M2P Broken middle frame. Easy to replace?

[LuSiD]

Hi

I think my daughter stood on the drones camera bag case, broke the middle frame near the arm pivot. Plenty of replacements for sale from $80 to $150, some claiming genuine, some not.

About to buy a replacement, wondering if anyone has attempted the replacement…. was it hard, any instructions available, aftermarket frames ok or inferior?

Or just buy it, dove in and see how it goes?

 

[Cafguy]

GET an OEM FRAME!!! whether its "hard" Depends on exactly what needs to be replaced and your experience with putting stuff together.....
Can you solder?
P.S. don't just "JB Weld" the crack thats pretty "iffy" at best.

 

[LuSiD]

Hi

I think my daughter stood on the drones camera bag case, broke the middle frame near the arm pivot. Plenty of replacements for sale from $80 to $150, some claiming genuine, some not.

About to buy a replacement, wondering if anyone has attempted the replacement…. was it hard, any instructions available, aftermarket frames ok or inferior?

Or just buy it, dove in and see how it goes?

I spose I might add, I’m in Australia and happy to pay to repair. I just watched some YouTube’s…. Looked like soldering involved !?!? Bugger

 

[Cafguy]

Yes But nothing crazy. Soldering isnt hard Most people cant cause they are doing it Wrong. But once done correctly its a snap!
HINT 1..Soldering irons are NOT made to melt solder!!!!
Using a YouTube Video I will bet you could put it together with little fuss.

 

[Felix le Chat]

With the birds I've had apart - the soldering is pretty straightforward... All the wires are colour coded and the pads you solder them to on the boards are clearly marked with letter codes: B: black... W: white, etc. if in doubt - use your phone camera and take a reference still of the electronic gubbins with the lid off and the main board out before you strip the arms out.

 

[Calicassy]

I have replaced many.its not hard but you have to solder 6 wires per arm that's the hardest part. There are videos about arm replacement that will show you at least how to open drone.take your time and take pics before you start step by step. Good luck

 

[LuSiD]

GET an OEM FRAME!!! whether its "hard" Depends on exactly what needs to be replaced and your experience with putting stuff together.....
Can you solder?
P.S. don't just "JB Weld" the crack thats pretty "iffy" at best.

I had to google JB weld hahaha no way - thats obvious at a glance that its not trustable.

do I just trust that the frame is OEM if its priced around the $150 aud mark? They all seem to come out of China.

I have been shown how to solder by a sparky, I have a butane gas soldering iron with a pretty fine tip. I have a stand with magnifying glass and alligator clip arms (not relevant here I guess). But I havent done much soldering. Maybe ill get an old board and practice on pulling and reattaching wires....

Just a week ago I replaced my own iphone 12 pro screen so im feeling kinda boisterous confident, enough to give it a go. Havent found a video that steps the whole way through, but it does look like a full strip down to replace the middle frame.

 

[LuSiD]

Yes But nothing crazy. Soldering isnt hard Most people cant cause they are doing it Wrong. But once done correctly its a snap!
HINT 1..Soldering irons are NOT made to melt solder!!!!
Using a YouTube Video I will bet you could put it together with little fuss.

that hint's like wtf.... soldering iron gets hot, melts solder. But then I'm thinking you must mean that you use the iron to heat the wires to be soldered so they melt the solder and bond with it. As in you dont drop hot solder onto cold wires and expect the join to last and not crack. So I gather in this case you heat the wires first then quickly push them onto the board with the iron to form the joint. My concern would be overheating the board.

 

[Cafguy]

Soldering iron gets hot...You place hot Soldering iron on PAD to heat it, Once PAD is heated Place solder on PAD and let it melt' you need to be heating the PAD before applying solder. To help speed this process you "TIN" the iron by melting a little solder on the tip before placing it on the PAD. PAD or wire either one you need to heat what you are soldering not just the solder.
Hot metal will resist cooler temps and therefor, Trying to apply melted solder from the tip of an iron to a cold surface will not only be difficult it will also give you a week joint because the solder resisted the colder surface. Melting some solder on the tip and then "mashing it down" on the board and wire will work sometimes but it wont last and it certainly not ideal.
Doing it my way does risk burning and lifting a pad BUT the solution to this is simple, Use an iron with a temp setting, set it to 350 U.S. and keep it there until you get better.
NEVER touch your Drone with a "Hardware store" Iron. and always use FLUX!! Make sure you are always using No clean flux and 63/37 solder.
To de-solder always use Braid not those plunger looking thingys.
the best soldering iron you can get:
The SEQURE SQ-001 Mini Electronic Soldering Iron

 

[LuSiD]

Thank You!!!!!!!