My company owns a Phantom 4 Pro V2 for surveying its inventory, recently I was surveying our pile in Port Newark and ran into an issue where I could not keep the compass calibrated. When I first booted the drone up, I had to calibrate the compass as I normally do, I would then do a quick test hover using the DJI app. Typically after that, I would land, lanch map pilot pro and it will survey the site. However when I landed the compass would be out of calibration. It went on like this multiple times. Eventually, I got it to hold a calibration, launched the drone on the map pilot route but multiple times it lost compass calibration and I needed to manually override and land it. I couldn't get it to keep a calibration prior to the expiration of my LAANC with Newark ATC and couldn't complete my survey of the site.

I am assuming the issue is the fact Port Newark is a huge container port, would that cause all the interference? We operate in other ports with metal structures, cranes etc but this was by far and away the most containers I operated around.

See attached for the site I as trying to survey. As you can see there are a lot of containers, cranes and other metal objects in the area. I requsted the LAANC up to 250ft (76.2 meters), should I try to fly higher so there is less interference or is this site just a no go with that much material around? TIA.

Hello. The main factors affecting the drones’ GPS signals are environmental barriers, signal interference, and hardware malfunction. GPS calibrationg needs to work in an open outdoor space. If you're still experiencing the issue, we recommend moving to a different area to try. If signal searching still fails after moving to a different open area and waiting for a few minutes, it is recommended to get the aircraft repaired. Have a great day.

DJI Tony Posted at 2-2 21:26
Hello, the main factors affecting the drones’ GPS signals are environmental barriers, signal interference, and hardware malfunction. GPS calibration needs to work in an open outdoor space. If you're still experiencing the issue, we recommend moving to a different area to try. If signal searching still fails after moving to a different open area and waiting for a few minutes, it is recommended to get the aircraft repaired. Have a great day.

Uhhhh, reassure me, aren't you in the wrong thread?  If you're not a bot, you're at least under the influence.

To find out if it is a technical problem with the drone, test it in a different area, far from any metal objects.  

But at 76m there is no reason for the compass to be disturbed by containers on the ground.  

Except !  if you did the calibration procedure really too close to its containers. Be careful to metal in concrete floor as well.

LV_Forestry Posted at 2-2 23:11
To find out if it is a technical problem with the drone, test it in a different area, far from any metal objects.  

But at 76m there is no reason for the compass to be disturbed by containers on the ground.  

So I am reading it isn't normal to have to calibrate the compass almost every time I fly. Granted the vast majority of the time the drone is used is at marine port facilities that are hundreds of miles apart. The location is almost always a rebar concrete slab. What can I do to avoid this issue, very rarely is there any green space adjunct.

djiuser_guhEpXFwqw2M Posted at 2-3 09:23
So I am reading it isn't normal to have to calibrate the compass almost every time I fly. Granted the vast majority of the time the drone is used is at marine port facilities that are hundreds of miles apart. The location is almost always a rebar concrete slab. What can I do to avoid this issue, very rarely is there any green space adjunct.

From my experience and from what the other members of the forum have contributed, Labroides in the lead, very knowledgable on the subject of the compass, The M2 ranges and certain P4s have some weird program that every time you move away from more than 50km from the last take-off point, it asks you to calibrate the compass.

There you go, it's factual, it's irrefutable, I have in my fleet M2 pro/zoom and Phantom 4 multispectral, they all have this behavior, no matter if you use GSpro or pilot or UGCS...

Still from my experience, if you start from a concrete surface with a metal frame, it's guaranteed, shortly after takeoff, there will be a compass error.

There was a time for an XP in the middle of the peat bogs where the roads are made of reinforced concrete, I used a 1m +/- wooden stool to move the drone away from the concrete frames during takeoff. What's tricky is the automatic landing, but you don't care, land manually on the concrete.

The important thing is to hold the drone as high as possible when you do your calibration, and not put it back near the metal.

LV_Forestry Posted at 2-3 09:44
From my experience and from what the other members of the forum have contributed, Labroides in the lead, very knowledgable on the subject of the compass, The M2 ranges and certain P4s have some weird program that every time you move away from more than 50km from the last take-off point, it asks you to calibrate the compass.

There you go, it's factual, it's irrefutable, I have in my fleet M2 pro/zoom and Phantom 4 multispectral, they all have this behavior, no matter if you use GSpro or pilot or UGCS...
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Gotcha, another forum some mentioned trying to launch from the pile, which is salt to insulate from the concrete. I will try that and the bar stool idea. If I got with a bar stool, I am assuming the small pocket screws in the frame won't cause an issue? I won't think so but figured I would ask. Thanks everyone.

djiuser_guhEpXFwqw2M Posted at 2-3 10:22
Gotcha, another forum some mentioned trying to launch from the pile, which is salt to insulate from the concrete. I will try that and the bar stool idea. If I got with a bar stool, I am assuming the small pocket screws in the frame won't cause an issue? I won't think so but figured I would ask. Thanks everyone.

The stool I used is 100% metal free, I made it myself.  With wood glue and assemblies.  But I don't think a screw or four will have the power to magnetize the compass.  

From the pile!  This is the worst idea ever!

Already because you have to climb on the pile with all the risks that this entails.  Then if the pile is made of granular, dusty, or in short abrasive, materials, there will be a significant reduction in the lifespan of the motors.

In the peat bog I could also have taken off the drone from the part not stabilized by concrete.  But I quickly noticed the dust emitted during takeoff which got everywhere.  until you get a “battery incorrectly inserted” error.

Actually looking around my shed I have a stackable toolbox set that might be perfect. The whole thing appears to be made out of plastic. Thanks.