I finally received my Mavic on Monday – but am sad to report major issues with it.  I updated all firmware correctly, fully charged everything, calibrated the compass free from any metallic objects in the vicinity and completed my preflight checklist.  I did not do an IMU or gimbal calibration because I recall DJI-Ken advising not to unless prompted by the DJI-Go App.  My first real flight took place on Tuesday.  I tested out tripod and then sport mode, before switching back to gps mode.  Throughout the flight I had a connection with a good amount of satellites (I think 14 on this flight).  

All of a sudden, the satellite connection bars drop to one and turns red (but continues to show connection with 14 satellites) it switches to Atti mode – then begins the circular drift that others have reported.  It took full stick in the opposite directions to maintain some semblance of stability.  I believe a less experienced pilot would no doubt have crashed.  I was able to bring it in for a safe landing.

I then called tech support for the mavic at the number listed on the website.  I explain the issue and she stated that you have to do an IMU, gimbal, and compass calibration after each firmware update. I doubted this was the issue – but completed each respective calibration in order. No work # was given and I was told to call back if the issue persisted.

This morning, after completing all calibrations I completed another flight.  The first few minutes I only noticed a slight yaw drift.  I went in and back out of sport mode and upon my return to gps mode the problem replicated itself.  I think I started and maintained 16 satellites throughout the flight.  However, when returning to gps mode I got the ‘lost satellite connection’ warning and it went into Atti mode.  A major (almost uncontrollable drift began) and this time a ‘critical compass error’ appeared at least twice.  I again was able to counteract the movements with full stick in the opposite direction – but just barely.  I landed and resolved never to fly it again.

I would be happy to upload the flight logs for a dji tech who can analyze.

I welcome any suggestions or criticisms- however, before everyone starts second guessing my piloting skills… I have been flying model aircraft for ten years, quadcopters for atleast six.  I own several drones, built some, fly fpv, etc.  I am a licensed sUAS RPIC and fly on occasion at my work.  I am very comfortable and competent flying a quadcopter.  As far as DJI - I have owned a phantom 3 pro since it was released and never had an issue or crashed.

Wow I hope this is a one off, I thought we were well past these uncontrollable spiraling problems that were occurring as the first few customers received their Mavics.

Far too many of these incidents being reported and it is making me uncomfortable. Maybe this loss of control is the reason for the delays? I just wish DJI would come clean. Sad to say I am on the verge of canceling my long overdue Mavic order.

Wow - what you describe is terrible. You don's see many failures like that in any product, let alone flying ones that are supposed to feature sensor redundancy, self-checks and fallback handling.
I really want to know how that could happen and why it can't happen to others.

Sorry for your fight instability, please sync your fight records and provide your email and I will review your flight.
Either way, I would send it in and it will be exchanged.
If you can please upload the DAT file of the flight and include it with your ticket.
Also upload the RC logs (I'll email you the program to extract the logs.
After uploading the DAT file and RC log, please email me the link and I will pass it to R&D.

Also, since you have the P3P I'm sure your aware of correct way to calibrate the compass.
You calibrated with no metal aroud or on your person correct, (no keys, phone, jewelry, RC/phone on ground away from you during calibration ?

Watching with interest..  

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-11-23 17:40
You calibrated with no metal aroud or on your person correct...

The OP said he did it correctly in his first post.... " I updated all firmware correctly, fully charged everything, calibrated the compass free from any metallic objects in the vicinity and completed my preflight checklist."

stealle Posted at 2016-11-24 08:51
The OP said he did it correctly in his first post.... " I updated all firmware correctly, fully cha ...

I know the OP stated that by saying no "metal objects in the vicinity" I'm making sure as most always a drift can be cause by compass calibration with some sort or metal interference.

Also, with the Mavic, I've seen some calibrate with the arms folded and had issues. The arms MUST be open for a proper compass calibration. When the arms are folded the compass is calibrated and will work correctly (but you can't fly anyways) and then when the arms are unfolded the metal from the aircraft is a different distance and location from the compass so if you fly you will get errors.
Same as if you add a GPS tracker, you must calibrate the compass after you install it. And if you fly without the tracker, you must calibrate the compass again.

I think the reason people calibrate with the arms folded is because that's the way the official DJI video shows them how to do it. I have had a couple of flights and everything is fine. Only time I saw any compass issues is when I rested the mavic on my car trunk.

The fact that this happens a little way into the flight makes me think there may be a dry solder join or the like that actually breaks the connection once things start to warm up. Not something you're likely to resolve yourself unfortunately.

I had the exact same issue happen to me with my brand new Mavic, with 44 errors logged in the first 8 minutes of it's first flight, I lost full control and unfortunately my Mavic lost full connection with the controller and flew off and did not return to the home point, never to be seen again. My flight logs were sent through to DJI for assessment as requested and the technicians confirmed a major compass failure and deemed that the drone was DOA. They are currently in the process of organising me a replacement drone.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-11-23 17:40
Sorry for your fight instability, please sync your fight records and provide your email and I will  ...

Flight records have been synced. Any of the 4 flights I completed with the mavic will show the issue. My email is russobrad@gmail.com.  

I remember seeing the post outlining how to upload the .dat files, but forget how to do it.  Can you give me the link.

As for the calibration... Arms always fully extended and no metallic objects in the vicinity (not even my belt).  Calibrated before each flight.  

To be clear the number of satellites never dropped during the flight...the connection just said it was lost and then compass issues, ATTI mode and major instability...

RootCtrl Posted at 2016-11-23 20:40
I think the reason people calibrate with the arms folded is because that's the way the official DJI  ...

I agree... but I calibrated the compass with all arms extended and no metal around... I calibrated the IMU with everything folded in accordance with the dji go app pictures during the process.

I've just run across the exact same issue. I previously flew the Phantom 4 and I received my Mavic Pro about 2-3 weeks ago. The Mavic has always flown fine. But yesterday I was prompted to install the new firmware update, so I did... and wow. The flight was fine for the first 10 minutes or so and then the circular drift issue mentioned above happened. I barely managed to get it to land. Same ATI mode issue, and it wouldn't RTH no matter what.

I didn't even know the circular drift problem existed until researching it today. I know how to download the logs from the Mavic itself and can send that to whomever is able to check it out to help. I hope it's not a hardware issue, but given that it's never been an issue prior to this firmware update (and I calibrated right afterwards), I suspect not.

Damn I'm sorry you're having these issues man. I can't relate because I haven't gotten my mavic yet LOL. At this point hopefully it just never shows up, sounds too good to be true anyway. DJI is the best

This is exactly the same issue I had about 10 days ago. I have not yet received any word from tech support though. Here's the thread I had started: http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... mp;extra=#pid564355

eddievedder101 Posted at 2016-11-24 11:03
Flight records have been synced. Any of the 4 flights I completed with the mavic will show the iss ...

I looked at your last two flights an I see the compass errors and going into ATTI mode.
The DAT files need to be analyzed to to really see what the cause was.
Connect the aircraft to the Assistant2 software and download the DAT file then upload to Dropbox along with the RC logs (emailing you the download tool to extract the RC logs).
Contact support and start the RMA process and include the link to the logs in your ticket.
I just sent an email and it came back non-deliverable.
You can email me and I will reply with the the original email I tried to send you.
djiken@dji.com

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-11-24 14:06
I looked at your last two flights an I see the compass errors and going into ATTI mode.
The DAT fi ...

Can you send a link to the download tool for the RC controller? I'll send a Dropbox link for that and the other logs.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-11-24 09:05
I know the OP stated that by saying no "metal objects in the vicinity" I'm making sure as most alw ...

Nice to know the importance of compass calibration with the arms folded out. Especially since this isn't mentioned in the manual and DJI's own video tutorial shows it being done with the arms folded in. Nice. Real nice.

Derodeo Posted at 2016-11-24 14:17
Nice to know the importance of compass calibration with the arms folded out. Especially since this ...

The manual diagram shows the Mavic with the arms extended.

docbrain Posted at 2016-11-24 14:14
Can you send a link to the download tool for the RC controller? I'll send a Dropbox link for that  ...

What is your email?

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-11-24 14:41
What is your email?

Ufstevenrushing@gmail.com

Hi Eddie,
I'm a complete newbie and feel reticent even replying to your thread as you have a vast amount of experience and my reply could be construed as being facile and irrelevant. But (!), as you haven't specifically mentioned it, did you calibrate the controller?
As a novice, I don't know whether the calibration process is the same as previous dJI models, but as it's a wholly new technology it may not be. There was a video posted recently with a similar issue to yours that cured the problem by calibrating the controller. The owner didn't do it correctly at first, but realised his mistake and didn't have an issue afterwards.
I ask the question as I'm deeply aware of such problems being widely reported on the internet. Some are inexplicable, and others are due to pilot error. Pilot error is an emotive description; the manual doesn't cover a lot of processes that need to be made, most of which are second nature to an experienced pilot such as yourself. Given your previous experience this issue is of great concern to me and I watch with interest for the solution to your problem.

Come on you cant be serious! Am I the only one who thinks that dangerous flying machines tumbling out of the skies due to a dodgy "compass calibration" failure caused by having a bunch of keys in your pocket is absolutely obserd??! Were are all the built in fail safe mechanisms and proof of adherence to safety policies and standards that are in place globally for this very reason! Every other industry has to abide to these standards and laws before a product can even be deomonstrated for trade release... why or how the hell are DJI getting away with this?

After 1 or 2 of these same issues DJI should have stopped shipment immediately and recalled the mavic full stop just as Go pro and indeed samsung did. I have a hobby that is flying drones and other RC vehicles and it is becomming a very clear fact that DJI, not careless drone users, are putting that hobby in risk of being shut down completely or contriolled to the point were it stops to become fun anymore. DJI you have to stop now, admit you have product issues and deal with them correctly as any other global manufacturer would!  

Sounds like a bug when switching modes not a calibration issue "sport mode and upon my return to gps mode"

Just takes one variable in the code not to be set correctly when switching for this issue to occur (and yes i'm a programmer).

RootCtrl Posted at 2016-11-23 20:40
I think the reason people calibrate with the arms folded is because that's the way the official DJI  ...

The only calibration video that I saw with the arms folded up was for IMU, not compass.  The IMU and compass calibrations are different.  Are you sure you aren't thinking of the IMU calibration video?

Hey Ken,

In the DJI tutorial video that covers compass calibration, the guy mentions to turn the aircraft in a counter-clockwise direction.  The manual shows the same thing, but nothing is mentioned about direction is mentioned in the text.  Does it really matter which direction we turn the aircraft in each orientation?

eddievedder101 Posted at 2016-11-24 11:06
I agree... but I calibrated the compass with all arms extended and no metal around... I calibrated ...

Hi. If your Mavic is still with you. Can you please check at the compass sensor and share with us how are the 2 signals between compass 1 and compass 2? Check my thread and you will understand why I am asking.
http://forum.dji.com/thread-71762-1-1.html

Crazy!! Mines running perfect.....did I get a good one or is it goin to go all demon on me later lol

Another Mavic issue caused by calibration error?

No way on earth I'm calibrating unless the app tells me to.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-11-24 01:06
I looked at your last two flights an I see the compass errors and going into ATTI mode.
The DAT fil ...

Email Sent...Thanks Ken

rick39 Posted at 2016-11-24 04:13
Hi Eddie,
I'm a complete newbie and feel reticent even replying to your thread as you have a vast am ...

Please dont ever feel new to express your opinion or suggestion on the forum...that is the whole point!

Anyway I appreciate any suggestions...really hoping it is something I overlooked so I dont have to send this thing back to China and wait again.

I didnt do a remote calibration bc I recall DJI-Ken saying not to unless prompted by the App. With that said I doubt it could hurt, so I will try it..Im just scared to put it back into the air without some assurance the problem might be fixed.

Thanks

AYA74 Posted at 2016-11-24 05:27
Hi. If your Mavic is still with you. Can you please check at the compass sensor and share with us  ...

I looked at your link...Im not having similar issues.  No irregularity before take off between the two compass readouts.  My issues start several minutes into the flight when it claims a gps connection loss (despite showing connection to a nice amount of satellites), then goes to ATTI mode, then compass error, then MAJOR drift)

I am attaching a photo of the compass readout (while indoors) as you requested. Never posted a phot - hope I did it correctly.

Thanks

compass signal (indoors)

eddievedder101 Posted at 2016-11-24 21:50
I looked at your link...Im not having similar issues.  No irregularity before take off between the ...

Your compass is good! I am the unluckiest one...

CADDJockey Posted at 2016-11-24 18:09
Hey Ken,

In the DJI tutorial video that covers compass calibration, the guy mentions to turn the ai ...

I calibrate counter clockwise as per the manual, but I know people who do it both and it's been fine for them.

eddievedder101 Posted at 2016-11-24 20:59
Please dont ever feel new to express your opinion or suggestion on the forum...that is the whole p ...

Yes, do a RC calibration, but do it slowly when moving the sticks.

eddievedder101 Posted at 2016-11-24 21:50
I looked at your link...Im not having similar issues.  No irregularity before take off between the ...

You are good with your compass from what your screenshot shows, again contact support and start a RMA.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-11-24 12:54
You are good with your compass from what your screenshot shows, again contact support and start a  ...

Ken - are u receiving my emails??

eddievedder101 Posted at 2016-11-24 12:59
Please dont ever feel new to express your opinion or suggestion on the forum...that is the whole p ...

Thanks for your reply Eddie. From your photo the compass status looks perfect. When I received my Mavic I calibrated everything, even the camera in DJI assistant. I have not had any issues, but haven't flown more than two hours worth. I hope you find a solution to your problem.

This issue is alarming. DJI keeps telling it's a calibration error, but it is so clearly not. Calibration is perfect, why else it will fail after a few minutes of flying, not immediately? If the calibration was a cause, it would fail at the very beginning, instead of flying normally for a long time and then suddenly (!) start rotating. This is not a pilot error, it is clearly a device error, the question is whether it is hardware or software.

Hope this will be explicitly fixed. I am really worried about loosing my first drone this way. Thinking of cancelling the order, since the wait is so long, maybe more wise to wait for Mavic 2.