Anyone else having gimble issues in windy conditions? Especially when the gimble is looking straight down.

[crash3x]

I've experienced the same issue, once was slightly a factor in moderate wind, one was quite bad when the wind was v. strong and I shouldn't really have been flying (55km/h gusts)

Thank you for the response and sharing your info.
I’ve been experiencing this issue a lot while flying in moderate winds. I live on the coast so I’m normally flying in windy conditions and experiencing gimbal issues more than I’d like!
Not happy about this. Hope it’s an issue that an update can fix, unlikely but, hopefully.

 

[FLDave]

For a true evaluation you need to provide visual information about what the drone was doing at the time. Being stable provides no information. During wind the drone should be reacting with various tilts just to maintain its position. At the same time the gimbal would need to react in opposite direction to keep focused. If the done movements are rapid and violent in response to the wind the gimbal movement may lag a bit.
Also, when the gimbal is as 90 degrees down it can't move any further so, if the drone tilts up the gimbal will need to go up with the drone as it is already at its stop. Example: gimbal is 90 degrees down and drone pitches up 10 degrees to adjust for wind. Gimbal would need to go down to 100 degrees but it can't.
Visual information about how the drone is reacting is critical to understanding the problem.

 

[crash3x]

For a true evaluation you need to provide visual information about what the drone was doing at the time. Being stable provides no information. During wind the drone should be reacting with various tilts just to maintain its position. At the same time the gimbal would need to react in opposite direction to keep focused. If the done movements are rapid and violent in response to the wind the gimbal movement may lag a bit.
Also, when the gimbal is as 90 degrees down it can't move any further so, if the drone tilts up the gimbal will need to go up with the drone as it is already at its stop. Example: gimbal is 90 degrees down and drone pitches up 10 degrees to adjust for wind. Gimbal would need to go down to 100 degrees but it can't.
Visual information about how the drone is reacting is critical to understanding the problem.

As previously stated, I’m “only” asking if other pilots are experiencing similar gimbal issue as myself in moderate wind conditions. RE: erratic gimbal movement, shifting etc. to note it’s not gimbal lag, it’s erratic movement, erratic shifting. Very similar to very well know mini 2 gimbal issue.

I’m well aware of what your saying, I’m well aware of how wind effects everything about each flight and gimbal movement, I have a many years of experience as a drone pilot.

I thank for your input but that’s not type of feedback I’m looking for.

Yes I’m have the same gimbal issue in moderate wind conditions or, No, I’m not experiencing this gimbal issue in moderate wind conditions, that’s all I’m asking.

 

[FLDave]

What evidence do you have that the "Only the gimble is shifting & twitching, it's going going crazy, the aircraft is stable"? Visually, what defines the drone a stable? What video evidence do you have the "shifting and tilting"? Visually, what was the drone doing at the time?

 

[crash3x]

What evidence do you have that the "Only the gimble is shifting & twitching, it's going going crazy, the aircraft is stable"? Visually, what defines the drone a stable? What video evidence do you have the "shifting and tilting"? Visually, what was the drone doing at the time?

Again, not what I’m asking.. I think you may be confused.. Maybe start another thread if you’re interested in discussing a similar, but different topic?

But, Yes or No, have you personally experienced this gimbal issue in moderate winds? Thanks!

 

[CanadaDrone]

What people keep pointing out is that the drone is behaving exactly like an ultra-light drone behaves in the wind, especially when the gimbal is maxed out and cannot compensate as well as it normally can. Also if this is happening beyond very clear line of sight and 50+ feet off the ground, it's even more likely that it's wind, and the wind is probably a lot stronger than you are estimating.

I think you just need to try a heavier drone or at least try the heavier "plus" batteries, which do improve wind handling performance somewhat. I suspect you will notice a significant improvement.

To me it sounds like you aren't getting the answer you want so you keep asking the same question. I don't mean for that to sound rude at all but several people are telling you they have experienced a similar thing, and it was the wind.

I was flying my M3P the other day in very light wind, maybe 5km/h with 10km/h "gusts" if you can even call them that, and it still moves around a lot - way, way more than the ~900g Mavics and when the drone is close by, you can see the gimbal working overtime (quite impressive actually, for what it is). When you have the gimbal maxed out in one direction, i.e. downward, it can't compensate in the same way as it normally can and it exaggerates the issue. When that happens, the footage will look like the drone is having a seizure.

If wind is causing the drone to move around to a degree such that it's gimbal can no longer compensate, that isn't an issue with the drone. From everything you've described, I don't see any evidence that something else is going on, and there would be no reliable way for the pilot to know either unless it was very close by, and close to the ground in clear line of sight.

You said in your first post that it happened in 25 MPH gusts which is beyond the absolute maximum wind handing capability of the drone, and I would bet that the gusts were quite a bit worse than that if you were flying at any significant height. That is not light wind, especially for a sub 250g aircraft with fairly large surface area to catch said wind. You also said it happened while the gimbal was pointed downward, so it couldn't even adjust itself in that direction to mitigate the movement.

Can you post a quick video of the drone hovering in front of you in light winds with the gimbal going crazy? I think that would be very helpful because if the drone isn't in clear LOS, it's impossible to tell what it's doing.

 

[crash3x]

What people keep pointing out is that the drone is behaving exactly like an ultra-light drone behaves in the wind, especially when the gimbal is maxed out and cannot compensate as well as it normally can. Also if this is happening beyond very clear line of sight and 50+ feet off the ground, it's even more likely that it's wind, and the wind is probably a lot stronger than you are estimating.

I think you just need to try a heavier drone or at least try the heavier "plus" batteries, which do improve wind handling performance somewhat. I suspect you will notice a significant improvement.

To me it sounds like you aren't getting the answer you want so you keep asking the same question. I don't mean for that to sound rude at all but several people are telling you they have experienced a similar thing, and it was the wind.

I was flying my M3P the other day in very light wind, maybe 5km/h with 10km/h "gusts" if you can even call them that, and it still moves around a lot - way, way more than the ~900g Mavics and when the drone is close by, you can see the gimbal working overtime (quite impressive actually, for what it is). When you have the gimbal maxed out in one direction, i.e. downward, it can't compensate in the same way as it normally can and it exaggerates the issue. When that happens, the footage will look like the drone is having a seizure.

If wind is causing the drone to move around to a degree such that it's gimbal can no longer compensate, that isn't an issue with the drone. From everything you've described, I don't see any evidence that something else is going on, and there would be no reliable way for the pilot to know either unless it was very close by, and close to the ground in clear line of sight.

You said in your first post that it happened in 25 MPH gusts which is beyond the absolute maximum wind handing capability of the drone, and I would bet that the gusts were quite a bit worse than that if you were flying at any significant height. That is not light wind, especially for a sub 250g aircraft with fairly large surface area to catch said wind. You also said it happened while the gimbal was pointed downward, so it couldn't even adjust itself in that direction to mitigate the movement.

Can you post a quick video of the drone hovering in front of you in light winds with the gimbal going crazy? I think that would be very helpful because if the drone isn't in clear LOS, it's impossible to tell what it's doing.

Well put and I mostly agree with you. But I’m simply asking around to see if others are experiencing similar gimbal issues in moderate wind, that’s all, consider it a poll. Yes or No.

Yes some days were windier than others, yes I’m aware of changing wind conditions at various altitudes,gusts etc. but most days were well within its limits.

I don’t understand why everyone is twisting my question lol.

I do own a heavier MA 2s and older heavier Mavic’s that I most always use in windy conditions.

My Mini 3 Pro is my novelty done in a sense, it’s fun & quiet & I take it everywhere, but as mentioned, the gimbal acts up in moderate wind. Does yours?

Everyone writing me an essay isn’t answering my only question. Yes or No?

Genuinely, Thank you for response and helpful input

 

[CanadaDrone]

My Mini 3 Pro is my novelty done in a sense, it’s fun & quiet & I take it everywhere, but as mentioned, the gimbal acts up in moderate wind. Does yours?

I have not experienced any gimbal behavior similar to what you describe, but I have not flown the drone in anywhere near 15-25 MPH winds. I'm a little more liberal with my M2P as it has some weight to it but personally I have no desire to fly my M3P outside of relatively calm conditions. Admittedly I am probably overly cautious, but my stress levels prefer it that way haha. Like you, I have it so I can bring it with me more often and for ease of travel.

If that is happening to you in calm conditions, then I would agree that could be a genuine issue to look into. If that is happening to you in windy conditions or out of clear line of sight, and especially with the gimbal maxed out in one direction, it's very likely not a fault of the drone.

Next time it's windy enough that you think it might cause the gimbal to go crazy, take it out into your back yard or somewhere that you can safely observe what the gimbal is doing close-up. If you can't reproduce the issue well below it's maximum wind resistance rating, then I would think nothing is wrong with your drone. If it's dead calm and the gimbal is going crazy, absolutely I would agree it's an issue. If you're flying at or near the limits of it's wind handling, I think it's reasonable to expect unpredictable behavior.

 

[crash3x]

I have not experienced any gimbal behavior similar to what you describe, but I have not flown the drone in anywhere near 15-25 MPH winds. I'm a little more liberal with my M2P as it has some weight to it but personally I have no desire to fly my M3P outside of relatively calm conditions. Admittedly I am probably overly cautious, but my stress levels prefer it that way haha. Like you, I have it so I can bring it with me more often and for ease of travel.

If that is happening to you in calm conditions, then I would agree that could be a genuine issue to look into. If that is happening to you in windy conditions or out of clear line of sight, and especially with the gimbal maxed out in one direction, it's very likely not a fault of the drone.

Next time it's windy enough that you think it might cause the gimbal to go crazy, take it out into your back yard or somewhere that you can safely observe what the gimbal is doing close-up. If you can't reproduce the issue well below it's maximum wind resistance rating, then I would think nothing is wrong with your drone. If it's dead calm and the gimbal is going crazy, absolutely I would agree it's an issue. If you're flying at or near the limits of it's wind handling, I think it's reasonable to expect unpredictable behavior.

A screen recording is a definite the next few times I fly, when I catch it, I’ll post it along with all relevant flight data in a new thread.

It took a while to get over my flight anxiety, and a few mishaps as well, but over time I overcame it, I’m still careful but definitely way more relaxed and adventurous while flying, all in good time!

Thanks for the response and advice

 

[JoshC]

Thank you for the response and sharing your info.
I’ve been experiencing this issue a lot while flying in moderate winds. I live on the coast so I’m normally flying in windy conditions and experiencing gimbal issues more than I’d like!
Not happy about this. Hope it’s an issue that an update can fix, unlikely but, hopefully.

basically poor performance in wind has always been the main issue with the mini drones, the original mini was really poor and there were a lot of fly aways due to wind. With the longer arms and props of the Mini 3 they seem to have increased its power and stability in the wind, but the gimbal seems to be a weak spot. If you live in an area where it's very windy you're probably better off looking for a larger drone like the Air 2S or Mavic 3 as your main drone.

 

[simsurf]

I would suggest 25mph wind speed is pushing your luck with a mini 3. I would assume the gimbal is struggling to keep up with the drone that is struggling to stabilise.

 

[MikePe]

First couple flights with my mini Pro 3 and am seeing some crazy video issues I assume are from the wind, or maybe gimbal issue? For all of the "Get a bigger Drone" I have a mini 2 that I flew right after in the exact same wind and had no issues at all.

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[FLDave]

This was the live camera view. What is the recorded video like? Comparing the 2 could help to isolate the problem.
This is only a 480p video so it's not a good comparison on what a recorded video would look like. The camera was set a 4k so I don't think this representative the recorded video.

 

[MikePe]

I will grab a video tomorrow. This was from the screen recording from the RC.

Video does the same thing. I am also getting Gimbal Overload errors.

 

[FLDave]

Since you are getting gimbal overload errors with not obvious cause contact DJI for help and possible repair.

 

[JoshC]

First couple flights with my mini Pro 3 and am seeing some crazy video issues I assume are from the wind, or maybe gimbal issue? For all of the "Get a bigger Drone" I have a mini 2 that I flew right after in the exact same wind and had no issues at all.

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there is some kind of issue with your drone, you need to send it back to DJI

 

[Shismo]

there is some kind of issue with your drone, you need to send it back to DJI

Mine started the same video jello effect after it hit a shrub. DJI refresh replaced it.

 

[crash3x]

Mine started the same video jello effect after it hit a shrub. DJI refresh replaced it.

I noticed the same thing (jello effect) after watching a Master Shot video I took the other day. I don’t know if this was a one off as I usually take more pictures than videos. I going to head out over the next few days and take a bunch of videos, review them and see if it’s a continuous issue. Never crashed or dropped my Mini 3 pro.

 

[crash3x]

First couple flights with my mini Pro 3 and am seeing some crazy video issues I assume are from the wind, or maybe gimbal issue? For all of the "Get a bigger Drone" I have a mini 2 that I flew right after in the exact same wind and had no issues at all.

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Aside from gimbal issues I’m experiencing in not overly windy conditions, I’ve also experienced similar video issues, I think it’s time to send mine back.