Updates after being mothballed for 2 years

[Positive Image]

Hi Donnie,
I am the original owner of the drone and it has never had these limitations. It appears from the press release:
DJI Updates Process For Activating Software And Firmware Updates
That this procedure was introduced in May of last year whilst my Inspire was in mothballs and relates to requirements when using the later version of the Go App but I assume this won't apply to me as I am not updating mine? Automatic updates are also turned off on my iPad so there is no danger of it updating behind my back!
Regarding your answer to my last question where you say FW_V01.08.01.00 2 is the perfect version to have, remember that I am on Version 1.9.1.30 but I am saying i still have FW_V01.08.01.00 2 ,so potentially I could down grade to the "perfect version" ?
Thanks again,
Regards,
Duncan

 

[Donnie Frank]

Hi Donnie,
I am the original owner of the drone and it has never had these limitations. It appears from the press release:
DJI Updates Process For Activating Software And Firmware Updates
That this procedure was introduced in May of last year whilst my Inspire was in mothballs and relates to requirements when using the later version of the Go App but I assume this won't apply to me as I am not updating mine?

Okay...I see what you're saying.

2 things:

1) Nobody, including DJI, knows what's going on under the hood of their products. It's been my profound experiences that none of the arms of DJI corporate communicate with one another. And the LAST person in the loop is the "DJI Support Professional." <- Air quotes there

2) It's been so long since I was faced with your dilemma that I honestly don't have a clear recollection of how I dealt with it. I'm reasonably sure I did the 1-time login. That was over a year ago. I haven't been bothered since.

Diminishing returns...

While there MAY be a hack around this one-time login, I don't know it, and the hours it would take to figure it out and the failed experiments as we venture blind into that great unknown known as "DJI" may just not be worth all the time and effort. I would do the one-time login, REJECT app updates (your iPad will constantly remind you). Reject firmware updates (the app will remind you every time open it), and you will be golden.

Because my Inspire has been "mothballed" for a while, my business partner and I have decided to do some practice flying today for a shoot tomorrow (Sunday). As you are learning, these drones aren't like a hammer that you can just toss in a drawer and forget about until you need it. They require attention.

Pretty much across the board for all DJI products, I fire them up and do a quick flight the day/night before any shoot.

Automatic updates are also turned off on my iPad so there is no danger of it updating behind my back!

Good deal.

Regarding your answer to my last question where you say FW_V01.08.01.00 2 is the perfect version to have, remember that I am on Version 1.9.1.30 but I am saying i still have FW_V01.08.01.00 2 ,so potentially I could down grade to the "perfect version" ?

Yes. But you will need an X3 camera. I find the X5 is very persnickety when it comes to rolling back FW. I made this video:

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Thanks again,
Regards,
Duncan

You're welcome. Lemme know if this works or fails.

D

 

[ACDS]

It is not necessary to raise the height restriction for Inspire due to flight time limitations. I have firmware with the restrictions removed. For the sake of interest, I climbed to a height of 950 meters. But further I do not see the point in this. 500 m is a sufficient height for the work of Inspire both in time and in height.
part 1

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The firmware of the iOS on the iPad 2 mini is my last one 11 - I did not notice any slowdowns in the video stream or communication failures.

 

[Donnie Frank]

The firmware of the iOS on the iPad 2 mini is my last one 11 - I did not notice any slowdowns in the video stream or communication failures.

While lightweight apps like GS Pro, Go and Go 4 work okay (as long as I don't activate "Screen Record" while using the Air 1), I noticed performance hits in other areas. For example, CPU-heavy apps like fully automated missions via Autopilot would no longer run on my Air 1. I've been running the same construction mission twice a week for 1.5 years (since Feb 2017). After an iOS update on my Air 1, the missions would no longer run in warmer weather 80° or above. So I purchased an Air Pro. Ran great...until the update. Now THAT iPad won't work in 90° or above without some good prior planning. I have to keep the iPad in the fridge over night, then transport it to the job site in a cooler with ice. I get one shot. If the mission fails, I have to start over again with the cooling process. You can bet my next generation iPad will NOT be allowed to update at all.

Note: I saw no benefit to the updates. My iPads are for work only. I don't care about FaceTime™ or social apps or editing videos or whatever. Once the iPad works for what I need it for, I need it to stay in that state.

Note 2: I have tried rolling back the iOS several times to no avail. After roughly 2, eight-hour days, I finally gave up. All my other apps are fairly lightweight, and seem to run okay in both iPads. But I can definitely see a difference in "crispness" with the Air Pro, so it's my go-to iPad. The Air 1 is my spare.

D

 

[roboticspro]

Donnie,

Many thanks for your posting of the process involved getting the firmware back down from 1.11 to 1.08; I really appreciate what you have done and are doing for this community...well done! I have two Inspire 1's for my high school students, and one well-intentioned student upgraded #2 to the most recent firmware (1.11), and it was pretty bad video wise. Now both drones are staying safe at 1.08!

Best regards,

Edd

 

[Donnie Frank]

Donnie,

Many thanks for your posting of the process involved getting the firmware back down from 1.11 to 1.08; I really appreciate what you have done and are doing for this community...well done! I have two Inspire 1's for my high school students, and one well-intentioned student upgraded #2 to the most recent firmware (1.11), and it was pretty bad video wise. Now both drones are staying safe at 1.08!

Best regards,

Edd

Thank you, Edd. You made my morning.

You should warn your students that they will be prompted for a firmware update every time they open the Go App. And to be honest, this can be a bonus. Because if I do NOT get that warning, I know something is awry. I find I have to either restart the software or unplug and replug the Apple cable.

These Inspires remind me of an old Ford. Sometimes they can be persnickety the first start of the day. But once you have them going, they work rock-solid the rest of the day.

My business partner and I did 2 shoots yesterday with my Inspire 1 (he owns 2 that we use as spares). She flew rock solid all day. In usual fashion, the app didn't connect right away. A simple restart of the app and there was the tell-tale "firmware update." That's the canary in the cave. When I see that warning, I know all is good.

Here's a frame grab from last night's shoot. This was shot with a X5. This is a completely unretouched photo.



This is the building we were shooting for a Real Estate Investment group:


The bird flew trouble-free all day and evening. And, courtesy the 32-channel video hack, video feed was rock solid all night.

D

 

[roboticspro]

Donnie,

You are most welcome! The shots you posted look very clean (low digital noise/good resolution). The X5 quality does become very apparent, a necessity for commercial work for sure. I might look into purchasing one for the primary drone (#1) for special events at school if the Ipad Air 2 could handle the data rate; please let me know your thoughts on this.

Does the 32 channel hack involve the aircraft/and or controller, and where would I get the software from? I have an Ipad Air 2 for aircraft #1, and an LG tablet for drone #2, just for the record.

In any case, thanks from all of us that are still enjoying "vintage gear" in the sky...

Best regards,

Edd

 

[Donnie Frank]

The shots you posted look very clean (low digital noise/good resolution). The X5 quality does become very apparent, a necessity for commercial work for sure.

Agreed. If lighting is good, the X3 does very well. But for night shooting, I insist on the X5. I would use it all the time, but it's heavy and can act like a big sail in higher winds. So we generally default to the X3.

I might look into purchasing one for the primary drone (#1) for special events at school if the Ipad Air 2 could handle the data rate; please let me know your thoughts on this.

1) The data rate (bitrate) of the X5 is the same as the X3. The only real advantage of the X5 is MFT sensor, which allows for f/1.7, as opposed to f/2.4 on the X3. But it comes at a price in both weight and size, which translates to lower fly times and less maneuverability.

2) The Inspire doesn't transmit video @ full bitrate or resolution. Instead, it transmits 720p (I believe) and a low bitrate. My goto iPad is an Air 1, which works perfectly well with the Inspire. I honestly only use the Air Pro for resource-heavy automation programs.

Does the 32 channel hack involve the aircraft/and or controller,

Neither. The hack is embedded in the Go App. You replace the .DJI.configs file with the hacked version. This is done via a legacy version of iTunes. The latest version of iTunes no longer allows direct communication to iDevices. If memory serves, iTunes v12.5.4.42 is the winning ticket.

and where would I get the software from?

It's all over the web. A Google search should find it. It's a very small file (1KB). If you can't find it, lemme know, and I'll get one to you. Just make sure to follow installation directions, which are not complicated, but if you don't, the hack won't work.

I have an Ipad Air 2 for aircraft #1, and an LG tablet for drone #2, just for the record.

It seems DJI support Apple products better than the Android counterparts. I've never been an Apple guy, but because I need 100% reliability for what I do, I chose the iPad. There are guys who get the Android working, but hands down I see more issues with Android offerings than the Apple counterparts.

In any case, thanks from all of us that are still enjoying "vintage gear" in the sky...

Hehe....yeah....it's funny, isn't it? 2 years ago the Inspire was cutting edge. But the fact that it's still the only AFFORDABLE F550 class drone that will do dual operator mode insures it will always have a place in my arsenal. I still don't trust the Inspire 2. Too many issues. Waiting for Gen 2 like I did with the Inspire 1.

Regards,

Donnie

 

[Jovac7]

Hi,

As you can read here, I am about to take my Inspire 1 out of storage as well.

At the moment, I'm still worrying about how to properly use my new batteries; but after that, I was going to follow the instructions which I initially followed years ago in order to update the firmware on the Inspire 1, remote control, batteries, etc...install the new app on iPhone, etc. etc.

However, now I read here that it might be better not to update anything at all? I haven't been following the scene for +2 years so I have no idea what's been going on with faulty firmware updates or reduced functionalities etc.; but I have no idea what version of the firmware I'm currently on and I was planning to just update everything to the latest version just to be sure.

Are you guys serious that this is not the best option, and I should probably not update anything at all?

Thanks in advance for your help/comments.

 

[Donnie Frank]

Hi,

As you can read here, I am about to take my Inspire 1 out of storage as well.

At the moment, I'm still worrying about how to properly use my new batteries; but after that, I was going to follow the instructions which I initially followed years ago in order to update the firmware on the Inspire 1, remote control, batteries, etc...install the new app on iPhone, etc. etc.

However, now I read here that it might be better not to update anything at all? I haven't been following the scene for +2 years so I have no idea what's been going on with faulty firmware updates or reduced functionalities etc.; but I have no idea what version of the firmware I'm currently on and I was planning to just update everything to the latest version just to be sure.

Are you guys serious that this is not the best option, and I should probably not update anything at all?

Thanks in advance for your help/comments.

This should help.


Edited by moderator - refer to post #22 (first video)

 

[jlrsn]

Good info. I also had not been using my I1V2 for a year.

 

[Jovac7]

This should help.

Edited by moderator - refer to post #22 (first video)

Hi Donnie,

Thanks - in hindsight, I should've been a bit more thorough in analyzing the information in this thread before asking the question sorry about that.

I've watched the video and read the info; as the switch from 1.8 to 1.9 only expanded the NFZ, and the subsequent update to 1.10 apparently potentially messes up the video transmission, I understand why you are recommending to stay on firmware 1.8.

As I explained, my Inspire 1 has been out of action for a long while as well. I just checked the firmware versions I currently have, and those are the following:

Aircraft: 1.7.00.90+
Remote Controller: 1.5.80
App: 3.1.42
Battery: unknown (no idea, doesn't show up seperately in the list)

The app must have updated automatically. I'm not sure if it's worth downgrading the app version back to some other version? It's not clear to me from the explanations above whether or not the app also (negatively) influences performance.

With regard to the Aircraft firmware: I'm not even on 1.8 yet, as you can see the question here is then:
1.) Should I upgrade to 1.8 at least and if so - where can I find that firmware? (DJI website only lists most recent one)
2.) I understand the batteries, gimbal and camera are upgraded together with the aircraft through the same process. I just bought two new TB48s and I have no idea what "firmware" they are on (probably factory settings). Even in case you would recommend to stay on 1.7 (current version), should I then worry about the battery firmware? Or would it be better (even if only for the battery reason) to upgrade to 1.8, upgrading the battery firmware along with that?

Remote Controller: the update process here goes through the app. In your video, you say to press and hold the little graduation cap icon, but I'm not sure I have that icon (potentially because my App is already at 3.1.42). As a result, I'm unsure on:
1.) Whether it's necessary to update the RC from 1.5.8 to 1.6 (I tried to find a list of changes with the "new" firmware but was unsuccessful);
2.) How to do it in practice, without initiating the update through the DJI GO App and then being stuck with an installation of the newest firmware...

A lot of questions, I know - thanks in advance for your input, I really appreciate the fact you're taking time to help people out.

EDIT: P.S. I've seen some comments from people in youtube comment sections etc., stating they are unable to fly their Inspire 1 until they have completed a firmware upgrade...you also stated something about "connecting to the DJI mothership" in one of these posts. Is this a real danger? I.e., should I be on the lookout for some kind of prompt or actions I should avoid in order to ensure I can keep using the current (or 1.8) firmware without getting some prompt which prevents me from using the Inspire 1 until I have upgraded to the most recent firmware? Thanks.

 

[Donnie Frank]

Hi Donnie,

Thanks - in hindsight, I should've been a bit more thorough in analyzing the information in this thread before asking the question sorry about that.

I've watched the video and read the info; as the switch from 1.8 to 1.9 only expanded the NFZ, and the subsequent update to 1.10 apparently potentially messes up the video transmission, I understand why you are recommending to stay on firmware 1.8.

Good. It really is the best FW version.

As I explained, my Inspire 1 has been out of action for a long while as well. I just checked the firmware versions I currently have, and those are the following:

Aircraft: 1.7.00.90+
Remote Controller: 1.5.80
App: 3.1.42
Battery: unknown (no idea, doesn't show up seperately in the list)

The app must have updated automatically. I'm not sure if it's worth downgrading the app version back to some other version?

My knee-jerk answer is "yes." But a large portion of my drone work is done in remote locations away from WiFi and even cell service. So I can't risk an app that is going to demand I login to the DJI mothership before granting permission to fly. If that happens out on set, that would ROYALLY screw me in ways I can't even begin to convey in words. It would literally be my last time on any film set. I'd be blacklisted.

Here's an example of what the latest app will do to you. Make sure there are no children or women around when you play this video.

Edited by moderator - video removed because of language

Fortunately, this happened on a local job that wasn't time sensitive.

My point is that if you don't care about your drone being locked down randomly by total surprise for no apparent reason with no warning whatsoever, then by all means, use the latest version of DJI Go or Go 4. But if you're like me, and do NOT wish to be taken off guard by a locked down drone pending some kind of ridiculous test, then by all means, I recommend you roll back your app to v3.1.1. That is the latest version that requires no login. Ever.

It's not clear to me from the explanations above whether or not the app also (negatively) influences performance.

If you consider "grounded until you can get to a WiFi connection" an "impedance of performance," then, yes, the latest app DOES impede performance.

With regard to the Aircraft firmware: I'm not even on 1.8 yet, as you can see the question here is then:
1.) Should I upgrade to 1.8 at least and if so - where can I find that firmware? (DJI website only lists most recent one)

Read the description section of the video I have posted twice (won't post it again, as the moderator seems to frown on me posting the same video multiple times in the same thread). Detailed instructions have been painstakingly authored by me.

2.) I understand the batteries, gimbal and camera are upgraded together with the aircraft through the same process.

Exactly. And to clarify, you should run the FW update with each battery.

I just bought two new TB48s and I have no idea what "firmware" they are on (probably factory settings).

Though the Go app doesn't reveal the battery version specifically, I have noticed that the bird's FW gets reported as an older version if the battery is not updated. The only way to test this is to go into the About page with every single battery, and make sure all the FW data is consistent.

Even in case you would recommend to stay on 1.7 (current version), should I then worry about the battery firmware? Or would it be better (even if only for the battery reason) to upgrade to 1.8, upgrading the battery firmware along with that?

It's my understanding through my experience (no help from DJI) that battery FW does NOT update by simply plugging the battery into the inspire. The battery must be purposely updated via the Inspire FW update process (as outlined in this video):

Edited by moderator - just a repetition of what's been posted in post #22 above
@Donnie Frank can you please refrain from posting identical videos within the same thread.
Thank You

That said, I would upgrade to v1.8.1.00 because of the following release notes:

Remote Controller: the update process here goes through the app. In your video, you say to press and hold the little graduation cap icon, but I'm not sure I have that icon (potentially because my App is already at 3.1.42). As a result, I'm unsure on:

Well...I can only suggest you double check, because as far as I know, the icon has always been there. If not, you can always update your remote to the latest version, and then roll back using the method in my video. Remember, my video tells you how to roll back your RC from v1.7. GETTING to v1.7 should be a piece of cake. You are probably prompted to upgrade the remote at boot time. I know that every time I connect my Inspire the Go app, I am reminded to update my FW and my remote FW AND the app (I believe).

1.) Whether it's necessary to update the RC from 1.5.8 to 1.6 (I tried to find a list of changes with the "new" firmware but was unsuccessful);

I honestly don't know for sure, but my gut tells me that the bird will lose communication with the RC. Because DJI recommends upgrading the bird first anyway, it costs you nothing to upgrade the bird first and test for connection. If you have no connection, upgrade the remote to 1.7 and then roll it back to 1.6. And just so you know, RC v1.7 will NOT communicate with your Inspire FW v1.8.1.00.

2.) How to do it in practice, without initiating the update through the DJI GO App and then being stuck with an installation of the newest firmware...

Updating the RC should be done through the app. Updating the bird should be done via your MicroSD card. Between the two videos I made, I have given you all the tools you need to facilitate this. The missing piece of your puzzle is simply not reading the Description section of the videos.

A lot of questions, I know - thanks in advance for your input, I really appreciate the fact you're taking time to help people out.

You bet. Go back and revisit the videos and the Description sections. Your answers are there.

EDIT: P.S. I've seen some comments from people in youtube comment sections etc., stating they are unable to fly their Inspire 1 until they have completed a firmware upgrade...you also stated something about "connecting to the DJI mothership" in one of these posts. Is this a real danger? I.e., should I be on the lookout for some kind of prompt or actions I should avoid in order to ensure I can keep using the current (or 1.8) firmware without getting some prompt which prevents me from using the Inspire 1 until I have upgraded to the most recent firmware? Thanks.

You will be prompted by DJI Go App to update your FW every time you launch the app. This is actually a blessing, because this action lets you know that your bird is fully and properly connected. If you do NOT get the FW update prompt, restart the app and/or unplug and replug the Lightning cable until you DO get prompted to update the FW. Yesterday, I had to restart the app 3 times to get it to connect properly. Once connected, it was rock-solid all day. Me and my partner did FIVE locations yesterday (Wednesday the 19th)(dual operator) and flew a total of 12 batteries. Everything was solid as a rock.

 

[Jovac7]

My knee-jerk answer is "yes." But a large portion of my drone work is done in remote locations away from WiFi and even cell service. So I can't risk an app that is going to demand I login to the DJI mothership before granting permission to fly. If that happens out on set, that would ROYALLY screw me in ways I can't even begin to convey in words. It would literally be my last time on any film set. I'd be blacklisted.

Here's an example of what the latest app will do to you. Make sure there are no children or women around when you play this video.

Edited by moderator - video removed because of language

Fortunately, this happened on a local job that wasn't time sensitive.

My point is that if you don't care about your drone being locked down randomly by total surprise for no apparent reason with no warning whatsoever, then by all means, use the latest version of DJI Go or Go 4. But if you're like me, and do NOT wish to be taken off guard by a locked down drone pending some kind of ridiculous test, then by all means, I recommend you roll back your app to v3.1.1. That is the latest version that requires no login. Ever.

If you consider "grounded until you can get to a WiFi connection" an "impedance of performance," then, yes, the latest app DOES impede performance.

Wow. The video made me laugh although I fully understand it's all but funny. I had no idea there were chances of this happening (it hadn't happened to me yet, running 3.1.42, but I would completely freak out if it happened to me as well and I'm not even flying to earn a living at the moment. Thanks for the warning.

Read the description section of the video I have posted twice (won't post it again, as the moderator seems to frown on me posting the same video multiple times in the same thread). Detailed instructions have been painstakingly authored by me.

Apologies. I'm trying to figure this all out between a ton of work which also needs to be finished before being able to leave on holiday, so I haven't been as thorough as I normally am.

Anyway, I spent the better part of last evening trying to rollback my DJI GO app from 3.1.42 to 3.1.1, which is the version you recommended. Wasn't as straightforward as youtube makes it look, but I managed to figure it out in the end by using different computers and fiddling around with Charles (software), previous iTunes versions and fiddling around with my AppleID-settings. Anyway, in the end it worked to uninstall 3.1.42 and install 3.1.1, and it even worked to synchronise all flights/information so I didn't lose anything. Now I just need to remember to avoid pressing "Update All Apps" because then all of my trouble will have gone to waste as I can't prevent only a single app from updating in iOS (only all).

That said, I would upgrade to v1.8.1.00 because of the following release notes:

View attachment 21121

Thanks for the release notes! Downloaded the 1.8 firmware and installed it to the bird, seems to have worked (got the D-DD and successful .txt). Only thing I don't get is that when I switched off the bird, switched batteries, there didn't seem to be any update process for the battery (which I've read should take about 3 minutes). As I'm unable to check battery firmware in the app, I'm assuming they're okay firmware-wise but I really have no idea.

Well...I can only suggest you double check, because as far as I know, the icon has always been there. If not, you can always update your remote to the latest version, and then roll back using the method in my video. Remember, my video tells you how to roll back your RC from v1.7. GETTING to v1.7 should be a piece of cake. You are probably prompted to upgrade the remote at boot time. I know that every time I connect my Inspire the Go app, I am reminded to update my FW and my remote FW AND the app (I believe).

I honestly don't know for sure, but my gut tells me that the bird will lose communication with the RC. Because DJI recommends upgrading the bird first anyway, it costs you nothing to upgrade the bird first and test for connection. If you have no connection, upgrade the remote to 1.7 and then roll it back to 1.6. And just so you know, RC v1.7 will NOT communicate with your Inspire FW v1.8.1.00.

Updating the RC should be done through the app. Updating the bird should be done via your MicroSD card. Between the two videos I made, I have given you all the tools you need to facilitate this. The missing piece of your puzzle is simply not reading the Description section of the videos.

App v3.1.42 had another icon (three horizontal lines, see below for random internet screenshot) which had me confused. But the functionality is the same apparently, I would never have figured out that pressing that icon for five seconds would bring up that menu.

Anyway, I successfully update the RC to 1.6 by following the steps in your video. Thanks again for taking the time to record and upload such videos; even during the process itself, it's very reassuring to be able to check whether or not everything is going normal (for instance, whether I should restart the RC and/or press "reload firmware" etc., which otherwise would be guessing and hoping for the best outcome).

You can see the result of my evening's work below:

So I guess I'm set now, and should keep things as they are. Going for a test flight tonight, hopefully everything works solid as a rock like you indicated

I have the mounting system/installation kit for the 1345T propellers coming in the mail today as well - had to order new propellers and found the 1345Ts to be cheapest and newer, but after they arrived I figured out I needed to change the mounting plates as well :$ so those are coming in the mail today, hopefully. Exciting!

Thanks again Donnie for all your help, really appreciate it!

 

[Donnie Frank]

Wow. The video made me laugh although I fully understand it's all but funny. I had no idea there were chances of this happening (it hadn't happened to me yet, running 3.1.42, but I would completely freak out if it happened to me as well and I'm not even flying to earn a living at the moment. Thanks for the warning.

You bet. Honestly, I should make a bleeped out version of that video. Unfortunately, I seemed to have not archived it, which is weird, because I tend to archive everything. But I digress.....

Apologies. I'm trying to figure this all out between a ton of work which also needs to be finished before being able to leave on holiday, so I haven't been as thorough as I normally am.

No worries. I know how it goes. I do this for a living, so I get to justify dedicating entire days to drone R&D. I know that not everybody has that luxury.

Anyway, I spent the better part of last evening trying to rollback my DJI GO app from 3.1.42 to 3.1.1, which is the version you recommended. Wasn't as straightforward as youtube makes it look, but I managed to figure it out in the end by using different computers and fiddling around with Charles (software), previous iTunes versions and fiddling around with my AppleID-settings.

Yep....essentially, "hacking" is NOT an exact science....especially when it comes to DJI. The most consistent thing about DJI is the inconsistency of their software. That said, all of this is pretty incredible. When I look back a mere 4.5 years at my first quadcopter flights, it's pretty amazing how far the technology has come.

Anyway, in the end it worked to uninstall 3.1.42 and install 3.1.1, and it even worked to synchronise all flights/information so I didn't lose anything.

Bonus!

Now I just need to remember to avoid pressing "Update All Apps" because then all of my trouble will have gone to waste as I can't prevent only a single app from updating in iOS (only all).

Every time I open my iPad that little "Update" icon tugs at me. You'll get used to it. And remember to keep Go 3.1.1 archived and active in iTunes. I keep a laptop with me at all times with the legacy iTunes and all my legacy apps ready to go.



Even in the field, with no Internet connection, I can take any one of our four iPads BACK to the legacy app versions we use. As a matter of fact, I did this for my partner just a couple days ago when it was discovered that his Go app updated. Apparently, he iPads were both set to "automatic updates." We have fixed that.

Thanks for the release notes! Downloaded the 1.8 firmware and installed it to the bird, seems to have worked (got the D-DD and successful .txt). Only thing I don't get is that when I switched off the bird, switched batteries, there didn't seem to be any update process for the battery (which I've read should take about 3 minutes). As I'm unable to check battery firmware in the app, I'm assuming they're okay firmware-wise but I really have no idea.

Check the "About" page with all your batteries. If the battery needs to be updated, it will reflect an erroneous version of the BIRD FW.

App v3.1.42 had another icon (three horizontal lines, see below for random internet screenshot) which had me confused. But the functionality is the same apparently, I would never have figured out that pressing that icon for five seconds would bring up that menu.

Yep...unintuitive.

Anyway, I successfully update the RC to 1.6 by following the steps in your video. Thanks again for taking the time to record and upload such videos; even during the process itself, it's very reassuring to be able to check whether or not everything is going normal (for instance, whether I should restart the RC and/or press "reload firmware" etc., which otherwise would be guessing and hoping for the best outcome).

Glad you got it going and glad the video and information helped.

You can see the result of my evening's work below:

Perfect!!!

So I guess I'm set now, and should keep things as they are.

Absolutely. This includes iTunes!! DO NOT allow iTunes to update. Also, don't change a thing for the life of the bird. Using that FW/software combination, you should have great success with your Inspire for the rest of its natural life. Next up, do the 32 channel hack (which can be easily done via your legacy version of iTunes).

Going for a test flight tonight, hopefully everything works solid as a rock like you indicated

Yep...and yer video feed should be good, too. If not, check the "HD" menu option and look at the histogram to make sure your channel is clear. First thing I do before I fly is check my histogram and MANUALLY set HD feed to one of the 32 channels I have to choose from (until you do the hack, you will have only 8 channels). I ALWAYS find a clear channel. Video feed is gloriously solid.

I have the mounting system/installation kit for the 1345T propellers coming in the mail today as well - had to order new propellers and found the 1345Ts to be cheapest and newer, but after they arrived I figured out I needed to change the mounting plates as well :$ so those are coming in the mail today, hopefully. Exciting!

Be warned that the OEM Inspire 1, Gen 2 locking system seems to be the best one. I've seen guys update to the double locking system, and have had problems. I've had no problems whatsoever with my OEM single locking system (NOT Gen 1, but Gen 2).

Thanks again Donnie for all your help, really appreciate it!

You bet! You should do the 32 channel hack before you go out. Remember, the hack is for the app, not the bird. Just find an all-green "Stable" channel, and set. And remember, "Auto Mode" does NOT utilize the extra 24 channels. Only "Custom" mode does. "Auto mode" stays in the light gray area.



Good luck!

D