Massive compass error at a steel mill. Help!

[srweaver69]

Today I was able to gain access and permission to film at the Carrie Furnaces, a Pittsburgh historical landmark which is comprised of two idled steel blast furnaces. The minute I get on property my Phantom 3 Pro starts generating compass errors. I knew I was close to large steel structures so I drove away from the site to try takeoff there. Same issue. Even indoors at the site today my bird would not take off due to the constant compass errors.

I know the ground contains ferris material and the structures probably generate some interference, but what the hell? I did the firmware upgrade last week and have had several spectacular flights with zero incidences. I have noticed a few compass references on the threads but until today this hasn't affected me.

I managed a few shots at the furnaces but nothing scares me more than that red compass warning coming up.

Help!

 

[aopisa]

These folks said they experienced some compass error there too:

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[N017RW]

Ahhh, help?

You have errors, others have reported errors.

There's interference there.

 

[ianwood]

Steel mill? Compass errors? Who'da thunk it?

 

[batch1978]

ATTI![emoji106]

 

[Phil Tuggle]

Can you just fly in Atti? Intelligent features will not work of course, but at least you will get some clips?

 

[Reed L]

You're only seeing what's above ground... If there was electrical lines and motors below ground they may still be there but cemented over so few people know where the openings were. Plus that silo has huge magnets in it or did at one time. Probably the static electricity there is enough to cause a lot of fluctuation. I used to be the guy who made things disappear when needed at a mill for many years. There's probably a ton of stuff buried in that field and there may have been a lot of underground workings there also. I haven't tried flying around a mill because there are so many magnetic motors and lots of static electricity that it never even crossed my mind. Personally, rust is not an attraction to me but I can see where the fascination would be to people that didn't live their lives in a mill, I sure loved mine

 

[aopisa]

I live in rural Vermont with lots of natural beauty, but I really have a greater attraction to filming urban industrial decay....

The grass is always greener....

 

[Mad_angler1]

Steel mill? Compass errors? Who'da thunk it?

its amazing, i can't believe metal affects a compass

 

[Jaron Vansambeek]

You're only seeing what's above ground... If there was electrical lines and motors below ground they may still be there but cemented over so few people know where the openings were. Plus that silo has huge magnets in it or did at one time. Probably the static electricity there is enough to cause a lot of fluctuation. I used to be the guy who made things disappear when needed at a mill for many years. There's probably a ton of stuff buried in that field and there may have been a lot of underground workings there also. I haven't tried flying around a mill because there are so many magnetic motors and lots of static electricity that it never even crossed my mind. Personally, rust is not an attraction to me but I can see where the fascination would be to people that didn't live their lives in a mill, I sure loved mine

The guy who made things disappear.... Im intrigued! Haha do tell!

 

[batch1978]

aopisa I'm from Barre where are you located ?

 

[aopisa]

Manchester! Have you seen my Otter Creek and Metawee River videos?

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Otter Creek was made with my new Advanced and the other one was made with the Standard I returned for the P3A.

On topic: Got a big compass error on Otter Creek when I tried to take off from a wooden foot bridge that I discovered later was built on top of two steel I-beams. Almost lost control and dunked it in the water. You can see the bridge in one of the last scenes in the video.

 

[bobmyers]

Today I was able to gain access and permission to film at the Carrie Furnaces, a Pittsburgh historical landmark which is comprised of two idled steel blast furnaces. The minute I get on property my Phantom 3 Pro starts generating compass errors. I knew I was close to large steel structures so I drove away from the site to try takeoff there. Same issue. Even indoors at the site today my bird would not take off due to the constant compass errors.

I know the ground contains ferris material and the structures probably generate some interference, but what the hell? I did the firmware upgrade last week and have had several spectacular flights with zero incidences. I have noticed a few compass references on the threads but until today this hasn't affected me.

I managed a few shots at the furnaces but nothing scares me more than that red compass warning coming up.

Help!

It should

 

[bobmyers]

These folks said they experienced some compass error there too:

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The whole site has probably become one gigantic magnet over the years.

 

[Reed L]

The guy who made things disappear.... Im intrigued! Haha do tell!

If I told those secrets, I would be standing next to Jimmy Hoffa... At the bottom of Lake Tahoe, with my new cement shoes
All in all, there were many ways, but probably one of the best was after a wind storm came through, I got a call at 2am from my friend of many years, who worked for Air Quality Control, that the neighbors had called in a dust complaint. Having friends in the right places won us a lot of awards so instead of going to work in the morning, I went to the neighbors with a firehose and washed the dust down the drain that had blown over there in the storm. It only took 15 minutes to do the whole place with the firehose, so I was packed up and waiting when the owner showed up. He was screaming, "I'll get you guys, I called The EPA, I'm turning you in!" When the EPA got there, the inspector got out of his car, looked at me, smiled and said, "Hi Reed" and we shook hands, then he looked at the owner and told him the place looked clean to him the guy turned beat red as my friend and I sat there and talked about old times for the next 15 minutes. I ended up knowing all of the inspectors personally because he would always introduce me as a good old friend