I have a tilted Horizon line on my Phantom 3 Pro. Attached are photos shot today. Aircraft has been defective right out of the box from day one. The first test flights showed a tilted Horizon. I've done all of the Calibrations to IMU and Gimbal with aircraft sitting an leveled table, at least 10 times. Has anybody heard about a software bug fix? How many others are experiencing this same issue and has anybody solved the problem?
Phantom 3 Pro Tilted Horizon
- Thread starter RIck D
- Start date
Absolutely. I believe the actual problem must be a faulty jig used to set up the gimbal roll servo shaft, for all of these birds. My P2v+ was like it, so is my p3a. You can adjust the position using the fine control in the p3, which is hidden in the adjustment menu.
Open camera in dji pilot, 4small dots in top rh screen, camera symbol, Adjust gimbal roll. Change to -1.5 done.
Trouble is - neither the bird, nor the app remember it. In my p2, i used a simple analog fix - 2 components - a 50k linear preset pot & a 470k resistor. I did ask DJI why their digital adjustment wasn't sticky - they couldn't tell me, but said they would pass it on to the software people. Yeh right!
Open camera in dji pilot, 4small dots in top rh screen, camera symbol, Adjust gimbal roll. Change to -1.5 done.
Trouble is - neither the bird, nor the app remember it. In my p2, i used a simple analog fix - 2 components - a 50k linear preset pot & a 470k resistor. I did ask DJI why their digital adjustment wasn't sticky - they couldn't tell me, but said they would pass it on to the software people. Yeh right!
Peter, I tried the Gimbal Roll adjustment as you suggested. I -1.5 on the Gimbal Roll, took it up and it improved the tilt but it was not enough to cure the issue, so I went in steps up to -2.2 and it straightened the horizon line on the ground anyway. (attached images _ leveled P3
Top Shot Gimbal Adj 0.0, bottomg shot Gimbal adj -2.2
) I haven't flown it yet at -2.2.
This was bad right out of the box last week and I am hoping that the dealer honors the 10 day return since I identified the issue right away. This is a great little aircraft but it's a bit of a lemon. Thanks for your post with the tips. I assume the faulty jig you mentioned that is causing the problem is a hardware issue that DJI will have to fix correct?
Top Shot Gimbal Adj 0.0, bottomg shot Gimbal adj -2.2
) I haven't flown it yet at -2.2.
This was bad right out of the box last week and I am hoping that the dealer honors the 10 day return since I identified the issue right away. This is a great little aircraft but it's a bit of a lemon. Thanks for your post with the tips. I assume the faulty jig you mentioned that is causing the problem is a hardware issue that DJI will have to fix correct?
I think it must be - otherwise, why would so many be wrong? Its' probably not electronic at all. I fixed my p2v+3 with a very simple, passive component fix - but why should we have to? My p3 varies a bit between flights, but - 1.5 seems about normal. Once you have done it, pick it up, wave it around, put it back down on your plane table, wait 5+ seconds, and check again. I bet it is slightly different.
Also, it is possible that this error is caused by not having the accelerometers in the same plane as the camera - i.e. in my case, they could be -1.5 dg off, in your's, 2.2 deg. I don't want to open it up to find out. Why should I?
Don't get me wrong. I love these things, but a ****** like this has to be squarely addressed by DJI.
Camera i like - almost no barrel distortion. They got that right.
Also, it is possible that this error is caused by not having the accelerometers in the same plane as the camera - i.e. in my case, they could be -1.5 dg off, in your's, 2.2 deg. I don't want to open it up to find out. Why should I?
Don't get me wrong. I love these things, but a ****** like this has to be squarely addressed by DJI.
Camera i like - almost no barrel distortion. They got that right.
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One other note, I have the P3 Pro. The Gimbal adjustments are .2 each, so there's no way I could adjust mine to -1.5. I set it at -1.6 to start and then increased to -2.2 until it was as close as I could get to a non tilted horizon line on the ground at least. Will take it up again at -2.2. Will keep you posted on results.
Hi Rick - you might be correct about the 0.2 divisions I can't get at it at the moment to look - android is updating. Here we go again, another unknown.
Worst part about it is the app/bird doesn't remember any adjustment you make in this.
I gave DJI chatline a rev up & they said that they would pass it on.
[I am not holding my breath, or flying the 3 for the moment].
The fix for the p2v+3:-
[apart from physically twisting the shaft, in the housing which isn't a good idea, unless you prang it]
is to wire a 50k preset pot across the feedback pot from inside the gimbal, and connect it's wiper via a 470k resistor, to the wiper of the FB pot. Buy some decent [60/40 non lead-free-crap] solder. Mine is stuck onto the back of the gimbal with some DS tape & contact adhesive. I just filed a slot in the bottom of the cover to clear the ribbon cable i used] Mine only needs about 5 deg acw on the 50k preset for level on the pic. Mileage may vary.[disclaimer lol].
Maybe we should wait until DJI sort out the sticky adjustment in their software? I have only flown my p3a a few times. It's a much better beast, with a nicer camera, but at least one legacy fault.
If you do the preset mod, remember to wait at least 5 sec after adjusting - the integral time appears to be set at about that.
peter
Worst part about it is the app/bird doesn't remember any adjustment you make in this.
I gave DJI chatline a rev up & they said that they would pass it on.
[I am not holding my breath, or flying the 3 for the moment].
The fix for the p2v+3:-
[apart from physically twisting the shaft, in the housing which isn't a good idea, unless you prang it]
is to wire a 50k preset pot across the feedback pot from inside the gimbal, and connect it's wiper via a 470k resistor, to the wiper of the FB pot. Buy some decent [60/40 non lead-free-crap] solder. Mine is stuck onto the back of the gimbal with some DS tape & contact adhesive. I just filed a slot in the bottom of the cover to clear the ribbon cable i used] Mine only needs about 5 deg acw on the 50k preset for level on the pic. Mileage may vary.[disclaimer lol].
Maybe we should wait until DJI sort out the sticky adjustment in their software? I have only flown my p3a a few times. It's a much better beast, with a nicer camera, but at least one legacy fault.
If you do the preset mod, remember to wait at least 5 sec after adjusting - the integral time appears to be set at about that.
peter
I'm not going to touch anything on the aircraft or try to fix it. I bought a new P3 Pro and I want a new P3 Pro without any issues. This was bad out of the box and I notified the dealer right away. It was bad right out of the box. I can't use it for any of my Professional work due to the crooked horizon line.
took it up for another Gimbal roll adj test at -1.6, -1.8, -2.0, -2.2. Out of all of them -1.6 is the closest I can get and the horizon line is still not straight. Not as bad as when it's at 0.0 but the footage and stills are going to be unusable for professional uses.
Well, I agree with you. I am starting to get used to inadequately tested, chinese produced electronics. I have had several expensive pieces of test equipment, made for previously reputable manufacturers, drop dead lately. I am not impressed!
Yep, give them **** - it's the only thing that works 100%
Apart from the gimbal issue, remember that the image will only be truely reactilinear if you are at 0 deg or 90 deg to the horizon. Stills are easy to fix if you have to - use ps cc. This produces acceptable corrections for the fisheye of the p2 too! I think fisheyes are great - After all, that is how we see, in the real world, before our thalmus reprocesses the info. Let's not give up on a great concept, just nag DJI to get it right.
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This is an issue on 100% of the unedited videos I've seen posted and on mine as well. Total BS. DJI support say they are working on a software fix but I don't think it's going to happen. If it was something as simple as PID settings we would have seen a fix by now. My guess is they rushed this bird out and there is a hardware issue that will never be resolved. It's a major pain in the ask, but I'm learning to work around the flaw. If I didn't need the P3 when I did, I would have waited for another competitor to come out with a better craft or have waited for DJI to fix this flaw. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!!
Where are we on this Blade and Ed?
Where are we on this Blade and Ed?
Did you read OP's post? He did that and it didn't work.
I did and that sucks, but there will be other new phantom owners with the horizon problem coming to this thread where the IMU cal WILL solve their individual problem like it did for me. Should I start a new thread?
Ok, I did the imu cal for the p3, very carefully, twice, also the gimbal . I made a plane table where I could place the level across the other end to allow me to line up the camera grid line with the level. Now I have the error down to -0.7, about half of what it was. It still doesn't remember the fine gimbal adjustment, of course, but maybe I expect too much of DJI? BTW, imu cal didn't help the p2v+3 - actually it made it slightly worse, but that was easily fixed with my fine adjustment mod.
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