I had a strange experience with my otherwise very reliable Phantom 4 Advanced. In a recent flight, while in sport mode and going full thrust forward, the gimbal suddenly appeared to have lost control and the camera began just dangling around. At first I thought my Phantom was crashing and rushing towards ground, but then I saw telemetry was fine and it was just the gimbal. There was no way "resurrecting" it in-flight, and upon landing I saw that the gimbal was completely powerless, with all motors loose and freely moving. When I shut down and restarted my Phantom, everything was fine again and no more issues later. Anyone experienced this, and what could be the cause?

Sometimes these things just glitch out for no reason. Just to be safe you may want to run an imu and gimbal calibration but I wouldnt worry to much about it unless it does it again.

I've had my P4P and my P4 (standard) do this.. The P4 had the glitch exactly as yours did.. My P4P did it while on the ground twice in a row (after the IMU booted up).. It is a strange thing that happens. No reason... It just gets tired I guess... lol

Mobilcams Posted at 2017-6-29 08:05
I've had my P4P and my P4 (standard) do this.. The P4 had the glitch exactly as yours did.. My P4P did it while on the ground twice in a row (after the IMU booted up).. It is a strange thing that happens. No reason... It just gets tired I guess... lol

Yes thats the word...tired LOL

Good thing is nothing serious happened. If the main motors would have such a fail, I'd be much more concerned.

fivetonine Posted at 2017-6-29 23:44
Yes thats the word...tired LOL

Good thing is nothing serious happened. If the main motors would have such a fail, I'd be much more concerned.

I still remember the first time it happened to my on my P4.. I was looking at the controller and I was still new to it all.. I saw the screen go crazy and I almost pee'd myself.. lmao

Mobilcams Posted at 2017-6-30 08:39
I still remember the first time it happened to my on my P4.. I was looking at the controller and I was still new to it all.. I saw the screen go crazy and I almost pee'd myself.. lmao

Hahaha sounds like the exact same feeling I had. Plus, I was flying over water...

I wonder if the motors were under such load trying to keep gimbal level, possibly contending with a headwind as well, that the power to the gimbal cuts off to prevent overload and damage to motors ?

Aardvark Posted at 2017-7-2 03:32
I wonder if the motors were under such load trying to keep gimbal level, possibly contending with a headwind as well, that the power to the gimbal cuts off to prevent overload and damage to motors ?

I don't think so unless my room fan can overpower it lol. I've had happen while doing a maintenance discharge sitting on my end table lol.

Mobilcams Posted at 2017-7-2 12:17
I don't think so unless my room fan can overpower it lol. I've had happen while doing a maintenance discharge sitting on my end table lol.

Was the table level ?

Aardvark Posted at 2017-7-2 12:25
Was the table level ?

Lol, I don't think anything is level according to Phantoms...

I can honestly say that it only happened with my P4P one day before I took off right after the IMU initialized with the latest firmware, never in flight.. The P4 Standard though, it happened a handful of times usually in flight - one time it was hovering maybe 15 feet off the ground while I was showing someone how steady the drone and camera is (of course)..

Aardvark Posted at 2017-7-2 03:32
I wonder if the motors were under such load trying to keep gimbal level, possibly contending with a headwind as well, that the power to the gimbal cuts off to prevent overload and damage to motors ?

That could be. An overload in either gimbal or the general power system. Full throttle sports mode - even though the Phantom should be able to do that.