P1 goes nuts

[Marc70]

So, after sitting 2yrs of no flying (just installed the transmitter thingy in the P), I had it out once, everything seemed fine. Hovered, went out a bit, then hit the failsafe and it came and landed. Beautiful.
Next time out, the ****** thing was ok to start, then it took off across the ice, responded a bit, but then went out on its own, even though I turned off the tx (failsafe, come back!), didnt work.
>1km later, found it.
Now, I tie a string to it, it lifts off ok, then goes nuts.
I've done all the safety checks several times, finally got the compass calibrated, and still does the same thing.
Anyone have any ideas on what I could do to try to fix this thing? I check the parameters for the compass, etc, and still it doesnt cooperate.
Thanks to all.

 

[syotr]

What transmitter thingy did you install?

 

[gianni_BT]

So, after sitting 2yrs of no flying (just installed the transmitter thingy in the P), I had it out once, everything seemed fine. Hovered, went out a bit, then hit the failsafe and it came and landed. Beautiful.
Next time out, the ****** thing was ok to start, then it took off across the ice, responded a bit, but then went out on its own, even though I turned off the tx (failsafe, come back!), didnt work.
>1km later, found it.
Now, I tie a string to it, it lifts off ok, then goes nuts.
I've done all the safety checks several times, finally got the compass calibrated, and still does the same thing.
Anyone have any ideas on what I could do to try to fix this thing? I check the parameters for the compass, etc, and still it doesnt cooperate.
Thanks to all.

Does it performs in the same way in ATTI Mode and in MANUAL Mode?

 

[Marc70]

I dont dare try manual, as I'm not used to the using the Phantom lately.
I may try, that is a good idea.

 

[Marc70]

What transmitter thingy did you install?

K, so it used to be a Phantom 2.4G RF V3 transmitter, but what I received is WM300 2.4G TX RF V1.
Hopefully it was the right piece, cause most everrything else seems ok (startup, etc.)

 

[syotr]

Something to check since you had the top shell off. Make sure the GPS cable is connected well. Also, make sure you put the top shell back on in the correct orientation. If you got it rotated, the GPS antenna will be pointed in the wrong direction. This will create a conflict with the compass and cause a flyaway.

 

[Marc70]

Something to check since you had the top shell off. Make sure the GPS cable is connected well. Also, make sure you put the top shell back on in the correct orientation. If you got it rotated, the GPS antenna will be pointed in the wrong direction. This will create a conflict with the compass and cause a flyaway.

Thanks for the tips. The gps shows on my assistant software as on and working, and the shell has the twin stripes on 2 arms, so I'm always sure the top goes on the right way.

 

[syotr]

If you have had a crash, I would check the GPS antenna for cracks, You would have to remove the top shell, Peel off the shield which is covering the GPS and remove the circuit board to see the ceramic antenna on top of the board. I would also check the wiring going to the compass on the landing gear leg.

 

[Marc70]

Well, that makes sense. I've had a few crashes. Will check tomorrow.
Thanks for the tip.

 

[Marc70]

There, checked it all out, gps seems ok, but the compass cable had some frays in it at the connection, so i interchanged it with a previous one. All signals seem ok, will try flying again later.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[Marc70]

So I tried the Phantom1 again, mostly seemed fine, hovered in place pretty good. Took it up, out a bit (all with a string attached in case of wild flyaway), then turned off the tx to try the failsafe. Worked perfect!
After landing, I turned it back on, and tried again, this time with the failsafe switch (pgs>atti>failsafe) It seemed to start ok, then started going wonky again... big wide circle, taking off on it own, so kinda crash landed it on the snowy ice (all this done on wide open lake).
****! Was hoping it was finally resolved and working good, but it's still misbehaving.

 

[syotr]

Some silly questions: I guess you have checked with the NAZA assistant that the switch is operating correctly and that it is set to failsafe in the lower position?
What you are experiencing seems to be the classic Naza flyaway where it takes off in some random direction and does not respond to the controller. These incidents seem to always be related to compass issues, either poor calibration, intermittent compass failure or magnetic interference. The circling or "toilet bowling" is often the first symptom before it flies away. Did you swap out the compass or just the cable?

 

[Marc70]

Hey syotr, Thanks for all your help.
I'm forever hooking it up to the Nazam software, check all the switches, that the compass is calibrated, etc.
I wait for all the proper light sequences before I lift off.
I just changed the compass cable, do not have a spare compass, otherwise I'd have changed that too.
I took a good look at the gps, didn't see anything suspicious under magnifying glass.
There is this gps antenna kit:
[AWS-01] 4mm Ceramic Antenna Kit
that I'm thinking about ordering and trying.
Ideally would be to have a spare, or real good friend with an exact replica of my model, so i could eliminate what's wrong.

 

[syotr]

Unless your ceramic antenna is cracked, I would not bother changing it. I did buy one of those 4mm thick antennas and installed it on another model. It did work better than the standard one. I don't think that is your problem. You can find a compass pretty cheap:
DJI Phantom 2 Vision Compass (Part #12) | eBay

 

[syotr]

Another option is to buy an aftermarket GPS/compass module and mount it on top of the Phantom. I have used these on several models and they work well.
Ublox M8N GPS Compatible with DJI NAZA Lite V1 V2 Flight Controller $22.95 Free Shipping @GoodLuckBuy.com

 

[Marc70]

Thanks again, syotr.
Just tried the P inside, and while holding the bird down, gave some altitude, then all of a sudden it just kept (wanting) to go, even when I let go of the joystick.
There's something really wonky with this thing.

 

[Marc70]

There, ordered a new gps, tried to order the compass, waiting to see if he'll ship to Canada.
Thank you one more time, syotr.
( why is it when I search for compass, gps, or whatever, I don't see the deals others, ( you), can find? )

 

[syotr]

If you ordered the external GPS, you won't need the compass. It has the compass built in. You will have to mount it outside of the Phantom to get the compass away from electromagnetic fields inside the bird.
I thought of one other thing that might be causing your problem. The Phantom GPS has a tiny battery on the circuit board. As old as your P1 is, it is likely that the battery may have died. I think the battery is only used to store GPS data to speed up the time to acquire satellites. I have not found a source for these batteries.

 

[Marc70]

Whoa, you're just a wealth of information.
I didn't get confirmation on the compass, so I won't order it now.
I hope this works well for me, but regardless, you've been a great help.
I'm going away for a couple weeks, hopefully when I get back I'll have my new compass, and everything will be good again.

 

[nintago]

Unless your ceramic antenna is cracked, I would not bother changing it. I did buy one of those 4mm thick antennas and installed it on another model. It did work better than the standard one. I don't think that is your problem. You can find a compass pretty cheap:
DJI Phantom 2 Vision Compass (Part #12) | eBay

I'm having similar issues with my p1 , so this gps unit says it's for a p2 , is it safe to assume it's compatible with the p1?

Sent from my XT1650 using PhantomPilots mobile app