When you are flying your drone, you want to be able to see a clear image. But too much vibration can distort the shots. So, how can you stop your gimbal from shaking?
The first thing to try is checking the gimbal system. Sometimes, it might have come loose after an accident. You can also check the propeller, as uneven propellers can lead to shaking during flight. Lastly, consider adjusting the way you are flying, to minimize the effect of the wind.
There are a few ways that you can combat gimbal vibrations. If one of these fixes doesn’t work, move on to the next one. Read on to learn the best tips to help you control vibration in your drone.
Why Does My DJI Gimbal Vibrate?
The gimbal is a small camera that sits underneath your DJI drone. When you are flying, you will be able to control the gimbal, changing the angle of the camera. This can allow you to get some stunning shots.
The best place to start is by trying to identify some of the reasons why your drone gimbal might be vibrating. Here are some of the common causes:
- Recent crashes. Sometimes, you might have had a crash that caused the gimbal to pop out of place. Any time that you have a crash, you should carefully inspect the drone, to make sure that it hasn’t been damaged.
- High winds. Sometimes, if you are flying your drone on a windy day, the breeze will push the gimbal downwards and you will need to keep re-adjusting it. This might also occur when you are flying at high speeds. This is most common in the DJI Mini 2 and Mavic series.
- Changing the props. The issue might lie in the propellor system being unbalanced. This is what can create a Jello effect, particularly on the Mavic. This is most common after a crash.
It should be noted that most of the time this vibration is due to a hardware problem. However, it’s still best to check the software and make sure that you are running the latest version.
Fixing The Gimbal After A Crash
If you have recently had a crash, it’s best to start by examining the gimbal to see if it was affected. Sometimes, the force of the impact might have been enough to cause it to pop out of the housing.
If this is the case, it will often be relatively easy to fix. This can be as simple as popping the gimble back into place. You might need to check with the owner’s manual to make sure that you have connected it properly.
Checking The Propeller
It’s also possible that you might have an uneven propeller. This can affect the aerodynamics of the drone, causing it to shake more than it normally would.
The good news is that this is easy to detect. Fly the drone down low, so you can get a good view of what it looks like in flight. If it doesn’t do this, it indicates the vibration is caused by a mechanical fault.
Look for a nice smooth camera feed:
Propeller issues are most common after an accident. Though you will need to replace them every 200 flights.
The good news is that replacing the propeller is fairly easy. Here are the steps you will need to follow:
- Remove the old propeller. To do this, you will need to use the screwdriver that came with the drone. This will allow you to remove the screws that are holding the propeller in place.
- Find a suitable replacement. You should use the official propellers that are recommended by the manufacturer, rather than buying through a third party.
- Screw in the new propeller. This should be as simple as placing the propeller into the slot and tightening the screw to make sure that it gets held in place.
After you have done this, you will need to re-test your drone. Hopefully, it should now fly flat.
If it doesn’t, there might be other mechanical issues that you need to take into account. You can try a close inspection of your drone to see if you can spot the issue. If you can’t see anything wrong, you might have to send it to a professional to see if they can find the cause of the vibration. If you are covered by warranty, you will be able to send it back to DJI and they can inspect it and solve the problem for free.
Changing The Way You Fly
Sometimes, you will only notice the gimbal vibrations when flying at high speeds or in high winds. In this case, it indicates that the breeze is responsible for the problem. Some more modern DJI drones will try to solve these problems by automatically moving the camera, to adjust to the wind.
However, this can sometimes cause problems, as the top of the drone or the propellers can appear in the shot. Because of this, you might want to start adjusting the way that you fly on a windy day. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Flying side to side. This can help buffer against the wind, as the gimble moves from left to right, instead of floating upwards and getting the top of the drone in the shot.
- Flying backward. This will allow you to use the body of the drone to block the wind. Because of this, the gimble should be able to move around freely.
You might also want to consider the lay of the land. For example, you use a building as a type of natural windbreaker. You might also want to consider looking at the weather reports before you take off, so you can plan the best time of the day to have your flight.
Final Thoughts
Gimbal vibration is a common complaint from drone pilots, leading to distorted images. Thankfully, this is a fairly simple problem for you to solve. Often, it will take a few mechanical tweaks to the drone, or a change in the way that you are flying.
