Mavic wobble at flight, can't maintain hover, rear arm big play
1554 6 2018-1-18
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fans475dcf5f
New
Flight distance : 60617 ft
Mexico
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Hello,
I have been struggling severely over the last 2 weeks with my new Mavic. Around 20+ flights and I don't feel confident at all to continue flying so it is grounded.  Important to mention that problems were there since opening the box and all 20+ flights have been spent around trying to understand what is happening without a good solution.  The Mavic has absolutely no crashes and has been handled with care since opened.
Two issues had me struggling.  When flying I noticed a wobble at flight, very little visible during flight, but mostly visible while hovering. Even with a bit of wind, it struggles to maintain that locked feeling, it wobbles around, has a hard time staying in the same place and goes up and down maybe one foot up/down trying to maintain altitude.   The other issue is that a couple of times the Mavic flew away from me while hovering.  When hovering if wind increases, it is so hard for the mavic to stay and hover, it seems out of control with just a reasonable amount of wind so I immediately bring it down and land.
So with the above symptoms I started to chase a ghost without luck (still am).  I reflashed with DJI Go 4 App, both Mavic and remote, no luck.  Both are in the latest update.  Then I installed DJI Assistant 2, reflashed via USB, no luck, wobble continued, and in some flights Mavic slightly wantered around and went sideways when I did not give any control input while hovering.  Good to mention that on every update/flash, I recalibrated visual sensors, compass, IMU, even gimbal.  All calibrations successful every time.  After reflashing, i found a third issue that keeps me more worried, i was able to set parameters on the Mavic to factory default, BUT for the controller, I have NOT been able to set factory default parameters, I have tried dozens of times, two different PCs Win10 and Win XP, same result - error can't reset factory default parameters.  I even downgraded to the previous version, tried to reset parameters there, same error. Upgraded once again to the latest firmware, reset parameters, no luck, same error. So while the control connects ok to the Mavic, just impossible to set factory defaults if that might be the problem.  Regardless if that is the problem of the wobble, remote should be able to set parameters back to factory settings.
So I was desperate to try and solve the problem, I called yesterday afternoon a local distributor, he guided me on some checks they regularly do for a normal service and/or warranty and found ... yes ... found a new and fourth issue that might be the origin of the problem.  He asked me to check gimbal, connections, motors, props, visual sensors, all was in mint condition (this is a brand new Mavic, no crashes) and when he asked me to check on the motor arms, front ones were fine, and the rear right - a new and fourth issue was found. It had too much play, with a very minimal effort the arm will be able to go up and down, the engine/prop moves freely up and down and to me it seems to be the cause of the wobble and drift, as wind increases, the rear right motor/prop moves up and down freely for maybe 1/3 of an inch and the IMU and all sensors have a very hard time keeping the Mavic in place.
Sorry for the long explanation, it is so frustrating. So all in all, 4 issues found:
1) Wobble, as wind increases, wobble is so aggresive to a point that it feels it will flip up side down and crash.
2) Drift.  Mavic drifts sideways and up/down. It has a hard time to stay in the same place.
3) Remote Control can't be set to factory default parameters.
4) Rear Right arm has too much play.

So, again, hopefully someone has some insight, and most important, if this can be read by DJI and guide me ... to which i would see definitely to send it back for replacement.  I tried to open a support chat, but service ends 5PM PST, so i opened this thread.

Thanks,

Salvador.


2018-1-18
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DJI Thor
Administrator
Flight distance : 13602 ft
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Salvador, are there some pictures or video I can refer to? Basically, the drift and wobble issue might be resolved by calibrating the IMU, also, the propellers and the environment should be in good condition; the drone might go to ATTI mode if flying in a place with no GPS signal. After looking through what you've done, if you had calibrated the IMU successfully, the propellers are undamaged, and you are flying in P-GPS mode without compass interference, you might need to send it back, we will help to manage an overall check and take care of it. https://repair.dji.com/en/SelfRepair/Area
BTW, the RC doesn't support restore factory settings at the moment. Thanks.
2018-1-18
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Simmo1
lvl.4
Flight distance : 1624 ft
Australia
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What sort of condition are the butterflys in? Here's an extreme case.
2018-1-18
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Woe
Captain
Flight distance : 4129268 ft
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United States
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Ouch. I would be afraid to fly.
2018-1-18
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fans475dcf5f
New
Flight distance : 60617 ft
Mexico
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Thanks Thor for your answer.

Here you'll see the mavic trying to get a steady hover.  Wind is VERY light and struggles to stay put, and to maintain altitude.  

https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ar5itJ02HN8NgvEK52SVrpIxh6Y_Yg

In this you'll see the play for the rear righ arm.  I believe it is too much and might be the origin that has the IMU and all sensors fighting to stay put in the same spot, left, right, up or down.  Maybe not only a bad arm, but maybe a bad IMU? I have calibrated IMU a lot of times, all of them successful, so maybe something else?

https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ar5itJ02HN8NgvEMC_4sUiaxxJBP5Q

Thanks!

2018-1-19
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fansf77370fb
lvl.4
Flight distance : 1008924 ft
United States
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Why not just take it back where you bought it and get a new one.
2018-1-19
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Bekaru Tree
First Officer
Flight distance : 15513100 ft
South Africa
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hi salvador - unfortunately right now i cannot see yr footage but just yr information about a loose rear arm is enough for me to suggest that this is an area of concern - both arms should be equally stiff - no arm should have any play. If there is play then it is not related to IMU - it is mechanical and i would suggest it be properly repaired. Hopefully you still have warrentee (should cover it) but anyway better to even pay to have it fixed than risk losing the drone entirely.
2018-1-19
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