Its been less than 24 hours since my first flight with my brand new MAVIC PRO. I was super excited to test it out only to find the video has this wavy "jello" effect happening. I had no idea it was a common problem til I searched it and found multiple complaints and videos of the same effect but cannot find a proper solution. Where it seems there are so many people with the same issue, is there a fix or solution anybody knows about? Ive tried refreshing the controller and drone using DJI assitant, I've also recalibrated thye camera. I was using the drone in about -1C to -3C temperatures with 5-10(max)km winds. I've also noticed the drone seems to be pulling slightly to one side when hovering and moving forward/ backward. Is it possible that one or more of the propellers warps in the "cold" and causes vibrations causing the jelly video and slight pull to one side? Ive seen and read about people using the same drones in -15C with no issues other than battery life cut in half. Anybody have any info or opinions or fixes for what causes the wavy/ jelly video?

Just a suggestion.
You've done an IMU calibration too?
Also just try hover inside the house and see if it does the same thing?

nottuppaware Posted at 2018-1-4 14:38
Just a suggestion.
You've done an IMU calibration too?
Also just try hover inside the house and see if it does the same thing?

nope I haven't tried an IMU calibration.

I tried hovering inside and the video is fine, theres no wavy effect.

polletttim Posted at 2018-1-4 14:44
nope I haven't tried an IMU calibration.

I tried hovering inside and the video is fine, theres no wavy effect.

Don't fly it inside.........could be disastrous.

Look at the gimbal plate and ensure all 3 dampeners are underneath it. There are videos out that on the subject. Also, calibrate the gimbal on a level surface after doing the IMU and possibly look at upgrading your micro SD card. And yes, don’t fly indoors until you know how to fly in ATTI mode - which is hard on the Mavic as there isn’t an ATTI switch.

rolling56 Posted at 2018-1-4 15:05
Don't fly it inside.........could be disastrous.

too late (disaster free)

A CW Posted at 2018-1-4 15:18
Look at the gimbal plate and ensure all 3 dampeners are underneath it. There are videos out that on the subject. Also, calibrate the gimbal on a level surface after doing the IMU and possibly look at upgrading your micro SD card. And yes, don’t fly indoors until you know how to fly in ATTI mode - which is hard on the Mavic as there isn’t an ATTI switch.

I checked the gimbal brackets, after seeing vids on youtube and that was ok.

I'm gonna try recalibrating the IMU and gimbal tomorrow (but can't fly outside for the next 24+ hours because of a winter storm)

What does upgrading the micro SD card have to do with the wavy video? I currently have a 32GB

I HOVERED indoors in 'GPS mode' (I think) but appreciate the warning.

My Mavic has had the Jello issue for as long as I have had it, did every calibration there is on it and it did not correct it, found this video, put a Polar Pro ND filter (doesn't matter what density) on it and the jello disappeared.

I wonder if has anything to do with that piece of (yellow/red) tape? on the back of the gimbal. Meaning if you take it off you have jello and if you leave it on no jello or other way around.

QuadKid Posted at 2018-1-4 16:08
My Mavic has had the Jello issue for as long as I have had it, did every calibration there is on it and it did not correct it, found this video, put a Polar Pro ND filter (doesn't matter what density) on it and the jello disappeared.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjD7qNZK_TI

interesting I ordered a set of filters a week or more ago so I hope it helps.

was there a difference for you between warm and cold temps? because theres no jello effect in the warm for me -only in the cold  

rolling56 Posted at 2018-1-4 16:21
I wonder if has anything to do with that piece of (yellow/red) tape? on the back of the gimbal. Meaning if you take it off you have jello and if you leave it on no jello or other way around.

yeah I dno - I took that tape off a few mins ago, I just assumed it wouldn't make a difference? unless it was there for warranty purposes or something

Sometimes the SD card can cause issues with the camera and even the gimbal. No harm in trying to tick that off. Also note that the behaviour of the drone in general and especially the gimbal reacts differently in colder climates.

A CW Posted at 2018-1-4 16:46
Sometimes the SD card can cause issues with the camera and even the gimbal. No harm in trying to tick that off. Also note that the behaviour of the drone in general and especially the gimbal reacts differently in colder climates.

yes I agree and understand  the colder climate issue. it says right in the owners guide the safe operating temp is 0C to 40C. I just thought -2C or -3C temp wouldn't make that much difference but I don't know, I'm new to this.

I’ve flown in -5 before without any issues - it could be caused by so many different things it is hard to pinpoint without a professional diagnostic by DJI but that will mean sending it back and waiting weeks. Try to eliminate the cause by calibrating, flying in different temps, refreshing the FW, changing the SD card etc and gauge what’s causing it yourself through that process of elimination. If the problem still persists then do send it back as it may be a bigger issue than we think and nobody on here can be 100%

A CW Posted at 2018-1-4 17:41
I’ve flown in -5 before without any issues - it could be caused by so many different things it is hard to pinpoint without a professional diagnostic by DJI but that will mean sending it back and waiting weeks. Try to eliminate the cause by calibrating, flying in different temps, refreshing the FW, changing the SD card etc and gauge what’s causing it yourself through that process of elimination. If the problem still persists then do send it back as it may be a bigger issue than we think and nobody on here can be 100%

yes, I have a bunch of things to try on the next calm day, hopefully it's something I can work out on my own like you're saying. thanks for your input

polletttim Posted at 2018-1-4 18:21
yes, I have a bunch of things to try on the next calm day, hopefully it's something I can work out on my own like you're saying. thanks for your input

Cool - let us know how you get on

Hi there, please try to check if the gimbal anti-drop hooks are mounted properly, see the tutorial below. Please help to confirm if the drone is in Sport mode on that flight, make sure that the propellers are in good condition, avoid flying when there's a windy weather. Also, please try to fly with the gimbal cover, or if it is possible, try to check if it will have the same effect on the ground outdoor, if yes, confirm again indoor, just power it on on the ground and check it on the app. Please keep us updated if the same issue persists, thank you.

DJI Thor Posted at 2018-1-7 00:18
Hi there, please try to check if the gimbal anti-drop hooks are mounted properly, see the tutorial below. Please help to confirm if the drone is in Sport mode on that flight, make sure that the propellers are in good condition, avoid flying when there's a windy weather. Also, please try to fly with the gimbal cover, or if it is possible, try to check if it will have the same effect on the ground outdoor, if yes, confirm again indoor, just power it on on the ground and check it on the app. Please keep us updated if the same issue persists, thank you.

okay I've tried most of these things you suggest but not all so ill try everything the next calm day which is taking forever (supposed to be calm 2 days from now) thanks for your input and ill keep you updated in when I get a chance to fly again

polletttim Posted at 2018-1-7 07:21
okay I've tried most of these things you suggest but not all so ill try everything the next calm day which is taking forever (supposed to be calm 2 days from now) thanks for your input and ill keep you updated in when I get a chance to fly again

Looking forward to your feedback, thank you very much.

DJI Thor Posted at 2018-1-8 01:01
Looking forward to your feedback, thank you very much.

I finally managed to get my drone in the air after the weather cleared up and wind died down for just over a hour. I tried flying with gimbal cover on, I tried flying in all directions, I tried each battery, swapped SD cards, tried refreshing and manually calibrating the gimbal with dji assistant, and checked the gimbal hooks and made sure it was seated properly..... and still wavy.

BUT...

In my tests I did try what you suggested - sitting on the ground (inside and outside) and noticed the wavy pattern happens outside even without the propellers moving, while inside there is no wavy pattern at all even with the propellers moving. So I tried auto calibrating the gimbal to see if it would help and it keeps getting stuck on 31% which moves from side to side (horizontally) then eventually stops and goes into gimbal overload error.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_shutter

fansfb1bf277 Posted at 2018-1-9 09:30
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_shutter

the article says vibration can cause the wavy pattern I'm experiencing but what would be causing vibration when the drone is sitting completely still without propellers moving? Im thinking theres a gimbal issue

polletttim Posted at 2018-1-9 09:09
I finally managed to get my drone in the air after the weather cleared up and wind died down for just over a hour. I tried flying with gimbal cover on, I tried flying in all directions, I tried each battery, swapped SD cards, tried refreshing and manually calibrating the gimbal with dji assistant, and checked the gimbal hooks and made sure it was seated properly..... and still wavy.

BUT...

Hi there, if the waves don't exist when the drone is indoor, I suspect the temperature difference is large between indoor and outdoor. If this is the case, the gimbal might not work properly when it is flying lower than the working temp 32° to 104° F ( 0° to 40° C ). So it mainly relates to the temperature. In this case, we suggest trying to fly with the gimbal protector. And also, I will confirm again with our engineers. Will get back to you once I hear from them.

DJI Thor Posted at 2018-1-18 05:25
Hi there, if the waves don't exist when the drone is indoor, I suspect the temperature difference is large between indoor and outdoor. If this is the case, the gimbal might not work properly when it is flying lower than the working temp 32° to 104° F ( 0° to 40° C ). So it mainly relates to the temperature. In this case, we suggest trying to fly with the gimbal protector. And also, I will confirm again with our engineers. Will get back to you once I hear from them.

Being a noob to drones I found out later that the calibrate I've been doing is the one with dji assistant and didn't know there was an auto calibrate feature on the drone without using dji assistant... so I tried auto calibrate and wouldn't calibrate beyond 31%. It used to time out and go into gimbal overload after about 5mins of trying to calibrate in the horizontal axis  .. So I brought this up with an online dji rep and they walked me through all the steps to troubleshoot my issue but in the end it was suggested I send it away for repair.. Its currently on route or at the repair place, so hopefully the jelly video is related to the gimbal not being able to calibrate properly.

polletttim Posted at 2018-1-20 11:01
Being a noob to drones I found out later that the calibrate I've been doing is the one with dji assistant and didn't know there was an auto calibrate feature on the drone without using dji assistant... so I tried auto calibrate and wouldn't calibrate beyond 31%. It used to time out and go into gimbal overload after about 5mins of trying to calibrate in the horizontal axis  .. So I brought this up with an online dji rep and they walked me through all the steps to troubleshoot my issue but in the end it was suggested I send it away for repair.. Its currently on route or at the repair place, so hopefully the jelly video is related to the gimbal not being able to calibrate properly.

Okay, our engineers will do an overall check for it when we receive the drone to see if it is the gimbal issue. Hope you can get the drone back soon.