Is it possible to open up the phantom, remove the compass, and fly it a metal container??  

No, if you remove the compass, the operating system will probably not allow you to fly. It is essential to correct operation of the aircraft.

The Phantom can't fly without its compass.

Like the topic states, think this will work?  Without going into my situation, I need to fly a phantom in a metal tank. Obviously the compass goes crazy and most of the time the drone won't even turn on.

So, what if I open the shell and remove the compass....think it will work?

Know of any hacks that will allow me to fly any of the phantoms in a metal tank?

As replied to in your other post, no, it will not work.

fans99b5d97a Posted at 2017-10-13 19:13
Know of any hacks that will allow me to fly any of the phantoms in a metal tank?

Probably not. A better, more detailed explanation of what you want to do would help in allowing us to understand and offer suggestions.

In need to fly the drone in a metal tank and the compass is acting up.  So I'm trying to figure out a way that I can disable the compass so a) I can launch the drone and b) fly it manually without it spinning out of control.

fans99b5d97a Posted at 2017-10-13 19:13
Know of any hacks that will allow me to fly any of the phantoms in a metal tank?

Aloha fans99,

     The only thing I can think of is to use an Osmo or attach a line to a Phantom and move the stabilized camera through the tank by using the line and any other lines that might be required.  You would have to figure out how to do it and light the subject matter.  LumeCubes generat a lot of light in a very small package.

     Hope this helps!

Aloha and Drone On!

Using an Osmo and attaching a line?  I'm completely lost and have no clue what you're saying...I'm sorry.  

Can you explain what you mean differently?

fans99b5d97a Posted at 2017-10-13 19:56
Using an Osmo and attaching a line?  I'm completely lost and have no clue what you're saying...I'm sorry.  

Can you explain what you mean differently?

Aloha fans99,

     A metal room (tank) is not an environment for flying a compass based operation.  If you do not fly, then you can operate in the metal environment.  The only way I can think of to operate in a metal tank environment is to use line, rope or some other type of filament to get the Phantom or Osmo off the ground and where you want to get your video and photos.  You know the tank environment, we do not.  You would have to figure out how to get the gimbal stabilized camera off the ground in the tank.  I recommend using line to suspend the gimbal based camera (Osmo or Phantom).  Kind of like a zip-line dolly.

     Many people hold their Phantoms while hiking a trail to get up to a launch spot.  The gimbal stabilizes the camera and makes for better video than hand held cameras produce (at least in the days before image stabilization).  This is just a suggestion that you might want to look at.

Aloha and Drone On!

Please do not do so for the safety of flight. As many parts are involved with the compass, like directions, or RTH, etc. And as you know when there is a compass error or compass disconnect, it will not allow taking off, so let us assume it will not allow taking off when there is no compass. Please fly the drone safely.

Assuming that it is a steel tank, the only chance of making it work is to remove the magnetism from the tank, a process known as "degaussing".
http://ndtsupply.com/maurer-degaussing-large-parts-demagnetizer

This is possible with very big tanks, even complete ships.

The drone does need to be able to detect the Earths magnetic field though, so you may still have problems even in a degaussed tank.

So it's like a piece of equipment I could rent?

fans99b5d97a Posted at 2017-10-14 07:30
So it's like a piece of equipment I could rent?

Depends on the size of the tank, but if it is big enough to fly a phantom in then I imagine you would hire  someone with the equipment to do it for you and it probably takes a fair amount of effort, but it may be worth looking into.  I suggest testing the idea on a small tank first if you think it is worth trying since I haven't ever heard of anyone trying it.  Degaussing has a number of uses though, from making it possible to weld pipework in the oil industry to making ships undetectable to mines with magnetic triggers, so equipment is available.

Check out the below link.  They're flying a phantom 3 without any issues in a metal cargo ship.  Does the p3 compass work differently than the p4 and mavic's compass?

http://www.materialsperformance.com/articles/material-selection-design/2016/10/uavs-capable-of-inspecting-ship-tanks-for-signs-of-corrosion

fans99b5d97a Posted at 2017-10-14 12:04
Check out the below link.  They're flying a phantom 3 without any issues in a metal cargo ship.  Does the p3 compass work differently than the p4 and mavic's compass?

http://www.materialsperformance.com/articles/material-selection-design/2016/10/uavs-capable-of-inspecting-ship-tanks-for-signs-of-corrosion

No, they all work the same. I note in the article that they had issues with the compass inside the ship, so you might face the same problem.

Do not remove the compass as it will not fly and all you'll be left with is a broken Phantom and a void warranty... May I ask if this is for a personal/recreational pursuit or a commercial operation? If the latter you may need to look at a more specialised drone for such operations - the only one that springs to mind is the Matrice 200 series which is far more resistant to electromagnetic interference for industrial scale operations but I'm not sure if even that would be up to such a task either and they cost more than the Inspire 2 and I do believe are only open to registered business applications - not something you can just walk in and buy. Good luck but continue with your research before tampering with anything.

fans99b5d97a Posted at 2017-10-14 12:04
Check out the below link.  They're flying a phantom 3 without any issues in a metal cargo ship.  Does the p3 compass work differently than the p4 and mavic's compass?

http://www.materialsperformance.com/articles/material-selection-design/2016/10/uavs-capable-of-inspecting-ship-tanks-for-signs-of-corrosion

Aloha fans99b,

     That was not a P3 used in the inspections, only a P3 camera;

"To visually evaluate the MV Apollo’s structural components, the two surveyors used a UAV equipped with a DJI Phantom 3 camera that streamed live video to a tablet. One surveyor piloted the UAV, while the other focused on the real-time video feed. Additional lights were installed on the UAV, and its propellers were fitted with protective gear. Because the additional lights reduced the UAV’s battery life, the survey team had six to seven charged batteries available and landed the UAV approximately every 15 min to furnish it with a fresh battery."

They also appear to have used an Inspire remote controller.  They had a pilot and a videographer, but it is not clear if they each had their own controller.  It is unclear if they recorded their flights.  They appear to have built their system from the ground up out of DJI parts.  So, assumptions about the compass would be invalid until more information is known about their UAV design.

Aloha and Drone On!