Can I do the compass calibrartion while holding onto the RC with the other hand? I have a neck strap connected to the RC. Hate putting it down if there is any kind of interference.

No ... it's not a good idea to have the controller in one hand while calibrating the comnpass.
The good news is that you don't need to recalibrate every flight and you can safely fly for months with a good calibration so it's not something to have to do very often.

It would be better to put away your RC when you calibrate the compass.

Best to leave the RC a few feet away when doing the compass calibration.. You can tel its done just by looking at the status lights on the P4. Remember, many ipads and other tablets have magnets in the frame for smart covers.. That's might skew the readings it gets just a little.. Unlikely to have a big impact though..

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-4-22 06:02
No ... it's not a good idea to have the controller in one hand while calibrating the comnpass.
The g ...

That's only true if you fly in pretty much the same location.  If you travel you'll be dancing all the time

As the others have said, you do not want any metal near you that can affect the compass.
Also remember to have nothing metal in your pockets like cell phone & keys.

phantom-four.co Posted at 2016-4-22 23:39
That's only true if you fly in pretty much the same location.  If you travel you'll be dancing all ...

Actually, it's not just for flying in the same location, I've been flying +/- 500 km from home, hundreds of flights and haven't calibrated for over 6 months.
And it's not like I'm the only one doing that.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-4-22 22:54
Actually, it's not just for flying in the same location, I've been flying +/- 500 km from home, hun ...

Glad to hear it works flawlessly for you. It's not worth the risk for me. Doesn't take much effort so I'll do it. Better safe than sorry.

walter.de.rooij Posted at 2016-4-23 21:48
Glad to hear it works flawlessly for you. It's not worth the risk for me. Doesn't take much effort  ...

"Better safe than sorry."
That's what the people  that don't understand what calibration does and when it's required say.
And they are the people that are most likely to give themselves a bad compass calibration - because they use it as a superstitious ritual.
If you don't understand what you are doing or why, you aren't safe at all.

As the other folks have mentioned remove anything metal away at least 3 feet. The compass is very sensitive. I went nuts with mine one day and all the problem was the nails in the deck that I had it sitting on.

Here's the DJI tutorial that recommends when, and how to calibrate the Phantom 4.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-4-23 15:32
"Better safe than sorry."
That's what the people  that don't understand what calibration does and  ...

Thanks. Have a great day.