Calibrate every time I fly

Checking the mod value alone is not enough. There is a normal range for the mod value but it can also be above or below and still be a good calibration. It can also be right at 1480 and be a totally bad calibration for several reasons.
Who do I check the mod value from my screen?
 
I think its funny that so many have made such a ridiculously simple thing into some crazy rocket science/voodoo/ black magic kind of thing.

Calibrate your stupid compass in a place far away from metal, including crap that might be buried.
Before each flight check 4 thing..
1. Are you beyond 100 miles from your last calibration?
Yes - Calibrate that POS
No - Fly that POS
2. Is your compass MOD value between 1400-1500? Closer to 1500 is better.
Yes - Fly that POS
No - Calibrate that POS
3. Is your radar indicating that your P3 is in fact facing the direction it is facing?
Yes - Fly that POS
No - Fly that POS
4. Have you been smoking dope?
Go home and think about how you screwed your day up
Now move on the scary complicated part...

Take off, observing tendencies to drift as you loose contact with the ground and possible rotation.
If you see either of these things, land and calibrate that POS. Then start again at #1

Its that **** simple! If you follow those steps I am REALLY close to guaranteeing that you will not have a compass fault related crash.
 
I can't find reference to POS in my manual. Hahaha

Which chapter or paragraph expounds on this 'concept'? ;-)

RedHotPoker
 
There will be at least one person here waiting for a report on the results!!! Good luck and happy flying. See you on Monday at some point, I hope!

I shall report that brilliant news directly back to you, before the lunch bell. ;-)

RedHotPoker
 
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Mine tells me when it wants a calibration. I have maybe 50 flights and 4 calibrations. I don't lose control, or crash, just fly, record, charge, inspect and repeat.

If someone wants to calibrate between every battery change and it works for them, cool. If you think you have to do it standing naked in a primordial forest 10 miles from the nearest nail at midnight, also cool.

For me, I think of calibration like timing an engine, or making any adjustment, you can do it every day, but if it already correct, the best you can hope for it is will be as good as it was before you added the work. The worst is it will be less than what you had.

If it's not broken, keep working on it till it is?
 
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Honest question: if my drone is tracking 15 or more GPS satellites, why would being confused about what direction is North make it fly away? I know GPS can't tell you which ways north when stationary, but just as soon as the drone starts moving, it will know which way north is. And I really am too dumb to understand why compass issues would cause it to flip. Drone got confused on which ways up? Appreciate any constructive feedback.
 
Honest question: if my drone is tracking 15 or more GPS satellites, why would being confused about what direction is North make it fly away? I know GPS can't tell you which ways north when stationary, but just as soon as the drone starts moving, it will know which way north is. And I really am too dumb to understand why compass issues would cause it to flip. Drone got confused on which ways up? Appreciate any constructive feedback.

Correct me if I am wrong (please!), but maybe it's because GPS is positional and not directional (it monitors your position irrespective of direction). A compass knows your orientation but not your actual position. Through the maze of conflicting posts about this (and most other) issues, it seems that the problem arises when GPS and compass don't "agree", perhaps causing an out of control cycle of "autocorrect" on the part of the copter. (The fact that switching to ATTI mode can overcome flyaways seems to support this idea.) I don't have first hand expertise on this, but I really am trying to extract nuggets of consistent info from the constant snowball fight of conflicting and contradictory "info" one reads here and elsewhere.

Someday, a definitive post with clear and concise info will arrive. I hope.

In the meantime, I will navigate the snowball fight of opinion here and elsewhere and try to gather up the things that seem logical and consistent and which fit my actual experience.
 
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There already is clear and concise info available, for anyone, who will take the time to read and understand it.
Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer | DJI Phantom Forum

But that's on you. We can't silver-spoon feed it to you like 'our' favorite sweet pablum. You need to do your research and find the truth.
image.jpg

Read the refresher and enjoy the benefits of its knowledge.

Fly safe, & happy landings.

RedHotPoker
 
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How do I check the mod value from my screen?

@brianb87,
Sorry no one replied to your question earlier.
In the Go App, with your Phantom turned on, click the second button on the top left, it resembles the drone. Near the bottom of this screen below Advanced Settings you will see Sensors, tap that.
This is your values screen, the third set, Compass, look at the end, for your Mod value.
We want it to read as close to 1500 as possible, before take off.

Eh, I Hope that this helps you understand thee conversation. ;-)

RedHotPoker
 
There already is clear and concise info available, for anyone, who will take the time to read and understand it.
Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer | DJI Phantom Forum

But that's on you. We can't silver-spoon feed it to you like 'our' favorite sweet pablum. You need to do your research and find the truth.
View attachment 29730
Read the refresher and enjoy the benefits of its knowledge.

Fly safe, & happy landings.

RedHotPoker

Lol. Are you saying there are no other "sources" which sometimes offer contradictory and incomplete info? As I said (you must have missed it) I have read extensively (including the one you posted) and am doing what I can do to pull together the BEST compilation of consistent info that matches both consensus and my own experience. Save your condescension for someone who can't read beyond it. Lol. Seriously, some of you are so full of yourselves at times it's a real hoot.

Suppose I had never seen that before. Is that your best way of offering it to someone who is asking for info and explanations, and who begins by admitting incomplete knowledge and the desire for some expert opinion? Lol. Imagine how hurt my feelings must be by your little message board smackdown.
 
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It's a public forum, full of personal opinions and actual fact.
Yes, please speed read it all, and come to a conclusion, for yourself.

Everyone has a unique situation, and we certainly live in all sorts of different areas of the world. So changes are imminent. You need to evaluate the calculations, do the calibrations and read your Mod values before you take off. Each ones situation is different. What ever works for you, bro.

RedHotPoker
 
"Speed read". I see what you did there. :) Not bad. Lol. Happy flights to you, too, amigo. Boys and their toys, and sometimes we squabble amongst ourselves. No one ever gets hurt.

Fingers crossed for the new update.
 
I think this next grand Firmware and Go App update will be a big winner.
It will bring nearly most all of the desired features to us, that some eager beavers have been holding their breath for, now nearly six months.
I find it amazing actually that these tiny micro chip brains can accomplish half the stuff we put them through. Never mind autonomous flight programs. These truly are becoming our robots of the future, today.
Had da yada yada. . .
We actually lived long enough to see the future beginning to take shape and form. Remember the Mechanics Illustrated articles of flying cars and wonders of the next generations.
Eh, we have arrived. Still waiting for them to send the Jetsons to the next frontier, the Mars development. ;-)
I hope they bring some cool new digital toys to the next inhabited planet... Will Amazon deliver to Mars eventually? Will they still utilize Google or will it be Yahoo everyday? High hopes...


RedHotPoker
 
There will be at least one person here waiting for a report on the results!!! Good luck and happy flying. See you on Monday at some point, I hope!

While "All is well, that ends well!", sounds great in theory, we need to put tool to grindstone, and redirect them hot sparks, away from your eyes...
The new Go App and updated Firmware all installed to my Phantom 3 Pro kit without a hitch.
I inserted a couple fresh batteries to check on intelligent flight battery FirmWare, there was none. Same for the radio controller. It is all good to go.
Went outside and flew one battery. Brought it back, cooled down, recompiled my thoughts, and ran a second fresh intelligent flight battery. No abnormalities or deformities could be discovered.
It ran awesome and flew clean. Although I have not utilized the newest and greatest features, I can see that this improved much appreciated Go App and latest FirmWare all loaded correctly, and I have no problems, concerns or worries in regards to this update.
The new anticipated features must be activated within the flight mode switch, turn it over to F mode.

Even though I smile broadly, still am slightly concerned about how soon @dji will release a compiled instruction manual or addendum for these new features we installed this morning?

Thanks again, and have a nice day. Go flying...


RedHotPoker
 
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Mission Accomplished ... I'm going out later this evening for my first trial with the new toys.
 
Hey, yeah that's the right attitude. Buy these expensive toys to enjoy them, not as fancy paperweights for the office desk.

I was feeling somewhat nervousness, apprehensive even. Ah but as soon as it lifted off from the landing pad, I could already see it was very stable and flying rock solid, just as it did on day one... I am happy to report, all went as planned, and you have no fears to consider. Enjoy the new Go App and our latest greatest firmware.

Sorry I got a late start today... But it's all good news now.


RedHotPoker
 

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