Compass failure

Hycken · Mar 6, 2016

i had several Compass failures yesterday when i was out flying, just shorter time bur several.

anyone got a clue?

Arcticm39 · Mar 6, 2016

Without more detail description from you on flight condition, location, and environment - No, no clue.

alokbhargava · Mar 6, 2016

Did you face any issue during Calibration before taking off?

EddieG · Mar 6, 2016

Have you done a calibration?

I was having compass issues with my P3A and even after I calibrated and everything seemed to be fine, she fell from the sky without warning. DJI fixed it with no charge but still...I would keep an eye on it.

And don't forget to check your compass sensors.

Hycken · Mar 6, 2016

Yepp, need to do the Calibration 4 times before it succeeded

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Hycken · Mar 6, 2016

EddieG said:
Have you done a calibration?

I was having compass issues with my P3A and even after I calibrated and everything seemed to be fine, she fell from the sky without warning. DJI fixed it with no charge but still...I would keep an eye on it.

And don't forget to check your compass sensors.

Compass sensors? How do I check them

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m0j0 · Mar 6, 2016

You can check the compass readings in the go app. Look for the readings in the sensors menu.

Also if you had to calibrate 4 times I'm thinking you may have introduced a bad calibration. I'm in the camp that says get a good calibration then don't mess with it unless there is a reason to mess with it.

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Meta4 · Mar 6, 2016

Hycken said:
i had several Compass failures yesterday when i was out flying, just shorter time but several.
anyone got a clue?

Hycken said:
Yepp, need to do the Calibration 4 times before it succeeded

You didn't have a compass failure at all.
Your compass was working just fine and telling you that it detected an abnormal magnetic field.
Probably because you were near a car, structural steel or (most common) you were on reinforced concrete.
This is not a time or place to recalibrate your compass and if you do you can give yourself a real headache.
The correct procedure is to move away from the steel that's causing the trouble.

Since you recalibrated in a distorted magnetic field you need to go to a clear open area away from steel and recalibrate your compass properly.
Then just leave it and don't recalibrate again unless you need to.

A compass error IS NOT a compass failure.
It's your compass warning you of a problem.

Hycken · Mar 6, 2016

Meta4 said:
You didn't have a compass failure at all.
Your compass was working just fine and telling you that it detected an abnormal magnetic field.
Probably because you were near a car, structural steel or (most common) you were on reinforced concrete.
This is not a time or place to recalibrate your compass and if you do you can give yourself a real headache.
The correct procedure is to move away from the steel that's causing the trouble.

Since you recalibrated in a distorted magnetic field you need to go to a clear open area away from steel and recalibrate your compass properly.
Then just leave it and don't recalibrate again unless you need to.

A compass error IS NOT a compass failure.
It's your compass warning you of a problem.

When this happens I totaly loses control over the drone and it starts to drift

Meta4 · Mar 6, 2016

Hycken said:
When this happens I totaly loses control over the drone and it starts to drift

Where did you do your compass calibration?

If you are calibrating the compass in a bad area (and if it took 4 attempts that sounds like you were), when you fly away from the steel and into the normal magnetic field of the earth, your Phantom can't make sense of the data from the compass.

Hycken · Mar 6, 2016

Meta4 said:
Where did you do your compass calibration?

If you are calibrating the compass in a bad area (and if it took 4 attempts that sounds like you were), when you fly away from the steel and into the normal magnetic field of the earth, your Phantom can't make sense of the data from the compass.

This is strange, everything happend in an open field, both the calibration and the flight....

Meta4 · Mar 6, 2016

Hycken said:
This is strange, everything happend in an open field, both the calibration and the flight....

Buried pipes or cables?
Having to make 4 attempts to calibrate the compass is an indication that something is not right with the magnetic field where you are.

Hycken · Mar 6, 2016

I have been flying in same spot for years and never had any problems with my Phantom 2, this was the first attemt with P3

movius · Mar 6, 2016

Hycken said:
I have been flying in same spot for years and never had any problems with my Phantom 2, this was the first attemt with P3

There's one potential reason, different bird, different compass sensitivity perhaps. It's worth checking the compass calibration in a couple of different locations even if you don't fly. If there was some hidden cables etc that should sort that problem out. Hope it all works out for you.

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dizzy · Mar 6, 2016

I was told there was a meteor very close to earth, and was warned any gps gadget may encounter some problems, just a thought, there are apps out there which will give data on this type of interference.

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Meta4 · Mar 6, 2016

dizzy said:
I was told there was a meteor very close to earth, and was warned any gps gadget may encounter some problems, just a thought, there are apps out there which will give data on this type of interference.

No meteor will have any effect on your compass or GPS unless you are close enough to get a magnetic effect (maybe 10 metres - depending on the size) or your GPS unless it's so big it blocks your view of the sky.
And if you were confusing meteors with solar flares (there are apps showing K-index), that also won't have any effect on your Phantom.

dizzy · Mar 6, 2016

Good to know, still learning lol

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m0j0 · Mar 6, 2016

There is another possibility.. You could have a good calibration. It could be where you are flying is causing the errors. Was this a new location?

Phantom 3 Pro / iPad Air 2

alokbhargava · Mar 6, 2016

Hycken said:
Yepp, need to do the Calibration 4 times before it succeeded

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Either your calibration process is not correct or the location is bad. I have never seen 4 consecutive failures.

Hycken · Mar 16, 2016

Everything ended up with the drone was send back to DJI, according to them it's a known problem with the compass

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