Micro USB pins bent - RC1B DJI Mavic Pro 2 Controller

MyNewScreenName · Nov 15, 2022

I hope this is the right category for this post. I live in Sydney Australia and have a RC1B Mavic Pro 2 drone that's a few years old. Rookie error but I put the charging cable into the micro USB port of the controller the wrong direction and now bent the pins and now can't get contact to charge it or reconnect the cable

I see this is apparently a quite common issue.

I'm on holidays tomorrow so was frantically trying to figure out how to fix it and wondered if anyone has any advice? A new controller is about $400 - I seem to be able to buy the one part like this - does anyone know the actual part number (if it has one) - seems to be about $70-100 from a drone shop or $10-20 on ebay/aliexpress style sites (generic) - has anyone done a replacement of this and is it super difficult? I used to solar basic PCB hobby kits 30 years ago as a kid so guess I can give it a crack if I'm not likely to majorly destroy and make this matter worse:

There's a USB port at the bottom of the controller, can that be used in the meantime by a standard lightning cable so I can still fly the drone? The remote only has 50% charge left

On another note, same day I launched the drone about 50cm from a solid large brick wall, from my balcony, that is about 10m high... rookie error because straight away it stopped responding saying obstacle avoidance and then would not allow me to control it and move; then it randomly moved itself and hit a palm tree and got tangled up in it - is there a way next time to avoid this (aside from not launching in stupid spaces) - to override when this happens and take control?? Thanks all and happy flying!

SkyeHigh · Nov 15, 2022

dammit said:
I hope this is the right category for this post. I live in Sydney Australia and have a RC1B Mavic Pro 2 drone that's a few years old. Rookie error but I put the charging cable into the micro USB port of the controller the wrong direction and now bent the pins and now can't get contact to charge it or reconnect the cable

I see this is apparently a quite common issue.

I'm on holidays tomorrow so was frantically trying to figure out how to fix it and wondered if anyone has any advice? A new controller is about $400 - I seem to be able to buy the one part like this - does anyone know the actual part number (if it has one) - seems to be about $70-100 from a drone shop or $10-20 on ebay/aliexpress style sites (generic) - has anyone done a replacement of this and is it super difficult? I used to solar basic PCB hobby kits 30 years ago as a kid so guess I can give it a crack if I'm not likely to majorly destroy and make this matter worse:
View attachment 157205

There's a USB port at the bottom of the controller, can that be used in the meantime by a standard lightning cable so I can still fly the drone? The remote only has 50% charge left

View attachment 157206

View attachment 157207

On another note, same day I launched the drone about 50cm from a solid large brick wall, from my balcony, that is about 10m high... rookie error because straight away it stopped responding saying obstacle avoidance and then would not allow me to control it and move; then it randomly moved itself and hit a palm tree and got tangled up in it - is there a way next time to avoid this (aside from not launching in stupid spaces) - to override when this happens and take control?? Thanks all and happy flying!

You can use the standard USB port in the base of the controller but you won’t be able to fit a phone between the grips unfortunately unless you can get hold of a right angled USB connector.

SkyeHigh · Nov 15, 2022

MyNewScreenName said:
I hope this is the right category for this post. I live in Sydney Australia and have a RC1B Mavic Pro 2 drone that's a few years old. Rookie error but I put the charging cable into the micro USB port of the controller the wrong direction and now bent the pins and now can't get contact to charge it or reconnect the cable

I see this is apparently a quite common issue.

I'm on holidays tomorrow so was frantically trying to figure out how to fix it and wondered if anyone has any advice? A new controller is about $400 - I seem to be able to buy the one part like this - does anyone know the actual part number (if it has one) - seems to be about $70-100 from a drone shop or $10-20 on ebay/aliexpress style sites (generic) - has anyone done a replacement of this and is it super difficult? I used to solar basic PCB hobby kits 30 years ago as a kid so guess I can give it a crack if I'm not likely to majorly destroy and make this matter worse:
View attachment 157205

There's a USB port at the bottom of the controller, can that be used in the meantime by a standard lightning cable so I can still fly the drone? The remote only has 50% charge left

View attachment 157206

View attachment 157207

On another note, same day I launched the drone about 50cm from a solid large brick wall, from my balcony, that is about 10m high... rookie error because straight away it stopped responding saying obstacle avoidance and then would not allow me to control it and move; then it randomly moved itself and hit a palm tree and got tangled up in it - is there a way next time to avoid this (aside from not launching in stupid spaces) - to override when this happens and take control?? Thanks all and happy flying!

Best suggestion is do not launch from a balcony. Most balconies will contain steel of some form either as rebar in concrete or metal supports. All have been known to cause compass errors resulting in a mismatch between what the IMU has been initialised with and a changing magnetic field affecting the compass. The result is an ‘apparent random’ flight over which you may have little or no control.

If you post you flight logs there are several forum members who could tell you exactly what happened.

Yorkshire_Pud · Nov 15, 2022

Switch OA off when launching AND landing, it's a liability at those times, you can use the OA icon at the top of the phone's screen as a short cut to the OA switch.

Uum I am not sure what SkyeHigh is referring to when they say "but you won’t be able to fit a phone between the grips unfortunately unless you can g..." but I have had a phone, in the grips of an M2P/Z controller, that was connected to the bottom port via a normal straight connectors USB cable, Android micro-USB phone. Maybe my cables have 'slimline' connectors but I encountered no problems with the cables I used.

With regards to the micro USB board in the controller I have not dismantled a Mavic 2 controller but I have dismantled a dummy controller for the earlier Mavic, I'd guess they are similar, and it wasn't that difficult. Just check any Mavic 2 controller teardown videos you can find on the web. BUT a word of caution, if you go for a replacement board BE CERTAIN it is for a Mavic 2, I would guess there may be differences between the 'same' board for other models of drone. Also I DO NOT know if there is a difference between the micro USB boards of the RC1A and the RC1B. I would be slightly surprised if there were but.......

The above said if you are going on holiday with your other half they may get a bit cheesed off if you are spending a day fixing a controller. I suspect it would take a good few hours to open, dismantle and repair your 'first controller' with the first time care that you will probably have. If that is a consideration then a new or second hand controller right be better/safer.

If you end up going for a new or second controller try to get an RC1A rather than an RC1B. The A will create DAT logs on your phone, the B does not. I like to have DAT logs lol but that may not be important to you. I know of no other difference between the two models of controller but my knowledge is limited.

Starz · Nov 16, 2022

MyNewScreenName said:
has anyone done a replacement

I have. The controller is a bit tricky to disassemble, but is doable.
Used controllers are available via eBay. A models and B models both work but the B model will not provide .Dat files. The part needed is the one you pictured but make sure it’s not the one for the Mavic Pro which is a GL200A controller.
This video will help.

retiredNH · Nov 16, 2022

I feel your pain. I'm fearing the day I try to push a usb c connector too hard into a micro usb, or vice versa. They do look so much alike on first glance...and for me, micro usb connectors never to in easily either.

dennish · Nov 16, 2022

Yorkshire_Pud said:
Switch OA off when launching AND landing, it's a liability at those times, you can use the OA icon at the top of the phone's screen as a short cut to the OA switch.

Uum I am not sure what SkyeHigh is referring to when they say "but you won’t be able to fit a phone between the grips unfortunately unless you can g..." but I have had a phone in the grips connected to the bottom port via a normal straight connector USB cable, Android micro USB phone. Maybe my cables have 'slimline' connectors but I encountered no problems with the cables I used.

With regards to the micro USB board in the controller I have not dismantled a Mavic 2 controller but I have dismantled a dummy controller for the earlier Mavic, I'd guess they are similar, and it wasn't that difficult. Just check any Mavic 2 controller teardown videos you can find on the web. BUT a word of caution, if you go for a replacement board BE CERTAIN it is for a Mavic 2, I would guess there may be differences between the 'same' board for other models of drone. Also I DO NOT know if there is a difference between the micro USB boards of the RC1A and the RC1B. I would be slightly surprised if there were but.......

The above said if you are going on holiday with your other half they may get a bit cheesed off if you are spending a day fixing a controller. I suspect it would take a good few hours to open, dismantle and repair your 'first controller' with the first time care that you will probably have. If that is a consideration then a new or second hand controller right be better/safer.

If you end up going for a new or second controller try to get an RC1A rather than an RC1B. The A will create DAT logs on your phone, the B does not. I like to have DAT logs lol but that may not be important to you. I know of no other difference between the two models of controller but my knowledge is limited.

I too have had a phone in the MP2 remote control with a normal USB connector in the base.

Michael Ainsworth · Nov 16, 2022

Put some white paint on top of the next connector so you know on future which way up it goes.

GadgetGuy · Nov 16, 2022

Michael Ainsworth said:
Put some white paint on top of the next connector so you know on future which way up it goes.

Been doing that for a while now on several devices that have trapezoidal connectors. Saves the day and the connectors! Can't fit a square peg into a round hole! LOL!