COMPASS RECALIBRATION

[Nightbat2]

On the UAV course I did the instructor recommended recalibration of the compass (Phantom 4+) every time you flew from a new location. If I understand it correctly, Autel’s documentation and EVO app suggest it is necessary only if you get a notification in the app or if the bird doesn’t appear to be following stick movements correctly. Mine is fine, but later today I will be flying it in a new location, and low, along a rather pretty creek. Should I recal the EVO at the new take-off point if no notification—as I would a Phantom—or could that cause issues?

 

[Ansia]

On the UAV course I did the instructor recommended recalibration of the compass (Phantom 4+) every time you flew from a new location. If I understand it correctly, Autel’s documentation and EVO app suggest it is necessary only if you get a notification in the app or if the bird doesn’t appear to be following stick movements correctly. Mine is fine, but later today I will be flying it in a new location, and low, along a rather pretty creek. Should I recal the EVO at the new take-off point if no notification—as I would a Phantom—or could that cause issues?

You will end up with the bowl effect. Unlike the Phantom that requires relaibration when you travel 50km or 30 days, the Evo's compass doesn't require that much service.

 

[Nightbat2]

Thanks. I’ll leave it alone.

 

[thomasr]

On the UAV course I did the instructor recommended recalibration of the compass (Phantom 4+) every time you flew from a new location. If I understand it correctly, Autel’s documentation and EVO app suggest it is necessary only if you get a notification in the app or if the bird doesn’t appear to be following stick movements correctly. Mine is fine, but later today I will be flying it in a new location, and low, along a rather pretty creek. Should I recal the EVO at the new take-off point if no notification—as I would a Phantom—or could that cause issues?

Yeah -- if someone did this with the Evo a whole Iot - I am not sure how that would turn out.

My bird has yelled one time for a calibration -- I performed it thinking it would be something else that I have to add to a list of update/calibrate or something like that. It was between my second and third flight when it requested calibrating it.

I have put two firmware updates on it since that calibration
Flown a total of 10 more times
Three different locations within 20-25 mile radius from where I keep it stored.

It is yet to yell for another calibration and always shows good in the menu. (knock on wood) no problems

The problem with calibrating the Evo or any compass isn't as much as how many times -- it boils down to "where" these calibrations would be done and redone -- and not all areas are appropriate for calibration -- it may say OK, and really not be OK. And sometimes there are variables to certain environments you just can not change - like being too close to radio towers -- high power feeder lines -- the type of metals or rocks in the ground.... stuff people mostly don't take into consideration when "calibrating their compass".

 

[Nightbat2]

Yeah, I note that on their video that even includes car keys, phones and the controller itself. In future I won’t even wear my sneakers with magnetic ‘locks’ on the laces, just in case!

 

[thomasr]

Yeah, I note that on their video that even includes car keys, phones and the controller itself. In future I won’t even wear my sneakers with magnetic ‘locks’ on the laces, just in case!

One other thing to take into consideration is something that just happened -- the magnetic poles moved closer to Siberia Russia over the last few years.

A. This happens -- it's called "Mother Nature"
B. This much of a swing is "unusual"


So you also may need to take into consideration if any "magnetic storms" are in progress... you definitely do not want to calibrate and trust it one those days. lol

Earth's Magnetic North Pole Has Shifted So Much We've Had to Update GPS

And that was just one whammy for poor old GPS just this year -- we are still awaiting another on the week rollover TOMORROW to see if anything blew up.

USNO - GPS Week Number Rollover
Serious Security: GPS week rollover and the other sort of “zero day”

Which thankfully does not effect the Evo directly. But say what if all of the cell towers around you malfunctioned because of this -- and started spitting out twice their usual wattage.(each tower uses GPS to keep it's wattage in check with neighboring towers, hand-off's, etc )...

Then we are back to an example of a bad day to calibrate a compass... simply because of unknowns...


Edit: Lastly, I knew this one too for GPS -- had to find the info -- but this would have been a bad day for people to be depending on GPS for anything useful in these areas -- IMO:

Basically, Carrier Strike Group 4 Is Jamming GPS Across U.S. Southeast Coast