Building the Lunch Tray Drone

[watersteps]

I tried another controller, linked it to the drone and got 2 blink green light but no motor start. I got ESC error again.

 

[watersteps]

I connected the original RC to another drone and it works fine, motors start no problem. But I did take notice to the beep sound when the drone comes on is a lot louder with the working drone then the Lunch Tray drone!!!!

 

[watersteps]

I also noticed that I had to toggle the mode stick to the middle position before the motors would start.

 

[brigerdrones]

I went over everything again I am getting the ESC status error, I restart the drone and same thing comes up, ESC status error!

I fixed the ESC error on my Phantoms by downgrading the firmware and then upgraded to latest firmware.

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[watersteps]

Today I checked every plug in connector, all are fine. I doubled check continuity on all of the motor wires from half way between the motor and solder pad on the main board, all were good. I removed all the wires from the main board down to the vision mod and the receiver mod, all were good. I checked the 4 wires going down the battery connector, all were good. The capacitor can on the M3 leg of the main board was broken off and re-soldered. Capacitor numbers are SS 220 VTZ, I don't know if one of these would cause the ESC error. I looked over every connection and electronic part on the main board, all look good.

 

[watersteps]

I will add one more note here and then wait for some feedback.
When I got this drone it was crashed, but it did power up and the motors did start. I disassembled the complete drone and decided to make my own frame for it. While doing this I somehow knocked the one capacitor off the main board. No damage to the capacitor or the board. I re-soldered it back on and that is the only alteration I did to the main board. The only thing I have not checked is the resistance on each motor wire to the other two wires on the motor.

 

[watersteps]

OK the motors were un-soldered again and each wire was checked for resistance with the other two wires on the motor. I tried the high and low settings on the multimeter and all results were ".000". One or two motors would read .001 or .002 but quickly changed to .000.

 

[watersteps]

Well if anyone has an idea of what I need to do to get these motors running, please let me know. If you have any questions please ask or read all the info in this post. Next move is a new main board and I did not want to spend that money. Thanks for reading my problem.

 

[watersteps]

I made a condensed version of this problem I am having,

• P3 was purchased used and crashed.
• Shell was cracked and broken.
• Thread mounts were broken off shell.
• Threads were stripped is some places.
• Number 4 motor had broken prop still on motor very tight.
• P3 was painted.
• Motor test, motors did start.
• P3 was totally disassembled, shells were junk.
• Found #3 and #4 motor wires pinched between shells, wires were 50% cut through.
• Compass wire on landing gear leg was pinched bad and was cut but not through.
• One yellow motor wire came off of the main board when I touched it.
• One Camera motor and bearing were locked/frozen up.
• Motor wires were repaired, enameled wires were cleaned and soldered.
• Compass wire was checked and continuity was good.
• Camera was removed and set aside for now.
• New frame built for P3, and everything mounted or installed.
• Tried to start motors, ESC error.
• Calibrated IMU, Compass, and RC, all OK.
• Compass numbers were 1378 -1478.
• Esc error again.
• Now when trying to check the motors for starting again I had to pull down and in on the sticks 3 times before I got the ESC error.
• I believe I heard a small noise coming from one or two the motors when I tried to start them, but no movement.
• Removed motors checked each one for winding damage, all OK.
• Did a resistance test on the motors all showed .000 !!
• Did a motor output test by turning motors in a drill, all read 1.5.
• Re-did the output test;
• Motor #1--14.91 to 15.05 Motor #2--15.20 to 16.07
• Motor #3--15.04 to 15.30 Motor #4--14.62 to 16.28
• Tried turning the motors by hand to feel the magnetic attraction.
• One motor #1 feels less magnetic attraction then the others.
• While mounting the main board I think I somehow knocked a capacitor off or it was broken loose and fell off.
• Capacitor was re-soldered back on main board.
• Checked continuity on all motor wires at motor and 1/8 inch before the main board solder point, all were good.

I believe I need a new main board or Firmware change!

 

[watersteps]

UP-DATE, It's alive, It's alive, see attached pic's. For all the doubting Thomas's, it works so far. Flying is another story. I found a used P01012.07 main board and motors and installed them in the LT drone. The drone powers up and the motors spin. Bad day to test fly, 2 to 3 inches of snow and still snowing. So I will wait to take it up in the air tomorrow or whenever. More later.

 

[captainmilehigh]

UP-DATE, It's alive, It's alive, see attached pic's. For all the doubting Thomas's, it works so far. Flying is another story. I found a used P01012.07 main board and motors and installed them in the LT drone. The drone powers up and the motors spin. Bad day to test fly, 2 to 3 inches of snow and still snowing. So I will wait to take it up in the air tomorrow or whenever. More later.

Good to hear that your project bird at least has a heartbeat now.

For your test flight, you may want to limit both distance and altitude parameters on the GoApp before power-up.........plus set what you want the bird to do if 'loss of signal' between the bird and R/C occurs......RTH, autoland, etc. Good luck.

 

[watersteps]

OK all, this is the sad part I hate to even tell you. I checked out the drone on the DJI GO app and everything looked great. Used the CSC and fired up the motors without blades. Runs fine, too windy outside to fly, so I figured I would just lift off in my bedroom. I only wanted to lift about a foot and move forward and back. Installed blades. Well it did that and that is all it would rise up. I tried to move forward and back in high speed. WRONG move, drone came back at me 90 miles an hour and a foot above the floor. I quickly pushed forward and down. Too late, blade parts and blood flew everywhere. Drone blades hit my foot with no shoes or stockings on and flipped over and the battery flew out.
I looked down and a large pool of blood surrounded my left foot, blood was shooting out of a 1 inch long and 1/4 inch deep gash in the top of my foot. Right foot was good, no damage. Yelled for my wife and daughter to come in and help stop the bleeding, about 5 minutes later bleeding stopped and it was wrapped up nice and tight. My wife picked up blade parts 15 feet away, 1 inch and smaller pieces. Only 2 blades hit me, the other 2 were fine.
So what did I learn, don't test a drone in the house anymore, and the darn thing was too heavy to rise up more then 12-14 inches.
Well the drone came completely apart, all lunch tray parts and 2 blades on one pile and the rest in a box for rebuilding.
Plan B will be to put all the good parts in another P3P shell I just got in a bundle buy.
I will add some pics of the bad pile later.
This was just a dumb thing to do and I paid for it. It was fun to build and cost less then $20.00.
I know what you are going to say, did you get stitches? No I did not, we put some kind of cream on it and it is healing just fine. That was on 3/28.

 

[captainmilehigh]

It is unfortunate that both the drone AND the drone pilot were injured in the test flight.

I think we all have been 'nicked' at one time or another by the props. I 'hand catch' 99% of the time, so I'm a bit extra careful now. That one time it got me really got my attention......so I'd rather not do that again.

Hopefully you can still salvage the parts for another drone build in the future. Good luck...

 

[watersteps]

Yes it really gets your attention and fast. All the parts will be good for another P3P I am starting to build right now. Thank you and thanks for the comments.

 

[watersteps]

OK here are some pics of the Lunch Tray Drone after I disassembled it. The 2 blades are junk and battery holder frame. I installed the parts in another P3P body and tried to start it up, no go, the DJI GO app said the AC was not connected. OK I guess the OFDM board is not working. I have another one coming so I will try it. The LT Drone will be packed up for another project. I guess I should have kept a close eye on the weight as I was building it.