Strange Mavic Camera bug

Robert Mitchell · Sep 21, 2017

atcsllc said:
You might be confusing the Compass calibration with the IMU calibration, the IMU should only be re-calibrated if the app tells you to. The Compass calibration as far as I am concerned is a part of my RISK management checklist that every pilot should be doing to ensure safe operation of the aircraft. This is an Aircraft, it's not a toy, if the FAA is making guidelines for the operation of UAV's then we need to respect it as an Aircraft class vehicle and not a toy.

Regardless of the situation if you are flying for fun or profit this class of UAV needs to be treated as a real aircraft and real aircraft need compass swings for correct operation. The Mavic compass can be calibrated 100 times a day if need be, there is no limitation on that. All I am saying is that the tools are there for us to use, I hope this helps

As far as routine compass calibration, there has been much debate on this, and I guess the users will go into two camps. Those who do and those who don't.

It is my understanding that the Mavic uses redundant compass technology, unlike it's predecessors, and the user manual also states that compass calibration is not required unless prompted to do so by the app.

I now have over 350 flights in locations across the entire eastern half of the United States and parts of Canada. 1500 miles east and west, and apx. 2000 miles north and south. I have never once calibrated the compass on my Mavic, and I have never had anything but flawless operations and perfect navigation. RTH is spot on, heading indicator matches perfectly with real time, every time.

If I ever get a compass error or prompt from the software, which will not clear by relocating the aircraft slightly. I will be the first to re-calibrate. I have done it many times on other aircraft and it is indeed a painless process, but with the Mavic, I will take the manufacturers advice and leave it alone.

I believe there is more risk of introducing errors, due to unnecessary calibrating, than the risk of the software not prompting me that something is amiss. I am sure many will disagree.

Youser · Sep 21, 2017

Thunderdrones said:
FW version v01.03.1000 took care of alot of the random gimbal resets, as will all subsequent versions.

After upgrading to .1000 for the possible fix, if you decide to downgrade again, will the fix remain?

Former Member · Sep 21, 2017

Not sure on that one, but one of the major fixes was the random inflight gimbal reset that might have gotten cured.

Flycaster · Sep 21, 2017

Robert Mitchell said:
I believe there is more risk of introducing errors, due to unnecessary calibrating, than the risk of the software not prompting me that something is amiss. I am sure many will disagree.

I think that a lot of folks do the compass dance more than required/needed. The Manual states only do if prompted to do.

More than likely, legacy of the Phantom1/2 days........where it seemed you had to if you changed to ANY location.

Youser · Sep 21, 2017

Thunderdrones said:
Not sure on that one, but one of the major fixes was the random inflight gimbal reset that might have gotten cured.

I upgraded to .1000 and hand flew the drone around the room. The reset happened quite early but on the second attempt it didn't for a couple of mins. Hopefully weather is good tomorrow so I can test outdoors. Would be nice to have a flight without the gimbal reset.

I'm quite positive that they'll have it fully sorted in the next couple of updates.

atcsllc · Oct 1, 2017

steebchen said:
Where do you have this information from? The Mavic Pro Guide says (page 52, Mavic Pro Guide):

Also, when you do calibrate the compass, it says the following:

I think you should not calibrate the compass in a non-nature environment, as I said in my previous post. If there is a small interference when calibrating, you take off, go to a high altitude and the interference is now 100m away, so your compass is now wrong since it was calibrated with the interference. I don't know much about this but this is my view and as I said before the Guide says you should only calibrate the compass if the app tells you to do so (or if you experience that something is wrong of course, this happened to me before and the calibration in a PURE nature environment (no RC & phone, I even took my belt off to be sure) solved this, but I never calibrated again and except this bug here everything works 100% fine).