Calibration Phantom 2:doesn't work or not necessary?

[Rudel23]

Dear friends,
I'm quite new on this forum, greetings from Rome, Italy. I apologize in advance if my English won't be so accurate...
I make my "debut" here with a symple question.
I own a Dji Phantom 2 with H3-2D Zemnuse gimbal since about 20 days.
From the very beginning, it didn't give me any problem.
I was thinking to have to wait several minutes before the gps signal was caught, but in about 10 sec. the back lights turn (flashing) green and I can fly, I love this stuff!
A question: I knew that a compass calibration is necessary before the 1st. flight, but it didn't and it doesn't react to my up-and-down movement of the upper-right selector. It remains flashing green, I know it should turn into a solid yellow light...
By the way, from the very 1st. flight the flights were perfect and the reaction to the RC transmitter accurate and impeccable...
This means that the compass calibration must be done only if required by the Phantom itself?
Which are the signals that a compass calibration is necessary?
The calibration can be done during warmup or one must wait that the gps signal is caught?
Or this operation can be " forced" anytime with the RC controller and my Phantom isn't working well?
Well finally I made 4 questions... sorry
Any help and/or advice will be higly welcome...
Thank you
Rodolfo (Rudel23)

 

[Gonzoshots]

I was just about to post the same question, my Phantom 2 seems to fly pretty well and if left to hover stays within about a 10 foot circle BUT I cannot get it into compass calibration mode (solid yellow), try as I may (repeated flipping of the L2 switch) I cannot get the lights to go solid yellow so I can proceed with the calibration ie. rotate 360 on two axis.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ianwood]

Wait for it to finish acquiring satellites and record its home location. Once it's done with this, flip the switch until you see solid yellow. If you still don't get into calibration mode, try speeding up or slowing down the pace of flipping the switch. Rotate until you get solid green. Point nose down and rotate on the nose until the lights go out. Some people suggest powering down and then back on once complete.

 

[Gonzoshots]

Thanks I found another thread that mentioned slowing down the flipping of the switch and also only doing it 5-6 times. I can now can get a solid yellow and after rotating the craft counter clockwise on its normal flight axis it goes green and stays green, so I assume when I flip onto the vertical axis and rotate (while a solid green light is on) when it starts slow flashing green I'm done?

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[ianwood]

When it's done and successful, it shows nothing, i.e. it goes back to whatever lights it would be showing as part of its normal operation. If you get yellow-red alternating, then it failed and needs to be redone.

 

[Rudel23]

Interesting...actually I made 2 mistakes: 1) up and down too fast ( to be verified next flight!) 2) Didn't remember that after solid yellow (calibration mode) it turns solid green if 1st. calib. is successful: at this point I was expecting a new solid yellow but I understood that you should make the vertical (2nd.) calib. with the solid green of the 1st. calib. on, and the signal of "calib. completed" will be a return to normal status...Great thing a forum of compentent people, thank you.

 

[Gonzoshots]

Rudel23, thanks for your precise clarification, I made the exact same two mistakes ie. too fast switch flipping and assuming that it would go back to solid yellow after 1st calibration. Cheers!

 

[Rudel23]

Rudel23, thanks for your precise clarification, I made the exact same two mistakes ie. too fast switch flipping and assuming that it would go back to solid yellow after 1st calibration. Cheers!

Thank you, I had a confirmation here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItFBLPlsHc0

Calibration at min. 1:40...the lights during vertical calib. are solid green...

Cheers Rodolfo Rudel

 

[Gonzoshots]

@Rudel23 Thanks I've watched the video and it does clarify, he does omit one detail when dong the second calibration, at the end of the calibration he says you "you know you have a successful compass calibration cause you'll go back to a flashing light", he does not specify what color the flashing light is, in my experience it is a slow flashing green.

Thanks again for all the great feedback.

 

[Rudel23]

@Rudel23 Thanks I've watched the video and it does clarify, he does omit one detail when dong the second calibration, at the end of the calibration he says you "you know you have a successful compass calibration cause you'll go back to a flashing light", he does not specify what color the flashing light is, in my experience it is a slow flashing green.

Thanks again for all the great feedback.

I guess flashing greeen if you are in gps mode, yellow if you are in atti mode, if the drone can't find any gps signal (high buildings, indoor, etc...)
Greetings!
P.S. My first video with Phantom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diTaFvD-k_E

 

[Rudel23]

@Rudel23 Thanks I've watched the video and it does clarify, he does omit one detail when dong the second calibration, at the end of the calibration he says you "you know you have a successful compass calibration cause you'll go back to a flashing light", he does not specify what color the flashing light is, in my experience it is a slow flashing green.

Thanks again for all the great feedback.

HERE THE MANUAL ABOUT CALIBRATION...

 

[hughsnews]

Yeah I have had problems with calibration too.
Yesterday it seemed to get fixed up though. Firstly, I plugged in the phantom 2 and controller and calibrated everything the program. Then I tested the GPS calibration and slowed it down say to like doing an Up/Down/Up/Down like in a second rather than trying to do as quickly as poss. Now it goes into solid yellow every time- easy!