I purchased a Phantom 3 Advanced last Friday and noticed on my first flight that all of my pictures and video had crooked a crooked horizon. I have tried calibrating the IMU and Gimbal multiple times over the last few days following all the recomendations of cooling the device and battery, ensuring the mounting surface is flat and level, etc.

I cannot get a level photo by calibration alone. If I adjust the Gimbal roll by -.8, I can get what appears to be a level photo on my table. After my last calibration attemtpt, I was not able to check photos from the air because it got dark before I could test it.

My vendor has a good return/exchange policy and I have already gotten a return shipping lable and was planning on exchanging the drone. Due to what I am reading in the forums, I am concerned I may get a new Phantom 3 that is worse than what I already have.

I have three questions.

1. Does anyone have a Phantom 3 that calibrates to a point where the horizon is level?
2. Is a Gimbal calibration that is off by +- .8 ok, or can I expect better?
3. Are there any additional problems I need to worry about by having to manually adjust the Gimbal roll?


Thanks for your help and advice,
                                          Dolan   

Hi , Dolan
Sorry about that . That's really a rare gimbal problem . Please don't be worried .

DJI-Patrick Posted at 2015-12-15 22:15
Hi , Dolan
Sorry about that . That's really a rare gimbal problem . Please don't be worried .

Thank you DJI-Patrick

So, would you recommend I get a replacement since I still have the option to do so?

--Dolan

d_jgreene Posted at 2015-12-16 11:16
Thank you DJI-Patrick

So, would you recommend I get a replacement since I still have the option t ...

If it confirmed to be a product defect and it's under warranty ,  I would .

Hi d_jgreene,

I regret to say that many have problems crooked horizon. Hopefully the next firmware solve it.

I returned my first Phantom 3. I received my replacement drone yesterday and went through the cold calibration steps on the IMU and gimbal a couple of times. I placed a little 9 inch beam level one foot in front of the camera to check if the camera is tilted. It is off by .6 of a degree. Interestingly it is tilted in the opposite direction of my last drone. Adding +.6 with the manual roll adjustment corrects the tilt.

Are there any of these that are perfectly level, or is it expected that we may need to do some fine tuning using the manual roll adjustment? I'm concerned that if I do an exchange again, I'm just going to get another one that is slightly off.  I'm wondering if I should just do the manual roll adjustment and live with it, or try sending this one in for repair.

What do you recommend?

Thanks

This was my experience after a firmware update.

Did a cold IMU/gimbal calibration.

Original test picture at dusk with tilt.



Did another cold IMU/Gimbal calibration.

Made sure powered P3 on, on level surface.

Another test picture before dusk, I'd say its mostly gone.



I did pretty much the same thing before both pictures, calibrations were not on the same day pictures were taken, the only difference is I made sure the P3 was level when I turned it on before the second picture.

Apparently it can come and go.

You must be my twin, OP. I have the exact same issue, Have done an IMU calibration twice and many Auto Gimbal calibrations. It's off by about .8. But it fluctuates during flight back to its original position. I have been wondering if I should send it back. I worry I might get one that's the same or even worse. I have heard many people have this issue but it's often solved by the IMU calibration. Yet mine does not solve it. I just don't know what to do.