Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned drone pilot, you must remember that drones can crash quite often. There are various reasons why a drone could crash, such as flying too far, poor weather conditions, or flying indoors.
If you happen to crash your drone for whatever reason, you might be asking yourself: “Can I fix my drone?”
While it’s advised to seek professional help if your drone has suffered damage or is experiencing any problems, there are things you can do yourself to fix and repair your drone.
In this article, we’ve included a guide on how to repair your broken drone, so without further ado, let’s dive in.How To Repair Your Drone
If you’re looking to repair your broken drone, there are a few steps that you should take. Firstly, always seek professional help if you crash your drone and see it’s damaged. However, if this isn’t an option due to financial concerns or time constraints, there are several things you can do on your own.
Check The Firmware
If you notice that your drone isn’t functioning properly after taking off, the issue might revolve around its firmware. You can check this by connecting the drone via Wi-Fi or USB cable and accessing its menu, but you will need the password.
When you access the device’s menu, you can update the drone’s firmware which will help fix bugs or introduce new features.
Short Circuits
Short circuits can happen if electrical contacts are exposed or if you mix up the wires in your device’s circuit.
Since short circuits can be hard to detect, it’s best always to assume that there is one present whenever something goes wrong with your drone.
If you suspect your drone has a short circuit issue, examine the battery and ensure that none of its terminals has become exposed or loose; if they have, you can solder them back into place before continuing with any other steps.
After that, inspect all wires for any signs of damage, and if you find any damaged ones, be sure to replace them.
Poor GPS Connection
One of the most important drone components is its GPS, as it helps drones locate their position. This enables drones to determine where they are and where they’re going.
However, sometimes things can go wrong with the drone’s GPS connection. When this happens, it can lead to some serious issues that can cause you to lose control of your drone and put yourself and others at risk while flying it.
For the drone’s GPS to work, it has to connect to at least three satellites. One of the reasons your drone can’t connect to the satellites is unfavorable weather, so the best thing you can do is wait until the weather becomes better to fly your drone.
Issues With Propellers
If you notice cracks, chips, or bent propellers, you should replace the propellers as these damages can alter the overall functioning of your drone.
Place your drone on a flat surface and watch how the propellers rotate. If they appear skewed, they are bent, but you can easily straighten a slightly bent propeller. However, if it’s too pronounced, you’ll have to replace the propellers.
Removing the propellers is easy - some have screws while others have a simple friction push mechanism. A small basic screwdriver will help you remove and replace the propellers.
Another issue with propellers is where they rotate, but the drone isn't taking off. If that’s the case, you might have installed the propellers incorrectly.
Some propellers rotate clockwise, while others rotate anti-clockwise, and they always have matching patterns. Therefore, be sure to check the propellers and ensure you’ve installed them on the appropriate motor.
Motor Problems
If you start up your drone and notice one of the propellers isn’t rotating, that could mean that one of the motors isn’t working. And just like with the propellers, the motors should be replaced every once in a while.
Below is a step-by-step guide on how you can check if the motor is damaged.
1. Start off by removing the drone’s battery, camera, landing gear, and any other accessories your drone has.
2. Open up your drone by removing the screws - Everything you’ll need is screwdrivers of different sizes.
3. Once you’re able to access the drone’s internal components, check if there’s any damage on the wires. If you don’t see any damage on the wires themselves, then one of the motors may be damaged.
4. To test if the engine is damaged, you’ll need to reattach the battery and use the voltmeter to check the voltage.
5. Turn on the drone and test the propellers. If the voltmeter shows voltage from the controller towards the motor, then the controller itself is fine. However, if you don’t get any reading from the controller, it may also be damaged.
6. If you notice that the wires are detached from the controller, you can just solder them with a soldering gun.
Replacing the drone’s motor may vary with the model. Therefore, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and also consult with an expert.
Always Try To Seek Professional Help
Not everyone is comfortable taking apart a drone and trying to fix the damages it may have. Luckily, there are drone technicians that provide drone repair services.
Huge drone brands such as DJI or Parrot offer repairs as part of their warranty or at some cost.
DJI provides repair services through the repairs page on their website. If you crash your drone, you must retrieve it and head to their repair page. Once there, fill like the crash, find the nearest repair center, and ship your drone.
Bottom Line
So, the answer to your question: “Can I fix my drone?” is yes; you don’t have to rush to a repair service anytime the motors stop working or the drone’s propellers get bent.
In this article, we’ve covered some basic drone repairs that you can do yourself. And if you have experience in dealing with electronics, you can even repair your drone’s internal parts.
For more serious damages, shipping the drone back to the manufacturer or taking it to your local repair service are your safest bets. If you decide to go the DIY way, do keep in mind the manufacturer’s policies about the warranties and repairs.
Ultimately, don’t forget to regularly maintain your device, fly safely, and follow the regulations in your region.