CRASH Pilot Error or String on Prop Guards

[scooter339]

I'm a novice, this is my 5th. outing. I have a H3-2D gimbal Immersion VTX & Black Pearl FPV

'm running 3.0 and don't feel confident about the upgrade to 3.2

I wish I was running 1.08 on the controller but can't find it for a Mac, I am running 1.0.1.27 on the P330CB.

I'm flying is a wide open area, but too far out for my skill level. I lose my bearings and start to panic. I forget the Black Pearl can help me find my bearings and get home. I studied the telemetry that afternoon and then forgot it when I panicked. So, I turn of the controller. The Phantom comes back and begins its descent.

I saw a video that recommended that at the last 30' or so, take control of the Phantom in ATTI mode to bring it down smoothly.

Smoothly didn't happen. I can't say for sure, but the Phantom started a nose dive about the same time I turned on the controller. The Phantom went out of control vertically and hit hard. Was it me or the prop guard string that fouled a rotor?

The damage: four prop guards three props and the Gimbal won't come to position upon restarting the Phantom. I flew this morning and hovering was not great. Yesterday before the crash the hovering was the best I've ever seen after being freshly calibrated.

I recalibrated and the Phantom flies but the hovering isn't great.

Take a look at the Gimbal, the red light functions but I can't tell if there is damage to the two areas in this photo: http://screencast.com/t/OLmxUXAy9bmy

The grey ribbon cable on the top looks fine.

I don't know where to get the Gimbal repaired.

THE STRING? HERE'S THE DEAL:

When I was replacing the props and the prop guards, I discovered there was about 18" of string wrapped around a rotor. Does this mean that the a vortex effect, if that's what it was, blew the string into the path of the props? Or did the string just fowl the rotor and make the Phantom go into a nose dive as it was descending.

Did I cause this whole disaster by putting the controller into ATTI mode? I'm not clear and I don't have enough experience to say.

What I am clear on is that the string stays off. I'm having second thoughts about the prop guards too but I've read some good things about them.

 

[xgeek]

How did the string come off to wrap around the prop guards? or did you have a piece hanging down that somehow got caught?

IMO prop guards are a waste of time. I bought some when I got my P2 but they are still sitting in the box unopened. The way I see it, if you are new to flying a quad (like I was) then you should not even fly near anything that could damage a prop. Stay away from trees, walls and don't fly inside. If you do that then prop guards are redundant.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Never saw a need for prop guards myself but some prefer them.

Here is Phantom 2 Assistant Software v1.08 for Mac OSX.

 

[madsonp]

As near as I can tell your gimbal looks fine.

 

[scooter339]

How did the string come off to wrap around the prop guards? or did you have a piece hanging down that somehow got caught?

IMO prop guards are a waste of time. I bought some when I got my P2 but they are still sitting in the box unopened. The way I see it, if you are new to flying a quad (like I was) then you should not even fly near anything that could damage a prop. Stay away from trees, walls and don't fly inside. If you do that then prop guards are redundant.

When I launched, the string was in place. It came off because a prop cut it. What other explanation could there be? Once it was cut it got caught in the rotor which would explain the plummeting. But what started the plummet? 3.0 firmware? I don't see how when I turned the controller back on during the return to home descent that would cause the pro to cut it.

 

[scooter339]

Never saw a need for prop guards myself but some prefer them.

Here is Phantom 2 Assistant Software v1.08 for Mac OSX.

Wow! Thanks, I looked everywhere, or did I?

 

[scooter339]

As near as I can tell your gimbal looks fine.

When the Phantom is powered on, the Gimbal doesn't move. Is that an internal issue with the Phantom, or the Gimbal?

thanks for looking.

 

[WessexWyvern]

Sorry to hear about your Phantom

I've experienced a couple of unstable descents (although I deliberately initiated a fast decent to start with) with prop guards. I asked advice on here an it has been suggested that they could have contributed in some way. Suggestions of " the vortex ring state" and prop guards raising the center of gravity were mentioned.

I realise this doesn't help you right now but you've got most of all the accessories fitted, do you think adding the relatively cheap iOSD with it's navigational information/return to home arrow might help in the future?
A feature that looks pretty useful that I haven't tried yet is the Home Lock mode which when activated means you can just pull back on the right stick and the Phantom heads back directly towards you regardless of orientation up until a certain distance away (when it switches to course lock). These have to be activated in the Naza first though. (I'm asking for my own benefit as much as anything else). Aint hindsight a wonderful thing... :roll:

As for the string, I think it's benefit is limited when it comes to preventing prop strike on tree branches and I'm toying with the idea of removing it. I find there are other benefits of having prop guards on for the time being though...

Never saw a need for prop guards myself but some prefer them.

Here is Phantom 2 Assistant Software v1.08 for Mac OSX.

I took some advice and painted the front prop guards a distinctive colour and so far I have found that doing so helped a lot with orientation. Once I become more confident I plan to remove them, they are a PITA when it comes to transporting the Phantom.

 

[panhygrous pantler]

So, I turn of the controller. The Phantom comes back and begins its descent.

I saw a video that recommended that at the last 30' or so, take control of the Phantom in ATTI mode to bring it down smoothly.

So you were flying in NAZA-M mode? The only way to use ATTI mode is in NAZA-M mode.

If you were in Phantom mode then position 2 or 3 will allow you to regain control.

Smoothly didn't happen. I can't say for sure, but the Phantom started a nose dive about the same time I turned on the controller. The Phantom went out of control vertically and hit hard.

If you were in NAZA-M mode and had not set position 3 to RTH and set it to manual instead this would explain the Phantom's behavior.

 

[syotr]

THE STRING? HERE'S THE DEAL:

When I was replacing the props and the prop guards, I discovered there was about 18" of string wrapped around a rotor. Does this mean that the a vortex effect, if that's what it was, blew the string into the path of the props? Or did the string just fowl the rotor and make the Phantom go into a nose dive as it was descending.

Did I cause this whole disaster by putting the controller into ATTI mode? I'm not clear and I don't have enough experience to say.

What I am clear on is that the string stays off. I'm having second thoughts about the prop guards too but I've read some good things about them.

If the prop guards broke in the crash, the string may have come loose at that time and wrapped around a still spinning prop shaft. I don't think vortex ring effect would disconnect a properly tied string.
If the string somehow came untied during flight, I might expect it to be blown downward away from the props.

 

[scooter339]

Never saw a need for prop guards myself but some prefer them.

Here is Phantom 2 Assistant Software v1.08 for Mac OSX.

Thanks, but it wouldn't load into the MC. It installed though.

 

[scooter339]

So, I turn of the controller. The Phantom comes back and begins its descent.

I saw a video that recommended that at the last 30' or so, take control of the Phantom in ATTI mode to bring it down smoothly.

So you were flying in NAZA-M mode? The only way to use ATTI mode is in NAZA-M mode.

If you were in Phantom mode then position 2 or 3 will allow you to regain control.

Smoothly didn't happen. I can't say for sure, but the Phantom started a nose dive about the same time I turned on the controller. The Phantom went out of control vertically and hit hard.

If you were in NAZA-M mode and had not set position 3 to RTH and set it to manual instead this would explain the Phantom's behavior.

How do I set the MC to RTH? and why wouldn't the MC come that way out of the box?

 

[RUSHNREADY DJI]

As near as I can tell your gimbal looks fine.

When the Phantom is powered on, the Gimbal doesn't move. Is that an internal issue with the Phantom, or the Gimbal?

thanks for looking.

you have to re calibrate everything mine stopped working there was no movement in the gimbal as i updated it all after that didn't work i had to re calibrate every thing then it worked

 

[scooter339]

As near as I can tell your gimbal looks fine.

When the Phantom is powered on, the Gimbal doesn't move. Is that an internal issue with the Phantom, or the Gimbal?

thanks for looking.

you have to re calibrate everything mine stopped working there was no movement in the gimbal as i updated it all after that didn't work i had to re calibrate every thing then it worked

When you say recalibrate, you mean the controller withSoftware assistant? I've done that and it shows the Gimbal switch as off. I don't know how to fix that.

But, is there another calibration program for the Gimbal?

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Thanks, but it wouldn't load into the MC. It installed though.

Maybe I misunderstood you. You want this --> http://download.dji-innovations.com/downloads/dt7/RC_System_Installer_v1.1.dmg
for the hand held controller assistant , the other link I gave you is the Phantom 2 assistant.

Also, if you use the made for Phantom 2 Zenmuse you want the gimbal box unchecked, or OFF. That is only for third party gimbals so no worries. The Zenmuse gimbal is calibrated with the X1 stick.