Thin Black Ribbon Cable

[Rebelvis]

Andrew....I also have the tradecraft case and my clamp came loose too. Prior to that event, I was pondering the fact that the case offers no real lateral or bottom protection for the gimbal assembly. IOW, the quad itself is held quite firmly but, the gimbal/camera is hanging below just as it would if you had the V+ sitting on a table or something.

For better or worse (I think better) I removed the piece of foam upon which the phantom sits in the case and you could clearly see where the phantom rested due to the slight compression in the foam. Using the phantom as a reference, I glued a fairly carefully trimmed piece of egg crate-type foam to that bottom piece. The small piece of added foam gives some lateral protection and is just high enough to slightly compress the vibration dampeners when the phantom is positioned on it. I then put the foam back in the case where it had been.

Within a week, I removed the phantom to fly and realized the clamp had somehow come off during transit. Luckily, my camera/gimbal were unharmed. I credited the added foam to my good luck as it reduced the clamp-less camera from flopping around as much. Anyway, this might be something to try when you get your new assembly.

My camera detached from the horizontal motor housing during transport and tore the flat black data cable. I had the camera clamp in place, had it in a tradecraft case that cost me $250. So frustrated. I don't think I can purchase that cable, let alone attempt to install it. I took it apart to remove the damaged ribbon, and it wasn't exactly super easy. Thoughts? Am I about to spend $700 on a new gimbal/camera?

 

[Mako79]

I did a mod when i first got my case knowing that the gimbal moved around
Thats the mod:

Thats post.
viewtopic.php?t=17762

 

[Hovtech]

When I fly I put everything back in the original box which I then put in a big canvass bag. I only carry it on the plane. It is not going in luggage or I'm not going. Never had a problem though with either TSA or carrying it on the plane as a second carry on bag.

 

[andrew]

I'm going to try raising the foam once I get it back home. Thanks for the tips.

 

[Double-D]

Sorry to hear about your broken camera.
Best I fix up my backpack too then.
This ribbon is such a pain. I'm sure Dji could make them available. Often it's a simple fix instead of a whole new gimbal and camera.

 

[Silverminer]

I can't say for sure what happened, but the clamp was laying at the bottom of the case. I have to assume the clamp slipped off which left the camera to bounce around... I'm pretty upset about the event, a $5 ribbon cable is costing me $700. I prepared a lot for this trip, saran wrspped batteries, put them in lipo bags, bouggt an expensive, rugged case, put the gimbal clamp and lens cover on. I did everything I knew how to do through research. I tried to overnight a new one, but no stock in Canada. So much for taking any aerial footage in beautiful Northern Ontario on this vacation. (Insert swear word here)

I ripped the cable today trying to fly at 14,000+ ft. Won't do that anymore. I sent an email to DJI (I purchased the P2V+ directly from them) asking if they sell just the cable. I haven't heard back yet. I'm shocked the camera costs $700! Is it possible to just order a new P2V+ stripped down with no batteries, memory card, controller, etc.? If so I'd like to do that and keep my old P2V+ for spare parts. Does anyone know if it's possible to order it that way?

 

[ryanhoelzer]

They fixed my crashed one for free. Did you ask them about repair?

 

[Silverminer]

They fixed my crashed one for free. Did you ask them about repair?

I didn't ask them specifically about repair but rather asked if they sell the cable. I haven't heard back from them yet but it's only been an hour or so. In looking into this a bit further, it sounds like it's probably best to have someone that knows what they're doing do the repair. Hopefully they'll offer to repair mine! How long did it take?

 

[ryanhoelzer]

That was the bad part. They had it a month.. I did just see another post that they got theirs done in about 2 weeks though.

 

[Silverminer]

That was the bad part. They had it a month.. I did just see another post that they got theirs done in about 2 weeks though.

We'll see what they come back with. Hate to lose it that long but I feel I've been pretty lucky overall. Thanks for the help!

 

[Silverminer]

Just FYI on what Total Control Innovations told me after I asked them what they thought. They seem like a great company. Very responsive!

"Thank you for contacting Total Control Innovations. We are sorry to hear that your Phantom 2 Vision Plus camera's black​ ribbon cable has ripped from the gimbal. Unfortunately DJI does not allow dealers to fix this part as the repair is intricate. DJI requires us, the dealer, to send in the camera and gimbal to their repair center. Unfortunately the repair service for the Phantom 2 Vision Plus is currently back logged about 4 weeks.

We have had a few customers with the same problem and here is what we recommend: If time is not a factor we recommend sending it in for repair as the cost is less than the replacement. If time is a factor and you utilize the Phantom 2 Vision Plus for your business, we recommend sending the camera and gimbal in for repair and then purchasing the camera and gimbal replacement. This way when the repaired camera and gimbal are sent back to you, you will now have a replacement camera if your were to encounter the same problem in the future.

Please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns and we will be glad to assist you. "

 

[ryanhoelzer]

I would think you could sell the used camera/ gimbal for almost as much as a new too.

 

[Silverminer]

I would think you could sell the used camera/ gimbal for almost as much as a new too.

You could be correct, Ryan. I'm going to wait to see what DJI says. I'm also seeing about buying a new P2V+ stripped of batteries, controller, memory, etc.

 

[andrew]

It appears this ribbon is manufactured through a printing process. Someone I know is examining it to see if the can print me one or perhaps a few extra.

 

[sidebox]

As this thin ribbon cable seems to be a major problem, I updated the design on my Lasercut Plexiglas Camera & Gimbal Guard to include a padded shield that fits beneath the cable, to help diffuse some impact, in the event of a hard landing. You can click on the link in my signature, if you have any interest.

 

[RedRyderMedia]

Or remove the original packing and cut that up to package the gimbal tightly.

That's exactly what I did. I cut out just the center section of the factory formed packaging to provide "factory protection" for my P2V+ when I travel. The four arms locate and support the Phantom, and the gimbal/camera well does it's job. I used an aerosol can of construction insulation from Home Depot to fill all the voids on the backside. That added strength without adding any weight.

I use a standard Nike backpack that fits everything inside including the Phantom along with two spare batteries and two sets of props and the controller and my iPad Air (including the iPad holder) with hoodie, two battery chargers, tools, and my other travel camera gear and all the other snacks and misc stuff I carry on the plane. That way, I carry my P2V+ And EVERYTHING I need to fly just about everywhere I go when I travel. It does get a little heavy by the end of the day.

I've made 6 international flights with no problems. The Nike backpack fits the personal item specs (laptop/purse/etc) for AA and so it flies inside with me and my standard roll-aboard suitcase with my clothing etc. I don't recommend EVER checking the P2V+.....I've watched too many luggage handlers throw and beat the crap out of too much luggage. It's a surprise anything survives what they purposely do to luggage!!!

 

[Silverminer]

Is there any issue traveling on airplanes with the LiPo batteries? I haven't checked but I assumed that was a no no.

 

[andrew]

Is there any issue traveling on airplanes with the LiPo batteries? I haven't checked but I assumed that was a no no.

You can take a maximum of two, and you can't check them... Carry on only.

 

[helishmeli]

How did yours detach during transport with the gimbal clamp on? Did the clamp come loose?

I noticed that the box my P2V+ shipped in, when the phantom is placed in the box, the gimbal platform rests on a raised area in the center so that all four corners of the vibration dampers lift up slightly. This prevents the whole thing from bouncing up and down during transport and the tight space the camera sits in would keep the gimbal clamp from sliding sideways and coming off.

The gimbal clamp keeps the gimbal motors from rotating, but it rests against the bottom of the gimbal mount, not the body of the phantom so it can't keep the whole gimbal from bouncing or rocking on the vibration dampers.

I also notice that most of the aftermarket transport cases do not have this raised area in the center to support the vibration dampers. So not only can the whole assembly bounce up and down on the dampers, but it can rock side to side and the clamp could come off.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. When I said I have an extra that was shipped with the gimble, I literally mean an extra cable that was in a separate ziploc bag incase the original one (already attached to the gimbal) broke.

I just bought two more for $8, it really sucks that you can't buy these for the vision. Isn't the vision a zenmuse gimble also?

Edit: Sorry, I do not know if you can buy them or not for the vision. My understanding is that they aren't as easy to get. If someone finds them and buys a bunch, I bet they could open an amazon store just for that item. It wouldn't be hard to ship prime either to your customers since it wouldn't weight too much.

 

[kjopc]

I wonder if all our cameras will suffer this fate sooner or later? I religiously replace the gimbal clamp whenever it is in the box, and handle the craft with such care otherwise. Just worries me.

There are two types of P2V+ owners: Those who have broken their camera/gimbal; Those who soon will.

Great machines but components that are as fragile as egg shells don't fare well in the real world of hobbyists.

I'm betting the next Phantom Vision iteration will be more robust.