Anyone else get the Cendence "Sticks Not Centered" error after turning it on?

[gamette]

I've got an Inspire 2/Zenmuse 5s combo that has worked great for years. We added a Cendence controller about a year in which has also been nice for quickly adjusting camera settings etc. It's about three years old now.

About a year ago, the Cendence would throw an error when starting up saying "Sticks Not Centered" on the display. I could typically solve it by turning it off, moving the sticks and dials, then turning it back on.

I was on a shoot last week, and no matter how many times I rebooted the thing, it kept saying "Sticks Not Centered". Well, I recalibrated the sticks with DJI Go 4 which solves the problem temporarily. Whenever the remote it turned off and back on, the error returns, requiring another recalibration.

Has anyone else seen this issue? I finally bit the bullet and sent it in to DJI and I'll be curious to see how much it costs to repair. Let me know if you've had the issue and if DJI was able to solve it for you. Thanks!

 

[mmarian]

I've got an Inspire 2/Zenmuse 5s combo that has worked great for years. We added a Cendence controller about a year in which has also been nice for quickly adjusting camera settings etc. It's about three years old now.

About a year ago, the Cendence would throw an error when starting up saying "Sticks Not Centered" on the display. I could typically solve it by turning it off, moving the sticks and dials, then turning it back on.

I was on a shoot last week, and no matter how many times I rebooted the thing, it kept saying "Sticks Not Centered". Well, I recalibrated the sticks with DJI Go 4 which solves the problem temporarily. Whenever the remote it turned off and back on, the error returns, requiring another recalibration.

Has anyone else seen this issue? I finally bit the bullet and sent it in to DJI and I'll be curious to see how much it costs to repair. Let me know if you've had the issue and if DJI was able to solve it for you. Thanks!

I am courious to hear about the outcome of this. I have ample experience fixing RC radios of various brands from Spectrum to Futaba and this looks like an easy fix to me. The sticks are held in their center positions by small tensioning springs, two in each gimbal. These springs can wear out and there is a tensioning screw in most RC radios which allow user to adjust the tension hence how much resistance the sticks have when moved. I suspect that in your case the tensioning springs became loose and the screws might need to be tightened a bit. Hope it will be only that, and DJI won't charge you a bomb for such a trivial repair. But I could be wrong and it could be something more serious...

 

[gamette]

I am courious to hear about the outcome of this. I have ample experience fixing RC radios of various brands from Spectrum to Futaba and this looks like an easy fix to me. The sticks are held in their center positions by small tensioning springs, two in each gimbal. These springs can wear out and there is a tensioning screw in most RC radios which allow user to adjust the tension hence how much resistance the sticks have when moved. I suspect that in your case the tensioning springs became loose and the screws might need to be tightened a bit. Hope it will be only that, and DJI won't charge you a bomb for such a trivial repair. But I could be wrong and it could be something more serious...

I appreciate the insight! I used to fly model aircraft when I was a teenager and used Futaba radios. I liked to tinker more back then. Nowadays, I just want stuff to work!

DJI confirmed they received my Cendence this afternoon. I guess it will take 2-3 days to get a report on what they need to do to fix it. Here's hoping it's a relatively inexpensive repair. I'll report back.

 

[DronePhD]

I've got an Inspire 2/Zenmuse 5s combo that has worked great for years. We added a Cendence controller about a year in which has also been nice for quickly adjusting camera settings etc. It's about three years old now.

About a year ago, the Cendence would throw an error when starting up saying "Sticks Not Centered" on the display. I could typically solve it by turning it off, moving the sticks and dials, then turning it back on.

I was on a shoot last week, and no matter how many times I rebooted the thing, it kept saying "Sticks Not Centered". Well, I recalibrated the sticks with DJI Go 4 which solves the problem temporarily. Whenever the remote it turned off and back on, the error returns, requiring another recalibration.

Has anyone else seen this issue? I finally bit the bullet and sent it in to DJI and I'll be curious to see how much it costs to repair. Let me know if you've had the issue and if DJI was able to solve it for you. Thanks!

Are you using the Patch Antenna with it as well??

 

[gamette]

Are you using the Patch Antenna with it as well??

Yes. It came with the patch antenna.

As a quick update, I received the repaired Cendence remote yesterday from DJI. It was a rather quick repair - about one week from when I shipped to when I received it back. Everything appears to be working well now.

A little note on the tire process…

On the day it was delivered to DJI, I received an email later that evening that they were able to reproduce the problem and needed to replace the sticks. I had to pay the repair fee which I did online. It was repaired and on its way back to me the next day. No complaints on the service that DJI provided.

 

[DronePhD]

Good info.
I have many Cendence remotes. Usually , the calibration eliminates the error. But, when i have a Patch Antennae connected, seems like it becomes 'extra sensitive ' and sometimes will not go away easily... i know it doesn't make sense, just the observation.

 

[gamette]

Good info.
I have many Cendence remotes. Usually , the calibration eliminates the error. But, when i have a Patch Antennae connected, seems like it becomes 'extra sensitive ' and sometimes will not go away easily... i know it doesn't make sense, just the observation.

Oh interesting. Before I sent it in, I had to calibrate it every single time I turned it on.

If it develops the same problem again, maybe I’ll try switching antennas first. I’ve never even tried the standard antenna!