Hello everyone,

I've owned my Mavic Air 2 for exactly 1 week now and I find it extremely depressing that I haven't even had the chance to introduce myself and I'm already having my first massive problem.

I have 3 years of experience with drones and I have been flying the Xiaomi Mi Drone ever since. It was time for an upgrade and so the Mavic Air 2 should be here.

Now for my problem, I'm really at a loss: The MA2 hits me with massive wobbles every time I move the right stick to the middle position to stop the aircraft. This happens in every setting (tripod, normal, sport). At first I thought it was ok, this thing has so much power that the gimbal can't keep up. But after some tests I found out that it is completely independent from the speed of the gimbal. I attach the link to a video in which it is very clear to see. So this thing is no fun at all because it messes up every shot. In the video I fly in tripod mode with about 8km/h forward, then stop and then very slowly backward. Nevertheless it wobbles like an epidemic. If you watch the MA2 in flight, you can see how even at the lowest speeds it moves almost 45° when braking (i.e. bring the stick into center position), the gimbal can never compensate for that!

Here are some more data about the MA2:

- Firmware Copter: 01.00.0460
- Firmware Remote: 02.00.1101
- App Version: 1.2.1
- Gimbal settings all factory settings, other settings all tried (changing them will not improve)
- Compass is correctly calibrated (no change)
- IMU correctly calibrated (multiple, no change)
- Gimbal correctly calibrated


One last thing, when I made this example video the MA2 was behaving very strange, it was hovering about 2m above the ground, I'm searching in the settings, the next moment I look at it it is standing 10-15cm above the ground and sinking...... I could just reach in and bring it back to the 2m where it stayed.

Can anybody give me a hint what could be going on there? I don't even know such behavior and especially the wobbles / the standing up while braking from my Xiaomi Mi Drone, I could put it completely into reverse flight at full throttle and the gimbal didn't make a move at all.......

best regards, Joerg

Video

Hi! This problem is already running on multiple threads! I have the same problem! I sent it back for warranty!

You might want to try adjusting the advanced gimble settings.  It sounds like the gimble smoothness for when the drones brakes is set too high.  Here is a video of how adjust the advanced gimble settings:

JohnLietzke Posted at 12-4 09:26
You might want to try adjusting the advanced gimble settings.  It sounds like the gimble smoothness for when the drones brakes is set too high.  Here is a video of how adjust the advanced gimble settings: https://youtu.be/NexcJLCPPf8?t=115

I know these settings very well! But unfortunetly there is NO setting for when the drone brakes! There are only settings for Pitch and Yaw. Also i tried every combination of those settings without a solve of problem.

JohnLietzke Posted at 12-4 09:26
You might want to try adjusting the advanced gimble settings.  It sounds like the gimble smoothness for when the drones brakes is set too high.  Here is a video of how adjust the advanced gimble settings:

The gimbal speed settings will only affect the manual movements done with yaw or scroll wheel as an offset on the automatic gimbal levelling done by the MA2.
The hickups reported and shown by several pilots might be either a mechanical issue or, which is my personal feeling, depending on the current lower temperatures outside which can also result in mechanical issues depending on manufacturing tolerances. I have had this issue with a brushless gimbal several years ago.
The only solution will be to return the MA2 on warrenty like other pilots already did.

MySky Posted at 12-4 10:03
The gimbal speed settings will only affect the manual movements done with yaw or scroll wheel as an offset on the automatic gimbal levelling done by the MA2.
The hickups reported and shown by several pilots might be either a mechanical issue or, which is my personal feeling, depending on the current lower temperatures outside which can also result in mechanical issues depending on manufacturing tolerances. I have had this issue with a brushless gimbal several years ago.
The only solution will be to return the MA2 on warrenty like other pilots already did.

Nice.....1 week after purchase, i thought i bought from an Premium Manufacturer.....very disapointing

There is a tiny shipment protective 'tab' on the gimbal mount itself.  Are you sure every little tab has been removed?

Eckonism Posted at 12-4 10:30
Nice.....1 week after purchase, i thought i bought from an Premium Manufacturer.....very disapointing

Don't be too disapointed. Such things also happen to premium car manufacturer like porsche or mercedes or the issues with the batteries of samsung mobil phones.

MySky Posted at 12-4 10:59
Don't be too disapointed. Such things also happen to premium car manufacturer like porsche or mercedes or the issues with the batteries of samsung mobil phones.

Yes i know, but what me really makes sad is that i have to quote for an exchange of the drone and probably waiting weeks for it.... And that right before Christmas! I hope this will not durate until next year...

On the MavPilot forum apparently they are placing a lot of MA2 gimbles lately on new drones. This seems to fix the problem from what others are saying. Maybe a defect in a big batch.

I have found from experimenting that the the advanced gimble smoothness effects both the horizontal and verticals movement.

Use your video and file a warranty claim. This is getting common. I’m one of the affected.

MySky Posted at 12-4 10:59
Don't be too disapointed. Such things also happen to premium car manufacturer like porsche or mercedes or the issues with the batteries of samsung mobil phones.

The thing is, with a mercedes or porsche you know they have to fix it permanently or at least for the duration of warranty that is far longer than 1 year. And then they regularly issue recalls proactively.

In the case of phones, it is not much better but there is usually far larger media coverage that forces samsung to issue a recall too, or they get sued by class action that makes them liable beyond warranty period.

Now, have we seen DJI coming forward with anything such as explanations?

What are the guarantees that a warranty covered repair will be a permanent fix?

As one of the affected owners, there is simply no confidence that one day after warranty coverage ends in about 6 months time (for me) that the gimbal is going to continue working as it is supposed to.

Otherwise im just waiting to have a costly gimbal repair every few months?

STRONGLY recommend scrolling to the end of this thread/screen to the “Support” link, click it and move to the "On Line Support ".  Have a  copy of this video to provide, and even copy the URL to this thread. (Saving some typing).  Plan on spending 20-30 minutes at least.  It’s the fastest way to get help AND get warranty service.  I’ve used this approach 3 times with complete success.   The forum for this kind of an insidious issue is no help.

I don't remember users having this problem back in the springtime when this was introduced or the summer. I certainly have not seen it in Florida. Are we all sure this is not just a case of operation outside the temperature limits? After all, the temperature is lower the higher the drone goes. There is certainly a lot of snow on the grond in the first video.
I do remember reading of some similar problems with the original Mini, which was released in November or December if I remember correctly.

GaryDoug Posted at 12-4 19:07
I don't remember users having this problem back in the springtime when this was introduced or the summer. I certainly have not seen it in Florida. Are we all sure this is not just a case of operation outside the temperature limits? After all, the temperature is lower the higher the drone goes.
I do remember reading of some similar problems with the original Mini, which was released in November or December if I remember correctly.

This is a problem since launch. Due to my personally having failed gimbals in my previous MP1, its a subject that im closely following.

there are always plenty of countries not having whatever temperatures you maybe experiencing at any particular time.

I live in a constant equatorial climate. It failed at quite a warm temperature, and never did recover.

GaryDoug Posted at 12-4 19:07
I don't remember users having this problem back in the springtime when this was introduced or the summer. I certainly have not seen it in Florida. Are we all sure this is not just a case of operation outside the temperature limits? After all, the temperature is lower the higher the drone goes. There is certainly a lot of snow on the grond in the first video.
I do remember reading of some similar problems with the original Mini, which was released in November or December if I remember correctly.

The outside temp at the moment of this video was 3° Celsius, the minimum temp in the specs of the MA2 is -10°

Eckonism Posted at 12-4 23:00
The outside temp at the moment of this video was 3° Celsius, the minimum temp in the specs of the MA2 is -10°

What was the temperature at the height the drone was flying? It's too bad that DJI does not put temp sensors on the drone except for the battery.

fans01d4f09b Posted at 12-4 19:13
This is a problem since launch. Due to my personally having failed gimbals in my previous MP1, its a subject that im closely following.

there are always plenty of countries not having whatever temperatures you maybe experiencing at any particular time.

" It failed at quite a warm temperature"

How warm? There is a max temperature also.

The height was around 10 to 20 meters....

GaryDoug Posted at 12-5 10:36
" It failed at quite a warm temperature"

How warm? There is a max temperature also.

Maybe 30 to 32C.

GaryDoug Posted at 12-5 10:36
" It failed at quite a warm temperature"

How warm? There is a max temperature also.

If you are inclined to help DJI root cause, I'd like to point out that Mavic Air 2 is the only gimbal which is stiffly constrained Front and back by the gimbal cover. (This was in fact pointed out by another forummer in mavicpilots forum).

All other gimbals in other models (MP1, MA2, M2P and M2Z, and MM) that I know do not forcefully constrain the gimbal. I wonder that is a more plausible cause. Perhaps the force can do some damage?

It seems to be due to the cold.once it gets around freezing or below. I have had my MA2 for a couple of months and it just started doing it once it started getting cold

https://youtu.be/NfzyvIBJGLw

djiuser_zZjuynH0kiPI Posted at 1-2 21:04
It seems to be due to the cold.once it gets around freezing or below. I have had my MA2 for a couple of months and it just started doing it once it started getting cold

https://youtu.be/NfzyvIBJGLw

The day I got my Air 2, I flew it without gimbal problems and it was 30F and even colder while up in the air.    My MA2 gimbal started bouncing when it was above freezing.  My Mavic Mini has no gimbal problems at 24F; my fingers freeze up before it does.

The bouncing in that video was really bad.  I guess the cold seems to exacerbate the problem on the MA2.   

I hope DJI gets this sorted out quickly because the Mavic Air 2 is an amazing drone.

My ma2 has developed the same problem. Formerly all was good. Now I observe my ma2 is breaking very hard when i return the forward stick into center position and i think that breaking hard makes the gimbal wobble for a moment. I do not observe that problem when flying sidewards, only for forward flight. Something makes me think it is a software issue and i do not believe in a temperature issue.

Dji!!!!! Say something helpful!