How to Fix Drone Vibration Problems? (Solved)

One of the most annoying things that can happen to a drone owner is calibrating your drone correctly only to have it start vibrating as soon as it’s in the air. To an inexperienced drone pilot, this may seem like the end of the world. If this is you, and your drone starts vibrating as soon as it’s in the air, don’t worry, we’ve got a solution. Provided your drone hadn’t crashed, and no internal components are damaged, the vibration problem is almost always fixable. So with this in mind, how can you stop your drone’s vibration problems?

Most drone vibrations occur due to the frame and propellers. If the frame isn’t rigid, vibration will occur. To fix this you can put some double-sided foam tape under the frame to dampen the vibration. If the propellers are out of balance, check for damage and adjust propeller balance.

In this article, we will look at all that relates to drones vibrating while in flight and give you pointers on how to fix this problem. So read on to find out more!

Is it normal for drones to vibrate? #

It is not uncommon for drone owners to have an issue with their drone vibrating. This is one of the most commonly overlooked and misinterpreted challenges facing drones that are in flight. It’s only natural to be concerned if you observe your drone vibrating uncontrollably with no clear reason behind this.

Vibration isn’t good for any drone, and the more mechanical the drone is, the worse the situation can turn out to be. Drones have a lot of parts and a lot of screws and nuts to hold everything together. Vibrations that are not dealt with can cause these components to come loose after extended use, and you will end up with pieces falling off your drone.

Vibration also affects the quality of videos and images your drone takes. If you rely on your drone for such files, even the smallest of vibrations can be a huge bummer since none of the videos or images you get will be clear enough for you to use. 

Vibration can also affect the way your drone responds to your flight controller. If left untended, long-term vibrations can cause the gyros on your flight controller to behave erratically, causing flight issues such as tilting, banking, flipping, or even crashing. 

Why is my drone vibrating and how to fix it? #

We have already established that drones can vibrate. But one of the more confusing questions is why this happens. Knowing exactly what is behind your drone vibrating can be useful in helping you know how to deal with the problem.

If your drone experiences a crash and starts vibrating after that, the sad news is that there probably isn’t much you can do other than sending it to the manufacturer for repairs if possible. If the damage was extensive, then you may just have to begin looking for a new drone.

If your drone hasn’t had a crash, three things may be causing your drone to vibrate while in flight. Let’s have a look at them:

1. Flexible/Loose frame #

Most drone vibration is usually caused by a loose frame that wobbles, making the drone vibrate. This condition is known as frame flex. The frame should always be as rigid as possible if the drone is to be stable.

Fix: Double-sided foam tape

To minimize the vibration of the drone frame, you can attach a piece of double-sided foam tape or velcro to adhere the inner level of the drone body to the frame. Use pre-cut blocks, or cut the blocks to the right size and shape. 

I recommend 3M double-side foam tape from Amazon. 

2. Out of balance propellers #

If your drone leans one way or the other or doesn’t hover properly, the reason may be that the propellers are out of balance, or are installed improperly. Poorly balanced propellers can cause excessive vibrations.

Fix: Balance propellers

Check the condition of your propellers to make sure there is no damage that could be affecting the overall balance. Replace any cracked or damaged propellers. Also, make sure they are tightened on properly.

Double-check the arrangement of the propellers, as not all four will be oriented the same way. Check your owner’s manual to see which propellers go on which corners. 

3. Out of balance motors #

The motors can have a slight amount of vibration in them, which may cause your drone to vibrate. Sadly, if the vibration from just the motor is enough that you can feel it, the only solution would be to find a different motor. Also, if the motors aren’t spinning in the right direction, it may cause vibration. If your drone has a four motor set up, two motors should be spinning in a clockwise direction, and two should spin in the anticlockwise direction.

Fix: Check ESCs and Motors

Make sure your motors are spinning in the correct direction. You can check this by observing which direction the propellers spin when the drone is powered up. If you suspect a problem with the motors, you may need to take the drone to a technician for repairs. Unless you have a kit or DIY drone in your hands, you probably won’t be able to change the motors without damaging the drone further. 

All in all, a vibrating drone is an unwanted phenomenon. Luckily though, it’s almost always possible to fix this.

Why Does My Drone Wobble? #

One of the most common reasons for wobbling drones is a bad P gain setting which can be tuned on various drone software. If your drone is in self-leveling mode, then you’ll have to check the P gain, which is the power of self-leveling. If the P gain is too high, it will cause wobbling of your drone. If it’s too low, then the drone will be too slow to self-level.

To stop your drone from wobbling, you should play with the P gain setting until the drone is wobble-free. Make sure the value isn’t too high or too low. You should also calibrate the electronic speed controller (ESC) and also check the motor direction.

In conclusion, to keep your drone functioning properly, and to have smoother flights, it’s really important to reduce vibration. Follow the steps in this guide, and you should have no problems with vibration.