Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy at DVinfo.net

Brock Burwell · January 21st, 2016, 03:41 PM

Can anyone give me some advice on how to balance this thing. I have been working on it for probably 3 hours and cannot get it balanced.

Every time I actually get it balanced, I tighten the screws and then it becomes unbalanced again. I absolutely cannot figure it out. It's maddening. I've watched every single video on the internet about balancing it and nothing is helping me

Any advice would be great.

Noa Put · January 21st, 2016, 03:57 PM

What camera have you mounted and is there a mike or anything else mounted onto the camera?

Brock Burwell · January 21st, 2016, 04:05 PM

It's a GH4 with a 12-35mm lens on it. No mic

Noa Put · January 21st, 2016, 04:23 PM

I have a beholder ms1 and while I can quickly get it balanced with a gh4 and a 12mm or 9-18mm as soon as I place a small microphone on top of the camera for a unclear reason I cannot get it balanced anymore, that's why I asked.

You say that after balancing the camera becomes unbalanced again as soon as you tighten the screws, if you then switch on the gimbal, what happens then? Is there vibration or does it not level out?

Brock Burwell · January 21st, 2016, 04:35 PM

I think I actually may have it close to balanced (as close as I am going to get at the moment). That said, They say you are supposed to turn it sideways and if it rotates, then you need to adjust it a bit more. So I adjusted it far one direction and that was way off, so I adjusted it about halfway and it was closer, and then I adjusted it all the way the other direction and it's closer, but its still off. It won't go any farther and it's still rotating when I turn it sideways.

Not sure if this makes a difference, but I have the camera as back as far as I can on the plate so that I always know where it was when I go to balance it again. Wonder if that is making a difference.

To answer your question though, yea if I turn it on, it seems to balance itself, but I want to make sure it's right on before I go and start filming

Warren Kawamoto · January 22nd, 2016, 01:20 PM

Here is a video in Spanish (first one at the bottom of the page,) but there are subtitles. At the end of the video he tames some pretty wild balance problems, see if this can help you.
http://copter-rc.com/en/catalog/68-p...ss-camera.html

Noa Put · January 22nd, 2016, 01:31 PM

I think if you get it that close to balancing, even if it does seem to be unbalanced again just by tightening the screws, and if it doesn't vibrate when you activate it it should be just fine to use it in that way as long as you don't notice any other weird behavior.

Peter Parker · January 31st, 2016, 07:41 AM

See if this helps

Brock Burwell · February 4th, 2016, 03:13 PM

I've actually watched that video and it helped a little, but not much.

I ended up contacting Pilotfly directly and they told me (after a week of me trying to get it working) that my unit was faulty and that I needed to return it (something with one of the motors was bad). So I just sent it back and exchanged it for the Came Single. Should be here in a week

Peter Parker · February 15th, 2016, 04:45 PM

Brock, can you let me know how you get on with the Came single? I've been thinking of this for my gh4 but wasn't sure about the weight it could carry.
Peter

Brock Burwell · February 17th, 2016, 10:30 AM

Just got the Came TV Single in and I was able to balance my GH4 and 12-35 on it in probably 6 or 7 minutes. Within 20 minutes of opening the box, I was walking around getting really smooth footage. At least for me, this is a HUGE step up from the Pilotfly. Like Dave Dougdale said in his review, it takes a 1/3 of the time to balance. The toolless design is fantastic and really helpful.

Only downside is it is a little bit heavy so my arms did get a little tired, but the ease of use completely covers that up. I'm so glad I sent the Pilotfly back. Not that there is anything wrong with the Pilotfly, but it's not for me.

Peter Parker · February 19th, 2016, 02:50 PM

Glad you got it sorted. I was seriously considering this but feel that the Mini2 might be best. You can hold it in two hands and it has the ability to be used one handed for low down shots.

January 21st, 2016, 03:41 PM	#1
Brock Burwell Major Player Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 385	Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy Can anyone give me some advice on how to balance this thing. I have been working on it for probably 3 hours and cannot get it balanced. Every time I actually get it balanced, I tighten the screws and then it becomes unbalanced again. I absolutely cannot figure it out. It's maddening. I've watched every single video on the internet about balancing it and nothing is helping me Any advice would be great.

January 21st, 2016, 03:57 PM	#2
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,510	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy What camera have you mounted and is there a mike or anything else mounted onto the camera?

January 21st, 2016, 04:05 PM	#3
Brock Burwell Major Player Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 385	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy It's a GH4 with a 12-35mm lens on it. No mic

January 21st, 2016, 04:23 PM	#4
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,510	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy I have a beholder ms1 and while I can quickly get it balanced with a gh4 and a 12mm or 9-18mm as soon as I place a small microphone on top of the camera for a unclear reason I cannot get it balanced anymore, that's why I asked. You say that after balancing the camera becomes unbalanced again as soon as you tighten the screws, if you then switch on the gimbal, what happens then? Is there vibration or does it not level out?

January 21st, 2016, 04:35 PM	#5
Brock Burwell Major Player Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 385	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy I think I actually may have it close to balanced (as close as I am going to get at the moment). That said, They say you are supposed to turn it sideways and if it rotates, then you need to adjust it a bit more. So I adjusted it far one direction and that was way off, so I adjusted it about halfway and it was closer, and then I adjusted it all the way the other direction and it's closer, but its still off. It won't go any farther and it's still rotating when I turn it sideways. Not sure if this makes a difference, but I have the camera as back as far as I can on the plate so that I always know where it was when I go to balance it again. Wonder if that is making a difference. To answer your question though, yea if I turn it on, it seems to balance itself, but I want to make sure it's right on before I go and start filming

January 22nd, 2016, 01:20 PM	#6
Warren Kawamoto Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 1,435	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy Here is a video in Spanish (first one at the bottom of the page,) but there are subtitles. At the end of the video he tames some pretty wild balance problems, see if this can help you. http://copter-rc.com/en/catalog/68-p...ss-camera.html

January 22nd, 2016, 01:31 PM	#7
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,510	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy I think if you get it that close to balancing, even if it does seem to be unbalanced again just by tightening the screws, and if it doesn't vibrate when you activate it it should be just fine to use it in that way as long as you don't notice any other weird behavior.

January 31st, 2016, 07:41 AM	#8
Peter Parker Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Preston, England Posts: 40	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy YouTube (Short URL) See if this helps

February 4th, 2016, 03:13 PM	#9
Brock Burwell Major Player Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 385	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy I've actually watched that video and it helped a little, but not much. I ended up contacting Pilotfly directly and they told me (after a week of me trying to get it working) that my unit was faulty and that I needed to return it (something with one of the motors was bad). So I just sent it back and exchanged it for the Came Single. Should be here in a week

February 15th, 2016, 04:45 PM	#10
Peter Parker Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Preston, England Posts: 40	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy Brock, can you let me know how you get on with the Came single? I've been thinking of this for my gh4 but wasn't sure about the weight it could carry. Peter

February 17th, 2016, 10:30 AM	#11
Brock Burwell Major Player Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 385	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy Just got the Came TV Single in and I was able to balance my GH4 and 12-35 on it in probably 6 or 7 minutes. Within 20 minutes of opening the box, I was walking around getting really smooth footage. At least for me, this is a HUGE step up from the Pilotfly. Like Dave Dougdale said in his review, it takes a 1/3 of the time to balance. The toolless design is fantastic and really helpful. Only downside is it is a little bit heavy so my arms did get a little tired, but the ease of use completely covers that up. I'm so glad I sent the Pilotfly back. Not that there is anything wrong with the Pilotfly, but it's not for me.

February 19th, 2016, 02:50 PM	#12
Peter Parker Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Preston, England Posts: 40	Re: Pilotfly H1+ is Driving Me Crazy Glad you got it sorted. I was seriously considering this but feel that the Mini2 might be best. You can hold it in two hands and it has the ability to be used one handed for low down shots.