Just a word on the gimbal

[Earldgrayjr]

I have removed and installed my gimbal at least 4 times. I have watched the videos on how to do it. I have taken the battery tray out twice and rerouted the wires but I am still having the gimbal flop to the side every now and then. I hope it isn't damaging anything. I have to edit out these flops to the sides but it sometimes ruins a good shot I am trying to take like halfway through an orbit shot.

Don't know what else to do. I do notice that my gimbal is off center towards the back and I can't seem to make it stay forward.
I feel like the dunce in the class not being able to fix my problem.

The bottom line is that when the gimbal goes limp, it is because the controller senses an "over current" meaning it is having to send to much juice to the gimbal motors to get it to do what is needed, and at that point it does a reset.

You can test this (if you dare) by flying your Solo at eye level and holding the gimbal so it can't move the way it should. It will instantly go limp and then recover... In the end, this is what is happening. There are several things that can cause it (from wrong weighting of the gimbal/camera to binding motors)

The thing a lot pf people seem to miss is that the HDMI cable can tug on the gimbal in different ways as you move around, and the various other wires can shift in flight. There are actually a lot of G's going on.

The way I started was to hold the HDMI cable in the front of the Solo and move it left and right, to see which way was tugging on the gimbal. When I found that, I moved it the opposite way a bit to give it leeway so the gimbal is free, and then taped it to the inside/front of the Solo frame.

For the gimbal control wire, I got the same thing done with a slightly different method. It is stiffer, so I "preformed" it by bending it such that the connector wanted to be where it plugs in, and wasn't tugging in any direction. If I let the wire go, it would sit right there waiting to be plugged in. I also then used a couple thin duc tape strips to tape any other wires out of the way that might come in contact with the gimbal.

No way to know if that will work for you, but it has worked for me on two units. I may go back in and use tie wraps rather than tape as that will be a little more permanent, but i haven't done so yet.

 

[Del]

The bottom line is that when the gimbal goes limp, it is because the controller senses an "over current" meaning it is having to send to much juioce to the motors to get it to do what is needed, and it does a reset. You can test this (if you dare) by flying your Solo at eay level and holding the gimbal so it can't move the way it should. It will instantly go limp and then recover... This is what is happening.

The thing a lot pf people seem to miss is that the HDMI cable can tug on the gimbal in different ways as you move around, and the various other wires can shift. The way I started was to hold the HDMI cable in the front of the Solo and move it left and right, to see which way was tugging on the gimbal. When I found that, I moved it the opposite way a bit to give it leeway, and then taped it to the inside/front of the Solo frame. For the gimbal wire itself, I got the same thing done with a slightly different method. It is stiffer, so I "preformed" it by bending it such that the connector wanted to be where it pugs in, and wasn't tugging in any direction. If I let the wire go, it would sit right there waiting to be plugged in. I also then used a couple thin duc tape strips to tape any other wires out of the way that might come in contact with the gimbal.

No way to know if that will work for you, but it has worked for me on two units. I may go back in and use tie wraps rather than tape as that will be a little more permanent, but i haven't done so yet.

Great post Earl...!!

 

[Maddog]

The bottom line is that when the gimbal goes limp, it is because the controller senses an "over current" meaning it is having to send to much juice to the gimbal motors to get it to do what is needed, and at that point it does a reset.

You can test this (if you dare) by flying your Solo at eye level and holding the gimbal so it can't move the way it should. It will instantly go limp and then recover... In the end, this is what is happening. There are several things that can cause it (from wrong weighting of the gimbal/camera to binding motors)

The thing a lot pf people seem to miss is that the HDMI cable can tug on the gimbal in different ways as you move around, and the various other wires can shift in flight. There are actually a lot of G's going on.

The way I started was to hold the HDMI cable in the front of the Solo and move it left and right, to see which way was tugging on the gimbal. When I found that, I moved it the opposite way a bit to give it leeway so the gimbal is free, and then taped it to the inside/front of the Solo frame.

For the gimbal control wire, I got the same thing done with a slightly different method. It is stiffer, so I "preformed" it by bending it such that the connector wanted to be where it plugs in, and wasn't tugging in any direction. If I let the wire go, it would sit right there waiting to be plugged in. I also then used a couple thin duc tape strips to tape any other wires out of the way that might come in contact with the gimbal.

No way to know if that will work for you, but it has worked for me on two units. I may go back in and use tie wraps rather than tape as that will be a little more permanent, but i haven't done so yet.

Funny you should post this Earl !

When I noticed my gimbal was pointing slightly left I thought it was a malfunction. I flew it just above head level and grabbed the gimbal.
(Wow, those props generate some serious prop-wash!)
The gimbal went limp but did not recover. I thought I had stupidly broken it so I kept quiet about that part. (Is "stupidly" a real word?)

I went home and fretted about it. Then I took it outside, did a level & compass calibration and it came back to life! Not sure what did it.

I'm still having a minor issue with the gimbal not being level when it comes out of a maneuver or smart shot.

 

[Earldgrayjr]

Funny you should post this Earl !

When I noticed my gimbal was pointing slightly left I thought it was a malfunction. I flew it just above head level and grabbed the gimbal.
(Wow, those props generate some serious prop-wash!)
The gimbal went limp but did not recover. I thought I had stupidly broken it so I kept quiet about that part. (Is "stupidly" a real word?)

I went home and fretted about it. Then I took it outside, did a level & compass calibration and it came back to life! Not sure what did it.

I'm still having a minor issue with the gimbal not being level when it comes out of a maneuver or smart shot.

Maybe post a video?

 

[GoodnNuff]

Anyone heard anything from Michael? Did he hurl?
Is he still tied to a chair, gun to his head, forced to read about Solos?
Poor guy.

 

[Earldgrayjr]

Anyone heard anything from Michael? Did he hurl?
Is he still tied to a chair, gun to his head, forced to read about Solos?
Poor guy.

I really did LOL on that one!!! Almost spit coffee on my laptop

 

[Flybirdman]

My gimbal only goes limp/resets while the Solo is flying. While fully powered on and initialized, I can twist and move my drone much quicker than it would move on its own and the gimbal goes through its paces just fine, never resetting.

-Side note: I had the gimbal vibration when sitting idle and after I did the "stick calibration", the vibration is gone (but the reset in air is still occurring, even after ensuring cables are not obstructing movement).

 

[GoodnNuff]

My Gimbal is "out for delivery" today. I'm giddy with excitement! Just kidding, the giddyness faded back in July...
So I'm watching the tear down and install videos now, hopping I will not suffer a limp gimbal this evening.

 

[RichWest]

My Gimbal is "out for delivery" today. I'm giddy with excitement! Just kidding, the giddyness faded back in July...
So I'm watching the tear down and install videos now, hopping I will not suffer a limp gimbal this evening.

You'll be fine, just take your time and heed the advice of those that have made the mistakes..on your behalf.

 

[GoodnNuff]

Well damn. The gimbal seems to work fine, though I haven't had it in the air yet.
I got it installed, placed the GoPro 4 Black in it and the camera froze up! I actually haven't flown the Solo with the GoPro in about a month, but when I used it last I had some issues with it freezing up and I couldn't connect to the app. Today when it froze I called GoPro and we couldn't resolve the problem, so they were going to issue an RMA so I could return it, and in 3 weeks or so I'd receive a replacement. I realized I purchased a replacement warranty from Best Buy when I purchased the Solo, so I drove to Best Buy, was able to replace the GP4B with a brand new one.
But by the time I stopped off and had Thai food, then get home and charge and update, it is too late to fly for the night. Will give it a try in the morning...

 

[Raybro]

Apparently he's still tied to the chair....gun to head

 

[John D]

I had my first gimbal really early. I wizzed through the install, but had the battery tray out by instinct, and it went well. I have had zero problems with it.

The second gimbal was another story. I did the same thing, but was having "drooping" and the gimbal doing weird things in flight. I was able to ffix it

Here is what i have found.

The drooping appears to be caused by the software sensing "over current" to the motors and stopping for a moment. The gimbal drops at that point, and the Solo resets it and it starts working.

1. Anything touching the silver yaw motor on the gimbal (you can see it from the top with the battery tray out) will give your problems..

2. Any wires touching the gimbal (other than those connected) will cause vibrations and give you shaking.

3. The HDM cable can "tug" on the gimbal pulling it in one direction and making the motor bind on the frame, or other wires. The data cable can do the same thing, but to a lesser degree.

The HDMI cable tugging on the gimbal was my problem on the second unit.

Solution: If you grab the HDMI cable at the front of the Solo, by the ferrite bead, and move it back and forth along the front of the Solo, you can see if it is tugging on the gimbal and moving it.. If it is, move it in the opposite direction, to give it slack. Pull it to one side (that doesn't tug on the gimbal) and anchor it to the frame. I used a thin strip of duc tape, though I may go back in at some point and repalce it with something more permanent now that I know the deal. Do the same with the data cable if needed, and anything else that might touch the gimbal. One thin strip of tape on teh HDMI cable was all I needed. Now I have two units working perfecty

I had my first gimbal really early. I wizzed through the install, but had the battery tray out by instinct, and it went well. I have had zero problems with it.

The second gimbal was another story. I did the same thing, but was having "drooping" and the gimbal doing weird things in flight. I was able to ffix it

Here is what i have found.

The drooping appears to be caused by the software sensing "over current" to the motors and stopping for a moment. The gimbal drops at that point, and the Solo resets it and it starts working.

1. Anything touching the silver yaw motor on the gimbal (you can see it from the top with the battery tray out) will give your problems..

2. Any wires touching the gimbal (other than those connected) will cause vibrations and give you shaking.

3. The HDM cable can "tug" on the gimbal pulling it in one direction and making the motor bind on the frame, or other wires. The data cable can do the same thing, but to a lesser degree.

The HDMI cable tugging on the gimbal was my problem on the second unit.

Solution: If you grab the HDMI cable at the front of the Solo, by the ferrite bead, and move it back and forth along the front of the Solo, you can see if it is tugging on the gimbal and moving it.. If it is, move it in the opposite direction, to give it slack. Pull it to one side (that doesn't tug on the gimbal) and anchor it to the frame. I used a thin strip of duc tape, though I may go back in at some point and repalce it with something more permanent now that I know the deal. Do the same with the data cable if needed, and anything else that might touch the gimbal. One thin strip of tape on teh HDMI cable was all I needed. Now I have two units working perfecty

Great tips. I've been having "drooping" issues myself. It never takes very long to correct itself but sometimes in the middle of a shot its unfortunate. I've been shooting all over Texas with the Solo for about two weeks now and am very happy with the results.

 

[John D]

Well damn. The gimbal seems to work fine, though I haven't had it in the air yet.
I got it installed, placed the GoPro 4 Black in it and the camera froze up! I actually haven't flown the Solo with the GoPro in about a month, but when I used it last I had some issues with it freezing up and I couldn't connect to the app. Today when it froze I called GoPro and we couldn't resolve the problem, so they were going to issue an RMA so I could return it, and in 3 weeks or so I'd receive a replacement. I realized I purchased a replacement warranty from Best Buy when I purchased the Solo, so I drove to Best Buy, was able to replace the GP4B with a brand new one.
But by the time I stopped off and had Thai food, then get home and charge and update, it is too late to fly for the night. Will give it a try in the morning...

When I first put my GoPro 4 into the gimbal it did several things, switched settings and froze up as well, but after doing a factory reset of the GoPro, everything seems to be working.

 

[GoodnNuff]

When I first put my GoPro 4 into the gimbal it did several things, switched settings and froze up as well, but after doing a factory reset of the GoPro, everything seems to be working.

The GoPro has been having issues on and off for the past few months. Haven't been able to connect to the app, sporadic freezing, etc. Last month I took it to Oregon with me (without the Solo) to film some tide pools, I couldn't get it unfrozen after the 2nd day at the beach house. Used my GP3 and forgot about the issues with the GP 4 until gimbal day.
While on the phone with GoPro tech support, we tried many times to do a factory reset. It was was not fixable.
It was the first time I'd actually purchased a Protection Plan on something besides an iPhone, and sure glad I did! Painless exchange for a new one, otherwise I'd be waiting 4-6 weeks for GP to make the exchange (according to them).

 

[John D]

The GoPro has been having issues on and off for the past few months. Haven't been able to connect to the app, sporadic freezing, etc. Last month I took it to Oregon with me (without the Solo) to film some tide pools, I couldn't get it unfrozen after the 2nd day at the beach house. Used my GP3 and forgot about the issues with the GP 4 until gimbal day.
While on the phone with GoPro tech support, we tried many times to do a factory reset. It was was not fixable.
It was the first time I'd actually purchased a Protection Plan on something besides an iPhone, and sure glad I did! Painless exchange for a new one, otherwise I'd be waiting 4-6 weeks for GP to make the exchange (according to them).

Glad that protection plan worked out for you. It honestly took me two full days of going through each issue with the gimbal. Install reinstall, the GoPro issues etc. The gimbal initially wouldn't power up and only through trial and error did I figure out to cycle the Solo off and on and eventually it would power up. It is working great now for the most part. The gimbal still occasionally loses power in flight but rapidly powers back up. I just have to redo the shot which makes me hesitant to use it only anything I only get one shot at.

 

[Arboc]

[GIMBAL DROP 2nd SOLUTION]

After following the advice to remove the battery tray and ensure all the gimbal wiring was clear of every moving part of the gimbal, I continued to experience the issue.

With all the power off, I found that gently moving the gimbal on its vertical axis showed a hangup (slight resistance, and a click as the hangup let go).

This appeared to be the ribbon cable from the camera mount catching on molding flash within the housing. I was able to adjust the cable by bending it inward ever so slightly with the flat side of a butter knife. This prevented the cable from dragging along the inside of the housing as the camera came up to level.

Hopefully, 3DR will add cutting or sanding the housing flash to its production process.