Calbration Error out of the box after RMA

[Nick F]

I ve just rcvd my Refurbished Solo through an RMA and there is a "calibration error"...
I have installed myself the gimball and the Mrobotics M8N GPS unit.
Thinking of maybe having not properly installed them, I took everything off again but the problem is still there...

The strange thing is that if I perform a level calibration, everything goes to normal,but when I switch Solo off, and back on, the calibration error appears once again...

Hopefully I do not have to send my Solo back once again for replacement!!???? I took 2 months to 3DR to replace mine with a broken one?!?!?

 

[Maddog]

Have you performed a compass calibration?

Don't know if a stick calibration would help but it wouldn't hurt.

http://thepaperfile.com/public/3dr/calibration.sticks.windows.pdf

 

[pyrate]

Seems like I read in the last firmware that this issue was addressed.
but try a stick calibration

 

[Nick F]

I've done both level and compass calibrations several times resolving temporary the issue, in fact when I switch Solo off and on again the calibration errors appears again.
I will try a stick calibration too and let you know how it goes.
Thanks!

 

[Nick F]

I've tried the stick calibration too but the problem persists...
It seems like everytime I switch Solo off it forgets all calibrations previously done...
I contacted 3dr customer support filing them a log ticket too....
Start to think this bird is too much unreliable....

 

[Maddog]

I've tried the stick calibration too but the problem persists...
It seems like everytime I switch Solo off it forgets all calibrations previously done...
I contacted 3dr customer support filing them a log ticket too....
Start to think this bird is too much unreliable....

Hang in there- once it's fixed you'll be happy!

 

[Nick F]

I agree Maddog, I love Solo, I bought a second one and waiting for the good chance to buy the 3rd one too...
But still, I've had my first Solo for about 10 months, 2.5 of which kept by 3DR for an RMA...
Now the Refurbished drone they sent to me is not working either... probably 3DR will take a couple of months more to ship another one to me (hopefully working?!)... This counts about 30% of the time I own my Solo shared with 3DR....
Having this machine properly working seems a kind of a gamble, I recon its reliability is very poor and I confess every time I put it in the air I do not feel sure and comfortable...
I understand we are talking about a very new technology, but maybe 3DR dared a little too much and went too far in the conception of their Solo?
Just a curiosity: do other drone owners (DJI/KARMA/etc) experience the same problems we do?

Ahhh I forgot to mention, I've noticed that the new installed gimball Is very slow when tilting down.
When going up it is ok but when I move it down it is very very slow: could this be caused by the calibration error affecting my drone too?

 

[Maddog]

I agree Maddog, I love Solo, I bought a second one and waiting for the good chance to buy the 3rd one too...
But still, I've had my first Solo for about 10 months, 2.5 of which kept by 3DR for an RMA...
Now the Refurbished drone they sent to me is not working either... probably 3DR will take a couple of months more to ship another one to me (hopefully working?!)... This counts about 30% of the time I own my Solo shared with 3DR....
Having this machine properly working seems a kind of a gamble, I recon its reliability is very poor and I confess every time I put it in the air I do not feel sure and comfortable...
I understand we are talking about a very new technology, but maybe 3DR dared a little too much and went too far in the conception of their Solo?
Just a curiosity: do other drone owners (DJI/KARMA/etc) experience the same problems we do?

Ahhh I forgot to mention, I've noticed that the new installed gimball Is very slow when tilting down.
When going up it is ok but when I move it down it is very very slow: could this be caused by the calibration error affecting my drone too?

Sorry about all your problems, that really sucks.

I've never owned anything else. Might check out the Phantom forum.
Regarding the gimbal, speed is controlled by wheel at top right of controller. Never noticed if it goes up & down at same speed but it should..I think. Can't imagine how calibration would affect it.

What bothers me the most is the inconsistency from one Solo to another. One has no problems, another has nothing but problems. And not just one thing- everything that can possibly go wrong happens to somebody.

Gotta be quality control or design.

 

[Nick F]

3DR answered:
"the logs are showing a drift on one of the IMUs inside Solo causing issues during the calibration."
They will replace my Solo once again, but I still wonder: is this problem fixable by ourselves somehow?
If I calibrate everything my Solo flies... It just forgets all calibrations when I switch it off...
Can this IMU be fixed?

@Maddog: I think this absolute causality in having all sort of issues and problems could be caused by a project which has not been well tested before its launch... probably because of "some" pressure on the financial side?

 

[Maddog]

3DR answered:
"the logs are showing a drift on one of the IMUs inside Solo causing issues during the calibration."
They will replace my Solo once again, but I still wonder: is this problem fixable by ourselves somehow?
If I calibrate everything my Solo flies... It just forgets all calibrations when I switch it off...
Can this IMU be fixed?

@Maddog: I think this absolute causality in having all sort of issues and problems could be caused by a project which has not been well tested before its launch... probably because of "some" pressure on the financial side?

They were in a hurry to get it out in an effort to beat DJI with the rollout of their latest Phantom in 2015. It didn't come with a gimbal as they still hadn't figured out how to make one.

 

[Nick F]

3DR os shipping to me another Solo but amazingly they do not want the malfunctioning one back!
I guess I have a 3rd Solo only for spares!
Unless there is a way to fix the Imu drifting problem?!

 

[Maddog]

3DR os shipping to me another Solo but amazingly they do not want the malfunctioning one back!
I guess I have a 3rd Solo only for spares!
Unless there is a way to fix the Imu drifting problem?!

Lucky you!

 

[Nick F]

Well... it would be nice to be able and fix it too!!
Is there a way to fix the IMU problem? Changing the PIxhawk2 maybe?