Air 2S worked out of the box without IMU / Compass calibration, is this okay?

[projectarjun]

With new drones, I usually get recommended to do the IMU / Compass calibration as soon as you unbox and upgrade to the latest firmware, however, I wasn't prompted to do any calibration. Is this normal?

 

[KaiservonPoopChute]

I calibrated both the IMU and the compass on my 2S just to play it safe. I think the IMU calibration was unnecessary but I would suggest calibrating your compass for your location and any time you fly 50 miles or more away from your last calibration point. I see it as cheap insurance as it only takes a few minutes of your time.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

With new drones, I usually get recommended to do the IMU / Compass calibration as soon as you unbox and upgrade to the latest firmware, however, I wasn't prompted to do any calibration. Is this normal?

That is the way it should always work with a good new drone, If we have to do anything to a new drone it goes back.

Your good to go.
Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain.

 

[Meta4]

With new drones, I usually get recommended to do the IMU / Compass calibration as soon as you unbox and upgrade to the latest firmware, however, I wasn't prompted to do any calibration. Is this normal?

If it was important, it would be recommended in the manual .... but it's not.
You should only ever need to recalibrate after a crash or drone modification.
It's definitely not needed for a new drone or after a firmware upgrade.

 

[Meta4]

I would suggest calibrating your compass for your location and any time you fly 50 miles or more away from your last calibration point.

Compass calibration is unrelated to your location or distance from a previous flight.
If the compass is calibrated, it's calibrated for use anywhere.

 

[KaiservonPoopChute]

Compass calibration is unrelated to your location or distance from a previous flight.
If the compass is calibrated, it's calibrated for use anywhere.

I remember reading that it was best practice so it's something that I've always adhered to. Maybe things have changed since that time. What you're saying would make sense though since magnetic north is always magnetic north.

 

[Meta4]

I remember reading that it was best practice so it's something that I've always adhered to. Maybe things have changed since that time. What you're saying would make sense though since magnetic north is always magnetic north.

Things didn't change, but understanding of how it works is better than when those myths started.
Compass calibration is only about identifying and measuring the magnetic fields that are part of the drone.
It's unrelated to factors external to the drone.
There's a good explanation in the first post in this thread.

A short explanation of compass function, calibration and errors.

BACKGROUND The aircraft compass is often misunderstood, both in terms of function and purpose, but it is important to understand what the compass measures, why, and what happens to that information. At the most basic level the purpose of the compass is to measure the earth’s magnetic field in...

mavicpilots.com

 

[Robert Mitchell]

I only calibrated my original Mavic, once in its lifetime. My M2pro has never been calibrated with hundreds of hours and travel all over the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.