New FC40 / Walkera Gimbal

[Carl4]

I have seen a few people use the walker G-2D gilmbal, but noticed it can block the battery door. Some were sliding it back and mounting it with only one screw. Looks like if you take the top plate off the gimbal and flip it around you can fit in on while still using both mounting screws.

Just thought I would share.

 

[PortPilot]

Thanks for sharing, I was wondering about that.

 

[Carl4]

Thanks. I also notice I get an odd vibration from the gimbal some times... it's like it is trying too hard to stay still and you can hear the motors humming.

When this happens you get an odd jello look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-83FCi3jJw
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-83FCi3jJw[/youtube]

 

[dragonash]

Thanks. I also notice I get an odd vibration from the gimbal some times... it's like it is trying too hard to stay still and you can hear the motors humming.

When this happens you get an odd jello look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-83FCi3jJw
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-83FCi3jJw[/youtube]

yeah, you have pretty bad jello. Did this happen before or after you swapped the plate?
If it was after, did you still use that mounting bracket? (that "T" shaped piece) to help mount it?

It seems like its not mounted tight to the phantom. OR, flipping the top bracket unbalanced it

BTW - your picture still kind of shows this blocking the door.

 

[Carl4]

No jello before the gimbal. The gimbal cut the bounce, but added the jello.

I think its the Walkera's vibrations ... It's rather odd. If I adjust the screws to level it perfectly, this humming starts and I can feel it vibrate. If I pitch the camera up or down just a little that goes away. By the time i figured that one out it was dark, so I will give it another test later today.

 

[Carl4]

BTW - your picture still kind of shows this blocking the door.

It does block it a little, but it opens almost all the way. Sorry for the bad photo before.

 

[dragonash]

It does block it a little, but it opens almost all the way. Sorry for the bad photo before.

oh wow, that door opening is 100x better than the traditional way.

ok, back to the jello.

No jello before the gimbal. The gimbal cut the bounce, but added the jello.

Im not sure I completely understood. You said no jello before the gimbal.
I was comparing the walkera gimbal before you reversed the plates.

No jello before the reversed plates?
I'm wondering if reversing the plates caused this.

 

[Carl4]

No change plate forward or backwards. Even without the motors on, there is a vibration in camera from the gimbal motors.

It comes and goes. When I just hold it in my hands and twist the quad around I can feel it shaking and sometimes even see the whole camera vibrating.

Is there some type of calibration that needs to happen ?

 

[dragonash]

No change plate forward or backwards. Even without the motors on, there is a vibration in camera from the gimbal motors.

It comes and goes. When I just hold it in my hands and twist the quad around I can feel it shaking and sometimes even see the whole camera vibrating.

Is there some type of calibration that needs to happen ?

oh wow.. sounds like a gimbal issue to me.
However, there are a few things you can try.

The little screw driver looking tool that came with it - use it to adjust the pitch up or down. Maybe its glitched inbetween a dial settings or something. Some random stupid thing, ya know?

If you have the 7th channel activated, adjust the x1 channel in the naza assistant. You can also try setting your mid-range level in the naza assistant
(btw, im assuming you turned on gimbal control in the naza, right?)

 

[Carl4]

oh wow.. sounds like a gimbal issue to me.
However, there are a few things you can try.

The little screw driver looking tool that came with it - use it to adjust the pitch up or down. Maybe its glitched inbetween a dial settings or something. Some random stupid thing, ya know?

If you have the 7th channel activated, adjust the x1 channel in the naza assistant. You can also try setting your mid-range level in the naza assistant
(btw, im assuming you turned on gimbal control in the naza, right?)

7th channel is on, but I unplugged the gimbal from Naza for testing. Currently I have the quad on the desk, with gimbal mounted. The only thing thats plugged into it is power. I have used the small screw driver to adjust the level of the camera.

While sitting on the desk and leveling the camera the gimbal starts to make a humming sound. If I place my finger on the quad I can feel vibrations. If I pitch the camera down just a little it goes away. Keeping it level makes it vibrate an hum.

I guess is the gimbals own vibrations is creating the jello video...

Has anyone else had a vibrating gimbal ?

 

[dragonash]

oh wow.. sounds like a gimbal issue to me.
However, there are a few things you can try.

The little screw driver looking tool that came with it - use it to adjust the pitch up or down. Maybe its glitched inbetween a dial settings or something. Some random stupid thing, ya know?

If you have the 7th channel activated, adjust the x1 channel in the naza assistant. You can also try setting your mid-range level in the naza assistant
(btw, im assuming you turned on gimbal control in the naza, right?)

7th channel is on, but I unplugged the gimbal from Naza for testing. Currently I have the quad on the desk, with gimbal mounted. The only thing thats plugged into it is power. I have used the small screw driver to adjust the level of the camera.

While sitting on the desk and leveling the camera the gimbal starts to make a humming sound. If I place my finger on the quad I can feel vibrations. If I pitch the camera down just a little it goes away. Keeping it level makes it vibrate an hum.

I guess is the gimbals own vibrations is creating the jello video...

Has anyone else had a vibrating gimbal ?

it sounds like the gimbal is faulty.
Mine doesnt make that sound (or have that problem)

 

[PortPilot]

My Walkera G-2D showed up today. I did as you did and reversed the top bracket, it seems this is what you are supposed to do for install on an FC40. There are no mounting instructions, so it does not say NOT to do this, and the holes are symmetrical, so it lines up correctly and does not interfere with the battery door at all, it's not close to being a problem. In fact, I can't imagine that Walkera intends for you to install it on a Phantom FC40 with the bracket as it comes out of the box, it just is not logical to have it blocking the battery door, or having to use only one screw. As for this humming/vibrating, mine only does that if you power up the FC40 when it's not sitting level. If I have it sitting on a level surface and power it up, the gimbal initializes and the green light comes on. If I lift the Phantom up and move it around, the response from the gimbal is smooth and controlled. IMHO it does not look "hacky" as some have said, it looks very slick actually. I have played with manual adjustment of the pitch and tilt and those work fine also. I need to wire in a connector, as I did my testing with a battery connected to the gimbal. I will test it in flight and see if I get any of the shaking or jello effect. I also went with extended landing legs so clearance is not an issue at all.

I know that people like that one video of the guy with the taped-up camera and one-screw install, but watching it now makes me kind of wince...

 

[dragonash]

My Walkera G-2D showed up today. I did as you did and reversed the top bracket, it seems this is what you are supposed to do for install on an FC40. There are no mounting instructions, so it does not say NOT to do this, and the holes are symmetrical, so it lines up correctly and does not interfere with the battery door at all, it's not close to being a problem. In fact, I can't imagine that Walkera intends for you to install it on a Phantom FC40 with the bracket as it comes out of the box, it just is not logical to have it blocking the battery door, or having to use only one screw. As for this humming/vibrating, mine only does that if you power up the FC40 when it's not sitting level. If I have it sitting on a level surface and power it up, the gimbal initializes and the green light comes on. If I lift the Phantom up and move it around, the response from the gimbal is smooth and controlled. IMHO it does not look "hacky" as some have said, it looks very slick actually. I have played with manual adjustment of the pitch and tilt and those work fine also. I need to wire in a connector, as I did my testing with a battery connected to the gimbal. I will test it in flight and see if I get any of the shaking or jello effect. I also went with extended landing legs so clearance is not an issue at all.

I know that people like that one video of the guy with the taped-up camera and one-screw install, but watching it now makes me kind of wince...

Actually, I take back my review of "hacky". That was before flipping the top.
And the walkera gimbal makers never intended for it to be used with the phantom. It was made for their own walkera quad

BTW, I think there is a very slight vibration on my video now ever since I reversed the top.

 

[PortPilot]

Actually, I take back my review of "hacky". That was before flipping the top.
And the walkera gimbal makers never intended for it to be used with the phantom. It was made for their own walkera quad

BTW, I think there is a very slight vibration on my video now ever since I reversed the top.

As I look at this, I can't for the life of me figure out how reversing that bracket could cause issues? The bracket is secured to the body of the aircraft, and the lower section with the gimbal is only attached via the 4 rubber shocks, so how could the direction the bracket is mounted induce a vibration in the gimbal? Perhaps it is some sort of harmonics at work, but it does not seem to make much sense.

 

[cadre_78]

I recently mounted a Walkera Gimbal to my FC40 and for the last two days I've been trying to figure out why I can't get pitch control via the 7th channel to work?

I've done all the necessary steps to enable it but it never seems to activate. As anyone here been able to get to work correctly?

I read on a post that is about a year old saying that some of the transmitters didn't have the 7th channel active, anyone know if that is true?

 

[robinb]

I have a gimbal in transit to me which hopefully will arrive in a couple of weeks.

How did you mount it to the FC40 ?

 

[dragonash]

As I look at this, I can't for the life of me figure out how reversing that bracket could cause issues? The bracket is secured to the body of the aircraft, and the lower section with the gimbal is only attached via the 4 rubber shocks, so how could the direction the bracket is mounted induce a vibration in the gimbal? Perhaps it is some sort of harmonics at work, but it does not seem to make much sense.

It could very well be a coincidence.
It was a pretty windy day, so that could have caused it. At the same time, I just got my vision props and it looks like I was getting the TBE as well!

Kind of crazy it all happening at once.
Looks like its going to be another windy day, so I cant test it out

 

[dragonash]

I recently mounted a Walkera Gimbal to my FC40 and for the last two days I've been trying to figure out why I can't get pitch control via the 7th channel to work?

I've done all the necessary steps to enable it but it never seems to activate. As anyone here been able to get to work correctly?

I read on a post that is about a year old saying that some of the transmitters didn't have the 7th channel active, anyone know if that is true?

tell us the steps that you did.
Did you plug in the 7th channel from the naza to the gimbal?

 

[PortPilot]

I have a gimbal in transit to me which hopefully will arrive in a couple of weeks.

How did you mount it to the FC40 ?

Robinb, which gimbal did you go with?
Some of these come as bag of parts and you have to put the whole thing together first and then install the bracketry. Others like the Walkera we are discussing in this particular topic come fully assembled in the box and ready to mount. So to answer your question, we would need to know which gimbal you decided to go with.

 

[robinb]

Its the walkera gimbal.

Does it fit existing holes ?
Or did you find another way to mount it ?

Also did you power the gimbal from the F2 SOCKET or the Aux power ?