My directional joystick began to stick in the forward position, but would move back to center with enough force. Began to hear stuff sliding around in the controllor so I opened it up and found that the receiving ports for the screws that hold the shell together, mounting the joysticks and the return-to-home (RTH) button were all cracked and falling apart.  It was these fragments that were binding the joystick. This is very disturbing as it is only 8 months old (purchased directly from DJI) and the controllor has never been dropped (as this is a very expensive purchase I am very carefull with the care given to my equipment), so I conclude that the OEM materials were dificient. REALLY DISAPOINTING DJI!

As I am in the middle of a project and need to get back to work, I made repairs (as best I could) using JB Weld to put the pieces back together or recreate mounts where the fragments were too small to put back together. Now reassembled there is a flashing red light in the gimbal and no connection between the controllor and the Phantom 3 Advanced drone.

Has anyone else experienced this?  Any insight would be welcomed.

If anyone else is hearing stuff rattle around in the controllor it is best to send to DJI, opening voids the warranty!

Oh no.  Please, not something else to worry about  {:4_157:}

Plastics can be affected by light, heat and chemicals.   Did you regularly keep the controller in  close proximity to any compounds known to make plastic brittle?

Cold weather?

No, kept in hardshell case in climate controlled room.

Common known fault. I sent mine back to DJI,they replaced it with a New RC.
I don't think that you will be able to return it after your JB weld repairs tho.
Good work.

The only time I have seen broken parts inside a RC like that is when a customer was abusing the RC and throwing it around.
You could have sent it in to be repaired and it probably would have been a warranty repair.
Please don't say "really disappointing DJI" as you have the only RC that I have seen like this.

if re-binding the aircraft does not work, then while self repairing must have damaged something.
I have had my RC for over a year and it has tons and tons of use and it still looks and functions as new.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-6-8 03:57
The only time I have seen broken parts inside a RC like that is when a customer was abusing the RC a ...

Ken I know the care I have taken, my Phantom is a prized possession. This is not an issue of miss use. I believe DJI would have stood behind the product and replaced the controller had I not voided the warranty by opening it up ( and that is on me) But this is an issue of manufacturing. Rather than be dismissive, take note and improve quality control. But having had this experience I have the right to be disappointed.

DJI-Ken, for your edification I have uploaded photos of the controller exterior to my original post. Please take note of the absence of abrasions, scuffs, cracks or otherwise signs of "abuse". You do DJI a disservice by immediately casting dispersion in a blatant effort to hold DJI harmless, it is a weak tactic and is obvious to all. This may indeed be the only instance you are aware of, but refer to the post preceding yours (Hawk100) who had the same issue and was properly served by DJI.

I am a fan of DJI, own several products and will continue to be a patron, despite poor representatives such as yourself. And again I have the right to be disappointed!

To put an end on this, I called Tech support who suggested (prior to DJI Kens reply) rebinding and all is well. The red light was still on after the link was established, it was indicating no SD card. Thanks for the reply's all.

Red to indicate no SD!? I'll have to test it! I happened to take off without SD last night, but have not noticed red on the radio, only an icon in the app.. interesting!

Ya I rebinded the link, powered up all components, had a camera feed, controls had the proper responses but the red light was still blinking on the gimbal. Powered down, inserted the SD card, started it all up again and had the green light as usual.

This story reminds me of THIS thread. I too returned a P3P with GL300B remote control after screws were heard rattling about inside. Once again this had been treated as the prized possession it was. So it would seem there was a bad batch out there.

On the plus side this enabled me to buy a P4. Hopefully the GL300C will stand the test of time.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-6-7 15:57
The only time I have seen broken parts inside a RC like that is when a customer was abusing the RC a ...

I have seen several like this in posts across the Phantom boards. So he is not alone. All of them were from adult users who use them as intended. If he had dropped it or abused it, you would see scuff marks on the outside of the controller...which you do not. That was not very nice of you to say he abuses his equipment.

Kripdish Posted at 2016-6-8 08:25
Thanks for the thread Aardvark.  DJI-Ken read it and learn, DJI-Patrick had a response that was help ...

If you would have listened to what I said, I said I've seen another one like that and it was from abuse.

04red6 Posted at 2016-6-8 10:51
I have seen several like this in posts across the Phantom boards. So he is not alone. All of them  ...

If you have seen several threads like this then then there is a problem, please post the links to those threads and I will notify R&D.

Not all that unusual, this often occurs where plastic moulding companies recycle plastixc parts too many times. Continued recycling leaches the plasticiser out of the plastic material making it unusually brittle. Companies that mould quality products insist on a zero recycle policy to avoid faulty mouldings like this, because it is near impossible to tell how much plastic has been recyled too often.

Could they throw in a few of them popular triangle shaped blue pills, to stiffen the mix, so to speak? Hahaha
Had my Phantom 3 Pro', near a year, and still no fractures, shell cracks or faulty flight malfunctions.

RedHotPoker

Geebax Posted at 2016-6-8 13:59
Not all that unusual, this often occurs where plastic moulding companies recycle plastixc parts too  ...

Hey Geebax

That makes sense... recycling would explain why certain batches of controller body and Aircraft shells are brittle, and not across the board, as i would have thought that it would be impossible to know how much plasticiser is in a certain batch of plastic used.

Hence why we all are not having the issue.

RedHotPoker Posted at 2016-6-8 16:55
Could they throw in a few of them popular triangle shaped blue pills, to stiffen the mix, so to spea ...

Hahaha!.. forget wasteing them on the plasitcs....I wouldnt mind taking a few of them pills as well with a swig of beer to keep the ol' Soldier goin'on!

Oh, do you mean, you need a good stiff drink? Hahaha

RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2016-6-8 17:33
Oh, do you mean, you need a good stiff drink? Hahaha

RedHotPoker

Hahaha!!!!!

ABSOLUTELY..!!
love your sense of humor bud!! - you had me in stitches!

I have four controllers all of them at one screw point or another have evidence of over tightening/over torquing.

I  am sure these are put together in an assembly line with power screw  drivers that can do micro TQ.....easy to back down a tenth or  two which  can and will make a huge difference.

The other main problem is  the plastic is VERY brittle either form being removed to fast from the  mold or the basics material percentages are off (recycle) ....making plastic that  is much more malleable is simple chemistry for those in production of said material. The cheemstry can be changed to where the plastic is so soft you cannot drill it...plastic can be  infinitely adjustable for properties and strength!  Without taking down the production line.

Ken  I have been around many flyers.......and all of them "us"......use the  phrase baby our controllers....period. I have a separate hard-shell for controllers only!

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-6-8 05:57
The only time I have seen broken parts inside a RC like that is when a customer was abusing the RC a ...

I have had it happen to me (the posts joining the upper/lower halves of the case).  There are HEAPS of other people on the forums posting the exact same thing.  They were not physically abused.  I can find a few for you if you haven't seen them.

http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... 4729&fromuid=126111
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... &fromuid=126111
http://forum.dji.com/thread-29306-1-1.html
http://forum.dji.com/thread-53106-1-1.html
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... &fromuid=126111
http://forum.dji.com/thread-53596-1-1.html
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... &fromuid=126111
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... &fromuid=126111

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-6-7 15:57
The only time I have seen broken parts inside a RC like that is when a customer was abusing the RC a ...

Make that at least two, DJI-Ken.   I received a controller that was never abused and I had the same problem with the screw mounts inside the DJI controller.   The plastic seemed VERY brittle (like a chemical composition problem).....so, either a plastic mfg defect or the screws are being tightened way too much at the factory.   Either way, I have seen this same thing and I feel it is similar to the issues seen with cracks on the arms:  over-tightening of screws or a chemical issue with the plastic.

RedHotPoker Posted at 2016-6-8 02:55
Could they throw in a few of them popular triangle shaped blue pills, to stiffen the mix, so to spea ...

  Love this response!

Flight Raptor Posted at 2016-6-8 21:15
Make that at least two, DJI-Ken.   I received a controller that was never abused and I had the sam ...

No problem, I've sent an email to R&D.
Sorry you were having that issue. Did you sent it in and get it exchanged. If not let me know if you want to and I can have someone contact you and get it taken care of.

Awesome response Ken. Thank you. I respect that. After getting the insight that there is indeed a problem (minor or major) either in over anxious assembly or in the actual plastic manufacturing process itself. Both??
This is how things get improved. Sorry these matters weren't dealt with much sooner, but atleast you are doing something about it, & now is always better than never. Ha

Be well everybody. Have a great enjoyable day, and if possible, do spend some memorable time aloft. Ha or as Hugh Hefner says, keeping it up, for the longevity of my youth. ;-)

RedHotPoker

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-6-7 21:57
The only time I have seen broken parts inside a RC like that is when a customer was abusing the RC a ...

Hi DJI-Ken!

I'm sorry to contradict you but this is not true at all. The plastic of which the RC is made is very bad...please have a look on my post here http://forum.dji.com/thread-48798-1-1.html and also here http://forum.dji.com/thread-50534-1-1.html

This can be reasonable if it was a cheeper device, but a new one remote controller only now coast 329,00 € and I preferred to fix it by myself instead to sent back to DJI, but I have a question, why is not possible to buy the plastic shield only as a spare parts?

Nicola90s Posted at 2016-6-10 04:11
Hi DJI-Ken!

I'm sorry to contradict you but this is not true at all. The plastic of which the RC ...

All issues that have photos and detailed info have been sent off.
If anyone sees this then post your own photo and I will forward them on.
I've used about 50 different RC's in the past 6 months from OLD phantoms to the M600 Lightbridge RC and I have never seen anything like this.
I have seen a couple in the repair shop but a few out of the hundreds of thousands certainly doesn't mean it a wide spread issue.
For those few of you that may have had this happen, send it in and DJI will exchange the RC as long as it's a manufacture issue.

These are not the droids your looking for

people on phantom pilots  where reporting same problem a lot of them

Kripdish Posted at 2016-6-10 08:41
These are not the droids your looking for

He can go about his business.....move along.....

Can't believe it's been over 30 years.......sigh

These are not the Canadian drone pilots you are looking for... Hahaha

RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2016-6-10 11:33
These are not the Canadian drone pilots you are looking for... Hahaha

RedHotPoker

Man, even the cartoons are using DJI equipment

What did you expect, when "ÿou"create an RC landslide? ;-)

RedHotPoker

Well, I am absolutely pissed as my RC is starting to have same issues with small bits of broken off plastics rattling inside the controller.  THe Power Button is now off center and it looks like the plastic used to build this "expensive toy" is crumbling like the old foam crumbles.  Sigh... had such a good expectation about DJI and was planning to move up to Inspire but I will save my money for something else.  Totally ridiculous that 3-4 months is all you can get for something you invested over $1k into it.