So, this morning I took the bird out and had a uneventful first flight.   No problems, high and low level flight taking some video.  My first battery ran low, so I brought "Phantom Menace" in to land and change batteries.

Changed the battery.  Compass calibrated again.   Then took off.   The below video is what happened.  Nothing exciting in the video.  But, if you watch closely there was a large amount of drift and I was barely able to control the bird.   I didn't panic.  But, it was very unsettling and quite difficult to get her down safely.   

Wind was between 08-12 knots.   And, in case you are wondering, I've done quite a few flights in/near the power lines in the video.   First battery flew without a hitch.   Second battery was a handful.

Is it possible the firmware can update differently between batteries?  That was the only difference between a successful flight and an erratic flight.

Comments/Suggestions?

Didnt seem that crazy to me but I am just going to say the obvious.  Just because you have flown near those powerlines before does not mean you should or that your never going to have some funkiness happen.  Second, just because you changed your battery does not mean you needed to recal your compass.  If you read on here there are quite a few people who seem to believe that unnecessary compass/imu calibrations may be causing some of the crashes.

MikeAngelo, did you try flying again in a location where there were no power lines to compare? Perhaps they were really causing the problem.

---

www.PhantomHelp.com
Find the latest must-haves, fixes, mods, how-tos, guides, and accessories for your Phantom.
Phantoms in stock and ready to ship worldwide! (see availability)

Phantom Help Posted at 2015-7-17 09:00
MikeAngelo, did you try flying again in a location where there were no power lines to compare? Perha ...

I'm about to fly a second flight using the same battery again, right now.  I'll let you know how it reacts.

MikeAngelo Posted at 2015-7-17 09:02
I'm about to fly a second flight using the same battery again, right now.  I'll let you know how i ...

Won't be battery. By all accounts you shouldn't need to calibrate your compass every flight and it's preferable not to if you are within 100miles (?) of your last good flight.

Looks like you were in ATTI or P-ATTI mode. Was that direction the drift of the wind? Did you get any warnings? Your flight replay tells you if mode was switched, I believe

ScottyT Posted at 2015-7-17 09:19
Won't be battery. By all accounts you shouldn't need to calibrate your compass every flight and it' ...

No.  Thanks.  I was in GPS mode at the time of the drift.

I've taken a second flight with the same battery and set up I had during this flight, and had no problems.  I guess it was the magnetic output from the power lines.  Strange.

Anyway, all was great with the next flight.   Enjoy the air, all!!

MikeAngelo Posted at 2015-7-17 10:15
No.  Thanks.  I was in GPS mode at the time of the drift.

I've taken a second flight with the sam ...

It is a firmware. I was filming power station and had no issues with 1.1.9. Now, right after update I have tons of stability issues with 1.2.6. Where is update DJI. where is RESET button?

In your video it looks like you've got a strong wind?  you're not moving that fast over ground, but the arms of the P3 are appearing in the image which would indicate a reasonable wind aloft?  The trees are moving a wee bit, but not much....  Just a thought.

kiwichrish Posted at 2015-7-17 12:39
In your video it looks like you've got a strong wind?  you're not moving that fast over ground, but  ...

I'm also a meteorologist.   It was 08-12 knots.  No gusts.

To be honest, I would never be happy with a compass calibration that near to the power towers. Do a clean calibration away from stuff like that then fly there again. I'm not saying tat the latest F/W does not have issues ( VPS is a cert ) but any issues with drift near power towers like that should not have the obvious ignored. Check the mods when flying to see their impact on the compas..

And no matter how many flight have been had with no issues near power transformers/stations/towers, it can and does cause issues and it can happen any time. Best to not calibrate compass near them even if you plan to flu there..

sploodge Posted at 2015-7-18 00:26
To be honest, I would never be happy with a compass calibration that near to the power towers. Do a  ...

Totally agree.    I have flown near those power lines previously with no issues.   But, have not flown along those power lines in that exact area.    If you look at the video, there is a power ground station near that particular location.   I'm thinking that may have been enough to be the problem.

With that said, I was on my second battery on this particular shoot.   The first battery flight had no noticeable problems, although there were some slight drift issues.

I flew a second flight later that evening (away from those lines) using the exact same set up with the secondary battery.    I had no issues at all.

For now, I'm going to chalk it up to the power station and power lines.   But, I have an odd feeling it's a weakness in the new firmware.

Stay tuned.