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Posts Tagged ‘Karma’

GoPro Karma drones around the world were grounded due to GPS glitch

07 Jan

GoPro introduced its first—and only—drone in September 2016 to much fanfare. Unfortunately, the Karma, as the action camera company named it, was plagued with issues from the very beginning. Besides poor reviews that pointed out its lack of standard safety features, reports of Karma drones losing power, mid-flight, and falling from the sky became rampant to the point where GoPro recalled it on the same night as the U.S. Presidential election in November 2016.

While the number of sales is undisclosed, the Karma was purchased by drone enthusiasts even after it was discontinued in January 2018. The users that held onto their Karma discovered that it wouldn’t take off at the beginning of this year due to a glitch in the GPS and GLONASS systems of the drone. User complaints surfaced in dozens of forum posts and tweets as first pointed out by The Verge.

‘I recently got a karma and am having an issue with compass calibration. For some reason this doesn’t work: as soon as I select compass calibration in the controller, within half a second (not enough time to pick up the drone and start calibrating), I get the message ” calibration failed, try again”. It also gives a message about not being able to calibrate the compass without a GPS signal. I am trying this in a field and had the drone there for at least 10 minutes…’ lamented one user in GoPro’s forum. The Karma’s firmware has not been updated since September 26, 2018.

Most tech companies update their software consistently to avoid the same issues the Karma experienced as the new year rolled in. GoPro’s dilemma is likely the result of the GPS clock “rollover” phenomenon, which happens once every 1,024 weeks, or every 19.7 years. If a company’s software is not updated, it may automatically reset the date which can corrupt navigation data and throw off location estimates. GPS needs these precise figures to properly function.

After receiving enough media attention, a GoPro spokesperson has announced that the company’s engineering team is “actively troubleshooting” the issue.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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GoPro Karma drone goes back up for sale with battery latch fix

02 Feb

Back in early November, GoPro recalled its newly released Karma drone, citing an issue that caused the drone to potentially lose power while in operation. The company announced the relaunch on its blog today, saying the ‘new’ Karma drone is nearly identical to the original model, with only one exception: the battery latch has been redesigned, solving the power loss issue some owners experienced.

Karma features a top speed of 35mph / 56kph and a maximum operating distance of 9,840ft / 3,000m. The drone is compatible with the HERO5 Session and HERO4 Black and Silver cameras via a separately offered harness. Karma by itself is available for $ 799.99 USD, while the drone bundled with the HERO5 Black is $ 1,099.99 USD.

The drone is available now in the U.S., but won’t be arriving for sale in international markets until this upcoming Spring season.

Via: GoPro Blog

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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GoPro Karma Grip gimbal now available as stand-alone product

06 Dec

GoPro’s Karma Grip motorized gimbal mount was first released as part of the Karma drone kit.  Unfortunately, GoPro had to recall the Karma drone due to problems with its power supply, but now the company has made the Karma Grip available as a stand-alone product.

The Karma grip is compatible directly with the GoPro Hero 5 Black and needs an adapter for Hero 4 Black and Silver models and the Hero Session 5. The motorized gimbal is used to stabilize video while walking or during other outdoor activities, when smoother footage is required than the cameras’ built-in electronic stabilization can produce. The camera can be charged and transfer data to a computer while mounted on the grip. 

The grip can be handheld or attached to GoPro’s chest harness, Seeker backpack, helmet mounts and other camera supports. It’s available now for $ 300.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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GoPro compensates Karma drone users with free HERO5 cam for recall

22 Nov

At the beginning of November action-cam maker GoPro announced a recall of its new Karma drone after a small number of the approximately 2500 units sold lost power during operation. GoPro stressed that even those users whose drones appeared to be operating normally should stop using them immediately. 

Now at least US buyers of the Karma will receive some sort of compensation for going through the troubles of returning the drone and having to find a replacement. GoPro is offering American Karma buyers a free HERO5 Black action cam once they return the drone and all accessories. Presumably, apart from making customers happy, this move should also speed up the return process and ensure as many of the faulty drones as possible make it back to GoPro. The company says it is planning to start shipping the Karma again as soon as the issue is resolved.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Grounded: GoPro recalls Karma drone

10 Nov
Action-cam maker GoPro announced a recall of its new Karma drone after the company discovered that a small number of units lost power during operation. GoPro indicated that it is investigating the issue, but stresses that even if your Karma drone appears to operating normally you should cease using it immediately.
 
The $ 799 Karma, GoPro’s first drone, just became available on October 23. The company reports that approximately 2,500 units have been sold to date, and that it plans to resume shipment of the product as soon as the issue is resolved. If you own a Karma and need more information on the recall you can find FAQ and return instructions here.
 
Press release:

GoPro Announces Karma Recall and Refund Program

SAN MATEO, Calif., Nov. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — GoPro Inc. today announced the recall of the approximately 2500 Karma drones purchased by consumers since October 23. The recall was announced after GoPro discovered that in a very small number of cases, Karma units lost power during operation. No related injuries or property damage have been reported.
Owners of Karma can return their units to GoPro, or their place of purchase, for a full refund. Replacement units are not being offered. GoPro plans to resume shipment of Karma as soon as the issue is resolved.
To participate in the recall, visit GoPro’s webpage at: www.gopro.com/2016karmareturn
“Safety is our top priority,” said GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. “A very small number of Karma owners have reported incidents of power failure during operation. We have moved quickly to recall all units of Karma and provide a full refund while we investigate the issue. We are working in close coordination with both the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Federal Aviation Administration. We are very sorry to have inconvenienced our customers and we are taking every step to make the return and refund process as easy as possible.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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