RC Gimbal Slide Control. Did you know?

[mem_ny]

Did you know that the stock Vision Remote Control (RC) has the capability to add a camera tilt control?

I'm new to Phantom and have found this forum to be very helpful. I may have missed it, but even after several weeks of flying and reading this forum, I never realized that the stock Vision (RC) has the ability to tilt (pitch) the camera from a tilt control at the back of the RC. I first saw the control on a promo pic for the Phantom 2, and then again on a promo video for the new Dronexpert Gimbal.

This slide control permits you to tilt the camera without letting go of the RC and its controls (i.e. you don't need to let go of the controller and use your left hand to use the smartphone app) This makes tilting much easier and permits you to tilt freely while maintaining control of direction.

Apparently, all you need to do is buy a $10 part which connects to the back of the RC. I just ordered one from Helipal at:
http://www.helipal.com/phantom-24-phant ... fgih96a7a2

It seems to me that this is a significant capability that's not well documented anywhere. I found only one thread in this forum that talks about its use, but with a third party gimbal.

I apologize if this is basic 101 info, but thought that many would be interested. I haven't tried the functionality yet but believe it will work. I have confirmed with Dronexpert that this slider can be added to a stock RC and that it works. Maybe someone can confirm that I am correct about this.

 

[Pull_Up]

I don't know if it will work, and it's a bit late at night to test it here now (those boot-up tones are too loud!) but anyone should be able to test it with a gentle twist from a screwdriver. It's just a potentiometer like the FCC to CE adjust - so if you fire up your aircraft and turn a screwdriver gently in there you should be able to see if the gimbal tilts or not. If it does then your little accessory will do the job nicely. Let me know if it does, because I want one in that case...

 

[JustJames]

Did you know that the stock Vision Remote Control (RC) has the capability to add a camera tilt control?

I'm new to Phantom and have found this forum to be very helpful. I may have missed it, but even after several weeks of flying and reading this forum, I never realized that the stock Vision (RC) has the ability to tilt (pitch) the camera from a tilt control at the back of the RC. I first saw the control on a promo pic for the Phantom 2, and then again on a promo video for the new Dronexpert Gimbal.

This slide control permits you to tilt the camera without letting go of the RC and its controls (i.e. you don't need to let go of the controller and use your left hand to use the smartphone app) This makes tilting much easier and permits you to tilt freely while maintaining control of direction.

Apparently, all you need to do is buy a $10 part which connects to the back of the RC. I just ordered one from Helipal at:
http://www.helipal.com/phantom-24-phant ... fgih96a7a2

It seems to me that this is a significant capability that's not well documented anywhere. I found only one thread in this forum that talks about its use, but with a third party gimbal.

I apologize if this is basic 101 info, but thought that many would be interested. I haven't tried the functionality yet but believe it will work. I have confirmed with Dronexpert that this slider can be added to a stock RC and that it works. Maybe someone can confirm that I am correct about this.

Thanks brother...I did NOT know that. That would be very handy indeed. Thanks for the post. Im gonna have to try out what pull up posted.

 

[Klaus]

Yes I have seen that, but actually thought it was ready for use out the box (haven't got mine yet) ????

To bad with a great function like that you have to buy some extra stuff for it to work. Specially when you as I live in the "wrong" side of the world (New Zealand) so the Delivery would cost more than the product

COME ON DJI - put it on as standard.

 

[JustJames]

Tried it..didnt work. Going to see if there is anything in the assistant software to switch it on or off.

 

[petersachs]

The upcoming 3rd party gimbal from dronexpert.nl uses that slide control. When I saw the video I figured that lever was something dronexpert.nl came up with. It really would be handy if it worked with the stock setup.

Here's the video of it in use:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-KSYxV6hNk[/youtube]

 

[ludorhb]

It probably won't work. Vision gimbal works off 2.4GHz. The Controller is 5.8.

 

[Driffill]

With the original phantom, I think we either had to "enable" the gimbal to access that channel or, you may need to calibrate it to get it to work correctly the v1 has a button in the assistant software to calibrate x1 I'm not sure if the vision assist software has it tho?

 

[pileosnafu]

I"m at work now, so cannot check but isn't there an option in the Assist Software to change the Freq of the gimbal?

 

[jengo]

The upcoming 3rd party gimbal from dronexpert.nl uses that slide control. When I saw the video I figured that lever was something dronexpert.nl came up with. It really would be handy if it worked with the stock setup.

Here's the video of it in use:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-KSYxV6hNk[/youtube]

Looks awesome ... but is *WAY* overpriced.

 

[petersachs]

Yes, it is. But it uses that rear of the controller slide control to control the camera gimbal.
Just wondering how they're getting it to work.

 

[pileosnafu]

From The interwebs: Surprise DJI Phantom owners...There is a 7th Channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_Gpf1r ... e=youtu.be

 

[LeoS]

Did you know that the stock Vision Remote Control (RC) has the capability to add a camera tilt control?

I'm new to Phantom and have found this forum to be very helpful. I may have missed it, but even after several weeks of flying and reading this forum, I never realized that the stock Vision (RC) has the ability to tilt (pitch) the camera from a tilt control at the back of the RC.

...okay...

I first saw the control on a promo pic for the Phantom 2, and then again on a promo video for the new Dronexpert Gimbal.

..neither of which are stock Phantom Vision.

No, it doesn't work by default.

 

[Pull_Up]

I"m at work now, so cannot check but isn't there an option in the Assist Software to change the Freq of the gimbal?

Yes, but it's changing the electrical operational frequency of the digital servo, not the control frequency of the receiver. Wouldn't recommend messing with that as it's completely undocumented as to its function and side effects...

 

[Ffwrnais]

It probably won't work. Vision gimbal works off 2.4GHz. The Controller is 5.8.

That's true, the 2.4Ghz from the app and repeater operate the gimbal and the 5.8 from the Controller operates the flight controls....but you can use the app on 2.4 to yaw the Vision ie operate the flight controls so it's likely that the 'lost' channel on the Controller could be used to tilt the camera as there must be a crossover between the two command systems. Well that's my theory anyway! Just got to find out how to switch it on safely...

 

[LeoS]

Note that on the PV, gimbal pitch control is just between the iOS/android app and the webcam over wifi. The transmitter and receiver (5.8ghz) on board the phantom is not involved at all.

That is not to say there isn't a 7th control channel on the PV tx/rx system, just that it may not be wired by default since it's not needed on the default setup. Let's wait and see how dronexper.nl has solved this issue. They seem to have done that.

 

[Pull_Up]

Definitely doesn't work by default - I just fired up the Vision and tested it (indoors sadly, weather's been unflyable here for days). You can twiddle the pot to your heart's content and the camera sits still.

dronexpert.nl latest video showing the tilt lever function seems to show their gimbal being plug and play (or unplug and play, as you need to remove the camera from its original mounts!) but the servo connector they plug it into isn't stock. I suspect they've discovered how the wifi signal to tilt is sent from the camera to the main board then converted into an instruction for the servo to move. There will be some sort of cable they'll give you that you need to install somewhere in that circuit so that the gimbal can listen to. What's very interesting is how they are getting the 5.8GHz signal to activate it from the 7th channel. This tells us a couple of things: 1. The seventh channel is live by default, just unused in stock Vision; 2. You CAN access it's output from the main board in order to interpret control signals. I wonder if that unused Zenmuse port on the main board is live and giving out voltage and control signal from the 7th channel...?

There are a couple of people on this forum with pre-orders so I look forward to seeing what the installation method of that gimbal actually is - it will give us a big insight into how the 7th channel is wired in the Vision.

 

[Drone7]

I called Dronexpert in early december and they told me they where talking with DJI to get the 7th channel to work. In that time they told me they want to use the back of the tx for the tilt and that you have to buy a cheap switch for that. Now i see they did a great job to get it to work and i hope the switch will be included when you order it. The price is still too high then but i think every detail is worked out very well so you get what you paid for. I tried several gimbal controllers for my hexa and it is not easy to set it up. Plug and play gimbal controllers are more expensive in general but very easy to use.
Also they told me the motors are very good. They choose a better motor instead of a lower weight motor of a cheaper one and i think you don´t need an extra battery so that saves weight also.

 

[mem_ny]

Dronexpert had confirmed in an email that the switch is included with their gimbal. For those interested, they also confirmed that the app gyro tilt function works as well.

 

[Studiowise]

Thanks mem_ny, I emailed them asking whether they would be shipping a lever as part of my order and I've (so far) heard nothing back. Good to hear it should be a plug and play install.