Prop Balancer

[jdawson]

This is a stupid question... But can you you use an 8mm drill bit (the shaft) or any straight bit of metal... Put it level and use it to help you balance a prop? Or do prop balancer devices somehow help make it much better?

 

[Gizmo3000]

This is a stupid question... But can you you use an 8mm drill bit (the shaft) or any straight bit of metal... Put it level and use it to help you balance a prop? Or do prop balancer devices somehow help make it much better?

not a silly question at all. imagine if you search the web there might be a number of DIY prop balancers
But the first problem you'll encounter is that the Phantom props are "keyed", a 8mm shaft will not go thru it.

Prop balancers work around this by having special little clamps that manage to center themselves into the props.
and then they're supported in a way so that the prop and the shaft can rotate freely.

I first bought a little "hand" prop balancer on amazon for like $3, that alone is better than trying to make your own.
But I found that to be not very precise, so I got a Dubro balancer and found it to be well worth it.
why spend over $1k on gear and then have crappy video because a prop is out of balance, ya know?

 

[Bazza1510]

The best thing you can do with your Phantom when you first get it is Balance your props, it improves your videos 100% no Jello on my shots and for £25 in the UK I got a very good prop balancer well worth every penny.
Don't try and save a few bucks on this, it's the best thing you will do :shock:

 

[pwright]

You could certainly make a balancer yourself but as Gizmo says the important part is making sure the prop is centered on the shaft itself.

You can buy just the DuBro shafts with cones on Amazon if you like.

 

[tanasit]

The 8 mm metal shaft may be too heavy for the job and you have to fabricate the 2 paralleled rails for the shaft to roll on.
The weight of the shaft alone may not lend itself to roll freely on the rails, thus balancing is difficult to accomplish.
I'll say, go buy the DuBro.