The other day I was out in my front yard, I launched the Phantom to 6 feet and hovered.  It then started making about a 6 foot diameter circle.  Slowly making a circle.  Seemed really odd.  I had just completed a compass calibration prior to launch.  I landed and ran the compass calibration again.  This time I launched and hovered and there was no movement.  Anyone experience this small circle hover?  My Phantom has been flawless since new, ordered on intro day.  (51 flights, 5 hours, 20,672 ft, pads used iPad Mini 2, Galaxy Note 4)

Since you re-calibrated in the same spot looks like the first attempt didn't take well.
I only calibrate my compass if I fly far far away from home. I know it's calibrated perfectly and I don't want to chance re-calibrating it at a new flying site and chance having metal around somewhere.

The only time I have experienced this, and it was exactly as you describe - take off, hover at about 10 feet, and the quad just slowly circled around the same spot.  It was my compass calibration.  Although I had done it and all looked well, the building behind me was all metal.  It was about 30 feet away.  Anyway, when I went to the other side of the lot (150 feet away from building) and calibrated compass and took off, all was well.

Not saying a metal building was your problem, but am saying that interference - of any type - with the compass seems to cause very similar behavior.  I have read about the same circling at least 6 or 7 times now and all goes back to the compass.

nrgwise Posted at 2015-12-21 14:17
The only time I have experienced this, and it was exactly as you describe - take off, hover at about ...

Thank you, now that you mention it I was only 10 feet from my car, 10 feet from my metal screen door, and a couple feet from my metal railing.  And all without even thinking about the metal all around me.

Bingo, that was it. Also make sure to take your keys, phone, watch, jewelry, and anything metal and put all that stuff on the ground away from you.
I even go so far as to put my radio/tablet about 20ft away from me when I calibrate.

Take off the hard hat and replace with thinking cap. ;-)
Just , sit back in your favourite easy chair, put your feet up, get nice and comfy, now RTFM,!! Hahaha

It easy as one two three, you will see.

Thanks for taking the time to get to know your awesome drone, much better. It will treat you well in the end.
I know it involves reading, and That can be a pain. If you emailed it to yourself Siri would read it to you... Hehe
Yeah, the wonders of our technically enriched, digital world. I would have called it domain, but that term has been given renegotiated terminology.


RedHotPoker

david@toycarcol Posted at 2015-12-21 17:23
Thank you, now that you mention it I was only 10 feet from my car, 10 feet from my metal screen do ...

I didn't even think about my location as I have taken off from the exact same spot with my P2 dozens of times with no problems.  The P3P just does not like it there.

?

I read somewhere that even your belt buckle will possibly compromise the calibration. Is that true?  And to take it one step further, now that it's winter, what about your jacket zipper?

Worry only about "ferrous metal". That which is attracted to a magnet.
You can check your watch, zipper and large western belt buckle with a fridge magnet.

Don't forget that Chrome hat band and your diamond encrusted pimp grill, teeth. J/K Hahaha

RedHotPoker

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-21 17:28
Bingo, that was it. Also make sure to take your keys, phone, watch, jewelry, and anything metal and  ...

So what do you do with all those metal objects after you've done your calibration and then go flying?