My camera on my 1 day old vision plus goes crazy when I turn on the power. Just starts moving all over the place. My phone says remove gimbal clamp, but it is not on. Anyone else have this problem? Or know of some things to try to fix it?
Camera goes crazy when powered up
- Thread starter Bountyhunter
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2014
- Messages
- 594
- Reaction score
- 98
STOP. It will break the ribbon cable. Did you bump or crash ? Probably loosened the camera and created an imbalance which the Gimbal cannot correct. If you didn't crash, send it back. If you did.... try this
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=19653&hilit=gimbal+tilt+solved#p179087
Its not hard to do, but you will need some green loctite and a steady hand.
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=19653&hilit=gimbal+tilt+solved#p179087
Its not hard to do, but you will need some green loctite and a steady hand.
I did drop it from about 10' after hitting a flag. I went through the thread you linked and that looks good. I do notice that the camera is able to pan by hand much further to the left. So much that the lens goes by the front leg of the bird. It doesn't make it to the front right leg the other way. I wonder if that is causing my problems? Can someone check their bird and verify the camera panning left and right by hand should be equal each way?
As I scan images on the net of the camera and gimbal I noticed I am missing a piece and the screw which holds it in place. I have circled the piece I do not have on my gimbal. Is missing this piece enough to throw the balance of the gimbal off enough to just go crazy when powered up?
Attachments
You are not missing a piece, and the vacant screw hole is normal. You'll notice in the photos right above your's that little cover is absent. Mine doesn't have it either. Probably something they had on early prototypes and removed from the production version.
On your upper post with the three pictures, on the third picture it looks like the left portion of the camera is pressed back towards the motor, alittle bent maybe? Or maybe that' s just the way it looks in the pic. Any way I clipped a tree about 3 days ago and and the quad fell from about 15 feet or so and bounced on the grass in the yard. I started getting messages on my screen saying 'REMOVE GIMBAL CLAMP' and 'CHECK FOR MOTOR OBSTRUCTION'.The only symptom I had beside those messages was the camera tilt motor buzzed when I tilted the camera beneath horizontal. So I disassembled the gimbal TWICE and couldn't find anything bent or damaged and I was atloss on what to do so I decided the try the most common fix on the shaft that rotates on the second motor that swings the gimbal side to side. Believe it or not it helped my tilt problem even though it isn't even the same motor, its worth giving it a try... 
I agree, it did look bent, and since I took those pictures, I have bent it back straight. It actually looks really good now. But it still just start going nuts when powered up. Tell me more about this fix on the shaft that moves the camera from side to side. I did the fix to the one which fixes the tilt problem some people have expierenced. It is nice and horizontal with the amera now. It is the one Dr. Joe mentioned above. It wasn't off too bad, but just a little so I corrected it.
Also, does your camera pan equally right and left? As you can see in my first few pictures the lens goes past the front leg on the left and doesn't quite make it to the right one.
Also, does your camera pan equally right and left? As you can see in my first few pictures the lens goes past the front leg on the left and doesn't quite make it to the right one.
If you took the set screw out of the camera shaft that holds the motor(hidden underneath the ribbon cable) and reinstalled it you might want to make sure you face the rounded part of the shaft from the motor towards the threaded camera portion.If you put the screw through the flat side that would be your problem. Other than that you need to doublecheck and make sure the second motor down(the one that swings the cam side to side) is still together, because the shaft at the other end of that motor(where you did the x axis fix) can slide out of the fitting and just the magnets will hold it all together.I had to redo the x axis fix about 5 times before all was good. The x axis fix is done on the middle motor which causes the bottom portion of the gimbal to swing side to side, I refer to bottom motor attached to the cam as the one that tilts the camera up and down.
I had a little play in the middle motor and by turning the shaft clockwise it seemed to tighten up that play. However it looks like I have a little larger gap in this motor where I can see the windings. Maybe I'm just imagining this. Without another to look at I'm not sure.
Also when I power it up and the dance of death starts, the motors get hot pretty quick. Do the motors usually get warm when operating?
Also when I power it up and the dance of death starts, the motors get hot pretty quick. Do the motors usually get warm when operating?
Attachments
The motors are overheating, mine was doing the same thing after I crashed, you really need to completely disassemble the second motor assembly and check to see if anything is bent or if the shaft on the opposite side of the x axis fix is completely in its home. If you haven't taken the U shaped piece of metal off that hides the ribbon cable it wouldn't hurt to do it. First push down firmly but gently on all the ribbon cable connectors, and there are three on top off the gimbal with grey wires, push those down too. If that doesn't work power down the phantom take the U shaped ribbon protector off and turn the camera completely around unrapping the ribbon cable, there is some glue holding the ribbon cable to itself, so you have to pull gently on the ribbon until the glue gives way. Now you should be able to see the set screw hidden under the cable. once you get the camera off spin the shaft of the motor with your fingers and check for any obstructions or binding. Reassemble but be sure to put the SHAFT OF THE CAMERA back the way it came. If that all fails try the x axis fix again but before this try one more thing, power up the transmitter then the phantom, hold the phantom in the position that causes it to stabilize and while holding the phantom turn over your transmitter and there is two holes on the back, take a small phillips head screwdriver and put it in the TOP HOLE and turn counterclockwise, BUT BE SURE YOU DO THIS WITH THE APP OFF...Hope this helps
Man, I'm at a loss on what to do with this thing now. I have completely dismantled the second motor and did the loctite trick making sure the flat side of the shaft is horizontal along with the camera. I have had the entire gimbal assembly off 5 times now, making sure to plug the three white connectors with grey wires back into the gimbal good each time. The only part I haven't done is unwrapping the black ribbon cable from the camera and look at that set screw. I did take off the u shaped guard and my ribbon wraps several times around the shaft as I can turn the camera as far as I can and I still can't see the end of the ribbon. All three axis move very freely as they should. I hope I don't have to buy a new camera assembly, but things aren't looking too promising at the moment.
Bountyhunter you hae to gently pull the ribbon cable lose from itself after unwinding all the slack around the camera shaft. There is some weak glue holding it to itself...I have already done it. I crashed last wednesday and somehow after all the tinkering everything works almost perfect agian
Ok, I did pull the cable out and that screw was tight. Everything looks right with the world, but I still get the crazy actions when I put power to it. Is it possible the ribbon is damaged and can cause this? I figured if the ribbon was damaged it just won't work at all. I see no visible cuts or breaks on the ribbon and have checked all the connections. I just read another post about a bent gimbal arm, and it was bent badly and that user was able to get his going again. Mine was not near as bad as that so I am trying to hold out hope that it can be salvaged. What does the small button on the gimbal do? I have had it off a couple of times too.
The button takes photo if button is tapped.
It will record if held down more than 2 secs.
The gimbal going crazy could be the gimbal+camera board getting slightly crushed/impacted in the crash. It could have damaged some circuits.
It will record if held down more than 2 secs.
The gimbal going crazy could be the gimbal+camera board getting slightly crushed/impacted in the crash. It could have damaged some circuits.
Would someone mind posting a picture from the side view of a working gimbal/camera please? I need the side view with the camera motor on it. In other words, the camera lens pointing to the right. I think mine may be bent some in this direction and would like to see a picture of a good one before I go bending on it. Thanks!!
