Hello everyone.  I just got my Phantom 3 Pro and it's been great for the first couple days but lately, something severe with the picture is going on.  Here's a test video;



The picture is jumping and jiggling from the moment it turns on (nothing spinning, no wind).  I first noticed this while it was in the air but then I brought it down, turned off the rotors and it was STILL doing it.  What in the world could be causing this?  Something with the gimbal maybe...?  It just started happening a couple days ago.  Could it be as simple as a setting?  

Before, it was perfectly steady - now it's a mess.

Thanks for any input!

Jason,

Tough to determine with such limited info. Do you have any vids before this happened? Did you change the camera settings? Did you enable FPV? Not enough to go on. Please provide more info. What version bird, what version firmware, what FPV device, what it was doing before this issue. I'm sure everyone would love to help you out but we really need more info and specifics.

Jerry

Thanks for the feedback.  I'm super novice to this arena so please bear with me as it's such a learning process.  

The only settings I've touched have been the picture setting (size, iso) and it was originally on Beginner Mode, which I turned off.  I calibrate the compass every time.  I've never crashed it, just straight up and down.  I thought I noticed it once in the same neighborhood then it was fine again (I think?)... but then I took it to a public park (fairly windy day), flew it pretty high (like 200 feet) and it was jittery all day and ever since.  I noticed, also, at the park that it was jittering before I turned on the rotors.

I use a Galaxy 5 with the latest firmware 1.0.10, which was working fine.  Also, last night, for the first time (while shooting these videos) the video lock was brutal... I kept getting "No Signal," which is odd, as I'm right under it and wasn't going high at all.  The only thing different last night was that I tried out Custom mode for the control, but it'd be odd if that would disrupt the video feed.

I'm at work but I could post vids from before, same neighborhood, but it's just like this video (from last night, in the air);



...except that it's perfectly stable, even in wind... nothing at all like this.  Last night, there was zero wind but wind can't a factor if it's doing this jitter thing with the rotors off, just sitting there.

Does any of that help...?

Thanks!  

(Maybe I should do a reset of the settings?)

Hmm... So it was fine initially? You have definately removed the gimbal support and the foam piece from the back?

Failing that, have you tried a gimbal calibration? Oh and check all the cables are seated properly. It certainly looks like a gimbal issue....

I would try a different USB cable to just to eliminate it.

@Alterastro - Thanks for the reply.  Yeah, PERFECT out of the box and I've been super, super cautious with it while flying.  By the gimbal support... you mean that clear plastic piece that was over the camera?  I took that off.  The foam piece... I'm not sure what that would be, so I'm concerned about that now... I assumed I took all of that out but I'll check when I get home... but if it was fine before, I'm assuming I got all of that out.  It's my first Phantom so I apologize with how much of a novice I am.

I haven't tried the gimbal calibration yet, didn't even know that was an option (it's in the DJI Pilot app?) but maybe something knocked it out of alignment.  It seems, from a technical standpoint, that it's jittering and jelloing... seems like the jitter is causing the jellow if it's parked, with no rotors on.  I wonder if the gimbal is freaking out, trying to straighten out or something and is causing the shaking?  

sinbad_uk@ntlwo Posted at 2015-5-30 01:51
I would try a different USB cable to just to eliminate it.

@Sinbad - Thanks for that, I'll try that as well.  Process of elimination

This vid shows the removal of the foam piece.

Make sure you removed that foam!
Always a good idea to do a full IMU/gimbal/and rc calibration on a new bird!

griffintom1@aol Posted at 2015-5-30 02:00


This vid shows the removal of the foam piece.

Thanks so much for this man, appreciate the effort.

The funny thing is, in the video, the guy totally described me, something like; "If you're excited and wnat to go out and shoot, you might have not seen this."  I'm like, ughh... that was totally me, I was stalking my order every day after the pre-order, was like waiting for Santa Claus, haha.  I thought I got it all but maybe I didn't see this.  It has to be a gimbal issue of some kind, maybe it's something this obvious.  I'll be home in about eight hours, can't wait to check.

cascadeflyer Posted at 2015-5-30 02:01
Make sure you removed that foam!
Always a good idea to do a full IMU/gimbal/and rc calibration on  ...

If I left that in, I'm going to kick myself... I don't think I did but man, if I did, I'm gonna feel like an idiot.  Thanks for the picture.

Jason, don't sweat it, we're all noobies!

I hope it is the foam piece - it means an easy fix.  If not try the gimbal calibration in the app and let us know how you got on

jasonhoneycutt Posted at 2015-5-30 02:24
If I left that in, I'm going to kick myself... I don't think I did but man, if I did, I'm gonna fe ...

lol check you have not left the protective film over the lens too

Ugh... okay everyone... relief/embarrassment... sure enough, that damn white on white foam piece was on.  It's too late to fly it but I'm sure this will solve it.  

Now, in fairness... I watched all of the videos, even the unboxing and prep ones but (I think?) they didn't mention this foam piece!  Check this out;



At the 1:35 mark is where he's showing what to remove... mentions the obvious gimbal clamp, the film over the lens... but doesn't show a thing about foam on the back, never mentions it.  Plus, being white, it looks like it's supposed to be there.  Maybe in the future, for idiots like me who are so excited to get it up in the air, they should make the foam red instead of white (even though there's a little red box on it), so it's a little more obvious.  

But thanks for the replies, I'm just relieved it's not something serious.

Glad you're sorted.  Now go and have fun :-)