Compass Calibration Question/Idea

[MarkC]

Originally titled - GPS Calibration Question/Idea
Post #12 caused me to correct that.

I have always done the GPS calibration dance every time I move to a new location, even upon returning to a previous location, but something someone mentioned got me to wondering.

Do I need to do GPS calibration when returning to location A if I've gone to several other locations, calibrated and flown, then returned to location A? I assume the answer is yes, and I have always done it that way, but I thought I heard a person say that it "might" remember previously calibrated locations. I am skeptical of this, but it would be awesome if it did.

Idea - It would be great if you could save GPS calibrations for say up to 20, 30 or 50 locations. (unless I am completely misunderstanding how the GPS calibration works and what it is actually doing each time)

 

[JulesTEO]

One should only perform GPS/compass calibration when traveling large distances (in the order of hundreds of miles), specially moving east/west to account for magnetic deviation/declination.

I'm not an expert but I've always believed the spinning "dance" is the magnetometer (Compass) calibration, and GPS doesn't really need to be calibrated per se, it just updates its almanac, something it does (or so I've read) automatically (perhaps the calibration process forces an almanac update?)

No need to calibrate GPS/Compass each time you fly; it won't do any harm either, just not required unless you just updated your firmare, traveled far away, or haven't flown for several weeks/months.

But, yes if you calibrated while you were in point A (lets say New York) and you traveled to point B (Dallas) you should calibrate before flying at point B, and you should calibrate again once you returned to point A. If you don't you will most likely get compass errors; your aircraft won't know which way north really is, meaning it won't know which way it is facing.

Greetings!

 

[MarkC]

Hey Jules,

My only concern is that RTH is based on your GPS calibration, as I have always understood. So if I calibrate in my backyard, drive 15 miles across town and fly, have a problem that causes me to want to use RTH and land, doing so will cause the drone to head towards my house, the last place I did the GPS calibration. Am I wrong?

 

[PatR]

Compass requires a calibration process. The compass does not require calibration at all new locations. Yuneec recommends calibrating at locations >50 miles from the previous calibration location. I’ll add whenever transitioning to a different magnetic declination location to that.

Initiate a compass calibration with the front of the aircraft facing north

GPS requires no calibration as it self determines location via satellite geo location data transfer.

 

[MarkC]

Ok, understood.

Please explain RTH.

Is it based on where you lifted off for that particular flight? Or the proximity of the ST16 controller?

 

[Racepro60]

Return To Home is when you flip the switch and it returns to where your ST16 is or within a few feet of it, do a search and you will get loads of info also do some youtube searches and watch them

 

[MarkC]

ok, based on this thread -

Precision rth

RTH is linked to the location of the ST16.

As I recall with the DJI drones, RTH was based on either where I did GPS calibration or where it took off from.

 

[MarkC]

SO.............

Is the consensus regarding GPS calibration that it only needs to be done once?

I did it before my first flight, it flew ROCK SOLID! If I don't ever have to do it again I will be very pleased.

 

[JulesTEO]

Ok, understood.

Please explain RTH.

Is it based on where you lifted off for that particular flight? Or the proximity of the ST16 controller?

Neither,

On the Typhoon H, the return to Home mode is based on the GPS location of the ST16. Not only does the aircraft has a GPS unit but so does the ground station.

Example scenario: if you were to take off on a baseball field on 1st base, and walk around the filed whyle flying, and then enable Home while you are standing on the outer field, the unit will not fly back to 1st base, it will acknowledge the current GPS position of the remote, then fly towards it, and land a few meters away from your position.

Word of advice: avoid enabling Home mode if the aircraft is already close to you!

A while ago I created a video explaining a bit more about Home mode, hope it helps!
:

Greetings!

 

[MarkC]

Return To Home is when you flip the switch and it returns to where your ST16 is or within a few feet of it, do a search and you will get loads of info also do some youtube searches and watch them

Got it. Works quite unlike the DJI method. Good to know. Thanks.

 

[MarkC]

Return To Home is when you flip the switch and it returns to where your ST16 is or within a few feet of it, do a search and you will get loads of info also do some youtube searches and watch them

So....don't stand in thick woods with the ST16 and hit the RTH switch expecting Typhoon to lad in clear field 200 feet away where I took off from. Got it. VERY good to know this!

 

[jscotcha]

Hey Jules,

My only concern is that RTH is based on your GPS calibration, as I have always understood. So if I calibrate in my backyard, drive 15 miles across town and fly, have a problem that causes me to want to use RTH and land, doing so will cause the drone to head towards my house, the last place I did the GPS calibration. Am I wrong?

Both H and ST16 have GPS. RTH uses the current GPS location of the ST16 to go back to.

 

[jscotcha]

I have always done the GPS calibration dance every time I move to a new location, even upon returning to a previous location, but something someone mentioned got me to wondering.

Do I need to do GPS calibration when returning to location A if I've gone to several other locations, calibrated and flown, then returned to location A? I assume the answer is yes, and I have always done it that way, but I thought I heard a person say that it "might" remember previously calibrated locations. I am skeptical of this, but it would be awesome if it did.

Idea - It would be great if you could save GPS calibrations for say up to 20, 30 or 50 locations. (unless I am completely misunderstanding how the GPS calibration works and what it is actually doing each time)

I think you are confusing GPS calibration with compass calibration. Compass calibration is required if in a different location that has a different deviation between true north and magnetic north. There is no way to calibrate the GPS, but you should let it sit in one location long enough to download the almanac that it uses to determine where the satellites are located so it can lock in on them. So if it has been a week or more or you are far from your last location then the satellites may be in different positions and the almanac helps to lock in on them.

So to answer your question, the H does not save compass calibrations (it would be awesome if it did) so you have to re-calibrate the compass when moving to a new location that is sufficiently far such that the deviation has changed or returning to a previous location sufficiently far away from last location.

 

[MarkC]

I think you are confusing GPS calibration with compass calibration. Compass calibration is required if in a different location that has a different deviation between true north and magnetic north. There is no way to calibrate the GPS, but you should let it sit in one location long enough to download the almanac that it uses to determine where the satellites are located so it can lock in on them. So if it has been a week or more or you are far from your last location then the satellites may be in different positions and the almanac helps to lock in on them.

So to answer your question, the H does not save compass calibrations (it would be awesome if it did) so you have to re-calibrate the compass when moving to a new location that is sufficiently far such that the deviation has changed or returning to a previous location sufficiently far away from last location.

Bingo!!! Duh!! Yes, You are correct, I am confusing the two. That all makes sense now. Major brain fart on my part. Thanks for catching that and clearing it up for me.

 

[jscotcha]

Bingo!!! Duh!! Yes, You are correct, I am confusing the two. That all makes sense now. Major brain fart on my part. Thanks for catching that and clearing it up for me.

Your welcome. That's why we are here...to help others.

 

[Steve Carr]

So....don't stand in thick woods with the ST16 and hit the RTH switch expecting Typhoon to lad in clear field 200 feet away where I took off from. Got it. VERY good to know this!

Right. Also don't stand on a pier when flying over water and expect the H to land on the shore with RTH.

 

[MarkC]

Right. Also don't stand on a pier when flying over water and expect the H to land on the shore with RTH.

Roger that!