Beta Testers requested to fix Compass Issue

[ianwood]

A quick question, does V3 address the j-hook issue?

No, v3 most certainly doesn't address J hook or TBE. Did some test flights today after waiting for rains to clear. Immediate TBE on takeoff, and sustained throughout a 6min flight. When I switch on failsafe, the P2 comes home yawed to the right by about 20degrees. I'm going to try twisting the compass clockwise by 20 degrees and see what that does. Has anyone found a workaround in areas of high declination, or are we waiting for DJI to solve this?

Yeah, be careful. You're already on the edge of a flyaway with that much declination error. You may find like I did that you have to double it to get it to fly straight from the get go but then it oddly over corrects and starts hooking the other way.

 

[macheung]

I am in Toronto Canada, and mine hooks to the RIGHT on forward flight after releasing the sticks. No issues on ATTI

 

[Fximaging]

Hi there...

I have a p2 with iosd-mk2. I live in Yucaipa,ca and have the j-hook issue. How can I help?

 

[terry.one]

Thanks again for everybody. The chosen ones list as below:
ianwood from LA
onfourblades from NY
cruiser607 from Newzea Land
riblit from Australia
Fximaging from Yucaipa, Ca

I've sent PMs to them for contact information.

 

[landonkk]

Thanks again for everybody. The chosen ones list as below:
ianwood from LA
onfourblades from NY
cruiser607 from Newzea Land
riblit from Australia
Fximaging from Yucaipa, Ca

I've sent PMs to them for contact information.

Thanks again terry and DJI for looking into this. I can't wait until my Phantom's fly straight!

 

[xtonex]

I to have this issue in Buffalo NY, pretty high declination here if i remember correctly. hooks to the right away and left on its way back. and as others have mentioned it fixes itself after a few mins. and course lock acts odd for me as well. also been noticing alot of drifting in hover last few flights. seems the higher i go the less it drifts. hopefully you guys figure something out...

 

[nzvideoguys]

A quick question, does V3 address the j-hook issue?

No, v3 most certainly doesn't address J hook or TBE. Did some test flights today after waiting for rains to clear. Immediate TBE on takeoff, and sustained throughout a 6min flight. When I switch on failsafe, the P2 comes home yawed to the right by about 20degrees. I'm going to try twisting the compass clockwise by 20 degrees and see what that does. Has anyone found a workaround in areas of high declination, or are we waiting for DJI to solve this?

Yeah, be careful. You're already on the edge of a flyaway with that much declination error. You may find like I did that you have to double it to get it to fly straight from the get go but then it oddly over corrects and starts hooking the other way.

Yesterday, I rotated the compass on the landing gear leg by 41 degrees. This position coincides
with the shape of the landing gear, and the bracket which holds the compass. It feels secure
and is unlikely to shift during flight.
This morning the weather had cleared, so I took the P2 out into a field, did a compass calibration,
and waited till I had more than 7 satellites.
When I took off and hovered aprox 3mtrs in the air, there was no noticeable TBE at all.
I let it hover for about a minute, and it drifted a small amount, but no TBE.
Next I flew straight ahead in GPS mode and there was no sideways drift, nor was there any
J hook when I let go of the sticks. However, on return it drifted about 5mtrs to the right, over a distance
of about 100mtrs. I didn’t see any J hook when I let go of the sticks.
I flew around in GPS mode, circling trees, getting some nice shots, and the P2 was responding nicely.
My confidence increased.
I did two failsafe tests and both times the P2 came straight back to me, with the camera keeping
my position centred, i.e.. no drifting. Landed nicely in both failsafe landings.
Posting a video shortly of the test flight results.

 

[CouesWhitetail]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to ianwood and DJI for looking into this! And thanks to the testers for stepping up. Unfortunately, I only have the iosd mini, so I don't qualify to help....but I am excited to see the results! And thanks to the guy who plotted out the locations in relation to the declination over the world map....very cool!

 

[nzvideoguys]

Thanks again for everybody. The chosen ones list as below:
ianwood from LA
onfourblades from NY
cruiser607 from Newzea Land
riblit from Australia
Fximaging from Yucaipa, Ca

I've sent PMs to them for contact information.

A video of my test results here in NZ. The compass was rotated 41degrees clockwise, stopping the TBE.
Please bear in mind that prior to this modification, I was getting more or less constant TBE.
https://vimeo.com/91571696

 

[sar104]

No, v3 most certainly doesn't address J hook or TBE. Did some test flights today after waiting for rains to clear. Immediate TBE on takeoff, and sustained throughout a 6min flight. When I switch on failsafe, the P2 comes home yawed to the right by about 20degrees. I'm going to try twisting the compass clockwise by 20 degrees and see what that does. Has anyone found a workaround in areas of high declination, or are we waiting for DJI to solve this?

Yeah, be careful. You're already on the edge of a flyaway with that much declination error. You may find like I did that you have to double it to get it to fly straight from the get go but then it oddly over corrects and starts hooking the other way.

Yesterday, I rotated the compass on the landing gear leg by 41 degrees. This position coincides
with the shape of the landing gear, and the bracket which holds the compass. It feels secure
and is unlikely to shift during flight.
This morning the weather had cleared, so I took the P2 out into a field, did a compass calibration,
and waited till I had more than 7 satellites.
When I took off and hovered aprox 3mtrs in the air, there was no noticeable TBE at all.
I let it hover for about a minute, and it drifted a small amount, but no TBE.
Next I flew straight ahead in GPS mode and there was no sideways drift, nor was there any
J hook when I let go of the sticks. However, on return it drifted about 5mtrs to the right, over a distance
of about 100mtrs. I didn’t see any J hook when I let go of the sticks.
I flew around in GPS mode, circling trees, getting some nice shots, and the P2 was responding nicely.
My confidence increased.
I did two failsafe tests and both times the P2 came straight back to me, with the camera keeping
my position centred, i.e.. no drifting. Landed nicely in both failsafe landings.
Posting a video shortly of the test flight results.

That's a very interesting result in that the correction was about twice the declination (consistent with a declination sign error in the code), but also in that you did not see the gradual transition to hooking in the opposite direction as the flight progressed that others have seen. The only other difference is that you are on V3 firmware - almost as if they half fixed the problem.

 

[tonben]

Did some filming this weekend in some relatively tight spots. The P2 was driving me nuts not going straight. Ruined shot after shot after shot because I kept having to counter the drift and the hooking. I can't wait for it to fly straight! It will be so much easier! If that gets fixed, I'll get ground station and the 3D gimbal and be happy!

Ditto.
Especially when a client is watching the monitor.

Don't laugh Ditto / ianwood

I have on two occasions had to purposely have a new client distracted while blocking for some shots.

It has become for us an annoying, accepted understanding that we need to have constant stick adjustment to achieve accurate straight flight.....

 

[nzvideoguys]

That's a very interesting result in that the correction was about twice the declination (consistent with a declination sign error in the code), but also in that you did not see the gradual transition to hooking in the opposite direction as the flight progressed that others have seen. The only other difference is that you are on V3 firmware - almost as if they half fixed the problem.[/quote]

I'll do some more testing and make sure I check on flight path and j hook both at the start and the end of the flight. Will aim for 10-15mins flying time so that things have time to "settle".

 

[CliveC]

Terry I'm so pleased that you and DJI are taking steps to fix this problem and look forward to a resolution so I can get back to work with my Phantom 2. I think it's a great piece of gear. Now I have to raise a thornier issue.

A crash resulting from this issue made my H3-3D gimbal totally unusable (The good news is, apart from some scratches, the P2 seems to be in good shape otherwise. Well built piece of kit). My unit is currently with the dealer for this and another issue (USB port won't connect so I can't upgrade firmware or do calibrations). Sadly the dealer (who seemed to be unaware of the problem) tells me any gimbal fix must come from my own pocket which seems unfair. Will DJI be accepting responsibility for losses due to this guidance issue?

 

[BigBadFun]

Will DJI be accepting responsibility for losses due to this guidance issue?

I can answer this! No.

 

[cgreer00]

Ok, just to add to this thread, I am having issues with the toilet bowl effect as well as j-hooking. I didn't know what to call it but after doing a lot of searches I came across this thread and the descriptions here are totally the same as what I am experiencing. Here is an added glitch though: I am in Pensacola, Florida right now. That is literally on the Agonic line.

So what should I try? I have done ALL of the regular things like compass calibration and advanced calibration.

 

[ianwood]

Ok, just to add to this thread, I am having issues with the toilet bowl effect as well as j-hooking. I didn't know what to call it but after doing a lot of searches I came across this thread and the descriptions here are totally the same as what I am experiencing. Here is an added glitch though: I am in Pensacola, Florida right now. That is literally on the Agonic line.

So what should I try? I have done ALL of the regular things like compass calibration and advanced calibration.

As you are at declination 0, your issue is likely a different type of compass problem that also causes hooking and TBE. You should check magnetization, compass orientation, calibration location/method and consider replacing the compass if those measures don't work. Please start a separate thread to address this.

 

[Xrover]

After updating to 2.0, my P2 now has the TBE when it didn't with the prior firmware. J Hook is still bad until I do a a handful of straight runs back and forth. By the time it starts to fly a little bit straighter (J Hook still there) It's time to replace the battery and start all over again.

I hope the Compass issue get's sorted soon. I really only us my P2 for video work. It has become a problematic tool for me.

I am confident the Beta Testers will get the issue sorted out!

 

[ianwood]

I'll do some more testing and make sure I check on flight path and j hook both at the start and the end of the flight. Will aim for 10-15mins flying time so that things have time to "settle".

Any update on the double declination compass rotation? Curious to know if you saw it over correct or is still working consistently for you?

Lenny7118, KG4MXV, and CliveC, please let me know where you are, what P2 you have and what symptoms you see so I can add you to the list of affected P2x users.

Beta testers, have you received your Mark II? I have. It's not installed yet but I can do that this week.

 

[riblit]

Beta testers, have you received your Mark II? I have. It's not installed yet but I can do that this week.

Not yet Ian but it has got a bit further to travel.

 

[onfourblades]

I have not received the Mark II yet but will keep you posted when it arrives