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Are the joystick protectors necessary

Mavic626

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I plan on storing my joystick in a bag where the joysticks are bent to fit. Are the protectors really necessary? Is it to protect the joysticks from breaking (is it really a big issue) or is it to keep they sticks from going out of calibration? Anyone regret not using them?
 
If you know that you'll be storing the joysticks at an angle/bent, I would buy the joystick protector. They cost anywhere from $4 - $6 dollars, small amount of money to protect a $200 controller.
 
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It could be a potential calibration issue since the joystick position sensors are magnetic.
 
Have you tried to see if yours is the version where the sticks pull off. Mine is an early edition and pull off and store in the zipped part of the bag. I love that they pull off.
 
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if you think about it, when you release the joystick, they go back to the middle? If you store the joystick bending them to one side or another eventually there is going to be some impact on the calibration and potentially on the response.
 
My take on it, is that if they were required, DJI would have supplied them.

The stories are just marketing hype to sell protectors.
 
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My take on it, is that if they were required, DJI would have supplied them.

The stories are just marketing hype to sell protectors.
Against that, the User Manual version 1.4 does say on page 34:
"Keep the remote controller away from magnetic materials to avoid it being affected by magnetic interference. Ensure the control sticks are in the centre position and not being squeezed by external force during transportation or storage.".

With that statement it seems to me the makers of stick protectors are pushing at a door that easily opens.

As an aside, the DJI caution comes right at the end of the Remote Controller section. I'd very much prefer it if they had put this caution at the start of the section, in this case page 31. I think there is more chance of the cautions being seen and read.

Regards.
 
The only reason I ask is I found a case that fits great, it is a VR headset case but it causes both sticks to be in the up position. I did not know if anyone had any breakage issues, I dont think it would go out of calibration as you can always calibrate it in the app.

Has anyone reported any issues with the controllers not being able to calibrate. I know I have had video game controllers do that, but I am not sure it would be the same with the mavic controller.
 

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The one with a bar between also helps avoid scratches on screen getting it in and out.
I'm worried about clumsily snagging the sticks as much as anything.
 
I received an error on my controller a month back relating to stick error, it said to centre the sticks but they where centred. The error went away after a reboot of the controller so I did think it may have been caused by a stick being to the side when I powered it on but I could not recreate the problem. Since then I have used a stick protector from eBay as I figure for the price its worth it.
 
If you're in doubt, read on a true story - this happened to me.

I managed to break my left stick of my then-brand-new MP a few months ago during transportation. It was in the original DJI combo bag, in the trunk of my motorcycle. I had the protector already but thought "nah, no need". So the stick was forced out of center to the point of putting a small dent into the outer ring of the controller plastic faceplate. The inner stick pivot bended out of position, totally ruining the left command. It wouldn't return to center and thus calibration was impossible.

Had to open it, break the bent pivot and re-glue it back into position. It was like a precision surgery, the parts are small and tolerances are tight. Fortunately I was able to fix it and even slightly improve the feeling/resistance of both sticks while performing the job. Did a calibration and everything is perfect since then, no issues.

That's to show how sensitive it is, despite being well built (impressive engineering is evident once you open it and look inside). The magnetic sticks can break quite easily. So now I use the stick protector with a wrist band wrapping it all to keep it all tight during transportation. A small hassle and a few seconds more to unpack, but at least I feel safer now.

PS.: Extra tip: if the protector is too tight going in and out of the sticks, wrap a small piece of sandpaper around a pencil and sand a bit of the inner circular part that grab the posts. Mine is now easy to push/pull but the elastic band keeps it locked in place as intended. A velcro band can be used as well.
 
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My take on it, is that if they were required, DJI would have supplied them.

The stories are just marketing hype to sell protectors.
haha, no they wouldn't, its economics. Like cars they are built to a price, not a quality feature set. thats why they come with crap tyres, crap radios etc.

Yes you need them I believe. They are a few dollars. I actually took the advice from someone on here and made one by cutting out the moulding from the box. That worked until my ebay one turned up.
 
I always store mine on a slight angle and I can guarantee it's affected nothing.
 
I always store mine on a slight angle and I can guarantee it's affected nothing.
I use to do that, but having it on the motorbike, climbing a mountain, or any thing like that and that controller gets pushed around quite a bit. So I lashed out on the 4$ protector :)
 
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haha, no they wouldn't, its economics. Like cars they are built to a price, not a quality feature set. thats why they come with crap tyres, crap radios etc.

Yes you need them I believe. They are a few dollars. I actually took the advice from someone on here and made one by cutting out the moulding from the box. That worked until my ebay one turned up.

I did the exact same thing. I have the plastic bar-type protector now. Takes 2 seconds to put it on and take it off. I kept the case cutout as a backup. I did secure the case cutout to the RC with a rubber band, though ... very high tech.
 
It's typical to read anecdotal stories of the "it's never happened to me" variety on threads like this. That is of course good news for those people. That doesn't address the idea of taking simple safety precautions to guard against the possibility of damage. "So far so good" might not be the best predictor of things yet to happen.
 
Yep, I used the box cut out and rubber bands, worked well. Got the idea from someone on this forum. But the bar protector is even better and takes up less room. Now I have enough room for the ND filters in that pocket.
 
I keep mine in canera bag "loose" so the sticks should stay centered. But I might make a stick protector.
 
I plan on storing my joystick in a bag where the joysticks are bent to fit. Are the protectors really necessary? Is it to protect the joysticks from breaking (is it really a big issue) or is it to keep they sticks from going out of calibration? Anyone regret not using them?
Excellent question..... wondering the same
 
I did the exact same thing. I have the plastic bar-type protector now. Takes 2 seconds to put it on and take it off. I kept the case cutout as a backup. I did secure the case cutout to the RC with a rubber band, though ... very high tech.
If it works..... then it’s high tech
 
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