How does Mavic Air know it's compass is in calibration or out?

My first thought was it compared itself to your phone or perhaps was able to figure it out from GPS signals.

My first thought was it compared itself to your phone or perhaps was able to figure it out from GPS signals.
But then I wondered why one's phone never needs calibration and if your phone doesn't why does the drone?

Hi there, Christine. Thanks for the inquiry. You need to calibrate the compass of your DJI Mavic Air if you receive a compass interference warning on the DJI Go 4 App or if you notice an alternating yellow and red blinking on the aircraft status indicator lights, and if you will fly your drone in a different location from the previous flight. Should you have further question, please let us know. Thank you.

Hi Christine96. When the compass is calibrated I think that it stores data to compensate for the magnetic components of the aircraft, so the compass readings are very low.
This can be checked at power up of the machine.

If the machine is powered up close to a ferrous (magnetic) material or a strong electro-magnetic field (such as power lines) then the compass detects this and if the field strength is strong enough then the flight controller software issues a compass error warning.

Only DJI know the whole story

dji isnt very clear with how it compares this data, it appears to be fundimentally differant from past dji products in how it comes to the conclusion of calibration issues.

if you are suffering calibration problem i suggest doing the old dji calibration methods.

follow step one of compass calibration in the app, but for step 2, ignore the instruction to turn the drone sideways and spin it this appears to be the source of all compass calibration headaches...
instead orient your drone so camera faces the sky and drone is straight up and down. then spin it around itself in place until error clear.. if it fails retry in a different spot.  

since doing this method i haven't had 1 compass error and my compass telemetry appears to be accurate as well   best of luck

HereForTheBeer Posted at 1-26 16:35
dji isnt very clear with how it compares this data, it appears to be fundimentally differant from past dji products in how it comes to the conclusion of calibration issues.

if you are suffering calibration problem i suggest doing the old dji calibration methods.

I was just curious if it used magnetic north or GPS.

Christine96 Posted at 1-26 17:50
I was just curious if it used magnetic north or GPS.

ah, well then its magnetic north.    hence why if place drone around metal or active power lines and such you risk interference and errors as these things induce magnetism.  

DJI Natalia Posted at 1-26 15:57
Hi there, Christine. Thanks for the inquiry. You need to calibrate the compass of your DJI Mavic Air if you receive a compass interference warning on the DJI Go 4 App or if you notice an alternating yellow and red blinking on the aircraft status indicator lights, and if you will fly your drone in a different location from the previous flight. Should you have further question, please let us know. Thank you.

Haha yet another generic response im sure dji must seriously think we are all idiots, such an insult to our intelligence these generic responses considering how much we pay for their products and they cant even give us the time of day ! So sad and disappointing customer service is key to success ! Happy customers equal happy company ! When you go the extra mile for the customer base the customers go an extra mile to promote your products !

Spark in the Park Posted at 1-27 03:08
Haha yet another generic response im sure dji must seriously think we are all idiots, such an insult to our intelligence these generic responses considering how much we pay for their products and they cant even give us the time of day ! So sad and disappointing  cutomer service is key to success ! Happy customers equal happy company ! When you go the extra mile for the cutomer base the customers go an extra mile to promote your products !

I know right?  They need a technical moderator.  

Christine96 Posted at 1-27 05:58
I know right?  They need a technical moderator.

That would cost too much.

Drone carries its own spatial coordinates. Don't get the idea phone mobile data and phone location has anything to do with compass and its alignment.

Absent of infiltrating nuisance magnetism borne by our metropolis infrastruct, the factory aligned compass would be fine.

My boyscout compass from 1960 did get screwed up readings in my office cubicle 3rd floor Kapolei hale. It's truth, structure having magnetism skews the arrow pointer from correct direction.

But distancing the compass away from that cause works.

But for those unattainable distancing, there is mumetal highly silicon embedded metal that "blocks" intrusive field flux of annoying magnetism

cutis Posted at 1-27 10:26
Drone carries its own spatial coordinates. Don't get the idea phone mobile data and phone location has anything to do with compass and its alignment.

Absent of infiltrating nuisance magnetism borne by our metropolis infrastruct, the factory aligned compass would be fine.

You'd think there would be a way to permanently solve this nagging cal?
Well, if mumetal envelops the compass as an exterior shielding of magnetism, how is true north going to get in and impart needle motion?

Got my new Mavic Air 2

Got my new Mavic Air 2 last monday. Spent 30 seconds flying it fine until it tells me I need to update the firmware. As soon as it was all updated, the drone can't even take off. Flies up for one second and then falls on its side. Worthless. Get an error message saying Firmware Connectivity issues, must update firmware again. Still won't fly. Almost fell off the edge of the Grand Canyon. $800 for something that can't even take off due to awful firmware update. What can I do, apart from take it back and get my money back?

fans9b8b9709 Posted at 1-27 10:42
Got my new Mavic Air 2 last monday. Spent 30 seconds flying it fine until it tells me I need to update the firmware. As soon as it was all updated, the drone can't even take off. Flies up for one second and then falls on its side. Worthless. Get an error message saying Firmware Connectivity issues, must update firmware again. Still won't fly. Almost fell off the edge of the Grand Canyon. $800 for something that can't even take off due to awful firmware update. What can I do, apart from take it back and get my money back?

Wow! The version2 of air has been unveiled?
What superseding features apart from ma 1st generation?

Christ96 the procedure irritation cal'ing nuisant is owed to the field effects of ferrous material onto the compass that seeks truth magnetic north. Craft senses the offending imparted ferrous infrastruct influence easily since the relative orientation of craft emersed within a conglomeration of mankind's foreign magnetism fields will accordingly change rather skew the true north magnetic vector to which craft logic can determine apart from the real McCoy.
And that's why those two independent planes of rotational axis during cal, so craft can purview those conglomerates and accordingly nul them (ignored) achieves the remaining unchanging boundary condition true magnetic north. The cal prance merely exposes these unwanted influences of nongenuine magnetic north.

When I calibrate the compass I do it outside over grass or dirt, it has worked for me.  Usually just one or maybe two tries, then it get it.

Its Magic