Hey guys.
Bought myself a toy. Phantom 4 pro obsidian. Becide its almost impossible to get extra batteries I have one more problem with it.. It doesnt hover in place. It loses altitude. Then go back up. Go front or back, but it just doesnt stand at place which makes me angry as I am mainly using it to take still photos... Any advices? would appreciate any..
Thanx!

Are you sure its not in atti mode if it is then that would explian why its moving around. To get stable flight and hover in one spot it should be in p mode
Have you tried sellecting tripod mode for your photos.

If you are using p mode then you need to check that you have gps signal lock and that the home point has been set by the drone.
You should have at least 13 gps signals before taking off this is a safe number of satellites to give a good fix on your location.
If you cant get a gps fix then the drone will automatically revert to visuall flight mode esentially this is the same as atti mode.

Atti mode if your not aware is short for attitude mode.
Essentially what this means is that the drone does not rely on gps signals to maintain its relative horizontal position in any given direction and is very susceptible to slight gusts of wind. It will or should however maintain a reasonably steady altitude using the built in barometer but the drone can and will move around quit a bit especially if its even slightly windy.

Please follow the advice above. If your drone receive weak GPS signal, it may enter atti mode and find it hard to hover in place. Or you can try to calibrate your compass before flight and check the performance.

Hellsgate Posted at 2017-11-21 02:28
If you are using p mode then you need to check that you have gps signal lock and that the home point has been set by the drone.
You should have at least 13 gps signals before taking off this is a safe number of satellites to give a good fix on your location.
If you cant get a gps fix then the drone will automatically revert to visuall flight mode esentially this is the same as atti mode.

visuall flight mode is also very stable and hovers just like with gps with good signal...

mj360 how was the weather in this moment, any strong winds? number of gps satellites, point of take-off and any metals close to the drone?

Vendex Posted at 2017-11-21 02:48
visuall flight mode is also very stable and hovers just like with gps with good signal...

I try and avoid using visual flight mode and have only had experience with previous drones ( non dji)
How does visual flight mode hold its position in dji drones?
Even if this were the case it still apears to me that the drone is missing gps lock to establish its position and reverting to atti mode.
This may be due to incorrect switch position or obstructions blocking the gps signal.

If you are trying to hover low over an unsuitable surface, you can make things difficult for the VPS and it will look like it can't hover properly when the actual problem is that the VPS can't lock on to the ground properly.
Unsuitable surfaces are those without a definite texture or pattern or poor lighting situations.
Try hovering higher than 10 metres or over a suitable surface and see if that solves the issue.

Thanks for the info, I already did whats written except calibration. Were no wind at all. Had 15 satellites. P mode. It was moving up and down, going frontwards. I took it inside the house. No satellite, no wind. was same ups and downs. By the way no difference if its 1,5m above the ground or 15. Still the same ups and downs... I will try to calibrate it again if that helps. But dont think that could be compass as compass is nothing to with altitude.

Can you please provide us with a video of the drone doing this taken with your phone or other device also flight logs can you please upload these as they may show evidence of what maybe causing this to happen.

You can upload your log files here
http://www.phantomhelp.com/logviewer/upload/
Some of the guys here are very very good at reading these logs and may be able to give a better explanation as to what may be causing this to happen

Post your log file in here once you have it
Also a copy of video if you can

mj360 Posted at 2017-11-21 03:26
Thanks for the info, I already did whats written except calibration. Were no wind at all. Had 15 satellites. P mode. It was moving up and down, going frontwards. I took it inside the house. No satellite, no wind. was same ups and downs. By the way no difference if its 1,5m above the ground or 15. Still the same ups and downs... I will try to calibrate it again if that helps. But dont think that could be compass as compass is nothing to with altitude.

Try calibrating the IMU if you have tried suggestions already made, that will have some bearing on stability. Remember as well there will  likely be some slight movement in all directions. The expected accuracy is given in the Spec'. The compass should really just be one good calibration (in an open area not close to any ferrous structures, pipes, power cables etc), after that there really should be no need to recalibrate compass.

Edit:-

You could also try a VPS calibration, which is done using DJI Assistant 2 on a PC or Mac.


Regarding calibrations in general there are a total of five that could be done IMU, Gimbal, VPS sensors, Compass (only when requested by App') and RC sticks.

Since I've taken mine out of the box, I've never had to calibrate the IMU at all, actually from what I recall, not even the compass (shows clearly the correct direction). I suspect the OP, probably has it in Atti-mode or hovering to close to the ground.  The mode position button is so small it's easy to click in the wrong position.

Did you calibrate the compass? Here is my experience. I received my Obsidian 3 weeks ago.  When I turned it on for the first time I received a compass warning and it then vanished on its own. Mistakenly I thought that the compass had adjusted to my location. I Must mention that I never received another compass error. When I put it in the air for the first time it was dancing all over the place, almost into the house and then some trees. I immediately brought it up to avoid any objects and fought for control of it. Fortunately I have been flying for a good amount of years now and always practice in Attitude Mode. After a few minutes I finally got it to a safe clearing and made a nice soft landing. I have never had a control problem like that before. I had come to the conclusion that it was a compass error that was causing all of the wild uncontrolled motions. There are different forces at work here. There are the in accurate compass headings from not doing a Compass Calibration and you have accurate compass headings from the GPS signals. They are fighting each other therefore all of the uncontrolled motions. I did a compass calibration and put it back up and it was and still is steady as a rock even in a good gust of wind. Give a calibration a try and remember that the compass' are very sensitive to any metal right down to a small nail. Do the calibration by rotating your Obsidian in front of you to keep in in the same spot. In closing, the Obsidian is not a Toy.

Hellsgate Posted at 2017-11-21 03:02
I try and avoid using visual flight mode and have only had experience with previous drones ( non dji)
How does visual flight mode hold its position in dji drones?
Even if this were the case it still apears to me that the drone is missing gps lock to establish its position and reverting to atti mode.

It "see" trough VPS cameras, calculates distance etc... ofcourse when it's inside it needs enough light for that.

Rodger8 Posted at 2017-11-21 06:13
Did you calibrate the compass? Here is my experience. I received my Obsidian 3 weeks ago.  When I turned it on for the first time I received a compass warning and it then vanished on its own. Mistakenly I thought that the compass had adjusted to my location. I Must mention that I never received another compass error. When I put it in the air for the first time it was dancing all over the place, almost into the house and then some trees. I immediately brought it up to avoid any objects and fought for control of it. Fortunately I have been flying for a good amount of years now and always practice in Attitude Mode. After a few minutes I finally got it to a safe clearing and made a nice soft landing. I have never had a control problem like that before. I had come to the conclusion that it was a compass error that was causing all of the wild uncontrolled motions. There are different forces at work here. There are the in accurate compass headings from not doing a Compass Calibration and you have accurate compass headings from the GPS signals. They are fighting each other therefore all of the uncontrolled motions. I did a compass calibration and put it back up and it was and still is steady as a rock even in a good gust of wind. Give a calibration a try and remember that the compass' are very sensitive to any metal right down to a small nail. Do the calibration by rotating your Obsidian in front of you to keep in in the same spot. In closing, the Obsidian is not a Toy.

The most likely explanation for this is that you had the Phantom on a surface very close to something steel - like reinforced concrete.
Normally there should be no need to ever calibrate the compass.

Labroides Posted at 2017-11-21 15:24
The most likely explanation for this is that you had the Phantom on a surface very close to something steel - like reinforced concrete.
Normally there should be no need to ever calibrate the compass.

It was new from China to the U.S. of course it had to be calibrated!

Rodger8 Posted at 2017-11-21 18:42
It was new from China to the U.S. of course it had to be calibrated!

Can you find where it recommends this in the manual?  (I can't)
If it was that important I'm sure they would have it in there somewhere.

And because it's not in the manual (and because I understand how the compass works), I haven't ever calibrated the compass of either of mine and they fly straight and true.

Labroides Posted at 2017-11-21 20:55
Can you find where it recommends this in the manual?  (I can't)
If it was that important I'm sure they would have it in there somewhere.

You don't know what you are talking about. I hope that no one is influenced by your words. As far as the manual goes look at the Manual update that DJI has done here under "Aircraft Status" The first line. STOP BOTHERING ME!

Rodger8 Posted at 2017-11-22 04:26
You don't know what you are talking about. I hope that no one is influenced by your words. As far as the manual goes look at the Manual update that DJI has done here under "Aircraft Status" The first line. STOP BOTHERING ME!

As far as the manual goes look at the Manual update that DJI has done here under "Aircraft Status" The first line

Roger, I can't work out what you are trying to say.
Can you can you explain what it is I should look at and where to find it?

Vendex Posted at 2017-11-21 02:48
visuall flight mode is also very stable and hovers just like with gps with good signal...

... depending on how good (varied) is the ground below. Asphalt or grass, for instance, aere not good when using the downward vision system...

Antonio76 Posted at 2017-11-22 12:17
... depending on how good (varied) is the ground below. Asphalt or grass, for instance, aere not good when using the downward vision system...

Understood and thank you very much for that information

Labroides Posted at 2017-11-22 06:23
As far as the manual goes look at the Manual update that DJI has done here under "Aircraft Status" The first line

Roger, I can't work out what you are trying to say.

Just go to the DJI Tutorials. The Gentleman was asking for input, which I gave my experience to him which you unsolicited criticized as usual. No one asked you to express your thoughts as to my remark. He wanted help, which I tried to give, You interjected as usual with your uninformed comments and unsolicited. You make these comments in an attempt to grab your 2 points, why, I have no idea. You have driven and insulted new users of this forum. You are uninformed and very abrasive. Very immature, I might add. I look at your points which you have gained in months compared to our years. I look at your distance which is triple of us that have been here for years. I think that you drive around with your device in your vehicle. You are an immature insulting PHONY! I have asked you politely many times not to bother me. Enough is enough, you can play you point and insult;t game, you have never made any contributions other than negative and insulting. I AM OUT OF HERE, DON'T NEED YOUR AGGRAVATION!!

Rodger8 Posted at 2017-11-22 18:15
Just go to the DJI Tutorials. The Gentleman was asking for input, which I gave my experience to him which you unsolicited criticized as usual. No one asked you to express your thoughts as to my remark. He wanted help, which I tried to give, You interjected as usual with your uninformed comments and unsolicited. You make these comments in an attempt to grab your 2 points, why, I have no idea. You have driven and insulted new users of this forum. You are uninformed and very abrasive. Very immature, I might add. I look at your points which you have gained in months compared to our years. I look at your distance which is triple of us that have been here for years. I think that you drive around with your device in your vehicle. You are an immature insulting PHONY! I have asked you politely many times not to bother me. Enough is enough, you can play you point and insult;t game, you have never made any contributions other than negative and insulting. I AM OUT OF HERE, DON'T NEED YOUR AGGRAVATION!!

' I look at your distance which is triple of us that have been here for years. I think that you drive around with your device in your vehicle. You are an immature insulting PHONY! I have asked you politely many times not to bother me. Enough is enough, you can play you point and insult;t game, you have never made any contributions other than negative and insulting. I AM OUT OF HERE, DON'T NEED YOUR AGGRAVATION!!'

Yes, I imagine he does drive around with his Phantom(s) in his car, it is part of how he earns a living. And if you were privy to his body of work, you would see he is very good at what he does.

Rodger8 Posted at 2017-11-22 18:15
Just go to the DJI Tutorials. The Gentleman was asking for input, which I gave my experience to him which you unsolicited criticized as usual. No one asked you to express your thoughts as to my remark. He wanted help, which I tried to give, You interjected as usual with your uninformed comments and unsolicited. You make these comments in an attempt to grab your 2 points, why, I have no idea. You have driven and insulted new users of this forum. You are uninformed and very abrasive. Very immature, I might add. I look at your points which you have gained in months compared to our years. I look at your distance which is triple of us that have been here for years. I think that you drive around with your device in your vehicle. You are an immature insulting PHONY! I have asked you politely many times not to bother me. Enough is enough, you can play you point and insult;t game, you have never made any contributions other than negative and insulting. I AM OUT OF HERE, DON'T NEED YOUR AGGRAVATION!!

Thank you Roger for sharing your opinion so we get an idea where you're coming from.
Your information about me is about as poor as your understanding of how the compass works.
Suggesting that I'm uninformed is a long way short of the mark.

I look at your points which you have gained in months compared to our years. I look at your distance which is triple of us that have been here for years.
Yes... I've only been here for 30-something months but I was flying Phantoms for some time before that.  The distance you see is only part of my total as I use my drones for mapping and waypoint missions that don't get added to the total and I also have many flights that haven't been synched.

You have never made any contributions other than negative.
So you've not noticed all the newbies problems and questions to which I provide correct information, the lost Phantoms I've found and mystery flight incidents I investigate to find what went wrong so all can learn from them.

I'm sorry you feel bothered by me but there's not much I can do about it.

I see something vague about the compass in the Tutorial section but nothing of any substance.
DJI manuals used to have very poor and misleading compass information that caused Phantom owners to mistakenly believe they needed to recalibrate their compass frequently.
Most DJI manuals have now been updated to tell you that you don't ever need to calibrate the compass (unless the app tells you to).
The P4 manual has the new wording but disappointingly also has some of the old wording a page or two later.  The other manuals don't.

I stand by what I said about the compass.
Normally there is no need to ever recalibrate the compass, even with a brand new Phantom right out of the box.
If there was, DJI would mention that in the manual (and as far as I can see they don't even in the Tutorial).