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Breeze vertical flyaway?

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I have generally enjoyed my Breeze. It's a great little drone for the price. I always operate in controller mode with the Yuneec controller.

It's stable and operates as expected MOST of the time. I have not yet had a crash.

However, on several occasions while hovering at altitudes of around 70 ft or so, the Breeze just decided to start going up. If I hadn't noticed it might have been lost. I was able to gain control and start it descending by nailing the stick down but then it usually keeps descending even if I release the stick. I have to push it up again to stop the descent. The altitude sensor seems to work was it stops at normal hover height.

It totally ignored the altitude limits from the app during these events.

This happened in two different locations, nowhere near each other, and I used different phones was well.

It's almost like the breeze gets a mind of its own but only vertically. All other orientations remain correct.

Has anybody else experienced this vertical problem?

Thanks
 
Have these events been around tall trees or buildings that would have an effect on GPS signals?

I have had similar positional anomalies where numerous large trees were involved. Tall buildings can have even more of an effect.

Another possibility is the potentiometers in the control sticks getting oxidized and not fully returning to the neutral position electrically. Before your flight give the control sticks a vigorous stir and be sure your sticks are at neutral when you ‘Slide to Proceed’ as that is the point when neutral is determined.
 
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No tall buildings. One suburban neighborhood and one rural. Some tall trees around in the rural setting.

I thought about GPS, but the Breeze is using GPS for lat,lon not altitude right?

Yeah, it could be stick input but that should happen regardless of altitude. I have never seen the uncontrolled ascent at lower altitude. If I'm just flying it around the yard under 30 feet or so, it controls quite normally and never just ascends.
 
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Definitely odd behavior. Altitude of 5 meters and less the IRS comes into play for maintaining altitude. You can see the effect of that by flying over hilly ground or objects.
 
Not to my knowledge.
 
Already a good cleaning of the sticks with an electronic product to deoxidize the tracks will not do any harm (take a product that does not attack the plastic).
It won't hurt. I am also thinking of a cowardly return to neutral. (see at the same time if the return springs are not loose).
 
I would agree with this and get out the DeOxit, but again, if it were bad joystick contacts or a joystick that didn't return to zero, then it would happen even at low altitudes.

I happen to have a complete additional Breeze kit that's never been opened. Bought it as a spare when they were blowing them out. Guess it's time to crack it open and figure out of its the drone or the controller. Already ruled out the phone and/or location.
 
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HI
It happens to me too.
Sometimes simultaneously wifi switch off.
When wifi is off some times goes up and sometimes hovering until wifi becomes on

I have generally enjoyed my Breeze. It's a great little drone for the price. I always operate in controller mode with the Yuneec controller.

It's stable and operates as expected MOST of the time. I have not yet had a crash.

However, on several occasions while hovering at altitudes of around 70 ft or so, the Breeze just decided to start going up. If I hadn't noticed it might have been lost. I was able to gain control and start it descending by nailing the stick down but then it usually keeps descending even if I release the stick. I have to push it up again to stop the descent. The altitude sensor seems to work was it stops at normal hover height.

It totally ignored the altitude limits from the app during these events.

This happened in two different locations, nowhere near each other, and I used different phones was well.

It's almost like the breeze gets a mind of its own but only vertically. All other orientations remain correct.

Has anybody else experienced this vertical problem?

Thanks
 
HI
It happens to me too.
Sometimes simultaneously wifi switch off.
When wifi is off some times goes up and sometimes hovering until wifi becomes on
What you describe is normal for loss of connection. It most likely goes up to the setting for the RTH altitude.
 
In my case this does not involve a loss of wifi.

All of my flying is done in controller mode.

Finally today I observed what happens. The Breeze was hovering at just under 50 feet for maybe 30 seconds when it started gaining altitude again. I looked at my screen and noticed the altimiter had reset to 0 and was again climbing!!! The breeze thought it was too close to the ground and may have been attempting to reach normal hover height, RTH, or even the last known altitude. I didn't let it go so I don't know where it would have stopped or if it would.

Once it starts to ascend I have to hold the left stick down to get it to descend because as far as it's concerned I am asking the Breeze to descend through zero! The altimeter on screen actually starts reading in negative feet!

Fortunately the Yuneec programmers allowed a manual override of the Breeze so it can go all the way back down to negative 40+ feet where the ground is in this case.. Near the ground I finally give it some stick up as it seems to want to descend too low. Finally the IR ground sensor allows it to hover a couple feet off the ground but the altimeter never resets until it lands. If I command it to land the altimeter corrects itself as soon as it touches down.

Very strange. I assume the altimeter is based on GPS above a certain height so I don't know what could cause it to lose its altitude like that as the GPS doesn't lose its satellite locks. Or... is the altimiter barometric?

In any case, it still works I just have watch for the unrequested ascent.

I suppose in any automatic mode other than direct control I would have to be ready to request landing if it started it's random ascent. I'm not sure if it would land properly in any of the automatic modes once the altimeter reset to zero at 50 feet or so. It might try a controlled landing at 50 feet! I would like to think it relies on the IR sensor for landing but I don't know.
 
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In my case this does not involve a loss of wifi.

All of my flying is done in controller mode.

Finally today I observed what happens. The Breeze was hovering at just under 50 feet for maybe 30 seconds when it started gaining altitude again. I looked at my screen and noticed the altimiter had reset to 0 and was again climbing!!! The breeze thought it was too close to the ground and may have been attempting to reach normal hover height, RTH, or even the last known altitude. I didn't let it go so I don't know where it would have stopped or if it would.

Once it starts to ascend I have to hold the left stick down to get it to descend because as far as it's concerned I am asking the Breeze to descend through zero! The altimeter on screen actually starts reading in negative feet!

Fortunately the Yuneec programmers allowed a manual override of the Breeze so it can go all the way back down to negative 40+ feet where the ground is in this case.. Near the ground I finally give it some stick up as it seems to want to descend too low. Finally the IR ground sensor allows it to hover a couple feet off the ground but the altimeter never resets until it lands. If I command it to land the altimeter corrects itself as soon as it touches down.

Very strange. I assume the altimeter is based on GPS above a certain height so I don't know what could cause it to lose its altitude like that as the GPS doesn't lose its satellite locks. Or... is the altimiter barometric?

In any case, it still works I just have watch for the unrequested ascent.

I suppose in any automatic mode other than direct control I would have to be ready to request landing if it started it's random ascent. I'm not sure if it would land properly in any of the automatic modes once the altimeter reset to zero at 50 feet or so. It might try a controlled landing at 50 feet! I would like to think it relies on the IR sensor for landing but I don't know.
Thank you for your detailed observations.

All of my flying is done in controller mode.
I also prefer flying with the controller. The video feed has less lag while using it as the phone doesn’t have to compute touch position of virtual sticks. The only drawback is that no telemetry is stored when using the Controller task mode.

I looked at my screen and noticed the altimiter had reset to 0 and was again climbing!!!
Great job catching the altitude glitch.

Once it starts to ascend I have to hold the left stick down to get it to descend because as far as it's concerned I am asking the Breeze to descend through zero!
Partially true. Any descent requires the throttle to be positioned below neutral. Descending below “0” is not a problem as it is just a reference set at takeoff. Try flying from an elevated takeoff point and fly down to your subject. It makes no difference to the Breeze, but as you state it will display negative altitude

Finally the IR ground sensor allows it to hover a couple feet off the ground but the altimeter never resets until it lands. If I command it to land the altimeter corrects itself as soon as it touches down.
The IRS has a range of about 5 meters and detects the altitude above a surface (will not reset the barometric telemetry). This should prevent the Breeze from contacting the ground. Mine always stops about 18 to 24 inches and will go no lower. The barometric telemetry does reset to zero upon landing.

I assume the altimeter is based on GPS above a certain height so I don't know what could cause it to lose its altitude like that as the GPS doesn't lose its satellite locks. Or... is the altimiter barometric?
You guessed it! The reading for altitude you see on the screen is the barometric altitude. It is relative and is set to zero at takeoff. For the first 5 meters the IR sensor is also involved to help keep a steady altitude. GPS is not used in altitude calculation it is too inaccurate.

I would like to think it relies on the IR sensor for landing but I don't know.
The IR should slow the descent as the Breeze nears the ground. The accelerometers in the IMU actually tell the Breeze when it is on the ground. When the descent rate is zero for long enough the motors are disarmed.

I suspect there is dust clogging the barometer. It is on the A9 board in the front portion of the aircraft. The other possibility is an electrical glitch to the barometer IC resulting in it resetting the altitude reference. If the latter is the case it should only rise to the set hover height (maximum of 4 meters). Once the reset to zero occurs, does it ever show a gain in altitude or does it stay at zero and only display negative altitude during a descent?
 
I suspect there is dust clogging the barometer. It is on the A9 board in the front portion of the aircraft. The other possibility is an electrical glitch to the barometer IC resulting in it resetting the altitude reference. If the latter is the case it should only rise to the set hover height (maximum of 4 meters). Once the reset to zero occurs, does it ever show a gain in altitude or does it stay at zero and only display negative altitude during a descent?

Thanks for all the great input!

I suspect it's an electrical glitch with the barometer or with the IR sensor. If the IR sensor momentarily reported the Breeze was on the ground, the barometric altitude would reset as you noted.

When it resets and begins climbing, the ascent does register as gaining altitude. It does not stick to zero.

I gather the barometric altitude estimate is ignored so long as the IR sensor is within range. I never see the altitude glitch-reset when flying around the yard.

I may pop the bottom panel off and look at the barometer chip but I have my don't this is a physical problem.

Do you think the autopilot modes would be safe with this altitude glitch? I'm worried about a flyaway in those modes so I've never tried them.
 
You can’t really get to the barometer as it is under metal shielding on the A9 card. It is also a bit of a job to get the A9 card out of the aircraft. The best bet for that is just some short blasts of canned air in that area to blow out any possible dust.

For the IR sensor make sure the filter glass is clean on both inner and outer surfaces. Also look for poor or cracked solder connections at the four joints circled in the photo. They are notorious for having poor workmanship.
79424AE9-9CB9-49B3-A0B3-98756FAD45C0.jpeg

I am reluctant to venture a guess about the automated modes other than Pilot which is also a manual flight mode. I would say that one would not be a problem.
 
I noticed one of the 4 posts coming through the top of the IR board did have a crappy looking solder joint so I reflowed that. We'll see if that helps. I imagine the surface mount joints on the lower (main) board are the real weakness though.
 

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