i have seen several videos of people flying from boats and I will have the opportunity to fly at a large lake from a pontoon boat.  I figured dynamic home point would be my friend and I would be good to go.  But then I realized the pontoon is really just a big aluminum frame, tubes and a motor with a plywood deck and some chairs. The videos I've seen where all fiberglass boats.    When flying from a pontoon my concern is the compas calibration.  There is also a good sized floating dock I could launch from but it is made of galvanized steel and aluminum with Trex board planking.   This would seem to be a problem for the compass too.  Does anyone have suggestions how to make these locations work or is it just too risky?  I'd love to get some pictures of the skiers and lake but not at the risk of loosing my Phantom.  


Thanks


TSP181

I've never done it.  I was thinking about setting the homepoint on the shore.  Leave the Phantom on and launch a little while later from the boat (kept away from the metal).  A hand launch rather than from the deck.  If that is a bad idea, I'm sure someone with enlighten me. Just my logic speaking.

May the force be with you!

I thought the medal had to me "magnetic" to effect the compass. Since the boat is "Aluminum" it shouldn't have any effect on the compass. However, if you have a bunch of speakers around your boat, that may pose a problem with the magnets on the speakers. I also have a Pontoon which is all aluminum and STANLESS steel (bolts, screws, and rails). But I do have 4 speakers on it. I haven't flown from my boat yet, but I plan on going off a nearby shore to be safe.

Agree with above. Aluminum is not an issue.  Also unless the compass comes in contact with magnetic material or is in the field of a very strong magnet the effect will only be temporary. Meaning as soon as you takeoff it should be fine. If you were beside a large steel building however the large field could affect your flight.

I had a friend who put his P1 on the back deck of his car over the built in speaker. This was close enough to effect t the compass and he had am exciting flight afterwards!!!!.  A calibration was all that was needed. Also had a fellow who pulled apart a motor from his copter and the compass came in contact with the can of the motor.  He had to do a deguass of the compass and then a calibration to get it going again.  Real pain.

Calibrate the compass in any nearby area free from magnetic interference.  You don't have to calibrate at the exact starting point.

Fly from my Jon boat all the time.  Aluminum construction.

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-3-19 01:22
Fly from my Jon boat all the time.  Aluminum construction.

Excellent.  I wondered if aluminum had the same issues.  I'm not sure it is magnetic.  

The compass gets directly effected by magnetic material and indirectly by ferromagnetic materials ( iron, steel, nickel,.... ) which distort the earth magnetic field. Aluminium is not ferromagnetic so not an issue.  However you should do your compass calibration on-shore just in case there are some ferromagnetic materials on the boat.  

PanamonCreel Posted at 2015-3-19 07:27
The compass gets directly effected by magnetic material and indirectly by ferromagnetic materials (  ...

Thanks!   Someone above mentioned speakers and there are infact speakers on the boat.  Not huge but they are there.   I'll try to avoid them and take the advice of calibrating on shore before I launch.