When the P3 is standing on ground and you are updating / playing with settings etc. - the camera can get hot. Depending on length of time - it can get seriously hot ...

I made myself a small plate with a PC cooling fan run of 5V NiMh for the P3 to stand on.

Others use a domestic fan.

Walking in local supermarket other day - they have a cheapo PC shelf for Mouse / SD cards etc. - as most do.

On the bottom shelf for 9 Euros was a 'Laptop Cooling plate' ...... just the job !! runs of USB power supply ...

Nigel

That sounds like a cool idea! Thanks.

When camera temperature without cooling would be a problem, then using the flight simulator would be dangerous for the camera.
My camera becomes only a bit more than hand-temperature.  I think flying on a hot sunny day will result a higher temperature.

If using the camera uncooled would be dangerous for the camera, DJI would have warned.

by the way, this is a very cool idea

Rabe Posted at 2017-3-22 07:17
When camera temperature without cooling would be a problem, then using the flight simulator would be dangerous for the camera.
My camera becomes only a bit more than hand-temperature.  I think flying on a hot sunny day will result a higher temperature.

I actually did a test and measured the temp rise against time with my P3S standing powered up on the floor ....

I stopped the test as the temperature was rising above what I consider reasonable ...

Unfortunately I cannot find my paper with the numbers to restate them.

But honest ... you think DJI are going to declare this when no other brand does ? That so many who mention camera getting hot - that it's fantasy ?

You think hotter than hand hot is OK ? Let's just talk about Brushless motors then - it is a common recommendation that if you cannot keep hand on a motor after a flight - that's it running too hot.  

Even if the camera / gimbal can take 100C  .... I for one do not like having such a temp cycle occur on a piece of electronics. For a simple matter of providing cooling air ... its better to be safe than sorry. I consider it no different to the cooling fan in my LiPo charger ... my PC ... My Laptop .... etc.

Again its user choice ... I just suggested an item for those interested.

Nigel

RicardoGray Posted at 2017-3-22 04:09
That sounds like a cool idea! Thanks.

Pun intended?  

I just set mine on the AC vent which come out of the floor when I'm tinkering with settings or looking at something long time. Before that I know leaving it on my camera did get hot to point I don't think electronics should get like solentlife said. No way I thought it would get that hot just sitting there doing nothing. I'm an industrial Technician 30 years and I know what heat will do to electronics and pc's. Some may be able to take it but life will be reduced significantly.

It has a flight simulator? Just kidding but I have never used. I like actual flight much better

As I see it ... we the public want small and compact but with maximum performance. It doesn't matter if its a Phantom ... PC ... Brushless motor .... whatever. That comes at a price with todays electronics - HEAT !

No longer are we served up with a big box with airspace and airflow. Now its crammed into the smallest space possible. OK - so the P3 can survive high temp on the camera - but I for one do not like it. I prefer to play safe and not have such temperatures. A few $ for a cooling tray ... to be sure ?? Is that so bad ???

Nigel

I remember your interesting post where you gave the temperature figures........... if I remember correctly, the temperature didn't rise significantly for quite some time so from your measurements, couldn't really see it ever being a problem. As others have said, dji would have put something suitable in their manual about avoiding leaving it switched on for long lengths of time.

GeoffN Posted at 2017-3-24 09:04
I remember your interesting post where you gave the temperature figures........... if I remember correctly, the temperature didn't rise significantly for quite some time so from your measurements, couldn't really see it ever being a problem. As others have said, dji would have put something suitable in their manual about avoiding leaving it switched on for long lengths of time.

The rise was slow at first ... but if I remember rightly I measured over a period that would equal a medium length flight ... but as the temp rose - the rate of rise increased ... it was not linear.

I actually stopped the test as I had the temp approaching what I term maximum reasonable. It was still rising when I switched off.
I remember doing the test because maybe it was you that said it did not get hot ...

Consider the person fixing his WiFi link / playing the sim / FW updating ... or similar ... the time is similar.

Again I will say - I don't think DJI or any other Brand label would want to put a warning about this in the literature !!

I don't say harm will come to the gear - but I still don't like it.
nigel

my p3s camera was eally hot after i figured out how the grid works. i think it was a problem, but fine that everyone has this

I find it disturbing actually that regardless that I was trying to pass on a suggestion for anyone who cares about heat on electronics as I do... that people argue about it.

And please peeps who decided my cooler was not necessary - yes you are hiding argument behind 'sweet talk' ....

As far as I am concerned - my PC ... my Chargers .... all other electronics that have fans for cooling ALL kick in their fans at LOWER temp than my camera and gimbal rose to before I switched off. If its good enough for ACER / LENOVO / HP / SONY / HITACHI and so on ... its good enough indication for me.

For 9 Euros and plug into a USB ? I actually use one of my P3 batterys via the TELSIN discharger ... why just let P3 battery discharge - why not USE the energy and just maybe extend the life of your camera / gimbal ?

Nigel

At last... something Nigel and I can agree on.

It doesn't hurt to cool the camera while the aircraft is powered-up and grounded. I use the following... powered by either an 18650 cell or USB. Three speeds but the lowest one is good enough.

solentlife Posted at 2017-6-22 04:39
I find it disturbing actually that regardless that I was trying to pass on a suggestion for anyone who cares about heat on electronics as I do... that people argue about it.

And please peeps who decided my cooler was not necessary - yes you are hiding argument behind 'sweet talk' ....

As said previously, if DJI thought it was necessary, they'd have told us. Would they risk lots of warranty claims if there was a problem here?   No       You are manufacturing a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.  The camera and associated "electronics" are obviously designed to handle higher temperatures with no problems.  

GeoffN Posted at 2017-6-22 11:41
As said previously, if DJI thought it was necessary, they'd have told us. Would they risk lots of warranty claims if there was a problem here?   No       You are manufacturing a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.  The camera and associated "electronics" are obviously designed to handle higher temperatures with no problems.

With due respect, you're not always needed to be told to do something different if you know it's going to be beneficial one way or another. Cooling electronics is never a bad idea.... ever.

Here's a different example. DJI claims that their props came balanced from the factory. This is mostly true, especially if you compare them to 3rd-party props. You simply just screw/pop them on and the aircraft would be ok. But people (including myself) still see the value and benefit of balancing them anyway. The effects are noticeable enough.... less probability of jello in videos and possibly, less chances of creating stress cracks on the motor mounts. Any incremental benefit is always fair game in a hobby. The attention to detail up to or close the point of becoming an OC is what makes the hobby interesting, IMO.

GeoffN Posted at 2017-6-22 11:41
As said previously, if DJI thought it was necessary, they'd have told us. Would they risk lots of warranty claims if there was a problem here?   No       You are manufacturing a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.  The camera and associated "electronics" are obviously designed to handle higher temperatures with no problems.

'if DJI thought it was necessary, they'd have told us. '

I seriously doubt that. DJI are notoriously bad at communications of any sort. The heating effect in CMOS sensors is a widely known fact. Some camera manufactuers resort to solid-state Peltier effect devices to cool their sensors, some even resort to liquid cooling system with radiators and low speed fans. Obviously, if these companies, whose camera design is a scientifically driven process, think that cooling is necessary, then lesser manufacturers, like DJI, should take note.

Nigel's warning is a good one, and should be gratefully received by people on this forum, not dismissed.

Hi all.  I just got a Phantom 3 Standard this last weekend and the whole reason for coming to the forums was to see if anyone else was having the same issues with their camera getting hot. I also noticed that the gimbal control unit is getting hot too. Some don't seem too concerned, but if my cell phone regularly got this hot, I would be thinking seriously about swapping it out. I was about to make the trip to Target to exchange my new little buddy but I might hold off. Still stoked about adding this to my camera arsenal!!

Heat is common knowledge to be hard on electronics. If you have a circuit board with no moving parts then what causes it to fail over time? Heat. If someone wants to suggest a method to help prolong the life of said circuit boards by cooling them when there's no other air movement around from the props, and therefore possibly extending the life of someones investment, then why the heck not.

Thanks guys ....

Nigel

I wondered about getting the gimbal & camera overheated warning when I had yet to take off on the first flight of the day, tallish thick grass, direct sun for the home  point, temps around 98F. Here in Florida and in SoCal where I fly it can get hot during the day, so I'm thinking of maybe going a step farther and rigging a cooled launch pad to haul around with my gear. Seems like that could solve multiple overheating before takeoff problems that I encounter.

never had this problem...will keep in mind if it happens

never had this problem...will keep in mind if it happens

poltergeist Posted at 2017-6-26 11:50
I wondered about getting the gimbal & camera overheated warning when I had yet to take off on the first flight of the day, tallish thick grass, direct sun for the home  point, temps around 98F. Here in Florida and in SoCal where I fly it can get hot during the day, so I'm thinking of maybe going a step farther and rigging a cooled launch pad to haul around with my gear. Seems like that could solve multiple overheating before takeoff problems that I encounter.

I don't think ambient temperature will be that bad ... note that people are flying these in the Arabian Gulf where outdoor temps can rise to the 40's ... 50's C ..... but of course most people do not go out 'hobbying' in the heat of the day there ..

If you really want a cooled launch pad ... the Notebook Fan pad I mentioned earlier would be ideal because power to it can be from any 5V source ... a NiMh battery pack ... a mobile phone power bank ... even a P3 battery through one of those Telsin Dischargers ...

All you'd have to do is make sure its not sucking up grit / sand and blowing it over the P3 standing on it.

Nigel

dont have that problem in scotland its always bluddy cold