Controller : broken internals and home button - Still Fly?

[Ben.abc]

Hi Everyone,

I picked up a used P3A and the controller makes noise when it moves around. Also, the home button seems to have detached and slides around.

I have not flown the quad, but I wanted to see if the controller should still be usable without the Home button? My P1 did not have such a feature, so I'm assuming that I can work fine without it.

Of course, I cannot explain the "other" pieces floating around within the controller. If it starts up, passes prechecks, are there any other checks that I should make before sending her up?

Also, I noticed that the case has clearly been opened and the stickers have ear marks in them. This may not be a huge deal as a motor or something may have been replaced, but it was not mentioned.

Thank you in advance.

 

[J Dot]

Personally,
I would NOT fly with it, too many possibilities for failure!
I would not want to risk a $500 drone over a $100 Tx.
( my 2 cents )

Ok
That being said:
If the Tx has been opened, then I'd reopen it and look around, if it is a piece of METAL, flopping around ( you stand a chance for burnout, if it arcs anywhere, ultimately causing a short, and rendering your Tx an expensive paper weight ),
Most likely plastic piece, probably from home button mount? I would investigate more, there are SEVERAL YouTube videos on proper way to open/shut p3 A/P Tx's.
Also with home button flopping around, you stand a chance of it engaging and ruining a flight ( posibly? ) like I said too many possibilities for failure! Personally, I'd fix, or replace! Not worth losing the whole rig over a Jury rigged Tx!
May be worth fixing ( depending on what was done before you got it? ), or you might find a utter mess in there? Little dab of superglue here and there might get it back in working order? Keeping fingers crossed for your successful fix!

Hope this helps, be SAFE, my friend, and best of luck to you! Do it right, and hopefully we can enjoy some great videos from you in the future!

( honestly, if it is a wreck in the Tx, just get a new one! Better safe than sorry )
I realize they are not cheap, but ask here In classifieds, I got my Tx ( A model ) used for my p3pro off eBay for $75! Just gotta search around a bit, but good deals are out there!

J Dot

 

[Ben.abc]

Personally,
I would NOT fly with it, too many possibilities for failure!
I would not want to risk a $500 drone over a $100 Tx.
( my 2 cents )

Ok
That being said:
If the Tx has been opened, then I'd reopen it and look around, if it is a piece of METAL, flopping around ( you stand a chance for burnout, if it arcs anywhere, ultimately causing a short, and rendering your Tx an expensive paper weight ),
Most likely plastic piece, probably from home button mount? I would investigate more, there are SEVERAL YouTube videos on proper way to open/shut p3 A/P Tx's.
Also with home button flopping around, you stand a chance of it engaging and ruining a flight ( posibly? ) like I said too many possibilities for failure! Personally, I'd fix, or replace! Not worth losing the whole rig over a Jury rigged Tx!
May be worth fixing ( depending on what was done before you got it? ), or you might find a utter mess in there? Little dab of superglue here and there might get it back in working order? Keeping fingers crossed for your successful fix!

Hope this helps, be SAFE, my friend, and best of luck to you! Do it right, and hopefully we can enjoy some great videos from you in the future!

( honestly, if it is a wreck in the Tx, just get a new one! Better safe than sorry )
I realize they are not cheap, but ask here In classifieds, I got my Tx ( A model ) used for my p3pro off eBay for $75! Just gotta search around a bit, but good deals are out there!

J Dot

Thank you for the response! This is a B model, and yeah those things are very expensive on ebay! I did see a few that were around $80, but those are likely catch of the draw.

I picked up the quad for about $380, but I also pre-ordered the Mavic and I have a P1 (no gimbal), so I have something to play with until November. It was a really good deal on a used quad and I am probably better off spending the extra $$ on the Mavic insurance, batteries, and props.

The on-board options seem amazing! We had so little "data" to view in the old P1 quads.

 

[J Dot]

Yea,
I know, I'm a p2 guy myself, just got into p3's, man HUGE difference! Everything is through the app now, might as well FORGET, everything you know about p1/p2's, because p3 is completely different! Once you learn it and play around with settings, it will be easy, but was a bit challenging for me at first!
My first time out flying I forgot my tablet cord, bummer ( p2 don't use it but p3 does, ) now I have a preflight list! Lol
They fly almost the same, the active breaking, is a bit weird but cool!
But video quality, stabilization is superior over p2's and earlier! As much as I LOVE, My P3P, I still fly my p2v's, and p2v+'s! ( mostly for fun ) use p3 mainly for filming my jobs ( I build swimming pools )!

Good show on the Mavic, heard it was cool! I don't buy v1 stuff, just me, I wait until they work out the bugs, usually buy v2/v3 stuff! Lol, but the way firmware works now, you can only revert 1 down from current, so your Mavic will have the earliest firmware, so you'll have freedom to upgrade or go back! Kinda cool!

J Dot

 

[dirkclod]

Yea,
I know, I'm a p2 guy myself, just got into p3's, man HUGE difference! Everything is through the app now, might as well FORGET, everything you know about p1/p2's, because p3 is completely different!

Told ya