Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (video

[holoboss]

I have my phantom 2 for some 4 months. from the very beginning it behaved oddly. just sometimes, not very often - it has such spasms, like it was hit by a bullet. without apparent reason. it flies smooth, then - bang! it jerks totally out of control, and my remote isn't able to do much about it. It can be just a second, or a few seconds. when I am close to ground - it sometimes causes a crash. I had it maybe 10 times all together, with 3 times really nasty. I include a short clip of these 3 times. my camera in on gimbal, so you can't see that the craft is falling on its side. but you can see a glimpse of my landing gear and prop protectors at a weird angle - so you can understand it really falls on a side.

the first one I was able to control after about a second, when it was about to hit the ground. I made it bounced lightly and go up. but then just a few seconds later, another one spasm was totally out of control, and it crashed.

third one was terrible. it simply went down tilted at 45 degree angle, and my remotely did not affect the copter at all. I could only watch in horror phantom falling into a small pond! (my go pro got busted from water, phantom miraculously still works! but now I am almost afraid to fly). Any idea guys what the heck can it be?
first clip is from some 2 months ago. then I had a time of relatively good flying, and the last one happened yesterday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugJKAP_VrS4&feature=youtu.be

When it happened first time I tried to call support, but was told I need to wait for over 2 hrs. emailed them - and after about a week they told me to calibrate compass - despite my explanation that I did the calibration and it seemed ok.

If you have any clue, please help. I can't rely on my phantom like that, and I use it for my photography work. (and I can hurt someone if it happens near people!).
Many thanks for your time, cheers!
Derek

 

[dragonash]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

now i know you said in your post "the beginning", but I would like some clarification.

Did this happen before or after you put a gopro and gimbal on it?

 

[holoboss]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

now i know you said in your post "the beginning", but I would like some clarification.

Did this happen before or after you put a gopro and gimbal on it?

it was filmed by gopro on zenmuse gimbal, so it was with camera installed. Thanks!

 

[dragonash]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

now i know you said in your post "the beginning", but I would like some clarification.

Did this happen before or after you put a gopro and gimbal on it?

it was filmed by gopro on zenmuse gimbal, so it was with camera installed. Thanks!

My fault if I didnt make myself clear in my last post.
What I meant was, was this problem present before you ever attached the gimbal and camera?

As a test, I would take it off and fly the Phantom as stock a few times and see if the problem happens again

 

[holoboss]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

now i know you said in your post "the beginning", but I would like some clarification.

Did this happen before or after you put a gopro and gimbal on it?

it was filmed by gopro on zenmuse gimbal, so it was with camera installed. Thanks!

My fault if I didnt make myself clear in my last post.
What I meant was, was this problem present before you ever attached the gimbal and camera?

As a test, I would take it off and fly the Phantom as stock a few times and see if the problem happens again

I don't remember if it happened before. at the very beginning I wasn't very good, and any crash I would possibly understand as my lack of skills. I installed gopro fairly quickly after learning just basics.
it happens only once in a while, - can be a few weeks without the problem - so such test would mean flying a month without camera - while I simply need it for my work. flying it just a few times would most probably prove nothing.

do you think it is related to the camera and gimbal?

 

[FlyingFox]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

I don't know, I've watched your footage, do you have a defective single motor/ propellor ? It's worth a check as it's odd just seems to suddenly drop to the side?

 

[holoboss]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

I don't know, I've watched your footage, do you have a defective single motor/ propellor ? It's worth a check as it's odd just seems to suddenly drop to the side?

Thanks for writing! not sure how to check. when I try them without propellers, they react to remote properly. the problem being not very frequent makes any testing really tricky...

 

[spyderweber]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

I noticed you have prop protectors. Try flying without them. I had DJI's prop protectors and they caused the same type of behavior when I flew with any wind. Took them off and it flies perfectly now even in fairly windy conditions. The only props I've ever broken with 2 different phantoms were on the Phantom 2 with prop protectors. I've come to the conclusion that prop protectors are not worth it.

 

[FlyingFox]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

I don't know, I've watched your footage, do you have a defective single motor/ propellor ? It's worth a check as it's odd just seems to suddenly drop to the side?

Thanks for writing! not sure how to check. when I try them without propellers, they react to remote properly. the problem being not very frequent makes any testing really tricky...

Ive read to check the motors, spin each one , do they sound the same, do they feel the same ie the bearings, there's is a clip on the underside of the Motor which has been known to come off , check the retainer clip on each one, you will have to unscrew them from the shell.

 

[Great Pumpkin]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

After reading about so many fly-aways and unexplained crashes in this forum over the last 4 months, I am increasingly getting the wholly unsubstantiated impression that most of the incidents, aside from sheer pilot error, involve Phantoms equipped with a GoPro camera and the Zenmuse H3-2D gimbel, and possibly also with NAZA. I don't think I've read about many such incidents related to the stock P2V, and indeed, my own P2V has flown beautifully right out of the box ever since I got in early January 2014. Am I right? Has anyone kept score? I am going to post this directly, too, on the Zenmuse H3-2D GoPro Forum for some responses. Just look at that forum and see all the problems and complaints!

 

[volcomstone411]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

interestingly, since ive installed a gimbal (not zenmuse) I get a power short sometimes on the motors. Like an instantaneous blip with a high pitched squel, then it just carries on flying. Looks like yours is the same. It's really hard to pinpoint problem as it doesn't happen all the time. I think there is an issue with stability with a gimbal as now the characteristics of weight and airframe are so different Naza isn't sure what to do.

I'll let you know if I get anywhere understanding. If I were you I would take off rotors and run it up full power on a table and watch the performance

 

[denofr]

Re: Phantom 2 gets totally out of control once in a while (v

I noticed you have prop protectors. Try flying without them. I had DJI's prop protectors and they caused the same type of behavior when I flew with any wind. Took them off and it flies perfectly now even in fairly windy conditions. The only props I've ever broken with 2 different phantoms were on the Phantom 2 with prop protectors. I've come to the conclusion that prop protectors are not worth it.

I have to admit I think this is true. I've noticed that with the prop guards when descending there is a very great disruption of air some time causing a blade strike. I just removed the guards and descent is smooth. I will admit I only have a small sample size without but so far this seems to hold true.