I agree with all the others except if you have a Phantom 2. It required calibration before every new flight session. This may have also applied to the other Phantoms.
The only thing I have read, is if you travel more than 50 miles from your last compass calibration, re-calibrate. The IMU should be one time unless you're having a problem.
Phantoms don't require recalibrating before flying.
DJI manuals have been the source of a lot of misinformation about compass calibrating.
That's a common myth.
Compass calibration has nothing to do with where you are or how far from where you last calibrated the compass.
The iPhone has a magnetic sensor that's providing that data.
GPS cannot provide directional information.
When you understand what it's all about, you realise that recalibrating to give peace of mind is nothing more than a superstitious ritual.
You fly safer by understanding what compass calibrating actually does and when it might be required.
The first post in this thread explains a lot about compass calibration and dispels some of the myths:
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
ICHOTT
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“Flying safer”???When you understand what it's all about, you realise that recalibrating to give peace of mind is nothing more than a superstitious ritual.
You fly safer by understanding what compass calibrating actually does and when it might be required.
The first post in this thread explains a lot about compass calibration and dispels some of the myths:
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...
A freshly calibrated compass is “no less safe” than an old calibration? ie it is likely to be safer!
If you continue to fly locally then fine, if you travel there is NO harm in recalibration, NO harm at all!
Please don’t mix up my words, we all know what is meant peace of mind when everything relevant is calibrated and most flyers, inc you, probably have superstitious rituals and there is nothing wrong with that.
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
It's probably best to follow the manufacturer's recommendation. The manual lists three situations in which they recommend a compass calibration.
Attachments
DJI's compass information in manuals has been confused, misleading and contradictory.
They have contributed to the misinformation around this topic.
If you want facts, read the first post in the link I gave in post #26.
No it won't be any safer.
But if you understood what compass calibration actually does (did you read the first post in the link I gave in post #26 ?), you would understand that there's no physical reason to recalibrate after travelling any distance, and you are only fooling yourself if you do it.
Do the suggested reading.
I'm a scientist and try to avoid doing things I don't understand to achieve a warm fuzzy feeling.
And there's plenty wrong with that when it prevents you from understanding what's really going on with your drone.
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
Thanks, but I'll take the recommendation from the people that designed the drone.
It would be ideal if DJI's information was correct, but if you read the info I suggested, you'd understand that DJI's information isn't.
"The internet doesn't lie." a quote from Abraham Lincoln...
If your talking magnetic and compass calibration. I have read of people who do not recalibrate at all, they trust the drone.
Sometimes recalibrate is forced on you. Eg at a new location 50 miles away from previous.
Sometime the drone is fine and a habitual recalibrate can import a problem. Eg when you put the drone down onto concrete with steel re inforcing or near a car and a compass error appears.
The best move is to first relocate the drone away from the interference. Too often people have re calibrated the compass in the presence of the interference and in doing so have imported a faulty compass heading into the drone prior to launch. The drone launches normally and after moving away the compass error becomes apparrent with unstable yaw. If your unlucky the drone corkscrews out of control. I read of cases where the compas was 180deg out. So the drone got into a feedback loop where.. eg position is incorrect, move forward to adjust, results in the opposite rearwards movement. Position error is increased so adjust again/more, position error increases again. This loop has seen drones fly in the opposite direction at max speed until a crash. No OP input.
Prior to launch.
If there is compass error, relocate the drone first.
And plenty of crash and flyaway investigations have found that the OP failed to ensure the drone and the compass on the app were pointing in the same direction prior to take off.
Sometimes recalibrate is forced on you. Eg at a new location 50 miles away from previous.
Sometime the drone is fine and a habitual recalibrate can import a problem. Eg when you put the drone down onto concrete with steel re inforcing or near a car and a compass error appears.
The best move is to first relocate the drone away from the interference. Too often people have re calibrated the compass in the presence of the interference and in doing so have imported a faulty compass heading into the drone prior to launch. The drone launches normally and after moving away the compass error becomes apparrent with unstable yaw. If your unlucky the drone corkscrews out of control. I read of cases where the compas was 180deg out. So the drone got into a feedback loop where.. eg position is incorrect, move forward to adjust, results in the opposite rearwards movement. Position error is increased so adjust again/more, position error increases again. This loop has seen drones fly in the opposite direction at max speed until a crash. No OP input.
Prior to launch.
If there is compass error, relocate the drone first.
And plenty of crash and flyaway investigations have found that the OP failed to ensure the drone and the compass on the app were pointing in the same direction prior to take off.
what?!...you can’t ?!??
...note to self: stop believing everything you read online!!
agbonilla
New Member
I recalibrate every time a long trip is done. I do work all over my Island and travel to others via airplane and I learn that is a MUST to do it....
I personally always recalibrate if I'm 90 miles or more away from the last take off. My M2P usually tells me to recalibrate at this point too.
But there's no physical reason that the compass would need recalibration after travelling any distance.
Compass calibration has nothing at all to do with where you are or how far you are from somewhere else.
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