]

Or maybe just an earlier version of the GO app... That's probably the better way to go.

 

[Patrrick]

.. I uninstall DJI GO from the tablet and download fresh from Play Store.
Whilst downloading I noticed this message on Play Store stating that the app my not be optimised for my device. Never seen this before. I install regardless.
Tested and the terrible interference problem remains.
I am feeling that I may need to retro-install a previous version of Android on the Tab S2. Pain in the a$$.
Tab model SM-T800
Android version 6.0.1
Build MMB29K.T800XXU1CPK2.

Any advice on this appreciated.
I've never had to backtrack android firmware before.


I think, but may be wrong but he not optimised for your device means that the tablet does not have a SIM. Nor does mine but I have no issue with djigo, or the other apps that give same message on installation

Patrick

[/QUOTE]

 

[chessman]

The tablet is a wifi only version. Never had a sim.
I'm looking into obtaining earlier versions of GO. Have found a tutorial.
I will update progress later.
Hopefully will help others faced with the same issue.
Like I said, I have been using this tablet for two years without a problem. And never seen this warning before on the App Store.
They have updated the app and the Tab doesn't like it.

 

[chessman]

Ok so reverted back to version 3.1.22 and all seems good so far. Only bench tested as it's currently snowing but the interference I was experiencing has vanished.
Need to stop auto updates with the GO app but fingers crossed it's cleared the problem.
Maybe it's just a problem with this particular tablet...
I did initially try to hop back two versions to 3.1.18 but when run it then refused to download the resource file, which rendered it unusable.

BTW I got the older version from www.apkpure.com

Thanks for everyone's input.