Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy!)

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I used the stock cables that came with Internal Power Connector. I used a 'helping hand' to hold them in place over the V & G contacts while I deposited solder on there.

If you have tried multiple times and it isn't adhering, try using a wick to remove excess solder from there or lightly sand the contact before soldering again.

Jep, tried to sand it down and then the solder is adhering. But I think I but too little solder on the board. When I heat it, it just pops off. I think the cables from the power connector are somewhat thinner. I'll try again later tonight.

Weirdly enough my Phantom assistant isn't working properly with the setup. I'll try rerouting some connections from the Naza and use Phantom2 Assistant to see if that works. FPV system was working great except for the gimbal which tends to look down all the time and not responding to pitch control. So much for 'plug and play' lol!

That's strange. Which gimball are you using?

 

[sohail99]

Jep, tried to sand it down and then the solder is adhering. But I think I but too little solder on the board. When I heat it, it just pops off. I think the cables from the power connector are somewhat thinner. I'll try again later tonight.


That's strange. Which gimball are you using?

Use a clip of some sort to hold the cable to the gold pad. ('Helping hand' is great for that)
Also, I never directly touched the soldering iron to the pad.

I positioned the tinned wire onto the pad, then while just touching the tinned wire with the iron, I deposited enough solder to make a blob(similar to DJI's original solder)
Then gradually move away from the blob and you should have a nice, firm and aesthetically good looking solder joint there!


I'm using Zenmuse H3-3D. I thought it would work ok directly with the P2 board. Need to check some connections and try again.

 

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Use a clip of some sort to hold the cable to the gold pad. ('Helping hand' is great for that)
Also, I never directly touched the soldering iron to the pad.

I've ordered a clip and a new solder tip. That should do the trick. I'll remove and re-attach the cable to the power connector, because it can't get it cleaned up without getting to close to my shell. Don't want to risk it.

I'll continue tomorrow, when everything should be delivered.

Good luck with the H3-3D. I have a 2D, so that should work out of the box.

 

[sohail99]

I've ordered a clip and a new solder tip. That should do the trick. I'll remove and re-attach the cable to the power connector, because it can't get it cleaned up without getting to close to my shell. Don't want to risk it.

I'll continue tomorrow, when everything should be delivered.

Good luck with the H3-3D. I have a 2D, so that should work out of the box.

Oh! I had soldered everything up first (IPC to P2 board, all ESCs, stuck the NAZA on there) and then moved it to the shell to avoid any soldering accidents from damaging it. (it was looking like a barebones quad like the f330 lol!)

It gets quite hard to install everything like that, but at least the shell is safe.
Regarding the Phantom'2'
I was trying to connect it to the naza assistant meant for phantom 1 and fc40 and I was just getting measurements from Naza and controller input.

I'll the trying Phantom 2 Assistant

Lemme know if you need any pictures of the interiors of the p'2'

 

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Oh! I had soldered everything up first (IPC to P2 board, all ESCs, stuck the NAZA on there) and then moved it to the shell to avoid any soldering accidents from damaging it.

So far, no damage has been made (although I did drop a small drop of tin on the shell and it won't come off. I'll but some tape over it to prevent it from shorting something. But it's next to the rails for the battery, so nothing really sits there.

I'm thinking about removing the board and the ESC's, attach new fresh cables to the power connector, solder them to the board outside the shell and put everything back in. That way there isn't that much strain on the connection after soldering it.

 

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Oh, and one question: the cable that's on the other side of the NAZA (the side where the motor cables attach) doesn't go anywhere, right? It's for connecting the board to the P2 NAZA when you use the ESC connectors?

 

[sohail99]

So far, no damage has been made (although I did drop a small drop of tin on the shell and it won't come off. I'll but some tape over it to prevent it from shorting something. But it's next to the rails for the battery, so nothing really sits there.

I'm thinking about removing the board and the ESC's, attach new fresh cables to the power connector, solder them to the board outside the shell and put everything back in. That way there isn't that much strain on the connection after soldering it.

Yes, that will help in soldering due to less strain in the wire.

Oh, and one question: the cable that's on the other side of the NAZA (the side where the motor cables attach) doesn't go anywhere, right? It's for connecting the board to the P2 NAZA when you use the ESC connectors?

View attachment 28574

Yes, thats right! its for the Phantom 2 ESCs which connect directly to the Phantom 2 mainboard.
I had to use it though, as I have v2.1 ESCs.

The other ones on the back are X3(narrower one) and the wider one goes to EXP(in case you plug your compass and GPS to the mainboard instead of directly to the NAZA)

Any shapeways door you would recommend for the Naza LED?

 

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Any shapeways door you would recommend for the Naza LED?

Not yet. I'm thinking about the part that attaches the NAZA LED to the landing gear:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/VEBURSREY/dji-phantom-1-5-v2-led-mount
And combine that with a LED-less door.

That way, I can always use the P2 batteries (might do so in the future), without moving the LED. I don't know how I will route the NAZA LED cable though. I believe the plug is too big to go through one of the holes in the shell.

 

[sohail99]

Not yet. I'm thinking about the part that attaches the NAZA LED to the landing gear:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/VEBURSREY/dji-phantom-1-5-v2-led-mount
And combine that with a LED-less door.

That way, I can always use the P2 batteries (might do so in the future), without moving the LED. I don't know how I will route the NAZA LED cable though. I believe the plug is too big to go through one of the holes in the shell.

You will have to connect the plug outside the Leg Hole and that is doable with those jumper cables we were talking about.

I also made a canbus cable out of those and connected it to the P2 board

 

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You will have to connect the plug outside the Leg Hole and that is doable with those jumper cables we were talking about.

Oke, I've also ordered 80 1-pin extension cables (20cm). So that should to the trick. I'll put some heat shrink around it to hold them together.

 

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Yes, that will help in soldering due to less strain in the wire.

Small update. I've removed the VCC/Ground cables from the board, softly sanded the VCC pad to remove all the resin and dirt. Then added two fresh blobs of solder. I'll be connecting the cables tomorrow when I have the 'helping hand'. I've also removed my VCC cable from the P2 power connector and will be added a slightly longer one.

 

[sohail99]

Small update. I've removed the VCC/Ground cables from the board, softly sanded the VCC pad to remove all the resin and dirt. Then added two fresh blobs of solder. I'll be connecting the cables tomorrow when I have the 'helping hand'. I've also removed my VCC cable from the P2 power connector and will be added a slightly longer one.

Blobs look great! I too thought that those cables were a bit short.

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Alright, power cables are re-soldered and should hold. I've soldered them outside the shell and then placed the IPC back into the shell. So that gave some tension on the cables and everything is still fixed. So that looks good. After testing, I'll add some hotglue to the joints, to isolate them and fix them some more. Just in case.

Now I'll have to look to the ESC cable of my motor '3'. It's about 5mm too short (already mentioned earlier in the thread). I can add a small extension cable, but I don't have the tools to add the headers to the cables. Maybe I can dig up a short 3-wire servo extension cable somewhere...

For now, I'll just do a bench test without motor 3 connected. Just to check if all the connections are working. First without the iOSD, gimball, GPS, etc. If the thing doens't go 'poof', I'll add the other components

 

[sohail99]

It would be better to solder a longer cable from the ESC to the main board.

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It would be better to solder a longer cable from the ESC to the main board.

I noticed that the person who did the conversion before on this thread cut the ESC cable, inserted two pieces of cable in between and soldered it back together. I think I'll do that, doesn't take much effort and the solder points on the ESC are covered under that white DJI glue. Takes more effort to remove it

 

[sohail99]

I noticed that the person who did the conversion before on this thread cut the ESC cable, inserted two pieces of cable in between and soldered it back together. I think I'll do that, doesn't take much effort and the solder points on the ESC are covered under that white DJI glue. Takes more effort to remove it

Oh well! Btw that white stuff is Threebond TB-1530 one step moisture curing adhesive, if you can get your hands on it. (Hobbyking carries it I think)

I have been trying to source it locally and I think I may have a lead!

In the meantime, I use clear RTV silicon adhesive sealant.

 

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Well, next problem: everything is connected, but it seems the bird does not get power. I've connected a battery to the XT60, but nothing happens. No smoke (thank god) but also no bleeps and the LED is not lighting up. Should there be the power sound I got with the P1? Or does that require some configuration of the P2 board?

Can I measure connections with a multimeter? I used one during the soldering the IPC. But now the power connector is connected to the board, and I don't know if I can safely measure things like resistance to check for faulty connections.

 

[sohail99]

I think beeps are produced by the motors, so if those aren't connected then that might be the prob.
You can also use the multimeter to check if the board is getting power(start with the motherboard blobs which were causing problems and then to the vcc of the ESCs. Check for voltage only.(through fused terminals on the multimeter)

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I'll check that tonight. Motors, except 3, were connected. Naza was connected to gps, x3/ext and x1/x2 two my transmitter. Is it better to pick Vcc and gnd on two different esc's. Or always first check vcc/gnd for each one?

 

[sohail99]

I'll check that tonight. Motors, except 3, were connected. Naza was connected to gps, x3/ext and x1/x2 two my transmitter. Is it better to pick Vcc and gnd on two different esc's. Or always first check vcc/gnd for each one?

Yea, its always better to check voltage across vcc and ground for each ESC individually to ensure they are getting power!

But first, you have to measure the voltage across the vcc and ground where the IPC is connecting to the motherboard.

Be sure to be in Voltage measurement mode with appropriate range selected on the multimeter.
Also, use the fused sockets on the multimeter!

EDIT - Btw which LEDs are not lighting up? the ESC ones or Naza LED? or neither!



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