P3A Compass and Landing Issues

[AustrianOak82]

Remote: 1.8.0
Firmware: 1.9.0
DJI GO: 3.0.1

I got my P3A a couple of weeks ago from DJI direct. A few days ago I was flying and started getting compass error messages. When they popped up, it wold start drifting away. I switched over to non-GPS and regained control, then switched back and it was fine for a couple of minutes then same thing. I tried to calibrate but I was getting compass calibration issues. I went out in my backyard today where there was nothing around me but grass for 100-200 feet or so. Made sure I had no metal on me and had my dad hit the compass calibration button for me when I did the calibration dance. I tried it 5-6 times and it is still showing a compass calibration error message.

I went ahead and sent it into the air to see what would happen, and same thing, compass error messages and the GPS dropping in and out. I live out in the country in Indiana, so not sure why the compass couldnt calibrate. Here are my questions:

1. Any suggestions? This is the 2nd place I have tried to calibrate with issues.

2. How far away from metal do I really have to be? There is literally metal everywhere.

Another question. I don't use auto landing hardly ever, but I noticed when I did, the landing is pretty rough. My old P3S would decent, hover, then decent further and land. This one just heads down and slams into the ground pretty hard, jarring the entire unit and gimbal. Any thoughts?

 

[t2adze]

Regarding first question, i think its a compass issue that you need to discuss with DJI. If you tried calibration in open field with no metal around and its still there - obviously something is wrong with it. Hope there is a fix for it.

For the second question, is your VPS on? Mine does harsh landing when vps is off.
But try to learn hand catching. Less sand and dust hits your p3a , better it is for a fan and a vps sensors as well.

Sent from my SM-G900FD using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[AustrianOak82]

Regarding first question, i think its a compass issue that you need to discuss with DJI. If you tried calibration in open field with no metal around and its still there - obviously something is wrong with it. Hope there is a fix for it.

For the second question, is your VPS on? Mine does harsh landing when vps is off.
But try to learn hand catching. Less sand and dust hits your p3a , better it is for a fan and a vps sensors as well.

Sent from my SM-G900FD using PhantomPilots mobile app

I also posted on the DJI forum, so I will see what they say.

Yes, VPS is turned on.

 

[Oso]

A few days ago I was flying and started getting compass error messages.

Did this start right after a FW or app upgrade? You may have seen in the forum that we have been getting a lot of people posting new threads asking about suddenly getting compass errors. Since compass issues are so serious, we'd like to be able to find something common in all of these sudden reports.

Another question. I don't use auto landing hardly ever, but I noticed when I did, the landing is pretty rough. My old P3S would decent, hover, then decent further and land. This one just heads down and slams into the ground pretty hard, jarring the entire unit and gimbal. Any thoughts?

One comment we see very often when people move up from a P3S is that the P3S is much smoother with automated landings than the P3P/A. We are often asked how to adjust the P3P/A landings to match the P3S. Unfortunately, there are no adjustments. The P3P/A just does not land as smoothly as the P3S, no matter if VPS is on or off. [Note that every thread on this topic becomes a list of posts saying to "land manually" or to "hand catch only."]

 

[AustrianOak82]

Did this start right after a FW or app upgrade? You may have seen in the forum that we have been getting a lot of people posting new threads asking about suddenly getting compass errors.


One comment we see very often when people move up from a P3S is that the P3S is much smoother with automated landings than the P3P/A. We are often asked how to adjust the P3P/A landings to match the P3S. Unfortunately, there are no adjustments. The P3P/A just does not land as smoothly as the P3S, no matter if VPS is on or off. [Note that every thread on this topic becomes a list of posts saying to "land manually" or to "hand catch only."]

I have seen the posts about the FW upgrade. I updated as soon as I got it, so I didn't have the opportunity to try it with the old FW.

 

[Ken Nash]

Remote: 1.8.0
Firmware: 1.9.0
DJI GO: 3.0.1

I got my P3A a couple of weeks ago from DJI direct. A few days ago I was flying and started getting compass error messages. When they popped up, it wold start drifting away. I switched over to non-GPS and regained control, then switched back and it was fine for a couple of minutes then same thing. I tried to calibrate but I was getting compass calibration issues. I went out in my backyard today where there was nothing around me but grass for 100-200 feet or so. Made sure I had no metal on me and had my dad hit the compass calibration button for me when I did the calibration dance. I tried it 5-6 times and it is still showing a compass calibration error message.

I went ahead and sent it into the air to see what would happen, and same thing, compass error messages and the GPS dropping in and out. I live out in the country in Indiana, so not sure why the compass couldnt calibrate. Here are my questions:

1. Any suggestions? This is the 2nd place I have tried to calibrate with issues.

2. How far away from metal do I really have to be? There is literally metal everywhere.

Another question. I don't use auto landing hardly ever, but I noticed when I did, the landing is pretty rough. My old P3S would decent, hover, then decent further and land. This one just heads down and slams into the ground pretty hard, jarring the entire unit and gimbal. Any thoughts?

I have the same thing happening to me, I have followed Ian Woods "Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer" to the letter I get the solid green lights thro' 360 and flashing green thro' the vertical axis. When I fly I get compass error......it does'nt give me a lot of confidence.

 

[AustrianOak82]

I have the same thing happening to me, I have followed Ian Woods "Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer" to the letter I get the solid green lights thro' 360 and flashing green thro' the vertical axis. When I fly I get compass error......it does'nt give me a lot of confidence.

I get the solid green light at the end of the horizontal rotation, then when I tip it down for the 2nd round, the green lights turn off and don't ever turn back on. I am left with just the front red ones. Which confused me because I have no way of knowing when I am done.

 

[flyNfrank]

I get the solid green light at the end of the horizontal rotation, then when I tip it down for the 2nd round, the green lights turn off and don't ever turn back on. I am left with just the front red ones. Which confused me because I have no way of knowing when I am done.

Where are you in Indiana, maybe in a worse case scenario I could help as I'm also located in the Hoosier state?

In the meantime, due to the seriousness you really should not fly the aircraft. If you choose to ignore this suggestion, then you should prepare for havoc because you will likely have it.

Think of what is the tallest structure in a 10 mile radius around the Home Point and set your RTH height accordingly.

 

[BudWalker]

Remote: 1.8.0
Firmware: 1.9.0
DJI GO: 3.0.1

I got my P3A a couple of weeks ago from DJI direct. A few days ago I was flying and started getting compass error messages. When they popped up, it wold start drifting away. I switched over to non-GPS and regained control, then switched back and it was fine for a couple of minutes then same thing. I tried to calibrate but I was getting compass calibration issues. I went out in my backyard today where there was nothing around me but grass for 100-200 feet or so. Made sure I had no metal on me and had my dad hit the compass calibration button for me when I did the calibration dance. I tried it 5-6 times and it is still showing a compass calibration error message.

I went ahead and sent it into the air to see what would happen, and same thing, compass error messages and the GPS dropping in and out. I live out in the country in Indiana, so not sure why the compass couldnt calibrate. Here are my questions:

1. Any suggestions? This is the 2nd place I have tried to calibrate with issues.

2. How far away from metal do I really have to be? There is literally metal everywhere.

Another question. I don't use auto landing hardly ever, but I noticed when I did, the landing is pretty rough. My old P3S would decent, hover, then decent further and land. This one just heads down and slams into the ground pretty hard, jarring the entire unit and gimbal. Any thoughts?

This isn't right. You should send your P3 to DJI for repair. You've had 5-6 comp cal failures with no apparent cause. Even if you did manage to get it calibrated it would be marginal at best and likely to fail on the next comp cal.

 

[BudWalker]

A couple of months ago I opined that occasional mid-flight compass errors could be attributed to false positives. I've had two of these and have seen them in other flights that I've looked at. What worries me is that I'm seeing posts advising pilots that all kinds of compass errors aren't a problem because they are probably a false positive.

To be clear my theory about false positive compass errors doesn't include these situations:
1) A compass error close to the ground
2) Compass errors that happen often. If it's been less than 10 or 15 flights since the last mid-flight compass error that's a problem.
3) Unexplained compass calibration errors.

A compass error occurring immediately after launch is a serious problem. The AC probably has an incorrect heading value. The flight should be terminated immediately. And, under no circumstance, should an RTH be initiated.

 

[JohnC]

Faulty compass, replace the compass PCB in the RH leg will most likely solve these issues, there was a spate of these recently, possible faulty batch!

The PCB is easier to replace than sending it to DJI and if you can solder it can be done in about 30 mins without opening the drone. Other wise you will need to split the shells and change it.

 

[flyNfrank]

Faulty compass, replace the compass PCB in the RH leg will most likely solve these issues, there was a spate of these recently, possible faulty batch!

The PCB is easier to replace than sending it to DJI and if you can solder it can be done in about 30 mins without opening the drone. Other wise you will need to split the shells and change it.

How do you come to the conclusion it's the compass parts in the leg that needs replaced?

 

[JohnC]

It's the place to start, the compass pcb is located behind a small cover at the base of the RH leg, if you are getting random compass errors it's the place to start if you can't get it to calibrate.

If you can get it calibrated and you fly in open space and get compass errors replace it, it's cheap and most likely the issue, that's all.