Hi all,

Even though I'm reading this forum for a while, I'm making my first thread immediately about a call for help. Sorry for that!

* Little pre-info (you can skip this and scroll down to "current problem" if you don't want the long story):
I bought a P3P early this month from someone who had it for sale as he wanted to buy the Phantom 4. I had a blast flying it, and it quickly gave me the confidence to fly high and far, even over water (after I read many many many threads on all different subjects).
When I started filming, I constantly had some shaky videos. I tried to edit around it in Final Cut (selecting the better shots), but still I wanted to fix this. I bought some brand new props, hoping it would help. I've also ordered some ND filters, which are still on the way.

After flying with the new props, I still had shaky videos. I partially blamed the strong winds for it, but not entirely. Past Saturday, I had the feeling the camera was shaking even when hovering right in front of me. So, I wanted to see if the camera would also shake while hovering without wind, so I brought the P3P to the office and powered it up. Unfortunately the quest for solving 1 problem lead to another... Our office is built in some kind of warehouse with lots of steel, so I immediately had compass errors. Stupid as I was, I wanted to lift the P3P just a tiny bit off the ground, because I only wanted to see if the camera shakes without wind. Well, I still regret that... The bird quite softly hit something and landed on its back.
Forward to the real matter....

* Current problem:
After this 'kind of' crash, the DJI Go App mentioned a motor overload. The P3P wouldn't start again. I brought it back home and tried again after a few hours. It started again, and still does, fortunately. However, it seems like the motors are sounding a bit strange (probably 1 in particular). I filmed the process of starting the P3P and pushing the control sticks so you can hear the difference in sound. I'd like to have your experts opinion on this, because at the moment I don't feel confident to put on the props and take off. I'm afraid the P3P will become a stunt plane when 1 motor is not working well, and I don't want to risk another heart attack ;-)

Some notes for the video:
- Somehow there's a strange 'helicopter-like' sound. No idea what that is, but it's not the P3P. The sound difference between control sticks will be clear in the video.
- message "Gimbal motor overload" often keeps flashing, even though the gimbal still does auto calibration (albeit a bit weird)
- Gimbal has never calibrated to an entire 'level' or 'straight' position. Might be because the previous owner landed in a tree once. Usually I can solve this manually, even though I have to push to +10.0 sometimes. Today I had to push to -2.6 as you can see in the video. The gimball arm isn't entirely straight either (I'll try to upload a pic of this). Fixing that might be something for later.  
- firmware upgrade flashing: yeah, I won't do that upgrade after reading all the horror stories the past few days. Same as with my iPhone; when I see all bugs are fixed in a next version, that's when I will upgrade.

Many thanks in advance for helpful advice!




On a sidenote: this is a pic of the gimbal arm:

Sevadu, I so wish you had posted about your camera shake BEFORE taking your P3 to your office!!!!!!

Pre-info problem: Your shaky video is a result of the gimbal platform being restrained by four gimbal retainer pins. The gimbal is supposed to be supported by the soft, white vibration dampeners and only have two clear plastic retainer pins in place. These two pins should be diagonal from each other and should not restrict the dampening effect. The two extra pins and four extra dampeners are provided as extra replacement, spare parts. By restricting the dampening effect, you are introducing the shake.

Current problem: Your crash has bent the gimbal arm and likely stripped the slotted keyway that holds the camera horizon. It also sounds like you've "bruised" one or more of the motors as it flipped, which means probable motor replacement. Even though it doesn't look that bad, repair could be costly compared to your current investment in your P3.

Terrylewis, many thanks for your reply!

Actually all videos I posted on my youtube channel were made before the 'office crash'. Here's an example which also shows the shaky video:



Wow, I never knew only 2 retainer pins were required! This could be a huge eye-opener and game changer for my situation. I've just checked some pics of the P3P on google and indeed, 4 dampers on every pic, but only 2 retainers. This is something I never read before, and believe me, I spent hours and hours reading this forum, watching tutorials, etc.
Do I need any special tools to remove the retainers?

The gimbal arm was bent this way when I bought it. The office crash didn't change this. If just flipped the P3P on its back. Any idea how to fix this issue?

I was afraid of motor replacement. My guess from the sound of the control stick movements, is that it's the rear left motor (from a FPV standpoint). I believe I saw motors for approx. €20. Not sure if I need any more parts than just the motor.

Sev,

I think Terry is dead-on. If you're handy with tools I think both of these items can be repaired. What do the motors "feel" like when you turn them by hand? They should be very smooth and consistent between all 4 of them. The resistance should be similar. Is it possible that one of the motors is loose? Were you able to shut the motors down immediately after the crash or did they spin on the ground for a while?

Jerry

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2016-4-26 15:44
Sev,

I think Terry is dead-on. If you're handy with tools I think both of these items can be repair ...

Jerry,

Thank you! I've just checked the motors and they feel pretty much the same, but one makes a different sound when I turn them by hand. I thought that the left rear motor (from FPV standpoint) was the one, but I now think it's right front. Exactly the opposite.

I shut down the motors really soon, in slight panic of course! ;-)

sevadu Posted at 2016-4-26 09:12
Jerry,

Thank you! I've just checked the motors and they feel pretty much the same, but one makes a ...

Sev,

Well these guys have a pretty good kit for fixing your camera:

Gimbal arm & ribbon cable

You might not want to chance it with the motors but if you have the newer version These should do it, you'll need two of each:

2312A CCW 800kV

2312A CW 800kV

If I were you, I might just replace them all. There is no real way to know if there is further damage but my best guess would be there isn't. Did you look the bird over very carefully for any other damage, especially any cracks? You may want to check all of the screws holding the motor and arms together. I'm just trying to throw my thoughts out to you.

Jerry

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2016-4-26 16:55
Sev,

Well these guys have a pretty good kit for fixing your camera:

Hi Jerry,

I appreciate everyone who takes the time and effort to help me here! After all, when one has a problem, all help is welcome!

I've bookmarked the gimbal arm kit, thank you! Until now I managed to keep the horizon reasonably level by adjusting the gimbal manually, so I will give the priority to getting the P3P airborne again. When I face issues with the gimbal, I can always replace the arm later. But it's good to know there's kit for that!

As I'm in The Netherlands, I'm trying to order everything here because it's quicker and most likely less expensive (shipping costs). I'm looking at a website where I see 2312 motors and 2312A. What's the difference besides the price? I don't know if I have a newer P3P version. Is that easy to check?

Will I need special tools for a P3P or are they tools that can be found in any hardware store?

As far as I can tell there's no other damage or cracks. The office crash was more of a tip over actually. The altitude was approx. 15-20 cm. Just went the wrong direction horizontally and then the rotors hit some object, causing the P3P to flip and land on its back.  

sevadu Posted at 2016-4-26 10:26
Hi Jerry,

I appreciate everyone who takes the time and effort to help me here! After all, when one ...

Sev,

Here's a video about the different motors:



At 2:10 you can see the physical difference but you should probably watch the whole video. Don't try to "upgrade" your motors, they need to match the board so they have to be replaced with whatever motor is on there now.

No special tools, they can be acquired easily. Just make sure you use the proper ones. These screws will strip easily if you don't use the correct bits.

Jerry

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2016-4-26 18:01
Sev,

Here's a video about the different motors:

Very helpful again, thank you! Turns out I have the 2312s, which are more expensive. Of course...

Now to hope that my father or father-in-law have any tools for soldering.

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2016-4-26 18:01
Sev,

Here's a video about the different motors:

1 more question: I've been looking for motors for a while, but some sites have CW with the image of the black 'tip' and others have CW motors with grey. Which color is CW and which is CCW?

I might be thinking too difficult, but with the props it's easy, because you install them by turning CW or CCW. Yet it seems that when you turn a prop CW, the tip of the motor is CCW (compared to the prop).

sevadu Posted at 2016-4-26 12:10
1 more question: I've been looking for motors for a while, but some sites have CW with the image of ...

Sev,

The CCW is grey.

Jerry

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2016-4-26 20:13
Sev,

The CCW is grey.

Thank you, sir!

sevadu Posted at 2016-4-26 14:11
Thank you, sir!

Sev,

No Sir here, just a regular Joe. No thanks necessary, we're all here to help each other. I'll need your help one day too. Good luck!

Jerry

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2016-4-26 21:17
Sev,

No Sir here, just a regular Joe. No thanks necessary, we're all here to help each other. I'l ...

I'd be happy if I'm able to help you out one day!

Does anyone have any good instruction or tutorial on motor replacement?

sevadu Posted at 2016-4-26 21:39
Terrylewis, many thanks for your reply!

Actually all videos I posted on my youtube channel were ma ...

Thanks to Jerry's follow-up, hope you're setup to get airborne soon. There are several gimbal repair videos. This one explains the slotted keyway that often gets broken and can easily be checked as you work on the gimbal:

Gimbal Repair:

Gimbal MD:

sevadu Posted at 2016-4-27 07:25
I'd be happy if I'm able to help you out one day!

Does anyone have any good instruction or tutor ...

Motor Replacement:

terrylewis Posted at 2016-4-27 01:26
Thanks to Jerry's follow-up, hope you're setup to get airborne soon. There are several gimbal repai ...

Thank you, Terry!

I'm very curious to the first solution you offered: getting rid of 2 of the retainer pins. That will be my first try, AFTER I fixed the motor problem.

It's extremely tempting to fire up the bird and see if just maybe it still flies as before. However, I'm very afraid of a tip over due to 1 motor possibly not working as the other 3, and then I'll have the bird on its back again.
Maybe I have to buy some prop guards to test firing it up without risking too much damage?

terrylewis Posted at 2016-4-27 01:32
Motor Replacement:

I've seen this video, but it's just about removing the motors from the 'frame'. There isn't an actual motor replacement.

If such a video is so difficult to find (I only found one that's really sped up, without any text or speech, and no close ups), does that mean it's not a good plan to do that yourself?

I bought the P3P from the previous owner, and I don't know where in The Netherlands I can have this fixed.

sevadu Posted at 2016-4-27 07:39
I've seen this video, but it's just about removing the motors from the 'frame'. There isn't an act ...

Replacing the motors would require unsoldering the old motor wires and soldering in the new motor leads.
There is a DJI Repair Center in the Netherlands that works through the main Repair Center in Germany. The DJI link is here:
DJI Repair Centers:

EMEA Repair

terrylewis Posted at 2016-4-27 01:49
Replacing the motors would require unsoldering the old motor wires and soldering in the new motor  ...

Thank you, Terry! I didn't expect the European HQ to be in The Netherlands!

I'll contact them with the video I've uploaded here and the other info they need.

Thanks again, very much appreciated!

Great! Sent 2 emails to that EU support email address, and both gave me an error. Luckily I'm quite patient by nature. New attempt tomorrow.

Edit: even the US Support email gives an error! I've had it for today...

terrylewis Posted at 2016-4-27 09:49
Replacing the motors would require unsoldering the old motor wires and soldering in the new motor  ...

Just DIY. Don't unsolder the motor from the board if you are not good at soldering. Just cut the Red/Yellow/Black cable and leave enough so you can use heat shrink and solder to the cable instead. This is easier for novices as tinning the cable is easier and less chance of damaging the main board.

quanthonytrang Posted at 2016-4-27 10:03
Just DIY. Don't unsolder the motor from the board if you are not good at soldering. Just cut the R ...

Excellent advice quanthonytrang! Thanks!!!
Much better procedure for replacement.

If you don't know how to solder properly, don't do this on your own.  A failed connection (cold joint, etc.) could see the bird fall from the sky if it fails.

quanthonytrang Posted at 2016-4-27 04:03
Just DIY. Don't unsolder the motor from the board if you are not good at soldering. Just cut the R ...

Uuuhm, no. Thanks, but no thanks.

Please ignore my post above this one. I thought quanthonytrang was being sarcastic. Just woke up on the couch so I wasn't very sharp, my bad!

Little update:

I couldn't resist doing a little test. I decided to go to a spot nearby my house (found it while walking the dog) where the bird could launch from a level area, but lots of grass around to minimize the damage in case of a crash. A bit nervous when I started the P3P by CSC, and then when I took off. To my great relief nothing seemed to be wrong and I flew around for a bit. Kept going well so I went for the 500m limit I still have put in the settings. All went well!

Another flight over the heath today and again all went well. Still need a few flights to regain full confidence. A nagging invoice inside my head still says "the motor will give up sooner or later".

@Terrylewis, I took out 2 retainer pins and I replaced all 4 dampers with new ones. After a very brief look at the footage of today it seems MUCH more fluent. My ND filters came in yesterday, so I flew with ND-16 today. If I understood correctly, that could also make a difference in the 'smoothness' of the footage, correct? Next flight will be without an ND filter, just to properly see the effect of the new dampers and the removal of 2 retainer pins.

Thanks for the replies and help everyone!