3 options max

If you don't fly or keep your Spark near ferromagnetic or induction stuff and you don't change the continents.... one good calibration should last lifetime of the Spark. Emphasis on GOOD one.

I used to have my Spark in the rear-seat of my car...
Probably close to speakers.. not perfect.

Hello and good day. Thank you for reaching out. You need to calibrate the compass of your drone on the following scenarios. First, when the DJI Go 4 application prompts that the compass needs to be calibrated, the drone’s compass has suffered from interference as the aircraft was turned on in a place where there is magnetic interference. Make sure to fly the aircraft in an open area free of interference. Second, is when powering on the drone, ensure that the aircraft is at a standstill. If there is interference or the aircraft is powered on during movement, the compass’s orientation may be altered, and then re-calibration is needed. And third ensure the flight stability, the application will prompt you to calibrate the compass when there is a need. Please follow the application and calibrate it. Thank you for your support.

In 8 months I never had to calibrate again

DJI Stephen Posted at 2-19 09:54
Hello and good day. Thank you for reaching out. You need to calibrate the compass of your drone on the following scenarios. First, when the DJI Go 4 application prompts that the compass needs to be calibrated, the drone’s compass has suffered from interference as the aircraft was turned on in a place where there is magnetic interference. Make sure to fly the aircraft in an open area free of interference. Second, is when powering on the drone, ensure that the aircraft is at a standstill. If there is interference or the aircraft is powered on during movement, the compass’s orientation may be altered, and then re-calibration is needed. And third ensure the flight stability, the application will prompt you to calibrate the compass when there is a need. Please follow the application and calibrate it. Thank you for your support.

thank you!

set my new username Posted at 2-19 10:25
thank you!

If you have any question or concern feel free to reach us back. Thank you for your support.

DJI Stephen Posted at 2-19 09:54
Hello and good day. Thank you for reaching out. You need to calibrate the compass of your drone on the following scenarios. First, when the DJI Go 4 application prompts that the compass needs to be calibrated, the drone’s compass has suffered from interference as the aircraft was turned on in a place where there is magnetic interference. Make sure to fly the aircraft in an open area free of interference. Second, is when powering on the drone, ensure that the aircraft is at a standstill. If there is interference or the aircraft is powered on during movement, the compass’s orientation may be altered, and then re-calibration is needed. And third ensure the flight stability, the application will prompt you to calibrate the compass when there is a need. Please follow the application and calibrate it. Thank you for your support.

Best answer I've read about the subject!
Thank you

Besides obvious preflight compass errors anytime you travel long distance it’s a good idea to recalibrate. Otherwise you don’t have to do it every time. But do check status indicators.

Haggi Posted at 2-19 12:08
Best answer I've read about the subject!
Thank you

You are very much welcome Haggi. It is my pleasure to help. Have a safe and happy flying always.

I must admit that I have never calibrated my Sparks compass. However, it is less than a year old and I have only flown it within a 300km area.

Only calibrated it when I first bought it a 18 months ago.  I have not calibrated it since.  Flew it in my area at a few parks, trails, and to check my neighbor's farm house gutters.  And I took 1200 miles away to video an alligators in Florida.  It flew fine but I do watch for the spark icon on the screen to be pointing the right way compared to me and the spark when I first launch it.

DJI Stephen Posted at 2-19 09:54
Hello and good day. Thank you for reaching out. You need to calibrate the compass of your drone on the following scenarios. First, when the DJI Go 4 application prompts that the compass needs to be calibrated, the drone’s compass has suffered from interference as the aircraft was turned on in a place where there is magnetic interference. Make sure to fly the aircraft in an open area free of interference. Second, is when powering on the drone, ensure that the aircraft is at a standstill. If there is interference or the aircraft is powered on during movement, the compass’s orientation may be altered, and then re-calibration is needed. And third ensure the flight stability, the application will prompt you to calibrate the compass when there is a need. Please follow the application and calibrate it. Thank you for your support.

Hi Stephen,

As a newbie, I'd like to ask what may seem an obvious question:

How does DJI GO 4 tell you that the compass needs calibrating?

When I turn on the drone, control box, and DJI GO on my iPad, the status listing for Compass has an adjacent clickable box that says "calibrate."  Does that mean the compass needs attention?  Or is there a more conspicuous indication (like a red warning message on the top row of the display near the GPS bar graph)?

Thanks.

Never, so far.

think of your Spark or any drone you buy  , most are built and programmed in Japan or china and shipped to you  . you take that first flight every thing works perfect and flight after flight no change in performance . then you start to read the forums and every one tells us calibrate when you go 50 miles from  where you normally fly . i don't think we have too . as it states in the DJI Spark manual only do a compass calibration when asked to calibrate your compass .  i have a few drones and i wont calibrate unless asked too . now don't do what i say do what you think is best for you .
fly safe

NRRTRAINS 85 Posted at 3-2 18:03
think of your Spark or any drone you buy  , most are built and programmed in Japan or china and shipped to you  . you take that first flight every thing works perfect and flight after flight no change in performance . then you start to read the forums and every one tells us calibrate when you go 50 miles from  where you normally fly . i don't think we have too . as it states in the DJI Spark manual only do a compass calibration when asked to calibrate your compass .  i have a few drones and i wont calibrate unless asked too . now don't do what i say do what you think is best for you .
fly safe

thanks for your thoughts

Only the one time that I was initially setting up the Spark. Despite flying in different parts of the UK, I've never had to perform another calibration routine.

Voted for "whenever DJI GO4 prompts me to" but I have never got that prompt till date. About 120 flights and 13 hours of flight time completed.

Only one time in 2017, when I bought Spark, but I calibrate compass of smartphone every time before flying.

I went for option 1. Although, that hasn't happened, yet.

As a general rule, what's not wrong is not to fix it! We will only calibrate if DJGO4 asks for this, but not immediately, because it may be because it has a magnetic disturbance in that location. If you calibrate at this wrong location, the calibration will be wrong. If the DJGO4 indicates, try to go there if you indicate a faulty compass there, only calibrate it!

Once in one year!

See support request 2144444. Apparently the Mavic 2 requires compass calibration every flight after a day without usage when flying in the same location. The Mavic 2 does not have this requirement.

With the Mavic 2 you can force a take-off but w/ the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 you can't even dust-off.

AntDX316 Posted at 6-12 02:53
With the Mavic 2 you can force a take-off but w/ the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 you can't even dust-off.

How often do you calibrate?

AJC-W Posted at 6-12 05:08
How often do you calibrate?

I don't calibrate the M2Z anymore and just take-off on the spot.  The P4, I calibrate before taking off otherwise it won't take-off.  When I'm over a garage or something, of course, I won't calibrate there.  Sometimes the only idea would be to travel somewhere else and fly it in.  Anything within 800m is pretty much ok so sometimes you need to do some satellite image searching then measure the distance.

AntDX316 Posted at 6-12 05:16
I don't calibrate the M2Z anymore and just take-off on the spot.  The P4, I calibrate before taking off otherwise it won't take-off.  When I'm over a garage or something, of course, I won't calibrate there.  Sometimes the only idea would be to travel somewhere else and fly it in.  Anything within 800m is pretty much ok so sometimes you need to do some satellite image searching then measure the distance.

Ah, I see. Yeah, I only calibrate when the app tells me too on my M2P

AJC-W Posted at 6-12 05:20
Ah, I see. Yeah, I only calibrate when the app tells me too on my M2P

You don't really need to calibrate w/ the M2Z.  I just take-off lol.  On the boardwalk obviously, there is iron and stuff.  Once it passes that area it's good.  I just got scared of all the horror stories about the P4s flying out of control but the fact you cannot even take off until you calibrate or move away to a better area makes it impossible to find out.  Looking at the compass.. its 2 digits and in the green!  Still, it says calibrate or move away.

AntDX316 Posted at 6-12 05:22
You don't really need to calibrate w/ the M2Z.  I just take-off lol.  On the boardwalk obviously, there is iron and stuff.  Once it passes that area it's good.  I just got scared of all the horror stories about the P4s flying out of control but the fact you cannot even take off until you calibrate or move away to a better area makes it impossible to find out.  Looking at the compass.. its 2 digits and in the green!  Still, it says calibrate or move away.

I'd never take off with a red bar in the app - always ensure the drone is fit for flight before take off and that you take off in a sound area.

AJC-W Posted at 6-12 05:25
I'd never take off with a red bar in the app - always ensure the drone is fit for flight before take off and that you take off in a sound area.

The Compass 2 is VPS or something on the Mavic 2 so it's ok.

If everything is okay on take-off, what should be calibrated? If not, then calibration is not the first thing to do, but you should make sure that the environment is not causing the confusion. If the environment causes it, it will be calibrated at that location to create an incorrect setting. Then, after getting out of the bad environment, the compass can go crazy.

I originally calibrated each time before I flew but now only when and if the App prompts me to...

I think you have to calibrate your compass when you are about to fly on a new location on which the weather is different.

daffy13 Posted at 7-18 03:42
I think you have to calibrate your compass when you are about to fly on a new location on which the weather is different.

Hey daffy13,

Weather is not a factor here. Difference in earth magnetic field properties in various places on the globe may be.

Having said that, as a precaution, I used to calibrate compass when travelling long distances. But than, when I did not, it seemed not to matter. Of course it does not prove or disprove if you should or should not calibrate. DJI advises to calibrate DJI Mavic Air compass when moving large distances but they omit this advise for Spark. Why? Compass is a compass. Especially for drones so close in technology. So I used to calibrate Spark following Mavic Air advice figuring they just missed it in Spark's manual by mistake.

These days I just watch my Spark's behaviour and DJI GO display. If DJI Go says calibrate (happened to me maybe once or twice) I calibrate. If Spark behaves erratically or displays errors for no apparent reason I calibrate even though DJI GO may say all is OK. It is rare though.

In my opinion, better safe than sorry. But if you do decide to calibrate, make sure to do it absolutely right (away from any interference, away form magnetic and metallic objects and very, very slowly). Otherwise the cure may be worse than no cure :-).

Mirek

Mirek6 Posted at 7-18 11:26
Hey daffy13,

Weather is not a factor here. Difference in earth magnetic field properties in various places on the globe may be.

Yeah I completely aggree. That's what I do also! When the software says something it's better doing that instead of later regreting that!

My Spark hardly ever gets a compass calibration, my Mavic Air, now that’s a totally different story.....

I originally would calibrate my compass and recommend to each time before you fly, but now rarely do I ever calibrate the compass unless either the application instructs me to or the drone when flying straight forward has been crabbing to one direction

AntDX316 Posted at 6-12 05:37
The Compass 2 is VPS or something on the Mavic 2 so it's ok.

The Mavic 2 series uses a vision compass (which is not the vision positioning system BTW) but that it still subject to interference as all compasses are - if you travel a long distance between flight locations or take off near ferromagnetic interference &/or large metal objects is will still misalign the compass.

You should always carry out a pre flight check list of the drone and at least checking the compass reading should be part of that. If the reading is not excellent you need to move locations or, if in an open area, calibrate when the app tells you to (ensuring you are far away from interference and metal objects to ensure a good calibration which is why you should never calibrate the compass indoors).

Whilst they have significantly improved over the years the compass in any DJI drone is still not 100% - the Mavic 2 is no exception and I have had to calibrate my M2P compass more than once on long distance trips.

All the time, wherever, whenever, Before every flight, During the flight, In the Shower, etc.

Never. I repeat - I have never calibrated the compass of my Spark.