Mavic 2 fragile Micro USB side port

[ff22]

question, I ordered the magnetic cables Thunderdrones posted on the first page of this thread and saw to connect my phone to the bottom usb plug but my phone wont connect.
I've read several posts but I didn't find my answer I was looking for.
can the bottom usb be used to connect my phone and fly my m2p?
I'll read this thread again when I wake up.... ( work nights and I'm trying to go to sleep but this darn hobby is keeping me up! )

Yes, now I only use the bottom port and save the side port solely for charging. One proviso - you need to unplug a cable from the side port or the bottom port may not connect to a device. BUT you can connect a power bank to the side port and still use the bottom port. AND you can leave one of the small magnetic thingies plugged into the side port and still use the bottom port.

Oh, one other thing, I believe you can only update the controller using a computer by using the side port.

 

[lalojamesliz]

Yes thats what I always use. I dont use the magnetic cables for data though. Only the reversible ones.

reversible ones?.... I need to go through the thread

 

[Former Member]

reversible ones?.... I need to go through the thread

Here are the ones I use. Love em. They are braided and look expensive, but are cheap!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EV1LEIA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[DanMan32]

Yes, now I only use the bottom port and save the side port solely for charging. One proviso - you need to unplug a cable from the side port or the bottom port may not connect to a device. BUT you can connect a power bank to the side port and still use the bottom port. AND you can leave one of the small magnetic thingies plugged into the side port and still use the bottom port.

Oh, one other thing, I believe you can only update the controller using a computer by using the side port.

Correct. The bottom port is type A, so is your PC. Type A can only talk to type B. The side port is predominantly port A, but can also operate as type B with correct cable connection.

 

[Atong]

This was a great thread , solved my problem, thanks to all.

same here

 

[CareyL]

I also fly with the USB A port. I was thinking about getting a micro-micro 90 elbow and just leaving it in. But I am also worried that leaving it in may cause some stress on it. Is most of the stress due to insertions and the fact that the ridiculous shape makes it a PIA?

I've attached what I'm using for the Mini but a variation on the theme also works for my pro. The side port is only used for charging.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Initially, I thought that the 'NetDot' magnetic miro-USB was the answer to all this ... However, I found that the more you use the cable, the more the small metal adapter piece on the end becomes magnetised. I had of course (as recommended in this thread), simply left the small tip connected to the side port of the RC controller, and snapped the body of the cable to it when charging. The connection from the controller to my phone is done using a USB-A/USB-C cable from the bottom port. This wasn't a problem until I noticed that my Mavic wouldn't maintain altitude in the hover (it slowly descended). When I removed the NetDot tip from the side of the controller, all was OK ...
My conclusion was that the magnetised tip was influencing the control stick sensor circuitry in the controller. The sticks use 'Hall Effect' sensors, that turn small changes in a magnetic field into control inputs.
I have now switched to using a reversible micro-USB cable for charging the controller ... No more control issues, and it's a simple connection for charging.

 

[Bramavic2]

Initially, I thought that the 'NetDot' magnetic miro-USB was the answer to all this ... However, I found that the more you use the cable, the more the small metal adapter piece on the end becomes magnetised. I had of course (as recommended in this thread), simply left the small tip connected to the side port of the RC controller, and snapped the body of the cable to it when charging. The connection from the controller to my phone is done using a USB-A/USB-C cable from the bottom port. This wasn't a problem until I noticed that my Mavic wouldn't maintain altitude in the hover (it slowly descended). When I removed the NetDot tip from the side of the controller, all was OK ...
My conclusion was that the magnetised tip was influencing the control stick sensor circuitry in the controller. The sticks use 'Hall Effect' sensors, that turn small changes in a magnetic field into control inputs.
I have now switched to using a reversible micro-USB cable for charging the controller ... No more control issues, and it's a simple connection for charging.

Would you try putting the magnetized tip back in to confirm it is indeed affecting the controls? Someone here said he tested with much more powerful magnets with no effect.

That confirmation would be important as so many here are thinking about this as a solution.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Would you try putting the magnetized tip back in to confirm it is indeed affecting the controls? Someone here said he tested with much more powerful magnets with no effect.
That confirmation would be important as so many here are thinking about this as a solution.

I don't know if I've still got the NetDot tips to do that testing sorry ... If it's any help, I noticed this happening when I was doing flight duration hover tests with different prop types (carbon fibre, DJI 8331, Master Airscrew). I noticed that the hover wasn't steady and my Mavic was just slowly descending. This wasn't due to the prop's, as it happened the same in each test. However, when I removed the NetDot tip from the side port of the controller, the hover altitude was steady.
I had also been getting stick-error messages on the controller when I took the Mavic flying, and those had been getting more difficult to clear (required some waggling of the sticks before it returned to normal). Again - I've not had a stick error since removing the NetDot tip from the controller side port.
My interpretation of all this was that initially, the NetDot tips are just metal and are non-magnetic [?I may be wrong?]. The cable relies on the magnet in the cable-end to 'stick' to the tip. However, the more you use them, the more magnetic the tips themselves seem to become. You can take a well-used tip and it will latch onto a piece of steel with some force! That means that if you leave a micro-USB tip permanently attached to the controller side port - it seems to become more of a magnetic influence with time ... This is not an issue that appeared as soon as I started to use the NeDot cables - it did take several months for the stick errors to occur ... But the problems I observed have completely disappeared now that I use the reversible micro-USB as a controller charging cable.
I love the NetDot cable for connecting my phone for desk and car charging - but they now aren't allowed near the Mavic!

 

[ruggb]

Just a heads up to those of you who use the side port of the controller to both charge and fly your drone. I would try to limit your use of the side port as much as possible for a few reasons.

1. The side Micro USB port is fragile, as it was on the Mavic Pro
2. Replacing the board that contains the port means a trip back to DJI for either a warranty repair or out of pocket repair by yours truly.
3. There are NO parts available for the M2 controller yet, so repairs will be costly.
4. If your drone is just a few weeks old and the port has already broken, it should be covered under a warranty repair, not a Refresh.

I ALWAYS use the bottom USB 2.0 port to fly my drone. To charge the controller, I keep a detachable cable in the side port so it never is under any pressure. You can buy a magnetic detachable cable or at the very least, a reversible micro USB cable.

FYI: that is NOT a MicroB port, it is a MicroAB port = which I find ridiculous for DJI to use. I have never seen one anywhere else. As such it will accept either a MicroA (which the supplied cable has) or a MicroB plug. The problem is there is no keying and it is easy to insert the MicroB plug upside down. In which case, DJI will make more money replacing the broken socket with another MicroAB.
The USB symbol on the plug and the seam of the plug must be facing up (assuming the screen is also facing up).

 

[FoxhallGH]

FYI: that is NOT a MicroB port, it is a MicroAB port = which I find ridiculous for DJI to use. I have never seen one anywhere else.

Just to explain the 'logic' of this ... The USB cable standard has an 'A' end and 'B' end. The 'A' end connectors are the source of the data, and the 'B' end connectors plug into the device that is a 'client' and receiving the data/charge. DJI follow this standard in using a micro-A type USB connector socket on the side of the RC controller. The RC controller is a data source, and therefore uses a data source USB standard. However - the port is also used for charging - which is where the problem starts! ...
Some folks leave the DJI supplied micro-USB cable plugged into the controller, and just use an adapter on the 'device' end of that short cable, to then connect a 'standard' USB cable to it to facilitate charging. I'm not sure if this was the original way that DJI Engineers envisaged this working???
Most owners, however, have found the short DJI supplied device cables to be un-reliable and have used USB2.0 cables from the port in the base of the controller. The interesting thing about doing that is that the base-cable will not connect the controller to a mobile device - if the side-port micro-A socket still has the DJI cable plugged into it. In other words, there is some sort of loop-back wiring in the socket that detects the fact that it is in use.
So - in summary - based on the 'primary' use of the socket, DJI's use of a micro-A standard is correct.

 

[ruggb]

Thanks, I didn't know that. I am all for following standards, but this one definitely creates problems in use.
You would be hard pressed to find a replacement cable with a micro A plug, even the ones listed as DJI on AliExpress are not A plugs.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Thanks, I didn't know that. I am all for following standards, but this one definitely creates problems in use.
You would be hard pressed to find a replacement cable with a micro A plug, even the ones listed as DJI on AliExpress are not A plugs.

Too true ... I have looked and it is almost impossible to find a Charging cable that has a USB2.0 type on one end, and the micro-A on the other. I've done the usual with marking the controller and cable, then tried NetDot magnetic tipped cables where I just left the micro-B tip attached to the controller port - and finally settled on using a Reversible micro-B type charging cable. That works best for me, as I'm paranoid about breaking that micro-A connector ...

 

[ff22]

Too true ... I have looked and it is almost impossible to find a Charging cable that has a USB2.0 type on one end, and the micro-A on the other. I've done the usual with marking the controller and cable, then tried NetDot magnetic tipped cables where I just left the micro-B tip attached to the controller port - and finally settled on using a Reversible micro-B type charging cable. That works best for me, as I'm paranoid about breaking that micro-A connector ...

Or inflate DJI's income and buy the Smart Controller which uses the reversible micro-c type connector.

 

[Thomas B]

I find that looking into the micro connector end on both devices before plugging in, to determine correct orientation prevents problems. Simple. I have the cable end naked as to the up side.