Currently lost.

[dougcjohn]

Were the individual images well focused or blurry? - was the problem with the image capture or the stitching?


Completely unnecessary and a waste of time.
Compass calibration is unrelated to geographic location, moving to another area makes no difference.

That's interesting, I've read multiple sources a need to calibrate compass if you move "x" miles from last point of use.
Do you only calibrate when RC prompts or indicates a need to calibrate? I often get a prompt to calibrate on new location due to environmental elements... or can also move craft if interference is under ground.

 

[R.P..R]

Were the individual images well focused or blurry? - was the problem with the image capture or the stitching?


Completely unnecessary and a waste of time.
Compass calibration is unrelated to geographic location, moving to another area makes no difference.

Don’t believe the hype.

During 10%-30% 3 of which is I’m following. During this phase of a build is when high magnetic interference usually occurs due to the high traffic below. Over the years I been playing it safe.

It’s not a waste of time to go over your checklist specially when you are playing it safe, during a certain phase of the build the workers below are vulnerable, as well as your drone when you are flying autonomously. I want to cover my playing field on any given work day and have as much insurance that can possibly have, and compass calibration is free with an extra peace of mind, and I’m less fortunate, because 3 of my major build are in a high traffic areas.

 

[Meta4]

That's interesting, I've read multiple sources a need to calibrate compass if you move "x" miles from last point of use.
Do you only calibrate when RC prompts or indicates a need to calibrate?

What you've read is from folks that don't understand what compass calibration actually does (and what it doesn't do.
There's a lot of myth and misunderstanding about the topic.
Calibrating the compass only does one thing - it identifies and measures the magnetic fields that are part of the drone so they can be ignored.
After doing that, the compass reading is accurate and not affected by the drone itself.
It has nothing to do with where you are or how far you've moved or the local magnetic environment and doesn't change appreciably over time.
Compass calibration is necessary if you modify or rebuild the drone.
My main Phantom has never had anything calibrated since new 2.5 yrs ago and has been used in multiple countries.
It still flies as well as it did on day one.

Do you only calibrate when RC prompts or indicates a need to calibrate? I often get a prompt to calibrate on new location due to environmental elements... or can also move craft if interference is under ground.

If I got a message/warning indicating calibrating was required, I wouldn't automatically recalibrate.
I'd move away from the magnetic interference the compass was warning of and that would probably be all that was necessary.

Don’t believe the hype.

What hype?

During 10%-30% 3 of which is I’m following. During this phase of a build is when high magnetic interference usually occurs due to the high traffic below. Over the years I been playing it safe.

Unless you are flying very low and close to steelwork (probably closer than 10 feet) you shouldn't see any magnetic interference flying over a construction site.
Recalibrating your compass won't do anything to make your flight any safer, but understanding what calibrating actually does, will.

It’s not a waste of time to go over your checklist specially when you are playing it safe, during a certain phase of the build the workers below are vulnerable, as well as your drone when you are flying autonomously. I want to cover my playing field on any given work day and have as much insurance that can possibly have, and compass calibration is free with an extra peace of mind, and I’m less fortunate, because 3 of my major build are in a high traffic areas.

As I explained, compass calibration is 100% about the magnetic fields that are part of the drone and not about where you are flying.
Unnecessarily recalibrating won't do anything to give you more security.
If it's giving you peace of mind, that's a placebo effect based on misunderstanding.

 

[dougcjohn]

Calibrating the compass only does one thing - it identifies and measures the magnetic fields that are part of the drone so they can be ignored.
After doing that, the compass reading is accurate and not affected by the drone itself.
It has nothing to do with where you are or how far you've moved or the local magnetic environment and doesn't change appreciably over time.
If I got a message/warning indicating calibrating was required, I wouldn't automatically recalibrate.
I'd move away from the magnetic interference the compass was warning of and that would probably be all that was necessary.

As I explained, compass calibration is 100% about the magnetic fields that are part of the drone and not about where you are flying.
Unnecessarily recalibrating won't do anything to give you more security.
If it's giving you peace of mind, that's a placebo effect based on misunderstanding.

I understand your rational in most situations, as indicated, I’ll move the launch point at times to end the compass error.
Although at times, even after moving it around I’m unable to clear the error, I’ll perform a calibration... so evidently as you’ve indicated, it’s basically noting the mag fields of drone. I hadn’t looked at it in that reguard, but it does make sense.

Question, in your above stmt, initially you wrote
"It has nothing to do with where you are or how far you've moved or the local magnetic environment and doesn't change appreciably over time.” and then “I'd move away from the magnetic interference the compass was warning of and that would probably be all that was necessary.” I’m following you, but a bit unclear on the “nothing to do with local magnetic environment” and “move away from magnetic interference”... are those different, and how? I agree on 10’ Altitude, once up off ground I don’t get an error.. even if was presenting an error msg and moved craft a bit to clear.

That’s impressive your phantom hasn’t forced a calibration via error message that wouldn’t clear in 2.5 yrs.

 

[R.P..R]

Where’s my warning on a typical day.



This flight happened after I received the warning and after I recalibrated the compass.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

My COA allows me to fly outside the radius of my work site once deemed safe. On a typical day during digging of the trenches, pouring of the first cement and or pipe layout the pit is usually with land surveyors with their cool gadgets.

Working in the Silicon Valley is stressful with all the communication traffic. Where’s my new contract: Alston construction.



I compass calibrate all the time from site to site, it’s free, it doesn’t hurt and it gives me a peace of mind, I don’t like leaving things to chance.

 

[Meta4]

I’m following you, but a bit unclear on the “nothing to do with local magnetic environment” and “move away from magnetic interference”... are those different, and how?

There's a common misconception that the calibration somehow adjusts for the earth's magnetic in your flying area or that it's required if moving some distance from where you last flew.
It doesn't matter where you fly, if it's 5000 miles from your last launch site or what magnetic interference might be in the area.
Compass calibration is only needed to identify and ignore the magnetic fields which are part of the drone so that the compass data is accurate.

 

[dougcjohn]

There's a common misconception that the calibration somehow adjusts for the earth's magnetic in your flying area or that it's required if moving some distance from where you last flew.
It doesn't matter where you fly, if it's 5000 miles from your last launch site or what magnetic interference might be in the area.
Compass calibration is only needed to identify and ignore the magnetic fields which are part of the drone so that the compass data is accurate.

Yep, that I'm tracking with ya... the part that confused me was the above two quoted lines. That's the part I got a little off-track in what you were indicating. To me the 2 lines seem contradictory, but I think it's more a matter of understanding the statement. That was the gist of my question to clarify?