POLL: Have you powered on your Mavic with the gimbal lock attached?

[Former Member]

OK-maybe there's some help out there. Huge number of posts on such issues.

Yes plenty of help here.

 

[jgn]

OK-maybe there's some help out there. Huge number of posts on such issues.

Im going to start a new topic for you:

Gimbal problem with MPP

Posted by member @jgn I left the gimble lock in place last weekend when trying several times to update firmware in my Mavic Pro Platinum. It was powered up and connected to my PC with a usb cable. After the firmware upgrade when I flew it, I had no mechanical control over the camera movement...

mavicpilots.com

Im going to start a new topic for you:

Gimbal problem with MPP

Posted by member @jgn I left the gimble lock in place last weekend when trying several times to update firmware in my Mavic Pro Platinum. It was powered up and connected to my PC with a usb cable. After the firmware upgrade when I flew it, I had no mechanical control over the camera movement...

mavicpilots.com

 

[jgn]

That tread seems to have dissappeared in the "New Threads" window?

 

[Former Member]

That tread seems to have dissappeared in the "New Threads" window?

Yes Im not sure how that happened.

So where do you stand now? Gimbal failing, possibly because you left the gimbal lock on during firmware update.

 

[jgn]

Yes Im not sure how that happened.

So where do you stand now? Gimbal failing, possibly because you left the gimbal lock on during firmware update.

Yes, I could see how the gimbal collar lock could cause gimbal issues, but I what about the camera issues I mentioned? (If the new thread doesn't show up in awhile, I'll start a new one later.)

 

[Former Member]

So here are the issues from what you said.

After the firmware upgrade when I flew it, I had no mechanical control over the camera movement or settings in the go4 app. The camera worked, but moved on it's own and was out of focus. Still trying to sort out this issue.

calibration for the gimbal doesn't do anything-nothing happens. Also, I can't adjust rotation on the gimbal or control gimbal with the controller dial.

I see the screen giving me gimbal related options, then pick "Gimbal Auto Calibration" , reply OK to the "Tips" box, after which the Gimbal Settings screen disappears and all I see is the camera screen.

there's no movement of the gimbal after the auto calibrate option is chosen.

Did you smell anything burning when you were updating the FW and had the gimbal lock on?

 

[jgn]

So here are the issues from what you said.

After the firmware upgrade when I flew it, I had no mechanical control over the camera movement or settings in the go4 app. The camera worked, but moved on it's own and was out of focus. Still trying to sort out this issue.

calibration for the gimbal doesn't do anything-nothing happens. Also, I can't adjust rotation on the gimbal or control gimbal with the controller dial.

I see the screen giving me gimbal related options, then pick "Gimbal Auto Calibration" , reply OK to the "Tips" box, after which the Gimbal Settings screen disappears and all I see is the camera screen.

there's no movement of the gimbal after the auto calibrate option is chosen.

Did you smell anything burning when you were updating the FW and had the gimbal lock on?

All correct. Didn't notice anything like burning or smoke when I was updating (the MPP was on a total of couple hours while updating, as I had lots of problems getting the update done).

As I noted earlier, the gimbal will maintain camera direction when I move the drone and does appear to go through an initialization movement when I power on the drone, so it's not at all dead.

 

[Former Member]

All correct. Didn't notice anything like burning or smoke when I was updating (the MPP was on a total of couple hours while updating, as I had lots of problems getting the update done).

As I noted earlier, the gimbal will maintain camera direction when I move the drone and does appear to go through an initialization movement when I power on the drone, so it's not at all dead.

So, youre not able to control the gimbal, but the gimbal goes through initial calibration. The gimbal will maitin position. You are getting video feed but it is out of focus.

All in all, you think you might have left the gimbal lock on for a couple of hours. After that, the gimbal has been misbehaving?

 

[jgn]

Yes the lock was on for a couple of hours, as I had a lot of problems with the update process for RC and MPP. But why would the lock affect the camera issues?

 

[Former Member]

Yes the lock was on for a couple of hours, as I had a lot of problems with the update process for RC and MPP. But why would the lock affect the camera issues?

It restrains the motors, which causes the motors to overheat, and not be able to accept the electrical current. The current is forced back upstream, and thats what shorts your gimbal or core board out.

The following is a more detailed explanation of what happens.

Leaving the gimbal lock on for a long time causes the gimbal motors to be restrained. When the gimbal motors are restrained for too long, the motors will overheat as well as send excess electrical current back upstream to the components where the electric current originated from. This will cause anything upstream of the gimbal motors to get hot, short out, and if you are lucky, one of them will fail. I always hope that tyhe part that fails is an inexpensive part, which sometimes it is. If you are unlucky, the reverse current travels back up, past the gimbal PCB, and into your battery bar, or other path of least resistance. The least resistance wont be the source of the current, but a less resistant path, in this case maybe the core board.

On the gimbal PCB, you have 5 connectors. 2 go to your obstacle avoidance. Those are powered by the gimbal PCB, but they never take the overflow current from the gimbal. The other 3 connectors are your grey/black power lead that comes from the battery bar to the PCB. The excess current overflow from the gimbal never travels back there. It will travel to your core board through the connector, overheat and overburden its electrical system, and fry it. Thats one of the burning smells you can detect. The other burning smell will be coming from your gimbal motors.

 

[jgn]

It restrains the motors, which causes the motors to overheat, and not be able to accept the electrical current. The current is forced back upstream, and thats what shorts your gimbal or core board out.

The following is a more detailed explanation of what happens.

Leaving the gimbal lock on for a long time causes the gimbal motors to be restrained. When the gimbal motors are restrained for too long, the motors will overheat as well as send excess electrical current back upstream to the components where the electric current originated from. This will cause anything upstream of the gimbal motors to get hot, short out, and if you are lucky, one of them will fail. I always hope that tyhe part that fails is an inexpensive part, which sometimes it is. If you are unlucky, the reverse current travels back up, past the gimbal PCB, and into your battery bar, or other path of least resistance. The least resistance wont be the source of the current, but a less resistant path, in this case maybe the core board.

On the gimbal PCB, you have 5 connectors. 2 go to your obstacle avoidance. Those are powered by the gimbal PCB, but they never take the overflow current from the gimbal. The other 3 connectors are your grey/black power lead that comes from the battery bar to the PCB. The excess current overflow from the gimbal never travels back there. It will travel to your core board through the connector, overheat and overburden its electrical system, and fry it. Thats one of the burning smells you can detect. The other burning smell will be coming from your gimbal motors.

I don't deny the collar lock could have cause problems, although i'm not sure I'm onboard with the explanation you provided for problems. Anyway, bottom line is that I have DJI refresh, so I've submitted my case to technical support. At least I'll come out of this with a workng MPP, at a reasonable cost.

 

[Former Member]

I don't deny the collar lock could have cause problems, although i'm not sure I'm onboard with the explanation you provided for problems. Anyway, bottom line is that I have DJI refresh, so I've submitted my case to technical support. At least I'll come out of this with a workng MPP, at a reasonable cost.

I have explained what could have happened to your gimbal since you left the gimbal lock on it for 2 hours with the power on.

Without having your drone here, and no video to go by, thats the best advice I can give you. Either your gimbal got damaged, or it might be nothing, just something you are doing wrong.

 

[Airborne24]

Did it once,got so freaked out that I put a label on the front of the drone that says remove clip before starting.

 

[izakoliver]

I do it a lot hehe... So eager to fly [emoji14]

 

[Trollistika]

It's happened to me 3 times already. :/ nothing bad has happened. Drone is 1 week old too.glad this topic is talked abouy. I didnt get bothered the first time.... but when reading about it... freaked out since its new. then it happened 2 more times. gezz

 

[Chappy]

It’s happened to a couple of times,the second time I took off and flew around a few minutes and brought it back in as the camera wouldn’t tilt on command.
Fortunately no damage to the gimbal,many expletives was uttered over that and I changed my approach to setting up.
Mavic Pro has afew more flights since then and not a problem.

 

[Trollistika]

Can you freaking believe it?! I just did it again! Wanted to fly inside my living room since it's dark and the first thing I forget is to remove it again. I think I'm going to put a giant feather on it or something to givee a reminder. Man... It's the 4th time. :\

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Can you freaking believe it?! I just did it again!
I think I'm going to put a giant feather on it or something to givee a reminder.

Rescue tape, loads of different colours available, just happened to have the pink around.
Definitely don’t forget it’s there.

 

[jgn]

I don't deny the collar lock could have cause problems, although i'm not sure I'm onboard with the explanation you provided for problems. Anyway, bottom line is that I have DJI refresh, so I've submitted my case to technical support. At least I'll come out of this with a workng MPP, at a reasonable cost.

DJI service concluded that I needed a new "gimbal and camera module", and a "gimbal axis arm module". So think we can conclude that if you leave the collar lock on too long you can definitely damage the gimbal assembly. Repair price was quoted as $225, but my DJI refresh made it much cheaper.

 

[jgn]

I have explained what could have happened to your gimbal since you left the gimbal lock on it for 2 hours with the power on.

Without having your drone here, and no video to go by, thats the best advice I can give you. Either your gimbal got damaged, or it might be nothing, just something you are doing wrong.

I think I've finally gotten to the bottom of this issue. Last week my camera/gimbal begin showing the exact same symptoms that I posted here in April. Yet this time I had always been careful to take the collar off. I was about to give up on the matter and go through a drone repair yet again, but stumbled on this thread:

Gimbal Disconnected?! - SOLVED?

I have had fewer than 20 flights on my Mavic and now when I connect to it with the DJI Go App, the Gimbal Status says "Gimbal Disconnected". I have a (blurry) image and the gimbal appears to be powered, but it isn't responding to any commands. I can't focus it, and i can't adjust the tilt or...

forum.dji.com

Gimbal Disconnected?! - SOLVED?

This is a weird and serious Mavic bug. The bug is that if you make "certain" changes to an SD card and reinsert in the Mavic Pro, this will cause the gimbal system to become "disconnected"! I my recent case I had deleted files from the SD card to free up space. Note that this SD card had worked fine in the drone before.

If you read the thread above, others have had this same problem, so it is real, e.g., not just associated with my specific SD card. Thus, I'm sure I had done something similar earlier, when I started this thread. The bug is so obscure, no one at DJI technical support was aware of it.

One conclusion is that it is likely that leaving the gimbal collar on does not cause a problem-at least I have yet to see a report that it does.