Which Gimbal ????

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I'm sure this is ask ALOT. I am new to the hobby and really enjoying it. I bought the DJI Phantom 1.1.1 about 1 month age. I am slowly adding things as I can. I want to buy a gimbal but have to do it on a budget. Right now I am looking at two but would like some input from someone that has knowledge on this matter. The first one I am looking at is the GL-2X. It is Lite weight and looks simple. Only about 150g empty. It uses a open source software. Not sure if open source is good or bad? The other one is the X-CAM X100B+. It is a little heavier but the control board is made by X-CAM so not open source. I know there are probably much better gimbals out there but like I said I have to do it on a budget. This is a hobby for me and it all adds up fast. Any input on these two or another one around 100.00-150.00USD would be appreciated. All I'm looking for is a lite weight, easy to mount to the DJI Phantom, and that has pitch or tilt control from my Phantom controller gimbal. Thanks Will
 
I also picked up the Phantom FC40 a month ago. I am also looking for a Gimbal. I am looking at the DJI ZENMUSE H3-2D. It is very expensive. I am also considering less expensive alternatives. I stumbled across the GL-2X Gimbal on goodluckbuy.com. It looks like the best low cost Gimbal. I don't like being a crash test dummy and am hoping someone will try it out first. Maybe you? Let me know if you can find a review on it?
 
The GL-2X Gimbal looks like a new design for the Gopro 3. It is much lighter and looks like a much better design.
 
I still haven't ordered my gimbal. I also saw the walkera g-2d. It is even lighter but I don't know if it has manual tilt that can be controlled by the Phantom controller. Looks like no one else has used the GL-X2. As soon as I get my tax return I will order one. Looks like the GL-X2 from Goodluckbuy or Foxtech is what I will be going with. If any one has input please let me know. Thanks
 
Another vote for the Zenmuse. It has never let me down and the footage is butter smooth.

I noticed you are concerned with the other gimbals ability to be controlled by the original phantom controller. While I can't answer that, I can tell you the Phantom controller leaves a lot to be desired for gimbal control. It is absent of any precision and ability to center the camera unless you are flying fpv. Even then, it is very easy to bump it. I would consider an upgrade to a Futaba T8FG Super or Futaba T8J. Depending on your version of Phantom it will likely bind right up. These controllers have detents in the dials and sliders allowing you to set it where you want it and it stays there. There is also an audible beep when you return to center which is a great feature.
 
Absolutely can do that too CunningStuntFlyer, valid option to point out. Especially if limited by budget or desire to upgrade it sure beats the stock toggle on the back of DJI transmitter. One thing to keep in mind is the configurability of the Futaba goes well beyond a gimbal control and should not be ignored either. Between the flight controller and your transmitter you can really dial in a multi-rotors flight characteristics. I fly multiple aircraft so it was an easy decision for myself as I already owned the Futaba, just needed to bind it up.
 
Ok. I bought the GL-2X Gimbal from Foxtech. I ordered it on a Sunday and it was delivered on Wednesday. Not much to put together. Attached the camera arm to the pitch servo and the rubber feet to the top and bottom mount and it was ready. Attached it to my Phantom connected the balance lead from the battery and it worked perfect. Bad weather here so I can't fly and plans this weekend so I will not be able to fly it till next week. Have to find a servo extension to hook up the pitch control. I am new to this and have nothing to compare but it looks pretty solid and seems to work great. Also at 223 grams with the gopro 3 I should get descent flight time. I also just put the Phantom 2 props on that seems to give me longer flight time. When I get some time to fly I will update this post and let you know what I think. AGAIN I AM NEW TO THIS AND HAVE NOTHING TO COMPARE IT TO.
 
WmWmson said:
Ok. I bought the GL-2X Gimbal from Foxtech. I ordered it on a Sunday and it was delivered on Wednesday. Not much to put together. Attached the camera arm to the pitch servo and the rubber feet to the top and bottom mount and it was ready. Attached it to my Phantom connected the balance lead from the battery and it worked perfect. Bad weather here so I can't fly and plans this weekend so I will not be able to fly it till next week. Have to find a servo extension to hook up the pitch control. I am new to this and have nothing to compare but it looks pretty solid and seems to work great. Also at 223 grams with the gopro 3 I should get descent flight time. I also just put the Phantom 2 props on that seems to give me longer flight time. When I get some time to fly I will update this post and let you know what I think. AGAIN I AM NEW TO THIS AND HAVE NOTHING TO COMPARE IT TO.

Where are you located? Did you order from foxtechfpv? What type of shipping did you order? Thank you.
 
I live in the USA in Florida. I paid 20.00 for 3-5 day shipping. Standard shipping was around 10.00 I think 9-23 day. Yes it was foxtechfpv.com
 
WmWmson said:
I live in the USA in Florida. I paid 20.00 for 3-5 day shipping. Standard shipping was around 10.00 I think 9-23 day. Yes it was foxtechfpv.com

Did it include the Tilt control cable?
 
Ok. The gimbal worked great right out of the box. The only down side is it came with no instructions. When I tried to hook up the tilt cable I think I messed up. This gimbal has tilt and roll control. It has a six pen connector. Not sure why if you only need ground and signal to work the tilt. The six pen connector only has four wires coming off it. I think I got it wrong and now the gimbal is not working at all. I am going to try hooking it up to the computer to see if anything happens. If that does not work I may see if I can find a replacement controller board. Not sure if I can use a different one but no luck finding the one that is on this one so far.
 
Does the gl-2x has a large footprint? I ordered an feiyu one. It works okay. But the footprint mounted on the phantom 1 is Hugh. Covers up the whole bottom. Now I can't find a place to stick on a fpv transmitter...
 
No. The footprint is not bad. I still have room for my fatshark transmitter right behind the mount. I was just looking at the fy-3g. It looks a little heavier but comes with instructions and looks easy to install for a beginner like me. What are the pros and cons of the fy-3g for you? Thanks
 
The footprint is big for the fy-g3. I saw previous version of it and footprint was smaller. Too late I guess. It's quite easy to fix but I am still trying to make the gimbal work with the controller leveling

Else... I can use upright to do other type of filming
 
WmWmson said:
Ok. The gimbal worked great right out of the box. The only down side is it came with no instructions. When I tried to hook up the tilt cable I think I messed up. This gimbal has tilt and roll control. It has a six pen connector. Not sure why if you only need ground and signal to work the tilt. The six pen connector only has four wires coming off it. I think I got it wrong and now the gimbal is not working at all. I am going to try hooking it up to the computer to see if anything happens. If that does not work I may see if I can find a replacement controller board. Not sure if I can use a different one but no luck finding the one that is on this one so far.
Did you get this working? I'm brand new to the drone world and am looking at the same gimbal because I don't want to spend a fortune on a gimbal if I can help it.

I'm somewhat handy but not incredibly-so.

Would you say this is a good gimbal for someone who has a little technical ability?

Also, where in FL are you? I'm in Jacksonville. If you're close, would love to get together and compare notes.

Thanks.
 
Haven't had time to mess with it much. Just moved. I'm in Orange Park now. Its a good gimbal for the money but no instructions and not much on the internet about it yet. Not sure if I can find a replacement board for it or not. Hoping I can and its not to expensive.
 

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