It was better without the gimbal

Hank Perritt · Sep 8, 2015

Like everyone else, I waited out the promised and re-promised gimbal delivery and finally received it. I installed it without too much of a problem--although it is tricky to get the unnecessarily stiff wires back in the cavity so that they do not impinge on the motor and still allow one to screw the gimbal down.

The problem is that the gimbal twitches in its roll axis against the stops every time the Solo receives a control input--even the gentlest yaw, up or down, or left or right command. The imagery that results is unusuable. It's like the viewer was jerking neck left and right.

Without the gimbal, I couldn't adjust camera elevation, but the camera didn't have seizures.

On a separate issue, a trouble ticket asking about in-flight camera adjustment produced the answer that it's not available yet, but "coming soon."

I've had four flyaways from modest heights and modest distances from the controller so far, fortunately resulting in little damage except for broken props and within a distance that allowed recovery.

I get emails regularly from Colin hyping what's to come. It would be nice if 3DR delivers on what was promised when we all ordered it. This is shaping up to be a major scam.

Michael Stevenson · Sep 8, 2015

I find it fascinating that the long awaited Gimbal is a joke. How can that be?

Earldgrayjr · Sep 9, 2015

Hank Perritt said:
Like everyone else, I waited out the promised and re-promised gimbal delivery and finally received it. I installed it without too much of a problem--although it is tricky to get the unnecessarily stiff wires back in the cavity so that they do not impinge on the motor and still allow one to screw the gimbal down.

The problem is that the gimbal twitches in its roll axis against the stops every time the Solo receives a control input--even the gentlest yaw, up or down, or left or right command. The imagery that results is unusuable. It's like the viewer was jerking neck left and right.

Without the gimbal, I couldn't adjust camera elevation, but the camera didn't have seizures.

On a separate issue, a trouble ticket asking about in-flight camera adjustment produced the answer that it's not available yet, but "coming soon."

I've had four flyaways from modest heights and modest distances from the controller so far, fortunately resulting in little damage except for broken props and within a distance that allowed recovery.

I get emails regularly from Colin hyping what's to come. It would be nice if 3DR delivers on what was promised when we all ordered it. This is shaping up to be a major scam.

*sigh*.

I have the gimbal, have posted video, and couldn't be happier with it.

If you want a resolution, you need to take one thing at a time. Regarding the gimbal. Have you done a calibration after installing the gimbal? Have you talked to 3DR? If I had to guess, you have something binding in your install. While you don't seem to be considering that as a possibility, it is a high likelihood, that you should look closely at.

You mentioned that as a "separate issue" you started a 3DR support ticket to complain that the settings control functionality of the GoPro wasn't there with your gimbal. I would think you would know that, but OK. You never mentioned however that you contacted 3DR regarding the actual gimbal problem, or if you did what the response was. That is odd tonot do or mention, since that is your principal problem?.

Though I am sure you may believe it, I doubt very seriously you have legitimate "fly always" and certainly not 4 of them, but would love to be proven wrong. I have actually been searching for logs of a real fly away to see what they might look like and have only seen one, and it had major (and permanent) failures in the flight controller, and 3DR made good on replacement.

Please post your log files for your "fly away" flights, and I (or others) will be glad to look at them and see what actually happened on your perceived "fly always". I personally would find them fascinating, and I bet others here would also.

Full control of the settings (in addition to recording start/stop and pan/tilt) of your GoPro is planned for an October release. It is late, along with the gimbal. That it is late is a legitimate gripe.

In my experience though, while 3DR has been late, they have come through with the promises they made in the end. What promises have they not ultimately fulfilled again? I am curious to hear what 3DR has "scam" ed people on from your perspective. I am also curious why you don't just return it if you feel this way?

If having a (yet to be determined) problem with your gimbal, and being late is enough to make you so negative. Perhaps you should just return it, and be happy, since you do still have that option.

PS: I noticed you have only two posts (including this one). If you post questions here, you can learn quite a bit, which may help keep you from crashing your Solo. I highly recommend it

nacjr · Sep 9, 2015

Michael Stevenson said:
I find it fascinating that the long awaited Gimbal is a joke. How can that be?

I find it fascinating how he moon controls the tides on earth.

Earldgrayjr · Sep 9, 2015

nacjr said:
I find it fascinating how the moon controls the tides on earth.

Trying to ignore him.

Sphengali · Sep 9, 2015

I would very much like to participate in gimbal discussions, but I still await mine from B&H - although I ordered way back in April. I have also had two motor pods go bad, (replaced, by 3RD at no cost) and then two weeks later, I repeatedly got: "Calibration Error" - that I tried in vain over 15 times to 'calibrate'. I tried in 3 different locations, away from buildings, and geographically miles apart - to no avail. I also did a full reset, both controller and solo, and right back to 'calibration error'. Sent in on RMA (also a nightmare) and have waited 3 weeks to receive a new one from China. I was told 5-9 days. Today (many angry phone calls placed) I have a tracking # for a new solo being shipped from SD to me. Relieved, yes - happy - well, that remains to be seen.

Dunginhawk · Sep 9, 2015

How many gimbals were shipped? do most of the users on here have them by now (that pre ordered?) ive seen some good video from it so im interested to see how many have them

NYG · Sep 9, 2015

Four flyaways? OK.

ChrisM101 · Sep 9, 2015

Hank Perritt said:
Like everyone else, I waited out the promised and re-promised gimbal delivery and finally received it. I installed it without too much of a problem--although it is tricky to get the unnecessarily stiff wires back in the cavity so that they do not impinge on the motor and still allow one to screw the gimbal down.

The problem is that the gimbal twitches in its roll axis against the stops every time the Solo receives a control input--even the gentlest yaw, up or down, or left or right command. The imagery that results is unusuable. It's like the viewer was jerking neck left and right.

Without the gimbal, I couldn't adjust camera elevation, but the camera didn't have seizures.

On a separate issue, a trouble ticket asking about in-flight camera adjustment produced the answer that it's not available yet, but "coming soon."

I've had four flyaways from modest heights and modest distances from the controller so far, fortunately resulting in little damage except for broken props and within a distance that allowed recovery.

I get emails regularly from Colin hyping what's to come. It would be nice if 3DR delivers on what was promised when we all ordered it. This is shaping up to be a major scam.

Im just going to say, your issue likely lies within your installation. Take it apart and re route the wiring, it takes a bit of thought. Do the HDMI then gimbal connection. Put the front back in then the rear.
Hopefully you havent bound it up long enough to damage the gimbal

also if you have had 4 Crashes, have you submitted a single ticket for them to analyze?

Can you post the logs here for us to analyze?

Psywarrior · Sep 9, 2015

So, when is the flight simulator going to come out? Another "delayed" promise?

SkyDoctor · Sep 9, 2015

Earldgrayjr said:
*sigh*.

I have the gimbal, have posted video, and couldn't be happier with it.

If you want a resolution, you need to take one thing at a time. Regarding the gimbal. Have you done a calibration after installing the gimbal? Have you talked to 3DR? If I had to guess, you have something binding in your install. While you don't seem to be considering that as a possibility, it is a high likelihood, that you should look closely at.

You mentioned that as a "separate issue" you started a 3DR support ticket to complain that the settings control functionality of the GoPro wasn't there with your gimbal. I would think you would know that, but OK. You never mentioned however that you contacted 3DR regarding the actual gimbal problem, or if you did what the response was. That is odd tonot do or mention, since that is your principal problem?.

Though I am sure you may believe it, I doubt very seriously you have legitimate "fly always" and certainly not 4 of them, but would love to be proven wrong. I have actually been searching for logs of a real fly away to see what they might look like and have only seen one, and it had major (and permanent) failures in the flight controller, and 3DR made good on replacement.

Please post your log files for your "fly away" flights, and I (or others) will be glad to look at them and see what actually happened on your perceived "fly always". I personally would find them fascinating, and I bet others here would also.

Full control of the settings (in addition to recording start/stop and pan/tilt) of your GoPro is planned for an October release. It is late, along with the gimbal. That it is late is a legitimate gripe.

In my experience though, while 3DR has been late, they have come through with the promises they made in the end. What promises have they not ultimately fulfilled again? I am curious to hear what 3DR has "scam" ed people on from your perspective. I am also curious why you don't just return it if you feel this way?

If having a (yet to be determined) problem with your gimbal, and being late is enough to make you so negative. Perhaps you should just return it, and be happy, since you do still have that option.

PS: I noticed you have only two posts (including this one). If you post questions here, you can learn quite a bit, which may help keep you from crashing your Solo. I highly recommend it

I'm willing to bet that you won't be seeing any tlogs from this seemingly distraught gentleman.

Cabinetworks · Sep 9, 2015

Not sure anyone that pre-ordered from anyplace other than 3DR has seen a gimbal yet. Mine was ordered 4/14/15 from B&H and I still have no shipping info. Just talked to them yesterday and they can not tell me for sure when they will be in. Just should be soon. (Heard that a couple times already.) Great flying drone with no issues on this end so far but would like to have the gimbal soon.