Radar dial/compass off by 180 degrees / 2 MPs-iPads

DanMan32 · Nov 29, 2018

If RC and iPad were to affect each other, the iPad's compass would be affected by the RC's magnets, and not the RC affected by the iPad's magnets. The RC doesn't have a compass, and the hall sensors are for the sticks. If the hall was affected, you'd have problems with your stick control.

atxmavic · Dec 3, 2018

I may have fixed it - or at least figured a way to fix it at the start of each session. In my case and with the MP fully 'assembled' (iPad mounted as described above and all powered components 'hot') - holding the RC and iPad securely in-hand, simply make a wide figure-8 with the RC/iPad while 'rolling' the RC/Ipad forward/backward - probably easier to show than describe... I'll try to make a short video... In other words, how some others have described to calibrate their (phone's/iPad's) compasses but which is not a ready/visible option in iOS 12.x.... In my case, fully connected/assembled, it worked...

DanMan32 · Dec 3, 2018

I always have to do that figure 8 whenever I use an app dependent on the compass.

atxmavic · Dec 5, 2018

Was unsuccessful last night in the same field as the original post although my flying partner's worked fine. That said, swapping the iPad to her controller/MA had the same result so it is definitely iPad compass calibration. Any more thoughts on how to do that for an iPad running iOS 12.1?

sar104 · Dec 5, 2018

atxmavic said:
Was unsuccessful last night in the same field as the original post although my flying partner's worked fine. That said, swapping the iPad to her controller/MA had the same result so it is definitely iPad compass calibration. Any more thoughts on how to do that for an iPad running iOS 12.1?

I don't think it's a compass calibration issue. When this happens the iOS compass appears to work just fine until it is plugged into the controller, then it goes wrong.

atxmavic · Dec 5, 2018

Latest and greatest "thing that worked in the lab" ... download/install/open "Compass Commander" (a compass app ...)... in the upper-left is an animated 'figure 8' implying "calibrate me". Spin it around, figure 8 it... basically twirl that compass dial until it does not know which way is up... when you stop, if it has successfully calibrated itself, "N" should point North (I keep a 'needle' compass in my bag to be sure)... and, imagine, that, the craft (arrow) direction is correct... I'll try it at the field tonight.

atxmavic · Dec 6, 2018

Sure enough - compass was off at field. Doing above helped but compass never got better than +90 degrees of correct - as a result, the radar dial was still off. Interestingly, when I physically disconnected the two (iPad and RC) then reconnected, everything centered up just fine. We'll see if that's the holy grail of solutions...

atxmavic · Dec 17, 2018

PROBLEM SOLVED

I've now tested this multiple times with 100% results.

Always keep a 'needle' compass in your flight bag...

If your display device (e.g. iPad) exhibits the problem above, disconnect it from the RC and (literally) spin it in your hand like a pizza - if you are using the Compass Commander above, the results are readily visible - let it settle, then repeat if necessary. Reconnect your (iPad) to the RC once corrected. This has resolved my problem all but once in the past half-dozen flights - the other was a combination of (AC) compass calibration + (iPad) calibration.

Signed - a much, much happier flier.