Camera tilt - SOLVED

[Marijus Kras]

Hi.
This fix works like a charm for my P2V+.
One month ago somehow my camera tilted 25% horizontaly. Searched on internet for a solution and couldnt find it. Also sending for a repair is imposible for me from Lithuania. So i was planing to sell it to eBay for parts.
And a miracle, I found your post. Did it as you wrote. its still <1% angle but its not so visible. And after 3 flights it flies as newborn BABY.

Thank you WERY much.

 

[davephantom]

Have a small tilt can other post the circuit board / pin shot like this? If looking at the front it tilts from left to right (higher on the right) and also yaws the same direction (right when looking front). It just needs calibration there is no bending or visible damage or defect with the gimbal.

 

[davephantom]

The little dot above the pin should be pointing straight up if your arm is not bent. I think mine is too correct for this adjustment (gross adjust) for fine adjust must happen in software!

 

[Studbaker]

It worked. Thanks.

 

[tlastrange]

Very weird. Went out for a flight today, calibrated the compass, and the tilt is back. I need to open it up to see if the motor shaft is where I left it. It's looking more like I'll end up using the replacement camera/gimbal I have sitting on my desk...

I opened it up and the shaft had twisted back to where it was in one of my first photos. I turned it back to level and will try again.

 

[andrew]

I'm having to re-apply this work-around every other flight... it's unfortunate but what else can we do? DJI - let's get the calibration utility available!

 

[npalen]

Could you apply a little of the penetrating grade of Loctite to keep the shaft from slipping?

 

[Dirty Bird]

I'm having to re-apply this work-around every other flight... it's unfortunate but what else can we do? DJI - let's get the calibration utility available!

I'm not liking this "press-fit" shaft design. They should have used a set screw, or better yet had a functioning gimbal adjustment section in the Assistant.. Obviously this shaft is slipping, and the more you twist it the easier it is to slip. Can you twist the shaft completely out of the camera, apply a drop of Loc-tite, then reinsert and align the shaft? If you can, I think I would go for the red Loc-tite and hopefully it will stay put.

 

[M.Tigelaar]

I'm having to re-apply this work-around every other flight... it's unfortunate but what else can we do? DJI - let's get the calibration utility available!

I'm not liking this "press-fit" shaft design. They should have used a set screw, or better yet had a functioning gimbal adjustment section in the Assistant.. Obviously this shaft is slipping, and the more you twist it the easier it is to slip. Can you twist the shaft completely out of the camera, apply a drop of Loc-tite, then reinsert and align the shaft? If you can, I think I would go for the red Loc-tite and hopefully it will stay put.

+1

 

[cougar]

I'm having to re-apply this work-around every other flight... it's unfortunate but what else can we do? DJI - let's get the calibration utility available!

I'm not liking this "press-fit" shaft design. They should have used a set screw, or better yet had a functioning gimbal adjustment section in the Assistant.. Obviously this shaft is slipping, and the more you twist it the easier it is to slip. Can you twist the shaft completely out of the camera, apply a drop of Loc-tite, then reinsert and align the shaft? If you can, I think I would go for the red Loc-tite and hopefully it will stay put.

+1

Agree, but would use blue loc-tite instead. Blue would hold it and could also be taken apart if needed, red is permanent.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Agree, but would use blue loc-tite instead. Blue would hold it and could also be taken apart if needed, red is permanent.

True but, if I had to do this repair, I would be hoping for a permanent fix.

 

[cougar]

Agree, but would use blue loc-tite instead. Blue would hold it and could also be taken apart if needed, red is permanent.

True but, if I had to do this repair, I would be hoping for a permanent fix.

Sure, but the blue Loc-tite is strong and would be a "permanent fix" but also allow you to take it apart if you need. Using the red loc-tite would make it so you can't without using extreme heat. What if something else happens and you need to change a part?

 

[Mori55]

That's correct , I use lic tire on my motorcycle and the blue is fine. Need heat to remove the red stuff

 

[npalen]

The questions that comes to my mind is are: Was the press fit actually designed to be a LIGHT press fit to protect the camera in the even of a crash? Does the motor shaft actually slip on the shaft or is it an electronic slip? (that should be fixable in the Assistant)

 

[npalen]

Sorry. Double post.

 

[tlastrange]

I "fixed" my tilt a couple times and each time I took it out for a test flight, the camera came up tilted the minute I powered it on. So weird.

I installed my replacement gimbal and camera yesterday. Test flight looked good. All is right with the world again.

I might give it another go if someone can figure out how to disassemble, reassemble, and make the shaft stick. Or if DJI would just come out with some sort of electronic calibration!

 

[npalen]

I have to wonder if the factory applies a medium bonding material at assembly. Perhaps once this bond is broken by an impact it then is too loose to hold the camera orientation on the shaft as soon as the motor tries to "whip" the camera to its level position when powering up. I see that the "D" shape on the end of the shaft engages the encoder when the circuit board is put back into place. That encoder probably tries to level the camera immediately upon power up.
Who wants "take the bull by the horns" and disassemble the rest of the camera to see what gives?

 

[4wd]

Are the ones tilting after a while off their own accord all going the same way, as the motor spins?
I wondered if sticky tape over the end of the shaft might hold it without potentially locking something it shouldn't.
Or does that shaft actually need to turn as it levels, relative to the surrounding housing.

 

[npalen]

I applied a tiny amount of penetrating Loctite to the front end of the shaft and will see if that does the job. The shaft is only about 2.0mm diameter at the front end so it has a very small amount of torque ability to hold the camera level. It might be possible to drill and tap from the side to install a setscrew but it would have to be very tiny--about a 1.0mm screw. This is getting down to watchmakers size stuff. Another approach would be to drill into the end of the shaft at its periphery where it meets the housing and then install a tiny dowel to act as a key. That would mean first removing the camera itself to get access. It's interesting that the other axes of the gimbal have a setscrew contacting the "D" shape on the shaft to prevent this slippage problem.
To answer your questions, I don't think the shaft should turn inside the housing and that is what is causing the out-of-level condition. The motor spins both directions but I noticed that the roll motor tends to be low when the gimbal goes out of level.
Sure would be nice if an engineer from DJI could respond to this issue. That will be a cold day in hell.

 

[andrew]

I have yet to attempt using loctite. Did it work for you npalen? It would be great if a DJI engineer chirped in. You'd think they'd be all over it, you know, since we are all paying full price to beta test the thing.