GimbaL saver "Killer RC" or "Phantom fix 2"

[lalvar40]

I just acquired a brand new PV+ V3. Do I need these Gimbal protectors? There are 2:
1. Gimbal Saver KIller RC $45 http://www.killerrc.com/product/gimbal-saver-for-dji-phantom-2-vision/
and
2. Phantom Fix 2 $20 http://www.djiphantomfix.com/

Is there any experience there with these devices?, which one is better?
Thanks in advance

 

[burlbark]

I just acquired a brand new PV+ V3. Do I need these Gimbal protectors? There are 2:
1. Gimbal Saver KIller RC $45 http://www.killerrc.com/product/gimbal-saver-for-dji-phantom-2-vision/
and
2. Phantom Fix 2 $20 http://www.djiphantomfix.com/

Is there any experience there with these devices?, which one is better?
Thanks in advance

Both of those products where very necessary when the ribbon cables where not available. They will not stop the gimbal from being damaged. The only protection I recommend for any of my customers is the carbon fiber landing gear camera guard.

http://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Fiber-Came ... B00MT7PHHS

 

[Txfirecop]

I have the Killer RC one. Nice quality and fits as expected. Kind of pricey though.

 

[msinger]

lalvar40, there is a 3rd called the "Intertia Guard". You can see videos of all three here:
https://www.phantomhelp.com/#GimalProtector

 

[MapMaker53]

I have the Phantom Fix 2 gimbal guard. Fits perfectly and does the same thing as the others. My phantom tumbled down from a small tree and the impact was great enough to break loose one of the gimbal platform zip-ties, but the gimbal itself was undamaged and I credit the guard for that.

 

[edonovanl]

I have the Killer RC aluminum gimbal and I like it, and yes, it's pricey but it looks like it belongs on the gimbal! I also agree that the carbon fiber gimbal guard is very important. Being prepared for the unexpected and practicing recovery techniques is REALLY important!

 

[eseckinger]

Re: GimbaL saver "Killer RC" or "Phantom fix 2"

I have the Killer RC aluminum gimbal and I like it, and yes, it's pricey but it looks like it belongs on the gimbal! I also agree that the carbon fiber gimbal guard is very important. Being prepared for the unexpected and practicing recovery techniques is REALLY important!

+1

 

[PhilAnderson]

I just acquired a brand new PV+ V3. Do I need these Gimbal protectors?
<snip>
Thanks in advance

No, you do not need gimbal protectors. Fly carefully and avoid obstacles. A successful flight depends on the pilot. When you are confident with your new Phantom, take to the air using common sense and you will find you have no need of additional accessories.

 

[edonovanl]

As long as everything works as expected, then the pilot is the ultimate gimbal protector, totally agree! But, what happens if there is an electrical or mechanical failure? I prefer the insurance of having a gimbal saver and protector just in case they may save the $700 gimbal/camera. Just my approach....

 

[MapMaker53]

No, you do not need gimbal protectors. Fly carefully and avoid obstacles. A successful flight depends on the pilot. When you are confident with your new Phantom, take to the air using common sense and you will find you have no need of additional accessories.

Nice theory, but IMO bad advice. The only way you become confident is by practicing -- and many times practicing doesn't go perfectly until you become confident and proficient.

 

[flyNfrank]

Both of those products where very necessary when the ribbon cables where not available. They will not stop the gimbal from being damaged. The only protection I recommend for any of my customers is the carbon fiber landing gear camera guard.
http://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Fiber-Came ... B00MT7PHHS

I'll agree to the point that some protection is better then no protection. But the honest truth to the matter is none of what has been made to date provides the type of protection a buyer is lead to think they are getting.

burlbark, based on what you provided a link for, you 1st have to find one that will not snap into upon impact. And then even if you do find one that is tuff & sturdy, the actual weak point to all of it is the landing gear. On those that I have seen first hand that as I say didn't break, the landing gear legs then folded allowing the gimbal to take a beating. And damage is damage. What I want and I'm sure others do as well, is parts that will get the job done. No exceptions. At least at a minimum add leg supports that will help to keep the legs from folding in half.

 

[burlbark]

Both of those products where very necessary when the ribbon cables where not available. They will not stop the gimbal from being damaged. The only protection I recommend for any of my customers is the carbon fiber landing gear camera guard.
http://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Fiber-Came ... B00MT7PHHS

I'll agree to the point that some protection is better then no protection. But the honest truth to the matter is none of what has been made to date provides the type of protection a buyer is lead to think they are getting.

burlbark, based on what you provided a link for, you 1st have to find one that will not snap into upon impact. And then even if you do find one that is tuff & sturdy, the actual weak point to all of it is the landing gear. On those that I have seen first hand that as I say didn't break, the landing gear legs then folded allowing the gimbal to take a beating. And damage is damage. What I want and I'm sure others do as well, is parts that will get the job done. No exceptions. At least at a minimum add leg supports that will help to keep the legs from folding in half.

Absolutely.... 100% agreement. I have been thinking about designing something but it needs to be light and have good energy absorbing qualities along with a low profile. I dont think the phantom body lends to this. If the gimbal was incorporated into the body where the impact was dispersed to the plastic fuselage it would help allot.

Jeremy

 

[Jstic]

To OP, if you have one of the newer gimbal/cameras with the steel plate at the rear motor, you don't need any "gimbal savers" or protection devices. Even if you don't have a newer version, I still think it's a waste of money with the price of ribbon cables what they are now. The original problem was that a hard crash/landing or repeated rough landings would cause the motor shaft to loosen and separate from the housing connecting it to the pitch gimbal. With redesign there is NO separation problem, there is no need to try and protect it from separating.

We've not seen a single gimbal separation since the new design was implemented by DJI around October-November. I challenge anyone to show me a photo of separation on one of the redesigned gimbals. The connection is now steel pressed into steel, where before it was steel pressed into aluminum. It should be noted that the other two motors on the P2V+ use the same steel to steel connection, and I've never seen one of those motors separate. The worst that could happen with the new gimbals is a broken or bent motor shaft. And NO gimbal protection gimmick is going to prevent that.

SAVE your money and don't waste it on a gimmick that you don't need! If your gimbal looks like the one in the photo, you are good to go. If it doesn't look like the photo, new ribbon cables are now readily available for under $40, so it's still a waste of money IMHO.

 

[lalvar40]

Jstic, thank you very much for saving me money...I am getting the last PV+ V3 directly from DJI. So, It should have the latest mods.

 

[tcope]

So what happens when the ribbon breaks? You can't use the drone while you wait for a $40 ribbon. What happens when it breaks out in the field? Your screwed and can't use it the rest of the time in the field. Of course you could spend $40 ahead of time on a ribbon instead of $20 on a Gimbal protector.

 

[burlbark]

To OP, if you have one of the newer gimbal/cameras with the steel plate at the rear motor, you don't need any "gimbal savers" or protection devices. Even if you don't have a newer version, I still think it's a waste of money with the price of ribbon cables what they are now. The original problem was that a hard crash/landing or repeated rough landings would cause the motor shaft to loosen and separate from the housing connecting it to the pitch gimbal. With redesign there is NO separation problem, there is no need to try and protect it from separating.

We've not seen a single gimbal separation since the new design was implemented by DJI around October-November. I challenge anyone to show me a photo of separation on one of the redesigned gimbals. The connection is now steel pressed into steel, where before it was steel pressed into aluminum. It should be noted that the other two motors on the P2V+ use the same steel to steel connection, and I've never seen one of those motors separate. The worst that could happen with the new gimbals is a broken or bent motor shaft. And NO gimbal protection gimmick is going to prevent that.

SAVE your money and don't waste it on a gimmick that you don't need! If your gimbal looks like the one in the photo, you are good to go. If it doesn't look like the photo, new ribbon cables are now readily available for under $40, so it's still a waste of money IMHO.

I have seen a couple of those separate. I will have to take more pics of them when they come in. I have had some where the whole j-arm around the insert was ripped off. This new version 3 design is worse in crashes. Before You could straighten everything, rough up the motor shaft and the mating surface and loctite it in place.

Now the gimbals are so beefy there that during a crash it causes the j-arm to smash the main board or the pitch motor shaft gets bent and mangled and you still need to replace the ribbon cable. Here is a pic of one that partially seperated and I had to re-loctite the steel ring back into place. The aluminum housing gets deformed/stretched and its a serious disaster trying to align the insert. This ribbon cable was toast.

PS: here is one of the failed j-arms in the pic.

 

[Jstic]

To OP, if you have one of the newer gimbal/cameras with the steel plate at the rear motor, you don't need any "gimbal savers" or protection devices. Even if you don't have a newer version, I still think it's a waste of money with the price of ribbon cables what they are now. The original problem was that a hard crash/landing or repeated rough landings would cause the motor shaft to loosen and separate from the housing connecting it to the pitch gimbal. With redesign there is NO separation problem, there is no need to try and protect it from separating.

We've not seen a single gimbal separation since the new design was implemented by DJI around October-November. I challenge anyone to show me a photo of separation on one of the redesigned gimbals. The connection is now steel pressed into steel, where before it was steel pressed into aluminum. It should be noted that the other two motors on the P2V+ use the same steel to steel connection, and I've never seen one of those motors separate. The worst that could happen with the new gimbals is a broken or bent motor shaft. And NO gimbal protection gimmick is going to prevent that.

SAVE your money and don't waste it on a gimmick that you don't need! If your gimbal looks like the one in the photo, you are good to go. If it doesn't look like the photo, new ribbon cables are now readily available for under $40, so it's still a waste of money IMHO.

I have seen a couple of those separate. I will have to take more pics of them when they come in. I have had some where the whole j-arm around the insert was ripped off. This new version 3 design is worse in crashes. Before You could straighten everything, rough up the motor shaft and the mating surface and loctite it in place.

Now the gimbals are so beefy there that during a crash it causes the j-arm to smash the main board or the pitch motor shaft gets bent and mangled and you still need to replace the ribbon cable. Here is a pic of one that partially seperated and I had to re-loctite the steel ring back into place. The aluminum housing gets deformed/stretched and its a serious disaster trying to align the insert. This ribbon cable was toast.

PS: here is one of the failed j-arms in the pic.

That's a completely different separation than motor arm/shaft damage and separation. Your picture shows the shaft still in place. Are you implying that a gimbal protection device would have saved that gimbal? I sure hope not. Also, it looks like that was taken apart on the bench. And you are obviously looking at the type of crash that requires MUCH more than a ribbon cable replacement or bushing, regardless of design.

In hard landings and light crashes where the gimbal shaft was loosening in the aluminum housing, the new designe is 1000% better. We have seen a 100% drop in repairs that require a re-leveling of the camera, an epoxy re-attachment, or a bushing insert.

 

[Jstic]

So what happens when the ribbon breaks? You can't use the drone while you wait for a $40 ribbon. What happens when it breaks out in the field? Your screwed and can't use it the rest of the time in the field. Of course you could spend $40 ahead of time on a ribbon instead of $20 on a Gimbal protector.

Wrong. If you have a crash where the gimbal protection device actually stops the separation, you are STILL GOING TO HAVE DAMAGE AND REQUIRE A REPAIR. The separation process will have started at that point and if your camera is not out of level, it will be after another flight or two, and that is best case scenario. Ask me how I know.

You should look around on some other forums, there was a guy on here a few months ago who had the gimbal "protector" actually do more damage than good, and others on other forums.

 

[MapMaker53]

Sorry, but what you are saying is total BS. My bird hit a small branch and tumbled to the ground with an impact so hard that the gimbal platform rubber bungee was stressed so hard that a small backup nylon zip-tie snapped. No other damage except for a chewed up prop. The gimbal clearly would have flown apart if not for the Phantom Fix 2 brace I had in place. My PV2+ was ready to fly with a new prop (and replacement zip-tie) and required no servicing. So you should quit making sweeping claims that are untrue. Does it help in every situation? Of course not. It isn't meant to be a humvee bumper. Did it save my PV2+v2 gimbal? You bet your *** it did.

 

[Larry L]

So what happens when the ribbon breaks? You can't use the drone while you wait for a $40 ribbon. What happens when it breaks out in the field? Your screwed and can't use it the rest of the time in the field. Of course you could spend $40 ahead of time on a ribbon instead of $20 on a Gimbal protector.

Like the Boy Scouts say, be prepared :lol: I bought the ribbons from DDM. $45.00 for two isn't a bad price to keep on hand Justin case I also have the killer bra key. I think the nylon bushing on front. I think it might absorb a little shock.