Consistent need to recalibrate...Cause?

[vindibona1]

My friend and I bought Minis at the same time and got them the same day. Only once after initial calibration has mine asked me to do a compass calibration again. His asks to recalibrate almost every time he powers on.

Is there some something he is doing that is causing this, or something he can do to prevent constant recalibration?

 

[scro]

Powering up next to steel or partially magnetic objects (eg Park bench, reinforced concrete, car, jewelery, watch etc) is a likely cause for needing to recalibrate the compass.

 

[Meta4]

Powering up next to steel or partially magnetic objects (eg Park bench, reinforced concrete, car, jewelery, watch etc) is a likely cause for needing to recalibrate the compass.

Those things might bring up a compass warning but recalibration of the compass is not needed.
Moving away from the magnetic interference is the appropriate action .

 

[Deleted member 103366]

I find it also depends on how the drone is handled after it has been powered up.
If I am 'investigating a feature' I will often switch the drone on in my man cave upstairs, if it gets tilted and wobbled a lot as it's carried outside I frequently have to do a compass calibration before I can launch. If I am more careful and keep the drone level etc. I find that in general it doesn't ask for a calibration.
Could it be that your friend's handling of the drone is a contributing factor?

 

[Meta4]

I find it also depends on how the drone is handled after it has been powered up.
If I am 'investigating a feature' I will often switch the drone on in my man cave upstairs, if it gets tilted and wobbled a lot as it's carried outside I frequently have to do a compass calibration before I can launch.

Recalibrating the compass doesn't "fix" the issue you've observed.
Simply switching the drone off and switching it on again outside on your launch point is all that's needed.

Don't power up the drone and then move outside to fly.
Power the drone up where you are going to launch it.
If you want to 'investigating a feature' , power the drone off before going outside and turn it on again where you are launching it from and you won't get compass complaints.

 

[BokiFly]

Does anyone experience that compas if fine in the beginning of the flight but during the flight gets messed up, and when you land to change battery Mini asks for compass calibration? How can it un-calibrate during flight? And it happens often.

 

[boblui]

My friend and I bought Minis at the same time and got them the same day. Only once after initial calibration has mine asked me to do a compass calibration again. His asks to recalibrate almost every time he powers on.

Is there some something he is doing that is causing this, or something he can do to prevent constant recalibration?

If this is your friend then it explains everything ?

 

[scro]

Those things might bring up a compass warning but recalibration of the compass is not needed.
Moving away from the magnetic interference is the appropriate action .

They often cause the drone to request a calibration, rather than flag up as a compass error, hence the comment.

Agreed that moving away from the source of interference should be the first course of action. I wasn't so clear on that point. If the source is a watch or some jewelery that can catch people out.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

If the messages similar to the M2 message it’s saying interference or re-calibrate.
Unless somehow you did not Calibrated correctly it should never ever need recalibration.
Well unless you modded the drone and added something that is ferromagnetic.

 

[Dave Maine]

As others have said, if you have a known good calibration, magnetic anomalies at the launch site cause these messages. Moving the drone to a new site is the solution. Recalibration at a site with known anomalies will build that problem into the new calibration, and can result in conflicts in the flight controller between the gps, inertial, guidance and compass.

 

[Dbez1]

Am I correct in thinking that once in the air hovering at 6-10’, if you get the “home point” message, the compass calibration is not necessary?

 

[boblui]

Am I correct in thinking that once in the air hovering at 6-10’, if you get the “home point” message, the compass calibration is not necessary?

Absolutely not. It only indicates that the GPS coordinates of the home point is recorded. It does not tell you whether the compass is off. Check whether the craft's orientation is correct on the map.

 

[Redvers]

My friend and I bought Minis at the same time and got them the same day. Only once after initial calibration has mine asked me to do a compass calibration again. His asks to recalibrate almost every time he powers on.

Is there some something he is doing that is causing this, or something he can do to prevent constant recalibration?

On my newly purchased MA2 the manual states that after compass calibration the aircraft needs to fly within 3 mins else calibration may need to be repeated. Wonder if this applies to the MM and could be something to do with the problem?

 

[vindibona1]

I think the most logical explanation is that he typically wears the Apple watch which is the potential cause of interference. I conveyed your comments to him. I should hear in a couple days if the problem goes away as he won't be wearing that watch when he flys. I have to wonder if drone's close proximity to the watch upon startup is the cause of his issue?

 

[sar104]

I think the most logical explanation is that he typically wears the Apple watch which is the potential cause of interference. I conveyed your comments to him. I should hear in a couple days if the problem goes away as he won't be wearing that watch when he flys. I have to wonder if drone's close proximity to the watch upon startup is the cause of his issue?

That is quite possible if he is holding the aircraft at power up, especially if the watch has a magnetic clasp.

 

[OldEd]

If the distance between last calibration is further than 50 kilometers, the ac will also ask for calibration.

 

[Zbip57]

Only once after initial calibration has mine asked me to do a compass calibration again. His asks to recalibrate almost every time he powers on.

Point of clarification, is it the DJI Fly app that is asking for the Mini's compass to be re-calibrated, or is it the phone itself that needs its compass re-calibrated?

There is a speaker with a magnet inside the controller, which can affect the phone's compass.

 

[Natehighup]

I think the compass is very sensitive, mine will do the same, I often take off from my back porch and if I’m over one of the screws in the deck railing it will trigger the compass calibration, if I move it between the screws it’s fine, I did notice you can still take off and it will go away, probably not advisable.
Also I often fly in two different cities, home,work. About 50 miles apart, in those case it always asks

 

[sar104]

Point of clarification, is it the DJI Fly app that is asking for the Mini's compass to be re-calibrated, or is it the phone itself that needs its compass re-calibrated?

There is a speaker with a magnet inside the controller, which can affect the phone's compass.

The aircraft compass.

 

[OldEd]

Mine never asks for calibration. Only when I'm further than 50 kilometers from the latest take off point.