Post crash issues

[Redcon1]

Motor number 3 failed in flight monday at about 150 feet, causing solo to crash into a metal fence pole in the wife's garden, flip and land on it back.

Somehow, the shell survive and it didn't even break a prop. It did rip the rear screws loose in the battery tray and the teardrop shaped plastic on the right side of the gimbal was out of whack.

I reseated the plastic shroud on the gimbal and the battery tray is now useing zip ties in lieu of the screws. I did a visual inspection on the entire Solo while it was apart and didn't see any other deficiencies.

When I got it back together, I did a test flight on the same battery and it drained from 70ish% to 7% in about a minute and started an RTL @ 50% battery. Tried a different battery and got a ~ 4 minute flight on a full battery.

Then second post crash in that the gimbal sways left to right constantly. Even sitting on the ground it's a constant, rhythmic left to right swaying. Here's a video.
GoPro Splice

I'm thinking that the gimbal's yaw motor may have a short or something. If so, would that be the likely culprit on both issues?

As always, your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Maddog]

Motor number 3 failed in flight monday at about 150 feet, causing solo to crash into a metal fence pole in the wife's garden, flip and land on it back.

Somehow, the shell survive and it didn't even break a prop. It did rip the rear screws loose in the battery tray and the teardrop shaped plastic on the right side of the gimbal was out of whack.

I reseated the plastic shroud on the gimbal and the battery tray is now useing zip ties in lieu of the screws. I did a visual inspection on the entire Solo while it was apart and didn't see any other deficiencies.

When I got it back together, I did a test flight on the same battery and it drained from 70ish% to 7% in about a minute and started an RTL @ 50% battery. Tried a different battery and got a ~ 4 minute flight on a full battery.

Then second post crash in that the gimbal sways left to right constantly. Even sitting on the ground it's a constant, rhythmic left to right swaying.

I'm thinking that the gimbal's yaw motor may have a short or something. If so, would that be the likely culprit on both issues?

As always, your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Try removing and then flying without the gimbal. If that solves your problem, you know it was the gimbal.

 

[Redcon1]

Right after I kick myself for not having already done that.

Sent from my P00A using 3DRPilots Drone Forum mobile app

 

[Redcon1]

Try removing and then flying without the gimbal. If that solves your problem, you know it was the gimbal.

Well...... Pre-crash with the gimbal was about 10-12 minutes, post crash with gimbal was about 2 minutes, post crash no gimbal was about 6.5 minutes. I'm thinking that I got 12-15 minutes when I first got it without the gimbal.

So it seems that the gimbal was at least a large part of the problem but what about the other 20% of the flight time? Seems kinda weird....

 

[just_bruce]

Your motors are likely drawing way more current than before the crash. Crashes have a way of causing misalignment that makes the motors quite a bit less efficient. Also, are you flying on new props or the old ones?

 

[Redcon1]

Your motors are likely drawing way more current than before the crash. Crashes have a way of causing misalignment that makes the motors quite a bit less efficient. Also, are you flying on new props or the old ones?

Still on the same props. They looked and felt unaffected, so I ass-u-me'd that they were good to go. I'm guessing that since you asked the question, I shouldn't be.

Should I go ahead and swap out all of the motors?

I'm pretty sure that the gimbal is church, so I'm going to take this opportunity to try replacing the frame and motors with the ones from another gimbal I've got laying around. I just have to figure out how to separate Solo's gimbal board and those ribbon cables from the rest of it without destroying it. I'm not a fan of paying $200 for another stock one but if I have to I guess I will.

 

[Maddog]

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