Using sendKeys sometimes results in InvalidElementState

[map7]

I'm using the following packages (tns info output) on Linux (Debian Jessie)
✔ Getting NativeScript components versions information...
✔ Component nativescript has 6.2.0 version and is up to date.
✔ Component tns-core-modules has 6.2.1 version and is up to date.
✔ Component tns-android has 6.2.0 version and is up to date.
✔ Component tns-ios has 6.2.0 version and is up to date.

I'm running on Android 7.0

The problem I'm having is when I try and sendKeys to an element on a tab or too low on the screen I get the following error;

 Error: [element.sendKeys("Rasberry PI")] Error response status: 12, InvalidElementState - An element command could not be completed because the element is in an invalid state (e.g. attempting to click a disabled element). Selenium error: Cannot set the element to 'Rasberry PI'. Did you interact with the correct element?

My element on a tab looks like this;

  <TabContentItem>
    <StackLayout orientation="vertical">
      <Label text="Make"></Label>
      <TextField automationText="make" hint="Make" [(ngModel)]="_assetItem.make" class="input"></TextField>
  </TabContentItem>

My test looks like this;

import { AppiumDriver, createDriver, SearchOptions, nsCapabilities } from "nativescript-dev-appium";
import { assert } from "chai";

const addContext = require('mochawesome/addContext');

describe("Asset Create", () => {
let driver: AppiumDriver;

before(async function(){
    nsCapabilities.testReporter.context = this; 
    driver = await createDriver(); // wait for the driver instance to be created
});

after(async function () {
    await driver.quit();    //  destroy the driver instance
    console.log("Quit driver!");
});

afterEach(async function () {
    if (this.currentTest.state === "failed") {
        await driver.logTestArtifacts(this.currentTest.title);
    }
});

describe("After login", () => {

    before(async function () {
        // Enter user
        const nameField = await driver.findElementByAccessibilityId("email");
        await nameField.sendKeys("test@pais.com.au");

        // Enter password
        const passwordField = await driver.findElementByAccessibilityId("password");
        await passwordField.sendKeys("testmobile");

        // Login
        const btnLoginTap = await driver.findElementByAccessibilityId("btnLogin");
        await btnLoginTap.click();
    });
    
    afterEach(async function () {
        // Nav to Home
        const btnHomeNavTap = await driver.findElementByAccessibilityId("btnHome");
        await btnHomeNavTap.click();
    });

    it.only("creates new asset", async function () {
        // Nav to New Asset 
        const btnManualNavTap = await driver.findElementByAccessibilityId("btnNewAsset");
        await btnManualNavTap.click();

        // Check heading
        const lblHeadingManual = await driver.findElementByAccessibilityId("headingAssetForm");
        assert.equal(await lblHeadingManual.text(), "New Asset");

        const tabDetails = await driver.findElementByAutomationText("tabDetails");
        await tabDetails.click();

        const makeField = await driver.findElementByAutomationText("make");
        await makeField.sendKeys("Rasberry PI");

I expected it to type the text "Raspberry PI" into the 'make' field, but instead nothing happens and I get an error from my End to End test. The after block still runs.

I've tried the following

waiting for the field

await makeField.waitForExist(1000);

Click on it first

    const makeField = await driver.findElementByAutomationText("make");
    await makeField.click();
    await makeField.sendKeys("Rasberry PI");

Sending through adb instead

    await makeField.sendKeys("Rasberry PI", true, true);

Error

    Error: [execute("mobile: shell",{"command":"input","args":["keyevent",67]})] Error response status: 13, , UnknownError - An unknown server-side error occurred while processing the command. Selenium error: An unknown server-side error occurred while processing the command. Original error: Potentially insecure feature 'adb_shell' has not been enabled. If you want to enable this feature and accept the security ramifications, please do so by following the documented instructions at https://github.com/appium/appium/blob/master/docs/en/writing-running-appium/security.md

I can write to some TextFields if they are at the top of a screen and on the first tab. As soon as I go to the second tab I cannot type in the fields. I also cannot type in fields which are too low on the screen. I had a vertical stack of 4 fields all with labels above and I couldn't sendKeys to the last field, but if I removed some of the labels which moved the field up then I could.