Newb trying to keep camera facing same direction as copter

[Ptrope]

I just started flying a couple weeks ago - only 2 days outside with it. Last night when I was flying, I found that whenever I rotate the copter, the camera remains facing the same direction. I'm sure it's something I've changed in a setting (I hope!) - for now, at least, I want to always keep the camera facing forward unless I manually pan it, so I can monitor my flight better. (my previous drone was a BeBop2, where the camera is integrated in the body, of course)

Thanks!

 

[Ty Pilot]

Flip your Pan Control Toggle (Switch #2) to the top position, if it is in the upper most position and still does not work; check the switch with the hardware monitor.

 

[Ptrope]

Thanks! After I posted, I tracked down a tutorial on it and saw that. Just went out and tried again - first flight, it stayed aligned, 2nd flight it kept pointed at one spot, with the toggle in the same "F" location. Also had issues with it spinning up - worked, but in mid-flight it told me the compass needed calibration, so I landed & calibrated the compass, then it wouldn't spin up until I shut it off and restarted. Still learning ... probably missed something somewhere ...

 

[Dustoff]

Thanks! After I posted, I tracked down a tutorial on it and saw that. Just went out and tried again - first flight, it stayed aligned, 2nd flight it kept pointed at one spot, with the toggle in the same "F" location. Also had issues with it spinning up - worked, but in mid-flight it told me the compass needed calibration, so I landed & calibrated the compass, then it wouldn't spin up until I shut it off and restarted. Still learning ... probably missed something somewhere ...

I would do both a gimbal calibration and accelerometer calibration . Couldn’t hurt . Hope you are doing the compass calibration with the camera off the H and with out the props . The H won’t spin up until it has enough gps satellites in site .

 

[Ptrope]

I wondered about the GPS connection - I was getting about 10-12 satellites listed on the controller.

I haven't seen any vids on compass calibration that recommend doing it with the camera off the H; is that necessary?

 

[NorWiscPilot]

I wondered about the GPS connection - I was getting about 10-12 satellites listed on the controller.

I haven't seen any vids on compass calibration that recommend doing it with the camera off the H; is that necessary?

It’s not necessary to remove the camera. It is also not mandatory to keep the camera attached to an H 480 for compass calibration. Therefore, in the hopes of saving wear and tear on the gimbal assembly, it has been “recommended” by various members here to keep camera flipping and gimbal shaking to a minimum.

In other words, the consensus seems to say “calibrate with the camera removed from the craft whenever possible.”

Jeff

P.S. Unfortunately, the H520, and maybe the plus, require the camera to communicate in order to get to the calibrations. If anyone has a workaround, please post, repost, or link!

 

[Sureshot]

Normally the gimbal lock/lens cover should be off when the H is powered on to avoid stressing the gimbal's motors & electronics.
Compass calibration works with the gimbal mounted and the gimbal lock/lens cover on for just that function.
Then remove the gimbal lock.

 

[Ptrope]

Well, another flight, another failure. I calibrated gimbal, accelerometer and compass before take-off, but it's still not locking the camera in place with the drone body when I have the pan control toggle (#2 in the illo above) in the "F" position. It looks like I need to track down some good camera tutorials, and get more familiar with the controller; at the moment, the ability to keep the camera focused on a location is less important to me than being able to pilot it from the screen. I'll also give the hardware monitor a go.

 

[Ptrope]

Once again, efforts thwarted. I updated the ST16 and H both, re-bound the camera and drone to the ST16, and just tried a short flight. Still not locking the camera in place, even with the toggles set correctly. I think it may be time to call tech support. The hardware monitor checked out - shows all the correct positions and actions for all controls. I'm befuddled. Perplexed. Puzzled. And not a little frustrated - I want to be able to fly more than straight up and straight down, and only maneuvering in a small enough circle that I can keep a good eye on its location and rotation, so I don't fly it off out of sight. I may try the follow or orbit modes to see if, left to its own procedures, it performs correctly or if the camera still stays focused on one compass direction unless panned manually.

Weird. But I haven't given up yet.

 

[AeroJ]

I think it may be time to call tech support.

I think you're right. That is very unusual behaviour. Occasionally, if I do too much continuous procession via the d-pad, and then use a lot of yaw control to change direction, my camera sometimes drifts off center, and then stays that way until reboot, but that is the only time it ever leaves dead center while that switch is in the top position.

In your case, I wonder if your flight mode switch might be dodgy - could it be possible that your machine is accidentally flicking into Smart mode, which might do 'watch me' mode by default, which would cause the camera to remain pointed in one direction regardless of panning ? The easy way to check this is look at the light on the back of the craft - was the light purple or green when you were having these issues ?

 

[FlushVision]

In your case, I wonder if your flight mode switch might be dodgy - could it be possible that your machine is accidentally flicking into Smart mode, which might do 'watch me' mode by default, which would cause the camera to remain pointed in one direction regardless of panning ? The easy way to check this is look at the light on the back of the craft - was the light purple or green when you were having these issues ?

That is very possible. I was doing some flights over Thornborough Henges last month and my aircraft began 'dithering' between smart and angle mode even though the switch was firmly in the 'angle' position.

Several swift toggles between angle and smart cleared the problem but while the problem was there it prevented me from doing a POI over one of the henges.

 

[Ty Pilot]

. . . . Unfortunately, the H520, and maybe the plus, require the camera to communicate in order to get to the calibrations. If anyone has a workaround, please post, repost, or link!

Better late than never Jeff, just saw this. The Plus CAN be calibrated sans camera I can confirm - perhaps this will work on the 520. Very simply, Start the calibration process with the camera on - then, quickly remove the camera/gimbal and proceed. I have done this successfully twice on the Plus for both the compass and gyro calibrations