Phantom v1.1 won't hover in place

[Jebus]

I finally got a chance to pull my Phantom out yesterday after a long winter. In the fall I noticed that the Phantom wouldn't hover in place. It would go in circles - getting bigger and bigger (is this the toilet bowl effect? Or the opposite of it?).

Yesterday I went through a few batteries and each time I would take off and let it hover, but it wouldn't stay in one place. After a few minutes of flying around, it seems to straighten itself out and will hover in more or less the same place.

Before I took it out yesterday, I did an advanced calibration in the assistant software and the gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass numbers are spot on.

Any suggestions as to what I can try to sort this out? Should I replace the compass? My props look ok - but maybe they're causing the issue? Could it be a GPS issue? I'm just not sure what else I could try.

 

[IflyinWY]

Was the machine level when you did the Advanced IMU Calibration?
Was there a bunch of electric stuff hanging around where you did the calibration?

Where did you calibrate the compass?
Was there any chance of underground utilities or magnetic interference?

Sounds like my bird when I would calibrate the compass over buried power lines.
Look at the link in my signature for more help.

 

[Jebus]

Thanks for the reply IflyinWY. I noticed the problem getting worse as the summer went on last year. It used to hover perfectly (more or less).

I do the advanced calibration on my computer desk - which is level & very stable. The Phantom doesn't move. There isn't anything that I can see that would cause interference - and as I mentioned before, all of the numbers are bang on, so I'd assume that it's calibrating properly.

 

[IflyinWY]

Maybe something is working loose inside. Have you opened it up and looked around?

 

[Jebus]

I haven't opened it up since about the middle of summer - but that's a good idea. Can't hurt to double-check.

I should have also mentioned that I never thought to make a note of how many satellites it was seeing, but I did get the double flashing green lights, so it has to be seeing more than six.

 

[Jose0711]

I also have experienced the TBE on my Phantom 1.1.1 lately. I have had the phantom for about a year and until a few weeks ago when the TBE became more obvious, the phantom was rock steady in a hover. Now, if I don't maneuver the phantom after lift off, it will go into a TBE, normally counterclock wise direction...and it seems to get worse if I don't do anything. I have calibrated the compass and IMU. Not sure what to do next. Is there a way to "wipe" the compass and start over again......can the compass get "corrupted" in some way?

 

[IflyinWY]

I also have experienced the TBE on my Phantom 1.1.1 lately. I have had the phantom for about a year and until a few weeks ago when the TBE became more obvious, the phantom was rock steady in a hover. Now, if I don't maneuver the phantom after lift off, it will go into a TBE, normally counterclock wise direction...and it seems to get worse if I don't do anything. I have calibrated the compass and IMU. Not sure what to do next. Is there a way to "wipe" the compass and start over again......can the compass get "corrupted" in some way?

Well Jose, lets start here... Welcome to the forum

Yep the compass can get "corrupted" very easily. Any magnet can do it.
That's the bad news. The good news:

My FC40 likes to do a bit of TBE (Toilet Bowl Effect), not to be confused with HITB (Head In Toilet Bowl) as well, but, and this is a really big butt, it also heads South. My Phantom is stricken with HITB, it literally wanders, with each revolution, farther South. I've spun it enough to know it's not going to stop traveling. I've watched it go 60 or 70 feet from where it started. Anyone chiming in want to try solving that?

Let me know if your problem is solved by following the video.

Enjoy the show, this is a great forum.

 

[Jose0711]

Well Jose, lets start here... Welcome to the forum

Yep the compass can get "corrupted" very easily. Any magnet can do it.
That's the bad news. The good news:

My FC40 likes to do a bit of TBE (Toilet Bowl Effect), not to be confused with HITB (Head In Toilet Bowl) as well, but, and this is a really big butt, it also heads South. My Phantom is stricken with HITB, it literally wanders, with each revolution, farther South. I've spun it enough to know it's not going to stop traveling. I've watched it go 60 or 70 feet from where it started. Anyone chiming in want to try solving that?

Let me know if your problem is solved by following the video.

Enjoy the show, this is a great forum.

Thanks so much!!! I tried the magnet trick and it seemed to work. The Phantom now hovers like it used to with the TBE not being visible to any extent! No sure how the compass became corrupted but I do recall stowing the phantom in a friends car in the trunk...near the speakers. Not sure if that was it but was the only thing I could think of that would cause the compass to get corrupted. Anyway, thanks for your help.

 

[IflyinWY]

Thanks so much!!! I tried the magnet trick and it seemed to work. The Phantom now hovers like it used to with the TBE not being visible to any extent! No sure how the compass became corrupted but I do recall stowing the phantom in a friends car in the trunk...near the speakers. Not sure if that was it but was the only thing I could think of that would cause the compass to get corrupted. Anyway, thanks for your help.

Nice, you owe me a beer...