Low noise Props - excessive vibration?

Roamer105 · Nov 20, 2017

I just got a set of low-noise props from DJI (China) I had ordered over a month ago. Put them on for a test hover and noticed excessive vibration causing significant jello and a strange prop sound. Landed, put the old props on, took off, no problem. Swapped back to the low noise. This time, it appeared to be steady and flying fine. I left the props on the bird. A day later I tried another flight with the low noise props and got the same vibration result. Landed, turned off the bird, restarted, straightened out the props nicely, took off to a hover, same vibration again. I tried this three times and then gave up. Put the old props back on and took a flight with zero problems.

Do I have a bad set of low noise props? Has anyone seen this? How about the fold joints (loose, tight)? I noticed that some of the blades are quite tight and a couple are relatively loose, not wobbly loose, but fold easily. Maybe the difference among prop-fold-joints is the problem?

Mossiback · Nov 20, 2017

Roamer105 said:
... Has anyone seen this? How about the fold joints (loose, tight)? I noticed that some of the blades are quite tight and a couple are relatively loose, not wobbly loose, but fold easily. Maybe the difference among prop-fold-joints is the problem?

My new props do not cause this problem. Does your original set have any perceived difference in tightness? Perhaps a little lube in the tight joints might help.

LuvMyTJ · Nov 20, 2017

DJI props are very good and I have never heard of any issues.
Are they genuine DJI props? If yes I would message them with your results and get a replacement set.

GlenJ · Nov 20, 2017

Roamer105 said:
I just got a set of low-noise props from DJI (China) I had ordered over a month ago. Put them on for a test hover and noticed excessive vibration causing significant jello and a strange prop sound. Landed, put the old props on, took off, no problem. Swapped back to the low noise. This time, it appeared to be steady and flying fine. I left the props on the bird. A day later I tried another flight with the low noise props and got the same vibration result. Landed, turned off the bird, restarted, straightened out the props nicely, took off to a hover, same vibration again. I tried this three times and then gave up. Put the old props back on and took a flight with zero problems.

Do I have a bad set of low noise props? Has anyone seen this? How about the fold joints (loose, tight)? I noticed that some of the blades are quite tight and a couple are relatively loose, not wobbly loose, but fold easily. Maybe the difference among prop-fold-joints is the problem?

Hi, Yes, I received a set of 8331 props and put them on my MP (not Platinum), and they're noisier than the original props, and make the gimbal and camera vibrate excessively, and the Go 4 app reports 'Abnormal gimbal vibration', or something similar.

I have read of some other folk reporting this problem, and some say they upgraded to the latest firmware, and the problem was solved.
Personally, I find it hard to understand how a firmware upgrade can affect propeller vibration, but for myself, I'm loathe to upgrade to the latest firmware.

I'm still running the same firmware that came on the MP, as I had another Mavic previously, and when I tried upgrading the FW, it bricked, and the aircraft wouldn't connect to the RC, and the drone became useless.

Fortunately I was able to return the bird for a refund, and bought another Mavic from a different source, which is the one I'm now finding vibrates uncontrollably with the new 8331 props.

I've read of other folk saying they left the new props on and just flew the MP around for a while, and the vibrations went away.

I've tried that, and the vibes don't go away.

A bit frustrating, and maybe I'll ramp up the courage to upgrade the FW one day, and see if that makes a difference, but for now, I'm thinking I might just buy another set of 8331 props from another source, and see if its just a dodgy set of props I've managed to find on the market...?

LuvMyTJ · Nov 20, 2017

GlenJ said:
Hi, Yes, I received a set of 8331 props and put them on my MP (not Platinum), and they're noisier than the original props, and make the gimbal and camera vibrate excessively, and the Go 4 app reports 'Abnormal gimbal vibration', or something similar.

I have read of some other folk reporting this problem, and some say they upgraded to the latest firmware, and the problem was solved.
Personally, I find it hard to understand how a firmware upgrade can affect propeller vibration, but for myself, I'm loathe to upgrade to the latest firmware.

I'm still running the same firmware that came on the MP, as I had another Mavic previously, and when I tried upgrading the FW, it bricked, and the aircraft wouldn't connect to the RC, and the drone became useless.

Fortunately I was able to return the bird for a refund, and bought another Mavic from a different source, which is the one I'm now finding vibrates uncontrollably with the new 8331 props.

I've read of other folk saying they left the new props on and just flew the MP around for a while, and the vibrations went away.

I've tried that, and the vibes don't go away.

A bit frustrating, and maybe I'll ramp up the courage to upgrade the FW one day, and see if that makes a difference, but for now, I'm thinking I might just buy another set of 8331 props from another source, and see if its just a dodgy set of props I've managed to find on the market...?

I am running an older firmware on my Mavic Pro with the new props and have not had any issues. I suspect one of them you received is defective.

4wd · Nov 20, 2017

Make sure they are straight before starting until things loosen up.
The new props are lighter and don't spin as fast - it's possible they don't quite fling out fully when new and tight.
I don't think it's anything to do with firmware. I'm on .400 from february and it's been fine except just once when I saw vibration and stopped and straightened them manually.

Roamer105 · Nov 20, 2017

Thank you all for the feedback. I am running the latest firmware on my MP. I simply let it hover in front of me and I watch the gimbal moving up and down to compensate for the vibration at about a 10 Hz frequency. It appears the gimbal is able to compensate as the video looks OK (at least the live feedback). When I put the old props on, there is absolutely no vibration, however, the hover is a lot less stable than with the new props and clearly more noisy. With the original props, the hover (no wind!) has a slight jerk here and there and moves a few inches up/down and sideways correcting itself. With the new props (clearly quieter) the hover is very stable, no jerking none of these corrections, however the gimbal is busy compensating for that vibration.

Since the blade hinges on the props are pressed in, I tightened the ones that I felt were a bit loose and made sure that all blade hinges move smoothly by adding just a little bit of lubricant, then use compressed air to remove any excess. They now feel much like the originals in terms of hinge movements. I do think that they are not made quite as well as the originals.

Waiting for a charged battery - then I will try this once more... I may have to get another set of the new props because I really like how they make the bird stable while still responsive and clearly less noise.

Roamer105 · Nov 20, 2017

Well, tried again after the "maintenance" on the props. Same issues. I did order them through Amazon:
"2 Pairs Mavic Pro Propeller 8331, OUBAO 2017 New Professional Advanced Standard Propellers Blades Props For DJI Mavic Pro Platinum Low-Noise Quick-Release"
I suspect that these are knock-off props and not DJI.

So, I went to the DJI store and ordered a set from there. Hopefully that will solve the problem. Meanwhile, I put these guys on ice.

LuvMyTJ · Nov 20, 2017

Had a feeling they were knock-offs. I have never seen a bad DJI prop. If you are within the 30 day window, send em back. Better to get some cash back then own a set of useless props.

GlenJ · Nov 21, 2017

LuvMyTJ said:
Had a feeling they were knock-offs. I have never seen a bad DJI prop. If you are within the 30 day window, send em back. Better to get some cash back then own a set of useless props.

Further my earlier post, I was surprised to receive another set of 8331 props today - I'd forgotten I'd ordered them a couple of weeks ago - and serendipitously arrive in the middle of these discussions.

I've put them on the MP and tried them out.
There's was still some vibration to start with, and the camera and gimbal mount were visibly vibrating, and the Go 4 app was reporting 'Abnormal gimbal vibration', etc.
However the vibes did seem to quieten down and go away after a couple of minutes of running.

After flying the MP around for ~10 minutes, and reinspecting, the vibration didn't appear to be occurring.

Now, these latest units came in a 'proper', white DJI box, whereas the first set just came in a simple zip-lock bag with a white sticker on it.
The attached pics show the respective packaging.
Both sets came from eBay stores.

I'll call the prop sets 'P1' (came in zip-lock bag) and 'P2' (came in white DJI box).

However, I've noticed something interesting: If you hold up the prop blades and look along the length of the trailing edges, I've found two blades in the P1-set with 'kinks' in them, whereas the trailing edges of the remainder look very straight.

Now, inspecting the trailing edges of the P2-set in the same way, showed most of them were very straight, but 1 had a slight 'kink' in it as well.

The P2 set strike me as a genuine DJI component, whereas P1 could be a Dodgy Bros set (just based on the packaging they each arrived in).

So the messages that comes out of this thus far seem to be:
1. Distortions in blades could be a likely source of vibrations
2. The more the distortion, the worse the vibration
3. It appears that even genuine DJI blades can demonstrate some distortion

BTW, after the close examinations made of the 8331 sets, I've also looked at the original 8330 props in the same way, and suddenly feel a great deal of respect for their construction compared to the 8331 units.
They're stiffer, and trailing edges are straight as gun-barrels.

Overall, I can't say I'm all that enamoured with the 8331's...!

4wd · Nov 21, 2017

The increased flexibility is no doubt part of the reason they are a bit quieter.
The other noted problem of catching on the underside when folded might be more significant if any distortion of the trailing edge is caused.

Alan M · Nov 21, 2017

LuvMyTJ said:
Had a feeling they were knock-offs. I have never seen a bad DJI prop. If you are within the 30 day window, send em back. Better to get some cash back then own a set of useless props.

I have. I bought a set from DJI when they released them in early October and out of the 4, 3 of them were loose at the join in the middle. I contact DJI and was advised not to fly with them and told they don’t refund on props.

Alan

Sharkblue · Nov 21, 2017

Hi, i just buy a set of low-noise props from DJI, you can see in the picture.
I use the latest firmware on my Mavic, but i have the same problem at the gimbal, with the same error message "gimbal shaking error".
I try to put the old props on, there is absolutely no vibration.

Bazzam · Nov 21, 2017

I also ordered the new props via amazon, they where stated as original DJI. 100% fake, the flex on the blade was excessive and I never even thought for a second about trying to fly with them attached. Straight into the bin

4wd · Nov 21, 2017

Bazzam said:
I also ordered the new props via amazon, they where stated as original DJI. 100% fake, the flex on the blade was excessive and I never even thought for a second about trying to fly with them attached. Straight into the bin
View attachment 25288

You can do that with the legit ones, they are supposed to be less rigid.

LuvMyTJ · Nov 21, 2017

GlenJ said:
Further my earlier post, I was surprised to receive another set of 8331 props today - I'd forgotten I'd ordered them a couple of weeks ago - and serendipitously arrive in the middle of these discussions.

I've put them on the MP and tried them out.
There's was still some vibration to start with, and the camera and gimbal mount were visibly vibrating, and the Go 4 app was reporting 'Abnormal gimbal vibration', etc.
However the vibes did seem to quieten down and go away after a couple of minutes of running.

After flying the MP around for ~10 minutes, and reinspecting, the vibration didn't appear to be occurring.

Now, these latest units came in a 'proper', white DJI box, whereas the first set just came in a simple zip-lock bag with a white sticker on it.
The attached pics show the respective packaging.
Both sets came from eBay stores.
View attachment 25278 View attachment 25279

I'll call the prop sets 'P1' (came in zip-lock bag) and 'P2' (came in white DJI box).

However, I've noticed something interesting: If you hold up the prop blades and look along the length of the trailing edges, I've found two blades in the P1-set with 'kinks' in them, whereas the trailing edges of the remainder look very straight.

Now, inspecting the trailing edges of the P2-set in the same way, showed most of them were very straight, but 1 had a slight 'kink' in it as well.

The P2 set strike me as a genuine DJI component, whereas P1 could be a Dodgy Bros set (just based on the packaging they each arrived in).

So the messages that comes out of this thus far seem to be:
1. Distortions in blades could be a likely source of vibrations
2. The more the distortion, the worse the vibration
3. It appears that even genuine DJI blades can demonstrate some distortion

BTW, after the close examinations made of the 8331 sets, I've also looked at the original 8330 props in the same way, and suddenly feel a great deal of respect for their construction compared to the 8331 units.
They're stiffer, and trailing edges are straight as gun-barrels.

Overall, I can't say I'm all that enamoured with the 8331's...!

Neither set appears to be DJI original props. Buy directly from DJI, they are pretty cheap as drone parts go. Two to a box.
Click to make the pic bigger. They should look like this...

locoman · Nov 21, 2017

I agree with LuvMyTJ, the props I received from DJI came in a box looking like his, not the one in GlenJ post. I haven't tried my out yet so can not talk about their performance. And to windy to fly today.

Furious Tacos · Nov 21, 2017

I got the abnormal vibration warning with my 8331 props. They are genuine DJI props, but I was running old firmware. Updated (I remember the release notes specifically said the update would include support for 8331 props) and the vibration 100% went away. Flies great with either set of props now.

Macmad · Nov 21, 2017

New props arrived from Amazon, not tried them as yet, but looking forward to some quieter flights,
No more hedge trimmer sounds hopefully [emoji38]

Hotelone · Nov 21, 2017

GlenJ said:
Further my earlier post, I was surprised to receive another set of 8331 props today - I'd forgotten I'd ordered them a couple of weeks ago - and serendipitously arrive in the middle of these discussions.

I've put them on the MP and tried them out.
There's was still some vibration to start with, and the camera and gimbal mount were visibly vibrating, and the Go 4 app was reporting 'Abnormal gimbal vibration', etc.
However the vibes did seem to quieten down and go away after a couple of minutes of running.

After flying the MP around for ~10 minutes, and reinspecting, the vibration didn't appear to be occurring.

Now, these latest units came in a 'proper', white DJI box, whereas the first set just came in a simple zip-lock bag with a white sticker on it.
The attached pics show the respective packaging.
Both sets came from eBay stores.
View attachment 25278 View attachment 25279

I'll call the prop sets 'P1' (came in zip-lock bag) and 'P2' (came in white DJI box).

However, I've noticed something interesting: If you hold up the prop blades and look along the length of the trailing edges, I've found two blades in the P1-set with 'kinks' in them, whereas the trailing edges of the remainder look very straight.

Now, inspecting the trailing edges of the P2-set in the same way, showed most of them were very straight, but 1 had a slight 'kink' in it as well.

The P2 set strike me as a genuine DJI component, whereas P1 could be a Dodgy Bros set (just based on the packaging they each arrived in).

So the messages that comes out of this thus far seem to be:
1. Distortions in blades could be a likely source of vibrations
2. The more the distortion, the worse the vibration
3. It appears that even genuine DJI blades can demonstrate some distortion

BTW, after the close examinations made of the 8331 sets, I've also looked at the original 8330 props in the same way, and suddenly feel a great deal of respect for their construction compared to the 8331 units.
They're stiffer, and trailing edges are straight as gun-barrels.

Overall, I can't say I'm all that enamoured with the 8331's...!