Should i update firmware and calibrate?

[JonnyBenson]

Hi

This may come as a surprise to some and i'm ready for the backlash...I've never calibrated the compass and i've never updated the firmware.

I've had my mavic since July and i've only ever had two issues when flying. Firstly the dji app occasionally turns itself off mid flight. Not sure if thats to do with my phone, i'm using an LG G5.

And secondly, i was out flying over water two days ago and i had a sensor error and had to calibrate them. Any ideas why?

 

[Haloweenhamster]

Reflections on the water confuses the bottom cameras / obstacle detection

 

[BossBob]

Hi

This may come as a surprise to some and i'm ready for the backlash...I've never calibrated the compass and i've never updated the firmware.

I've had my mavic since July and i've only ever had two issues when flying. Firstly the dji app occasionally turns itself off mid flight. Not sure if thats to do with my phone, i'm using an LG G5.

And secondly, i was out flying over water two days ago and i had a sensor error and had to calibrate them. Any ideas why?

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!

 

[locoman]

Even though I have always update FW and Fly Safe data base, GO4 app etc. and never had any problems, I have to agree with BossBob. "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" (or screw it up). To many people here have had problems trying to update or after an update. If there are features in an update that you feel you want then of course go ahead and do it. The only reason to issue an update is to add new features or fix a problem. If neither of these apply to you, then stick with what is working. (My 2 cents)

 

[4wd]

If all works well it's not a bad plan to stay on firmware. Every time you update there is *a risk* of something going wrong with your particular combination of phone etc.
Either that or stay more or less on latest (but always best not to be first to update!)

Calibrating compass is another matter as there isnt much chance things will be messed up provided you choose a suitable location away from any risk of metallic objects interfering.
When it arrives the last place it would 'know' would be China and the earth's magnetic field there might be significantly different from where you are operating.
But again if you aren't noticing any problems there is precious little reason to do it - except it's wise to be familiar with the process because compass can suddenly get messed up e.g. if it accidentally got near a magnet.

 

[BossBob]

On compass calibration, I checked the app on first start up in the UK, and it didn’t need calibration. That was in March 2017. I’ve travelled the length of the UK and I’ve only seen the compass calibration warning twice. Once when I placed the Mavic next to a sub woofer, obvious magnetic object, or close to my car. So even if you get a calibration warning, check for large chunks of magnetic material, move the drone away from it and check again.

 

[f3honda4me]

Don't calibrate compass unless it tells you to.

 

[JonnyBenson]

Don't calibrate compass unless it tells you to.

Really? I mean i get what others have said, "don't fix unless its broke", but so many won't fly unless they do ot every flight.

 

[BossBob]

Really? I mean i get what others have said, "don't fix unless its broke", but so many won't fly unless they do ot every flight.

Page 52 of the Mavic Manual v1.6 says not to calibrate the compass unless there is a message from the app to telling you to calibrate. A bad calibration done in an inappropriate place (in the presence of a magnetic anomaly, steel, cast iron, electrical cables etc) can lead to the two compasses in the Mavic reporting readings that don’t agree and may lead to a fly away.
As I said in an earlier post, I’ve never calibrated the compasses in my Mavic and it has flown faultlessly in places from southwest England to western Scotland since it arrived in March direct from DJI.

 

[Qoncussion]

Also, regarding the sensor warnings - when flying over water, turn your downward sensors off. There are many reports on these forums of folks losing their Mavics in water, due to the downward sensors getting confused by the shimmering surface. For some reason the drone thinks it's rising up, so it compensates by going down....and down...and....splash.

 

[BossBob]

I’ve flown over lakes so still I was filming my Mavic’s reflection, Scottish lochs and the sea and never had problems with it trying to land or refusing to descend. I have turned off landing protection but that’s all.

 

[Cut.Aussie]

Really? I mean i get what others have said, "don't fix unless its broke", but so many won't fly unless they do ot every flight.

That’s cause they are idiots

 

[Bunny Too]

That’s cause they are idiots

Easy, just because other people have different opinions does not mean they are an idiot.

 

[f3honda4me]

Also, regarding the sensor warnings - when flying over water, turn your downward sensors off. There are many reports on these forums of folks losing their Mavics in water, due to the downward sensors getting confused by the shimmering surface. For some reason the drone thinks it's rising up, so it compensates by going down....and down...and....splash.

Actually, you should NOT turn off the VPS over water. There is another thread with a video showing that while the behavior can be erratic it prevents the mavic from falling into the water. With VPS off several times the guy shooting the video has to save his mavic from hitting the water as it gets very close. If you're close to water, there is a larger risk of the drone going into the water with VPS off because the barometer and GPS are only accurate to a couple meters for height at best. While the VPS becomes less accurate over water, it should still prevent you from going into the water entirely.

 

[Qoncussion]

Actually, you should NOT turn off the VPS over water. There is another thread with a video showing that while the behavior can be erratic it prevents the mavic from falling into the water. With VPS off several times the guy shooting the video has to save his mavic from hitting the water as it gets very close. If you're close to water, there is a larger risk of the drone going into the water with VPS off because the barometer and GPS are only accurate to a couple meters for height at best. While the VPS becomes less accurate over water, it should still prevent you from going into the water entirely.

Then there are threads like this - Do I need to turn off downward VPS flying over water? - There are several well documented cases of deep-sixing a Mavic due to problems with the downward sensors over water. I'm not saying that I have experienced these issues - just that there are plenty of reports.

I'm curious about the video you referenced... How would disabling the sensors have any bearing with how the craft performs over water? Are we talking - flying very low over the surface? I have flown long and low over water with my sensors off. The craft handled flawlessly.

 

[f3honda4me]

Then there are threads like this - Do I need to turn off downward VPS flying over water? - There are several well documented cases of deep-sixing a Mavic due to problems with the downward sensors over water. I'm not saying that I have experienced these issues - just that there are plenty of reports.

I'm curious about the video you referenced... How would disabling the sensors have any bearing with how the craft performs over water? Are we talking - flying very low over the surface? I have flown long and low over water with my sensors off. The craft handled flawlessly.

Because without any of the downward sensors, the drone is relying upon barometer or gps to maintain altitude, both of which have a variance of a couple meters. By disabling vps you have disabled both the cameras and the ultrasonic sensors. You should disable landing protection but leave VPS on.

I have helped and looked at many crash incidents on this forum. I have yet to see a crash into water caused by VPS that was proven via the DAT file from the craft. If you know of one please link it.

VPS over water - sorry for beating a dead horse

Here is the video
Over water Sensors on or off

 

[dbyantis]

Really? I mean i get what others have said, "don't fix unless its broke", but so many won't fly unless they do ot every flight.

That can be based on old habits when previous drones required it. New drone.

 

[Qoncussion]

S

Because without any of the downward sensors, the drone is relying upon barometer or gps to maintain altitude, both of which have a variance of a couple meters. By disabling vps you have disabled both the cameras and the ultrasonic sensors. You should disable landing protection but leave VPS on.

I have helped and looked at many crash incidents on this forum. I have yet to see a crash into water caused by VPS that was proven via the DAT file from the craft. If you know of one please link it.

VPS over water - sorry for beating a dead horse

Here is the video
Over water Sensors on or off

So then, is it the precision landing feature that puts a drone in danger over water?... Not the vision system?