Camera issue on DJI Phantom 2

General Drone Discussion
1

Hi everyone, I bought 2 drones recently, both DJI phantom 2 vision pluses. One is great but the other one needed some work, the camera was not attached and the ribbon cable damaged.

I have replaced the cable and attached the camera but when turning on, the camera goes crazy, and all the parts get very warm after a few seconds.

I have watched loads of Youtube videos about this and followed various possible cures but no success. It also does not show an image on the phone app but I think this usually only happens once the camera has settled.

Do you have any ideas???

1 Like
2

Not certain - but I’d say the video cable is damaged.

I’m guessing things are organised a little bit the same as the MP - and the video cable is also the feed for the camera gimbal data back to the gimbal motor controller.

That would explain the “no video” and the weird movement.

Do some research in that direction to see if my gut feeling can be supported by other people’s experience.

Edit: If the same “layout” as the MP, the ribbon cable is only the power and control for the three gimbal motors - no video.

3

If you have no feed to the phone from the drone.
It could be suffering the age old fault of the “Dreaded Black Screen of Death” !! where by the Wifi Module has fried or the ROM chip has become corrupt.
This was a common fault after DJI updated the firmware and Fucked up more drones that you can shake a stick at !!.
If you solve your Gimbal shake problem ,then my bet is (if you have not got camera feed) that the Wifi Module is corrupt.

4

:dizzy_face: uh oh sounds expensive!!!

5

Nope!, if you can get the gimbal to stop shaking ,there is a potential fix for the black screen syndrome.
I had to do mine, involves a bit of work, but, can be done.
I’ll see if I can find the fix info for you.

6

The “shaking” is identical to my MP when the video cable became damaged.

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7

I’d add that the “damage” was caused by me whilst replacing the ribbon cable.

I’d further add that the ribbon cable became “damaged” by me investigating a non-perpendicular gimbal bracket.

Clumsy bugger that I am. :stuck_out_tongue:

8

Here are the instructions to solving the Black screen/ no video feed.

DJI Phantom 2 Vision NAND REPAIR.pdf (396.6 KB)
DJI Phantom 2 Vision NAND REPAIR.doc (411 KB)

Not all the Modules can be repaired, depends on which board inside teh module is faulty.

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9

I might invest in another cable (or 2) then

I do have another working Phantom and Camera so could I just swap cameras to test

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10

When you say “camera” - is that complete with gimbal?

If just the camera, then you won’t be determining if the cable is faulty.

11

Still great birds to fly, all said and done !!

12

It’s a complete gimbal and camera

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13

:+1:

14

UPDATE

I have tried the good camera on the 2nd drone and it works fine apart from live view

I have tried the 2nd camera on the 1st drone and it still flaps around like a man man!!!

So the camera has the fault, right time to investigate …

2 Likes
15

Keep us posted @Phantom41 :+1:t2:

16

I have managed to sort out the gimbal shake but still have no live video

As you might hear in the video, I glued the “spindle” onto casing as it was spinning freely so the gimbal could not find the right level hence the mad shaking. Although I have glued it not quite level, hopefully I can re-set it later.

So one step closer to solving the whole problem.

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17

Sounds like the lower board in the Wifi Module is corrupt, that’s why you have not camera feed.

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18

Does that mean the next step is to follow your earlier repair link?

19

yup, just trying to find the instructions of the way to test if the board is faulty for you. bear with me !

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20

If my rusty old memory is right, you have to be able to “ping” the wifi boards from a PC, to ascertain if the 2 boards inside the wifi module are working, if the top board pings OK ,and not the bottom board, then it may be recoverable.
need to boot up my main machine, where all the files are, back in a few mins.

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