Hey.  I have to calibrate my compass evertime I fly, I'm not around anything metal each time I calibrate.  Does anyone else have this issue or is this something I need to be concerned with?  I have no problems with the compass during flight.  Thanks in advance.

I have to do the same every time I go out to fly. The app offers up the compass calibration option on connect, but on subsequent flights at the same location I'm not prompted to recalibrate. If I move a few miles away that same day I may be asked to recalibrate.

This seems to be an unusual behavior. You don't have any metal in your body, do you? Do you have to recalibrate with every single flight or just at every new location?

Ex Machina Posted at 2017-5-30 12:20
I have to do the same every time I go out to fly. The app offers up the compass calibration option on connect, but on subsequent flights at the same location I'm not prompted to recalibrate. If I move a few miles away that same day I may be asked to recalibrate.

This seems to be an unusual behavior. You don't have any metal in your body, do you? Do you have to recalibrate with every single flight or just at every new location?

Hi Ex Machina.  Thanks for your reply.  Today I was at 2 different locations and it asked me to calibrate at each location.  The locations were about 15km apart.  I've never flown in the same location ever, I only have about 11 flights total.  I other then amalgam fillings in my teeth, I don't think I have any other metal to report lol

Molar Posted at 2017-5-30 12:34
Hi Ex Machina.  Thanks for your reply.  Today I was at 2 different locations and it asked me to calibrate at each location.  The locations were about 15km apart.  I've never flown in the same location ever, I only have about 11 flights total.  I other then amalgam fillings in my teeth, I don't think I have any other metal to report lol

I asked because I have four titanium plates in my head -- but if they caused interference, it seems to me they would cause interference with every flight.

People will weigh in and say they never need to calibrate unless traveling much further than you and I have experienced. I live near Washington, DC so I blame the secret alien base under the White House. ;)

Ex Machina Posted at 2017-5-30 12:49
I asked because I have four titanium plates in my head -- but if they caused interference, it seems to me they would cause interference with every flight.

People will weigh in and say they never need to calibrate unless traveling much further than you and I have experienced. I live near Washington, DC so I blame the secret alien base under the White House. ;)

It doesn't bother me to calibrate each time as it only takes a minute, I was just concerned that there maybe something wrong with the aircraft.

Dam aliens...maybe they abducted me and put some metal inside me.

You shouldn't need to calibrate every time you fly, are you sure you're leaving the mavic long enough after connecting for it to settle? I'm pretty sure they all show poor radio frequency and bad compass calibration untill they initialise

Danny-B- Posted at 2017-5-30 14:49
You shouldn't need to calibrate every time you fly, are you sure you're leaving the mavic long enough after connecting for it to settle? I'm pretty sure they all show poor radio frequency and bad compass calibration untill they initialise

How long should I leave it? As soon as I'm connected it indicates   compass calibration (the menu pops up).

Molar Posted at 2017-5-30 15:06
How long should I leave it? As soon as I'm connected it indicates   compass calibration (the menu pops up).

By any chance are you getting the message while your Mavic is sitting on concrete? Most of the time it contains (steel) rebar, which can cause the calibration message to appear.

DroneFlying Posted at 2017-5-30 15:09
By any chance are you getting the message while your Mavic is sitting on concrete? Most of the time it contains (steel) rebar, which can cause the calibration message to appear.

Nope.  I always takeoff from gravel or grass.

I have not had that issue.  In fact, I've had the opposite:  I've never had (been prompted) to recalibrate my compass.  I've flown 100+ times, in multiple locations, thousands of miles apart.  There have been a few occasions where I've tried to take off from reinforced concrete, which I had to move away from to take off.  I'm curious what causes the need to recalibrate... or not.

I always calibrate the compass for each session that I fly.  It takes less than 30 seconds and it just makes me feel a bit more secure.  I've read too many stories of people having their drone fly away.  It may be an extra and redundant step but to me it's better to be safe than sorry.

Molar Posted at 2017-5-30 15:36
Nope.  I always takeoff from gravel or grass.

Molar,

Could you take a picture of the calibration screen where it prompt you to calibrate before you do the calibration?

From time to time I have to recalibrate, nothing to be concern about if you have to calibrate all the time.  I found out that I could not take off from our 1965 Mustang the other day since it is pure metal

dronist Posted at 2017-5-30 16:18
Molar,

Could you take a picture of the calibration screen where it prompt you to calibrate before you do the calibration?

I can but it will be awhile until I fly again.  Thanks

Lucas775 Posted at 2017-5-30 16:18
From time to time I have to recalibrate, nothing to be concern about if you have to calibrate all the time.  I found out that I could not take off from our 1965 Mustang the other day since it is pure metal

Thanks for the reply

Molar Posted at 2017-5-30 16:50
I can but it will be awhile until I fly again.  Thanks

Very good,

I only calibrated mine once since I got the MAVIC. When I turn the AC on my desk next to multiple computers, phone etc. I get error and am asked to move to a different location or to calibrate.

When I move the aircraft to a different room or if I go outside the office, no more errors and no more calibration requests.

It is kind personal question and feel free not to answer, but by any chance do you have any metal implant in any part of your body?

dronist Posted at 2017-5-30 16:59
Very good,

I only calibrated mine once since I got the MAVIC. When I turn the AC on my desk next to multiple computers, phone etc. I get error and am asked to move to a different location or to calibrate.

No I don't

Molar Posted at 2017-5-30 18:46
No I don't

I asked Exmachina the same questions before when he said he has to calibrate his every time.

Again, I never calibrated  and if you calibrate and somehow you had a bad calibration you will have worse results and definite fly away or crash.

Will wait on the picture or a video.

Nothing has ever been calibrated on mine since removing it from the box new.  

Hi
I have never been prompted to calibrate the compass after the first flight.

Jimmers Posted at 2017-5-30 16:16
I always calibrate the compass for each session that I fly.  It takes less than 30 seconds and it just makes me feel a bit more secure.  I've read too many stories of people having their drone fly away.  It may be an extra and redundant step but to me it's better to be safe than sorry.

yeah well, exactly that calibrating each time can result in a faulty compass = fly away.
e: usually if you prompted with a calibration - move the drone away because there is some metal arround.

  Unless i am seriously mistaken,  you cannot do any damage to the compass's by calibrating them, ever !   yes its possible to wrongly calibrate,  and theres nothing at all wrong with calibrating the compass on every flight or every flying area you visit if you so wish,   but the keyword here is correctly calibrating your machine, and understanding what a magnometer actually see's during this event,  so as that you will be very aware of what around or under you may interfer with the process.

Hi Molar.
Look calibration before every flight is a recipe for disaster, if you are being prompted to calibrate before every flight there is something wrong.
It will only take one wrong calibration and you will smash your Mavic . If it was me and you tried everything I would return it to dji for repair.
Most will and only should have to calibrate compass a couple of times and only when prompted, i realise you are being prompted all the time, so for me this is a accident waiting to happen.

Good luck...

Calibrating compasses i find, fall into one of four types of calibration i perform,    either :-

A)  a long or short flight in an unaffected area.
B)  a short flight in an affected area
C) a long flight from an infected area too more infected areas.
D) a long flight from an infected area to an unaffected area

A is easy as you just perform a standard calibration.

B try to find a location as near as possible with the least affect.

C  is really difficult, and maybe you should question doing this sort of flight unless you are really happy understanding the issues and how they may affect you,  i usually tackle these events by calibrating if possible in the least affected area somewhere half way between your expected take off area and the destination point of your flight.  if thats not possible then the nearest unaffected place nearest your take off location.

D   here i usually try to ensure i would calibrate near the destination point as possible.  as shortly after take off and clear of local affects you will be flying more closely to the destinations acuracy,  and your crafts acuracy will be better the further you fly rather than the other way round.

Too date i have never had a fly away !  with DJI,  homebuilt with APM/Pix or Naze32 derivative.  ( Ha ha ha , thats the kiss of death now isnt it !  LOL )
typically though i would only calibrate a mavic if  going to fly some distance away from where i normally fly, maybe on the outskirts of a far away town,    or lush meadows or up in the mountains and dense rocky areas,   and not every flight.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-5-31 04:45
Hi Molar.
Look calibration before every flight is a recipe for disaster, if you are being prompted to calibrate before every flight there is something wrong.
It will only take one wrong calibration and you will smash your Mavic . If it was me and you tried everything I would return it to dji for repair.

Good advice there Hallmark,  its true there may be something wrong with your craft for the "PROMPT" to do it every flight.

Molar Posted at 2017-5-30 15:06
How long should I leave it? As soon as I'm connected it indicates   compass calibration (the menu pops up).

Do you mean the drop down menu appears on the left part of the screen showing state of various partS of your drone? And in the middle you see Compass Calibration in white box? If so, then it's just initialization page and Compass Calibration is not a warning message, but button you can tap to calibrate your compass

CAAirborne Posted at 2017-5-30 15:54
I have not had that issue.  In fact, I've had the opposite:  I've never had (been prompted) to recalibrate my compass.  I've flown 100+ times, in multiple locations, thousands of miles apart.  There have been a few occasions where I've tried to take off from reinforced concrete, which I had to move away from to take off.  I'm curious what causes the need to recalibrate... or not.

Actually, you don't really need to move away, the moment you take off, the compass will have normal values again and all is fine.

People should not calibrate the compas because of interférence due to metal or otherwise. The moment you have calibrated correctly, even when it gives the prompt, it is a false-positive. (unless you moved to the other side of the world, sort of speak)

Take off and it will be fine, just hoover at a few meters and check value again and you will see that all will be green again. But IF you calibrate compass with that "bad interférence"  you WILL calibrate it wrong and it will be find on the ground, but the moment it is in the air, things will go wrong and compassvalues might start to act up.

Show us a screenshot, im sure you are seeing the CALIBRATE button on the startup "checklist" from the go-app. It is there ALWAYS.

Nees Posted at 2017-5-31 06:23
Show us a screenshot, im sure you are seeing the CALIBRATE button on the startup "checklist" from the go-app. It is there ALWAYS.

That's just the thing, for me it's not there every time. It's only the first time the AC boots in a new location. After calibrating it once, subsequent flights in the same location with new batteries do not prompt for calibration at reboot.

Whenever I've been too close to metal, the AC will tell me there's magnetic interferance and to move away.

Nees Posted at 2017-5-31 06:21
Actually, you don't really need to move away, the moment you take off, the compass will have normal values again and all is fine.

People should not calibrate the compas because of interférence due to metal or otherwise. The moment you have calibrated correctly, even when it gives the prompt, it is a false-positive. (unless you moved to the other side of the world, sort of speak)

Actually, you don't really need to move away, the moment you take off, the compass will have normal values again and all is fine.

Taking off from a location where there's magnetic interference isn't a good idea, which is why the Mavic's user manual indicates that you shouldn't do so.

Nees Posted at 2017-5-31 06:23
Show us a screenshot, im sure you are seeing the CALIBRATE button on the startup "checklist" from the go-app. It is there ALWAYS.

It is there but it doesn't mean you need to calibrate unless you get the RED TRIANGLE symbol then you calibrate. That is why we need to see the picture so we can advise. You calibrate only if you have the RED TRIANGLE.

DroneFlying Posted at 2017-5-31 08:16
Actually, you don't really need to move away, the moment you take off, the compass will have normal values again and all is fine.

Taking off from a location where there's magnetic interference isn't a good idea, which is why the Mavic's user manual indicates that you shouldn't do so.

True, but if you know it is only in the ground, it is no problem when you take off. If you check values when you hold it in your hand at 1m and instantly see the values drop to normal, then it is fine to take off.

Dmitry495 Posted at 2017-5-31 05:38
Do you mean the drop down menu appears on the left part of the screen showing state of various partS of your drone? And in the middle you see Compass Calibration in white box? If so, then it's just initialization page and Compass Calibration is not a warning message, but button you can tap to calibrate your compass

That makes sense.  That's exactly what I see, I assumed that it meant that I had to calibrate the compass.  What indication would show up if I really had to calibrate the compass?  I ask this because when I initially set up the aircraft there was no message that came up telling me to calibrate.  Thanks in advance.

Molar Posted at 2017-5-31 16:02
That makes sense.  That's exactly what I see, I assumed that it meant that I had to calibrate the compass.  What indication would show up if I really had to calibrate the compass?  I ask this because when I initially set up the aircraft there was no message that came up telling me to calibrate.  Thanks in advance.

You will get a big red warning rolling across your screen telling you to calibrate your compass or move to a different location.
Panic averted everything is ok here.
Good luck.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-5-31 16:08
You will get a big red warning rolling across your screen telling you to calibrate your compass or move to a different location.
Panic averted everything is ok here.
Good luck.

Thank you for your reply.  Wasn't really a panic just a curiosity,  I used to fly rc planes and helicopters and crashed a few that were far more expensive then the mavic. I find the mavic far easier to fly.

i attach a magnetic declination map from https://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/historical_declination/

In principle if you fly  on those lines you do not need any compass calibration, I calibrate  Mavic only if I exceed 50km from the last calibration point, did not ask  me to calibrate, I do it from my own

You can search on the internet exactly what the compass and calibration mean and where the declinations are

This is my prompt to calibrate the compass. Only happens once in a new location, doesn't go away once the IMU has initialized.

Ex Machina Posted at 2017-6-3 13:47
This is my prompt to calibrate the compass. Only happens once in a new location, doesn't go away once the IMU has initialized.

That's not a prompt to calibrate, that's a normal compass.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-6-3 15:59
That's not a prompt to calibrate, that's a normal compass.

Then why does it go away?

Another question might be why it's there at all if it's not needed -- what's the purpose of allowing calibration when the system hasn't detected a need for calibration?

So, instead of "Normal" showing up next to the Calibrate button, if I really did need to calibrate there there would be a Red triangle, huh?

So I've stumbled on a UI issue. Ideally, the calibrate button would present only when needed, just like it goes away now when a calibration task has successfully completed. Does the Android version's interface look or work this way as well?