Side-to-side wobble at high speed in sport mode

[adammhaile]

I just got my MA2 yesterday, my first drone ever. So maybe I'm just unaware of something here... But I took it out to a nice big field today with lots of space and tried out sport mode. Forward stick full to the wall and got it going at a good clip. But up around ~35mph (I think, I'm still getting used to paying attention to all the data on the screen) I see the drone start wobbling side to side pretty quickly. The weird thing is I only noticed because of the sound the first time - I was looking at the live feed and you couldn't see anything amiss, but I could hear it. Looked up and saw it wobbling. It didn't really seem like it was about to lose control or anything and as soon as I slowed down it stopped. I also tried full speed in Normal and Tripod mode and the wobble never occurred.

Unfortunately I couldn't get video of it or anything as only thing I had to shoot video was the phone being used to control it. And the recorded video from the drone is quite stable.
So - is this is something that is normal? I was a tiny bit windy - maybe gusts of 10mph.

 

[Repaid1]

I just got my MA2 yesterday, my first drone ever. So maybe I'm just unaware of something here... But I took it out to a nice big field today with lots of space and tried out sport mode. Forward stick full to the wall and got it going at a good clip. But up around ~35mph (I think, I'm still getting used to paying attention to all the data on the screen) I see the drone start wobbling side to side pretty quickly. The weird thing is I only noticed because of the sound the first time - I was looking at the live feed and you couldn't see anything amiss, but I could hear it. Looked up and saw it wobbling. It didn't really seem like it was about to lose control or anything and as soon as I slowed down it stopped. I also tried full speed in Normal and Tripod mode and the wobble never occurred.

Unfortunately I couldn't get video of it or anything as only thing I had to shoot video was the phone being used to control it. And the recorded video from the drone is quite stable.
So - is this is something that is normal? I was a tiny bit windy - maybe gusts of 10mph.

Well first let me say I would never buy a used car from you..day old and you went pedal to the metal??? LOL..Anyway wobble isn't normal..it should scream forward like a speed skater on ice. I'm not sure if any wind other than a sideways wind shear would cause what you describe... Keep your eye on it in future flights it may be a bad unit. You really should give your batteries a break in as well before pulling that kind of current through them, let alone some flight time and shake down before going full bar like that. But it's your dime

 

[Dobmatt]

I just got my MA2 yesterday, my first drone ever. So maybe I'm just unaware of something here... But I took it out to a nice big field today with lots of space and tried out sport mode. Forward stick full to the wall and got it going at a good clip. But up around ~35mph (I think, I'm still getting used to paying attention to all the data on the screen) I see the drone start wobbling side to side pretty quickly. The weird thing is I only noticed because of the sound the first time - I was looking at the live feed and you couldn't see anything amiss, but I could hear it. Looked up and saw it wobbling. It didn't really seem like it was about to lose control or anything and as soon as I slowed down it stopped. I also tried full speed in Normal and Tripod mode and the wobble never occurred.

Unfortunately I couldn't get video of it or anything as only thing I had to shoot video was the phone being used to control it. And the recorded video from the drone is quite stable.
So - is this is something that is normal? I was a tiny bit windy - maybe gusts of 10mph.

You're first to report a Sport Mode wobble of MA2 at full throttle. Definitely not normal or typical behaviour. Try again to see if you can replicate this symptom, recording a video to SD card. Contact DJI Support to discuss the issue, eventually providing them with flight data.

 

[adammhaile]

Well first let me say I would never buy a used car from you..day old and you went pedal to the metal??? LOL..Anyway wobble isn't normal..it should scream forward like a speed skater on ice. I'm not sure if any wind other than a sideways wind shear would cause what you describe... Keep your eye on it in future flights it may be a bad unit. You really should give your batteries a break in as well before pulling that kind of current through them, let alone some flight time and shake down before going full bar like that. But it's your dime

haha - I've been flying it almost constantly since I got it. Got it early yesterday and I've got probably 5-6 flight hours on it.
I did not know about breaking in the batteries - but I just figured it's designed to meet the specs given. And it was a wide open flat field with nothing to hit

You're first to report a Sport Mode wobble of MA2 at full throttle. Definitely not normal or typical behaviour. Try again to see if you can replicate this symptom, recording a video to SD card. Contact DJI Support to discuss the issue, eventually providing them with flight data.

Hmmm - just had the thought that I could put it in FPV mode so that the gimbal doesn't stabilize the feed and then could record it's POV better if it happens again. I'll keep an eye on it.

Might be a day or two until I can test it again - at least comfortably. The field I was doing this at isn't super close.

Thanks!

 

[boblui]

If you can upload the flight log file in the phone to DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help , may be some insight into what has happened can be obtained. The bottom of the page has instruction on how to do it.

 

[adammhaile]

If you can upload the flight log file in the phone to DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help , may be some insight into what has happened can be obtained. The bottom of the page has instruction on how to do it.

Oh, that's a cool tool. I'll see if I can figure out which flight it was - I took off and landed a bunch. Will dig through and find the one. Or at least test again soon and mark down the time when it happened.

 

[vindibona1]

It sounds like you're having fun. Good for you.

Sometimes these things can show minor erratic behavior. If it persists do contact DJI. I had some minor issues this last week with a new Mini 2. DJI support was quite responsive. Unfortunately, with their direct supervision my Mini 2 failed to be able to perform a firmware refresh and it had to be returned for replacement. Hopefully I'll have a new one back at the end of the week.

 

[David G]

Never drink & fly.

 

[Repaid1]

It's "Don't Drink & Drone"

 

[adammhaile]

It's "Don't Drink & Drone"

I promise that both myself and the drone were 100% sober

 

[Phantomrain.org]

I am still trying to wrap my head around that you only notice it because of the sound ?

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Float on Water.

 

[adammhaile]

I am still trying to wrap my head around that you only notice it because of the sound ?

The first time that's what clued me to it - because I was looking at the video feed, not the drone. But yeah, the normal steady hum of the props started having an oscillating quality to it. Hard to explain but it was pretty obvious at the time.

 

[Brockrock]

I would start with an IMU calibration, and take a very good look at each of the props.

 

[adammhaile]

I would start with an IMU calibration, and take a very good look at each of the props.

Even if the IMU status says "Normal"?
Probs look fine as far as I can tell - they are brand new and I've never crash it.

 

[Repaid1]

Even if the IMU status says "Normal"?
Probs look fine as far as I can tell - they are brand new and I've never crash it.

Never do a IMU unless it is requested. The factory IMU is as good as it gets. IF it flies fine in "P" mode the IMU is good. 99% of people should never have to do a IMU...EVER.

 

[adammhaile]

Never do a IMU unless it is requested. The factory IMU is as good as it gets. IF it flies fine in "P" mode the IMU is good. 99% of people should never have to do a IMU...EVER.

"P mode"? mine just has Tripod, Normal, and Sport

 

[Repaid1]

"P mode"? mine just has Tripod, Normal, and Sport

Sorry Old school DJI...Normal means "P" mode or vice versa

standard flight mode

P-Mode is the standard flight mode for the majority of pilots. In this mode, all the sensors on your aircraft are active, GPS and any available vision or infrared sensors. ... This mode is available on all DJI aircraft

 

[Brockrock]

Even if the IMU status says "Normal"?
Probs look fine as far as I can tell - they are brand new and I've never crash it.

Well, I have always done an IMU calibration as part of the initial setup on all of my new copters. 'Normal' is a variable scale meaning there is an upper and lower limit to show as Normal. I use an 18" x 18" piece of quarter inch glass and a carpenter's level and shims to assure that it's as level as possible on the work bench. I like it at the optimal level of Normal.

 

[Repaid1]

IMU now in app reports in different figures than before. Now you have Excellent, Good, and Poor. You have twin Accelerometers and twin gyros. Excellent will give a reading of 10-15 so anywhere in there is NOT going to get much better. A Excellent IMU Cal needs to be done in a chilled environment to give greatest deviation for the IMU heater and most input to form the calculation for start up and error checking. That's why you will see people that do IMU Cals will get longer start up times for IMU heating warning and such...course that also depends on where you live and environment.

So I just checked my factory IMU and I am right at 11-13 across the 4 readings... So I don't need to mess with it. The IMU also controls the IMU in the gimbal, so if you have horizon problems, then you can do a IMU to see if you can get it straight.

Most people don't get the chill factor straight which is why I say leave it alone, you seem to know what your doing, but the majority don't and a bad IMU just makes everything wonky...just like people that constantly are doing compass cals. I did one two weeks after I got my P3P and it has never had another in 4 years

I also adapted a glass refrigerator shelve and I opted for screw feet things I got off amazon to level to skip the shims, got four bubble levels in the corners

 

[Brockrock]

IMU now in app reports in different figures than before. Now you have Excellent, Good, and Poor. You have twin Accelerometers and twin gyros. Excellent will give a reading of 10-15 so anywhere in there is NOT going to get much better. A Excellent IMU Cal needs to be done in a chilled environment to give greatest deviation for the IMU heater and most input to form the calculation for start up and error checking. That's why you will see people that do IMU Cals will get longer start up times for IMU heating warning and such...course that also depends on where you live and environment.

So I just checked my factory IMU and I am right at 11-13 across the 4 readings... So I don't need to mess with it. The IMU also controls the IMU in the gimbal, so if you have horizon problems, then you can do a IMU to see if you can get it straight.

Most people don't get the chill factor straight which is why I say leave it alone, you seem to know what your doing, but the majority don't and a bad IMU just makes everything wonky...just like people that constantly are doing compass cals. I did one two weeks after I got my P3P and it has never had another in 4 years

I also adapted a glass refrigerator shelve and I opted for screw feet things I got off amazon to level to skip the shims, got four bubble levels in the corners

Yeah man, back in my early Phantom 4 days, it was always a chilled calibration. We all found that this method significantly decreased initialization time on startup when wanting to fly.