Electrical interference

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

The power lines are not the problem. There was a post last week on a Mavic group. One of the members stated he worked for the rail service and train rails are used to carry a signal or voltage (or something like that) and it interferes with the Mavic. Not sure exactly what the details were, I don't fly near them so I did not continue to reading the post. You might search drone or compass interference near rail road tracks, and you may get your answer.


Looked and found the discussion. Here are two quotes from YuneecPilots.com. Do not know if they are accurate, only forwarding the info so that it may help with this post.

As a former railroad employee - - the public is normally unaware that the railroad has control signal on most rails - - Signal & crossing functions. Possibly this is an issue for you. Railroads don't publish this information as the signal does not radiate far from the rails.

and

Each rail has an electromagnetic field. Like a long wire. There are convergent fields that vary with length. In fact the railroad use the rails for signal transmission. Try using a compass close to the tracks and you will see how it varies. The more altitude the less interference.

 

[Brojon]

Any conductor carrying current has an EM field. Your flashlight has an EM field.
Besides - no control signals are travelling the rails - it's a simple small electrical voltage that is current limited.
Each section of track that is subject to control has a voltage applied to both rails. When there's no train there's a relay that is energized showing no train. When a train comes onto the track it shorts out that voltage and the relay drops out which starts whatever control needs to happen with switches and such. Betcha didn't think about trains being all metal didja?
I know this because I designed and built one of the first solar powered railway crossing signals for Tropicana back in the 90's. They have a HUGE rail system (CSX) since they deliver so much product.

 

[mlash]

i was operating my Mavic Pro today over railroad tracks trying to get a cool POV shot. I was in pretty close proximity to power lines and upon take off the aircraft continued to gain altitude, even with input from controller. I was able to regain control, and had issues with the aircraft yawing to the right following that. Trying to safely land was a whole other issue in itself. Has anyone experienced something like this? What’s a safe distance to operate away from the power lines to avoid interference?

Where I fly, out in the desert, there is one spot that is about 200' away from my take off point that causes my Mavic to start acting crazy when I fly over it! I fly all around that spot without any issues but the moment I fly over that particular spot my Mavic will start to yaw and pitch and continues to act crazy until I get out of that area. Must be some kind of metal buried in that spot that the Mavic just doesn't like!

 

[Pathogen]

Where I fly, out in the desert, there is one spot that is about 200' away from my take off point that causes my Mavic to start acting crazy

Did you ever look at the DAT file with csvview? I bet they are interesting!

 

[Brojon]

Did you ever look at the DAT file with csvview? I bet they are interesting!

Or look at a aeronautical map to see if it's a known magnetic anomaly?

https://mrdata.usgs.gov/magnetic/surveys.php?code=fUS04

 

[Ron_Dog]

Roswell?

 

[Ron_Dog]

Where I fly, out in the desert, there is one spot that is about 200' away from my take off point that causes my Mavic to start acting crazy when I fly over it! I fly all around that spot without any issues but the moment I fly over that particular spot my Mavic will start to yaw and pitch and continues to act crazy until I get out of that area. Must be some kind of metal buried in that spot that the Mavic just doesn't like!

Maybe a underground ICBM launch silo!

 

[51 Drones]

i was operating my Mavic Pro today over railroad tracks trying to get a cool POV shot. I was in pretty close proximity to power lines and upon take off the aircraft continued to gain altitude, even with input from controller. I was able to regain control, and had issues with the aircraft yawing to the right following that. Trying to safely land was a whole other issue in itself. Has anyone experienced something like this? What’s a safe distance to operate away from the power lines to avoid interference?

I live next to the railroad tracks, and anytime I get close to the tracks, my Mavic goes wonky. It's not the power lines, it's the tracks. Also, when a train is going by, I can't get too close, or the static electricity wreaks havoc.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I flew a real estate gig the other day close to an electrical power plant (about a mile away) and power lines. Decided to try the shoot with a P3P and as soon as the drone and controller hooked up I got all kinds to warnings about electrical interference. The motors wouldn't even start. Broke out the Mavic, picked up 16 satellites, launched normal, completed the shoot, no issues!

 

[Frank Castle]

I've flown above, below, and arround major power lines without problems. I only start to loose signal about 500ft away in my residential.

 

[Pierce68]

Little late in this thread but I was flying my mavic today through some old railroad bridge and my mavic started to drift out of control and almost lost it against the bridge. Def think its the iron in the rail making the compass go wacky. First and last time I get near a railroad for shots unless I'm up above 200-300 ft

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

Little late in this thread but I was flying my mavic today through some old railroad bridge and my mavic started to drift out of control and almost lost it against the bridge. Def think its the iron in the rail making the compass go wacky. First and last time I get near a railroad for shots unless I'm up above 200-300 ft

I know of two other pilots that lost their Mavics trying to fly through metal railroad bridges. The mavics lost control and flew into the bridge, one continued into the river

 

[MichiganMavic]

I only read the first post, but the RR lines and power lines near me ( Chrysler, GM, and Ford plants) are my go-to for flying around because of the open areas next to them. At times, I have flown down the RR tracks around 15-20’ above to check out the area and never had any issues. I use my Inspire, P4, and Mavic in the same place also w/o issues.
I’ll read through the the thread later to hear other’s experiences.

 

[Pierce68]

I only read the first post, but the RR lines and power lines near me ( Chrysler, GM, and Ford plants) are my go-to for flying around because of the open areas next to them. At times, I have flown down the RR tracks around 15-20’ above to check out the area and never had any issues. I use my Inspire, P4, and Mavic in the same place also w/o issues.
I’ll read through the the thread later to hear other’s experiences.

I was fine flying 50 ft above the tracks but actually going through a old iron bridge the mavic went crazy on me and drifted. Trying to get a cool shot and it almost backfired. Its an old civil war bridge here in Virginia. never again... LOL

 

[MichiganMavic]

I think one of the problems is the MP has many obstacle sensors that the others don’t and sometimes it’s more of a hindrance than help. Depending on where I’m flying, I turn most if not all off that I can.