GPS Issues

[marksde]

I've been reading these forums for a while now and wanted to post my issue with my Solo.

I've had my Solo out 4 times now and each time the sky had been clear and I've been flying in wide open space. I also start off with a good GPS lock, today was 12 sats with 1.0 hdop. After about 4 mins of flight, I lose GPS and have to fly manually. It will lock in to GPS after 15-30 seconds and then lose it again. When it regains GPS, I still have 12+ SATs with HDOP of around 1.

I ordered the mRo upgraded GPS and hope that solves the problem but it seems like it is more of a connection issue.

Any insight?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Lon Denard]

I don't pretend to be an expert of any kind but I've had several problems with Solo. I have two thoughts, in either case you'll need to take the GPS apart. 1. It's the foil contacting the GPS unit intermittently causing you to lose lock or 2. I agree that your connection is bad. Either way you should do the cardboard mod. In fact, even with the new GPS board they recommend installing a spacer.

The only other questions I have is if your unit isn't covered under warranty and which GPS version do you have?

 

[Greg Parker]

This is the spacer many are using.

Solo GPS Isolation Plate Mod Kit For Stock Solo or mRo Units (Please Read All of the Description Carefully for Install Details)

With it and the mRo unit the GPS should be solid unless you have a connector/wiring issue. I use both and have been well satisfied.

 

[marksde]

Thanks for the replies! I should have mentioned that I did the cardboard mod a few flights ago and it didn't seem to help with my issue. Any chance this could be related to the battery on the GPS itself?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Lon Denard]

Thanks for the replies! I should have mentioned that I did the cardboard mod a few flights ago and it didn't seem to help with my issue. Any chance this could be related to the battery on the GPS itself?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Please don't be offended but did this issue appear before the mod? Have you gone back in to check the connection? Since you've already ordered the new GPS board, you may as well wait for that. If it is a connector problem, just reinstalling a board may solve it anyway.

I plan on going that route, and have ordered the board but I'm waiting for my warranty to lapse before doing that kind of mod. I also have the 3DR spacer kit for when I get my drone back from 3DR service. I've had 3 different catastrophic failures so I'm not doing anything that will void my warranty.

 

[marksde]

Not offended in anyway, I just appreciate the help. Yes, the issue has been happening since day 1 with this bird. At first I thought it was due to the weather but then I started to focus on the amount of Sats I was locked into and the HDOP and they were strong.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Lon Denard]

Have you considered opening a warranty claim with 3DR? That's what I did and they are taking care of me....as far as I know. I'm still waiting for my replacement. I've also worked with Best Buy who has replaced my bird and given me refunds well beyond my 30 days. I'm on my 4th unit and have decided to "tough it out" and give 3DR a chance instead of just returning it to the store as I have done previously.

I'm like you, I think, I really need to understand the why when there is a failure. I'm not a big fan of just changing components. However, with that said, I'm really curious whether just changing the board fixes your problem. It has all of the ear marks of a connection problem to me. I literally "fixed" my calibration problem by smacking the drone on the bottom with my hand. I'm wondering if the GPS connection to the main board is loose or faulty.

 

[Whirlygig]

...Yes, the issue has been happening since day 1 with this bird. At first I thought it was due to the weather but then I started to focus on the amount of Sats I was locked into and the HDOP and they were strong...

I have seen the same thing. Can be flying with 20 satellites and .6 HDOP and still lose gps signal intermittently in open space even with mRos. I don't get why we care if we have 9 or 22 satellites or whatever if it has zero relevance to actual risk of losing signal during flight. Rev2 with v2 shield acquires notably fewer satellites but seems to lose gps signal less frequently which makes no sense to me. Maybe I better recheck my connections too...

 

[Lon Denard]

I have seen the same thing. Can be flying with 20 satellites and .6 HDOP and still lose gps signal intermittently in open space even with mRos. I don't get why we care if we have 9 or 22 satellites or whatever if it has zero relevance to actual risk of losing signal during flight. Rev2 with v2 shield acquires notably fewer satellites but seems to lose gps signal less frequently which makes no sense to me. Maybe I better recheck my connections too...

Ooo now that raises a quandary doesn't it? If a new GPS board nor a shield isn't the answer then it has to come down to the next point of failure. The connection between the GPS and the main board. Sudden loss/requisition is almost always connection related in my experience. I'm no drone expert but I work with electronics and electromechanical systems everyday and have done so for over 35 years.

If you're feeling "froggy" and don't want to leave it up to 3DR, I'd take it to the next stage and explore the connection to the main board... The other thing my experience tells me is that regardless of how high end your components are, poor/rushed assembly can be the death of your system.

 

[Whirlygig]

...Sudden loss/requisition is almost always connection related in my experience...

That's one thing I forgot to mention. My loss of gps signal is always brief, i.e. 30 to 60 seconds. I have not yet had double whammy simultaneous loss of gps and wireless signals causing forced descent which is my main fear flying over ocean. mRos is happy to test module for me but I am going to continue to experiment a bit first. I am somewhat prone to Murphy's law and the first time I took apart and reassembled one solo I had two extra screws at the end which I am told by engineer friends is usually not good!

 

[Lon Denard]

That's one thing I forgot to mention. My loss of gps signal is always brief, i.e. 30 to 60 seconds. I have not yet had double whammy simultaneous loss of gps and wireless signals causing forced descent which is my main fear flying over ocean. mRos is happy to test module for me but I am going to continue to experiment a bit first. I am somewhat prone to Murphy's law and the first time I took apart and reassembled one solo I had two extra screws at the end which I am told by engineer friends is usually not good!

There ain't no such thing spare or extra parts! Hahaha! When I was in school, they talked about the Challenger tragedy and how it's believed that a $2 part caused it. Or something like that anyway....

Fwiw whenever I disassemble something for the first time, I always take pictures and notes at every stage. Orientation, fastener count, tolerances, etc makes putting it back together a whole lot easier.

 

[Lon Denard]

*fingers crossed* GPS is the only problem I haven't had! Of all the units I've owned, they've all worked well in that regard.

 

[marksde]

That's one thing I forgot to mention. My loss of gps signal is always brief, i.e. 30 to 60 seconds. I have not yet had double whammy simultaneous loss of gps and wireless signals causing forced descent which is my main fear flying over ocean. mRos is happy to test module for me but I am going to continue to experiment a bit first. I am somewhat prone to Murphy's law and the first time I took apart and reassembled one solo I had two extra screws at the end which I am told by engineer friends is usually not good!

I think we have the same exact problem, and I'm worried he mRo module I have on the way isn't going to fix it.

 

[jcar]

Here is a GPS cover you can 3d print 3DR Solo GPS cover by Tunames

 

[marksde]

This is the spacer many are using.

Solo GPS Isolation Plate Mod Kit For Stock Solo or mRo Units (Please Read All of the Description Carefully for Install Details)

With it and the mRo unit the GPS should be solid unless you have a connector/wiring issue. I use both and have been well satisfied.

Thanks, just ordered one to use with the mRo GPS I have on the way. In the meantime, I opened a ticket with 3dr and will report the response. Hopefully it's something easy.

 

[jcar]

I just printed several of these covers

 

[BiggityBates]

This sounds eerily familiar to the old Solex bug. Are you flying with Solex by chance? And if so, are you changing your speed stuff in the menu while you are flying? If that is the case, make sure you have the latest Solex app upgrade. The previous version had a bug that when you changed your speed parameters in mid flight, your exact symptoms would occur.

But if you are not using Solex, then disregard my post. if you are, just make sure you are using the latest version.

 

[Cuzman]

You don't need this cover if you are using the newer shield from 3DR, correct?

 

[andrew.baker.142]

Correct. The spacer is only required with the original copper shielding. Wouldn't hurt to have one though...

 

[marksde]

Just got the mRo and isolation plate Installed tonight. Picked up 16 SATs with HDOP of 0.8 in about a minute. Big improvement so far. The big test will hopefully be tomorrow when I fly it around to see if I still lose GPS randomly throughout flight.