Compass Calibration...Your Observations.

[iBallesty]

I had two separate but related issues

1. Mavic Air requests compass calibration most flight attempts and then
2. Mavic Air will not compass calibrate

Short solution:

1. A IMU calibration, along with
2. powering on the MA while level, right side up and stable and
3. Not moving the MA once powered on

*appears* to have solved the issue constant compass calibration request issue. As it has requested a new compass calibration once and in not ideal location, I do not know if issue 2 has been improved significantly.

SW/Firmware versions:

App 4.2.24

Mavic Air 01.00.0400

Precise fly DB for both 01.00.01.09

Basic Fly safe DB 01.00.01.07

Longer version of the sequence with all steps.

1. Unpacked the MA in California, USA, it flew multiple short flights with no problems.
2. Brought MA to Chile. Flew once and then RC requested compass calibration on every "start flight"
3. MA refused to compass calibrate. It succeeded on horizontal rotation and *always* failed on vertical access. 15-20 attempts. Gave up. (I attempt to calibrate in wide open space with no interference, tried every combination possible).
4. Brought back to California with the intention of returning it. Quick test, prior to returning it, and no issues flying nor requesting calibrating the compass.
5. Brought MA back to Chile. After first flight (no GPS lock 4-6 satellites) it requested compass calibration
6. 1 out of the 5 compass calibration succeeded.
7. MA flew when either:
   1. No GPS or
   2. First flight after a long power down. Subsequently it refuses to fly giving compass calibration error
8. Since first calibration the MA refused to compass calibrate. It continued to fail on vertical access. 10-15 attempts. (This time in a mixture of ideal and near ideal conditions).
9. Did a Firmware reload of MA via Assistant 2: no change
10. Did an IMU calibration: - success(?)

1. After IMU Calibration
   1. MA flew multiple times with no GPS Lock (4-7 Satellites)
   2. 2nd flight with launch site 4 metres from first one, requested compass calibration first. Compass calibration worked on 3rd attempt. It appears that moving the MA, even a few meters, while on provokes a compass calibration request.
   3. I moved to a park 3 kms away, and flew three successful test flights, each with full GPS lock. At no time was compass calibration requested.

1. Tip: it appears that turning MA on when level, upright and stable during boot sequence improves things ie it does not ask for compass calibration so often. (Despite the training video having the MA upside down and moving around during boot sequence - does this imply a random, per drone sensitivity issue?).

I am stuck in a city for the near future but will do more exhaustive tests when time and tide allows.

But now with even just a couple of flights under my belt I have to say : https://binged.it/2w0G8DN

Iain (Newbie flier)
--
Olmué, Chile

 

[BossBob]

A MP received in March 2017 in the south west of Britain. Ok, the UK isn’t that big but I’ve flown the MP in Bristol on one day and the next morning on the west coast of Scotland and I’ve never had to calibrate the compass. The IMU and vision sensors have been calibrated on request maybe a couple of times but the compass has never asked. If it isn’t broke, don’t try to fix it!

 

[iBallesty]

(Apologies for the formatting error. It didn’t look that way when I posted).

Update.

The sequence above has solved the issue for me. My MA no longer constantly requests compass calibration. And when I did a compass calibration it worked first time.

I have now flown 10s of flights in a 100km radius of Santiago de Chile.

Iain aka Abu Abú

 

[Black Mama]

Yes, Sensors, IMU and compass checks are all on my pre-flight checklist. This might be overkill but I like to have all bases covered.

That's actually dangerous and should be a felony.

You're risking the craft each time you calibrate. Just a tiny bit of metal you didnt see somewhere can mess up that sensitive compass.

You dont want to experience the toilet bowl effect.

 

[ksmusa]

With respect, you misunderstood my post. I stated that I check Not calibrate the sensors during my pre-flight check. I only calibrate when instructed to do so by the app. When calibrating, I always do so in an open environment free of magnetic interference.

Happy Flights

P

 

[Speedmeister]

I only do compass and imu calibration when instructed on firmware/software upgrade. Drifting at hover or it fails to land on my 32” landing pad on RTH are the only times I do calibration. My phantom 4 pro obsidian is over a year old and travelled with me on my vacations and have not been calibrated yet. My spark have crashed multiple times and still not calibrated. I am pretty sure my new mavic 2 zoom will be treated same way.

 

[Mark10v]

That's actually dangerous and should be a felony.

You're risking the craft each time you calibrate. Just a tiny bit of metal you didnt see somewhere can mess up that sensitive compass.

You dont want to experience the toilet bowl effect.

Oh drama queen, a felony?

The earth magnetic field varies all over the earth, sometimes even distances of a few kilometers can make a big difference. That local difference between magnetic north an true north is called variation and must be accounted for when navigating.

Then you have influences from local structures, wich is called deviation, as long as you fly in open spaces it should not play a big role.

If you move from one area (or country!) to another, you should very much calibrate a compas.

 

[Gecko10]

Mmmmmm... I sure wish there was a clear cut answer to this issue.... I traveled around the south pacific a couple of years ago... Easter Island, Tahiti (several islands) Rarotonga (Cook Islands) New Calendonia, Vanuatu... blah blah blah...point is lots of places, far far apart. Lots of flights with a Phantom 4. Not once did I get a prompt for a compass calibrate... I did check if the IMu and Compass were okay. Yet now I have a Mavic Air and it seems almost every flight session, I am prompted for a recalibration. There does not seem to be a clear consensus...

Same with my Mavic Air.

 

[Gecko10]

Anyone's Mavic Air prompting for calibration more often than say M Pro or P4?

Mine requires it every time I move to a different location, even if I have been at that location before.

 

[Black Mama]

Oh drama queen, a felony?

The earth magnetic field varies all over the earth, sometimes even distances of a few kilometers can make a big difference. That local difference between magnetic north an true north is called variation and must be accounted for when navigating.

Then you have influences from local structures, wich is called deviation, as long as you fly in open spaces it should not play a big role.

If you move from one area (or country!) to another, you should very much calibrate a compas.

I agree that calibrating compass is a great idea when you're travelling to another area thats far, but this guy calibrates before each flight.

The felony part wasn't serious. You should know better.

 

[m0j0]

I only perform the calibration when the app instructs me to do so. Others here will probably disagree but that has worked for me.

100% correct. 1 calibration in 2 years of flight. Not a single issue.

 

[packnrat]

Always asked me for the compass. But not for the gps.

 

[tiparoch]

100% correct. 1 calibration in 2 years of flight. Not a single issue.

May I ask... Mavic Pro or Air or M2? As I mentioned, my veteran Mavic Pro has flown lots and I don't remember more than 1 prompt for a calibration, though I frequently cheat Compass and IMU status. My Mavic Air on the other hand, I am prompted to quite often. Mavic P2, sometimes. Go figure.

 

[Meta4]

Always asked me for the compass. But not for the gps.

There's no way to calibrate the GPS.

 

[packnrat]

All I know is it is off, as I have been flying at a old quarry. ( cement) on a couple maps I am six+ miles from a airport. But on the odd deal the drone does a kinda “flip” and then hovers will only fly very very slow till after I land. Then no problem till the “flip” again. ( no not a flip over, more like a stop now thing).
No. No aircraft fly over my area. Not even close. Plus I have hills on three sides of me. All over 400 feet high from my point. A plane comes in there he’s crashing.
But one time, the helo from cal fire was there, they were practicing ground recovery.

 

[m0j0]

I used to calibrate every time I flew, not knowing any better, and this was after watching numerous you tube videos on the steps on how to fly the MP. Now every time I fly I do not calibrate the compass unless it asks, never has since the last time 3 months ago. So us newbies will calibrate the compass every time we fly until we read about it here and learn better that it does not have be done.

I can only comment on previous DJI birds.. The Mavics seem to be rock solid. The P3's only ha

May I ask... Mavic Pro or Air or M2? As I mentioned, my veteran Mavic Pro has flown lots and I don't remember more than 1 prompt for a calibration, though I frequently cheat Compass and IMU status. My Mavic Air on the other hand, I am prompted to quite often. Mavic P2, sometimes. Go figure.

Mavic Pro

 

[macoman]

When I previously owned a phantom 3 standard, it never ask to calibrate. I only did it a few times and that's it. My Mavic Pro 1 is also rock solid.

 

[Tofino]

I can only comment on previous DJI birds.. The Mavics seem to be rock solid. The P3's only ha

Mavic Pro

I have a Mavic Pro.

 

[JDawg]

If the arrow on your map shows the bird is pointed north yet the bird is actually pointed south or north or east and you ignore, and launch, enjoy the psycho ride.
And crash

 

[Rockisy]

You probably don’t need to calibrate it every time, but I do anyway because I don’t want to see my $1000 drone fly away because I didn’t want to take 30 seconds to calibrate it