Mandy has had an accident ☹️

So Tuesday Mandy (Mavic Pro) had an accident due to me (idiot) decided to try some new settings in her back garden. The idiot forgot to turn off the sensors and they spotted the chair and decided to dodge them right into my back door. Outcome broken props and damaged shock absorber on gimbal. Not too bad £10 to replace. Surgery today for Mandy. Just gutted as got to peel new skin off for access to screws.

With great care, it is possible to replace those shock absorbers in situ.

If you go the route of removing the gimbal completely, you still have to exercise great care with other internal ribbon connectors and the two cables to the gimbal/camera.

Even with the gimbal completely out, those shock absorbers are little devils to replace. (Unless you obtain both plates with them in place, of course.)

But the one advantage of doing them in place … one at a time … is there is actually less chance of damaging the gimbal ribbon cable.

It’s a tricky, slow, delicate job … but having had my gimbal out completely (three times - none for damage in flight - see this post for the first two reasons), it’s definitely the way I’d go if that was the only problem.

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@OzoneVibe

I got the complete plate.

:+1:

So - surgery! :fearful:

Actually, as long as you take great care, it’s not incredibly difficult.

Have a look through this thread where I gave some tips to someone else opening up their MP for similar (and successful!) surgery. There are better images that explain things since they were posted with hindsight and specifically to explain … rather than just logging my experience as it progressed.

The video I found, and linked to in that thread, was the one that I found the most useful.

Also, someone recently manage to damage one of the ribbon cables to the front sensors when disconnecting/reconnecting from/to the circuit board above the gimbal (inside the shell). Those ribbon cables are delicate. There’s little slack and over manipulation isn’t something they handle too well.

Most of the connectors have been secured with one type of gunk, or another.
Once the connectors are off, examine both parts very closely to ensure that they are totally free of gunk before attempting to reconnect.

Reconnecting the connectors needs to be done with the greatest of care - making sure they are perfectly lined up. (That sounds so simple, but not as easy as one might think whilst not over-manipulating the ribbon cables that have almost no slack! See my previous link for the consequences of really thinking everything was lined up perfectly! :man_facepalming: ).
When they are perfectly aligned, gentle pressure with a bit of a wiggle, and you will feel them “click” into place.

Any time - shout if you need to know anything.

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You are racking up the firsts! First flight, first video, first crash, first repait :slight_smile: Not sure if you qualify for a Plonker badge - the committee decide on those - but if you get one wear it with pride, by 'fessing up to a mistake you may prevent someone else from making the same mistake.

I hope Mandy is fully recovered and eagerly awaiting a new skin :slight_smile:

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Well managed to replace the shock absorber board ok. But looks like the crash hit many a bit harder. I’m getting gimabal overload. Check gimbal guard removed. (Obviously it is) so from research its the gimbal ribbon cable. New one ordered so more surgery tomorrow maybe Saturday depending when delivered.

:confused::worried: the gimbal shocks weren’t as fiddly as changing iPhone screen. But by looks of it the gimbal ribbon will be.

Were you not getting the overload message before you replaced the shock-absorber boards?

Does the gimbal move at all during boot-up?

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Getting it to fold in the right places and by the right amount, and then getting the adhesive bits to actually adhere … is tricky … because the bugger won’t stay in the orientation you want it to.

Take great care not to pinch the video cable in the rebuild process … which is what I must have unknowingly done the first time. The individual strands (between each part of the gimbal) are very vulnerable.

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I had the same problem last year with gimbal trying to find home position mid flight with video on. Found the same bits damaged on mine took it apart and ended up blowing the board must have put one of the connectors in wrong as when I started up to test I noticed a flash and then came the smell ended up sending it to DroneDoctor

No but as soon as I got the vibration warning I shut it down. It’s probably happened when I transferred the shock absorber over as part of the ribbon was stuck to it where the camera attaches to it.

Oh yeah the gimbal moves erratically can actually hear it smacking the sides. From a google search this is what lead me to the ribbon

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Yup - As per mine. That’s the ribbon cable OK. :frowning:

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Not had any smell or flashes…:crossed_fingers:t3: Just the camera bouncing around the gimbal during calibration.

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Ah well all part of the learning lesson. At least its not too expensive. Only ordered one cable so here is hoping I sort it on first attempt. As @macspite said its another first to go with the others hahaha.

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Good job I like taking things apart and fixing them.

I know, from past experience, that if I was to remove my gimbal, for any reason, I’d arm myself with two spare ribbon cables and two video cables.

Any mistakes are so much more easily tackled when all the tools needed are out and ready to hand.

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My mavic mini has no sensors so cant make that mistake. Hope you get mandy up on her wings soon.

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Hope the door is not damaged.

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Well after 2 surgeries Thursday and today, I can happily say Mandy has pulled through perfectly. All healed too. Batteries on charge now for a flight today.

Just to show you how easy the ribbon cables can damage, this is the only damage I can see on the whole cable.

@OzoneVibe holy $h!t how fiddly is it changing that ribbon cable. Decided to use nylon tipped long nose tweezers. So no damage. Thank you for all your help.

@admins is there a repair badge ?

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the door perfectly fine :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

No probs! Glad it’s made a full recuperation! :+1: