H520 Incorrect Date/Time Stamp

[chascoadmin]

I have had this issue a few times over the years where during a span of time (I suspect a firmware update) that the Exif data in my images report 12/31/2013. Has anyone seen this? It started happening again a little while ago, but I don't remember if it was exactly around a FW update. I thought I would ask before digging to deep into the system and downgrading. I fixed some of the records in GeoSetter, but there are a few line items that I can seem to change.

 

[h-elsner]

The GPS module has a battery that holds data and keep the real time clock running (RTC) what the aircraft is powered off. The battery is recharcheable but charging takes a very long time.
One possible explanation would be that the battery is low and the RTC starts from scratch. It needs time until the correct time is collected from the GPS sats.

br HE

 

[chascoadmin]

The GPS module has a battery that holds data and keep the real time clock running (RTC) what the aircraft is powered off. The battery is recharcheable but charging takes a very long time.
One possible explanation would be that the battery is low and the RTC starts from scratch. It needs time until the correct time is collected from the GPS sats.

br HE

I've been running my two units for quite a while so that is a great clue. How do you charge that? Through the micro-USB connector?

 

[Steve Carr]

I've been running my two units for quite a while so that is a great clue. How do you charge that? Through the micro-USB connector?

In your situation, it is unlikely the GPS batt is low. They charge anytime the aircraft is powered on.
I recall seeing a work around for this but I'll have to go look for it.
This is a known problem with the 520.

 

[Steve Carr]

I've been running my two units for quite a while so that is a great clue. How do you charge that? Through the micro-USB connector?

Can you check to make sure your cards are all formatted as EXFat and not Fat 32?

 

[chascoadmin]

Can you check to make sure your cards are all formatted as EXFat and not Fat 32?

Hmmm... Uhoh? I always format my cards as the default Fat32 in Windows. ?

 

[Steve Carr]

Hmmm... Uhoh? I always format my cards as the default Fat32 in Windows. ?

I'm told that is the problem. I have no clue why, but EXFat should fix it.
Let us know what you find on the next flight.

 

[arruntus]

Another possible explanation is that you don't have enough satellites, normally we see that you mark enough but to me it has happened many times that if I don't have minimum 8 (I think I remember that was the amount) then the images didn't have the correct date. It has always been said that to fly minimum you must have synchronized with 5 satellites, I initially, especially when you change the zone, independently of if you make the calibration, I would leave a little more or check that I have "enough". How many are enough? I think from 8 upwards.

As you know, the satellite positioning unit has to download the satellite map of the area in which it is located. Sometimes it is difficult and therefore until it does not it is a little more difficult to "see" where all the satellites are and "connect" to them.

P.S.: In an Android device, with certain programs, you can force the download of that file with the positioning of the satellites while you have an internet connection. So with the ST16S you can do it, with the H520 I understand that you can't. What I don't know is if that information is transferred from the ST16S to the GPS of the H520.

 

[chascoadmin]

I'm told that is the problem. I have no clue why, but EXFat should fix it.
Let us know what you find on the next flight.

Such an odd thing, but i'll give it a try. I wish I could relate it to firmware to know whether it was an influence or not. Also, sometimes it's 12/31/2013 and others it is 01/01/2014. I suppose depending on the time zone offset. I think it does coincide with the change from CDT to CST.

 

[chascoadmin]

Ok, just a little more confused. I formatted one card fat32 and the other exfat. I tried each taking 3 images. Out of troubleshooting luck the Fat32 dated correctly. Ugh! The exfat card appear to take images, but it only created the DCIM folder and nothing was inside on my Windows machine. I then put it in the RC and it said unsupported file format so obviously Android doesn't do exfat. I then remembered that I had the ST16 enabled on our office WiFi network and thought maybe that was why it dated correctly so I forgot the network, rebooted and tested again. Still had the correct date and time. All of this time, testing in the office so I had 0 satellites.

 

[chascoadmin]

Unrelated, but one thing I did notice on the new firmware is that my camera settings are now persisting. It use to be that every boot would have the camera on no filter and I would have to remember to change another profile if needed. I find that Enhanced gives me the most consistent quality in what I do where I don't have to do allot of post-processing so I always had to make sure before the mission started to change it. Now the camera seems to be remembering the profile and the exposure settings...

 

[Steve Carr]

All of this time, testing in the office

It will be interesting to see what it does in the field.

 

[arruntus]

It's scary to think it could be something like the file system. The problem of losing all or part of the camera's parameter settings has been around for a long time. The access to the data by the operating system, in this case Android, is transparent to the software (our bird's firmware) and it doesn't make sense to influence it. What is clear is that it is a problem in the firmware and we have been with this problem too long and once again we have to be fooling around to make it work minimally well ????

 

[Ghostrider41]

I have the same problem with my H520 and H+. I never know where the images or videos will turn up. I don't always format my card between missions so I have found some of the images from a mission in an old folder and some in the folder it created that day. It's like a treasure hunt every time. I format in FAT32.

 

[chascoadmin]

Today worked as it should. I think it might have been a particular card or the fact that I didn't format off older images, but I will move forward with the RC format from now on. Another thing I noticed this morning is that even though my Mission camera settings are now persisting that my manual flight settings are default back to unprocessed. I switched it so we'll see if that persists.