Lil' dirt/sand in gimbal (lesson learned)

[UpLift Aerial]

I went for a flight today. Practiced in Atti mode (No positioning) with a little wind. Landed on my dirt driveway. It's a nice hot sunny day here so the driveway is dry (sandy/dusty). Went to put the gimbal clamp on and the gimbal was a little bit stuck on a tilt. I put it back in position carefully. It wasn't so stuck that it would brake moving it. Went to put the gimbal clamp on again and heard a gritty sound. I moved the camera up and down and heard it again. I kept doing it and blowing trying to get it out and it got a little better. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[WV. Rootman]

Vacuum first to get loose dirt and not drive it in any more. Can of dry air to blow it out well. Tuner cleaner blow it again. Repeat last two as needed. Just my suggestion.

 

[DJI Joe]

I went for a flight today. Practiced in Atti mode (No positioning) with a little wind. Landed on my dirt driveway. It's a nice hot sunny day here so the driveway is dry (sandy/dusty). Went to put the gimbal clamp on and the gimbal was a little bit stuck on a tilt. I put it back in position carefully. It wasn't so stuck that it would brake moving it. Went to put the gimbal clamp on again and heard a gritty sound. I moved the camera up and down and heard it again. I kept doing it and blowing trying to get it out and it got a little better. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Same thing happened to me. My motors were bound with sand and could feel sand grinding when turning them manually. I used an air compressor to blow sand out of motors. Have had hours of flying since and no problems.

I read canned air will dissolve your phantoms shell, be careful with that stuff.

 

[UpLift Aerial]

Thanks guys! So, I shouldn't fly it any until I get it cleaned out? The prop motors are fine.

 

[UpLift Aerial]

Is it ok to use if I don't get it cleaned out?

 

[quaddamage]

Your gimbal will be grinding the sand, so it will be wearing out much faster. If you're unlucky, it might even get stuck during flight, and you will get "gimbal obscured" error. But besides that, nothing bad should happen - gimbal is not a high power component.

 

[UpLift Aerial]

Thanks. I'm going to try to get it cleaned out but if i don't i don't want anything to happen to it.

 

[John Decker]

If using canned air keep the can upright so you don't expel the propellant.

 

[peter west nz]

That is why so many of us always hand catch, and get someone else to hand launch if there isn't a suitable takeoff area. I have also learnt this lesson with a p2v+.

 

[John Decker]

That is why so many of us always hand catch, and get someone else to hand launch if there isn't a suitable takeoff area. I have also learnt this lesson with a p2v+.

I've never done anything other than hand catch and only occasionally do I not hand launch. It's not hard, in fact I hand catch partly because landing has always seemed the harder thing to do..

 

[UpLift Aerial]

I think I might get a pice of styrofoam or something to land on. Hoping to take it out for a flight tonight and see how I make out. Wish me luck!

 

[UpLift Aerial]

Has anyone else had this problem? Is your phantom still "alive and well"?

 

[scoobylou1530]

Been flying a phantom for two years. Always hand catch and launch if the box it came in.