Imagine this, you are flying your drone and suddenly it stopped mid air. How would you feel? Your heart would stop along with your drone, right?
For obvious reasons, you must take care of and maintain your drone. You must look out for any symptoms and kill the problem before it lays eggs.
That’s why I have curated a Vivitar Skyview troubleshooting guide for its users.
You may face some problems that are common for all drones. For example, the flight controller is not arming, the motor is spinning in the wrong direction, etc. There are some other problems that are fairly specific to the Vivitar Skyview drone. Like, the calibration problem or the unlocking issue.
The following sections of this article feature a quick troubleshooting guide. After that, I gave explanations and solutions to the problems I mentioned.
So let’s go solve some problems now!
Vivitar Skyview Troubleshooting: Quick Version
Take a look at the table I made for you. I have put the common problems first and then the problems specific to the Skyview. Along with that, I have included the probable cause and the primary solution.
Wait, but you are a Traxxas Spartan user? It’s not a big deal. We have a troubleshooting guide for Traxxas Spartan too.
| Symptoms | Probable Cause | Solution |
| The flight controller will not arm. | Low battery Compass & IMU not calibratedBad GPS signal | Recharge your battery.Recalibration of the compass and IMU.Keep your drone running but unarmed for some time. |
| Flips on Takeoff | Propellers installed incorrectlyMotor spinning incorrectly | Reinstall the propellers.Make sure the controller configuration matches the motor. |
| Battery depleting quickly | defective battery | Replace the battery. |
| During calibration, the light on the legs flashes slowly. | The remote and the drone do not recognize one another. | Try restarting and recalibrating both. |
| The red light flashes slowly, and the remote makes beeping sounds. | No strong enough GPS connection was found. | Take it out to an open area and calibrate the compass. |
| Drone not unlocking | Low batteryThe remote is not synchronized | Recharge the battery.Try restarting the drone and the remote. Then recalibrate. |
I think that’s all the problems you can face with your Vivitar Skyview. If you are still confused after seeing the table, go to the next part. There I gave a detailed explanation, so that would make more sense.
Symptom One: The Flight Controller Won’t Arm
One of the most common problems you might come across is this. There could be more than one reason for this problem. So, try out all the solutions we have provided here.
Reason One: Low Battery
Ensure that your drone has enough battery power. Drones like Skyview have a battery monitoring system. So, it’s possible that it won’t arm the flight controller if the battery is lower than a certain level.
Solution:
The solution is much, much simpler than the problem. The problem is caused by a low battery. So, recharging it should solve this.
Reason Two: Compass & IMU Not Calibrated
If exposed to huge amounts of electromagnetic interference, the compass may lose its accuracy. Make sure that the compass is placed far from any batteries, motors, or magnets. That includes any other elements that could produce EMI.
Solution:
Make sure your compass and IMU are correctly calibrated before flying. It’s better to recalibrate the flight controller by following the instructions properly. Check the user manual for the correct instructions.
Or for an easier Vivitar Skyview drone calibration, watch this video.
Reason Three: Bad GPS Signal
Some GPS-equipped flight controllers will need a strong signal before arming. This is to make sure that it has a home location in case it loses signal.
Solution:
Keep your drone running but unarmed for a few minutes. Preferably with a clear view of the sky. This will establish a strong GPS connection before the drone takes off.
Symptom Two: Drone Flips Off on Takeoff
This problem is most likely to occur for pilots who have built their own drones. This is a simple problem to solve but hard to diagnose.
Reason One: Motors Spinning in the Wrong Direction
When armed, the flight controllers will spin the motors slowly. This way, you can make sure your propellers are rotating in the right direction. Do you know which way drone motors spin?
Two of the motors should rotate clockwise, and the other two should rotate counter-clockwise. This is very important because opposite forces help create torque. If one or more motors are spinning in the wrong direction, then your drone will flip off.
Solution:
Swap the connections of the two wires connecting the motor to the controller. Manually resoldering these two wires should do the trick.
If it’s too much trouble for you, you can also do this without resoldering your motors.
Reason Two: Propellers Installed Incorrectly
Maybe the problem is not in your motor but in the propeller. Check if your propellers are installed properly.
Solution:
Reinstalling your propellers using the correct method should fix this. If you do not know how to install propeller, you can watch this video.
Symptom Three: Battery Depleting Quickly
Though this is a rare case, you might notice your drone battery needs recharging frequently. But how long does a drone battery last?
Consumer drones can normally fly for 10 to 30 minutes. However, professional drones with higher levels of technology can fly for up to an hour. If you add a second battery, it can last longer than that.
Reason: Defective Battery
The reason behind this is that you either have a defective or damaged battery. You need to check your battery health regularly for a proper diagnosis. Or your battery might be completely dead.
Solution:
This problem is indirectly caused by the manufacturer. So, we recommend you contact Vivitar support for a battery replacement.
If it’s dead, you can try charging the dead battery as a last resort.
Symptom Four: All the Lights Flash During Calibration
You should have noticed that your Vivitar Skyview drone has red lights on its front legs. It also has green and blue lights on its rear legs. If you see all the lights flashing while calibrating, it signals a certain problem.
Reason: Remote Not Syncing
This is your drone’s way of telling you it does not recognize your remote. Or it could also mean that the remote is not recognizing the drone.
Solution:
Try calibrating your drone and remote control again. But make sure to restart them before the process. Follow all the steps properly or it won’t work.
Symptom Five: The Red Lights Flashes Slowly and the Remote Beeps
You might think your drone is going to explode, but rest assured, it won’t. The appearance of the problem is frightening, but the solution could not be any simpler.
Reason: GPS Connection Not Found
A strong GPS connection is important for Vivitar Skyview drones. It has a failsafe return function.
The failsafe return function instantly returns your drone to the point of takeoff. This happens when GPS and remote signals are lost for 6 seconds or more while in flight. But to activate this, you need to start your flight with a good GPS signal.
That’s why if no strong GPS connection is found, the red lights will flash slowly. Along with the remote beeping.
In the event of a lost signal, your drone will be unable to dodge any obstacle. So, it’s safer to use drone landing pads. Here are some drone landing pads that you can buy from Amazon.
| Hoodman HDLP8 Drone Landing Pad | protects the rotors from tall grass and pebble strikes. |
| PGYTECH Foldable Landing Pad Pro | Equipped with a bundle pocket, easy to carry and store, easy to travel. |
Solution:
Move to an open space outside. Then restart the compass calibration process.
You do not know how? It’s fine, I’ll explain.
Follow these simple steps to calibrate your compass.
- On the remote control, press the geomagnetic calibration button.
- Rotate your drone horizontally while doing three full rotations in the clockwise direction. The lights on your drone’s back legs will be solidly green, while the lights on its front legs will be solidly red.
- Your drone’s head should be facing downward when you spin it three times vertically. When the green lights are brightly shining, calibration is finished.
Symptom Six: Drone Not Unlocking
Your drone should unlock if you fully extend the throttle stick. Then retract it to the middle of its length. If doing this doesn’t unlock it, it indicates an issue.
Reason One: Battery Depleted
The drone’s battery is probably drained. Skyview drones have a battery monitoring system. So, if the battery is lower than a certain level, it will not unlock.
Solution:
If the battery is actually depleted, you already know what to do. Just recharge the battery and it should unlock.
Reason Two: Remote is Not Synchronized
Another reason for this could be that the remote is not properly synced with the drone. Or the drone might not recognize the remote.
Solution:
To solve this, you need to restart them both. After that, try calibrating them again. Following this process should do the trick.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What app do you use with the Vivitar Skyview drone?
Vivitar SkyEYEview is the app for the Skyview drone. It is a unique type of flight toy control app. The panoramic camera on the drone can be utilized for real-time communication through the app. Also, the new panoramic preview in the app allows users to view 360-degree real-time photographs.
Why isn’t my controller connecting to my drone?
Your controller might not connect to your drone because of battery issues. Make sure you have enough charge in both of them. If not, then recharge or replace them. Then try again by following the correct procedures. That should fix this problem.
Why is my drone blinking red?
Your drone is blinking a red light because its battery level is critically low. If it’s blinking rapidly, then you should start recharging the battery immediately. If it’s flashing slowly with the remote beeping, then the drone can’t connect to a GPS.
Conclusion
This concludes the Vivitar Skyview troubleshooting guide.
I hope I have included all the problems. If I haven’t, let me know which problem I left out. I will include that here.
I will be taking my leave now. I’ll be back soon with more RC tips, so wait for my return.
Until then, stay safe and fly responsibly.
