BobbyMcGee

I recently bought the DJI Phantom 3 Drone and had nothing but problems getting it set-up. I've had it for more than a month and still can't / won't fly it.

The main problem I'm having now is that there is no throttle increment. When I advance the throttle just a slight bit, the motors go to full throttle. If I didn't have the drone strapped down, it would have blasted off like a rocket!

I've called DJI, and been through the DJI support chat feature, but no one there has an answer. Each time, I was lead through a different procedure; calibrate the gimbals, calibrate the IMU, calibrate the compass, re-install the app, re-install the upgrades ... etc!
Nothing works.

DJI advertises that the Phantom 3 is, "Ready to fly right out of the box." .... Well, that's not true at all. I spent over seven hours going through the basic setup process. All the DJI videos did not cover what I had to do, and neither did the independent youtube videos cover the steps.

I had to buy a thumb drive with a mini/micro SD slot just to download the software onto the transmitter. DJI doesn't tell you that until after you buy the drone and begin to read the instructions or watch the videos.

So, first the happy owner has to download the software upgrade onto the micro SD. But first, the SD card has to be formatted!! Nowhere in the instructions or videos is this part mentioned. So you have to call tech support and wait 30+ minutes for someone to get to you. Then you find out that the SD card has to be formatted through the app on the phone. That's a trick all in itself!

Then, the happy owner who has lots of time on their hands has to search for the "DJI Pilot" app on the web, download that app to the phone/ipad, hit more buttons to install the app, connect the phone/ipad to the controller, go through more steps to register and activate the app (because if you don't do that the drone won't even work ... yep, the drone won't communicate with the transmitter until the app is activated ... props won't turn, camera won't work, nothing happens).

Then, you have to watch a few hours of videos because there are no step-by-step written instructions that come with the drone. Not even a CD containing instructions or instructional videos! So, get some popcorn and a few beers or drinks.

After a few mind-numbing hours of that, you then have to put the SD card into the drone (after you have charged it for a few hours) and listen to a plethora of annoying beep signals for about twenty minutes to make sure the upload procedure has finished. Then you have to put the SD card back into your computer to look for a new confirmation file on the SD card. Then delete that file, only to start the same annoying process with the transmitter. But to do that, you need the thumb drive with the SD slot because the SD card doesn't fit into the transmitter.

Then you are ready to fly ... according to them. But in reality, the unhappy owner needs to spend hours watching more mind-numbing videos to learn where the app controls and adjustments are, how to use them, adjust the speed of the camera gimbal, and spend more hours on the phone with tech support to learn that you also have to calibrate the gimbals and possibly the IMU.

So has anyone else gone through this mess?
Does anyone else have an idea on the throttle problem?

Personally, I think the drone is defective and should be sent back for a refund.

By the way, if you do need your DJI drone repaired, there is a 6 to 8 week turn around period (according to the rep at DJI that I spoke with).

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

I don't think you'll find a bunch of threads here regarding the DJI's. If they are scratch built with balsa, and flown with nitro or gas engines, perhaps.

Try this thread:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...om+3&page=1589

There is a DJI support guy in the thread, Blade Strike is his name. Thankless job....but he seems to be extremely responsive. The thread is huge, and moves very quickly.

You might have bought a dud, it's been known to happen. Might just return it. Good luck either way.

BobbyMcGee

Thanks for the information. And like you wrote, I didn't see any topics on this either, so I thought there might not be a lot of information here. But you did provide a lot of information to me with your response. So thanks very much.

I did put in a return request with DJI three days ago, and just got and email from them today. They seem very strict about returns ... Must be done within seven working days of receipt. But since I paid with a credit card, and haven't made payment to the credit card company yet, their "return policy" is of little concern to me.

I had a friend talk to another friend who flys these things. He too thinks it's a dud.

I'm telling you, this thing is dangerous too ... four spinning blades that will slice and dice any flesh it hits!
No prop protection at all.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

CC and PP chargebacks do wonders.... I think I saw someone offering prop protectors, custom made from their 3D printer, but I can't find it now. A few have shown up at our field, they are amazing to watch and can do some pretty cool stuff, but ya...it's a floating veggomatic.

Rob2160

Hi, As Porcia suggested the P3 thread on RCG is a good place to get answers.

You are right, their service centres appear to be backlogged 6-8 weeks.

They don't want customers doing their own repairs on some product lines so they must be sent in for assessment and repair.

In relation to your throttle behaviour I think I know what is occurring.

With DJI flight controllers the logic of motor control in some modes can seem confusing if you have been in this hobby for a while and relate motor power to throttle position.

In GPS or ATTI modes your throttle has no direct control over motor RPM. The throttle position is a rate of climb and descent lever with mid point equalling a fixed hover altitude.

That at is why the DJI controllers have a spring centred throttle - (for those not familiar, the throttle feels just like the elevator in your radio and self centres when you take your finger off it.)

When you start the motors they will stay at idle as you move the throttle from 0 to 50%. At around 55% throttle they will roar to high power and the quad will lift off.

If you have the quad strapped down then it won't detect lift off and will keep increasing motor RPM to 100% trying to get airborne. Even with the throttle stick at just 55%.

This is actually normal behaviour for this machine. It's not designed to be strapped down and by doing so you have confused the flight controller into believing the quad is very heavy.

Some multicopter flight controllers give you the option of manual mode which allows conventional motor response directly related to throttle position but the Phantom 3 does not have a manual mode,

You are seeing 100% motor rpm because your quad is strapped down. If you let it fly the internal barometer will sense the climb rate and adjust motors accordingly to a lower RPM and it will climb at a sensible rate.

BobbyMcGee

Rob,
Thanks for that information. The so-called "techs" at DJI didn't know that. But in reality, they are not experienced with this flying vego-matic. The last "tech" I spoke with, told me that many of the DJI "techs" have never even touched a DJI drone. They all have a prepared step-by-step procedure that they walk each customer through. And if that procedure doesn't work, they have nothing else to offer other than emailing the customer a repair order ticket.

I bought the drone from Amazon, so their return policy is really easy. It was so easy that I had a printed UPS return label sent to me within fifteen (15) minutes of filling out an on-line form that only took one minute to complete.

I wish I read your post before I did all that. Oh, well. Once I get the charges reversed on the credit card, I'll just order another drone. Then spend another day of my life activating the new one and downloading the software again. At least this time I won't have to watch those videos! But I will have to listen to all that damned beeping.

As far as that thread on RCG ... Wow! That thread moves fast! I couldn't believe the amount of pages ... 1630 and still growing quickly.