0.8: Taking Care of CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.)

In this lesson, you will learn the dos and don'ts of how to maintain your CoDrone EDU in its best shape to maximize your experience! Read through this lesson before piloting or programming your drone.

This lesson works with:

CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.)
  • CDEJ
  • maintenance
  • repair
  • replacement
  • storage
  • testing
  • troubleshooting

Grade level:

6 - 12+

Approx. time required:

15 - 20 mins
Step 1

What is Troubleshooting?

Troubleshooting is the process of finding out the cause of a problem through a series of systematic tests. You probably troubleshoot every day without knowing it! Think of all the steps you take when your TV remote, computer, cell phone, or other appliances stop working. You might turn it off and on again, test new batteries, or find out something was stuck. Similarly, you may need to troubleshoot your drone from time to time.

For CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.), you can prevent most issues by following the pre-flight checklist you learned about in a previous lesson.

Step 2

Propeller Replacement

Propellers can be removed to clear out debris from under the propeller hub. A propeller should be replaced if it’s bent, chipped, or cracked, and it begins affecting the drone’s flight. Use the included propeller removal tool to remove the propeller.

Insert the fork-shaped end of the tool under the propeller hub, then push the handle down, like a lever. Then, grab your new propeller. Remember to match the same propeller orientation with your new propeller. The best way to check is to match the letter on the bottom of the propeller.

The new propeller can be pushed onto the shaft of the motor. Be sure it’s fully inserted, so it doesn’t detach during flight. Make sure that the replacement propeller’s rotation is correct, and perform a quick flight check.

Video Tutorial

Watch the video tutorial to learn how to replace a propeller.

Note: Although CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) may be a different color, all the information presented in this video still applies.

Step 3

Motor Replacement

If the propeller is in good condition, but you are experiencing drift or a motor not spinning, you may need to replace the motor. Use this visual guide to inspect your motors. A damaged motor may cause damage to the drone when taking off.

Before replacing a motor, remember there are 2 types of motors denoted by the color of the wires. Motor direction needs to match propeller directions.

  1. Blue/red is clockwise (cw)
  2. Black/white is counterclockwise (ccw)

Take note of which motor is in which position. You will need to remember this when you replace the motor. Always replace a motor with the same color wires.

Video Tutorial

Watch the video tutorial on replacing a motor.

Note: There are two important differences that apply to the CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.)

  1. CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) has 4 bolts instead of the 6 bolts in the standard edition.
  2. When removing the bottom chassis, it will fold open like a book. Do not try to pull the bottom chassis away completely. It is connected to the main board by some wires.
Step 4

More Troubleshooting

There are many other common issues that you may encounter while using CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.). Before frantically alerting your classmates, teacher, or coach, always ask yourself if you’ve followed all the basic checks you’ve learned about so far.

  • Are my batteries fully charged?
  • Am I aiming the antenna at the drone?
  • Is my controller in the right state for piloting?
  • What speed am I on?
  • Did I pair correctly?
  • Did I remember to clean my propellers and check my motors?
  • Should I replace anything?
  • Did I trim my drone?

Challenge yourself to come up with your own troubleshooting checklist and flow chart that you can follow. With practice, you will become in expert in troubleshooting your drone and controller.

Step 5

Helpdocs

Since many more questions may come up, we have put together a list of questions and answers for you to help debug any issues that come up along the way. If there’s a question that you can’t answer, visit our Helpdocs page with all of our Frequently Asked Questions.

While most questions apply to both the standard edition and JROTC edition, for issues relating specifically to CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.), make sure to check out the JROTC edition category.

If you’re still stuck, ask a parent, teacher, or coach to email us!

cde-cdej-fusion-help
Step 6

Course Complete

Congratulations!

You have completed the Getting Started Course. Always review this course if you need help with basic onboarding steps or need a refresher. To get started with programming, pick one of the two following courses. Both the standard edition and JROTC edition use the same programming platform. Happy coding!

Blockly Programming Course

Python Programming Course

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