Question for Marco Polo users

[timzee]

Considering various ways to mount the tag for my Marco Polo Tracker including zip ties, Velcro etc. Would like to hear from users just how & where you've successfully mounted your tag.

First test after buying it was pretty impressive. I had my wife go outside and "hide" it without me watching even what direction she was going. When she got back I turned on the locator and set out and within about 15 minutes tracked it down about 1,000 from the house, back in a wooded area hanging from a small branch. Given how small that thing is obviously a Solo gone astray would be much easier to spot!

 

[J R]

Tim,

I had my wife get in the car and take them miles out. Further than 2 miles. I then (knowing what my flight path was) got in the car when she got back. Took me a little bit to get the first reading but once I got it, bingo! Found two of them in about twenty minutes.

Here's how I mounted mine. Works good.

Jerry

 

[timzee]

Tim,

I had my wife get in the car and take them miles out. Further than 2 miles. I then (knowing what my flight path was) got in the car when she got back. Took me a little bit to get the first reading but once I got it, bingo! Found two of them in about twenty minutes.

Here's how I mounted mine. Works good.

Jerry

View attachment 1714

Hi Jerry,

That was an even better test! Hopefully I'll never need it but good to know that it can be an effective way to track down Solo should it ever try to run away from home. Not very good cell coverage here either so this seems like a good option.

But I can't quite figure out how you've attached the tag from your pic. Looks like you used the supplied zip tie but how is the tie itself fastened to the body of your Solo? Also, your tag is shaped differently than mine. Did you specify the tag with the "extended" battery for RC?

Here's a shot of the tag I received:

 

[Del]

I mounted my Marco Polo underneath ..wrapped with a little pink bubble wrap and a Twist tie...

 

[J R]

Also, your tag is shaped differently than mine. Did you specify the tag with the "extended" battery for RC?

Tim,

No, not sure they had that option when I got mine. I'd bet you could put a piece of Velcro under it then use a couple of tie wraps in a crisis-cross fashion.

Jerry

 

[timzee]

Tim,

No, not sure they had that option when I got mine. I'd bet you could put a piece of Velcro under it then use a couple of tie wraps in a crisis-cross fashion.

Jerry

Ah, that explains it.

Looking more closely at your & Del's pictures I finally caught on to the fact that the tie can just loop through the slots there on the bottom. Duh!

Thanks to both for the input!

 

[David Weston]

Just curious, why a Marco Polo and not a Trackimo? Are there situations where the Marco Polo signal, even within 2 miles, could have the signal obscured such as it goes down behind a large building, steel frame etc? Trying to decide which one to get.

 

[Jubalr]

Just curious, why a Marco Polo and not a Trackimo? Are there situations where the Marco Polo signal, even within 2 miles, could have the signal obscured such as it goes down behind a large building, steel frame etc? Trying to decide which one to get.

The biggest difference is the Trackimo relies on cellular signal to report it's position. Great in areas with good cell service, but without cell towers it's a paper weight. Marco Polo uses it's own transmitter/receiver so nothing else is relied on. Of course, any signal can be blocked. But if it was behind a building that cut down on the range, you should still pick it up as you drove around looking for the signal.

 

[David Weston]

Here in FL I don't think there is any place that doesn't have cell coverage but guess that isn't true for all locations. Guess one of the things I like about Trackimo is that I could use it for other things. Maybe next version or product will have built in tracker, just add a sim card. Seems like a possibility. Thanks for the reply. Lots of good info here!

 

[Dirby]

if you want a high tech tracker.
try this one.
i use this in my free flight models.
600.00.
range is 3 miles on the

 

[Earldgrayjr]

Or you can just do everything

Spot Trace (Uses satellite for both GPS and position uplink)
Gitterback (Ejects a bobber on a kevlar line when submersed in water)
Marco Polo (Uses 900 Mhz and direct transmitter/reciever)

 

[Dustin]

I haven't tried this yet. If you have comms with the Solo when it's down will it report it's location to the solo app so you can find it? I assumed it operates in Access Point mode so it send out a regular Wifi beacon you could track with a directional antenna and Wifi Scanner app? Does it default to a consistant Wifi Channell so you can scan for it easily?

 

[Dustin]

if you want a high tech tracker.
try this one.
i use this in my free flight models.
600.00.
range is 3 miles on the

Who makes this? Link?

 

[EyeWingsuit]

has anyone tried the Trackimo?

 

[Earldgrayjr]

If you have comms with the Solo when it's down will it report it's location to the solo app so you can find it?

Yes. It will show in the app, and it is also written in the logs. You can open the logs and ipinpoint it's last location on a mao also.

I assumed it operates in Access Point mode so it send out a regular Wifi beacon you could track with a directional antenna and Wifi Scanner app?

I believe the controller is actually the access point, but yes, you could scan for it, and if the app supports it, get strength and direction. If it is connected to the controller though you wouldn't need to as it reports it's GPS coordinates back to the app.

Does it default to a consistant Wifi Channell so you can scan for it easily?

It auto selects the WiFi channel on startup. You can see which channel it has selected easily with free apps like WiFi Analyser (Android). This app is also a good idea to pull up to see the WiFi environment.

 

[Dustin]

It would be cool if the Solo were to send out SSID Beacon with it's GPS Lat/Long encoded in the message so it could be easily picked up from any Wifi device looking access points when it's not associated to the controller. Would make recovery very simple.

 

[Earldgrayjr]

It would be cool if the Solo were to send out SSID Beacon with it's GPS Lat/Long encoded in the message so it could be easily picked up from any Wifi device looking access points when it's not associated to the controller. Would make recovery very simple.

Not sure how that would work... It could send it, but how would anything not looking for it interpret it? Routers/PC's etc. are built to look at specific things from each other. GPS coordinates isn't in the list of things, and I am not sure how you would stuff it in the existing things in a useful way..

 

[Dustin]

Not sure how that would work... It could send it, but how would anything not looking for it interpret it? Routers/PC's etc. are built to look at specific things from each other. GPS coordinates isn't in the list of things, and I am not sure how you would stuff it in the existing things in a useful way..

Just make the SSID in the beacon Lat/Long. Punch that into a mapping app and it would pinpoint it's location. But nothing but a good antenna would be required. Because it would just come up on the network list on any device.

 

[Dirby]

Who makes this? Link?

LL Electronics makes them
www.radiotracking.com
Phone
217 586 2132

 

[Earldgrayjr]

Just make the SSID in the beacon Lat/Long. Punch that into a mapping app and it would pinpoint it's location. But nothing but a good antenna would be required. Because it would just come up on the network list on any device.

Well the GPS coords would fit in the max SSID space (31 chars and a null) but it isn't the access point. The controller is. Even if it was, I don't think it is a good idea.

That would mean if you lost connection, you never would get it back. Even if you had some logic like loss of comms for X and 0 altitude for X and an auto land, etc. it will only land if it lost comms AND has no GPS, or is running low on battery.

Which means you won't have much time. And what if it gets moved? What if it lost GPS? What if the battery is the problem?

Seems like a lot tof effort and redesign to use the tech that gave you the problem in the first place. In any case, it isn't the AP, so it is a bit moot.

I have learned from years of sending things up very high and very far away, that you get better results having backup systems, especially ones that use different technology.

The Spot Trace as an example uses satellite for all comms. The Marco Polo uses direct 900 MHz. Each uses a different battery. Different eggs in different baskets has it's advantages.

Just my 2 cents...