Go Pro Connector Plug has detached from gimbal circuit board

[Barrie Crampton]

hi, would appreciate advice if possible, had smal crash (pilot error, long story short distracted momentarily by attractive lady getting out of car) props touched stationary object while hovering 12 inches off ground, drone flipped and hit the floor, everything worked fine afterwards, however next flight i couldnt get a picture from my go pro, on further examination i discovered the female connection plug on the gimbal circuit board had become detached, the pegs which hold it in place had just come out of the solder, and there appears to be a number of other connections underneath, does anyone know if these, are just touch contacts, or should they be soldered too, i cant see a way to get to them, but should be easy enough to solder the 4 pegs back in (and do a better job than 3Dr as the solder hadnt run in to the retaining holes in the connector legs and had formed a pretty week joint (granted crashing didnt help matters) So if i solder the 4 pins back will it work? I think i already know the answer but i live in hope !

 

[healthyfatboy]

You have to at least solder the 4 ground pins that hold the connector in as well as all the tiny ones for data assuming none of the traces are broken. The traces look okay so it might work but hard to know until you do it.

 

[Barrie Crampton]

You have to at least solder the 4 ground pins that hold the connector in as well as all the tiny ones for data assuming none of the traces are broken. The traces look okay so it might work but hard to know until you do it.

thanks for that, i just cant figure out how to get to those connections, they must be soldered in before its assembled as theres no access underneath, im afraid it looks like a new gimbal is the answer and to keep this one for spares, although i suspect this will be the first bit that breaks on all of them as the cable that goes into it is really thick and stiff, pretty bad design flaw but great drone otherwise

 

[Solo Keith]

View attachment 4525 View attachment 4526 hi, would appreciate advice if possible, had smal crash (pilot error, long story short distracted momentarily by attractive lady getting out of car) props touched stationary object while hovering 12 inches off ground, drone flipped and hit the floor, everything worked fine afterwards, however next flight i couldnt get a picture from my go pro, on further examination i discovered the female connection plug on the gimbal circuit board had become detached, the pegs which hold it in place had just come out of the solder, and there appears to be a number of other connections underneath, does anyone know if these, are just touch contacts, or should they be soldered too, i cant see a way to get to them, but should be easy enough to solder the 4 pegs back in (and do a better job than 3Dr as the solder hadnt run in to the retaining holes in the connector legs and had formed a pretty week joint (granted crashing didnt help matters) So if i solder the 4 pins back will it work? I think i already know the answer but i live in hope !

I had the same connector come off on my gimbal. There is a member on this forum that was able to repair the gimbal. I know he had to solder a NEW connector, as the traces were in worse shape than yours. So it is repairable. I don't wanna call the member out but I'm pretty sure he'll chime in and tell you his experience.

 

[RichWest]

I think you pulled two solder pads, the unit I repaired was not that bad....

Anything can be done, but at today's cost it may not be worth the effort.... Here's the post describing the replacement and my methods...

Solo Gimbal Micro-HDMI (Type-D) connector replacement

fwiw Keith, I have four new gimbals and I am still flying with your old one. Just to prove to myself that the replacement would hold up.

 

[healthyfatboy]

Didn't realize there were so many pins! Yup, 2 pads ripped off so it's going to be a hard repair. Not impossible but probably cheaper to buy another gimbal at $100.

 

[Dash Hewes]

agreed, not worth the frustration to get it right with the soldering iron, better outcome is replacement for as little:
3DR - Solo Gimbal - Black
been there, done that.

 

[Barrie Crampton]

cheers guys, i ordered a new gimbal yesterday, but cant believe it is such a weak method of attachment, for such an expensive and exposed part. Neither can I see how they solder them in as the connections are underneath a part which is also soldered in, anyway expensive lesson, does anyone know where i can get some blinkers to wear while im flying it


thanks again for the help!!!!!! from the UK

Barrie

 

[Solo Keith]

I think you pulled two solder pads, the unit I repaired was not that bad....

Anything can be done, but at today's cost it may not be worth the effort.... Here's the post describing the replacement and my methods...

Solo Gimbal Micro-HDMI (Type-D) connector replacement

fwiw Keith, I have four new gimbals and I am still flying with your old one. Just to prove to myself that the replacement would hold up.

It really is amazing how you were able to reattach that connector & the gimbal is still working. Hats off to you sir. If we, the members, had to pick another member here for a team build, you my friend would be first choice.

 

[RichWest]

LOL, wrong guy Keith. I'm just a mechanic.

It appears ole Barrie is going to cut his losses and buy a Mavic. He believes OA will save him from himself. Good luck Barrie, your on my ignore list...as a troll.

 

[Solo Keith]

You sure you're not an engineer? You're skills definitely speak that way. I didn't call you out on this thread because it kinda smelled. And thanks again for ALL of your contributions here

 

[Barrie Crampton]

Wow! a Troll? nope just on here because i thought i could get some advice that would save me some money, but thanks anyway

 

[healthyfatboy]

Maybe hot glue over the part on a new gimbal might help but there's only so much you can do with a surface mount component that has a cable connected to it that acts as a nice lever to rip the connector off on crashes. A minor collision is still a crash and minor is relative to each person. Just because the whole quad isn't in pieces doesn't make it minor.