Sorry for adding fuel to the fire guys (got my first shell crack)

[DrewFlies]

Has anyone noted any common threads to the issue? Are Advanced and Pros both having issues? Are the cracks showing up at the same time e.g. 100 + flights...?

I'm well below a 100 flights at this point on my Advanced and haven't notes any cracks, as I stated before, I am using quick disconnect prop guards- which was speculated to help w/ adding stability to the arms.

Mark.

No as stated before people are seeing cracks right out of the box when they first open them and see cracks after 100+ flights, like me.

Good suggestion. Maybe we should tune the brake gain way back to reduce the stress?

Brakes should not matter. Even if thats the root to the problem it doesnt explain why people are receiving their Phantom 3s cracked on arrival. Also, that means a poorly designed shell and if it were the case DJI shouldn't even allow you to have braking options.

 

[DrewFlies]

I've heard tell about P1 and P2 cracks but have had 2 of each machine (still have one of each) and not had the problem. I also followed a lot of forums and never saw a large quantity of folks who had them.

Not saying it didn't happen - just that it wasn't a problem in terms of % up until perhaps now.
DJI USA moved into a new (5X the size) facility this week. Hopefully they will get the service turnaround down as a result, but that's likely to take a while. First they have to find the exact problem.

Compared to the rest of the bird, the difficulty in finding what's wrong with a plastic shell should be quite easy. I'm not worried. I'd rather have the "better" shell they are likely to come up with than have one replaced soon with the same exact shell (mine isn't cracked anyway).

I would love to believe that. But, DJIs repair team is known to take quite sometime even before the P3 came out. Now that there is a whole new model and issues rising. I can only guess that the wait time will get worse (new faciltiy or old).

 

[BuckRogers]

Good suggestion. Maybe we should tune the brake gain way back to reduce the stress?

I like the way mine brakes. I'd just make sure there's no play on the rear arms between shells. There's also a screw at the distal tip of the arm. Tighten that.

 

[ScottyT]

Whether it's 5% or 50% or 100% those internet polls don't count for much.
Someone with cracks will go on google and get right to that poll.
Those without (like myself - so far) do not even look at the poll.

Just saying - the forum reps are very informal opinions - the engineers at DJI are actually going to study the system and likely fix it. That happens behind the scenes...

But they count for something amidst the communications from DJI that state there is no problem. The truth will lie somewhere in the middle.

People who google the poll still have to join up before voting - and in doing so they probably have cracks. Which is kinda what the poll is about. % is one aspect, raw numbers that have cracks is another.

If DJI aren't acknowledging the issue, I doubt they'll be actively 'fixing' the issue. Hence these threads. There is a comment in here from a DJI rep stating they believe the 20 or so cases they have confirmed are simply due to over torqued screws.

 

[gfredrone]

Just did my first inspection and both rear arms are cracked on the inside screw. Great....

 

[ScottyT]

I think the inside screws are more affected at the rear because the motors are angled away from it, likely causing more stress on that load point. From all accounts the motors weren't angled on the previous phantoms...?

 

[phantom3menace]

But they count for something amidst the communications from DJI that state there is no problem. The truth will lie somewhere in the middle.

People who google the poll still have to join up before voting - and in doing so they probably have cracks. Which is kinda what the poll is about. % is one aspect, raw numbers that have cracks is another.

If DJI aren't acknowledging the issue, I doubt they'll be actively 'fixing' the issue. Hence these threads. There is a comment in here from a DJI rep stating they believe the 20 or so cases they have confirmed are simply due to over torqued screws.

only 20 confirmed cases total? lol now that's funny. there's probably 20 confirmed cases alone in just this one thread.

I tell ya, I love my P3P but i'm very, very close to just returning the **** thing back to Amazon while I'm still in my 30 day period. I won't have the patience knowing my Phantom is screwed up and DJI basically will take their sweet time by providing a temporary fix until it happens again.

 

[John Locke]

this issue is insane for such an expensive product. DJI can boast all they want on how the customer can send it in for repair under warranty. this wouldn't satisfy me if and when the turn around time is several weeks or maybe even longer? then what happens when the same issue happens again to the same customer? now another three, four or five week turn around process again?

thats insane. DJI needs to double the one year warranty for the actual down time that the customer(s) will experience for buying a defective product (to say the very least).

I'm pretty sure there's still a Calif law that states any warranty downtime for repair automatically extends the warranty period by the same amount of time you didn't have use of the product.

 

[John Locke]

Well boys, I think it really is safe to say that this will inevitably happen to everyone. Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when. This whole bs crap about majority of people have no cracks needs to be thrown out the door. I just believe they havent flown it enough times or they're not educated to check for the cracks. I personally beliebe and this is an opinion. That within the next 2 months the reported cases of cracks will be over 50% to total number of P3s sold. Im really curious to see what DJI plans to do about this. Even if it means for each customer to send in their P3 and DJI is probably going to reinforce the inner shell with glue like most people are doing themselves. I really think doing it yourself is pretty stupid because it voids the warranty. We already have a bunch of bugs in the new firmware. I would hate to void my warranty within 2 months of owning my P3.


Now that I have these cracks. I understand that they eventually will get worse. Will zip ties prevent it from getting worse? I really want to hold on to my P3 until they have better solution. That 2 month waiting crap is ridiculous and I expect it to get worse with the increasing number of reported incidents.my p3 flies like a champ. I wouldnt have even checked for those cracks if I havent seen all these threads popping up. I would much rather keep flying and wait for p3 replacement shells come out than to send it away for 2 months.

This screw doesn't appear to be that important, can't imagine the bird falling out of the ski unless the crack migrates so much that the outer shell starts to crack in addition to the inner wall of the screw well. If you wanted to stall sending in the bird until right before the warranty is up, it appears you could buy a longer screw and use a washer with the appropriate size hole, with a washer diameter that is slightly larger than the screw well cavity. It would be an ugly fix inimitably, but it would secure the arm adequate to safely fly. However if the outer arm shell starts to crack, that's a different situation. That would structurally weakening the arm to the point at which time it should be retired to the repair shop.
I'm keeping my Q500+ to fill in that 8wk period when I'm destined to return my P3P to DJI.

 

[Netsquash]

I have not yet reported (officially) to DJI but I have cracks on the rear arm screws. I talked to a DJI rep on Monday in chat and they kinda passed off the issue to the LA office and would not forward along my photos of the cracks.

 

[ScottyT]

I have not yet reported (officially) to DJI but I have cracks on the rear arm screws. I talked to a DJI rep on Monday in chat and they kinda passed off the issue to the LA office and would not forward along my photos of the cracks.

Oh bless their cotton socks.

I'd happily report my issue formally if they provided an avenue to do so (photos, invoice,serial number etc) but I'm not sending the craft away for a great cost to me and have it gone for 2 months. They've not acknowledged they even have an issue and I'll likely just get a similar inferior quality shell in return (as others have got). Pointless at this stage.

In the meantime I'll stick with yet another workaround until I see some real progress. Not holding my breath.

 

[Netsquash]

I figured I would call them up tomorrow and tell them to expect a Phantom 3 in the mail around December when it's impossible to use here anyway. It would cost me too much money to lose this thing during the summer months.

 

[bobmyers]

Mine will continue to fly unless it crashes. There is no way that those motors are coming loose with the bolts running thru the prop guard mounts or some of the reinforcing that is being offered on this forum. Mine has had cracks since I received in in May. -- and it had bolt on quick disconnect prop guard mounts the second day after I received it. (Yes sometimes I fly with prop guards and some times I don't.) The flights are rock solid and better than anything out there for the price. The Phantom is very easy to learn to fly, even for noobies.


IMHO, all the complaining, hand wringing, and frustration with these cracks, drains any joy or fun in being able fly at altitude and see what the birds see, not to mention being able to film in 4K at that altitude. Getting videos of what a lot of people never see in a lifetime makes it all worth it.

Believe me, I get the frustration-- I totally understand the aggravation. It is not going to get any better until the decision is made to reinforce it and live with it or send it back and ask for a refund or a replacement. Those are the options as I understand them.

I don't get making it worse by discussing law suits, making threats and running down the manufacturer who was obviously was not prepared to handle the onslaught of record sales and the problems that arise from selling record numbers of the Phantoms in a two month period. The help from the manufacturer will not be overnight, but I am sure that you will see some in the short future, like improvements to manufacturing and assembly.

Cheers! Hope all of you that have the crack issue, find a solution that will bring you some satisfaction and enjoyment-- and a better day tomorrow-- life is way too short to even comment about these issues that none of us have control over. DJI is painfully aware of this issue-- it may be costing them some serious revenue in lost sales.

 

[ScottyT]

Mine will continue to fly unless it crashes. There is no way that those motors are coming loose with the bolts running thru the prop guard mounts or some of the reinforcing that is being offered on this forum. Mine has had cracks since I received in in May. -- and it had bolt on quick disconnect prop guard mounts the second day after I received it. (Yes sometimes I fly with prop guards and some times I don't.) The flights are rock solid and better than anything out there for the price. The Phantom is very easy to learn to fly, even for noobies.


IMHO, all the complaining, hand wringing, and frustration with these cracks, drains any joy or fun in being able fly at altitude and see what the birds see, not to mention being able to film in 4K at that altitude. Getting videos of what a lot of people never see in a lifetime makes it all worth it.

Believe me, I get the frustration-- I totally understand the aggravation. It is not going to get any better until the decision is made to reinforce it and live with it or send it back and ask for a refund or a replacement. Those are the options as I understand them.

I don't get making it worse by discussing law suits, making threats and running down the manufacturer who was obviously was not prepared to handle the onslaught of record sales and the problems that arise from selling record numbers of the Phantoms in a two month period. The help from the manufacturer will not be overnight, but I am sure that you will see some in the short future, like improvements to manufacturing and assembly.

Cheers! Hope all of you that have the crack issue, find a solution that will bring you some satisfaction and enjoyment-- and a better day tomorrow-- life is way too short to even comment about these issues that none of us have control over. DJI is painfully aware of this issue-- it may be costing them some serious revenue in lost sales.

Nothing wrong with discussion of the issue and suitable workarounds. I've not seen one mention of a law suit, but hey, whatever, there's probably be one.

I for one am following these threads, as a) I have the cracks and want to see updates on the issue b) I'm interested to see the numbers being reported because of the cavalier attitude of the DJI reps towards the issue

Oh, and c) I still fly and my life goes on

 

[bobmyers]

Nothing wrong with discussion of the issue and suitable workarounds. I've not seen one mention of a law suit, but hey, whatever, there's probably be one.

I for one am following these threads, as a) I have the cracks and want to see updates on the issue b) I'm interested to see the numbers being reported because of the cavalier attitude of the DJI reps towards the issue

Oh, and c) I still fly and my life goes on

Me too--

 

[Albert R.]

Hello fellow Pilots.
I have been thinking about this issue for a few days since the post first appeared. I believe there are several predisposing factors that are causing this problem including more powerful engines, propensity to place a lot of stress in the rear prop area due to rapid acceleration or deceleration, the rotational torque of the engines and an under engineered chassis. Here are some ideas that I believe can be used to mitigate and or manage the problem. Love to hear your thoughts.

• Modifying the Gain and Expo Tuning and using less aggressive acceleration curves.
• Balancing the props. I found that the stock props are close but some were significantly off. The constant vibration is probably a contributing factor.
• Instead of zip ties, what about heat shrink tubing. I comes in different sizes and colors, affords a broader distribution of the compressive forces, adds some structural element, is relatively light weight and can be removed. I will do some R&D to see what the best length and diameter to use. The one thing that I do not like about zip ties is the narrow area of compression may also act as a fulcrum for other twisting forces.

I'm still working on the installation method for the tubing but I know that least it will involve the removal of the engines to get enough clearance but should not involve cracking open the case. Work in progress.
Fortunately, I still do not have any cracks yet but I am going to ground the aircraft until I can incorporate the heat shrink tubing as a preventative measure. Good luck Pilots.

 

[ScottyT]

ive any cracks yet but I am going to ground the aircraft until I can incorporate the heat shrink tubing as a preventative measure. Good luck Pilots.

Your heat shrink tubing idea is an interesting one. Can't envision how you'd do it though - tie some thinner tubing on and shrink it (much like the cable ties), or slip on a larger tube and try and shrink that?

 

[duse500]

I dont have the cracks,(I dont want them either)
i can see how zip ties would help, but wouldn't Duct tape(white would be my choice of color) be the best solution?
I cant picture how you would get shrink tube on?

 

[ScottyT]

I dont have the cracks,(I dont want them either)
i can see how zip ties would help, but wouldn't Duct tape(white would be my choice of color) be the best solution?
I cant picture how you would get shrink tube on?

Oh come on. All the cool kids are sporting cracks on their phantoms now. It's the only way to fly!

 

[cdronefly]

only 20 confirmed cases total? lol now that's funny. there's probably 20 confirmed cases alone in just this one thread.

I tell ya, I love my P3P but i'm very, very close to just returning the **** thing back to Amazon while I'm still in my 30 day period. I won't have the patience knowing my Phantom is screwed up and DJI basically will take their sweet time by providing a temporary fix until it happens again.

You should do it if you don't need or want a video or gimbal quad at the moment. Chances are it will be fixed within a few months.....but, then again, sometimes new problems crop up in updates also.

If you have to say "**** thing" as opposed to "this thing is ultimate cool", you probably don't want it.