Boat Mode

[erikgraham]

Oh I know, I'll just tie off a leg to one of my fishing rods and loosen the drag. If it tries to go into orbit or anything I can just reel it back in, fight it like a fish till the controller comes back on. Lol.

There is no need to worry too much. This is a param that gets adjusted a lot. But you should test it for yourself. Just go to a field and take off from the middle. So your home point is there. Then do the follow me while you stay on the field, switch off the controller and the worst that will happen is that it goes home and lands... but only if the param change didn't take.

You can use the same param (set to 2) to allow you to run auto missions beyond the range of your controller.

 

[Maddog]

From the first new Star Trek movie, the scene where the Enterprise was hidden under water.

Ahhh...

 

[Jubalr]

Ok. I'll edit that out. But why not? Surely it would do no damage. I wouldn't know as it's never occurred to me to try. You can just flip a turnigy off and on, but the Solo remote is a bit different with its companion computer, boot up time, Sololink wifi, etc.

It's a general rule for any type of transmitter. Running without an antenna can burn out the final circuit. For testing they make what are called 'dummy loads' to prevent damage. Failure to use a proper antenna or load causes a reflected wave standing wave ratio (SWR) that can damage the final amplifier stage. This final amplifier stage is the power amplifier (PA).

 

[Captain J.D.]

OK, I had an idea for this for awhile and finally decided to test it. There is a parameter accessible in Tower called ' Arming Check ' This can disable the pre-arm checks that are used before arming. As you will see below, just certain sensors can be disabled or all of them. I simply disabled them since this is just for the pre-arm check not disabled during flight. I was able to simulate being on a boat and able to arm and take off in manual mode. By using Tower during flight, you can also use the RTH option of 'Return To Me' instead of the usual RTH. This would get the Solo back over head if needed if the boat has changed positions during flight.

This should be of use to the 'Boat People' as well as other situations when you need to arm on an less than level surface. This also disables the Compass check, which I believe is how 3DR took off from the hood of that pickup in one of their latest videos. As is the rule for anytime you modify parameters, extreme caution is needed that you know what you are modifying, and could result in voiding the warranty if the changed parameter contributed to a crash. It would also be prudent to pre-fly the Solo before getting on the boat to be sure everything else is working as it should. But if I were on a boat, I would have no problem giving it a try. YMMV..

Arming check (ArduCopter:ARMING_CHECK)
Allows enabling or disabling of pre-arming checks of receiver, accelerometer, barometer, compass and GPS

• 
  VALUE MEANING
  0 Disabled
  1 Enabled
  -3 Skip Baro
  -5 Skip Compass
  -9 Skip GPS
  -17 Skip INS
  -33 Skip Params/Sonar
  -65 Skip RC
  127 Skip Voltage

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@Captain J.D. , let us know if this works for you.

 

[Captain J.D.]

Okay fellas. So I have tower now, I changed the arming checks to "0", here is the problem vs what was demonstrated in the video above. See he had the drone itself already on and initialized, it's already turned on etc when he does this little test. MY problem is, when actually turning on the drone, and it's trying to initialize to begin with, on the rocking boat. When I simulate this just holding the drone in my hand when turning it on, be it rocking it around a little so simulate the boat, or holding it as still as possible..... It will NOT initialize, all I get is 4 green lights, THEN I get 2 red and 2 white only AFTER I put it down on a solid/level/stationary surface. This is the same that has happened on the boat, when I have the drone sitting on the deck and turn it on.
What setting can I change for this? Even on the boat in "still" water, if I can just get past the 4 green light phase I'm good, the problem is getting past that to begin with. Does this make sense? As I said in the above video he already had the drone turned on, changed the arming checks after etc.

 

[Jubalr]

I'll test some parameters when I get a chance and let you know.

 

[erikgraham]

Okay fellas. So I have tower now, I changed the arming checks to "0", here is the problem vs what was demonstrated in the video above. See he had the drone itself already on and initialized, it's already turned on etc when he does this little test. MY problem is, when actually turning on the drone, and it's trying to initialize to begin with, on the rocking boat. When I simulate this just holding the drone in my hand when turning it on, be it rocking it around a little so simulate the boat, or holding it as still as possible..... It will NOT initialize, all I get is 4 green lights, THEN I get 2 red and 2 white only AFTER I put it down on a solid/level/stationary surface. This is the same that has happened on the boat, when I have the drone sitting on the deck and turn it on.
What setting can I change for this? Even on the boat in "still" water, if I can just get past the 4 green light phase I'm good, the problem is getting past that to begin with. Does this make sense? As I said in the above video he already had the drone turned on, changed the arming checks after etc.

Right, but if you change the arming checks param to 0, and then SAVE that to the Solo, then the next time you power on it won't do the checks.

 

[Captain J.D.]

Right, but if you change the arming checks param to 0, and then SAVE that to the Solo, then the next time you power on it won't do the checks.

I did that. Changed the parameter then "upload to solo". No dice.

 

[Captain J.D.]

Right, but if you change the arming checks param to 0, and then SAVE that to the Solo, then the next time you power on it won't do the checks.

And btw after doing so, completely powering down everything then back, that parameter was in fact still "0" so yes, it saved.

 

[Captain J.D.]

Also of note a guy I have on FB with same problem tried the same, no luck for him either. Even trying to simulate a boat by holding the drone in his hand, nothing but 4 green lights till he put it on a table, only then did it initialize and ready for flight.

 

[erikgraham]

Also of note a guy I have on FB with same problem tried the same, no luck for him either. Even trying to simulate a boat by holding the drone in his hand, nothing but 4 green lights till he put it on a table, only then did it initialize and ready for flight.

OK. I'm going to have dust off my Iris and check all the params. I can't do that until next week (when I get home)

 

[Captain J.D.]

OK. I'm going to have dust off my Iris and check all the params. I can't do that until next week (when I get home)

I can relate. I had to wait a week to get home to even try what is discussed above.

 

[Captain J.D.]

I've posed the question here also, not sure if any of you guys are on this blog as well.....

Parameter Settings, a little help here.

 

[Rich]

Guys,

Yes, we really need the features I documented previously. Let's all start asking 3DR to implement these, instead of behind happy with a work around.

Of course if a work around can help, that's cool, but let's try to get the Solo app fixed!

I think the more people that ask for this, the better chance we have to have it happen.

 

[erikgraham]

Guys,

Yes, we really need the features I documented previously. Let's all start asking 3DR to implement these, instead of behind happy with a work around.

Of course if a work around can help, that's cool, but let's try to get the Solo app fixed!

I think the more people that ask for this, the better chance we have to have it happen.

It's actually highly requested and they have it working in arduCopter 3.4. It will come to Solo when they do the merge. Very much looking forward to it for the spring/summer.

If you want to see some discussion on it, search for "boat mode" on diydrones. As I recall most of the discussion is in the arducopter 3.3 thread, but it got pushed to 3.4.

 

[erikgraham]

Hey can you try something? See what happens if you set it to -17 instead of 0

 

[MikeyM]

I am very glad this "boat mode" is being discussed. There are some very tall waterfalls up in British Columbia only accessible by boat, and they are the whole reason that I originally decided to purchase the Solo. I envisioned the "Dronie" shot with our boat getting smaller and smaller down on the water as the Solo climbed up along the waterfall, as the bay was also gradually revealed. I had this uneducated assumption that it would work from our boat when I first heard about the launch of Solo. After all this time and all of my gradual learning curve, this subject is coming into sharp focus. I have been planning and gearing up for this next summer thinking I could or would learn to fly from the deck of the boat. With all the intricate controlling parameters that keep Solo safe and able to fly I realize this is a bad idea now, especially for me, unless I get a lot smarter, or unless you guys all figure this out.

Last summer we were out on Puget Sound doing some amateur filming of the four different size models of our type of boat. We were running together along side each other at about 10 knots, with the "white" camera drone flying out ahead looking back (The plant manager owned the quad and was flying it from the boat I was piloting.). After a while he thought he should get out of the view of the shot since we were one of the four boats. Signal was lost when he came into the cabin and the white bird turned around and headed back for the launch point about 3 or 4 miles back, all over open water. He yelled at me to turn the boat around, and I had to make a 180 and chase it until we got it back within signal range. These boats are trawlers and only go about 15 knots at full speed. Once we caught up we had very little time as the battery was about gone. The "white bird" pilot had to control it along side the bow while I steered under it and he had to grab a leg with one hand while running the controller with the other hand. It is now scary to think about it after the fact. I had slowed down to just a few knots, but he could not seem to get exactly under it so he motioned for me to turn to starboard a few feet until he could reach out and grab it. He only had one hand running the altitude. It was totally stupid. That was his first time of flying over the water. And that was my first experience up close with a quad.

I can only hope the the "boat mode" will enable me to take off and land from the upper open deck area and that the RTM will be possible.

Otherwise I will need a waterproof housing or a memorial at sea for my Solo and Go Pro.

Sorry for the side story....but this is one important subject for me.

 

[erikgraham]

I am very glad this "boat mode" is being discussed. There are some very tall waterfalls up in British Columbia only accessible by boat, and they are the whole reason that I originally decided to purchase the Solo. I envisioned the "Dronie" shot with our boat getting smaller and smaller down on the water as the Solo climbed up along the waterfall, as the bay was also gradually revealed. I had this uneducated assumption that it would work from our boat when I first heard about the launch of Solo. After all this time and all of my gradual learning curve, this subject is coming into sharp focus. I have been planning and gearing up for this next summer thinking I could or would learn to fly from the deck of the boat. With all the intricate controlling parameters that keep Solo safe and able to fly I realize this is a bad idea now, especially for me, unless I get a lot smarter, or unless you guys all figure this out.

Last summer we were out on Puget Sound doing some amateur filming of the four different size models of our type of boat. We were running together along side each other at about 10 knots, with the "white" camera drone flying out ahead looking back (The plant manager owned the quad and was flying it from the boat I was piloting.). After a while he thought he should get out of the view of the shot since we were one of the four boats. Signal was lost when he came into the cabin and the white bird turned around and headed back for the launch point about 3 or 4 miles back, all over open water. He yelled at me to turn the boat around, and I had to make a 180 and chase it until we got it back within signal range. These boats are trawlers and only go about 15 knots at full speed. Once we caught up we had very little time as the battery was about gone. The "white bird" pilot had to control it along side the bow while I steered under it and he had to grab a leg with one hand while running the controller with the other hand. It is now scary to think about it after the fact. I had slowed down to just a few knots, but he could not seem to get exactly under it so he motioned for me to turn to starboard a few feet until he could reach out and grab it. He only had one hand running the altitude. It was totally stupid. That was his first time of flying over the water. And that was my first experience up close with a quad.

I can only hope the the "boat mode" will enable me to take off and land from the upper open deck area and that the RTM will be possible.

Otherwise I will need a waterproof housing or a memorial at sea for my Solo and Go Pro.

Sorry for the side story....but this is one important subject for me.

Well, I suppose to avoid this kind of mishap, you could set FS_GCS_ENABLE to 0. Then it would just hover in place if the signal is lost. Maybe set
FS_BATT_ENABL to 0 as well, so a low battery doesn't trigger RTL either. And obviously disable the fence by setting FENCE_ENABLE to 0. There might be a few others.

 

[Jubalr]

Well, I suppose to avoid this kind of mishap, you could set FS_GCS_ENABLE to 0. Then it would just hover in place if the signal is lost. Maybe set
FS_BATT_ENABL to 0 as well, so a low battery doesn't trigger RTL either. And obviously disable the fence by setting FENCE_ENABLE to 0. There might be a few others.

Don't forget that RTM is currently available in Tower. I've used it and it works well.

 

[Rich]

It's actually highly requested and they have it working in arduCopter 3.4. It will come to Solo when they do the merge. Very much looking forward to it for the spring/summer.

If you want to see some discussion on it, search for "boat mode" on diydrones. As I recall most of the discussion is in the arducopter 3.3 thread, but it got pushed to 3.4.

They are working on boat mode to allow launching from a boat, but not the other features we need to make it more useful and safe on a boat, and in other cases.

It wouldn't be hard to have them add a few tunable options under the advanced features.