Mavic 2 Pro Flyaway

[ruggb]

Sorry, but I read that LONG ago. The issue I have with Meta4's statement is that it is all inclusive - you do not need to calibrate EVER. NOTHING is black and white. I do not calibrate my compass everytime I fly. However, when I feel there may be an issue with the environment or where the drone has been, I do. The drone is not antimagnetic. Therefore, there are things that can change its magnetic properties. A blanket statement RE calibration b4 every flight is more meant for the people who do not understand the system - there are lots. But is calibrating it everytime you fly the right advice - If you don't understand why it may need calibration, then yes. Electricity, electronics, & magnetic fields are a part of my DNA. It is your nickel.

 

[Meta4]

Sorry, but I read that LONG ago. The issue I have with Meta4's statement is that it is all inclusive - you do not need to calibrate EVER. NOTHING is black and white. I do not calibrate my compass everytime I fly. However, when I feel there may be an issue with the environment or where the drone has been, I do. The drone is not antimagnetic. Therefore, there are things that can change its magnetic properties. A blanket statement RE calibration b4 every flight is more meant for the people who do not understand the system - there are lots. But is calibrating it everytime you fly the right advice - If you don't understand why it may need calibration, then yes. Electricity, electronics, & magnetic fields are a part of my DNA. It is your nickel.

And with that reply, you've just explained that you have no idea what calibrating the compass does or when it might be necessary.
Maybe if you read what I carefully wrote in post #119 it will help you.

 

[sar104]

Sorry, but I read that LONG ago. The issue I have with Meta4's statement is that it is all inclusive - you do not need to calibrate EVER. NOTHING is black and white. I do not calibrate my compass everytime I fly. However, when I feel there may be an issue with the environment or where the drone has been, I do. The drone is not antimagnetic. Therefore, there are things that can change its magnetic properties. A blanket statement RE calibration b4 every flight is more meant for the people who do not understand the system - there are lots. But is calibrating it everytime you fly the right advice - If you don't understand why it may need calibration, then yes. Electricity, electronics, & magnetic fields are a part of my DNA. It is your nickel.

That's a quite different story. Yes - recalibration is necessary if the magnetic state of the drone has changed. And that's the only reason it is ever actually needed, and the FC will almost always detect that and request recalibration. The magnetic environment is irrelevant - even if the earth's magnetic field is distorted at a particular location, there is nothing that calibration can do to fix it.

 

[jcampen]

In the olden days when we built all our own DIY drones,(since 2010) the most common cause of fly-aways was not getting a firm fix and sufficient number of satellites before taking off. This happened because the drone thought it was still at the last location you had tunned it or had flown from, and so would rush to head off back to that location. Fortunately I never had one of these happen personally, but have a few friend of mine who did, and it was purely from taking off in a rush before getting a good GPS fix and stable compass reading. One was a large Octo copter with 14” carbon props weight about 7.5kgs and it zoomed past just missed his head before smashing itself to piece hitting a tree. This has taught us a few very valuable lessons. One is to make sure you always have a strong compass reading and full complement of satellites reading before inititing a take off. If we go to a different flight location, mandatorily do a compass calibration. VERY important if you’re going over 200klm away or to a different country, like we do very often, including to China where many of the western maps are GPS location wise all way out. Always wait for at least a full 2 min or more after everyting is on and connected before taking off. Any slight anomalies or warnings with the IMU or compass reading, then do a compass calibration, then do a full reboot of both the drone and controller. Elecro magnetic radiation and concentrated microwaves can also affect the compass and gps. So be very aware of the location of Mobile phone towers and any other types of transmitter towers and high voltage power lines in your area, and be sure to keep well away from them. Even with the new off the shelf drone we still apply pretty much these same principals. I know it seems a bit of overkill, but for spending an extra 4 to 5 min in better prefight preparation and we learnt from other mistakes, has to date avoided us having lost any drones since 2010 (touch wood!) It’s a cheap outlay to avoid having an expensive heart breaking loss, and more so if it avoids cause an major incident from that.

 

[JDawg]

"Always wait for at least a full 2 min or more after everyting is on and connected before taking off. Any slight anomalies or warnings with the IMU or compass reading, then do a compass calibration, then do a full reboot of both the drone and controller. "
No!

 

[Meta4]

In the olden days when we built all our own DIY drones,(since 2010) the most common cause of fly-aways was not getting a firm fix and sufficient number of satellites before taking off.
This happened because the drone thought it was still at the last location you had turned it or had flown from, and so would rush to head off back to that location.

Did this ever really happen?
It certainly can't happen with any DJI drone made in the last 4 years.
Any stored home point evaporates when the drone is switched off.
If you are impatient and launch before getting a GPS location fix, you will get one soon after and that will be your new home point.
Not far from where you launched and probably making no difference at all.

it was purely from taking off in a rush before getting a good GPS fix and stable compass reading. One was a large Octo copter with 14” carbon props weight about 7.5kgs and it zoomed past just missed his head before smashing itself to piece hitting a tree.

And the cause of that incident was ....???
Is there any evidence to link the incident to anything related to compass or GPS .. or is that just a guess?

This has taught us a few very valuable lessons. One is to make sure you always have a strong compass reading and full complement of satellites reading before inititing a take off.

What's a strong compass reading? Why is that important?
My compass just works, anywhere, any time

If we go to a different flight location, mandatorily do a compass calibration. VERY important if you’re going over 200klm away or to a different country, like we do very often, including to China where many of the western maps are GPS location wise all way out.

Sorry ... but the mapping issue you describe won't make any difference and recalibrating the compass couldn't possibly have any effect on it.
The distance you've travelled also makes no difference to your compass.

Even with the new off the shelf drone we still apply pretty much these same principals. I know it seems a bit of overkill, but for spending an extra 4 to 5 min in better prefight preparation and we learnt from other mistakes, has to date avoided us having lost any drones since 2010 (touch wood!) It’s a cheap outlay to avoid having an expensive heart breaking loss, and more so if it avoids cause an major incident from that.

You'd do better to learn what compass calibration actually does and when it might be necessary.
At the moment you are just doing it as a sort of superstitious ritual without understanding what it does.
Read post #119 for a start.

 

[sar104]

Did this ever really happen?
It certainly can't happen with any DJI drone made in the last 4 years.
Any stored home point evaporates when the drone is switched off.
If you are impatient and launch before getting a GPS location fix, you will get one soon after and that will be your new home point.
Not far from where you launched and probably making no difference at all.


And the cause of that incident was ....???
Is there any evidence to link the incident to anything related to compass or GPS .. or is that just a guess?


What's a strong compass reading? Why is that important?
My compass just works, anywhere, any time


Sorry ... but the mapping issue you describe won't make any difference and recalibrating the compass couldn't possibly have any effect on it.
The distance you've travelled also makes no difference to your compass.


You'd do better to learn what compass calibration actually does and when it might be necessary.
At the moment you are just doing it as a sort of superstitious ritual without understanding what it does.
Read post #119 for a start.

I go back and forth on whether to try to rebut this kind of stuff every time it gets posted. On the one hand it's not good to have misinformation posted in these threads but, on the other hand, it's rather exhausting to have to make the same points over and over again. There seems to be an almost limitless supply of posters who don't understand at all how the FC uses data from its sensors, have absolutely no clue about the earth's magnetic field, compasses, and their relation to navigation, and yet are ready and willing to lecture on the subject. I guess between you, me @BudWalker and a few others we simply try to keep the subject on track.

 

[gnirtS]

The latest firmware update is nice in that my mavic 2 no longer demands a recalibration after moving 30 miles or 30 days. Previously it always did and got annoying, especially if somewhere you cant easily calibrate.

 

[jcampen]

"Did this ever really happen?
It certainly can't happen with any DJI drone made in the last 4 years.."

Whats the title of this post, and yes it did happen a lot? And have you every tried to use your drone in China and used Litchi to setup a flight plan? Maps and satellite positions can often be a long way out.

Strong compass reading was my meaning as an accurate and stable comps reading.

To both Meta4 and sar104,
Sorry I didn't realize I am in a court of law amounts superior egocentric ***** who use forms to bloat their own egos with. Your arrogant and condescending comments and bullying tone is uncalled for . ( Mod Removed )

 

[sar104]

"Did this ever really happen?
It certainly can't happen with any DJI drone made in the last 4 years.."

Whats the title of this post, and yes it did happen a lot? And have you every tried to use your drone in China and used Litchi to setup a flight plan? Maps and satellite positions can often be a long way out.

Strong compass reading was my meaning as an accurate and stable comps reading.

To both Meta4 and sar104,
Sorry I didn't realize I am in a court of law amounts superior egocentric t$ats who use forms to bloat their own egos with. Your arrogant and condescending comments and bullying tone is uncalled for . Grow up di"& hea6s

You are not in any kind of court of law. But if you post nonsense it will be called out. And whether or not you try to obscure your insults with unusual characters, it will be reported.

 

[dirkclod]

OK if you guys want to carry on in this old thread go ahead but please do be civil
and not get arguminitive .Also to a few do read our guidelines on name calling as it will not be tolerate . # 2 comes to mind right off .
It's Christmas Eve so lighten up guys .
Thank You

 

[BJR981S]

Meta4 I have taken to taks over his comments before. He advised he won't play my game. That is: provide empirical documented evidence as I have done many times. SAR104 will at least try and rationalise his points.

But guys. This is a waste of time. Its is pointless arguing with these people. They believe what they believe. You wont change their minds.

dirkclod You should shut down these Compass calibration threads. It just generates animosity. It is akin to politics and religion. Neither side will listen to logic or documents. Those of us that have degrees in electronics etc. Have our opinions. Those self taught and learn by personal observation have theirs.

My understanding is that DJI have implemented a requirement (alert) to ensure you calibrate the compass regularly on thew M2. I can only suggest you follow the manufacturers procedure. They designed and built it. I can only assume they actually know how it works.

Cheers Brian

 

[sar104]

Meta4 I have taken to taks over his comments before. He advised he won't play my game. That is: provide empirical documented evidence as I have done many times. SAR104 will at least try and rationalise his points.

But guys. This is a waste of time. Its is pointless arguing with these people. They believe what they believe. You wont change their minds.

dirkclod You should shut down these Compass calibration threads. It just generates animosity. It is akin to politics and religion. Neither side will listen to logic or documents. Those of us that have degrees in electronics etc. Have our opinions. Those self taught and learn by personal observation have theirs.

My understanding is that DJI have implemented a requirement (alert) to ensure you calibrate the compass regularly on thew M2. I can only suggest you follow the manufacturers procedure. They designed and built it. I can only assume they actually know how it works.

Cheers Brian

You summed up your problem in just a couple of words; you just assume far too much. You assume that DJI's instructions are authoritative, even though they repeatedly contradict themselves on the compass issues. And then you assume that a degree in electronics (a competition that you are going to lose spectacularly by the way so put it back in the box) allows you just to make completely unsupported assertions and avoid addressing the actual technical points raised. When you have nothing to argue you can't reduce a discussion of technical issues to an appeal to the authority of your degree and a question of who believes what.

As for the compass threads - just because you disagree with the consensus of most of the posters here who have actually spent time researching and analyzing this subject, and have had your assertions repeatedly refuted, do not presume to judge that they are not useful. They have been very useful to many people, as a lot of the comments attest. They would be even more useful if you kept your assumptions and misinformation out of them.

By the way - a number of users have reported that DJI has removed the time and distance calibration requirements in the latest M2 firmware.

 

[dannybgoode]

I’ve been flying my M2P for 77 days now and always kept the firmware / app up to date. Haven’t been asked to calibrate the compass once...

 

[peros550]

I’ve been flying my M2P for 77 days now and always kept the firmware / app up to date. Haven’t been asked to calibrate the compass once...

Flying frequently will not trigger the 30 days limit (if that limit is still valid).

Sorry to ask, have you tried to fly in any remote area more than 50Km away ? Doing that should trigger a compass calibration as per the DJI manual

Fly safe

 

[dannybgoode]

Flying frequently will not trigger the 30 days limit (if that limit is still valid).

Sorry to ask, have you tried to fly in any remote area more than 50Km away ? Doing that should trigger a compass calibration as per the DJI manual

Fly safe

Ah I see. No - will report back. I thought from what I’d read it forced a recalibration every 30 days regardless.

 

[DanMan32]

That was my understanding.
Neither my original nor my refresh M2 have asked for a calibration, not even when I took it to work 40 miles south of me.

I was sure the refresh would eventually prompt me. Latest firmware probably did kill it.
I lucked out.

 

[Arizdrona]

Well, a few things about wireless transmissions...
My normal job has me knee deep in wireless units, Radio mics to be exact.... The highest end units available... (some would argue) with the best antennas and computer assisted frequency finding programs with serious filtering to help keep other transmissions from getting to the frequency were using.
It always boils down to a few key situations... actually a lot of them, but a few are really important...
Surroundings... buildings, metal, fencing, competing transmissions and transmitting power.
Line of sight is always best... we avoid putting anything between our transmitters and the receiver antennas... being buried in a neighborhood between two story homes is a poor place to be in general terms... open fields, or any open areas are much preferred. Frequencies move much better through trees than through structures. Organic things don't affect us too much.. People though actually do... lol.. If someone stood in front of your controller, you would suffer range issues I am pretty sure.. it definitely affects us... I am always clearing people from in front of our cart.
Also, the interference caused by any number of things on the same or really close frequencies can wreak havoc. The expenditure on the wireless gear in this drone and controller are in the low hundreds of dollars, OK, and totally functional, but not great in any way.. In comparison, the gear we use is thousands of dollars and has all kinds of serious technology... it still has issues we often need to work around.
I would only say that knowing what I know, I probably will be really careful not to place myself with that controller in any situation I would not place myself in at work. Mainly buried somewhere in homes, neighborhoods and at the bottom of downtown buildings with both obstructions and elevated amounts of other radio activity. Problem is, at work we don't get to choose.
Key is... line of sight in these situations as best you can, always..

 

[sar104]

Well, a few things about wireless transmissions...
My normal job has me knee deep in wireless units, Radio mics to be exact.... The highest end units available... (some would argue) with the best antennas and computer assisted frequency finding programs with serious filtering to help keep other transmissions from getting to the frequency were using.
It always boils down to a few key situations... actually a lot of them, but a few are really important...
Surroundings... buildings, metal, fencing, competing transmissions and transmitting power.
Line of sight is always best... we avoid putting anything between our transmitters and the receiver antennas... being buried in a neighborhood between two story homes is a poor place to be in general terms... open fields, or any open areas are much preferred. Frequencies move much better through trees than through structures. Organic things don't affect us too much.. People though actually do... lol.. If someone stood in front of your controller, you would suffer range issues I am pretty sure.. it definitely affects us... I am always clearing people from in front of our cart.
Also, the interference caused by any number of things on the same or really close frequencies can wreak havoc. The expenditure on the wireless gear in this drone and controller are in the low hundreds of dollars, OK, and totally functional, but not great in any way.. In comparison, the gear we use is thousands of dollars and has all kinds of serious technology... it still has issues we often need to work around.
I would only say that knowing what I know, I probably will be really careful not to place myself with that controller in any situation I would not place myself in at work. Mainly buried somewhere in homes, neighborhoods and at the bottom of downtown buildings with both obstructions and elevated amounts of other radio activity. Problem is, at work we don't get to choose.
Key is... line of sight in these situations as best you can, always..

Does your wireless audio gear have a range of 5 miles?

 

[Arizdrona]

No, but only because of the FCC...LOL
Principles are the same though...