Where is the battery cage / battery tray? [RESOLVED ]
3127 7 2015-10-11
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gil
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Dec 8, 2015 Update:  SHAZAM!  Only 3 Bucks!?!  The battery box/tray (officially known as the "Center Board Compartment")is now available directly from DJI! http://store.dji.com/product/phantom-3-center-board-compartment



Now that I've had my P3 for a while I thought it time to add some more parts to my spares list (would rather have them and NOT need it than need 'em and not have it kinda thing) so I got a spare shell for my P3.  After spending considerable time wrestling the top shell off I was compared it to the spare P2 shell and noticed there was no built in support for the main circuit board like in the P2.  I recall an earlier thread where someone asked about a battery cage but I can't find recall the subject line and I haven't been able to find a battery cage on any of the vendor websites.  Even Phantomhelp didn't have it listed.  

Is the battery cage going to end up being a elusive part just like the ribbon cables once was?







P3 Battery Cage.jpg
2015-10-11
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JtrJr-UAV Pilot
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Gil,

Just out of curiosity and for future reference I decided to see if I could chase one down. I think you're right, looks like a few folks have been trying to find them and have not been successful. No part number available either as far as I can tell. I think this might be worse than the ribbon cable dilemma (of which I have 2 in my inventory!).

Jerry
2015-10-11
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Phantom Help
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DJI does not sell them (yet).
2015-10-11
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gil
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After more googling I found a thread on phantompilots.com where a guy had a friend with a 3D printer that was going to fabricate one.  Then I looked on eBay and son-of-a-gun there is somebody selling them for $29 a pop Dji-Phantom-3-Battery-Box-Main-Board-Support-Tray

2015-10-11
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JtrJr-UAV Pilot
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gil Posted at 2015-10-11 22:25
After more googling I found a thread on phantompilots.com where a guy had a friend with a 3D printer ...

Good find! I think I may grab one.

Jerry
2015-10-11
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JtrJr-UAV Pilot
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gil Posted at 2015-10-11 22:25
After more googling I found a thread on phantompilots.com where a guy had a friend with a 3D printer ...

Just snagged one. Thanks Gil!

Jerry
2015-10-11
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gil
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JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2015-10-11 23:50
Just snagged one. Thanks Gil!

Jerry

Glad to help.   I applaud the guy with the smarts and 3D printer to help fill a void for a near impossible to find part.  

Me?  I'm holding out for DJI to start selling them.   I only got the spare shell as a contingency and I would hope with mass production they would sell the tray for a lot less.

But ya gotta wonder, the DJI repair centers must have these things on hand or else they would have to cannibalize old and broken Phantoms for a replacement.
2015-10-11
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I actually have a broken one and just bought one from the eBay account listed. I should have in about 3 or 4 days.

This was my experience trying to git it from DJI. Here is the Chat log of my conversation:

***************************************************************************************
DJI:
Hello,welcome to our website!How may I help you today?

ME:
I am looking for a part

I have had to replace the Body of the P3P due to cracks cause by a minor crash. I purchased DJI Phantom part 30 from a distributor and it arrived and I started the process of swapping over all the parts.

All was going fine until I noticed that the inner cage that holds the battery in place and the part that the main board screws down to does not come with the case. It so happens that the cage (I don't know the official name, so I will call it the cage) in my unit had one of it's screw posts snapped off and needs to be replaced.

I called several of your dealers listed in the support section on your website and they all gave me the same story. This part is not listed, does not appear to have an official part number and your own dealers have been asking for this part to do their customer repairs and DJI has ignored these requests and have not sent them out.

They reported to me that they have had to glue the broken pieces back on and hope that works. To me, that's ridiculous! We all know that is NOT a satisfactory fix, yet DJI will not supply their own distributors and repair centers with the part they need.

Every center has told me that they can not get that part, and that I should contact DJI directly. I find it hard to believe that DJI would sell that part directly to a customer when they refuse to supply them to their own authorized repair center, but that's what I was told by both Drone Nerds in Florida and the New York service center.

What options are available to me?

Waiting now for response
10:39:57

DJI:
Well as I see it you don't have any other option than to send it in. We mostly advise against self repairs because it will most likely void warranty. And unfortunately, cases like this show up from time to time. These are such specific parts that are almost never needed. Therefore we do not needlessly supply them to a lot of people and take of it ourselves.
10:41:13

Me:
I am only one person and this is not needless. I will not send it in as it is already disassembled and partially put back together in a new case. I will not spend all the money and waste extra weeks or months for the transaction just because you refuse to sell me a simple needed part.

What are my real options. It is crazy to have me send it in and it is a waste of my time and money. What I want here is actual CUSTOMER SERVICE
10:42:33

DJI:
First of all we never ship separate parts unless asked by a dealer.

Me:
MY GOD!!! I just got off the phone with two of your dealers who have told me thay have been asking for these parts since they came out and DJI will not even supply them.


DJI:
Second, you demand a part so specific to the craft that even dealers do not have it.

Me:
These parts must exist. Mine is broken. I will pay for it. It is a simple transaction

DJI:
I am very sorry that you decided to open it up, but we do not have these parts available for shipping
10:44:47

Me:
I opened it up because I AM a technician. Not some yahoo on the street. My job is fixing complex lab equipment at a research facility. Why should I waste my time and money to send this in to someone else when I can do it myself in an afternoon. Are you going to provide me with a satisfactory real solution or not?
10:46:17

Me:
Why doesn't DJI ship these parts to their own authorized repair and service centers? It forces them to make makeshift inferior repairs to your product. It's insane.

DJI:
When dealers receive drones that need reparations like this they mostly send it in.
We simply do not ship separate parts to regular customers, no matter their occupation we are very sorry. We can't make exceptions.
10:49:07

Me:
That is piss poor customer service. It is the kind of thing I read about all over the forums that causes me to question if I made the right decision buying a DJI product. This exchange will be posted on all the forums as another example of that customer service. I am truly sorry that the concept of customer service has been lost on you.

DJI:
You demand something we cannot do as per decree of our own company. You cannot expect me to make exceptions because you keep demanding something. I am very sorry, if it were up to me I would have noted your data and be done with it as I have the feeling you CAN do it yourself. But please understand, I CAN not send you a separate part

It is not a matter of willing, but a matter of what I am able to do
10:52:40

Me:
When I said you, I was referring to DJI, not you personally. Is there another level within the company that I can appeal to. I mean, I want to give them more money to buy a part which they make. The transaction can't possibly be that difficult. Who is the next level up the chain? The question of why DJI does not even supply their own authorized repair centers with the needed parts they ask for has also not been answered.
*************************************************************************************************


Doesn't look like DJI has the slightest interest in selling these to ANYONE. Not even their own authorized service centers!! In a conversation with one of the service centers, they told me that since DJI will not send them the part, they have been repairing them by using hot glue!

Glad I didn't get one of those repairs!

I am awaiting the arrival of my 3D printed part.
2015-11-21
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