Hi,

I received my Phantom 3 Advanced last week. To start with I read the user manual to make sure that I knew everything that I needed to know about the drone, I also watched some tutorials on how to get going. Getting everything to work; charging the battery, updating the drone, etc, went smoothly. Then I took the drone out for its first flight, even then everything was still going well. A few minutes into the flight however I got a compass error, so I immediately landed the drone. At that time I didn't think much of it, I simply did a compass calibration and though that the problem would be solved. So I flew the drone again, and a couple of minutes into the flight I got a compass error again... At this point in time I didn't think much of it still since I had read that some places could have a lot of interference that could cause the compass error. On the other hand I didn't think I would experience this where I live since I live out on the Swedish countryside. So in order to see if it was a problem that only occurred outside my house I took the drone to a field about 1 km from my house, and there I recalibrated the compass and tried again. Unfortunately I still got the same problem just after take off, it lasted for about 30 seconds and then it disappear to come back again after a minute or two. It was at this point that I went to the dji forum to see if other people where experiencing these issues. To what I can understand it seems that some people have been getting these problems after the latest update, I can't tell for myself since I updated my drone directly when I got it. I also read that you could try to recalibrate the IMU in a open area on a flat surface. So I did, the flight directly after that I could fly the entire battery without any compass error until that point it was the first time that I hade been able to do so. It is also worth mentioning that until that point I hade probably about 10 different flights in my garden on the exact same spot and every time I hade at least gotten one compass error. So here I though that I finally hade solved the problem, the next day however I went out (just as the day before in my garden) but this time I got a compass error again after a couple of minutes.

So I again went to the forum to see if there was some other solution but it seems as the only thing you can do is to do a IMU recalibration or a compass calibration in open places free from interference. So today I went to my holiday home which is even more remote, and there I recalibrated the IMU and the compass in open areas with no metal object on me, finally I could possibly fly without a compass error? Well.. no, Almost in the same moment as the drone lifted it got a compass error which quickly disappear, so I kept flying around my property and every other minute there came a new compass error.

My question is no what do I do next? I want to find out if this is a software problem, a issue with my particular drone, or if it's just a coincident that all these places where I have flown are bad? The latter to me seems most unlikely since I as said earlier live on the country side, where in my mint at least there should be good flying conditions. The best solution would be to have another P3A fly in the same place as mine, but right now I don't know anyone with one The thing that I am most concerned about is if it's a problem with the drone itself, sending things in for repair for the most of the time doesn't tend to fix problems... The constant compass errors really makes you hesitant to fly the drone which is very unfortunate because it's otherwise such a cool machine.

You can contact support and upload the DAT files of those flights and have then analyze the data to see if anything unusual shows up.
You don't have anything attached to the aircraft correct? No aftermarket accessories.
Go to your flight records and star one of the flights at your vacation home then sync the flight records. provide your email you use and I will look at the flight data from the app.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-13 20:10
You can contact support and upload the DAT files of those flights and have then analyze the data to  ...

Firstly thank you for your quick reply. Secondly how do I upload the dat files, and to who do I send it? And no I don't have any aftermarket parts on the drone, I just use it as it came out of the box. My flight records from the app should no be synced, the email adress I use is marcusfilipsson@outlook.com

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-13 14:10
You can contact support and upload the DAT files of those flights and have then analyze the data to  ...

Can you look at my flight records as well. I've had my drone a few weeks and I've had a few compass errors.
Mostly had compass errors in one location. Does that mean that area is unflyable?

MaYhEm sMiLeY Posted at 2016-7-14 05:53
Can you look at my flight records as well. I've had my drone a few weeks and I've had a few compas ...

It means that wherever you are flying there is interference. If it's during flight then you are close to some metal object.

Cquad Posted at 2016-7-14 05:24
Firstly thank you for your quick reply. Secondly how do I upload the dat files, and to who do I se ...

You would have to contact support to have the DAT files analyzed.
You need to star the flight and then sync and that's how I can look at your flight.

Use the DJI GO app to enter "Flight Data Mode".  

1. Click the top right corner of the main screen to enter the settings menu.
2. Choose the blue highlight icon to enter the MC Settings menu.

3. Select Advanced Settings.
4. Select "Enter flight data mode".

There will be a prompt that tells you to connect the Phantom 3 via USB cable and you will be in flight data mode.
A drive will show up on your computer that contains a log file for the most recent times you have turned on your

Only upload the last flight with the issue to Dropbox.

MaYhEm sMiLeY Posted at 2016-7-14 07:53
Can you look at my flight records as well. I've had my drone a few weeks and I've had a few compas ...

It could be related to the location where you are calibrating the compass.
If you calibrate close to steel objects like cars, structural steel, reinforced concrete etc and fly away, your compass can return a compass error when you fly away from the magnetic influence where you calibrated.

It's important that you calibrate the compass in a magnetically clean location.
Once you have a good compass calibration, just stick with it and don't go calibrating again.

Hi Marcus!
Check if it get the compass error when it is facing a direction near west. Mine p3A did that and i have send it in for exchange for a new one. I explained that I do all the calibration and fly it on different places in open fields with the same compass error facing west. It was in the DOA period so it will be exchange with a brand new one they told me.
On swedish:

Kolla om den får compass error när du vänder den mot väst eller nära väst, det fick min och jag skrev till dji support och förklarade att jag provat den på flera olika ställen på öppna fält och att den alltid tappade kompassen när jag vred den mot väst, de ville jag skulle skicka in den för utbyte mot en ny eftersom den var i DOA perioden (14dagar sen aktivering) Så de skickade mig fraktsedel och nu är den i Holland och jag väntar in att den nya ska komma snart.

Mattias

You my friend, just described the same problem I've also got. Got a P3A. At my first flight got the errors and all the other flights too. Tried calibrating and flying in other locations but with no result.
I had to contact DJI for a fix and they offered me a repair service. But unfortunately I still got the same errors after the repairs.. Now my drone is out for another repair..

soneerr Posted at 2016-7-20 03:52
You my friend, just described the same problem I've also got. Got a P3A. At my first flight got the  ...

My first drone got replaced with a new one. Unfortunetly the new one hade the exact same problem, so I'm now returing it to the retailer. Can't have a drone worth hundreds of dollars that you can't fly safe with. It sucks because I had planned so many things to film with my drone, but I guess that I'll be buyng a new graphics card for my pc instead much safer ;)

mattelarssonlul Posted at 2016-7-17 21:50
Hi Marcus!
Check if it get the compass error when it is facing a direction near west. Mine p3A did t ...

Hej!

Fungerar den nya du fick? Min byttes också ut, dessvärre så hade den nya exakt samma fel. Så skickar tillbaka min nu för ett återköp. Förresten hur är din erfarenhet med den holländska supporten? Personligen en av det sämsta jag varit i kontakt med. Fick som mest vänta 5 dagar på ett svar, fick aldrig heller någon ursäkt för att dem var långsamma. Fick till slut kontakt med Tyska supporten som faktiskt har ett en telefon support, där dem sa att den Holländska supporten fått många klagomål.

Hi,

I had the exact same experience, also in Sweden.

Bought a P3A, updated to 1.9.60, Safe to fly. Takeoff, then Compass Error.

I have calibrated in different places (all in the countryside), using different techniques. Always the same issue.

I returned the P3A and got a new one from the retailer, with exactly the same problem.

WHen I analyzed the behaviour, I found (like Cquad above) that the error is triggered when the P3 faces a certain direction. This is however not the same direction every time for me, it seems to depend on where the P3 is facing when taking off OR if I calibrate between flights.

I hoped for a SW bug in firmware 1.9.60 so that it could easily be fixed, but when I  got in contact with the Thread starter he had tried 1.8.80 right out of the box with the same behaviour.

This makes me think that DJI have quality problems (maybe with a batch of P3A:s?), so I give up and return it asking for a re-fund. I do not feel confident about sending up >1kg of electronics 120m in the air with these Errors popping up.

/Fredrik