Stripped Gimbal Screws?

[Chrisx2]

I received my Solo and Gimbal last week and finally had a moment to unbox and install the gimbal. Removing the static GoPro mount, I found 2 / 3 screws were incredibly difficult to remove. I was afraid of breaking off the threaded insert from the body. 45 mins later, I was able to work the screws free and remove the stock mount. First thing I noticed was a metallic powder under the two respective threaded inserts. Grabbing my mag glass, I noticed the threads on the screw and insert were damaged, most likely from cross threading during assembly.

There was green threadlock on the threads, but I dont think that should have damaged the inserts, unless they are made from very cheap aluminum.

No need to explain the pain in the ass and anxiety in trying to fix the threads by holding my breath and very slowly re tapping using the last good screw. I was very lucky to be able to get this fixed, or I would be looking at trying to obtain a new body shell from 3DR and swapping all the guts over...something I really didn't want to do for a brand new drone which had yet to be flown.

I was curious if this has happened before, and how common it is. It's a shame that a 2 cent part could have ended up grounding a $1000 investment.

Another question while I have your attention. Do you find the primary battery charger gets quite hot while in use? I ended up moving the charging from inside the house to the patio just in case we had a flare up. It gets so hot you cannot touch it for more than a few seconds.

 

[SteveReno]

I received my Solo and Gimbal last week and finally had a moment to unbox and install the gimbal. Removing the static GoPro mount, I found 2 / 3 screws were incredibly difficult to remove. I was afraid of breaking off the threaded insert from the body. 45 mins later, I was able to work the screws free and remove the stock mount. First thing I noticed was a metallic powder under the two respective threaded inserts. Grabbing my mag glass, I noticed the threads on the screw and insert were damaged, most likely from cross threading during assembly.

There was green threadlock on the threads, but I dont think that should have damaged the inserts, unless they are made from very cheap aluminum.

No need to explain the pain in the ass and anxiety in trying to fix the threads by holding my breath and very slowly re tapping using the last good screw. I was very lucky to be able to get this fixed, or I would be looking at trying to obtain a new body shell from 3DR and swapping all the guts over...something I really didn't want to do for a brand new drone which had yet to be flown.

I was curious if this has happened before, and how common it is. It's a shame that a 2 cent part could have ended up grounding a $1000 investment.

Another question while I have your attention. Do you find the primary battery charger gets quite hot while in use? I ended up moving the charging from inside the house to the patio just in case we had a flare up. It gets so hot you cannot touch it for more than a few seconds.

"I was curious if this has happened before"
On the contrary, I/most have found Ingenious, Ridged Design.
Considering the material being used 85% plastic, it's tight fittings suggest well thought out project.
From crashes survivors reports "Low speed, low altitude even totally submerged "fresh water" for days, has posted here that minor H/W replacement & most were back in the air.

& for the Catroscopic or minor damage & 3DR was & fault, 3DR made most customers in to return customers "Many owners own 2 or more Solos here"
Used to be "the best of service" but now it's just Good service, Due to cut backs.

No, have never had your probelm, I believe it's a real probelm.
Hope it get resolved soon.
Battery charger does get "Hot" but never dangerously hot. again no one has talked about any real issues with battery charger.

Hope all this helps you have a bit more confidence in your equipment "Solo"

 

[RichWest]

Good on you for the repairing the threaded inserts. Unfortunately this is part of owning any drone, the care and maintenance aspect many over look when buying into the hobby. The good thing with Solo is that it was designed with maintenance in mind for you the user. With a few tools, some patience and support here, you can pretty much resolve most issues with the hardware. This gives you more up-time rather than down-time.

fwiw, no need to "torque-up" any screws holding the gimbal, just get them snug. The gimbal plate itself holds everything reasonable well, the screws just secure everything in place. I've removed my gimbal 100's of times and snugging the screws is all that is required.

I would reach out to 3DR and at least have a record with them that you resolved the issue. If it ends up being an issue in the future then you may have something to refer back to for a warranty claim.

Fly safe!

Edit to add: The charger is putting out the most amps when first plugged into a discharged battery, so it is common for it to heat-up within the first 5 minutes. The amps required reduces as the battery charges, so the charger should be "cooler" at the end of the charging cycle. If you are concerned about the heat, elevate the charger so that it can get more air flow over all the surfaces.