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CALIBRATING IMU - NOT DOING ANYTHING

MrMavic

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I'm setting up my new Mavic, and trying to calibrate the IMU. I have already updated the firmware. Started the IMU calibration, but it has been sitting on "2" for at least 15 minutes, seems to be doing nothing. The screen on the controller says "IMU Calibration / Put the aircraft onto dry plain ground as shown / Keep aircraft powered on, do not turn off the motor.
So it just sits there like a bump on a log doing nothing, and it's stuck on 2 saying CALIBRATING. Please wait.
How long is it supposed to take? Hours? Days?
 
Did you try following these steps exactly?

 
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Oh yeah. Thanks for that video kind sir. The calibration worked that time, but It seems to jump to number 2 and skips 1. But, it said calibration complete, so I guess it's good to go. I can't wait to try this bird out. Now if it will just quit raining and get sunny out. I'm not in a big hurry, don't want to make any mistakes and have the thing fly back to China like so many are experiencing. Maybe I'll get my fishing pole and tie the line onto it so I can reel it back in if it takes off on it's own.
 
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Yeah, the images shown in the app while calibrating are not completely clear in terms of what direction you need to place the Mavic. This is probably due to them showing dark photos of a dark drone against a dark background (what idiot was in charge of that?)

When I did my first IMU calibration, it seemed like nothing was happening for a long time. I eventually realized that I did not have the Mavic facing the correct way (because the photo was not clear -- should it be pointing nose-up in the sky, or flat on the ground pointing away from me? It was impossible to tell from the crappy photos)

I eventually tried some different options and the calibration completed successfully.
 
Thank you. You are correct that the Chinese photos leave a lot to be desired. The photos look like they were taken with a potato and there is no contrast at all. I'm glad we have this board to come to for help.
 
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....don't want to make any mistakes and have the thing fly back to China like so many are experiencing. Maybe I'll get my fishing pole and tie the line onto it so I can reel it back in if it takes off on it's own.

One more VERY important piece of advice -- if you read the many, many threads talking about "flyaways", you will eventually realize something -- almost NONE of these events are caused by defective hardware/software. Nearly all are caused by pilot error/inexperience.

Let me give one generic example --

Imagine you are flying at the beach. You set your RTH (return to home) height at 50M. This seems OK at the time because the beach is mostly flat, open space.

You then fly off down the beach and around the back side of a steep cliff that's 500M tall. As you fly behind the cliff (out of line of site), your Mavic will eventually lose signal. As good as the signal range is, it won't travel through massive buildings, cliffs, tall rock outcroppings, etc. So, if you are flying behind any of these things, you should expect that your Mavic WILL lose signal, and it WILL try to return home if you have it set that way.

I hope you see the problem -- when the Mavic loses signal behind the cliff and automatically starts to return home, it will NOT retrace the safe and clear path it took to reach its present location. Instead, it will head home in a straight line heading directly towards you. If there is nothing taller than 50M between you and the Mavic, then it should make it home safely as long as you have sufficient battery remaining (and as long as the Mavic is not flying into a setting sun which can blind the front obstacle cameras causing it to think that it's heading towards an invisible wall). But since there is a 500M tall cliff in the way, you WILL lose your drone...and you might try to call that a "flyaway".

Unfortunately, a lot of new pilots just don't stop and think about these issues. As a result, they inadvertently fly their Mavic into a situation that it cannot get out of through no fault of DJI. Probably due to panic and a lack of willingness to admit they screwed up, many people call these situations "flyaways", but that's rarely the case. Instead, the Mavic did exactly what it was designed to do, and if the settings were incorrect (such as the RTH height), then yes the Mavic may end up flying into the side of a cliff, building, or simply stopping in the sky (due to sun blinding) until the battery runs out....because of mistakes the pilot made in both setup and operation.

Bottom line -- if you are a new flyer, GO SLOWLY AND LEARN BEFORE YOU GO TOO FAR. ALWAYS STOP AND THINK ABOUT "WHAT IFS". What if you lose signal and an auto RTH happens?

If people would just be more careful, the vast majority of issues wouldn't happen....or at least would not result in a loss of their Mavic.

Now, go and enjoy flying! ;-)
 
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One more VERY important piece of advice -- if you read the many, many threads talking about "flyaways", you will eventually realize something -- easily 90%+++ of these events are caused by defective hardware/software. Nearly all are caused by pilot error/inexperience.

Pick one please? 90%+++ defective hard/software or nearly all are caused by pilot error/inexperience?

I know great lawyers are valued for precision on behalf of their client and ambiguity for the opposition, but the above is darned confusing wot? :rolleyes:
 
Is it advisable that you should do IMU when you first get your mavic? I just got my mavic two weeks ago. I only did compass calibration. I have flown it and it seems every thing is great. Do I still should do IMU?
 
Got mine in early February have yet to do it.
 
One more VERY important piece of advice -- if you read the many, many threads talking about "flyaways", you will eventually realize something -- almost NONE of these events are caused by defective hardware/software. Nearly all are caused by pilot error/inexperience.

Let me give one generic example --

Imagine you are flying at the beach. You set your RTH (return to home) height at 50M. This seems OK at the time because the beach is mostly flat, open space.

You then fly off down the beach and around the back side of a steep cliff that's 500M tall. As you fly behind the cliff (out of line of site), your Mavic will eventually lose signal. As good as the signal range is, it won't travel through massive buildings, cliffs, tall rock outcroppings, etc. So, if you are flying behind any of these things, you should expect that your Mavic WILL lose signal, and it WILL try to return home if you have it set that way.

I hope you see the problem -- when the Mavic loses signal behind the cliff and automatically starts to return home, it will NOT retrace the safe and clear path it took to reach its present location. Instead, it will head home in a straight line heading directly towards you. If there is nothing taller than 50M between you and the Mavic, then it should make it home safely as long as you have sufficient battery remaining (and as long as the Mavic is not flying into a setting sun which can blind the front obstacle cameras causing it to think that it's heading towards an invisible wall). But since there is a 500M tall cliff in the way, you WILL lose your drone...and you might try to call that a "flyaway".

Unfortunately, a lot of new pilots just don't stop and think about these issues. As a result, they inadvertently fly their Mavic into a situation that it cannot get out of through no fault of DJI. Probably due to panic and a lack of willingness to admit they screwed up, many people call these situations "flyaways", but that's rarely the case. Instead, the Mavic did exactly what it was designed to do, and if the settings were incorrect (such as the RTH height), then yes the Mavic may end up flying into the side of a cliff, building, or simply stopping in the sky (due to sun blinding) until the battery runs out....because of mistakes the pilot made in both setup and operation.

Bottom line -- if you are a new flyer, GO SLOWLY AND LEARN BEFORE YOU GO TOO FAR. ALWAYS STOP AND THINK ABOUT "WHAT IFS". What if you lose signal and an auto RTH happens?

If people would just be more careful, the vast majority of issues wouldn't happen....or at least would not result in a loss of their Mavic.

Now, go and enjoy flying! ;-)
Now if you cud post that to every new MP owner, you will have 90% less " FLYAWAYS "
 
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Pick one please? 90%+++ defective hard/software or nearly all are caused by pilot error/inexperience?

I know great lawyers are valued for precision on behalf of their client and ambiguity for the opposition, but the above is darned confusing wot? :rolleyes:
Simple USER ERROR amd NOOB PILOTS... I think he meant to say NOT hardware error.... Methinks anyway
 
I have 9.5 hours and 66 flights and have never calibrated IMU. It was calibrated at the factory and you're not going to do a better job. Wait until it's necessary.
 
You are right. Doing some reading it looks like they don't call for calibration unless you get a message to do so.
 
The 67th flight may be the doomsday flight to ****.
Calibrating the IMU on a drone that hasnt crashed is like buying a brand new tesla and replacing the batteries just incase they are faulty. Perhaps read up a bit on the IMU what it does and how it works. Then u might understand why a recalibration is about as usefull as putting makeup on a pig. Unless your drone has had a heavy crash, you have no need to recalibrate anything
 
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I did my IMU once because of a tilt issues from the gimbal (did not help).
You should do a IMU calibration always after you hit something. Even a small hit.
Calibration of compass when you change environment.
That's what the manual says, that's what I do.
 
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