why wont my compass calibrate?

[Fir3b1rd]

Can the compass discriminate against the disabled? Haha

This is gonna win the razzle for dumb question of year.
I have a standard and because of its limitation on distance and me being a freak I haven't flown it out of eyesight.
So, I got the advanced knowing its capable of flying so much further. I took it to the park with the intent of testing litchi; and, I couldn't get the gosh darn compass to calibrate. The standard never gave me an issue, but this thing had me so aggravated I just flew it in eyesight; because, I was already out.

Here is the question, could my wheelchair be causing the compass not to calibrate? Its a manual chair not electric. and if it is any idea on a way around the issue? (and getting out of the chair isn't an option)

 

[msinger]

That would most definitely be an issue -- unless your wheelchair is not made of metal. Have a friend help you calibrate the compass. Once done, you won't need to do it again until traveling quite a distance to a new flying location.

 

[Fir3b1rd]

That would most definitely be an issue -- unless your wheelchair is not made of metal. Have a friend help you calibrate the compass. Once done, you won't need to do it again until traveling quite a distance to a new flying location.

Oh crap... thank you
there goes spontaneously going for a flight.

 

[alokbhargava]

Wheel chair may not have any impact if it is 15-20' away during calibration.

Magnetics will behave the same way for all, it sees only magnetic materials and not human being.

 

[TheRealNick]

Could you calibrate fine with the standard? I don't think it should be any different....

 

[Fir3b1rd]

Could you calibrate fine with the standard? I don't think it should be any different....

I did calibrate the standard..... at least it said I did.

Wheel chair may not have any impact if it is 15-20' away during calibration.

Magnetics will behave the same way for all, it sees only magnetic materials and not human being.

I would love to be 15-20ft away from the chair.... you have no idea!
Haha

 

[Sinisalo]

Do what Ron Popeil says to do with his electric food dehydrator, "Set it and forget it". I would just ask a friend or even passerby to help with the calibration and then don't even worry about it again unless you travel far. If you are worried though you can check with this website to see if the magnetic declination of the location you calibrated at and the location you are traveling to is the same, if not then I would surely calibrate again.
NCEI Geomagnetic Calculators

 

[Meta4]

Oh crap... thank you
there goes spontaneously going for a flight.

There's no need to let that be a problem. You should be able to fly whenever you like.
Don't think you have to calibrate the compass every flight, because it's unnecessary.
More than unnecessary, it introduces the risk of a bad calibration which can create serious problems.
Just get a good calibration and keep it ... I go months between calibrating my compass.
This thread explains what compass calibration is all about and when it's really necessary: Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer | DJI Phantom Forum

 

[RedHotPoker]

If you have upper body mobility, you could try to hold it higher, like above your head, but that might make turning 360* difficult for you, with only one hand for moving your wheels. Getting a friend or passerby to assist you, might be your only option. But easily doable.
Hopefully you can do this soon, and get back to flying... ;-)

RedHotPoker

 

[snerd]

Calibrate it once with a friend's help. Then you do not have to do it again unless traveling over a hundred miles away. I have also gone months without re-calibrating. Good luck and have fun!!

 

[dbeavers]

I have access to a fair amount of open space but in this part of Texas we also have a lot of limonite deposits. Usually you can't see them so you never know. In essence in would be like standing on a lump of iron. I guess this is a part of why we calibrate?

Fir3b1rd made me think also about the hardware in my knees. Never considered it. I assume most if not all of it is non-ferrous but I don't really know. If you are supposed to rid your self of keys etc. before calibrating.

Just thinking out loud........

 

[bbfpv]

Oh crap... thank you
there goes spontaneously going for a flight.

What @Meta4 said. Unless you're traveling hundreds of miles between flights, 1 successful calibration is all you need. Now get out there and fly!

 

[flyNfrank]

Can the compass discriminate against the disabled? Haha

This is gonna win the razzle for dumb question of year.
I have a standard and because of its limitation on distance and me being a freak I haven't flown it out of eyesight.
So, I got the advanced knowing its capable of flying so much further. I took it to the park with the intent of testing litchi; and, I couldn't get the gosh darn compass to calibrate. The standard never gave me an issue, but this thing had me so aggravated I just flew it in eyesight; because, I was already out.

Here is the question, could my wheelchair be causing the compass not to calibrate? Its a manual chair not electric. and if it is any idea on a way around the issue? (and getting out of the chair isn't an option)

I'm disabled and so far had not problems calibrating the compass. Now this is not a necessity but I use a double turntable that rotates like a lazy susan plate. It performs the best possible calibration based on rotation. For the vertical turn I just lay the arms over the side and never have to worry where the props are located. I paid maybe $10 for it. You can under $5 and make one that's just a plate. Btw, my aircraft would not go up in the sky without a compass calibration 1st. I calibrate each fully charged battery just to play it safe.

 

[flyNfrank]

What @Meta4 said. Unless you're traveling hundreds of miles between flights, 1 successful calibration is all you need. Now get out there and fly!

I know I have mentioned this before, but the dji firmware beta engineer's said it should be done before each start and flight. It came up when they were asked why most of the time the calibrate compass appears in the app menu even if the a/c had been calibrated. And before thry responded another person asked if it needed to be done every flight, or not. Their response was what I mentioned in the 1st sentence. They were asked why it does not say to do that in the manual or any place else, and that it would be nice if it did. And......like other stuff they never responded back.

 

[bbfpv]

I know I have mentioned this before, but the dji firmware beta engineer's said it should be done before each start and flight. It came up when they were asked why most of the time the calibrate compass appears in the app menu even if the a/c had been calibrated. And before thry responded another person asked if it needed to be done every flight, or not. Their response was what I mentioned in the 1st sentence. They were asked why it does not say to do that in the manual or any place else, and that it would be nice if it did. And......like other stuff they never responded back.

Fair enough. All I can tell you is that I've flown in several locations in a 150 mile radius around my home and I've calibrated the compass once... right before my first flight in May.

 

[flyNfrank]

Fair enough. All I can tell you is that I've flown in several locations in a 150 mile radius around my home and I've calibrated the compass once... right before my first flight in May.

Well this is only speculation but I think they said it as a precautionary thing. There are different beta teams for different parts of the product, like the app for example. One might not trust the other which is why I mentioned it as "precautionary".

 

[robinb]

I have to say that having received a brand new phantom 3 all the way from china this week, its GPS was spot on.
No drift or stability issues.

First flight I did just with it in front of me to do a shake down, flew perfectly.

I did do a calibration before 2nd flight and longer range run but no difference.

 

[Fir3b1rd]

I'm disabled and so far had not problems calibrating the compass. Now this is not a necessity but I use a double turntable that rotates like a lazy susan plate. It performs the best possible calibration based on rotation. For the vertical turn I just lay the arms over the side and never have to worry where the props are located. I paid maybe $10 for it. You can under $5 and make one that's just a plate. Btw, my aircraft would not go up in the sky without a compass calibration 1st. I calibrate each fully charged battery just to play it safe.


View attachment 41470

this is an awesome idea!!!!!! thank you! I can just leave this in my truck.

 

[WetDog]

I'm disabled and so far had not problems calibrating the compass. Now this is not a necessity but I use a double turntable that rotates like a lazy susan plate. It performs the best possible calibration based on rotation. For the vertical turn I just lay the arms over the side and never have to worry where the props are located. I paid maybe $10 for it. You can under $5 and make one that's just a plate. Btw, my aircraft would not go up in the sky without a compass calibration 1st. I calibrate each fully charged battery just to play it safe.


View attachment 41470

That is an amazingly simple idea. Love it. Bonus points - buy a couple of dozen, get a decal that says "Phantom Compass Calibrator" and sell them for $50. Works for the propeller balancing folks....

 

[Fir3b1rd]

thank you all for the clarification. I was so under the impression that I had to go through the calibration process before every flight. - I'm learning from you tube- lol
going to get my buddy to calibrate it today and try litchi if the wind dies down.
this community has been an awesome help!