Frank's Story

[TheLightSpeedz]

No need to be touchy I have never yet fitted the props with the wrench. Thats why its still in the box, Always tightened by hand but aren't yours sometimes difficult to get off after flying?

Its all a question of common sense really. I was sure all my props were on tight this morning but all it takes is a lapse of concentration when your fitting them. Luckily mine flew off close to take off.

I'm sure you were confident, but alas they weren't. Just one more thing to check right? I never leave my props off. I always put on cross cross applesauce, and hold the motor from underneath with one hand and twist a quarter turn past snug. Same to take off.

If you ask me that wrench to install will cause more issues. Not less. I don't think props come off because you didn't cinched them down tight. They probably came off because they were faulty, stripped, slightly cross threaded or all together loose or on the wrong motors. Who knows.


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[KyleMaxxUAV]

Can only get better?

I got home. Cleaned up the props etc. Had a cuppa. Re-charged batteries. This was not going to beat me.

Got it assembled again only this time I notice that the prop that flew off would not screw back on again. It was a silver one so it had to go clockwise. I found I had to push down firmly as I turned the prop. It caught the threads and fitted. I don't think this was from the accident though it could have caused it. spinning it around and not actually fitting.

So I took off and decided to do what I tried to do this morning. Fly up to the hill. Locate the footpath that runs along the top. Fly along side it for a while and return. I did it no problem.

My head is getting into the auto function of flying the way the camera is pointing. It sounds obvious and easy but its not. Esp on the return trip where in theory anyway everything is the other way around. All in all a good flight.

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Hey frank, I noticed your videos seem to be unstable / shake a lot & some jello. What video settings are you using !! Have you done an IMU calibration / gimbal calibration recently ??
Btw love your shots / videos !!


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[LSZ1318]

Well, the 'wrench' is really just to hold the rotor whilst you hand tighten. Just to get a better grip. At least that's what shipped with my P3A. It's not like you are applying any more torque than you normally would if you didn't use the tool. For me, it allows a better feel for how much I'm tightening because the rotor is no longer slipping beneath my chicken greasy fingers.

 

[KyleMaxxUAV]

Well, the 'wrench' is really just to hold the rotor whilst you hand tighten. Just to get a better grip. At least that's what shipped with my P3A. It's not like you are applying any more torque than you normally would if you didn't use the tool. For me, it allows a better feel for how much I'm tightening because the rotor is no longer slipping beneath my chicken greasy fingers.

... no... The wrench is to hold the motor while you REMOVE tight props. As it says when you "read the manual"
Old motors have a metal wrench / new motors have a plastic tool to grip the motor.


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[TheLightSpeedz]

... no... The wrench is to hold the motor while you REMOVE tight props. As it says when you "read the manual"
Old motors have a metal wrench / new motors have a plastic tool to grip the motor.


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Yeah I never use the tool. And the tool does allow you to over tighten.


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[LSZ1318]

... no... The wrench is to hold the motor while you REMOVE tight props. As it says when you "read the manual"
Old motors have a metal wrench / new motors have a plastic tool to grip the motor.


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What page in the P3A manual is that listed? Can't find it..!

 

[KyleMaxxUAV]

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[KyleMaxxUAV]

No mention of using the "prop removal tool" to install. Only hand tight!


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[LSZ1318]

Dang, I never looked at the In The Box PDF. Right there, though, listed as REMOVAL CLAMP. lol. Cool. I've always been careful to never overtighten, but I'll use it for just removal now.

 

[KyleMaxxUAV]

Dang, I never looked at the In The Box PDF. Right there, though, listed as REMOVAL CLAMP. lol. Cool. I've always been careful to never overtighten, but I'll use it for just removal now.

Hey I didn't even know what it was for either !!! then I accidentally found that lol so just sharing what I found !,


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[toddsworld]

Ok, I am sure you will find this a little boring. I put a screen capture app on the tablet. After I set up the Heli I started the app to capture a typical pre flight run. For some reason the copter does not like connecting with the DJI app. I have tried different combinations of startups to try and get it the first time. Below is my latest effort.

A couple of things to look out for. Strong interference message a couple of times. The Sat signal. On the ground it sometimes gets a better signal than when I pick it up. As I said its not exactly riveting stuff but it will give you a feeling for some of the problems I am having. I still fly but it can take a lot of effort. Excuse the noise on the film I left it on so you could get a sense of how windy etc it was, you can also hear me turning on/off some of the elements to fly.

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Hello Frank,

It seems like you're calibrating the wrong direction. The copter should be calibrated in a COUNTER-Clockwise direction.

Not sure how important it is to go in the direction they instruct....who knows

 

[happydays]

Hello Frank,

It seems like you're calibrating the wrong direction. The copter should be calibrated in a COUNTER-Clockwise direction.

Not sure how important it is to go in the direction they instruct....who knows

It doesn't matter. You can go in either direction, as long as you complete the circle.

 

[John Locke]

Dang, I never looked at the In The Box PDF. Right there, though, listed as REMOVAL CLAMP. lol. Cool. I've always been careful to never overtighten, but I'll use it for just removal now.

I will always use the wrench/clamp to install the props. It's more accurate to gauge the torque you're applying to each one. It's not rocket science to tighten them properly using the tool, assuming common sense is used. Frank obviously didn't do it right without the wrench/clamp. I would advise that he use the tool, but that's just me. Using the clamp reduces risk IMHO, regardless what the manual says.

 

[KyleMaxxUAV]

I will always use the wrench/clamp to install the props. It's more accurate to gauge the torque you're applying to each one. It's not rocket science to tighten them properly using the tool, assuming common sense is used. Frank obviously didn't do it right without the wrench/clamp. I would advise that he use the tool, but that's just me. Using the clamp reduces risk IMHO, regardless what the manual says.

I agree with you most of the time John, but this time I disagree.
It's a lot harder to over tighten and strip the threads when hand tightening compared to misusing the removal tool.
If you hand tighten the props as per DJI's recommendation and your bird falls out of the sky and eats the dirt, it is warranty.
If you use the wrench and you strip the prop and it eats the dirt , it could be denied for warranty as you are misusing the removal tool and DJI does not cover pilot error and stupidity (such as crashing into a wall).

The props need to be hand tightened, which means spin them on and then grab the motor and then snug them up.


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[John Locke]

I agree with you most of the time John, but this time I disagree.
It's a lot harder to over tighten and strip the threads when hand tightening compared to misusing the removal tool.
If you hand tighten the props as per DJI's recommendation and your bird falls out of the sky and eats the dirt, it is warranty.
If you use the wrench and you strip the prop and it eats the dirt , it could be denied for warranty as you are misusing the removal tool and DJI does not cover pilot error and stupidity (such as crashing into a wall).

The props need to be hand tightened, which means spin them on and then grab the motor and then snug them up.


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Well we can agree to disagree, that's quite OK. Like I said, you have to use common sense when tightening props, it's not rocket science.

BTW, I am using my hands to install the props as the directions state ..... using the provided "hand tool". If DJI didn't want you to use the hand tool to install, you'd think they would actually say so.

It's very likely many owners tighten their props by hand tighter than me, even though I use the wrench/clamp. I simply prefer using the tool to hold it the motor, it's easier and more accurate IMHO. The wrench allows a more consistent method to gauge the torque applied. Whether my hands are clean to easily grip the motor good by hand, or dirty or dusty making my grip slippery, using the tool allows a more reliable consistent torque applied, even when I have gloves on. I'm sure you understand that logic.

FYI, I've installed my original 4 props probably over 60 times in the last 7 months (155 flights). My spares still have the plastic over the threads. I have never worn one out, nor have any of them even felt close to stripping the threads. They're pretty tough. I'm wondering, has anyone ever stripped the threads on one of these DJI props? It's likely be pretty hard to strip the threads with such a short wrench, even if you tried.

I have never heard of anyone's prop failing or coming off due to using the wrench, have you? I cannot say the same for those that don't, such as Frank. I believe my routine has less risk, but that's just me. It might not be for others, I'm not sure. Anyone with arthritis or weak hands would certainly be better off using the wrench/clamp, IMHO.

I can easily understand why DJI doesn't suggest using the tool to install. Some folks my not be savvy enough or have the experience needed, or maybe lack the common sense to snugly install props with tools without over-tightening them.

 

[Frankc]

As previously stated, and not just by me, common sense is the name of the game here. My hands are not as strong as they used to be, I worked 8 hours a day with them picking up, squeezing etc. So a 'hand tight' then would have been equivalent to gently tightening with a tool now.

Why I need to dig the tool out of the original box is for the very reasons above, my hands are not as good as they used to be. So sometimes its very hard to remove the props. Thanks for all these replies. No idea when my little drone crashed it would cause such a reaction. But lots of useful information has come from it so it has ended up being a good thing.

I for one will certainly be ensuring my props are on 'tight' from now on.

 

[Frankc]

Hey frank, I noticed your videos seem to be unstable / shake a lot & some jello. What video settings are you using !! Have you done an IMU calibration / gimbal calibration recently ??
Btw love your shots / videos !!
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I think, well lets say I am hoping, that the shake is due to the heli fighting against the wind. Sometimes when the sun is bright and the props get between the sun and the camera you do get a strobing effect. The camera is trying to go forward and the wind is trying its best to push my off to the right. You can always tell when the heli is struggling because on or both of the arms appear in to the camera view when the heli tips forward to 'dig' into the air to pull itself forward or just get back into position. I have tended to fly in gusty winds.

All the stuff I am doing at the moment is purely a teaching myself exercise. Trying to make the mistakes early on whilst I am still learning.

I have redone the IMU and Gible calibration.

Thanks for the tip about the compass calibration. I just thought it did not matter which way you turned it. Will do it anti-clock wise from now on.

My next test will be to see if the camera shakes whilst its just hovering with no wind.

Franks Tip.

Take off and play with the exposure/white balance before you move off. When you are happy with the picture leave the right adjustment wheel alone. My mistake was in one of the videos I flew to the hill and in the camera view through the RC it looked very dark. So like a twit I adjusted it. On playback it turns out the setting were fine till I adjusted them mid flight. Another lesson learned.

To see what I mean skip to 50 seconds and the changes appear at around 1 min.

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[Rasit]

Agreed. Regardless of what's in the manual, "hand tight" should be interpreted to mean = not loose, not over tightened. Common sense rules. Even a gorilla with arthritic hands might benefit from using the wrench and still have successful flights.

 

[Frankc]

Frank obviously didn't do it right without the wrench/clamp. I would advise that he use the tool, but that's just me. Using the clamp reduces risk IMHO, regardless what the manual says.

I think it was a pure mistake on my part. I put the prop on and spun it but obviously it was not on properly. On my return flight, so to speak, I had to push that particular prop down firmly for it to catch on the threads and spin in tight. This second time I put it on in first instance it just spun on top of the threads it could have done that the first time around and just assumed it was on. My head was probably on something else at the time.

I will keep saying it. Sooooooooo glad it spun off at take off and not 10 mins later.

 

[Rasit]

Props are cheap. If they ever feel like something isn't right, I replace them.