Epic 2 Mile Fly Away!

[LockMD]

mate this is great, but i done everything right

You didn't check the value of the sensors and could have skewed the compass by calibrating when it was probably not needed as the Editor said...........he knows what he's talking about. (to me he is E F Hutton) LOL

 

[Harry Nicholson]

You didn't check the value of the sensors and could have skewed the compass by calibrating when it was probably not needed as the Editor said...........he knows what he's talking about. (to me he is E F Hutton) LOL

i agree, but I'm still not in wrong here like

 

[The Editor]

Ok - this thread is rapidly exploding out of hand.
Lets slow down and take a breath.......
This is NOT meant to be patronising in any way so please do not construe it as such.

First of all, I have watched your video now three times and I can say that pretty much without doubt that this was compass calibration related. There is classic TBE going on and the compass is fighting the GPS values causing the circular motions always evident in this type of scenario.
Secondly, everybody should take their time to learn their aircraft and practice good airmanship - these things weigh 3kg and can kill somebody.
There seems to be some incessant need to get airborne as quickly as possible (quick release props, landing position cases etc) - Why? Would everyone be happy if when they went on holiday and were sitting in the Airbus the pilot said "Not going to bother with the pre-flight checks... lets get up there as quickly as possible and have some fun?"
Everybody and I mean EVERYBODY should learn to fly in Atti mode. Systems can fail, GPS can be flakey, compass can have errors so learn to pilot your aircraft in the nearest thing we have to manual on the Inspire which is Atti. Put in stick time where if you have a mishap it doesn't matter (open fields etc) until you are comfortable flying whole packs in Atti. - It would have saved this occurrence from getting as bad as it did.

If ANYTHING doesn't feel right or does not behave they way you expect it to - LAND! Terminate the flight and investigate what is going on.

With regards to IMU and compass calibrations..... I have reiterated many many times on this forum:
YOU DO NOT need to do an IMU calibration every five minutes or days with a 'Y' in them. Do an IMU calibration on a flat, level, vibration free surface (preferably as soon as you fire up the Inspire so the flight controller is still cold). Once calibrated check the values are within spec. THEN LEAVE IT ALONE !!!
I have done 3 IMU calibrations since I got my Inspire, each one has been immediately after updating firmware - that's it.
However, I ALWAYS check my IMU mod values before every single flight. If they are not right I do not take off

Compass calibrations DO NOT need to be done every time you cross the road or change location or sleep overnight in a log cabin or watch the 'X-Factor'
You only need to re-calibrate your compass if:
1. You have traveled a LONG distance (different timezone etc, or thousands of miles) or the app tells you that you have a compass error. (I'll come back to that one)
When you are calibrating your compass you are setting it up for the magnetic declination you are flying in. This does not change dramatically unless you travel a LONG way.
Now, if you drive to a parking lot for example and you decide to fly from there, you have no way of knowing what influences are affecting the compass from buried metal, cars around you, building nearby etc. You may well do a calibration at this spot but the compass is being affected by these unseen influences. Not enough to cause an error, but enough to skew the result away from the true declination value for that location. The compass calibrates and the mod values pull the compass in line with the magic 1400 - 1600 number.
However, when you take off you are then clear of that magnetic influence that caused the skewed value and all that is acting on the compass now is the TRUE magnetic flux for the declination you are located. Only problem is your compass is 'calibrated' from the parking lot where you took off - so it's now wrong!

My advice, for what it's worth:

1. Get to know your Inspire inside out
2. Get very comfortable flying in Atti - Practice regularly.
3. Calibrate your IMU and LEAVE it alone
4. Calibrate your compass well away from ANYTHING that could cause a skewed result. Check your mod values, then move 100ft or so and check them again. If they are the same you probably have a GOOD calibration so LEAVE IT ALONE.
5. ALWAYS check your mod values before every single flight
6. Make yourself a good checklist of items and follow it!
7. If ANYTHING doesn't seem quite right be ready to land immediately/flick to atti.
8. I said I would come back to the 'Compass Error' message. - If you do get this, pick the Inspire up and move it...chances are that error will go away or it is caused by an influence near you.

Sorry for the huge post guys but I hope some of it is helpful.

I will now sit back and wait for the bombs to go off

 

[LockMD]

Very informative, thank you. I had my Inspire for 2 days before finally attempting takeoff/hover last night. After reading the manual twice, and playing with all the options in the app for 2 days. Have yet to make it to a field yet. I for one APPRECIATE your input. I'm not in a hurry to crash my 3K LOL



Edit: B O O M!

How is that for a bomb

 

[AndyM]

Excellent post TE that sums everything up really well for new pilots. I still maintain that checking MOD values are within tolerance is something the app could be doing. Maybe not exclusively but I don't see why not. It would not prevent a bad initial IMU calibration but it would prevent some cases where they don't report correctly. I don't see how me visually checking the values pre-flight is any different to the app checking for the same values.

 

[Harry Nicholson]

Ok - this thread is rapidly exploding out of hand.
Lets slow down and take a breath.......
This is NOT meant to be patronising in any way so please do not construe it as such.

First of all, I have watched your video now three times and I can say that pretty much without doubt that this was compass calibration related. There is classic TBE going on and the compass is fighting the GPS values causing the circular motions always evident in this type of scenario.
Secondly, everybody should take their time to learn their aircraft and practice good airmanship - these things weigh 3kg and can kill somebody.
There seems to be some incessant need to get airborne as quickly as possible (quick release props, landing position cases etc) - Why? Would everyone be happy if when they went on holiday and were sitting in the Airbus the pilot said "Not going to bother with the pre-flight checks... lets get up there as quickly as possible and have some fun?"
Everybody and I mean EVERYBODY should learn to fly in Atti mode. Systems can fail, GPS can be flakey, compass can have errors so learn to pilot your aircraft in the nearest thing we have to manual on the Inspire which is Atti. Put in stick time where if you have a mishap it doesn't matter (open fields etc) until you are comfortable flying whole packs in Atti. - It would have saved this occurrence from getting as bad as it did.

If ANYTHING doesn't feel right or does not behave they way you expect it to - LAND! Terminate the flight and investigate what is going on.

With regards to IMU and compass calibrations..... I have reiterated many many times on this forum:
YOU DO NOT need to do an IMU calibration every five minutes or days with a 'Y' in them. Do an IMU calibration on a flat, level, vibration free surface (preferably as soon as you fire up the Inspire so the flight controller is still cold). Once calibrated check the values are within spec. THEN LEAVE IT ALONE !!!
I have done 3 IMU calibrations since I got my Inspire, each one has been immediately after updating firmware - that's it.
However, I ALWAYS check my IMU mod values before every single flight. If they are not right I do not take off

Compass calibrations DO NOT need to be done every time you cross the road or change location or sleep overnight in a log cabin or watch the 'X-Factor'
You only need to re-calibrate your compass if:
1. You have traveled a LONG distance (different timezone etc, or thousands of miles) or the app tells you that you have a compass error. (I'll come back to that one)
When you are calibrating your compass you are setting it up for the magnetic declination you are flying in. This does not change dramatically unless you travel a LONG way.
Now, if you drive to a parking lot for example and you decide to fly from there, you have no way of knowing what influences are affecting the compass from buried metal, cars around you, building nearby etc. You may well do a calibration at this spot but the compass is being affected by these unseen influences. Not enough to cause an error, but enough to skew the result away from the true declination value for that location. The compass calibrates and the mod values pull the compass in line with the magic 1400 - 1600 number.
However, when you take off you are then clear of that magnetic influence that caused the skewed value and all that is acting on the compass now is the TRUE magnetic flux for the declination you are located. Only problem is your compass is 'calibrated' from the parking lot where you took off - so it's now wrong!

My advice, for what it's worth:

1. Get to know your Inspire inside out
2. Get very comfortable flying in Atti - Practice regularly.
3. Calibrate your IMU and LEAVE it alone
4. Calibrate your compass well away from ANYTHING that could cause a skewed result. Check your mod values, then move 100ft or so and check them again. If they are the same you probably have a GOOD calibration so LEAVE IT ALONE.
5. ALWAYS check your mod values before every single flight
6. Make yourself a good checklist of items and follow it!
7. If ANYTHING doesn't seem quite right be ready to land immediately/flick to atti.
8. I said I would come back to the 'Compass Error' message. - If you do get this, pick the Inspire up and move it...chances are that error will go away or it is caused by an influence near you.

Sorry for the huge post guys but I hope some of it is helpful.

I will now sit back and wait for the bombs to go off

I'm still at a loss with this? app says safe to fly? that should be case? come on DJI!

 

[AndyM]

I'm still at a loss with this? app says safe to fly? that should be case? come on DJI!

It's not really that simple Harry. The app can think it is safe to fly because it is calibrated and has a gps signal but it does not know if your initial calibration was subject to an external influence such as a heavy mass metal object throwing the compass off.

 

[AndyM]

Even putting that aside though there are still people reporting battery failures and altitude loss that are not attributable to a compass calibration so I'm still sure we'll see new firmware soon to correct these things. And as mentioned I had compass issues after flying over 20 minutes beforehand at the same location with no issues whatsoever. Whatever the cause I'm waiting it out for a bit.

 

[Harry Nicholson]

prior flight

 

[The Editor]

I'm still at a loss with this? app says safe to fly? that should be case? come on DJI!

NO! - Read my post!
You can have a skewed compass calibration and the app would report safe to fly because there is no way it can know any different.

I'm sorry but maybe get one of these if you cannot grasp the concept of a bad calibration which cannot be blamed on DJI

http://www.hubsan.com/productinfo_12.html

 

[Howie_UK]

On the plus side - a very comprehensive tour of your home town. Some of those houses have great sized gardens!
Hope you get it sorted. Get the flight data to DJI !

 

[The Editor]

NO! - Read my post!
You can have a skewed compass calibration and the app would report safe to fly because there is no way it can know any different.

I'm sorry but maybe get one of these if you cannot grasp the concept of a bad calibration which cannot be blamed on DJI

http://www.hubsan.com/productinfo_12.html

You have had a bad experience and it has shaken you up - Understandable.
However, you have not taken the time to learn your aircraft or undertake a comprehensive pre flight checklist and you want to blame DJI for not inventing a fully autonomous machine.

 

[Harry Nicholson]

NO! - Read my post!
You can have a skewed compass calibration and the app would report safe to fly because there is no way it can know any different.

I'm sorry but maybe get one of these if you cannot grasp the concept of a bad calibration which cannot be blamed on DJI

http://www.hubsan.com/productinfo_12.html

i have one, and love t

You have had a bad experience and it has shaken you up - Understandable.
However, you have not taken the time to learn your aircraft or undertake a comprehensive pre flight checklist and you want to blame DJI for not inventing a fully autonomous machine.

no editor, i have done no wrong! u sell these, u take respsibility

 

[Harry Nicholson]

i have one, and love t

no editor, i have done no wrong! u sell these, u take respsibility

im ref to dji!

 

[The Editor]

...... (to me he is E F Hutton) LOL

I wish I was..... I'd have considerably more money in my bank account!

 

[The Editor]

i have one, and love t

no editor, i have done no wrong! u sell these, u take respsibility

I neither sell them, or work for DJI, so I can take no responsibility.
I am a moderator on this forum and I try and help other Inspire owners with the experience & knowledge I have acquired over 20+ years of flying anything RC and designing and building my own multirotor aircraft together with my own knowledge of the I1

If you want to go ahead and blame DJI then please be my guest . I think I probably know what answer you will get.

If you take the time to learn how your aircraft behaves in certain situations and understand that it is not a case of pressing a button and watching it go 'Whoosh' you will feel far more confident and be a far better operator in the event of something happening out of the ordinary.

I wish you luck with your unfloundering belief that DJI are to blame for your mishap.

 

[Harry Nicholson]

I neither sell them, or work for DJI, so I can take no responsibility.
I am a moderator on this forum and I try and help other Inspire owners with the experience & knowledge I have acquired over 20+ years of flying anything RC and designing and building my own multirotor aircraft together with my own knowledge of the I1

If you want to go ahead and blame DJI then please be my guest . I think I probably know what answer you will get.

If you take the time to learn how your aircraft behaves in certain situations and understand that it is not a case of pressing a button and watching it go 'Whoosh' you will feel far more confident and be a far better operator in the event of something happening out of the ordinary.

I wish you luck with your unfloundering belief that DJI are to blame for your mishap.

"I wish you luck with your floundering belief that DJI are to blame for your mishap."t

NO NO NO! u sell an item, it should work within spec? if u need more skill, one should advise that?aft
i cannot deal with my craft going mental, its not my fault! i do what the manual says?
if i should do more, advise me?

 

[The Editor]

"I wish you luck with your floundering belief that DJI are to blame for your mishap."t

NO NO NO! u sell an item, it should work within spec? if u need more skill, one should advise that?aft
i cannot deal with my craft going mental, its not my fault! i do what the manual says?
if i should do more, advise me?

NO, NO, NO... I DON'T sell them!!

Go and buy yourself a T-Rex 700 nitro 3d collective pitch helicopter. Have a read of the manual thoroughly and then take it for a spin. You WILL crash it. Would that also be the manufactures fault or your fault for not taking the time to learn how to control an RC aircraft?

I'm sorry but this is not an autonomous vehicle. It needs human intervention to control it. In the event of poor preparation of your aircraft you must be prepared AT ALL TIMES to take control and not rely on hand holding.

I will not respond any more regarding this particular topic as I think we are in a cyclic discussion here. I do not want to add to the posts.

 

[LockMD]

Go and buy yourself a T-Rex 700 nitro 3d collective pitch helicopter.

I have a T-Rex 500 (electric) does that count?


Edit: Sorry just being a smart A

Harry, we are trying to help you, but you won't take any responsibility. YOU HAVE TO CHECK THE SENSOR VALUES EVERYTIME BEFORE FLIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I'm done with this thread. Good Luck.

 

[The Editor]

I have a T-Rex 500 (electric) does that count?

Yes.... but if you crash it, it will be Align's fault