DJI S800 - Zenmuse -Sony NEX 5n - No Video

[jayfrost]

Hello all,

I am having an issue with my FPV using the NEX 5N on my S800 with Zenmuse Gimbal. Yesterday I had both the on-screen (dji iOSD) working and the video from the camera. Today I am only getting the onscreen display with no video. Last night after getting everything working, I took the camera out of the gimbal, ejected the battery to recharge it and let it sit overnight. I simply put everything back today and now I cannot get any video.

I have verified that the camera is using 1080i only for the HDMI out and have used new batteries in the S800. All functions appear to work including using the shutter remotely with my TX.

I am using the DJI 5.8ghz wireless tx/rx for video. I am still showing the Onscreen display info on my monitor, but nothing else. Can anyone lend any insight?

Thanks,

Jason

 

[Eoin]

Hi Jason,
I'm afraid I can't help you with this but wanted to chime in to let you know that I am having the same problem.
I use a Nex 7. Had everything working perfectly up until about two weeks ago, but then it stopped to give me picture and overlay. Now I just get the overlay.
First test you should probably try is to bypass the osd and check if your Nex 5 will give a picture directly through your transmitter. This is currently how I using it. Have contacted DJI and am waiting to hear back as to the possible cause. Unfortunately I am suspecting the GCU of the Zen as the culprit
Eoin

 

[jayfrost]

Eoin

Thanks for the response. I have read some more and it appears that many have had a similar issue when using the iOSD. The faq on the DJI website says to use the SAO adapter. Im not sure what that is exactly, but have read in some other post that it is a hardware fix that DJI started using a while ago. I have written DJI and hope I hear from them. Unfortunately, I do not have the proper adaptors to hook my Sony directly to my transmitter and most stores are closed now. Maybe tomorrow I will try building something. Let me know if you find out any other info.

 

[Eoin]

I contacted my DJI dealer, Martin at buildyourowndrone.co.uk, who I cannot recommend highly enough. He is extremely efficient and helpful.
Through Martin I changed out the OSD thinking that was the problem, but unfortunately it wasn't the case. The SAO board comes with the new versions of the iOSD. In my situation it made no difference. To be honest I didn't think it would as the SAO board was designed to fix issues with particular cameras that wouldn't work with the iOSD. In case's like ours, where it used to work and now all of a sudden doesn't, I think we need to look at other culprits. I have spent almost 10 hours trying to debug this without success.
Issue is currently with DJI and I am hoping to hear from them in regard to it soon. Martin reported it to them a week ago.
I will keep you updated on anything I learn.

 

[jayfrost]

Eoin,

Well I hate to write this because I feel foolish. I took all the pieces apart, rebuilt the whole thing and then fired it up. Still nothing. But I realized that the OSD showed I was on channel 1 on the video input. I must have triggered the av switch at some point and moved it to channel 1. The video input is channel 2. I simply tried switching to channel two on my controller and bam, video is back.

I hope this helps you, but if not good luck.

J

 

[nickedw]

I was having exactly this issue. It was compounded when I made up a lead to plug a composite video monitor straight into my Z15 3.5mm jack and got a good video signal, which only left the IOS unit to be the culprit.

After swapping the IOSD out, it turns out the fault actually lay with HDMI cable between the Z15 and Nex 5N. I've always thought this looks fragile. If you remove the cover plate on the base of the Z15 where this cable enters the unit, there is a small junction PCB where this plugs in, this is the lowest point on the aircraft and not sealed, so open to the elements. I just re-seated the connector a few times and it cleared the fault - I assume the contacts get contaminated or tarnished, or maybe even the lead itself is damaged and moving it around brought it back to life.

I will be ordering a spare cable and board now I know about this, they are available and not a fortune.

As for my failed troubleshooting - this fault was originally intermittent (aren't they always?) ,so it obviously 'chose' to work the one time I plugged a monitor in directly to test it, unbelievable. I sometimes wonder whose side these aircraft are on

Hope this helps for someone else.

Nick.