It died, I cried. Please confide.

[BaldEagle]

HI everyone -

So, I've had about 50 flights with my bird - no mods except for the app to boost FPV range. Flying great. Today - testing waypoints - I was in standard Phantom mode, The bird was maybe 100 feet in the air - 90% battery, I was right underneath it when the FPV video freezes and then the bird just stopped. In mid air. Lights out, no props - nothing. Just silence. And in all that silence, it only took a few minutes for it to drop like a stone and nearly crash on my head. Two props and a camera/gimbal later (and being absolutely clueless as to what what happened), the darn thing is now flying no prob at all (without the camera of course) with new props.

So...
1. has anyone else had issues like this? Could it have been the FPV app?
2. I want to fly around a bit without the camera/gimbal but I get Vision app doesn't make a link to the bird without the camera attached, it seems.

Anyway, if anyone doesn't believe that silence can be deafening, believe it. Watching that poor bird just drop out of the sky has left me impaired.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DBS]

Last couple stories I heard like this turned out to be battery connection issue...

 

[BaldEagle]

That seems most likely (battery connection issue). Tks DB.

What about flying the bird wtihout the camera. Is there a way to get the app to give me GPS/location data without having a camera attached?

 

[DBS]

Not sure on that one... never tried ... I remember there was a big argument about it here a few months ago but I forget if it was resolved to a solid answer... maybe forum search on that one?

 

[bergenfelter]

You actually get your WiFi IP Address from the Camera/Gimbal Assembly - so even though the WiFi extender is running, app is running - but no gimbal assembly - no telemetry data from the bird (or connection for that matter to the mobile app). All other functions work just fine, NAZA mode, GPS Lock, IOC, etc, just no video or telemetry data.

The one P2V+ I busted up (camera gimbal trashed) - I just strapped on my old GoPro Hero 1 camera and use it for a training bird for the kids - FWIW.

 

[wharfbanger]

That seems most likely (battery connection issue). Tks DB.

What about flying the bird wtihout the camera. Is there a way to get the app to give me GPS/location data without having a camera attached?

Yes this can be done. First you have to remove the camera/gimbal from the aluminum plate. This involves taking the plate apart (undoing some screws) so the camera/gimbal assembly can be removed from the plate. While the plate is apart one of the internal ribbon cables should be disconnected so the top gimbal motor is deactivated (and not constantly whirring).

Sorry its been a while since I did this myself so I cant provide exact instructions. But once you have removed the camera/gimbal, the plate can be re-attached to the Phantom (the three flat cables and rubber vibration dampers), and you will have all telemetry, minus the FPV video.

This is the way I have been flying for months, on and off (I have a replacement camera/gimbal). I alternate between the my replacement P2+ camera/gimbal, and a Canon camera that I use for aerial survey photogrammetry work. The waypoints functionality plus a CHDK script on the Canon works perfectly for this purpose!

 

[Double-D]

Sorry to hear of your crash.
As mentioned it certainly sounds like a loss of battery power and a thorough investigation is needed.
On the plus side you still have your bird.

When I lay awake at night dreading such an unfortunate event (I'm sure we all do it) I strangely have never imagined silence. Mostly trees, fly always and bent gimbal's.
I hope you discover what went wrong.

 

[BaldEagle]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I'm going to spend some time cleaning things up and will report back if I find an obvious cause.

 

[DCGOO]

Also, I clean my battery connectors and data pins every 10th flight with DeoXit or just contact cleaner.
Geert./

So Geert,
Do you just wipe the contact cleaner on the pins inside the Phantom and assume they will wipe the female connectors on the battery, or do you douse the battery connectors too?