Got The Dreaded Compass Error Today

[Chris876]

As always, I calibrated my compass and waited for my GPS location to be updated.

Got the message, GPS location updated, and took off.

I went up about 200 feet and looked around a bit. Everything was fine. It was my 2nd flight for the day.

I decided to come back down to about 100 feet, and fly towards an old, deserted building nearby.

Started my approach, and got within about 100 feet.

Then it started. My P3P started spinning uncontrollably. I couldn't do anything to get it to stabilize.

All i could think about is how I was going to get it out of the lake it was heading straight towards. I dont even know if there are snakes in these lakes...

Anyhow, luckily, it stayed in the air long enough to fly pass the lake, and crash land on the roof of what I think might be an indoor shooting range.

I was about to start climbing the fence to get over to the property, but I decided to look at my screen to see if the camera was still on.

It was my lucky day.

Looks like it ended up right side up.

So I took off, flew it high enough to clear some trees and the fence, then brought it back down full speed.

I feel pretty **** lucky. I was almost sure that today was the day I'd lose it.

But I'm still trying to figure out what caused the problem.

There's a train station nearby. Maybe that was the problem?

I also updated the controller today to the latest firmware.

Anyone have any ideas?

P.S. Here's the video >>

It ends just before impact. I think in all the excitement of me chasing it, I must have clicked the record button on the controller...

 

[Drone_on]

I had the same issue today all firmware and controller is up-to-date as well as the GO app...right around 200 feet moved into compass error and ATTI mode. Fortunately I have taught myself to fly on ATTI and was able to maintain control. Toggled switch on left side of controller a few times and was somehow able to get it back into GPS mode. This is the third time this is happened to me.

As always, I calibrated my compass and waited for my GPS location to be updated.

Got the message, GPS location updated, and took off.

I went up about 200 feet and looked around a bit. Everything was fine. It was my 2nd flight for the day.

I decided to come back down to about 100 feet, and fly towards an old, deserted building nearby.

Started my approach, and got within about 100 feet.

Then it started. My P3P started spinning uncontrollably. I couldn't do anything to get it to stabilize.

All i could think about is how I was going to get it out of the lake it was heading straight towards. I dont even know if there are snakes in these lakes...

Anyhow, luckily, it stayed in the air long enough to fly pass the lake, and crash land on the roof of what I think might be an indoor shooting range.

I was about to start climbing the fence to get over to the property, but I decided to look at my screen to see if the camera was still on.

It was my lucky day.

Looks like it ended up right side up.

So I took off, flew it high enough to clear some trees and the fence, then brought it back down full speed.

I feel pretty **** lucky. I was almost sure that today was the day I'd lose it.

But I'm still trying to figure out what caused the problem.

There's a train station nearby. Maybe that was the problem?

I also updated the controller today to the latest firmware.

Anyone have any ideas?

P.S. Here's the video >>

It ends just before impact. I think in all the excitement of me chasing it, I must have clicked the record button on the controller...

 

[vincey2kr1]

With all the bugs lately I do t even take my dang drone out because I figure it's just a matter of time something like this happens... Why can't DJI come out with a stable build. I've had a compass error before but I was quick to flip to atti mode. Looks like it still happening.

 

[morgan gross]

hopefully this helps

Planetary K-index | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

K-index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

-Morgan

 

[lawman0210]

Sometimes having so many updates so fast is not better. Sometimes it better to slow down and verify verify verify

 

[Meta4]

With all the bugs lately I do t even take my dang drone out because I figure it's just a matter of time something like this happens... Why can't DJI come out with a stable build.

That's like saying .. I've heard of a couple of Ford cars crashing this month. I won't drive mine any more. Why can't Ford make a safe car?
Some perspective is needed.
How many Phantoms are out there.
How many have exhibited this?
What was the cause?

 

[Meta4]

hopefully this helps
Planetary K-index | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

That had nothing at all to do with K-index.
If the K-Index ever had any effect on a Phantom, it would only create an inaccuracy of a few feet in the GPS and you probably wouldn't even notice it.

 

[Chris876]

I had the same issue today all firmware and controller is up-to-date as well as the GO app...right around 200 feet moved into compass error and ATTI mode. Fortunately I have taught myself to fly on ATTI and was able to maintain control. Toggled switch on left side of controller a few times and was somehow able to get it back into GPS mode. This is the third time this is happened to me.

So just to clarify, did you manually put it in ATTI mode by flipping the switch on the remote to A-mode? Or did it automatically put you in ATTI mode when it had the compass error?

I'm trying to figure out what the best plan of action is if this happens again.

 

[Meta4]

As always, I calibrated my compass and waited for my GPS location to be updated.
....
Then it started. My P3P started spinning uncontrollably. I couldn't do anything to get it to stabilize.

The way it seemed stable for two minutes before the errormakes it hard to say what the cause was from what we have here.
I'm always wary when people say that they calibrate the compass every flight because that introduces the potential for a bad compass calibration.
Did you calibrate in a safe area or could there have been steel nearby - like reinforcing in concrete etc?

But I'm still trying to figure out what caused the problem.
There's a train station nearby. Maybe that was the problem?
I also updated the controller today to the latest firmware.

The train station had no effect on your Phantom.
It is unlikely that it was related to your controller update too.
If the controller was a problem, you wouldn't have had stable flight before and after the incident.

 

[Chris876]

The way it seemed stable for two minutes before the errormakes it hard to say what the cause was from what we have here.
I'm always wary when people say that they calibrate the compass every flight because that introduces the potential for a bad compass calibration.
Did you calibrate in a safe area or could there have been steel nearby - like reinforcing in concrete etc?


The train station had no effect on your Phantom.
It is unlikely that it was related to your controller update too.
If the controller was a problem, you wouldn't have had stable flight before and after the incident.

I may have had a bad calibration. I was maybe 10 feet from my car.

But even if that is the case, and this happens again, would putting it in A-mode allow me to regain control?

I'm thinking that if this wild behavior is caused by a compass/GPS error, wouldn't A-mode disregard the compass & GPS confusion?

 

[Meta4]

I may have had a bad calibration. I was maybe 10 feet from my car.
But even if that is the case, and this happens again, would putting it in A-mode allow me to regain control?
I'm thinking that if this wild behavior is caused by a compass/GPS error, wouldn't A-mode disregard the compass & GPS confusion?

Yes .. by switching to atti, you should eliminate any conflict between compass and GPS.
But if you are introducing problems by calibrating the compass where you shouldn't, it is pretty important to eliminate that potential issue.
Here's a good place to start
Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer | DJI Phantom Forum

 

[Martin Smith]

Fly near everything, enjoy it all the time you own it.

 

[ParsnipHysorter]

Fly near everything, enjoy it all the time you own it.

Nice video.

 

[Meta4]

Fly near everything, enjoy it all the time you own it.

He may be right saying that a lot of fears are overdone but Jim Bowers isn't someone I'd trust for a scientific analysis.
He has a very poor understanding of many things.

His demonstration said high voltage powerlines but he was flying around domestic supply lines.
He suggested his train video indicates you can safely fly close to large steel objects but didn't fly close at all.
His bridge examples were quick dashes under a narrow bridge.
And he thinks K-index may affect his compass?