BetaFPV Cetus Drone Troubleshooting Guide
Here are some of the most common issues we find occurring with the BetaFPV Cetus Drone along with steps you can take to resolve them.
Read the Manual First
As obvious as it sounds, the manual covers a bunch of helpful information so please download and read it here -
Manual for Cetus FPV Kit
I keep getting poor R/C range (OSD shows RX Loss)
- Double check the wire antenna has not been crushed, bent or snapped. It should be neatly tucked around the prop duct (see photo below)
One or more Motors are not spinning properly on my Cetus FPV Drone
The Cetus drone uses coreless, brushed motors, they do not have the same durability or lifespan as more expensive brushless motors used on more expensive drones, so these are typically the first things to wear out. The usual symptom of this is when your drone tries to flip on takeoff, here are some things to check.
- Make sure there is no debris (like hair) on the motor shaft or around the props. Try to spin the propellers by hand to check if they are jamming on something. If you had a bad crash, the duct could also be causing the motor to jam, in this case you will need to buy a new frame.
- Make sure your propellers are on the correct way around and in the correct orientation (as indicated in the manual)
- If the above does not solve the issue then it is likely that you need a replacement motor. BetaFPV test fly each quad before sending them out to customers so replacement motors are not always covered under warranty, especially if you have had your quad for over a week already. We sell replacement Cetus motors here. They are easy to replace by sliding out the old motor, unplugging it, and putting in the new one.
Quad keeps climbing/drifting when in normal/beginner mode (Cetus not maintaining altitude or position)
When your quad is not flying correctly, please make sure to only test the drone in a small, safe and enclosed environment to avoid causing any damage to the quad, people or property.
The Cetus Optic Flow and Lidar sensors do not work well in direct sunlight, and are indented for indoor use only. The optic flow sensor does not work on very smooth (no contrast/edges to track) or highly reflective services
- Visually inspect the Lidar and Camera sensor on the bottom of the quad to make sure that they are not damaged and do not have any dirt/debris on them
- Make sure you have enabled the Lidar, and Optic Flow sensor on the drone settings
- In the case of the drone climbing up constantly when you have not told it to, disable the lidar sensor and see if it does the same thing? If so then it is not the lidar at fault, please contact BetaFPV for further support - Submit a request – BETAFPV Support Center
- In the case of the quad not maintaining its position properly with the optic flow sensor, make sure you are flying in a well illumined environment with sufficient contrasting textures on the ground. You also need to fly around 1m above the ground for the optic flow sensor to work properly. Drifting is not considered a fault as this sensor is very sensitive to the environment and does not always work flawlessly. If you have any doubts, please contact BetaFPV for more information - Submit a request – BETAFPV Support Center
Contacting BetaFPV directly
It is best to contact BetaFPV directly if you have any other issues not listed here, as they designed the product and are able to offer you the fastest support via their help centre -
Submit a request – BETAFPV Support Center. If they agree the product is defective, they will instruct us to either repair, send replacement parts, or replace the drone for you. If you do not wish to talk with BetaFPV we will ofcourse still be happy to help you direclty.
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