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Car roofs and hoods are not drone’s landing strips

MustangPhil

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Jul 27, 2018
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Just my little video of an analysis of the magnetic interferences of a car roof and hood :
Conclusion : more than 50° variations all over the place, so avoid taking-off and landing on the roof and never calibrate the drone in or near the car !
Chances for fly-aways are around 99%.

 
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I do it all the time in the winter because of snow and haven't had any problems. I've even landed on top of my car roof before.
 
I do it all the time in the winter because of snow and haven't had any problems. I've even landed on top of my car roof before.
I've even had some situations, albeit nothing serious, taking off from concrete. The reason? The rebar framework underneath. Go figure.
 
Any reasons why you guys don't favour a hand launch? because that's all I've done so far with my new drone along with landing on my hand, although everywhere I go so far is really muddy and wet.
 
Anafi seems a lot more tolerant when it comes to magnetism.

Last week I launched my one off the end of a reinforced concrete pier twice.

My DJI and Karma drones always refused to launch from that spot telling me to calibrate or move.

 
Yes, I saw this superb footage of yours. I also guessed the 2 pigeons standing on the pier were also very tolerant to the Anafi buzzing sound ;o)

I agree with you, when you say the Anafi is more tolerant. I think it does not ‘shout and beep’ singing the ‘no way’ song. But the fact is there is a soft iron effect on car roofs and hoods, as there is a soft iron effect on the pier where you did this video.
Not all bridges (that are a collection of concrete with metallic framework with some wires that conduct both high voltages for power supplies and phone lines) nor piers or cars will present the same amount of magnetic field distortion.

In a recent thread for Anafi in FaceBook (I’ll try to make a link here), a guy took off his Anafi from the roof of his car and remarked it drifted uncontrollably just after take-off and had hit a rock and felt.

A lower amount of inboard sensors are also a good option to limit the effects of hard iron and soft iron effects on a drone (Parrot vs DJI).

My cheap tool now is the hand compass (a few € ... or a few £ for sussexors) and I quickly use it when I arrive on the take-off site.

Could you also (if you decide to go back to this pier) measure the variations of the magnetic field as you walk from your car park to the very end of the pier ?

On the roof of my car, I measured around 50° in less than one meter distance.
My theory is the more °/m you get at take off level, the more difficulties you induce to the calculator of the flight board and its estimator algorithm. The risk for drifting increase in this situation.
 

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