Compass won't calibrate (travelling from Italy to South America)

france78 · Jan 4, 2019

I am in a holiday trip from Italy to South America. I am unable to use my MA cause of a persistent compass calibration error. I have tried to calibrate the compass in several areas (far away from metal parts, the drone was at 1.5 meter from the ground). In the sensor screen the compass value is around 750(poor) and moving around it will not goes down more than 700, so the compass calibration procedure always fails.
At the moment I can't be able to take off due to this issue.
When I was at home in Italy I have no problems at all with the compass...
Using latest firmware and Dji Go4.

Anyone have experienced this issue while travelling?

RCdancer · Jan 4, 2019

The video below may help. Also - check the compass value as you move the drone around to different positions; it can vary widely in a very short distance (see the second video even though it's not in English.)

dawgpilot · Jan 4, 2019

This is a bit troubling. There have been a few other posts on this forum complaining of the same issue: people traveling across the world and then the Mavic Air failing to calibrate the compass as a result. I'm not sure what the technical reason is.

gottahavit · Jan 4, 2019

I had and issue last week. I had been to the same place the day before with no issues and have flown there a dozen times with no issue. Suddenly getting calibration error and it wont calibrate. Took it to another spot I fly regularly and had same error, but was able to calibrate there and haven't had a problem since in either location.

One note is to make sure you are turning the drone clockwise, though it will move on to each step when turning counter clockwise it always fails for me going that way.

france78 · Jan 5, 2019

The "strange thing" is that moving around the value of the compass sensor never goes down 700 (also on the beach where it is supposed to be free of magnetic interferences). On the other side one of my friends living here in Uruguay with his Mavic2 is able to calibrate the compass in the same spot where my "Italian" Mavic Air won't calibrate..... this is very annoying....

I have asked also to the DJI online support but they haven't yet replied to this issue.

france78 · Jan 12, 2019

Little update.
DJI support simply wrote to me to send in my Mavic Air to have an hardware check.

As now I am returned to Italy at home I decide to do a try here. Turn on my Mavic Air the DjiGo4 app ask me to switch to WLan settings.
The MA needs the compass calibration again but at the first attempt it goes all right....I was able to fly it in Gps mode without any problems.

Definitely seems that my MA has not hardware problems at the compass.

It seems that there is a "compass bug" when I travel to South America from Italy (my MA was initialized here in Italy). During all my trip to Uruguay I was not able to finalize the compass calibration, it always fails.

I was not able to try anything else because I had no laptop with me so I was not be able to try to reload the firmware and initialize it again there.

I hope DJI will assume that bug and try to fix it whit further firmware release......

Donkey · May 6, 2019

Is it possible that the drift of the magnetic north pole is causing this issue?

Earth's Magnetic North Pole Has Shifted So Much We've Had to Update GPS

I had trouble calibrating the compass out in the middle of a soybean field. Nothing metallic nearby. Still will not calibrate. It flies fine and the direction indicator appears to point in the right direction.

Mysterious.

Commander · May 6, 2019

Compasses do not actually point to the north pole. Instead they follow magnetic lines of force, big difference.

Commander · May 6, 2019

Before someone brings this up I should mention my previous post refers to magnetic compasses, there other types. Not sure why you have trouble calibrating thiugh. Nothing in your pockets? Phone cover with magnetic clip?

Donkey · May 6, 2019

Commander said:
Compasses do not actually point to the north pole. Instead they follow magnetic lines of force, big difference.

Yes, and those lines are moving as magnetic north migrates toward Russia...and also the field is weakening. Some say it's time for the magnetic poles to reverse, as has happened many times before in geologic terms. It is unknown how quickly the shift occurs..

Donkey · May 6, 2019

Commander said:
Before someone brings this up I should mention my previous post refers to magnetic compasses, there other types. Not sure why you have trouble calibrating thiugh. Nothing in your pockets? Phone cover with magnetic clip?

Is the Mavic compass a magnetic one?

No, I take the cover off the phone and it is in airplane mode. Nothing metallic on me. This is a new one for me. The Mavic Pro was parked for about 5 months. IMU's calibrate fine, but the compass refuses to calibrate.

I went ahead and flew yesterday and the calibrate message went off at times during flight, but came back on during landing.

I do have a semi strong wifi system and repeater at the place, but went way out of range and still no calibration success.