Phantom 2 with Zenmuse H4-3D Gimbal Bundle now available
DJI just launched the Phantom 2 bundle including the new H4-3D Zenmuse gimbal which is the Gopro Hero 4 black compatible gimbal. Keep in mind that this new bundle includes the DJI Phantom 2 V2 boasting its new propulsion system, transmitter, and improved compass. If you are planning on shooting with a gopro hero 4 this is the package to...
Fixing and recalibrating broken X1 Channel on DJI Phantom 2
When I first got my DJI Phantom 2 with the H3-2D Gimbal everything worked fine at first, then it seemed that intermittently the X1 channel wouldn’t calibrate right. I could sometimes get -1000 to 1000 movement but to get that movement I had to quickly move the lever and try to hold pressure on the base of the Camera movement lever to get it to move the whole range. This was frustrating, to say the least. At the first occurrence of this issue, i took the Remote Control apart to see if it was just the lever not making contact with the pot on the PCB Board. The pot is the little device that turns the movement of the lever into a signal which in turn moves the camera once received by the Phantom. The first time this happened I messed around enough to somehow get it to work again. I just had this same thing happen again and finally figured out how to fix it. Note: I know the RC Assistant is only used to calibrate the normal control channels and not the X1, but this, in my opinion, is what causes this fix to work!! Steps: Turn on the Remote Control and launch the RC Assistant Software (not the Phantom 2 software) Plug in the Remote Control with the supplied USB cable Calibrate the normal Control Channels. (after step 1 is complete read on) After you move the control levers in all directions don’t click Next yet. Move the X1 channel to both extremes a few times slowly. For this step, I had the remote taken apart and moved the pot (the little electrical box with a philips style yellow top) with a philips screwdriver, but you should be able to achieve the same with just moving the lever. Once again: I know that the X1 channel isn’t calibrated officially at this point but it needs to be moved at this point just like you would during a calibration. Click next and finish the calibration. Turn off the remote control and quit the RC Assistant Software. Unplug the remote control. Plug in the USB cable into the Phantom 2 quadcopter. Now start the Phantom 2 Config App (the one used to upgrade firmware for the actual Phantom 2 quadcopter). After turning on the Phantom 2 plug it into the computer. Calibrate the remote control again. Calibrate the X1 channel. Now you should have a working X1 channel again!! These are the steps I followed to get my X1 channel working again, I hope they worked for you as well. I would have had to send my DJI...
DJI Phantom 2 Unboxing
Welcome to my DJI Phantom 2 Unboxing Post. I decided to take photos of the event since the packaging reminded me of an Apple product. The extra thought that went into the packaging is evident. On one side you think meh it’s just packaging get on with it, but when you purchase something nice like this Phantom 2 it’s a pleasant experience to open it for the first time. I ended up getting the DJI Phantom 2 with H3-2D Zenmuse Gimbal since the Combo deal was just too good to pass up. I’ll post the Zenmuse H3-2D Gimbal Unbox and Install later. Let’s get started: The outside of the box clearly shows the Phantom 2 and the slogan “The Spirit of Flight”. This is the Box for the Zenmuse H3-2D Gimbal which I will unbox and install in a separate post. After you open the box and remove the innards this is what you end up with. They dressed up the egg crate style cardboard with the black instructions, manuals and stickers pouch with the paper band around it all. Inside the instructions pouch you find english and chinese quick setup guides, disclaimers as well as 3 sets of stickers which help you orient the Phantom 2 whilst it is in flight. Colors for your choosing are red, blue (which I chose), and pink. After you remove the paper band and remove the lid of the cardboard egg crate box you come upon the first glimpse of your own personal Phantom 2. Also in this view you can see the Tx (Transmitter or as DJI calls it the Remote Controller, which drives me nuts…it’s a Transmitter), the white box which contains the wall charger and USB cable and international adapters. The self-tightening propellers and a complete spare set are also included. This leaves 2 electrostatic-bag style packages which include a screwdriver, screws for the gimbal mounting holes, spare landing gear cushions. Here’s everything laid out on a table. The full-size (normal RC Hobby Transmitter size) Remote Control with red warning paper label which describes take-off/landing procedures and the CSC (combination stick commands) execution steps. I’ll describe these details in a later post. The bottom of the Tx showing the 5th channel (Remote Tilt Channel for cameras attached to the gimbal) The lithium-polymer wall charger with international adapters for (US, Europe 2 Prong, UK), and little accessory bags. Also the first glimpse of the little cheat sheet that is attached to the Tx. 4x warning labels on the 4 motors. The cheat sheet I mentioned properly called the “LED Flight Indicators” Card. Micro USB-Port of the Tx. The Phantom...
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