Calibrate every time I fly

[rogerdp]

Is this the correct way to do a calibration before every new flight.

 

[JBG]

Is what way the correct way? Also, you shouldn't calibrate compass before every flight, if that is what you are asking.

 

[rogerdp]

Yes that's what I'm asking

 

[flyNfrank]

Is what way the correct way? Also, you shouldn't calibrate compass before every flight, if that is what you are asking.

Why not? What does it hurt?

 

[III% Streve]

The more you do anything, the more likely to have a failure. Turn on a light and leave it on for years potentially. Flip it on and off constantly all day, and it will be dead in days. Potentially hours.

If is aint broke... don't screw with it! And especially don't go against everything documented and try to make a policy for the world to follow. You are certainly welcome to do what you want to do with your stuff though.

 

[RobBarron]

Why not? What does it hurt?

It doesn't hurt, it's just unnecessary, especially if you're flying in the same places. The P3P is extremely good at 'finding itself' so look at the map in GO and see where it is saying your Home Point is. If you know it's right, no need to calibrate. Of course, if you are noticing some problems like a wonky horizon or whatever then maybe you'll want to calibrate your gimbal but the bird itself really doesn't need nor benefit from being calibrated so often. I fly mine most days and calibrate every couple of weeks just for the heck of it but haven't had any problems whatsoever and have tested RTH several times in different locations, all faultlessly.

 

[msinger]

It's best to follow this advice:
Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer | DJI Phantom Forum

 

[Meta4]

1. DJI have never recommended that you calibrate every flight
2. Read this and gain some understanding of what compass calibration is about
Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer | DJI Phantom Forum
3. Make up your own mind

 

[III% Streve]

It doesn't hurt, it's just unnecessary, especially if you're flying in the same places. The P3P is extremely good at 'finding itself' so look at the map in GO and see where it is saying your Home Point is. If you know it's right, no need to calibrate. Of course, if you are noticing some problems like a wonky horizon or whatever then maybe you'll want to calibrate your gimbal but the bird itself really doesn't need nor benefit from being calibrated so often. I fly mine most days and calibrate every couple of weeks just for the heck of it but haven't had any problems whatsoever and have tested RTH several times in different locations, all faultlessly.

'Finding its self' has nothing to do with compass calibration. GPS function cares absolutely nothing about a compass!

 

[bbfpv]

oh, this thread again.

 

[Meta4]

The P3P is extremely good at 'finding itself' so look at the map in GO and see where it is saying your Home Point is. If you know it's right, no need to calibrate.

The Phantom gets its Home Point from GPS which is unrelated to the compass.
Compass calibration has nothing to do with getting an accurate location.
It's quite possible for the Phantom to have a good home point and have compass problems.

 

[RobBarron]

oh, this thread again.

Oh this boring 'I know it all so let's talk about something else' response! Bully for you if you are au fait with it all. Some are not, some are new to forums and have no idea how to find old threads. They also don't feel confident that an old thread is up to date as things change quickly. If you don't want to read it, go find something else to read instead of being a smart alec!

 

[bbfpv]

Oh this boring 'I know it all so let's talk about something else' response! Bully for you if you are au fait with it all. Some are not, some are new to forums and have no idea how to find old threads. They also don't feel confident that an old thread is up to date as things change quickly. If you don't want to read it, go find something else to read instead of being a smart alec!

Old as in the one still on the first page from yesterday? Compass Calibration Required | DJI Phantom Forum

 

[rwakins]

The first day I got my P3P, compass calibration caused my aircraft to go out of control and flip. I calibrated in front of my house on a side walk that had rebar inside the concrete. But since then I go to a park about a mile from my house and Cal in a open field. So when I fly around the neighborhood, I do it without calibrating and I've had perfect flights since then.

 

[Volantis]

The more you do anything, the more likely to have a failure. Turn on a light and leave it on for years potentially. Flip it on and off constantly all day, and it will be dead in days. Potentially hours.

If is aint broke... don't screw with it! And especially don't go against everything documented and try to make a policy for the world to follow. You are certainly welcome to do what you want to do with your stuff though.

Steve, you are trying to start a new policy of never doing a proper flight check before a flight. This is the kind of ignorance that hurts private ownership of drones.

Although calibration never breaks a drone, even if it did, it is better it break on the ground than in the air. Our first concern as drone pilots is not how much money it costs to buy replacement parts, but the safety of persons, wildlife, and property that we might damage as the result of an inaccurate machine in our control.

Recalibration on every new flight day and at every new location is redundant, yes, but it is a safety measure that will weed out unnecessary accidents and drone loss over the long run.

It is bad advice to tell people there is no need for recalibration. Need is not the issue, safety is. And as far as safety goes, nothing is more effective than a redundant safety check before each flight.

 

[III% Streve]

Steve, you are trying to start a new policy of never doing a proper flight check before a flight. This is the kind of ignorance that hurts private ownership of drones.

Although calibration never breaks a drone, even if it did, it is better it break on the ground than in the air. Our first concern as drone pilots is not how much money it costs to buy replacement parts, but the safety of persons, wildlife, and property that we might damage as the result of an inaccurate machine in our control.

Recalibration on every new flight day and at every new location is redundant, yes, but it is a safety measure that will weed out unnecessary accidents and drone loss over the long run.

It is bad advice to tell people there is no need for recalibration. Need is not the issue, safety is. And as far as safety goes, nothing is more effective than a redundant safety check before each flight.

You obviously have NO idea what you are talking about! I am one of the ONLY people here, in this mass of 30000+ people, that talks VERY specifically about the need to not only look at MOD values during preflight, but also looking at the way your bird lifts off as an addition indicator of a flaw in compass calibration. I'm the only person that has used what many would say was an unnecessary calibration to solve several peoples unstable flight. So perhaps you should look better at a persons viewpoint before you toss out uneducated insults!

 

[robinb]

Steve, you are trying to start a new policy of never doing a proper flight check before a flight. This is the kind of ignorance that hurts private ownership of drones.

Although calibration never breaks a drone, even if it did, it is better it break on the ground than in the air. Our first concern as drone pilots is not how much money it costs to buy replacement parts, but the safety of persons, wildlife, and property that we might damage as the result of an inaccurate machine in our control.

Recalibration on every new flight day and at every new location is redundant, yes, but it is a safety measure that will weed out unnecessary accidents and drone loss over the long run.

It is bad advice to tell people there is no need for recalibration. Need is not the issue, safety is. And as far as safety goes, nothing is more effective than a redundant safety check before each flight.

I disagree, there is no need to perform this every flight.
If you have done it right first time and you have done the other preflight checks on it then its not needed.

 

[JKDSensei]

I love this forum

Can we all just get into a big octagon and settle our differences like gentlemen once and for all

 

[rwakins]

As I said calibration caused mine to flip over twice. The calibration showed successful but the rebar in the concrete was magnetized. I wouldn't calibrate blindly just because they suggested you do so. Another user gave me this advice and it's proved to be correct. Unless I travel 20 miles or more away from my last good calibration, I don't cal and this has fixed all flight issues I had in the past.

 

[rwakins]

Can I use my drone in the octagon?