Unexplained Yaw Drift in GPS Mode

SlackerATX said:
On a scale from 1-10 how normal is this?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLmdHNiOF3I[/youtube]
That looks normal to me, meaning that it looks like what I see when I fly my Phantom. It's why I don't yaw until I've got enough altitude to have plenty of wiggle room.

Your video also answers a question that I had regarding the title of this thread. Assuming that the OP has the same issue that you do, I'd call it a pitch and roll drift when yawing, not a yaw drift. A yaw drift would mean to me that the craft would continue to rotate when the yaw stick was centered.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I very well might be hijacking a thread I don't know. When I center the stick it doesn't continue to yaw as much as it moves off center. (though it does continue to yaw some)
 
My Phantom 2 arrived yesterday, and fresh out of the box (after the appropriate firmware updates and calibrations) I am getting yaw drifts almost identical to SlackerATX's video above.

I'm coming from an original Phantom, and I don't recall that being an issue at all for that platform. It's holding position well, but can't rotate perfectly in place as I remember doing with the older machine. Not a huge issue, but a little disconcerting while making me question if there is any underlying mechanical issue.

To clarify, this is without anything mounted on the body beyond the standard wire leads, compass, and can-bus. I haven't even attached the GoPro yet.
 
SlackerATX said:
On a scale from 1-10 how normal is this?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLmdHNiOF3I[/youtube]

Not normal. It should stay pretty tightly on it's vertical axis when you yaw. Mine was doing great until about a month ago. I recalibrate the compass but it behaves like it isn't calibrated.

Still searching for the solution.
 
It looks somewhat windy and both CCW and CW yaw shows similar drift direction with the wind.
You may want to try fast ascend and see if it goes straight up, better yet in manual mode. This may identify the weak motor(s), if any.

As a former rc helicopter flyer, I mixed in the throttle when yaw to compensate for the altitude drops.
In your case, you may want to check if your throttle/rudder stick need a little throttle boost while yawing.
Yaw drift may caused by combination of factors.
 
The drift is not normal.. When my copter arrived, it hovered stationary, even when I rotated it on its axis.. Now, just before sending it back to the dealer for repair, it was doing the same thing as seen in this video, except after it skewed away, it would go into the toilet bowl effect.. I'm thinking, either a weak electronic part, or a bad solder..
 
obiwan_pierogi said:
The drift is not normal.. When my copter arrived, it hovered stationary, even when I rotated it on its axis.. Now, just before sending it back to the dealer for repair, it was doing the same thing as seen in this video, except after it skewed away, it would go into the toilet bowl effect.. I'm thinking, either a weak electronic part, or a bad solder..

Thats pretty much what mine is doing.

I replaced the motors for antigravity but no discernible difference. DEFINITELY it was locked solid before as I did numerous slow 360 pans on the spot with no drift at all.
 
mangoboom said:
obiwan_pierogi said:
The drift is not normal.. When my copter arrived, it hovered stationary, even when I rotated it on its axis.. Now, just before sending it back to the dealer for repair, it was doing the same thing as seen in this video, except after it skewed away, it would go into the toilet bowl effect.. I'm thinking, either a weak electronic part, or a bad solder..

Thats pretty much what mine is doing.

I replaced the motors for antigravity but no discernible difference. DEFINITELY it was locked solid before as I did numerous slow 360 pans on the spot with no drift at all.


I'm in the UK as well so it can't be the True North, compass issue, I also calibrate the compass before each flight.
 
If the Center Of Gravity is way off, then the Phantom tends to drift badly around a yaw.

Also ensure you yaw hard in hover mode, with GPS ATTI enabled, which helps to re-center it the moment you ease off the yaw.
 
Pmcdn said:
SlackerATX said:
On a scale from 1-10 how normal is this?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLmdHNiOF3I[/youtube]

Not normal. It should stay pretty tightly on it's vertical axis when you yaw. Mine was doing great until about a month ago. I recalibrate the compass but it behaves like it isn't calibrated.

Still searching for the solution.

So has anyone defined specifically the yaw drift issue? Is it COG? Gains?

I have now tweaked my v1.1.1 as many ways I can think on gains and I get consistent drift on yaw in the opposite direction when spinning on it's axis- all other flight characteristics are fine- it is just not willing to hold or center on yaw. I suspect it is a gain tweak- but I am at a loss. I have not tried to yank the throttle- not enough room to recover in my backyard testing zone and that is a band aid- not a solution in my opinion. I also have not tried atti or manual modes... but again- not a solution.

*I have custom retracts and an arris cm3000, so it is heavy, but it did, and should hover and yaw without this much variation as it did before with a similar weight and distribution.
 

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