Camera off center, 30 degrees to right

[FlysFairlyStraight]

I have a DJI Phantom 3 Professional. Flies well, gimbal works well, but the camera is "centered" off center. By that, I mean that when it's sitting powered on and idle, the camera looks about 30 degrees to the right.

I've done an IMU calibration and several gimbal calibration, and it stays this way.

Any suggestions what might be wrong, or how to troubleshoot or fix?

My theory is that something is just bent, but it doesn't appear to be.

It's almost as if the "top" gimbal motor think center is 30 degrees to the right.

Thanks for your thoughts or suggestions!

 

[jryser]

Check ur gimbal screw abs make sure it's tight against the post it's supposed to be on.

Sent from my PT beating heart

 

[FlysFairlyStraight]

jryser - thank you so much for your kind reply. I had earlier read your note on my smartphone and didn't see your picture - I was headed back to ask for clarification. Thank you for the awesome picture. My drone's at home, and I'll check this tonight Do you recall offhand what kind of screw is in there? I'd imagine it's flat, but do you know?

Thanks!!

 

[funkdoobies]

Check ur gimbal screw abs make sure it's tight against the post it's supposed to be on.

Sent from my PT beating heart

Thanks for that. This sorted out my off centre camera. The grub screw tightens down onto a shaft, I held a flat head screw driver up the shaft and swiveled the camera to straighten up the camera. And jobs a good un! Turns out that they obviously have some play left and right.. Pic of the shaft attached.

Sorry about the double post below... Couldn't edit to add picture

 

[funkdoobies]

Thanks for that. This sorted out my off centre camera. The grub screw tightens down onto a shaft, I held a flat head screw driver up the shaft and swiveled the camera to straighten up the camera. And jobs a good un! Turns out that they obviously have some play left and right.. Pic of the shaft attached.

 

[FlysFairlyStraight]

I apologize, I don't get it yet. Do I understand that you used a flat screw driver to align the rotation of the gimbal/camera with the "D" looking hole, then you used the vertical set-screw to lock it in place?

I haven't fiddled with it yet, but any more thoughts, instructions, or suggestions are very appreciated!

 

[funkdoobies]

I apologize, I don't get it yet. Do I understand that you used a flat screw driver to align the rotation of the gimbal/camera with the "D" looking hole, then you used the vertical set-screw to lock it in place?

I haven't fiddled with it yet, but any more thoughts, instructions, or suggestions are very appreciated!

Correct, I pushed the flat head in the gap of the D as you mentioned. I then undid the grub screw and pushed on the edge of the D of the shaft which then allowed me to spin the gimbal arm slightly. Once I thought it looked centred I locked the grub screw down again.

 

[merophosis]

I apologize, I don't get it yet. Do I understand that you used a flat screw driver to align the rotation of the gimbal/camera with the "D" looking hole, then you used the vertical set-screw to lock it in place?

I haven't fiddled with it yet, but any more thoughts, instructions, or suggestions are very appreciated!

It uses a hex key. Just loosen it up a little, make sure the arm isn't touching the plastic cover above it, make sure you can feel the flat part of the D on the shaft (no jokes here..though I'm laughing), and make sure the screw is centered on the shaft and tighten it.

Sometimes when it's more loose than that the gimbal goes completely crazy and begins to spaz out.

My experience? I've completely rebuilt a few of the P3Ps, including the entire camera gimbal assembly.

On a side note: anyone who reads this, I highly recommend that good 'ol Phantom Fix or any nice bracket that screws into the gimbal to prevent that gimbal separation. That ribbon cable is expensive and replacing it isn't particularly hard, but there is a step most people miss when reattaching it...save yourself the trouble and money and just get a bracket to prevent that separation!

 

[funkdoobies]

Correct, I pushed the flat head in the gap of the D as you mentioned. I then undid the grub screw and pushed on the edge of the D of the shaft which then allowed me to spin the gimbal arm slightly. Once I thought it looked centred I locked the grub screw down again.

If you push from an angle on the flat side of the shaft either top of the D or bottom you will be able to rotate the gimbal arm so the camera is as centred as you're ever going to get by eye. Mine was originally only slightly off centred but meant I couldn't actually fly straight and was really rather annoying as my videos always showed me compensating my flying path. It's all sorted now though and where I see is the direction I actually fly.

 

[jryser]

Awesome! I'm glad I could help for once!


Sent from my PT beating heart

 

[Mako79]

It uses a hex key. Just loosen it up a little, make sure the arm isn't touching the plastic cover above it, make sure you can feel the flat part of the D on the shaft (no jokes here..though I'm laughing), and make sure the screw is centered on the shaft and tighten it.

Sometimes when it's more loose than that the gimbal goes completely crazy and begins to spaz out.

My experience? I've completely rebuilt a few of the P3Ps, including the entire camera gimbal assembly.

On a side note: anyone who reads this, I highly recommend that good 'ol Phantom Fix or any nice bracket that screws into the gimbal to prevent that gimbal separation. That ribbon cable is expensive and replacing it isn't particularly hard, but there is a step most people miss when reattaching it...save yourself the trouble and money and just get a bracket to prevent that separation!

Many said that gimbal separation will NOT happen in the P2V+ V3 and P3's as it is the revised design.

I made my own bracket.

 

[merophosis]

Many said that gimbal separation will NOT happen in the P2V+ V3 and P3's as it is the revised design.

I made my own bracket.

Many might have said that, but mine had a glitch and decided to land itself (even though the RTH failsafe was set to an altitude, not landing) but hit a street sign coming down, lunged forward and crashed in grass. Found it with the battery popped out, gimbal separated and ribbon cable ripped. Since then, bought a bracket for both of my P3Ps like the one you made. If it falls the right way, it'll come apart easily. My friend crashed his twice and it didn't separate for him, both times hitting the concrete.

 

[DJIHarold]

Responding to this question, I have fixed my standard with the screwdriver and allen wrench! My Stanley was hanging to the right from the beginning,it almost drove me nuts! Lololololo! But all better now and he didn't have to go on a trip to who knows where,where he'll be fondled by who knows who! Lololololo!

 

[wipple370]

I am having the same issue on my PS3, tightened the set screw onto the flat side of the shaft, performed an IMU calibration and a gimble calibration. It is driving me insane. Is there any other things to try?

 

[K Man]

Thanks. I was having same issue with non centering of the gimbal. Just turned out I had a screw loose. So simple but took me two weeks and a trip to the DJI Forum and in 5 minutes, problem solved. I just want to add that you need to initialize and turn on power to get the gimbal shaft centered, then adjust the position of the coupler to the shaft (holding the flat portion of the shaft with a jeweler flathead screwdriver did the trick). once you've spun the gimbal around to center, it should stay there. Then just tighten the hex screw and you're good to go.

 

[Boovy2000]

How do you access the grub screw whilst powered on. Or stop the shaft from turning whilst off?

 

[JamesT1950]

Is there an adjustment for the up and down motion of the camera? When I point my camera all the way down, it isn't looking straight down. Is this by design or is mine out of adjustment. It's been like that on my P3A since it was new.

 

[HarveyMS]

Has anyone ever tried, of came up with a way to communicate with the gimbal via the micro USB port (Phantom 3)? I plugged mine into my computer without an SD card in the gimbal. The camera went limp, pretty much. I say, pretty much, because the pitch motor very slowly, and in small increments, turned the camera all the way to the down position. I have the problem with the camera being off center and pointing to the left, or right. Someone recently said that there is a module on the gimbal board that is calibrated by DJI at the factory that controls this. Surely, DJI communicates with it and programs it via that micro USB port. . . Anyway, many smarter and more educated than I will maybe figure it out. Thanks.