I last used my P3 in Oct and it worked fine; I've had it since June 2015 and it's never crashed, been dropped, gotten wet, etc. The other day I wanted to take it out, before doing so I turned all the parts on (RC, Ipod, P3) to ensure everything was working. Everything powered on fine with the exception of the video feed. As everything powers on I can control the movement of the camera (up/down) but do not see any video. After a few seconds the camera no longer responds and it points straight down and that's it. The P3 and controller are able to communicate but for some reason there is no video. I tried to update the firmware and downloaded the latest version but when I install it in the P3 and turned it on it never went into the update mode (beeping). Looking at the controller, the app says "Gimbal Disconnected" I tried a new SD card and that did not help. The problem appears to be with the gimbal but I don't know what to do next and am looking for suggestions.
Gimbal Disconnected
- Thread starter mrx
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if it goes limb after about 15 seconds then your flex cable is nicked somewhere. check the black cable on the gimbal for a tear or small nick.
Thanks - that certainly seems like the culprit. I did inspect the cables and did notice this - it's the black flat ribbon cable that connects the camera to the gimbal up to the gimbal housing. A small section separated - I attached a photo that will hopefully show you that area. There are no other signs of a broken or damaged cable. Is something like this covered under a warranty? Is it hard to replace?
"gimbal is disconnected"
Re: "gimbal is disconnected" Message in dji app (I have a P3P )
today I had a situation where it seemed the controller wasn't connected to the Phantom, except the light was green on the controller. I could not see voltage; the gimbal seemed to be booting up normally. The app stated my gimbal was disconnected, but all the ribbons seemed ok.
anyway, it turned out to be a bad cable between my ipad mini and the Controller. so always check the connection!
Re: "gimbal is disconnected" Message in dji app (I have a P3P )
today I had a situation where it seemed the controller wasn't connected to the Phantom, except the light was green on the controller. I could not see voltage; the gimbal seemed to be booting up normally. The app stated my gimbal was disconnected, but all the ribbons seemed ok.
anyway, it turned out to be a bad cable between my ipad mini and the Controller. so always check the connection!
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I have seen when this happen best is to unplug the USB on the RC and connect it again. Most of the times it works......worse case unplug, close the app connect again and start app......
Thanks for the replies; I've tried multiple cables w/o any success. Cables were tested and verified good on other devices so I don't think it's the cable connecting the iPad to the controller. I also tried to upgrade the firmware, put the bin file on the SD card, inserted it into the drone and it never went into the upgrade phase (beeping). Symptoms seem to be isolated to a problem w/the gimbal. Before I tear into that I was hoping to see if others experienced the same problem or even tips on how to troubleshoot the gimbal.
hey there its seem that many people have this issue ( gimbal disconnected ) and the camera fall to sleep with no image stream in the app, i tried IMU calibration and gimbal calibration with no success . sometime camera work for second then again fall to sleep . all this happen after the upgrading to (P3X_FW_V01.06.0040) firmware the controller dose not except the upgrade i tried with different sd and craft to controller connect doesn't work . the craft work fine and i fly it several time with no problem at all . i wish to find a solution for that i am so desperate .
It sounds like we're experiencing the same problem. I believe I can rule out anything to do with the firmware as both the P3 and RC were last updated in June and everything worked fine up until the last time I used them which was in October. From Oct - Jan it was unused and just sat in a case in the house. Your ribbon cable looks like it's experiencing the same separation as mine; I just don't know that it's the cause and am looking for any tips on how to troubleshoot / isolate the problem.
thanks god its work fine . i just move the gimbal then its work its seem that the white cable is loose i attach it probably its go on well 
My story: brandnew P34K. Updated S/W. Flew it twice on one day. Afterwards at home, fired everything up in my shack to get aquainted with GO APP - at least this was the plan.
About 15 seconds after switching on the aircraft, gimbal goes to -100 degrees.
APP shows "Gimbal status: disconnected". No matter what i do, it´s always like so. Anybody any ideas?
About 15 seconds after switching on the aircraft, gimbal goes to -100 degrees.
APP shows "Gimbal status: disconnected". No matter what i do, it´s always like so. Anybody any ideas?
I'm glad I found this thread. I began experiencing gimbal problems yesterday. My p3a has been flown 250 times and until yesterday has performed flawlessly without any kind of damage. When I first powered up the bird everything seemed to be working fine so I took off. I immediately knew something was wrong because the picture was bouncing up and down and the tilt wheel was erratic, sometimes responding to my commands, sometimes not. I brought it in for a landing and moved the camera around with my hand to see if anything was obstructing it, and it started working well again. On the second battery when I first powered it up the gimbal was stuck, it would not go more than 1/2 way down when I pushed the tilt wheel. After moving it around with my hand it worked good again. Today I went to troubleshoot and research this problem and now the gimbal will power up and responds to my commands for the first 10-15 seconds and then it goes dead, and on the GO app shows 'GIMBAL DISCONNECTED'. It sounds like a ribbon cable may be needed. Does anyone know of a reputable place I could have the repairs made in California?
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Probably not covered under warranty, since you've had it more than 6 months, and frankly, it would probably not be covered if it was brand new. They would tell you to pack it up and ship it, and in 6 to 8 weeks they would tell you your problem, and how much you would be charged for repairs. However, a ribbon is not hard to replace if your at all mech inclined, and they cost 28-50 bucks online, and only take about a week to ship. Just make sure you get the right cable. P3S cables only have one wide plug on the end, P3A and P3P have two.
I will say, most repair shops charge 160$ to 190$ to do a ribbon cable replace.
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Thanks Buford.
Yes, I am mechanically inclined, and I would like to replace the ribbon cable myself. Can you confirm that the symptoms I am having are likely due to the ribbon cable? The gimbal is operational, self leveling and the tilt wheel works while it is booting up. After about 10-15 seconds the gimbal goes limp and I'm getting GIMBAL DISCONNECTED on the status screen. I also tried to update the firmware by putting the files onto an sd card and booting up the phantom and this is not working either. Thanks again for your help, I'm ready to order a cable but before I do I just want to make sure that it's not just some kind of software issue.
Yes, I am mechanically inclined, and I would like to replace the ribbon cable myself. Can you confirm that the symptoms I am having are likely due to the ribbon cable? The gimbal is operational, self leveling and the tilt wheel works while it is booting up. After about 10-15 seconds the gimbal goes limp and I'm getting GIMBAL DISCONNECTED on the status screen. I also tried to update the firmware by putting the files onto an sd card and booting up the phantom and this is not working either. Thanks again for your help, I'm ready to order a cable but before I do I just want to make sure that it's not just some kind of software issue.
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Judging from your picture, you need a gimbal cable to begin with. Ribbon separation is a serious problem, and many on here have had it happen. I have 2 extras on standby for something like this. Replace your ribbon, and test it. I'd bet your problem goes away. The ribbon is the only part that is constantly moving without bearings or some kind of shock absorber, its just a ribbon with tiny wires embedded in it, that can break, or like yours did, lose the protection of the vinyl cable itself, then that's all she wrote. I feel confident this is your problem. Good luck.
Robert Farnow - sadly it sounds like we're experiencing the same problem. Buford - thank you for your input, it matches what my gut is telling me. I've never disassembled one of these before. Any guidance on the disassembly to replace the ribbon cable?
Again - thanks for your input.
Again - thanks for your input.
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Well, I'd say look on youtube under phantom ribbon cable replace. It show you a bunch of Pro and adv cable replacements and how to get the camera off and taken apart as far as it needs to be. The standard is basically the same, but not exactly the same. The only real difference is the pro and adv have 2 long plugs going to the gimbal, and a small plug, and the standard has 1 long plug and a black and a grey wire. Those wires are disconnected by two small access doors on the gimbal, located right above where the wires enter it. But the pro and adv are really easier, because they just unplug.
But, the videos will help you through it no problem. I did it and was a carpenter for 30 years, so I figure just about anybody can do it. Good luck.
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