"Squeeky" Gimble on P4

[ftttu]

DJI told me to recal my iMU and gimbal, which I did, but I'm still getting the problem. After recalibrating both tonight, I flew up to 400' in breezy conditions. I rotated around, and when I turned a certain direction, I started getting the gimbal "twitching" or "flipping." While I this was occurring, I was getting yellow warning message stating, "Warning Gimbal Roll reached end point." I'm guessing the wind was pretty strong up there and it had to fight the wind to maintain its position, somehow causing this problem.

I took an image between flips where I could see both red lights(or their reflection) as if the P4 was angled toward the strong wind. Once I turned in another direction, the flipping stopped. I will wait for for better flight conditions to see if I can repeat the flipping, and if so, I will go back to DJI.

 

[GadgetGuy]

DJI told me to recal my iMU and gimbal, which I did, but I'm still getting the problem. After recalibrating both tonight, I flew up to 400' in breezy conditions. I rotated around, and when I turned a certain direction, I started getting the gimbal "twitching" or "flipping." While I this was occurring, I was getting yellow warning message stating, "Warning Gimbal Roll reached end point." I'm guessing the wind was pretty strong up there and it had to fight the wind to maintain its position, somehow causing this problem.

I took an image between flips where I could see both red lights(or their reflection) as if the P4 was angled toward the strong wind. Once I turned in another direction, the flipping stopped. I will wait for for better flight conditions to see if I can repeat the flipping, and if so, I will go back to DJI.

That's the main defect I returned my first P4 to DJI for---video at 45° and "maximum gimbal angle exceeded" error, and the gimbal squeak. Oh, and a 12 minute battery life in Atti with OAS off and RTH at 6,700 feet with a windsurfer on the GL300C.

 

[ftttu]

I'm still getting the gimbal "flipping" or "twitching." I was flying yesterday where I was flying right side first(whatever you call doing that) when the gimbal wouldn't stop doing it. Of course, I was getting the "Warning Gimbal Roll reached end point" while it was happening. It stopped when I straightened out.

Also, yesterday and today, I was using the POI function where the gimbal "flipped" or "twitched" while flying counterclockwise. It stopped when I changed it to clockwise.

What I've noticed is that when my craft (I've named Day Star since it is a daytime satellite) is powered down, the gimbal hangs crooked with the left side hanging all the way down as you are looking at it. In videos, I see the gimbal pointing in a downward position and being level or almost level. I looked what was causing that, and I think it is the ribbon cable.

The ribbon cable was bowed outward, putting pressure on the gimbal to flip to the left. I pushed it in but the gimbal still hangs to the left(yes, hangs to the left lol) so I'm thinking it will straighten out over time. After pushing the cable inward, I recalibrated the gimbal and the IMU a couple of times. I then flew it in relatively breezy conditions at 400' with no "flipping" or "twitching."

Also, a better way to describe the gimbal "flipping" or "twitching" is that it appears to be free from powered control and just loosely hangs to the left like it lost power and was naturally hanging left due to the outward bowed ribbon cable. Hopefully, this will be THE fix.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I'm still getting the gimbal "flipping" or "twitching." I was flying yesterday where I was flying right side first(whatever you call doing that) when the gimbal wouldn't stop doing it. Of course, I was getting the "Warning Gimbal Roll reached end point" while it was happening. It stopped when I straightened out.

Also, yesterday and today, I was using the POI function where the gimbal "flipped" or "twitched" while flying counterclockwise. It stopped when I changed it to clockwise.

What I've noticed is that when my craft (I've named Day Star since it is a daytime satellite) is powered down, the gimbal hangs crooked with the left side hanging all the way down as you are looking at it. In videos, I see the gimbal pointing in a downward position and being level or almost level. I looked what was causing that, and I think it is the ribbon cable.

The ribbon cable was bowed outward, putting pressure on the gimbal to flip to the left. I pushed it in but the gimbal still hangs to the left(yes, hangs to the left lol) so I'm thinking it will straighten out over time. After pushing the cable inward, I recalibrated the gimbal and the IMU a couple of times. I then flew it in relatively breezy conditions at 400' with no "flipping" or "twitching."

Also, a better way to describe the gimbal "flipping" or "twitching" is that it appears to be free from powered control and just loosely hangs to the left like it lost power and was naturally hanging left due to the outward bowed ribbon cable. Hopefully, this will be THE fix.

Seriously, this sounds like manufacturing defect justifying replacement or warranty repair, unless you don't care about the video and photography, which you clearly do. It's only going to get worse. The ribbon cable is very delicate.

 

[ftttu]

Seriously, this sounds like manufacturing defect justifying replacement or warranty repair, unless you don't care about the video and photography, which you clearly do. It's only going to get worse. The ribbon cable is very delicate.

Since you replied, I just took it up for a run at 400' again, and went about a mile out. I came back and did a 200' radius of my house on POI. After a couple of counterclockwise revolutions, I flew around for a couple of minutes before hovering my battery dry.

Both this run and the run after I pushed in the bowed-out ribbon cable, worked as advertised and in breezy conditions. I'm sure it is a manufacturing defect, and I'm not happy, but I'm putting it off for an unknown amount of time in case some other problem pops up since it seems to be working at this point.

It still has the gimbal noise at boot up when the camera swings upward to position, so that still bothers me.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Since you replied, I just took it up for a run at 400' again, and went about a mile out. I came back and did a 200' radius of my house on POI. After a couple of counterclockwise revolutions, I flew around for a couple of minutes before hovering my battery dry.

Both this run and the run after I pushed in the bowed-out ribbon cable, worked as advertised and in breezy conditions. I'm sure it is a manufacturing defect, and I'm not happy, but I'm putting it off for an unknown amount of time in case some other problem pops up since it seems to be working at this point.

It still has the gimbal noise at boot up when the camera swings upward to position, so that still bothers me.

It's a tough call, giving up the aircraft completely for 3-4 weeks to get a repair done, when it otherwise works perfectly. I solved the problem by having backup aircraft to tide me over. Two are better than one. One will always be in the shop, and one might not come home someday!

 

[Sim597]

Did you read this fix?
Seems there was a run with bad torque setting on the screws for the gimbal? I'm just trying to get info out, that's what this forum is about right? Hope this isn't old news for you or something.

Dji ph4 Gimbal Screaming issue !!!


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[Sim597]

I have often wondered about that orange sticker on the gimbals. It clearly isn't intended to come off. I never tested it like you have to establish that the camera can strike the gimbal. Now that I know that, it all makes sense, and explains the rare video flip. I occasionally saw it in my P3P flights, too.

Mine had a tab on it, I have never seen a sticker with a tab, that wasn't supposed to come off, guess what I did with mine? Lol
I took off the stickers on the arms too, I would have left them, but I have a skin coming, so they needed to come off anyway.


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[Sim597]

I'm still getting the gimbal "flipping" or "twitching." I was flying yesterday where I was flying right side first(whatever you call doing that) when the gimbal wouldn't stop doing it. Of course, I was getting the "Warning Gimbal Roll reached end point" while it was happening. It stopped when I straightened out.

Also, yesterday and today, I was using the POI function where the gimbal "flipped" or "twitched" while flying counterclockwise. It stopped when I changed it to clockwise.

What I've noticed is that when my craft (I've named Day Star since it is a daytime satellite) is powered down, the gimbal hangs crooked with the left side hanging all the way down as you are looking at it. In videos, I see the gimbal pointing in a downward position and being level or almost level. I looked what was causing that, and I think it is the ribbon cable.

The ribbon cable was bowed outward, putting pressure on the gimbal to flip to the left. I pushed it in but the gimbal still hangs to the left(yes, hangs to the left lol) so I'm thinking it will straighten out over time. After pushing the cable inward, I recalibrated the gimbal and the IMU a couple of times. I then flew it in relatively breezy conditions at 400' with no "flipping" or "twitching."

Also, a better way to describe the gimbal "flipping" or "twitching" is that it appears to be free from powered control and just loosely hangs to the left like it lost power and was naturally hanging left due to the outward bowed ribbon cable. Hopefully, this will be THE fix.

You know, not that you should have too, but I could see me doing this, and if it worked it worked, if not then I'd return it. Can you put a tiny amount of rubber adhesive on the ribbon, and push it back to the plastic, to keep it from pushing on the gimbal? It does sound like your on the right track here, or, or maybe a rubber band first just to see? Both of these can be removed is why I say use a rubber epoxy or something instead of super glue.


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[ftttu]

I've had only perfect performance with my gimbal after pushing the ribbon cable in where it was bowed outward and appearing to put a very small amount of pressure making the gimbal roll to the left(as you are looking at it). For some reason, that small amount of pressure caused it to have that problem at certain angles in breezy to high winds.

Since the ribbon cable seems to be staying put, I'm going to leave it alone. If for some reason it bows outward again, I will return it for repair of that and the boot up squeaky gimbal.

 

[Sim597]

I've had only perfect performance with my gimbal after pushing the ribbon cable in where it was bowed outward and appearing to put a very small amount of pressure making the gimbal roll to the left(as you are looking at it). For some reason, that small amount of pressure caused it to have that problem at certain angles in breezy to high winds.

Since the ribbon cable seems to be staying put, I'm going to leave it alone. If for some reason it bows outward again, I will return it for repair of that and the boot up squeaky gimbal.

Awesome, I wonder if that's been the problem for others as well, good catch Ftttt


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[4proppilot]

I only hear it when I power it on and the gimbal is initialising


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[GadgetGuy]

I only hear it when I power it on and the gimbal is initialising


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A properly working one will not squeak. Whether it causes any other future issues remains to be seen. Try tightening all visible screws on the gimbal to see if you can eliminate the noise altogether.

 

[Sim597]

Awesome, I wonder if that's been the problem for others as well, good catch Ftttt


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Did you see that gimbal cable protector thing taco drones offers for like $12? I was gonna buy one, it looks to me, it's too long why but if you've got the time look at the pics, like they've mounted it wrong, it looks like the top part should be on the other side when mounted to protect the whole thing, but looks like it may hold and protect the cable.


I also came across a deal that snaps to the back of the TX and then has a normal 1/4X20 thread to mount on a tripod. Basically you don't have to hold the TX at all, mount it on the tripod and put it at the height you want. I just sold my **** Manfrotto tripod for $225 on eBay too, dangit.


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[GadgetGuy]

Did you see that gimbal cable protector thing taco drones offers for like $12? I was gonna buy one, it looks to me, it's too long why but if you've got the time look at the pics, like they've mounted it wrong, it looks like the top part should be on the other side when mounted to protect the whole thing, but looks like it may hold and protect the cable.


I also came across a deal that snaps to the back of the TX and then has a normal 1/4X20 thread to mount on a tripod. Basically you don't have to hold the TX at all, mount it on the tripod and put it at the height you want. I just sold my **** Manfrotto tripod for $225 on eBay too, dangit.


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Got a link to the tripod connector for the TX? I have plenty of tripods and wouldn't mind taking a load off and also locking down the direction the TX is pointing. I tend to unintentionally rotate my body and the TX as I yaw the camera! Bad habit!

 

[DarkEmblem]

Same here. My p3p doesnt do this

 

[Sim597]

Got a link to the tripod connector for the TX? I have plenty of tripods and wouldn't mind taking a load off and also locking down the direction the TX is pointing. I tend to unintentionally rotate my body and the TX as I yaw the camera! Bad habit!

Link sent bro, sorry I didn't see the post, but we know now it may not work for you, I don't twist my body luckily, my bad back prevents too much movement lol, I've got enough other bad habits


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[GadgetGuy]

Link sent bro, sorry I didn't see the post, but we know now it may not work for you, I don't twist my body luckily, my bad back prevents too much movement lol, I've got enough other bad habits


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Thanks for the link. No problem. That's why I sent the PM.