Beeping coming from your Phantom 4 Pro remote controller? I’ve been there many times. I remember one time: I found a beautiful spot to fly my drone on a summer morning, only to have the silence interrupted by beep-beep-beep… there isn’t a thing more annoying. It beeped for hours until I couldn’t take it anymore. Finally, I jumped online to look up the answer to the question that was just as persistent as the beeping: How can I fix it?
Before you begin
Before you can begin to fix your controller, you need to understand what the different types of chimes mean. For example, some chimes just sound when you are powering down your controller, and there’s no need to worry about those. D is the letter designated for beeps. Three beeps in a row, or D-D-D, that either increase or decrease in pitch are the on or off chimes. Otherwise, the beeps are signaling that something is wrong with the machine or that the battery is low. (https://www.letusdrone.com/phantom-4-pro-remote-beeping-heres-the-solution/)
Warranty Status
Before we start opening these controllers up to see what the problem is, consider the status of your warranty. If your warranty is still active, opening the RC would void it. If you think voiding the warranty is worth it, by all means, go ahead. It’s just something to consider! (https://support.cloudcitydrones.com/en/article/dji-new-product-warranty-coveragetermsperiod)
Problem: The controller was dropped
If your controller has started to sound the D-D-D beeping, this is probably the cause. I know how easy it is to bump or drop the controller, I’ve done it a million times, and even a small fall can cause the device to malfunction. When dropped, the device is jostled, and this can cause it to throw an error code and start to beep.
The Fix
In this case, the fix is relatively simple. Usually calibrating the device will cause the error message to go away and the beeping to stop.
First, turn the RC on and connect it to a mobile device. On the app, press the three dots at the top right of the screen. Next, select the remote control settings and pick “Remote Controller Recalibration”. Then, tap calibrate and follow the instructions.
It is pretty easy to recalibrate at this point; all you need to do is move each stick to the maximum in each direction.
Finally, you will have an option to press “Finish” When you have moved the sticks enough to recalibrate the RC. Then power down the device. If your device continues to beep, then you have another problem! If you don’t understand how to recalibrate your device check out the following video:
Problem: The stick is out of alignment
If either stick is out of alignment, that could also cause an error message. This could be due to dirt or grime that’s wedged into the device, but more likely it is an internal error. This has happened to me once or twice, and although it is annoying to fix, it is not difficult. Luckily, you already know the fix to this one!
The Fix
To solve this one, you need to recalibrate your remote control. I have already listed how to do this under ‘Problem: the controller was dropped; The Fix”. There you should be able to learn how to recalibrate your device. If you’re still stuck, review the video!
Problem: The button is stuck
If you fly your drone outside often as I do, a stuck button could likely be the problem. Dirt and grime can easily sneak into the casing around the button and cause it to jam, which will trigger the device to start beeping. This is a huge downside to buttons– as they age they get worn and stuck easily. I’ve had to fix this problem a couple of times, and the good news is, that it is easy to fix.
The Fix
I like to start by carefully running a fingernail around the rim of the button. I have kind of long fingernails, and usually, this disrupts the grime.
Additionally, a fingernail isn’t long enough or sharp enough to damage any of the internal workings, and it’s curved in a similar shape to the crack. If your fingernails aren’t up to the challenge, though, you could try the small tip of a pen, a safety pin, or thin tweezers.
In these cases, you have to be very careful not to dig too deep. Stick a pin inside the internal workings of an RC by accident, and you have bigger problems than an annoying beep!
Problem: Firmware update needed
Heads up, this is one of the most frustrating fixes. If you think it could be anything else, try that first, because this fix is time-consuming! I have always been able to find the issue before resorting to these measures, but if you have tried everything else, there could be two issues with the firmware.
Sub-problem: Firmware needs updating
If your device starts to beep, check if there is firmware that needs to be updated. This could be what is causing the problem. To check if there is an update available, first turn on both the RC and the AC. Next, open the app and tap on the aircraft status bar. Then you will be able to see if the firmware needs updating.
The Fix
The app will prompt you to update the firmware. Reset the device and see if the beeping continues.
Sub-problem: New Firmware has caused beeping
If the beeping started right after an update, the update might have accidentally triggered the beeping. Firmware updates are designed to improve use, but in some cases, there are bugs in the program that cause an error message to trigger and beeping to start.
The Fix
First, you want to refresh, then roll back the download.
To refresh, first, turn on both units. It’s very important to have both units on during the downgrade. Then, go to the app and tap the menu in the upper right-hand corner. Hold it for five seconds and the current version will show up on your screen. Then hit refresh. This should take 5-15 minutes and during this time it is normal to hear beeping coming from your device. When there is one long beep, it has been refreshed. Now all you need to do is turn your device back on and hope that it is fixed!
If that still hasn’t solved your problem, you may want to try downgrading your firmware. See, I told you this was a long fix! Tap and hold the three bars in the upper right-hand corner again to bring up the current version. Tap on the current firmware and the firmware you can pick from will be displayed. Now scroll to a different one and chose it. It should take a couple of minutes to install, 15 minutes at most. After installation, turn off your machine and turn it on again. If the beeping still hasn’t stopped, it isn’t a malfunctioning firmware.
If you’re still having trouble with figuring out how do downgrade your firmware, check out this video:
One more thing you can try…
Still, stuck with a beeping noise? There’s one more thing you can try. Disconnecting and reconnecting the RC from the drone unit could help. First, turn on both appliances.
To disconnect the units, use a pen or another object with a fine tip to press the button by the SD card slot on the drone. After a couple of seconds, a light should begin to flash yellow. That indicates that the RC and the drone are disconnected. To reconnect the RC and the drone, go to settings on the app and tap “Linking Remote Controller”.
Since they have been connected before, they should connect automatically, but if they don’t, hold the button for about two seconds, and the two devices will connect. This should hopefully stop the beeping!
If the beeping still won’t stop, you can also try looking into the owner’s manual. There might be an uncommon problem that is answered in the manual. If you don’t have the manual or can’t find it, you can use this copy.
Conclusion and Summary
In the end, I will admit that repetitive beeping is annoying beyond belief, but with this guide, you should be able to fix it on your own! Between recalibrating the device and upgrading or rolling back the firmware, I’m sure you’ll get to the source of that beeping.
The first time I had to fix my device, I was annoyed, but it didn’t take that long, and I was done and ready for more flying in no time. Don’t worry, I’m confident that you’ll be back in the skies in no time, too. Good luck!
