Magnetometer (compass)

[pheasant_plucker]

I have setup my mag on a swich and ensured it is calibrated properly. How does it work? I am taking off facing in a particular direction, I hover around and face approx 90 to 180 degrees away from it then activate the mag. nothing happens at all. What am I doing wrong or have I got a duff board which I am beginning to suspect. First I couldn't get it to even take off without flipping then the leds wouldn't switch (turned out to be one side of a surface mount resistor not even soldered) I am seriously considering a rabbit now and i am considering this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261030367020?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 which at £69 isn't much more than I paid for this one.

Gerry

[Gaza07]

The mag doesnt work like that its for heading hold and not heading lock,
what ever direction your facing in it knows and if the winds causes it to move or it drifts it will put it back, once you move the copter with the rudder and then stop this becomes the new heading and it will try to hold that against drift or wind,

If you hover the copter with the mag enabled and force it around by hand it will return to the heading it was at, move it with the yaw stick the heading is altered
Hope I have explained it for you, heading lock will do what your saying it records the heading on arming  and will even move the copter back after yawing not really a very good way of doing it heading hold is better 

The Rabbit uses the mag for heading lock and gps
Multi wii uses the mag for heading hold and gps

[MadMax]

Im not sure I see the point of head lock  heading hold makes more sense the same way rc helicopters do it 

[sausageroll]

Gerry,

I highly recomend the Naza GPS, 80 quid on the rabbit seems good, and I have no experience with it myself, but the Naza GPS is incredible. The Extra features and saftey that comes with the GPS is worth the money in my opinion.

I think, but I could be wrong, that the Naza holds its altitude with GPS, although its so advanced it may well have a barometer inside it as well. It is set up so centre stick is hold altitude, above is ascend, below is descend etc. If you have all sticks in the centre with the Naza, it just sits in the sky like its bolted down, its very good.


Pete.

[Gaza07]

The naza is by far the best system in its price range and the gps function works better than any in its price range or below, the rabbit is very good and the gps does work but not as well as the naza but then the naza is quite a bit more money,
I would recommend both just depends on budget 
The naza is tinker free the rabbit is for people who love to tinker or cheap skates like me  ::)

[sausageroll]

I wouldnt say the naza is entirely tinkerfree, it took me an evening of intese fiddling to get it to work properly. Setting up the radio, the fail safe stuff, return to home functions, IOC etc. Its easy to make changes with the software and the instructions are good.

I would think if you had a DX7 (with three position switches) then your tinkering would be reduced dramatically.I spent ages working around the three position switch problem. 

Probably a lot less tinkering than other systems I would imagine!!

[Gaza07]

Yes I agree more channels would make the naza setup much easier but by tinkering I mean a lot of the lower priced flight controllers aren't quite as finished as the naza, and there is always firmware upgrades coming out and setting up various types of sensors and the tuning can be more fiddly, and take more time to get it right 

I wouldn't say the naza is entirely tinkerfree, it took me an evening of intense fiddling to get it to work properly. Setting up the radio, the fail safe stuff, return to home functions, IOC etc. Its easy to make changes with the software and the instructions are good.

I would think if you had a DX7 (with three position switches) then your tinkering would be reduced dramatically.I spent ages working around the three position switch problem. 

Probably a lot less tinkering than other systems I would imagine!!