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Mostly positive first Spark experience!
1325 24 2017-12-26
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Firehawk989
First Officer
Flight distance : 198904 ft
Canada
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Hey guys!

So I finally got my Spark in the air for the first time today!

Meadow Green Fly More Combo
Phone: HTC One M8 Android 6.0 connected via Wi-Fi.
Go4 4.1.18
Latest Spark Firmware .900

Getting the firmware updated via app and Wi-Fi on the phone took some fiddling with connections and a couple restarts, but it eventually worked. Updated the 2nd battery with DJI assistant 2 and it was much smoother.

First 2 batts today, temp was -13c so I only got about 10min each, but landed with approx 20% battery remaining to be extra safe.
No video problems/lag/drop-outs. Went out to 570m with no issues.

I did have one problem, I think the compass needs calibration because it wouldn't travel perfectly straight; there was always a bit of drift in the heading. Compass interference level in the yellow in a pretty open area. Will calibrate in an open area away from metal and concrete before next flight.

Anyway, just thought I would share a good first experience to counter some of the bad ones popping up.
2017-12-26
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Gunship9
Captain
United States
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Interesting about the compass needing calibration.  I think I had to do that before my first flight and never again.  Are you sure you are not leaning on the left stick with your thumb.  The thumb pushing forward in an arch instead of straight forward.  You can replay your flight in the app and see how the sticks were being moved.
2017-12-26
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DJI Elektra
DJI team
Hong Kong
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Hi, sir. I would recommend you fly in a place without interference. Also, if your drone drifts again, please calibrate the compass before flight.
flight environment.PNG
2017-12-26
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Lucas775
Captain
Flight distance : 50642090 ft
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United States
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Great to hear, welcome to the obsession.
2017-12-26
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Firehawk989
First Officer
Flight distance : 198904 ft
Canada
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Fairly sure I wasn't pushing the wrong way on the stick, I do have rc airplane and helicopter flying experience, so the controls aren't new to me. It was pretty darn cold though so I might not have noticed a slight deviation.

Anyway I was not asked to calibrate the compass by the app at all during its initial setup, so I feel like I should do it once anyway. I was flying from a gravel parking lot in a pretty open park area so there shouldn't have been much in the way of interference.
2017-12-26
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Firehawk989
First Officer
Flight distance : 198904 ft
Canada
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Here's my first decent photo from the Spark!

2017-12-27
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jksphoto
Captain
Flight distance : 114121 ft
United Kingdom
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My advice, don't calibrate the compass unless the app tells you. Great photo by the way
2017-12-27
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Firehawk989
First Officer
Flight distance : 198904 ft
Canada
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Even if it obviously wasn't going where I was telling it to, wandering off course? That seems exactly like when it should be calibrated.
2017-12-27
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mtnlandpix
Captain
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United States
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Love your photo!  Thanks!
2017-12-27
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Brambleman
Second Officer
Flight distance : 20627 ft
United States
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I was not asked to calibrate the compass during initial setup, but the compass was almost always in the yellow/almost red. I calibrated in an interference free area and now my compass is almost always a sliver of green goodness. So, I would recommend a fresh out of the box calibration. Also, stunning picture and welcome to the Meadow Green Club!
2017-12-27
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Firehawk989
First Officer
Flight distance : 198904 ft
Canada
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Thanks guys! Glad you like the photo. I got a good video too, will upload it to my YouTube channel soon.
2017-12-27
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hallmark007
Captain
Flight distance : 9812789 ft
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Sweden
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Firehawk989 Posted at 2017-12-26 23:37
Fairly sure I wasn't pushing the wrong way on the stick, I do have rc airplane and helicopter flying experience, so the controls aren't new to me. It was pretty darn cold though so I might not have noticed a slight deviation.

Anyway I was not asked to calibrate the compass by the app at all during its initial setup, so I feel like I should do it once anyway. I was flying from a gravel parking lot in a pretty open park area so there shouldn't have been much in the way of interference.


Your manual clearly tells you NOT to calibrate compass why would you?

There are many causes for drifting and compass is usually not one of them.

What height were you flying at when you noticed drifting?

2017-12-27
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hallmark007
Captain
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Brambleman Posted at 2017-12-27 13:16
I was not asked to calibrate the compass during initial setup, but the compass was almost always in the yellow/almost red. I calibrated in an interference free area and now my compass is almost always a sliver of green goodness. So, I would recommend a fresh out of the box calibration. Also, stunning picture and welcome to the Meadow Green Club!

Where did you take readings of compass was it from home or in the middle of an open area with spark sitting flat on ground other than concrete.
2017-12-27
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Todd in Chicago
Second Officer
Flight distance : 513757 ft
United States
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Firehawk989 Posted at 2017-12-27 10:24
Here's my first decent photo from the Spark!

[view_image]

Wowza!  That is a FANTASTIC photo!

Congrats...and definitely welcome to the addiction!

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago
2017-12-27
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Wachtberger
Captain
Flight distance : 261509 ft
Germany
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Firehawk989 Posted at 2017-12-27 10:24
Here's my first decent photo from the Spark!

[view_image]

Truly fantastic first photo, thank you for sharing it, also for your report.
2017-12-27
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Firehawk989
First Officer
Flight distance : 198904 ft
Canada
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hallmark007 Posted at 2017-12-27 14:20
Where did you take readings of compass was it from home or in the middle of an open area with spark sitting flat on ground other than concrete.

Both. At home and in open area with no concrete compass was in yellow both places, including while flying and on the ground. I watched it on screen for a while during a flight. Seems to me like the sort of thing you'd experience from the magnetic declination being off slightly.

Drifting experienced in yaw while hovering after takeoff, and while flying away from me at approx 10-20m height.
2017-12-27
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Brambleman
Second Officer
Flight distance : 20627 ft
United States
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hallmark007 Posted at 2017-12-27 14:20
Where did you take readings of compass was it from home or in the middle of an open area with spark sitting flat on ground other than concrete.

Middle of a cul de sac on the asphalt. Doesn't have rebar like concrete, but I suppose if there was a utility line directly under that spot, it would affect it. But, same as FireHawk, even flying in an open area it still stayed yellow/red, and then finally I got an error instructing me to calibrate.
2017-12-27
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Aeromirage
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Awesome picture!!
Glad you got it straightened out. If you were seeing yellow and red in the indicators, then it definitely needed it.
But, once calibrated, I would leave it alone until either the app calls for it or when you travel more than 200-3-- miles from where you normally fly.
Calibrating compass does no harm, unless you do it too often. I have over 200 flights on my Spark and have calibrated compass twice. Once out of the box and 2 days ago when I went on a trip 300 miles away.
I will look at the indicator now that I have returned home.
2017-12-27
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hallmark007
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Firehawk989 Posted at 2017-12-27 15:07
Both. At home and in open area with no concrete compass was in yellow both places, including while flying and on the ground. I watched it on screen for a while during a flight. Seems to me like the sort of thing you'd experience from the magnetic declination being off slightly.

Drifting experienced in yaw while hovering after takeoff, and while flying away from me at approx 10-20m height.

While you say you have bad compass inside many things may cause this lots of interference inside, but if you also have same bad readings outside then yes maybe safer to calibrate just do suggested method according to your manual, once done correctly no need to keep repeating.

Regarding drifting , this can be particularly when flying at low altitude caused by VPs if lighting is not good or ground conditions are not good for position lock with VPs , to test drifting you need to be above 10 metres and out of range of VPs ,

Imu can also be a source of drifting , you can check this by simply hovering at two metres on a windless day if Aircraft holds a good horizontal then IMU should be ok.
2017-12-28
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hallmark007
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Brambleman Posted at 2017-12-27 15:28
Middle of a cul de sac on the asphalt. Doesn't have rebar like concrete, but I suppose if there was a utility line directly under that spot, it would affect it. But, same as FireHawk, even flying in an open area it still stayed yellow/red, and then finally I got an error instructing me to calibrate.

If you got a warning to calibrate you should, if the warning was just to calibrate or move Aircraft then you should not calibrate but move Aircraft .
2017-12-28
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Camoux
New
France
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Hi

I have compass error (ask me to calibrate) when I put the drone on a surface with metal inside, like reinforced concrete.
Once I remove the spark from these kind of surfaces, the compass is fine again (and it doesn't ask me to calibrate the compass anymore)

2017-12-28
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Firehawk989
First Officer
Flight distance : 198904 ft
Canada
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hallmark007 Posted at 2017-12-28 07:02
While you say you have bad compass inside many things may cause this lots of interference inside, but if you also have same bad readings outside then yes maybe safer to calibrate just do suggested method according to your manual, once done correctly no need to keep repeating.

Regarding drifting , this can be particularly when flying at low altitude caused by VPs if lighting is not good or ground conditions are not good for position lock with VPs , to test drifting you need to be above 10 metres and out of range of VPs ,

Yea horizontal and vertical position hold seemed good, so imu should be ok.

It could have been vps since I was flying over snow, but there were bushes and grass and such sticking out of the snow.I'll have to go back and check the flight record, but I'm pretty sure I was over 10m for at least part of both flights.

And yes I was fully expecting compass interference at home, but not approximately the same amount out at the park with nothing obvious around to interfere.
2017-12-28
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hallmark007
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Firehawk989 Posted at 2017-12-28 09:29
Yea horizontal and vertical position hold seemed good, so imu should be ok.

It could have been vps since I was flying over snow, but there were bushes and grass and such sticking out of the snow.I'll have to go back and check the flight record, but I'm pretty sure I was over 10m for at least part of both flights.

VPS will not work correctly over snow and you will often see slight drifting.
2017-12-28
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Brambleman
Second Officer
Flight distance : 20627 ft
United States
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Is it possible that if the compass was calibrated with interference around, it would now have a bad calibration and would need to be calibrated again in the middle of nowhere to get it back to a clean calibration?
2017-12-28
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Firehawk989
First Officer
Flight distance : 198904 ft
Canada
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Just to update this for anyone interested:

I re-calibrated the compass literally miles from civilization while backcountry skiing over the holiday break. After that my Spark tracks perfectly straight and compass interference is a tiny sliver of green just as in Brambleman's experience.

I feel like compass calibration in an interference-free area should be a mandatory part of the Spark's out-of-box or pre-first-flight setup sequence. Preferably with instructions from the app on what "interference-free" means, why you need to do it, and what will happen if you don't calibrate or calibrate in a place with interference. (Your aircraft could easily exit GPS mode and potentially be gone with the wind forever!)
2018-1-2
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