Fixing DJI's Compass Problem

[KassioLM]

OK. Let's agree to end the bickering. If anything, we need to work together on this otherwise we won't get anywhere.

As far as DJI is concerned, they are doing something about it. That's a very positive step. Let's not forget that. But, that doesn't mean we can let them take forever to do it. I think the time for us to apply more pressure is imminent.

But, before we go there. Let's all understand what it is that DJI has to do to make this happen. Anyone who has been involved in software development knows that there's a lot more to it than one might think. This is especially true when you are developing firmware for a flight controller. They started looking at this about a month ago.

Ultimately, we want the fix. But until that happens, we want reassurance that progress is being made and that there are people working on it.

Here's what I would like to do:



I am going to send another email to Terry and tell him we need a progress update with some details as to what they're doing and where it's going. We'll give him a week to respond. If he is able to reassure us, then we sit tight knowing it's coming and we'll just have to patient.

If he doesn't have an answer for us, we start making some noise through social media, together in a coordinated fashion. Not now! Then, if still not satisfied, a small group of us make videos demonstrating the issue and we then promote them all over the place.

I'm in!!!

 

[EricT]

OK. Let's agree to end the bickering. If anything, we need to work together on this otherwise we won't get anywhere.

As far as DJI is concerned, they are doing something about it. That's a very positive step. Let's not forget that. But, that doesn't mean we can let them take forever to do it. I think the time for us to apply more pressure is imminent.

But, before we go there. Let's all understand what it is that DJI has to do to make this happen. Anyone who has been involved in software development knows that there's a lot more to it than one might think. This is especially true when you are developing firmware for a flight controller. They started looking at this about a month ago.

Ultimately, we want the fix. But until that happens, we want reassurance that progress is being made and that there are people working on it.

Here's what I would like to do:

I am going to send another email to Terry and tell him we need a progress update with some details as to what they're doing and where it's going. We'll give him a week to respond. If he is able to reassure us, then we sit tight knowing it's coming and we'll just have to patient.

If he doesn't have an answer for us, we start making some noise through social media, together in a coordinated fashion. Not now! Then, if still not satisfied, a small group of us make videos demonstrating the issue and we then promote them all over the place.

Any new news on this topic? It was back in March I saw this post and not much new since. TIA.

 

[maher]

Hello everyone,

I live near Montreal in Quebec/Canada. The local declination is about minus 15.5 degree.

I own a Phantom 1.1.1 from about a year and a Phantom 2 with the H3-3D for about 2 weeks. I've followed this threat very constantly, even before receiving my Phantom 2, and this is my first post on this thread. I've waited some times to report my own strange results because I wanted to read all the 59 pages on this topic before posting.

I flew my Phantom 2 the first time in strong gusty winds but only hover at low altitude and very close to me, just to check if everything was OK before putting on the H3-3D, the iOS mini and the transmitter for the FPV. If I had to crash it, I only wanted minimal damages. That first test gave me the false impression that my P2 didn't suffer from all the problems described here.

Then I read the procedures suggested by Ianwood and tried it for the second flight doing long back and forth straight runs. I can now confirm that my Phantom 2 presented the J hooks and Toilet Bowel Effect reported in this thread. The TBE was severe enough that all my tests (even those on ATTI mode because of a significant strong wind that cannot allow me to hover statically) ended with my P2 toppling over at landings (without any damages, thank to the long soft grass).

The J hook was to the right, consistent with what Ianwood predicted, but the TBE happened at the end of the battery life with no apparent adaptation.

For now, my P2 is grounded until I get an almost no wind condition so I could start to learn to fly safely in ATTI mode which look like the only effective solution to shot some really usable footages.

So I folded back to flying the Phantom 1 with no accessories at all, just to grasp the basic of flying in ATTI mode in some windy conditions. But why not start by the procedure suggested by Ianwood to highlight to magnetic declination bug of the P2.

The results may surprised some of you :

1- On the few first long straigth back and forth runs (both parallel and perpendicular to the wind), the P1 flew straight ahead but presented clearly the familiar left drift as soon as I released the forward pressure on the left stick. The P1 obviously adapt since that drift was almost imperceptible by the forth run.

2- I get a very perceptible slow and wide clockwise TBE just hovering on the initial seconds of the first battery. I corrected it before loosing control and didn't noticed any TBE on the rest of the flight for that battery and the next one…

Can we assume from my results that there is 2 distinct aspects (may be not related one to each other) happening in the J hook problem and that the P1 may be partially suffering from the P2 bug?

I can also report with confidence that, prior to receiving my P2, my P1 had a few TBE symptoms, happening in randomly situations that I interpreted as lagged aggravating overcorrections.

As an additional info, both my P1 and P2 are on the 1.08 firmwares and I proceeded to all the usual calibrations prior to flying them.

I hope DJI solve rapidly those nasty problems because I was hoping to buy a S1000 as my next filming rig and it won't happen as long as I didn't get confident enough with my Phantom 2 first.

 

[KassioLM]

Info is Info!!!

[vimeo]92872765[/vimeo]

how this works on F450

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6oDVQwUPwU

 

[Blade Runner]

OK. Let's agree to end the bickering. If anything, we need to work together on this otherwise we won't get anywhere.

As far as DJI is concerned, they are doing something about it. That's a very positive step. Let's not forget that. But, that doesn't mean we can let them take forever to do it. I think the time for us to apply more pressure is imminent.

But, before we go there. Let's all understand what it is that DJI has to do to make this happen. Anyone who has been involved in software development knows that there's a lot more to it than one might think. This is especially true when you are developing firmware for a flight controller. They started looking at this about a month ago.

Ultimately, we want the fix. But until that happens, we want reassurance that progress is being made and that there are people working on it.

Here's what I would like to do:

I am going to send another email to Terry and tell him we need a progress update with some details as to what they're doing and where it's going. We'll give him a week to respond. If he is able to reassure us, then we sit tight knowing it's coming and we'll just have to patient.

If he doesn't have an answer for us, we start making some noise through social media, together in a coordinated fashion. Not now! Then, if still not satisfied, a small group of us make videos demonstrating the issue and we then promote them all over the place.

I'm new here... But I'm behind you on this plan!!

 

[SFXD]

Good info. My P2 is doing the same.
Based in Delaware Valley, PA. New Hope: 7 miles north and across the river from beautiful downtown Trenton, NJ.

 

[Andy T]

Info is Info!!!

[vimeo]92872765[/vimeo]

how this works on F450

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6oDVQwUPwU

I would be totally happy with a turnable compass. if it worked

 

[ianwood]

If anyone wants to talk about rotating their compass, please do so in another thread. Thank you.

 

[Major_Defeat]

Count me in, I support this

 

[Andy T]

If anyone wants to talk about rotating their compass, please do so in another thread. Thank you.

Other versions of DJI platforms had rotatable compasses. I was suggesting if DJIs solution to this problem is providing a rotatble compass to fix this, I would be satisfied.

 

[ianwood]

If anyone wants to talk about rotating their compass, please do so in another thread. Thank you.

Other versions of DJI platforms had rotatable compasses. I was suggesting if DJIs solution to this problem is providing a rotatble compass to fix this, I would be satisfied.

Other platforms are not relevant to this discussion. Regardless, it's been brought up in this thread over a dozen times already. Read it. And then if you want to discuss it, do so in a separate thread.

 

[d4ddyo]

If anyone wants to talk about rotating their compass, please do so in another thread. Thank you.

Other versions of DJI platforms had rotatable compasses. I was suggesting if DJIs solution to this problem is providing a rotatble compass to fix this, I would be satisfied.

Go find or create a thread.

 

[ianwood]

From now on, if anyone wants to discuss rotating the compass for the 1 millionth time, please do so here: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=15963

 

[KassioLM]

From now on, if anyone wants to discuss rotating the compass for the 1 millionth time, please do so here: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=15963

I fully agree, just quoted it because I found it interesting but it is a way of covering up the problem, I regret what happened, we will focus only on demand results from the manufacturer to resolve bugs and disseminate the results here as usual now, thanks.

 

[Andy T]

From now on, if anyone wants to discuss rotating the compass for the 1 millionth time, please do so here: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=15963

I fully agree, just quoted it because I found it interesting but it is a way of covering up the problem, I regret what happened, we will focus only on demand results from the manufacturer to resolve bugs and disseminate the results here as usual now, thanks.

I have a question for everyone here and that is, why is this issue not at the top of the DJI Facebook comments section. We need to let them know on their sites (Facebook, YouTube, their support section). It needs to come up at their next morning meeting and every morning meeting thereafter in their office or they will just think oh that little group of whiners arguing among themselves will go away after a while.

 

[ianwood]

I have a question for everyone here and that is, why is this issue not at the top of the DJI Facebook comments section. We need to let them know on their sites (Facebook, YouTube, their support section). It needs to come up at their next morning meeting and every morning meeting thereafter in their office or they will just think oh that little group of whiners arguing among themselves will go away after a while.

Read back a few posts. There's a plan for that.

 

[Cr8tive_leo]

Why can't DJI just put in a value box in the Phantom assistant to allow you enter the declination? I have other fc's and use APM planner, it allows for this.

Just asking, maybe it's already been asked.

 

[Andy T]

I have a question for everyone here and that is, why is this issue not at the top of the DJI Facebook comments section. We need to let them know on their sites (Facebook, YouTube, their support section). It needs to come up at their next morning meeting and every morning meeting thereafter in their office or they will just think oh that little group of whiners arguing among themselves will go away after a while.

Read back a few posts. There's a plan for that.

I am done waiting... i have started

 

[KassioLM]

Why can't DJI just put in a value box in the Phantom assistant to allow you enter the declination? I have other fc's and use APM planner, it allows for this.

Just asking, maybe it's already been asked.

I'm already send a email with this question 8 days ago, but no response....

 

[ianwood]

I am done waiting... i have started

Guys. DJI can easily ignore a trickle of posts to their FB page and the occasional email. It'll be harder to ignore a deluge of posts all at one time which is what I want to do. Currently, I've asked DJI to come onto the forum and give us a detailed update. I am giving that a week (as of yesterday). If that doesn't reassure people, then we start with the next steps.

You guys are going to need to make videos, etc. highlighting the problem. Posts without content get buried. We will need videos and pictures summarizing the issue and requesting a solution.