Night flight compass calibration

[Yaros]

Antennas aren't affecting your compass.
But what's under the drone might be.
What kind of surface did you place the drone on?

I placed the drone on concrete floor, tiles.
I fly there both during day and during night and only at night the issue happens. But the difference is that for me after I calibrate I can take off without any issues. Are you sure that the satellite antennas can't create magnetic interference?

 

[sar104]

Interesting. I observed similar behavior with my Air 2 but only if I try to takeoff from the top floor of my apartment building where there are antennas, probably at night all of the people turn on their TVs and create interference that the drone thinks mistakenly as compass issue. Try to take off in another location, also click on the top red message and a panel will appear, if there is a button called Unlock then click that!

I placed the drone on concrete floor, tiles.
I fly there both during day and during night and only at night the issue happens. But the difference is that for me after I calibrate I can take off without any issues. Are you sure that the satellite antennas can't create magnetic interference?

That's correct. Antennas work with electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwave spectra. Firstly, these are only receiving antennas that don't transmit anything and, secondly, electromagnetic waves, despite the name, do not produce magnetic fields. So that's not what is happening.

Also, "Unlock" refers to unlocking DJI Geo zones - it has nothing to do with the compass.

 

[Meta4]

I placed the drone on concrete floor, tiles.
I fly there both during day and during night and only at night the issue happens. But the difference is that for me after I calibrate I can take off without any issues. Are you sure that the satellite antennas can't create magnetic interference?

The issue is likely to be the steel in the reinforced concrete.
Calibrating the compass in that situation is not needed and doesn't do anything.
The correct action is to power off, move the compass somewhere away from the magnetic interference that the compass is warning of and start again.
Small changes in the exact placement of the drone could put in in a safe/not safe spot.
Launching from reinforced concrete surfaces is something to be avoided.

 

[Yaros]

That's correct. Antennas work with electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwave spectra. Firstly, these are only receiving antennas that don't transmit anything and, secondly, electromagnetic waves, despite the name, do not produce magnetic fields. So that's not what is happening.

Also, "Unlock" refers to unlocking DJI Geo zones - it has nothing to do with the compass.

I don't mean the Geofence Unlock, instead there is a unlock button in Preflight checklist on the mini 2 if you're taking off in low light conditions or indoors without GPS. At least that was my experience with DJI drones!

 

[VenomXts]

I have this issue with my air2. I can come in right at dark and it immediately will ask to calibrate the compas.

 

[norsehabanero]

Requires calibration at night... will not let me fly. I can literally calibrate it in the day, set it down where I calibrated it, wait for night, and it requires a calibration. Rarely asks for a calibration during the day even if I move it to another town.

i get the same thing i dont set it to calabrate it asked me to do it and wont let me fly untill i do it

 

[danmcla9]

Mine says same thing talks of interference but also mentions low light conditions I’ll shine a bright led flashlight at it and the message goes away and I can take off.

 

[Meta4]

Mine says same thing talks of interference but also mentions low light conditions I’ll shine a bright led flashlight at it and the message goes away and I can take off.

The low light message is referring to abstacle avoidance.
Bright light or no light makes no difference at all to the compass.

 

[danmcla9]

The low light message is referring to abstacle avoidance.
Bright light or no light makes no difference at all to the compass.

If that’s the case then why would the message and inability to take off suddenly go away when I increase the ambient lighting?
In the dark it says low ambient light compass error please calibrate to take off I add light and message goes away…..

 

[Meta4]

If that’s the case then why would the message and inability to take off suddenly go away when I increase the ambient lighting?
In the dark it says low ambient light compass error please calibrate to take off I add light and message goes away…..

No idea .. coincidence perhaps or one of the crazy programming and message wording things that DJI has occasionally done?
But there's absolutely no relationship between the compass and light levels.
Which model is it?

 

[VenomXts]

No idea .. coincidence perhaps or one of the crazy programming and message wording things that DJI has occasionally done?
But there's absolutely no relationship between the compass and light levels.
Which model is it?

there may be no physically relationship between low light and compass but I can guarantee you it is a software dependency somewhere. My Air2s does this all the time as I often fly and dusk and dawn.

 

[Meta4]

there may be no physically relationship between low light and compass but I can guarantee you it is a software dependency somewhere. My Air2s does this all the time as I often fly and dusk and dawn.

There is no physical reason for low light to bring up a compass warning.
DJI drones fly just as well in complete darkness as they do at midday.

 

[VenomXts]

There is no physical reason for low light to bring up a compass warning.
DJI drones fly just as well in complete darkness as they do at midday.

The issue I'm describing is the calibration error that prevents you from taking off. That comes up with a low light situation and includes a compas calibration since i have to take my magnetic watch band off to get it right lol.

 

[Yaros]

There is no physical reason for low light to bring up a compass warning.

That's right, there is not. But there is a failsafe in DJI drones (for some unknown reason) which prevent you to take off “in some scenarios” in the dark before calibrating the compass. I had this warning on an Air 1, Air 2, and Mini 2, it says “Compass Calibration Required” and wouldn't turn on motors until I do it.

I don't know why DJI implemented this, but it's there, maybe not on all DJI drones, but definitely on all I have tried to fly at night (listed above).

 

[VenomXts]

That's right, there is not. But there is a failsafe in DJI drones (for some unknown reason) which prevent you to take off “in some scenarios” in the dark before calibrating the compass. I had this warning on an Air 1, Air 2, and Mini 2, it says “Compass Calibration Required” and wouldn't turn on motors until I do it.

I don't know why DJI implemented this, but it's there, maybe not on all DJI drones, but definitely on all I have tried to fly at night (listed above).

I have always been able to calibrate and then fly in this situation its just a pain lol.

 

[densto88]

I just got a mini 3 and experienced the same issue last night (first attempt for night flight). I try to take off and it says compass calibration required for aircraft, it shows pic of drone (not controller) and says to hover 1.5 meters and turn it around. The problem is it won’t let me take off at all, so how do I calibrate if I can’t get it in the air. I’m sure I’m missing something or misunderstanding something.

I see a lot of “X has nothing to do with Y” responses but like the others impacted I assure you those are the error messages I’m seeing

 

[Meta4]

I just got a mini 3 and experienced the same issue last night (first attempt for night flight). I try to take off and it says compass calibration required for aircraft, it shows pic of drone (not controller) and says to hover 1.5 meters and turn it around. The problem is it won’t let me take off at all, so how do I calibrate if I can’t get it in the air. I’m sure I’m missing something or misunderstanding something.

I see a lot of “X has nothing to do with Y” responses but like the others impacted I assure you those are the error messages I’m seeing

I've run into this twice now.
The first time, after moving a few times, I was able to find a spot where the drone would launch without the warning.
A few weeks back, in a spot where I'd flown several times in daylight, I couldn't find a spot where I could launch without the warning.

I tapped on the red warning to find more details.

Knowing there was no magnetic interference in the area and that there was no physical reason that darkness would cause a compass warning,
So I tested the idea that this was because of the dark and tried to light the area around the drone with a torch.
The drone launched without any further complaining.

This warning is completely false.
I cannot imagine any reason for DJI to program it that way.
There is no compass issue and no need to calibrate the compass.

 

[Yaros]

This warning is completely false.
I cannot imagine any reason for DJI to program it that way.
There is no compass issue and no need to calibrate the compass.

I completely agree, but DJI for some reason did code that in...

 

[VenomXts]

I've run into this twice now.
The first time, after moving a few times, I was able to find a spot where the drone would launch without the warning.
A few weeks back, in a spot where I'd flown several times in daylight, I couldn't find a spot where I could launch without the warning.

I tapped on the red warning to find more details.

Knowing there was no magnetic interference in the area and that there was no physical reason that darkness would cause a compass warning,
So I tested the idea that this was because of the dark and tried to light the area around the drone with a torch.
The drone launched without any further complaining.

This warning is completely false.
I cannot imagine any reason for DJI to program it that way.
There is no compass issue and no need to calibrate the compass.

My conclusion too. I take a flash light and shine it down under to bypass this after a dusk landing all the time.... is annoying as f*** when your trying to switch a battery for one more shot up before the night fully sets in.