Problems with brand new Phantom 2 Vision+

[huskercolt]

I just received my Phantom 2 Vision+ (v3.0) this week. I have been watching every video I could, read the manual, quick start guide, and talked with fellow pilots. I updated the firmware on the bird, and was getting ready to take it out for a quick first flight this morning. First problem, I was getting a 'battery invalid' message on my Vision app, then I noticed that the Phantom LEDs were solid red. I checked for advice online and read that cleaning the battery contact can sometime fix this issue. I did that, and reseated the battery a few times. Battery invalid message went away. Awesome! Now, I go to start the motors. Motors begin turning, then stop, along with the smell of burnt electronics. Now, whenever I try to power it up, I get the battery light on for about 2 seconds, and some kind of muffled beep instead of the normal tones then it immediately shuts off. Not really the best first experience. And my wife was already not too thrilled about me getting it in the first place, and now this is just giving her ammunition to say 'I told you so.'
From what I have read, I am suspecting that this is related to an ESC problem? Any thoughts?

 

[Mako79]

Here you go..
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=32368

 

[burlbark]

I just received my Phantom 2 Vision+ (v3.0) this week. I have been watching every video I could, read the manual, quick start guide, and talked with fellow pilots. I updated the firmware on the bird, and was getting ready to take it out for a quick first flight this morning. First problem, I was getting a 'battery invalid' message on my Vision app, then I noticed that the Phantom LEDs were solid red. I checked for advice online and read that cleaning the battery contact can sometime fix this issue. I did that, and reseated the battery a few times. Battery invalid message went away. Awesome! Now, I go to start the motors. Motors begin turning, then stop, along with the smell of burnt electronics. Now, whenever I try to power it up, I get the battery light on for about 2 seconds, and some kind of muffled beep instead of the normal tones then it immediately shuts off. Not really the best first experience. And my wife was already not too thrilled about me getting it in the first place, and now this is just giving her ammunition to say 'I told you so.'
From what I have read, I am suspecting that this is related to an ESC problem? Any thoughts?

Send it back immediately... I cant believe the amount of failures being reported lately.

 

[general01]

I second on sending it back

What it's done is what the other members have mention in the thread that mako79 has linked to

You would be better off likely finding a used one that isn't version 3 as it has been reported with the most failures due to the new motors and esc(speed controls) and if the one you look into getting has been upgraded avoid it

 

[Cytranic]

Are you sure you are giving it a little throttle after start up? If I just start up and leave my throttle stick down, it shuts off...ONce I start it up, I throttle up a bit so the engines stick. This is normal operation.

 

[msinger]

Motors begin turning, then stop, along with the smell of burnt electronics.

You know what else smells like burnt electronics? Nothing. I would send it back pronto.

 

[Dirty Bird]

 

[knowonecares]

Faulty ESC board(s) connected to Motor(s). Return it. Also maybe post the serial number on the bottom of the quad (minus last three numbers for privacy) go here: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=32903

 

[huppe]

And here we go again.I was thinking of buying the Inspire,but the more products DJI sells the more problems I see.They are forcing everything at the moment due to selling products.Inspire had problems too and now this Vision v 3 also.Don't like this.I will keep my Vision 2 v2,and will look for other brands.New products comes with problems I know,but these kind of things will not give me confidence to buy more DJI products.

 

[russianfront]

And here we go again.I was thinking of buying the Inspire,but the more products DJI sells the more problems I see.They are forcing everything at the moment due to selling products.Inspire had problems too and now this Vision v 3 also.Don't like this.I will keep my Vision 2 v2,and will look for other brands.New products comes with problemds I know,but these kind of things will not give me confidence to buy more DJI products.

We all just have to wait another year and the competition will build up in this market. There is way too many amped-up guys out there (as witnessed by the huge activity level on this forum) for other potential manufacturers not to notice. Drones have become the "it" thing to have. The only thing really holding the potentially explosive growth of this market back are:

1) High prices - I predict they will fall rapidly with higher volume production and more competition.
2) Vague government policy - these things exist in a legal twilight zone. If the government was to let go of the reigns and stop trying to ground them then the popularity will rocket upwards, especially in combination with point #1.
3) Lack of any real competition. DJI dominates this market currently. Stronger, larger firms with proven track records need to jump in. Sony drone anyone?

I am really hoping that in 1-2 years that DJI is going to have to really smarten up and start testing its products more before release or be quickly wiped off the map. Word of product failure spreads like wildfire these days.

 

[dalebb]

Motors begin turning, then stop, along with the smell of burnt electronics.

You know what else smells like burnt electronics? Nothing. I would send it back pronto.

+1, so true.

 

[Prylar Bek]

And here we go again.I was thinking of buying the Inspire,but the more products DJI sells the more problems I see.They are forcing everything at the moment due to selling products.Inspire had problems too and now this Vision v 3 also.Don't like this.I will keep my Vision 2 v2,and will look for other brands.New products comes with problemds I know,but these kind of things will not give me confidence to buy more DJI products.

Well think again about the Inspire. I want one...BAD, but, i'm waiting. WAY too many issues right out of the box. Watched one fly at a RC show. VERY impressive, fast, quiet, nasty. Loved it..BUT if that falls (like several already have), its MUCH more expensive to repair then then the PTV. Oh well. I'll wait it out as well!

 

[Dirty Bird]

Well think again about the Inspire. I want one...BAD, but, i'm waiting. WAY too many issues right out of the box. Watched one fly at a RC show. VERY impressive, fast, quiet, nasty. Loved it..BUT if that falls (like several already have), its MUCH more expensive to repair then then the PTV. Oh well. I'll wait it out as well!

I would wait too but, no matter how much it costs, how long its been out, or how careful you are, if it flies, there is a chance it may crash. I've been flying RC for nearly 40 years and that's just the nature of the beast.

 

[Prylar Bek]

Well think again about the Inspire. I want one...BAD, but, i'm waiting. WAY too many issues right out of the box. Watched one fly at a RC show. VERY impressive, fast, quiet, nasty. Loved it..BUT if that falls (like several already have), its MUCH more expensive to repair then then the PTV. Oh well. I'll wait it out as well!

I would wait too but, no matter how much it costs, how long its been out, or how careful you are, if it flies, there is a chance it may crash. I've been flying RC for nearly 40 years and that's just the nature of the beast.

True. but I think what pissees most of us off is the TOTAL lack of respect from DJI to us their customers. We can accept the inevitably of crashes form these toys I guess, but knowing that at least some are avoidable if it wernt for their total lack of forthcoming info on things that they KNOW are wrong AND correctable!

 

[knowonecares]

Here's a link to drone flyers article on Drones at CES 2015 Lots of companies making announcements of their quads, and of course Phantom Clones, let the games begin. http://www.droneflyers.com/2015/01/dron ... more-67681

 

[knowonecares]

Hubsan X4 Pro WITH A PARACHUTE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD6__UpwXZ0

 

[Palcuz]

I hope one of these companies produces new motors. The way these cheapo motors/leads are setup is ludicrous. Anybody that has seen a quality brushless motor system knows that the motor windings should end at a solid wiring block, where better/thicker gauge/flexible wires can be soldered to. These motors on the phantoms and elsewhere in the flying rc world are built to fail in my point of view. An American or European company would be too fearful of lawsuit to have such poor quality control/design. The reason that many rc enthusiasts pay a bit more is for quality and they buy more because of it. Poor quality and failure usually drives buyers away. Why would DJI risk this?

With Chinese scooters I have heard that most companies do business until quality issues destroy the company. Then they change the name of the company and keep shipping to America etc. Is this DJI strategy?

I have not seen too many of the high priced larger multirotor motors but It would be a shame to see the same type of design. I hope other manufacturers capitalize on this simple (possibly costly) design improvement for multirotors.

 

[dalebb]

I hope one of these companies produces new motors. The way these cheapo motors/leads are setup is ludicrous. Anybody that has seen a quality brushless motor system knows that the motor windings should end at a solid wiring block, where better/thicker gauge/flexible wires can be soldered to. These motors on the phantoms and elsewhere in the flying rc world are built to fail in my point of view. An American or European company would be too fearful of lawsuit to have such poor quality control/design. The reason that many rc enthusiasts pay a bit more is for quality and they buy more because of it. Poor quality and failure usually drives buyers away. Why would DJI risk this?

With Chinese scooters I have heard that most companies do business until quality issues destroy the company. Then they change the name of the company and keep shipping to America etc. Is this DJI strategy?

I have not seen too many of the high priced larger multirotor motors but It would be a shame to see the same type of design. I hope other manufacturers capitalize on this simple (possibly costly) design improvement for multirotors.

I have to inject my opinion here having been an eletrician for over 30 years (automation/ motor control) is that the less contact joints you have the better. the motor and wires are fine, it's the solder joint at the ESC board that will fail if you have a cold solder joint.

 

[Palcuz]

I hope one of these companies produces new motors. The way these cheapo motors/leads are setup is ludicrous. Anybody that has seen a quality brushless motor system knows that the motor windings should end at a solid wiring block, where better/thicker gauge/flexible wires can be soldered to. These motors on the phantoms and elsewhere in the flying rc world are built to fail in my point of view. An American or European company would be too fearful of lawsuit to have such poor quality control/design. The reason that many rc enthusiasts pay a bit more is for quality and they buy more because of it. Poor quality and failure usually drives buyers away. Why would DJI risk this?

With Chinese scooters I have heard that most companies do business until quality issues destroy the company. Then they change the name of the company and keep shipping to America etc. Is this DJI strategy?

I have not seen too many of the high priced larger multirotor motors but It would be a shame to see the same type of design. I hope other manufacturers capitalize on this simple (possibly costly) design improvement for multirotors.

I have to inject my opinion here having been an eletrician for over 30 years (automation/ motor control) is that the less contact joints you have the better. the motor and wires are fine, it's the solder joint at the ESC board that will fail if you have a cold solder joint.

With all due respect to your 30 years...

I completely agree about the less joints the better, especially since you are assuming the solder joint would be prepared poorly (cold). Having on connection wire to Esc/winding would be a good scenario if the wires were not so thin and of a brittle nature.

Are the motors that you use in automation control the same configuration as these cheapo Motors? Same wiring directly from armature to controller.? I just would not know what is used in industry. Automotive starters, alternators usually use durable changeable wiring ...

We have to take a solder joint somewhere right ? The better designed brushless motor systems are robust at the solder points/boards to endure the stresses of vibration and large shock as well as to create low heat. Some motors are built to have the solder points changeable.

 

[dalebb]

I hope one of these companies produces new motors. The way these cheapo motors/leads are setup is ludicrous. Anybody that has seen a quality brushless motor system knows that the motor windings should end at a solid wiring block, where better/thicker gauge/flexible wires can be soldered to. These motors on the phantoms and elsewhere in the flying rc world are built to fail in my point of view. An American or European company would be too fearful of lawsuit to have such poor quality control/design. The reason that many rc enthusiasts pay a bit more is for quality and they buy more because of it. Poor quality and failure usually drives buyers away. Why would DJI risk this?

With Chinese scooters I have heard that most companies do business until quality issues destroy the company. Then they change the name of the company and keep shipping to America etc. Is this DJI strategy?

I have not seen too many of the high priced larger multirotor motors but It would be a shame to see the same type of design. I hope other manufacturers capitalize on this simple (possibly costly) design improvement for multirotors.

I have to inject my opinion here having been an eletrician for over 30 years (automation/ motor control) is that the less contact joints you have the better. the motor and wires are fine, it's the solder joint at the ESC board that will fail if you have a cold solder joint.

With all due respect to your 30 years...

I completely agree about the less joints the better, especially since you are assuming the solder joint would be prepared poorly (cold). Having on connection wire to Esc/winding would be a good scenario if the wires were not so thin and of a brittle nature.

Are the motors that you use in automation control the same configuration as these cheapo Motors? Same wiring directly from armature to controller.? I just would not know what is used in industry. Automotive starters, alternators usually use durable changeable wiring ...

We have to take a solder joint somewhere right ? The better designed brushless motor systems are robust at the solder points/boards to endure the stresses of vibration and large shock as well as to create low heat. Some motors are built to have the solder points changeable.

You have a point and I can see it. I personaly do not like solid wire or soldered connections, what I would look at is the thickness of the copper on PCB/ESC where the connection is made and how and/or this is a good wet weld. As I have seen in other posts maybe the varnish on the wire was not removed making a cold joint and only the very end of the wire has continuity. small wire at this short distance can carry more amps than it is rated for, but the joint will be the hot spot.