New Phantom 2 flips over at take off & other issues

[Nytro]

Hello, I'm a Phantom newbie. I got my Phantom 2 a week and a half ago. I live in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and decided to try my first flights indoors in a gym, vs. freezing outside. Before my first flight, I updated the firmware on both the RC and the Phantom. At this point I headed to the gym.

I started up the controller and then the Phantom, then waited for the lights to tell me it was good to go. Being indoors, I never got past the constant slow amber light flashing. I decided to go ahead and start up the motors. As soon as they started up, they went to a very high speed, and the quad flopped over. On the second try to get it up into the air, it flopped over again. The third time I started up the Phantom, the motors didn't go to full RPM, but this time just started in what seemed like a typical idle speed. So far so good, I decided it was time to try to lift if off the ground, I slowly pushed the left stick up and the quad again flipped over sideways. Flip it back over and try a fourth time, again it started up in a slower idle speed, so I tried to lift again, and again it started to flip over to the right, but I hit the right stick and tried to compensate, and it shot up, and then went very fast to the right. This time it ended badly, smacking a wall. Maybe indoor flying wasn't the best place for my first flight. I broke 2 of the 4 props, and decided to call it quits for that night.

I will also say that both switches on the controller are in the top position.

I figured out that when I updated the firmware, I placed the controller into mode 1. I ended up in the firmware again, this time choosing mode 2. I headed back to the gym tonight.

On the first try lifting it off the floor, it again flipped over backwards. Try 2, it actually took off, but it started shooting to the right pretty fast, so I tried to compensate with the sticks, and then the Phantom shot straight up, all the way to the ceiling. It hit the ceiling and just stayed there. I tried to pull the left stick down, and it didn't move, still trying to rise. I then pulled the right stick down, and when that happened, it dipped to the right, then flipped over and shot to the gym floor.

I guess I'm glad that I was indoors, since it did have a ceiling which limited my Phantom from flying away! Since it wasn't coming back down when I pulled the left stick down, I'm guessing it would've just continued to climb.

I am about to give up on this thing. I could sure use any tips or suggestions that anyone may be able to share!

Thanks!
Rob

 

[RDCF550]

Hey Rob,

If you did exactly what you've stated, then it needs the IMU calibrated as well as the compass and the remote. These things are not an out of the box, update FW and go fly deal, and for sure not an inside toy in any mode, let alone GPS mode as that's useless indoors, thought it sounds like you were in manual if the LEDs were amber and you had the switches pointing 'up'.

Since it's been banged on, go over it all very carefully and make sure the shell isn't bent or cracked anywhere, as that will do nothing good for your next attempt at flight.

Go thru the manual, a few times, and look around here as well, plenty of beginner tips and steps to get it off the ground, not the gym floor, and flying so you can enjoy it.

 

[Nytro]

Thanks for the reply! I will try to go over everything tomorrow evening, hit the manual a few times again, and maybe try it outdoors this coming weekend, if the weather is decent. It seems like the sticks are inverted, which seems to be the set up of mode 1, but I did change it to mode 2. I'll keep trying!

 

[Great Pumpkin]

I wish I had a pat answer for you, but I don't fly indoors so don't know all the mitigating factors. It isn't proper for the Phantom props to start up at a high speed when you first start it. But at those times when you started and the props acted as if they were turning at idle speed, then you want to give the left stick a good strong push up, give it the gas, not a slow steady push. After it gets about 10-15' in the air, back off the left stick completely, then the Phantom should hover in place. I say it should - it will do so outdoors under GPS control. Let it hover for a minute or two to be sure that everything seems to be in order, then start flying. Perhaps the best thing I can tell you is read the manual over again if you haven't already. Here is another easier to read source of information compiled by a forum member with a lot of input from many other forum members:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mv8d1hohc3mceym/DJI Phantom Vision Summary Guide.pdf?dl=0

Lastly, there are a lot of good videos that may help you, perhaps even with the perils of flying indoors. Stick with it. I hope all gets straightened out for you. Keep us informed. Good luck.

 

[jason]

Hello, I'm a Phantom newbie. I got my Phantom 2 a week and a half ago. I live in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and decided to try my first flights indoors in a gym, vs. freezing outside. Before my first flight, I updated the firmware on both the RC and the Phantom. At this point I headed to the gym.

I started up the controller and then the Phantom, then waited for the lights to tell me it was good to go. Being indoors, I never got past the constant slow amber light flashing. I decided to go ahead and start up the motors. As soon as they started up, they went to a very high speed, and the quad flopped over. On the second try to get it up into the air, it flopped over again. The third time I started up the Phantom, the motors didn't go to full RPM, but this time just started in what seemed like a typical idle speed. So far so good, I decided it was time to try to lift if off the ground, I slowly pushed the left stick up and the quad again flipped over sideways. Flip it back over and try a fourth time, again it started up in a slower idle speed, so I tried to lift again, and again it started to flip over to the right, but I hit the right stick and tried to compensate, and it shot up, and then went very fast to the right. This time it ended badly, smacking a wall. Maybe indoor flying wasn't the best place for my first flight. I broke 2 of the 4 props, and decided to call it quits for that night.

I will also say that both switches on the controller are in the top position.

I figured out that when I updated the firmware, I placed the controller into mode 1. I ended up in the firmware again, this time choosing mode 2. I headed back to the gym tonight.

On the first try lifting it off the floor, it again flipped over backwards. Try 2, it actually took off, but it started shooting to the right pretty fast, so I tried to compensate with the sticks, and then the Phantom shot straight up, all the way to the ceiling. It hit the ceiling and just stayed there. I tried to pull the left stick down, and it didn't move, still trying to rise. I then pulled the right stick down, and when that happened, it dipped to the right, then flipped over and shot to the gym floor.

I guess I'm glad that I was indoors, since it did have a ceiling which limited my Phantom from flying away! Since it wasn't coming back down when I pulled the left stick down, I'm guessing it would've just continued to climb.

I am about to give up on this thing. I could sure use any tips or suggestions that anyone may be able to share!

Thanks!
Rob

Now I see why you need props. I assume that when the left stick it hit the floor. Is that correct? if that is the case you may have damaged GPS modules antenna. The only way to really know if there was damage to the GPS unit is to open it up. That module is in the top shell.

Here is the first thing I would do is go back into the RC software and make your in mode2 then recalibrate the sticks. Next plug the P2 into the assistant software and recalibrate the sticks then go to tools go into advance tab and do an advance IMU. If a warning says that the unit is to warm ignore it hit X in top corner and continue with the calibration.

A word to the wise. B&H is a great place for equipment but they are not a repair service center. I purchase my P2 from and have made many modifications to it. As a retired electronic service tech doing things of this nature is nothing new for me.

Rob I posted some info for you on your message board here. Check it.

 

[Nytro]

After calibrating the Phantom and the controller, and getting the new props, along with getting home from the office while there was still daylight, I tried again, and was successful! After taking off, hovering and moving around our backyard, I landed and put one of my GoPro's on the Phantom. I don't have a gimble yet, but I decided to go for it anyway. Very cool! I posted the video on You Tube, and it wasn't too bad for my first try. I was moving way too fast when spinning the quad, but that's where the learning curve comes in.

Now I need to tweak the Phantom's settings a little, as it was drifting away from me as it would hover. It wasn't too bad, but it was still moving backwards, away from me, without any input from me.

Thanks for you help guys!

 

[DanThompson]

Did you have the props on the right arms...had my props on the wrong side once and it just flipped over whenever i opened the throttle...changed them over then worked fine.

 

[jason]

Did you have the props on the right arms...had my props on the wrong side once and it just flipped over whenever i opened the throttle...changed them over then worked fine.

Dan the P2 non vision uses self tightening props two of which are clock wise while the other two go on counter clock wise so it's impossible to put them on the wrong motors.

 

[Fluxy88]

Hello, I'm a Phantom newbie. I got my Phantom 2 a week and a half ago. I live in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and decided to try my first flights indoors in a gym, vs. freezing outside. Before my first flight, I updated the firmware on both the RC and the Phantom. At this point I headed to the gym.

I started up the controller and then the Phantom, then waited for the lights to tell me it was good to go. Being indoors, I never got past the constant slow amber light flashing. I decided to go ahead and start up the motors. As soon as they started up, they went to a very high speed, and the quad flopped over. On the second try to get it up into the air, it flopped over again. The third time I started up the Phantom, the motors didn't go to full RPM, but this time just started in what seemed like a typical idle speed. So far so good, I decided it was time to try to lift if off the ground, I slowly pushed the left stick up and the quad again flipped over sideways. Flip it back over and try a fourth time, again it started up in a slower idle speed, so I tried to lift again, and again it started to flip over to the right, but I hit the right stick and tried to compensate, and it shot up, and then went very fast to the right. This time it ended badly, smacking a wall. Maybe indoor flying wasn't the best place for my first flight. I broke 2 of the 4 props, and decided to call it quits for that night.

I will also say that both switches on the controller are in the top position.

I figured out that when I updated the firmware, I placed the controller into mode 1. I ended up in the firmware again, this time choosing mode 2. I headed back to the gym tonight.

On the first try lifting it off the floor, it again flipped over backwards. Try 2, it actually took off, but it started shooting to the right pretty fast, so I tried to compensate with the sticks, and then the Phantom shot straight up, all the way to the ceiling. It hit the ceiling and just stayed there. I tried to pull the left stick down, and it didn't move, still trying to rise. I then pulled the right stick down, and when that happened, it dipped to the right, then flipped over and shot to the gym floor.

I guess I'm glad that I was indoors, since it did have a ceiling which limited my Phantom from flying away! Since it wasn't coming back down when I pulled the left stick down, I'm guessing it would've just continued to climb.

I am about to give up on this thing. I could sure use any tips or suggestions that anyone may be able to share!

Thanks!
Rob

This could also be due to no gps signals or interference. Flying indoors especially in GPS mode is never a good idea!

 

[Nytro]

Nope, it turned out that I didn't realize the sticks were swapped during the original firmware update. Figured it out, and been flying it without a problem since.

Now if I could just get the Tarot gimbal's tilt to work!