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Drones are mini sky fighters that are prone to various technical issues and complications. Sometimes Drone fails to pair up the controller, does not connect to Wi-Fi, and even takes off too fast or goes through other technical glitches. If you are the one who is experiencing the same scenario, there is no need to worry.
Because drones often show defects due to low batteries, weak connectivity with the controller or any software/hardware issues. Now you can fix your Drone by yourself as we have provided you with a complete guide on drone troubleshooting with some tips for maintaining tiny machines. So let’s read on to consider the drone problems and the solutions.
Drone troubleshooting: the full guide
Here is one thing to understand: Drone comes in various models, so if you try every solution mentioned below but still the issues persist, then you might need professional help. Let’s hop on the highly effective guide on Drone troubleshooting.
Low battery
When a battery-operated Drone runs out of battery, it falls down instantly. Therefore, before taking flights, you ensure that the Drone and its controller are fully charged. If your Drone has a battery monitoring system, it’s best because it will warn you before its charge is below a certain threshold.
Compass and IMU are not calibrated
If a drone’s compass is not calibrated, there are more chances of accidents or even causing crashes. Because a compass can be affected by the earth’s electromagnetic field, keep the compass away from the stored batteries, magnets or motor that emit EMI.
Follow the steps below for your mini flight to make sure the compass and IMU are significantly calibrated;
Steps to calibrate Drone’s compass
- Firstly detach all propels.
- Power on your Drone, click on the aircraft status bar in the connecting application, then tap on calibrate.
- On the pop screen, tap on start then an upcoming screen will show you how to hold your mini fighter while calibrated.
- Hold the Drone horizontally, then move it to 360 degrees; the green light will turn on means the processing is successful.
- Hold the Drone vertically, nose directed down to the ground, and rotate it to 360 degrees; then, the green light flashes if successful.
Steps to calibrate Internal Measuring Unit (IMU)
- Open the Drone app on your smartphone.
- Turn on the Drone and the controller.
- Choose the main controller setting, and select the advanced setting.
- Now tap on a sensor, calibrate IMU and then click on “start.”
- Follow all the instructions streaming on the screen and rotate the Drone around as instructed on the screen.
- After the calibration process is done, restart the Drone.
Bad GPS signals
Some drones come with the amazing feature of GPS, which ensures that the Drone returns to the exact location in accidental events. If your Drone loses GPS mode, then it will enter the ATTI mode that makes your Drone fly off or drift. It happened mainly due to the frequent magnetic emissions. Isn’t it scariest?
You can improve your Drone’s GPS signals before flying by turning on your Drone and taking off for a few minutes with a clear sky view location. Further, avoid spaces with high magnetic interference for good GPS signals.
Motors are spinning in the wrong direction.
Often, Drone motors spin in the wrong direction while taking off. So you should make sure that your propellers are spinning in the right direction to prevent any loss. Let’s follow these ways according to the Drone’s types;
Drone with brushed DC motor
To change the direction of spinning for a brushed DC motor, firstly, monitor that your propellers are installed in the proper order. Because certain motors are factory installed and do not tend to be rotating in the wrong directions.
Drone with brushless AC motors
On the other hand, if your Drone uses brushless AC motors, interchange any two cables integrated with the motors to the speed controller. And it works by altering the order of phasing in the three-phase brushless motors.
The Drone flips on takeoff
Various reasons can flip your Drone while taking off. One of the main causes is the thrust imbalance that makes Drone incompetent for a balanced flight. That thrust may be produced by the incorrect installation of the propellers or due to the motor spinning the wrong direction.
To avoid drone flips, ensure your propellers are not installed upside down or the motor spinning is the same as the drone controller configuration. It will help your Drone to smoothly take off in a balanced way.
Radio system failure
The drone’s radio system fails when it more likely goes out of flying range. Because mini fighters have a limited flight range, they lose signals and stop to fly forward if it goes beyond the range.
You can strengthen the radio system by using an amplifier that will help you to take off your Drone from a long distance.
Flying direction
The drone’s controller expects clockwise or anti-clockwise directions, so drive the left stick with the x-axis to trigger certain rotations. It will assist you in flying your Drone in other directions without leaving the Drone’s adjusted spot.
Drone problems
Like other technical inventions, drones also show some technical glitches. But the important thing is that you can fix these problems yourself, as we have mentioned some basic drone problems and solutions. So try them all until you land on the effective one!
The drone will not pair up
If your Drone is not pairing up with your controller, ensure that both Drone and controller are fully charged. But if still not pairing, then apply the methods below;
- Charge your drone battery to at least 70%.
- Reboot your Drone. Press the power button for 9 to 10 seconds until you feel the vibration.
- Update the Drone’s software if there’s a new update.
- If still the problem is not solved, then there is probably a defect in the battery. Replace the battery with a new one.
In case your Drone is not connecting with the smartphone’s app, follow the steps below;
- Uninstall the app and then reinstall it.
- Ensure your smartphone runs the updated operating system to support the Drone’s app.
- Maybe there’s a fault in your device; connect to the Drone using different apparatus.
- Or using any other controller to connect the Drone.
Drone flashing light
The drone often flashes green or red lights. These lights indicate that the Drone can distinguish between the orientations and express pilots of secured aircraft.
But if the green or red light flashes every 3 seconds, there’s an alarming situation. Because it typically notifies that the batteries are low or have flipped under 10.9V. So, you should take instant measures before the batteries run out of power.
Drone not charging
Commonly, drone batteries are not charged due to many reasons like outdated software, defective charger, overheating, hibernation mode or damage to the battery itself. You can fix these problems by updating software, replacing the charger, or turning off the hibernation mode.
Here are some tips to remember to fix battery problems;
- Keep batteries away from wooden surfaces and carpeted floors, as they can catch fire quickly.
- Cease the fixing process right after you observe the battery deforming.
- Try a new battery if it is damaged from outside
Jumpy camera
Drone footage ended up jumpy videos due to poor piloting, outdated firmware, wrong shutter speed, frame rate errors, aperture settings or weak radio signals.
You can troubleshoot this problem using ND filters by setting the shutter speed to twice the frame rate. Or implement the steps below;
- Lower the joystick sensitivity.
- Upgrade your computer.
- Turn off video caching.
Drone blurry video
In the same way, Drone captures blurry videos because of weak communication signals, bad firmware, frame rate mismatch or poor piloting skills. Fix these problems using appropriate camera settings, ND filters or a compatible video player.
A drone doesn’t go up only sideways
The drone often tilts only sideways, which makes it incapable of level flight. It happens for insufficient power supply, EMI, propeller positioning, uneven weight distribution or compass calibration.
Sometimes internal operating systems of drone-like outdated hardware or software cause flying them sideways. So, update them, but if the problem remains, seek professional help.
Friction on blade
The drone’s blades lift up by generating a difference between each propeller’s top pressure and bottom surface pressure. It makes the Drone take off on heights safely. But if friction occurs, the Drone is more likely to fall off or crash instantly. So, correctly install the propeller before taking the flight.
Won’t connect to Wi-Fi
If not fully charged, your mini sky fighter will not connect to the Wi-Fi. So, ensure that the drone’s controller is charged and properly paired with each other. If still not connecting with the Wi-Fi, reboot your Drone and repeat the connection steps. If the error persists, switch the battery to the new one.
The Drone Won’t Power On
If your drone is suddenly turned off and not powered on again, it can be due to various reasons. Here is how you can find out what’s causing this issue and how to fix it.
- If the new drone is not powering on, make sure to charge it first.
- Power off the drone and open its top. Observe that all the wires are attached properly in their sockets, and there is no sign of the burn, especially since the ECS need to be intact.
- Plug the drone into its charger and check if the light on the flight controller is on or not.
- Use a multimeter on the MOSFETs to check for continuity. In case of continuity, either the concerned circuit is burnt, or the whole panel is. You need to replace it with a new one if available.
The Drone is Not Taking Off
Many people have faced the issue of their drones stopping from taking off. There can be many different reasons stopping the drone from flying. You can fix this problem by following these simple steps:
Warm-up
If you have just turned on the drone and it is not taking off, wait a few minutes to let it warm up. Most of the drones come with an advanced controller that lets the user know the current status of the drone. For example, The drone is currently warming up for the flight.
However, some old models do have these facilities to inform the user. If that is the case with your model, wait for 2-5 minutes (depending on the model) after turning on the drone. Remember that the time of warming up may increase in harsh cold weather.
Batteries
It’s obvious but an essential part that many people miss when the drone does not take off. Make sure the batteries are completely charged and functional. If the battery status is showing full, but the issue persists, it means the batteries have gone faulty and need replacement.
Calibration
Ensure the compass calibration is done on the drone according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. If the compass is calibrated incorrectly, it can lead to the drone not taking off. When using your drone in a new area, calibration becomes essential to fly the drone.
Propeller Mounting
An improper propeller mounting can restrict your drone from taking flight. Ensure that the desired airflow is provided to the drone because, with a wrong angle, the drone will not fly.
Conclusion
In short, drones come in various models whose operating systems can differ. If you try all the above solutions to fix your drones but still the problem persists, we suggest getting professional help. Commonly you can fix these defects just by charging batteries or performing a reboot. Hope you land on the best solution by reading the whole Drone troubleshooting guide with some tips. Please let us know if you have additional questions or need further help.
FAQs
Drones are not taking long flights for several reasons, including insufficient power supply, EMI, incorrect propeller positioning, or compass calibration. Or it can also be due to some internal working issues.
Your Drone may not move forward because of a loss of radio signals or a damaged controller or propeller. Further, maybe the compass is not properly calibrated, or Drone may have firmware issues.
Because of the loss of the radio signals, your Drone is traveling back. As each Drone has a flying range, if it flies beyond that range, the Drone loses the signals and returns to the location with the help of GPS.
Probably, Drone is not ensuring accuracy due to several factors, including;
– Image overlap
– Inappropriate flight speed
– The camera is not properly synced with GPS
– Poor ground control
The drone often tilts only sideways, which makes it incapable of level flight. It happens for insufficient power supply, EMI, propeller positioning, uneven weight distribution or compass calibration.
Due to the dead/low battery of the remote controller and Drone, the Drone is not responding to your direction. Charge batteries to at least 70% or switch with the other one.
If you observe erratic behavior of the Drone, it is because of a loss of communication between the controller and Drone. If you feel it, take instant steps to sage your flight.
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