Tilted Horizon and sending Mavic to get repaired

kona · May 14, 2017

SeanOzz, your experience seems to support the notion that it is a hardware and not a firmware issue, unless you have different firmwares on your three Mavics. Do you agree?

SeanOzz · May 14, 2017

kona said:
SeanOzz, your experience seems to support the notion that it is a hardware and not a firmware issue, unless you have different firmwares on your three Mavics. Do you agree?

My original mavic was for sure hardware. No matter what firmware or rest I did it was never changed.

My 3rd mavic has changed every time I change the firmware. From none at all to just a little to sometimes just as bad as my first. I've yet to make time to do 700 and see what changes I get with that.

So my original DJI wanted back asap to exchange. My second after one flight it went back and my 3rd I am still messing with and getting different results depending on the firmware. Sometimes I've even downgraded and then reinstalled the newer 600 and the issue vanished (for some time).

My experience has me thinking they need a better gimbal design in the mavic 2 and a better camera. Way too many quality control issues and parts that don't work as they should.

I think the firmware is trying to patch the hard ware issue.

kona · May 14, 2017

Great, thanks for clarifying. Do you think the 700 firmware update specifically is trying to improve horizon tilt?

Srcrain · May 14, 2017

Here is how I view the repair /replace issue.
1) If it is a hardware issue that DJI knows about and has fixed I would probably send it back.
2) If it is a hardware issue that is just random and hasn't been fixed making a replacement luck of the draw, I would probably just live with it.
3) If it is a software issue that will eventually be fixed with firmware I would wait and not send it in.

This is a hard decision given the bad customer service and very long turnaround time.

Montana · May 14, 2017

SeanOzz said:
No. I don't think that's the case for all of the ones with the issues.

My original (I'm on my third) was 100% a crap gimbal. My current (third) has fluctuated depending on the firmware.

I've yet to update to 700 to see if that improves it. My third also comes and goes. Some flights it's perfect and others it's way all over the place. I originally thought it was just the gimbal for sure but after seeing drastic differences in results with installing different firmware i don't think a blanket statement works anymore.

One thing from gimbal to camera I've noticed is it seems all are different with different results. (Which makes this suck a pain)[/

mavicn00b · May 14, 2017

Been reading/seeing the horizon tilt on my bird. Question I had, Should the horizon stay level at any yaw speed or is there a limit it will stay level? Should I be able to yaw in sports mode and gimbal stay perfectly level?

SeanOzz · May 14, 2017

kona said:
Great, thanks for clarifying. Do you think the 700 firmware update specifically is trying to improve horizon tilt?

I honestly am not sure but I do believe DJI is aware of some of the gimbals being 100% jacked and others just enough that the firmware updates are trying to fix them.

I've noticed from 550 on they have a note with the release that one of the updates is a more stable gimbal.

I'll have time tomorrow to finally do the 700 update. I can try and let you know if I see a difference.

SeanOzz · May 14, 2017

mavicn00b said:
Been reading/seeing the horizon tilt on my bird. Question I had, Should the horizon stay level at any yaw speed or is there a limit it will stay level? Should I be able to yaw in sports mode and gimbal stay perfectly level?

That's a good question and in a perfect world yes it would stay level but in reality the faster you switch side to side or yaw that bigger chance and bigger reaction your gimbal could have if it is having that issue at all.

I personally am at the point that if I'm turning faster than what I would use in a video and it's effected I'm not gonna sweat it.

If it's jacking up at slow speeds that I need the footage from then there is a problem.

mavicn00b · May 14, 2017

SeanOzz said:
That's a good question and in a perfect world yes it would stay level but in reality the faster you switch side to side or yaw that bigger chance and bigger reaction your gimbal could have if it is having that issue at all.

I personally am at the point that if I'm turning faster than what I would use in a video and it's effected I'm not gonna sweat it.

If it's jacking up at slow speeds that I need the footage from then there is a problem.

With mine if im in sports mode and booking it and then yaw left or right not only does it tilt but if the camera is pointing forward, the camera will drop. The severity seems to alter depending on how hard its being pushed. If just in regular mode hovering with a slow yaw, I get little tilt but not much. Wind also seems to play a part. Sometimes I can yaw and it will tilt, other times not so much.

But at what point is it considered faulty? Kinda nervous engaging dji support given their notoriety for lengthy delays and so on.

kona · May 14, 2017

Here you go:

Gimbal QC issues -- comparing two Mavics

Mavic Gimbal issues: Gradual tilt

mavicn00b said:
With mine if im in sports mode and booking it and then yaw left or right not only does it tilt but if the camera is pointing forward, the camera will drop. The severity seems to alter depending on how hard its being pushed. If just in regular mode hovering with a slow yaw, I get little tilt but not much. Wind also seems to play a part. Sometimes I can yaw and it will tilt, other times not so much.

But at what point is it considered faulty? Kinda nervous engaging dji support given their notoriety for lengthy delays and so on.

mavicn00b · May 14, 2017

kona said:
Here you go:

Gimbal QC issues -- comparing two Mavics

Mavic Gimbal issues: Gradual tilt

Am I to understand this is only an issue when rolling left to right? Yaw is a little different to rolling

SeanOzz · May 14, 2017

kona said:
Here you go:

Gimbal QC issues -- comparing two Mavics

Mavic Gimbal issues: Gradual tilt

Yep. You look like you have the drunken horizon from what that video shows.

This older video was from my original mavic.

I am working on a new video showing mine and others who have this issue.

kona · May 14, 2017

mavicn00b said:
Am I to understand this is only an issue when rolling left to right? Yaw is a little different to rolling

Second video shows sensitivity to yaw

SeanOzz · May 14, 2017

mavicn00b said:
Am I to understand this is only an issue when rolling left to right? Yaw is a little different to rolling

Check out the video clips I posted. The yaw is typically effected as well.

flyNfrank · May 14, 2017

I have had a tilted issue from the get go. I have not tried doing anything to address it, yet. One thing is for sure, no way in heck will I send it to DJI so they can have it for 7 weeks and send me a refurbished aircraft in place of mine.

Crayons · May 15, 2017

Hmmmm... starting to think I shouldn't have put up with the tilt on my near-new Mavic. It's annoying to have to fix it mid-flight many times. Have a look at this quick vid I cut together from weekend shoot - see 0:38 for the point where I go into menu and adjust the gimbal roll to level it. NOTE: Holding C2 and using right-wheel does NOT fix it - it barely moves the level - I have to go into the gimbal menu in the app and adjust the roll several clicks. Worth noting it was windy and I was yawing/rolling (but aint that what a gimble's for?!) Thoughts, people?

BTW - I still got some pretty amazing footage of this bird and its parent/partner/adversary (still waiting for expert assessment). Check it out here if interested.

SeanOzz · May 15, 2017

Crayons said:
Hmmmm... starting to think I shouldn't have put up with the tilt on my near-new Mavic. It's annoying to have to fix it mid-flight many times. Have a look at this quick vid I cut together from weekend shoot - see 0:38 for the point where I go into menu and adjust the gimbal roll to level it. NOTE: Holding C2 and using right-wheel does NOT fix it - it barely moves the level - I have to go into the gimbal menu in the app and adjust the roll several clicks. Worth noting it was windy and I was yawing/rolling (but aint that what a gimble's for?!) Thoughts, people?

BTW - I still got some pretty amazing footage of this bird and its parent/partner/adversary (still waiting for expert assessment). Check it out here if interested.

The drunken horizon sucks. It can make it so you have a bunch of footage you can't even use. If you can't exchange it locally. I would consider sending it back.

Yes it will probably be fine for two-four weeks which sucks but fingers crossed they send you back a working unit.

flyNfrank · May 15, 2017

Crayons said:
Hmmmm... starting to think I shouldn't have put up with the tilt on my near-new Mavic. It's annoying to have to fix it mid-flight many times. Have a look at this quick vid I cut together from weekend shoot - see 0:38 for the point where I go into menu and adjust the gimbal roll to level it. NOTE: Holding C2 and using right-wheel does NOT fix it - it barely moves the level - I have to go into the gimbal menu in the app and adjust the roll several clicks. Worth noting it was windy and I was yawing/rolling (but aint that what a gimble's for?!) Thoughts, people?

BTW - I still got some pretty amazing footage of this bird and its parent/partner/adversary (still waiting for expert assessment). Check it out here if interested.

Manually adjusting the tilt by the menu is not going to work. If you are taking a still photo shot, then it might be handy, otherwise it's a waste effort. The camera lens remains level with the aircraft during flight. Regardless of how much "Roll" there is due to wind and flight speed, the lens never releases from its 12 0'clock position. And actually, this is one of the main difference between the two Gimbal Operation Modes..."FPV" and "Follow". It's possible that another feature setting is conflicting with the Gimbal Mode?

Edit: I powered everything up minus starting the motors and went through both Gimbal Operation Modes. The Follow Mode appeared to function properly while tilting the Mavic from side to side. The lens remained level with the ground and I did not notice any tilted horizon. The FPV mode performed the exact same as the Follow mode. I'm guessing it needs to be in a particular flight mode in order for it to function different from the Follow mode.

So...now that I have went through the mentioned motions, it makes it a little more confusing where it gets the tilted horizon from.

Downunder · May 15, 2017

Well surely keeping a Gimbal level can't be hard to achieve. I have a Mavic now with the same issues. My first 'drone' was a DJI F550 flamewheel and I used a $25 3-axis gimbal from BangGood with a GoPro. Never had issues with tilling horizons. EVER. I love my Mavic but this gimbal issue is becoming unbearable.

SeanOzz · May 15, 2017

Downunder said:
Well surely keeping a Gimbal level can't be hard to achieve. I have a Mavic now with the same issues. My first 'drone' was a DJI F550 flamewheel and I used a $25 3-axis gimbal from BangGood with a GoPro. Never had issues with tilling horizons. EVER. I love my Mavic but this gimbal issue is becoming unbearable.

I agree with you 200%

I've owned about 4 other brands of quads and none had a tilt issue with any of their gimbals.

The drones were not as cool but the camera gimbal sure worked how it was suppose to.