I own 2 Neo drones, and I only fly them during the day, which has been a good call. Here’s what I’ve noticed and wanted to warn others about:
The Neo drone seems to have serious issues when using the RC-N3 controller in GPS mode. The drone sometimes hits maximum altitude within the first few feet of takeoff (no altitude limit set), and then it starts drifting. Sometimes, it switches to ATTI mode after connecting to 20-25 satellites, which makes it uncontrollable. It’s lucky if you can land it before it goes haywire. This isn’t just a nighttime issue – it happens even in bright daylight. My drone won’t even take off in the dark.
When the drone switches to ATTI mode, it’s not just a minor shift – it goes out of control. The flight controller seems to get confused and sends it flying off, sometimes with the live feed showing a drastic change in angle. Once that happens, the drone can’t be stopped and crashes. This happens even after the home-point is supposedly updated minutes before.
In my opinion, the Neo is only useful as a basic follow-me drone when you don’t use a controller or mobile device. If that’s what you need, then great. But for more advanced flying, it tries to do too much.
DJI, please fix this! The Neo needs a major update to make it safer when flying with the RC-N3 controller in GPS mode. This issue only happens in GPS mode with the RC-N3. I’m not the only one this has happened to.
For those of you flying in GPS mode, watch for the angle change on the live feed. When that happens (usually it tilts right), it’s already over.
Hi there, we’re really sorry for the issues you’re experiencing. We’ll send your feedback to the engineering team for review. Thanks for letting us know.
Wylie said:
Hi there, we’re really sorry for the issues you’re experiencing. We’ll send your feedback to the engineering team for review. Thanks for letting us know.
I had a similar experience while on vacation in Turkey. My drone lost control and flew off into a field of garbage. It took me over an hour to find it. There was no wind, the weather was bright, and there were no obstacles around.
What do you think, does the phone model have any effect on flight stability or communications? Could this problem be linked to specific phones or operating systems? I’m curious if anyone else has noticed a pattern with certain devices.
I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’ve seen others report this too. But I’ve been flying three Neos for over a month, and I haven’t had the same issues. I fly over water, in wind, and in all kinds of conditions. I’ve only had problems in conditions I expected, like low light with few satellites. Water might be tricky, but I’ve never had issues with it. I can imagine a weird reflection could mess things up though.
I got the Fly More combo before my trip to Turkey. I did a week of hiking, flying for hours at a time, recharging the batteries with power banks. I did experience the max altitude warning once or twice, but it never caused any problems, even in high mountains. I mostly used the controller. The only thing I was worried about was how it would descend. Also, bees really don’t like it. I filmed some shots near beehives, and they attacked the drone.
Yeah, I’ve been hearing about this runaway Neo issue on a Malaysian Facebook group. Seems like it’s a global problem that started a few days ago. What’s in the last update that could have caused this?
I’ve flown my Neo for over 10 hours, 40% of that with the N3 controller, and I’ve never had an issue. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t think there’s a way to turn off GPS mode, so I don’t understand the problem.
@Vic
What? The Neo only uses GPS when you’re using the RC-N3 controller. Without a controller or phone, it uses positioning sensors. The issue happens when GPS mode is active with the controller. It could connect to 20 satellites, then drop to 8, causing it to switch to ATTI mode, which makes it uncontrollable and fly away. Please read the original post carefully. It doesn’t happen when you’re flying without a controller or device.
Vic said: @Devan
You say it only happens in GPS mode with the RC-N3 controller, but I’ve never had that problem. Maybe it’s a regional thing.
You’re not getting it. You just haven’t had this issue yet. What firmware version is your Neo on? The problem is with the controller and GPS mode. ATTI mode causes the drone to crash if it switches while flying, and it’s not controllable in that mode.