Mavic Mini - Real time orientation gauge in the app - not correctly showing orientation

[GadgetGuy]

Too early to be sure, but after further flying with the 9.7” iPad Pro mounted above the M2 RC, keeping the iPad as level as possible over the sticks seems to have avoided the compass drift during flight from the Hall Effect cause by the sticks. This maximizes the distance between what is the bottom side of the iPad when mounted in landscape mode with the Home button on the right.

 

[old man mavic]

as i have mentioned before i use a small hand held compass to orientate my landing pad to face magnetic north one edge which has a small N on it
when i do this with my MPP and then place the drone facing north on the pad the arrow is always facing the small N on the outer edge of the direction indicator on the screen
i use the same method for my MM and align the drone to north then after starting the drone i stand behind it about 4 ft away and when the screen initiates it always shows the arrow facing away from me and if i turn the RC it moves in the direction i am facing i have an 6th gen 9.7 WIFI only ipad and it is mounted above the RC with the lead connection on the left to connect it to the RC, as i fly the arrow moves around the circle in relation to where the drone is from the controller, then if i come home it faces the center point

 

[GadgetGuy]

as i have mentioned before i use a small hand held compass to orientate my landing pad to face magnetic north one edge which has a small N on it
when i do this with my MPP and then place the drone facing north on the pad the arrow is always facing the small N on the outer edge of the direction indicator on the screen
i use the same method for my MM and align the drone to north then after starting the drone i stand behind it about 4 ft away and when the screen initiates it always shows the arrow facing away from me and if i turn the RC it moves in the direction i am facing i have an 6th gen 9.7 WIFI only ipad and it is mounted above the RC with the lead connection on the left to connect it to the RC, as i fly the arrow moves around the circle in relation to where the drone is from the controller, then if i come home it faces the center point

That's confirms the correct compass orientation of the iPad at launch, but won't help with the Hall Effect, if it causes the iPad compass to drift during the flight.

 

[old man mavic]

That's confirms the correct compass orientation of the iPad at launch, but won't help with the Hall Effect, if it causes the iPad compass to drift during the flight.

well i must be very lucky then because i have not experienced that issue yet

 

[GadgetGuy]

well i must be very lucky then because i have not experienced that issue yet

Maybe I am just unlucky! Only happens occasionally, but usually when away from home where it is more difficult to find one's bearings, if one loses sight of the aircraft while looking down at the screen, while trying to maximize directional signal strength with a windsurfer.

 

[slup]

That's confirms the correct compass orientation of the iPad at launch, but won't help with the Hall Effect, if it causes the iPad compass to drift during the flight.

That sounds strange ... the magnetic disturbance from the RC doesn't change over time, so if the direction is wrong in the app it will remain equal disturbed from the RC the whole time. What will differ over time though can be the RC position accuracy as that comes from the device GPS ... that can in a sense give the effect that the AC direction vs. RC reliability change over time in a flight.

 

[GadgetGuy]

That sounds strange ... the magnetic disturbance from the RC doesn't change over time, so if the direction is wrong in the app it will remain equal disturbed from the RC the whole time. What will differ over time though can be the RC position accuracy as that comes from the device GPS ... that can in a sense give the effect that the AC direction vs. RC reliability change over time in a flight.

Except in our discussion above about the Hall Effect from the sticks, we decided that the cumulative effect of the Hall Effect could potentially alter the device's compass calibration. Also, unless you are using a cellular iPad, the wifi only iPads have no GPS, and therefore cannot reset the home point to the RC. In order for the compass direction to be off by 90° when the aircraft is a say half a mile away, your hypothetical RC position accuracy would have to be WAY off, to cause that kind of error. Far more likely that the Hall Effect is cumulatively distorting the built-in iPad compass.