Phantom 2 will not power down using CSC

[Charlie_Pat77]

Hi,

I have been experiencing problems with my Phantom 2.
It was working perfectly and had no problems for the first month.
1) When flying it drifts quite badly in GPS mode when no movement is being asked of it - I assume this is a compass problem, I have recalibrated it.
2)It will not power down correctly using the CSC I used to start it with (Which I have been using with no issue up until now)
It topples over when trying to power down using CSC, there is no issue with it powering down just using the down control.
After the first 2 times this happened I started it up again and noticed that when I go to initiate the CSC the motors start moving faster like it is being asked to fly somewhere. I'm guessing this is why it topples over.
When I couldn't power down using CSC without it toppling over I switched off the controller in the hope that would make it power down (which I now realise wouldn't work), it erratically flew away and I couldn't regain control of it. It flew up in the air and for no apparent reason moved away from me and then started lowering itself into some trees where it got stuck until a big gust of wind dislodged it.
NOw I have lost confidence and I'm worried I'll lose it. It was in ready to fly non gps mode. I still can't see why this would make it fly away when I powered down the RC.

I have now updated the firmware on both phantom 2 and RC. Recalibrated the compass and the RC but the problem still persists. I am too worried to fly it just in case it has a wobbly again and decides to crash into a tree or something more solid.
If anyone has any ideas please could you help.

Thank you.

 

[pittsy]

Don't powered down with CSC. Just hold the throttle stick down to shut down the motors. I don't know the answer to why it took off after you powered down your controller.

 

[SteveMann]

When I couldn't power down using CSC without it toppling over I switched off the controller in the hope that would make it power down (which I now realise wouldn't work), it erratically flew away and I couldn't regain control of it. It flew up in the air and for no apparent reason moved away from me and then started lowering itself into some trees where it got stuck until a big gust of wind dislodged it.

Never turn off the controller before the Phantom. It could initiate a Failsafe RTH, which is what it sounds like you did. It was trying to get to where it thought home was.

I always shut down with CSC - it's never failed.

 

[lake_flyer]

I only use CNC in a panic situation and need to shut down instantly or in the air even (never happened yet). Normally I just lower the throttle until it gently turns off. Using CNC the motors always rev up for a second before shutting down causing tip overs sometimes. Basically, you give all control to the Phantom in the last second this way. With the normal shut down procedure you keep control all the way until it's off.

Also, needing both hands to shut down is less efficient than just keeping your left thump down for 2 seconds anyhow. I've seen people doing CSC even while catch landing. Very unwise in my experience. Tried it a few times (when I just had to hand catch because of circumstances) until the quad attempted to cut off my ears while trying to hold it level on one of the landing skids. If you do a CSC be sure to keep the sticks in the CSC position until it's completely stopped. If you release one of the sticks to early it will assume it had just started up and will rev up again in an attempt to hover. In the 'normal' procedure you also have to keep the stick down until the motors stop. It will take off again if you let it idle.

Just my experience.

 

[TeamYankee]

Once you land.. using CSC to power off is a stupid idea to be honest... you are putting the sticks full in one direction and the phantom will want to do that way for a short time, hence the tip over!!

Always hold down the power stick... it will power off itself when it realises it's not going down.

I guess you never read the manual... RTFM.

Have you plugged in the remote controller to the PC for calibration - not the P2 itself.. just the controller.

 

[Marlin009]

Once you land.. using CSC to power off is a stupid idea to be honest... you are putting the sticks full in one direction and the phantom will want to do that way for a short time, hence the tip over!!

Always hold down the power stick... it will power off itself when it realises it's not going down.

I guess you never read the manual... RTFM.

Have you plugged in the remote controller to the PC for calibration - not the P2 itself.. just the controller.

Perhaps he did RTFM. It describes two different ways to shut it down. I use the throttle.

6.2 Starting the Motors
A Combination Stick Command (CSC) is used to start the motors. Push the sticks according to one of the options
below to start motors. Once the motors have started, release both sticks simultaneously. The same CSC is used to
stop the motors.

 

[Eltrochaphantom]

Hi,

I have been experiencing problems with my Phantom 2.
It was working perfectly and had no problems for the first month.
1) When flying it drifts quite badly in GPS mode when no movement is being asked of it - I assume this is a compass problem, I have recalibrated it.
2)It will not power down correctly using the CSC I used to start it with (Which I have been using with no issue up until now)
It topples over when trying to power down using CSC, there is no issue with it powering down just using the down control.
After the first 2 times this happened I started it up again and noticed that when I go to initiate the CSC the motors start moving faster like it is being asked to fly somewhere. I'm guessing this is why it topples over.
When I couldn't power down using CSC without it toppling over I switched off the controller in the hope that would make it power down (which I now realise wouldn't work), it erratically flew away and I couldn't regain control of it. It flew up in the air and for no apparent reason moved away from me and then started lowering itself into some trees where it got stuck until a big gust of wind dislodged it.
NOw I have lost confidence and I'm worried I'll lose it. It was in ready to fly non gps mode. I still can't see why this would make it fly away when I powered down the RC.

I have now updated the firmware on both phantom 2 and RC. Recalibrated the compass and the RC but the problem still persists. I am too worried to fly it just in case it has a wobbly again and decides to crash into a tree or something more solid.
If anyone has any ideas please could you help.

Thank you.

Please, please, please READ THE MANUAL AND THE ULTIMATE GUIDE.

I never do CSC when power off it is much less comfortable. Just put the left stick down all the way until it stops.

If u had read the manual u would have noticed that it says that turning off transmitter b4 powering down phantom shouldn't be done because it can activate RTH. Which it must have done in your case.

You are saying that it drfits away. Check how many satellites u have, beginners fly in GPS.

So from what you are saying, I'm going to say the following. You powered up the phantom didn't wait until home point was set nor it was ready to fly with GPS. So you took off; flew; came back down couldn't shut down with CSC so u turned off transmitter and because u didn't wait for the phantom to set a home point it didn't know where to go. (this is what I think happened, based on what u have said)

Cheers

 

[Eltrochaphantom]

Hi,

I have been experiencing problems with my Phantom 2.
It was working perfectly and had no problems for the first month.
1) When flying it drifts quite badly in GPS mode when no movement is being asked of it - I assume this is a compass problem, I have recalibrated it.
2)It will not power down correctly using the CSC I used to start it with (Which I have been using with no issue up until now)
It topples over when trying to power down using CSC, there is no issue with it powering down just using the down control.
After the first 2 times this happened I started it up again and noticed that when I go to initiate the CSC the motors start moving faster like it is being asked to fly somewhere. I'm guessing this is why it topples over.
When I couldn't power down using CSC without it toppling over I switched off the controller in the hope that would make it power down (which I now realise wouldn't work), it erratically flew away and I couldn't regain control of it. It flew up in the air and for no apparent reason moved away from me and then started lowering itself into some trees where it got stuck until a big gust of wind dislodged it.
NOw I have lost confidence and I'm worried I'll lose it. It was in ready to fly non gps mode. I still can't see why this would make it fly away when I powered down the RC.

I have now updated the firmware on both phantom 2 and RC. Recalibrated the compass and the RC but the problem still persists. I am too worried to fly it just in case it has a wobbly again and decides to crash into a tree or something more solid.
If anyone has any ideas please could you help.

Thank you.

Please, please, please READ THE MANUAL AND THE ULTIMATE GUIDE.

I never do CSC when power off it is much less comfortable. Just put the left stick down all the way until it stops.

If u had read the manual u would have noticed that it says that turning off transmitter b4 powering down phantom shouldn't be done because it can activate RTH. Which it must have done in your case.

You are saying that it drfits away. Check how many satellites u have, beginners fly in GPS.

So from what you are saying, I'm going to say the following. You powered up the phantom didn't wait until home point was set nor it was ready to fly with GPS. So you took off; flew; came back down couldn't shut down with CSC so u turned off transmitter and because u didn't wait for the phantom to set a home point it didn't know where to go. (this is what I think happened, based on what u have said)

Cheers

 

[jason]

Hi,

I have been experiencing problems with my Phantom 2.
It was working perfectly and had no problems for the first month.
1) When flying it drifts quite badly in GPS mode when no movement is being asked of it - I assume this is a compass problem, I have recalibrated it.
Thank you.

Good advice from everyone here regrading not using CSC to turn off your P2. But no one has mentioned is calibrating IMU. To calibrate the IMU it should be done on a completely level surface and if you're not the surface level or not use a level. This is the way I do mine. First remove all the props and put large cookie pan or thin piece of plywood on top of the motors and check the level. Shim which ever leg is low until level. Then connect the P2 to the assistant software and calibrate the IMU using the advanced calibration. If an error message says it's to warm just delete the message and calibration will continue. It will take a few minutes to complete the task.

Also make sure you have good set of props without chips or cuts after your run in with the tree and you should good to go.

 

[Charlie_Pat77]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all so much for the constructive information. I took it out yesterday and all is working perfectly. I took on board what most of you said and I'm not using the CSC to power down. I have been away for a few weeks working and fear I may have misremembered powering down using CSC and as a couple of other things didn't seem right I thought it wasn't working correctly. So I read the manual from cover to cover before posting on here as it said I could power down using CSC and couldn't understand why it was toppling over when I used it. I realise I made the mistake of shutting down the RC before the phantom - it wasn't in GPS mode as it hadn't been powered on long enough to lock on so I thought, wrongly, it would sit where it was!! I have learnt from that! Thank you all for taking the time to post - even the negative Nellie who told me to RTFM.

Thanks all.

Charlotte