Compass calibration

[370Z2017]

What are the draw backs if any, to calibrate the MP or MPP compass while holding the remote? Does this keep from getting a good calibration? Does it interfere with the calibration? Thanks!

 

[SpinItUp]

first I've heard of that...only suggestion is to not have it close while doing cal'

 

[Meta4]

What are the draw backs if any, to calibrate the MP or MPP compass while holding the remote? Does this keep from getting a good calibration? Does it interfere with the calibration? Thanks!

There's no need to calibrate the compass before flying.
Do you have a good reason to want to calibrate the compass?

 

[Glennboy0987]

I calibrate mine before every flight. Was told that was good practice to do so. I start the calibration process on the remote, put it down and do the test knowing by rear light if ok or not.

 

[Meta4]

I calibrate mine before every flight. Was told that was good practice to do so. I start the calibration process on the remote, put it down and do the test knowing by rear light if ok or not.

Whoever told you, told you wrong. They didn't know what compass calibration does.
It's not necessary at all.

 

[Glennboy0987]

Whoever told you, told you wrong. They didn't know what compass calibration does.
It's not necessary at all.

So you only need to do it if the app tells you? Otherwise not needed.

 

[Mossiback]

So you only need to do it if the app tells you? Otherwise not needed.

Correct.

 

[Glennboy0987]

Correct.

Thanks. Makes life easier.

 

[Glennboy0987]

Would the app tell you it’s needed then on startup?

 

[Mossiback]

Would the app tell you it’s needed then on startup?

Yes, it will. I have not calibrated my MP compass in months. I understand it is recommended if you are changing location by several hundred miles but there are some that scoff at that too.

 

[Lon Denard]

Yes, it will. I have not calibrated my MP compass in months. I understand it is recommended if you are changing location by several hundred miles but there are some that scoff at that too.

SCOFF, SCOFF... Hahaha!

 

[Bazzam]

So you only need to do it if the app tells you? Otherwise not needed.

The app will recommend a compass calibration if it detects abnormal compass inputs - but this can be due to magnetic interference, so if i am asked to recalibrate the compass i always move the MP to an alternative launch position - maybe 10-20 meters away.
I've only ever calibrated the compass once (on unboxing) in 2 years - and ive flown the MP all over europe.

 

[Meta4]

Would the app tell you it’s needed then on startup?

Probably not.
If you ever think the app is telling you to calibrate the compass, check the message carefully.
The message will say Magnetic interference - Move aircraft or calibrate compass.
No-one ever notices the underlined part which is unfortunate because the correct action is always to move away from what the compass is warning you about.
Calibrating will never fix that problem.

The app will recommend a compass calibration if it detects abnormal compass inputs - but this can be due to magnetic interference, so if i am asked to recalibrate the compass i always move the MP to an alternative launch position - maybe 10-20 meters away.
I've only ever calibrated the compass once (on unboxing) in 2 years - and ive flown the MP all over europe.

Yes, it will. I have not calibrated my MP compass in months. I understand it is recommended if you are changing location by several hundred miles but there are some that scoff at that too.

DJI is very poor at communicating properly. It took them years to correct the compass section for the P4 pro manual to remove the false recommendation to calibrate at new flying sites etc.
They still use the same old incorrect words in the Mavic manuals.

There is no need to ever calibrate the compass, new, straight out of the box, moving 10 miles, moving 5000 miles etc.
The only exception would be if you rebuild or modify the drone.

 

[370Z2017]

Ok thanks for all the info but back to the original question.. does holding the remote have any abnormal effect on the calibration process? I only ask because I don't know if the remote is an interference. Thanks!

 

[Meta4]

Ok thanks for all the info but back to the original question.. does holding the remote have any abnormal effect on the calibration process? I only ask because I don't know if the remote is an interference. Thanks!

It might ... it certainly won't help

 

[Storyline]

The replies in this thread do not agree with what I understand to be the need for calibration that I have learned about in discussions on the DJI forums.

From what I understand, calibration is needed when you are in an area where there is a local magnetic anomaly causing deviation. These are usually found in hilly areas and particularly where the rock has a high iron content. By doing a calibration you are effectively dialling out this anomaly.

As regards calibrating when you move location by a considerable distance this is to take into account magnetic variation and it depends how accurate you want your compass to be. The two locations where I normally fly are some 300 miles apart but the variation is only 3 or 4 degrees different so I don't bother as I cant see that affecting the flight performance that much.

So unless I am completely wrong please don't think you never need to do it.

 

[Meta4]

The replies in this thread do not agree with what I understand to be the need for calibration that I have learned about in discussions on the DJI forums.

So unless I am completely wrong please don't think you never need to do it.

Sorry but the way you have described your understanding is all wrong.
There are lots of misunderstandings and myths about the compass and they aren't helped by DJI's poor wording and mistakes in some of their manuals.
Much of the misunderstanding is because many don't understand what calibrating the compass actually does.
Calibrating the compass helps the flight controller use the compass to read the earth's magnetic field as you rotate it in two axes.
By doing that it can tell what magnetic effects stay with the drone as it rotates - these are part of the drone, the rest is the earth.
The flight controller can then ignore the magnetic influences that are part of the drone.

From what I understand, calibration is needed when you are in an area where there is a local magnetic anomaly causing deviation. These are usually found in hilly areas and particularly where the rock has a high iron content. By doing a calibration you are effectively dialling out this anomaly

This is all wrong.
The compass just detects the earth's normal magnetic field and warns you (with a compass error) when it detects any additional magnetic influence.
Calibrating the compass won't do anything to solve the problem it's warning you about and the only correct action is to move away from the problem.
Test it yourself by placing your drone on your car roof and see it complain about the magnetic influence of the steel roof.
Then move it away from the car and it's all OK again.

Calibrating the compass doesn't dial in an anomalous magnetic effect.
What point would this be if you launched from the car?
If you flew 15 feet away the drone would be outside the magnetic effect of the car!!

As regards calibrating when you move location by a considerable distance this is to take into account magnetic variation and it depends how accurate you want your compass to be. The two locations where I normally fly are some 300 miles apart but the variation is only 3 or 4 degrees different so I don't bother as I cant see that affecting the flight performance that much.

This is another common myth.
Magnetic deviation means nothing to the drone.
It is only concerned with magnetic north.
You can travel thousands of miles without needing to calibrate the compass.

You should only ever need to calibrate the compass if you modify or rebuild the drone.
If it's hovering in place without rotating and flies straight, the compass is working as it should.
Unnecessarily recalibrating won't improve anything.

 

[Mossiback]

...From what I understand, calibration is needed when you are in an area where there is a local magnetic anomaly causing deviation. These are usually found in hilly areas and particularly where the rock has a high iron content. By doing a calibration you are effectively dialing out this anomaly...

You need to be careful about this. If you calibrate the compass to a magnetic anomaly and then fly away from that anomaly your compass calibration could become inaccurate, causing flight control problems.

 

[Storyline]

You need to be careful about this. If you calibrate the compass to a magnetic anomaly and then fly away from that anomaly your compass calibration could become inaccurate, causing flight control problems.

Yes completely agree. The calibration is only effective for that particular location and as soon as you move somewhere else you should redo it. However if Meta 4 is correct then there is no need to do it in the first place !

 

[Meta4]

The calibration is only effective for that particular location and as soon as you move somewhere else you should redo it. However if Meta 4 is correct then there is no need to do it in the first place !

The calibration isn't related to any particular geographic location.
It's just to let the flight controller understand which magnetic fields are part of the drone, so it can ignore these and everything else should be the earth's normal magnetic field.
My main Phantom 4 pro is nearly 2 years old and I have never calibrated anything on it.
I work it hard every week and have made >500 flights for almost 3000 km and have traveled 2200 km North/South & 4800 km East/West with it.
It never misses a beat and still performs just as it did the day I pulled it out of the box.