SOLO follow me mode. issues questions

[michaelr]

I will have to try that myself. I have a spot where I been flying that only allows me about 750 feet before I lose connection and starts the rth.

 

[Del]

Question: Does the "Follow me mode" work with the iPad mini2?
Iv tried it but it keeps saying no GPS?

 

[erikgraham]

Question: Does the "Follow me mode" work with the iPad mini2?
Iv tried it but it keeps saying no GPS?

It should work, but you might have location services turned off in your iPads settings. Or maybe you didn't give the Solo app permission to access your location.

Do you know whether your iPad is wifi only, or does it have cellular data as well?

 

[Del]

It should work, but you might have location services turned off in your iPads settings. Or maybe you didn't give the Solo app permission to access your location.

Do you know whether your iPad is wifi only, or does it have cellular data as well?

It's wifi only..so maybe I have to do something in my settings in my iPads..? And I just check to see if my iPad mini had "location service turned on..and it is!! So do I need cellular on my iPads for Follow me to work ?

 

[erikgraham]

It's wifi only..so maybe I have to do something in my settings in my iPads..? Or do I need cellular on my iPads for Follow me to work ?

Well, the iPads with cellular get their location faster and better (for reference - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS). I imagine they update their location as you move around more accurately and more quickly than a wifi unit that only has GPS.

You may need to give your iPad a lot of time to register its location, and make sure it can see the sky clearly - i'm not sure where the GPS antenna is in an iPad, but thats the part you want to have a clear view of the sky.

I'm kind of speculating here by the way. My iPad does have cellular and it works pretty well.

 

[Del]

Well, the iPads with cellular get their location faster and better (for reference - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS). I imagine they update their location as you move around more accurately and more quickly than a wifi unit that only has GPS.

You may need to give your iPad a lot of time to register its location, and make sure it can see the sky clearly - i'm not sure where the GPS antenna is in an iPad, but thats the part you want to have a clear view of the sky.

I'm kind of speculating here by the way. My iPad does have cellular and it works pretty well.

Thanks Erik for your input.. Much appreciated !
I'll screw around this weekend with it and see if I can get it going..I just wanted to make sure that cellular was not needed for this to work.so I should be able to figure out the rest!

Thanks again

Happy flying

 

[michaelr]

I am sure you need a cellular network. I don't it once. But I used my phone that has gps cellular network. That's what I had to do. I am still wait for the new update with boat mode.

 

[Del]

I am sure you need a cellular network. I don't it once. But I used my phone that has gps cellular network. That's what I had to do. I am still wait for the new update with boat mode.

So u do need cellular..??
God.. I'm kinda confused ..some people say that I do ...and some say I don't ?
Well I'm gonna take another crack at it this weekend with Solo and see if I can figure it out!

 

[R3AP37]

The follow me feature is the same as most trackers. The phone takes a GPS snapshot, transfers to controller and then the controller sends it to the solo, the solo then matches that snapshot and waits for the next.

The only problem is that the solo does not idle or passive track, it matches the snapshot exactly causing the jerks. The jerks are because the phone is sending too many snapshots, too fast and the solo has to match them so it jerks forward into a new position that is usually a few inches in front, baring in mind it powers forward then has to thrust back to stop and causing jerks.

The new update will allow passive tracking, allowing the drone to stay within a specific radius of the snapshot and allow enough snapshots to cache before gliding through several at a time, removing the jerk.

Or so is my understanding....

 

[Del]

The follow me feature is the same as most trackers. The phone takes a GPS snapshot, transfers to controller and then the controller sends it to the solo, the solo then matches that snapshot and waits for the next.

The only problem is that the solo does not idle or passive track, it matches the snapshot exactly causing the jerks. The jerks are because the phone is sending too many snapshots, too fast and the solo has to match them so it jerks forward into a new position that is usually a few inches in front, baring in mind it powers forward then has to thrust back to stop and causing jerks.

The new update will allow passive tracking, allowing the drone to stay within a specific radius of the snapshot and allow enough snapshots to cache before gliding through several at a time, removing the jerk.

Or so is my understanding....

But I'm not using my Cell phone when using my Solo !
I'm just using my Ipade Mini2 with the controller ..And I seem to have a problem getting follow me to work...it keeps saying No GPS?? So do I need my IPad Mini2 And my "Cellular" phone together for this mode to work?

 

[erikgraham]

But I'm not using my Cell phone when using my Solo !
I'm just using my Ipade Mini2 with the controller ..And I seem to have a problem getting follow me to work...it keeps saying No GPS?? So do I need my IPad Mini2 And my "Cellular" phone together for this mode to work?

Yeah. I hope someone replies to you on this. Exactly how are they set up? I assume they are tethering the iPad to the phone with a mobile hotspot... BUT that means the iPad would have to be on the wifi network created by the phone, and therefore not connected to the Sololink wifi.

Also, for folks having trouble with Follow Me in general, remember to check your settings on the iPad. It is possible you have location services turned off, or that you have not granted the Solo App permission to use location services. Both can be fixed in the iPads settings.

 

[Del]

Yeah. I hope someone replies to you on this. Exactly how are they set up? I assume they are tethering the iPad to the phone with a mobile hotspot... BUT that means the iPad would have to be on the wifi network created by the phone, and therefore not connected to the Sololink wifi.

Also, for folks having trouble with Follow Me in general, remember to check your settings on the iPad. It is possible you have location services turned off, or that you have not granted the Solo App permission to use location services. Both can be fixed in the iPads settings.

all my setting seems to be ok in my iPad mini...but still not able to get follow me to work...keeps saying no GPS?

 

[erikgraham]

all my setting seems to be ok in my iPad mini...but still not able to get follow me to work...keeps saying no GPS?

If you open up Maps on you iPad, does it give you your location?

Test it like this.

1. Open up Maps on your iPad while you are connected to your home wifi.
2. Zoom in on the map pretty closely.
3. Disable the wifi on you iPad.
4. Walk around outside and see if the blue dot keeps up with your movement
   1. Experiment with how you hold the iPad to ensure its GPS get the best view of the sky.
   2. Pay attention to how big the blue dot and surrounding circle are - that indicates how accurate of a fix the iPad thinks it has.

If your iPad isn't able to track your movement in the regular built in Maps app, then I guess we can't expect the Solo app to do any better. In fact, I wonder if the Solo app will only accept location data with a certain level of accuracy - other wise it spits out "No GPS"

 

[Del]

If you open up Maps on you iPad, does it give you your location?

Test it like this.

1. Open up Maps on your iPad while you are connected to your home wifi.
2. Zoom in on the map pretty closely.
3. Disable the wifi on you iPad.
4. Walk around outside and see if the blue dot keeps up with your movement
   1. Experiment with how you hold the iPad to ensure its GPS get the best view of the sky.
   2. Pay attention to how big the blue dot and surrounding circle are - that indicates how accurate of a fix the iPad thinks it has.

If your iPad isn't able to track your movement in the regular built in Maps app, then I guess we can't expect the Solo app to do any better. In fact, I wonder if the Solo app will only accept location data with a certain level of accuracy - other wise it spits out "No GPS"

Thanks Erik for the tip...I'll try that and report back!

 

[Del]

I'm sitting in my living room...and I turned off my WIFI on my Ipade mini2... Then opened "maps" ..it says "canot determine location"
So it seems to me that My ipad needs cellular for Follow me to work?
So does that mean I can not use my Ipad for this Mode to work?
Just wondering what my options are here ?

 

[erikgraham]

I'm sitting in my living room...and I turned off my WIFI on my Ipade mini2... Then opened "maps" ..it says "canot determine location"
So it seems to me that My ipad needs cellular for Follow me to work?
So does that mean I can not use my Ipad for this Mode to work?

You still should go outside to test. I would not expect it to get GPS indoors. When you are inside, and Wifi is on, its getting your location from your wifi router. As soon as you turn off wifi, it would have to rely solely on GPS - which it can't get when you are inside.

So get some maps loaded up while you are inside - you'll need to be on Wifi to do that.

Then go outside and turn wifi off while your iPad has a clear view of the sky. Switch back to maps and see what happens.

 

[erikgraham]

You still should go outside to test. I would not expect it to get GPS indoors. When you are inside, and Wifi is on, its getting your location from your wifi router. As soon as you turn off wifi, it would have to rely solely on GPS - which it can't get when you are inside.

So get some maps loaded up while you are inside - you'll need to be on Wifi to do that.

Then go outside and turn wifi off while your iPad has a clear view of the sky. Switch back to maps and see what happens.

NEVER MIND!

Your iPad does not have GPS.

I just checked. The wifi module is built into the cellular module. So if you do not have an iPad with cellular, then you do not have GPS. The earlier versions of the iPad had a separate GPS module, so that is where I got confused.

When you are connected to wifi, your iPad can get its location from that. Even though you are connected to the Sololink wifi when you fly, that doesn't count. There is no known location associated with the Sololink wifi, but big brother does know where your home wifi router is.

(Big brother in this case = google, and your internet provider)

So you are back to square one.

There are folks on this board who say they use their phone with their wifi only iPads. As I said above, I'm not sure how they are doing this. If you create a mobile hotspot on your phone, and connect the iPad to that (via wifi of course), then you would be able to get your location to show up on your iPad because the phone would provide that location. BUT if you are connected to the hotspot, then you can't be connected to the Sololink wifi. So what are they doing?

 

[Del]

You still should go outside to test. I would not expect it to get GPS indoors. When you are inside, and Wifi is on, its getting your location from your wifi router. As soon as you turn off wifi, it would have to rely solely on GPS - which it can't get when you are inside.

So get some maps loaded up while you are inside - you'll need to be on Wifi to do that.

Then go outside and turn wifi off while your iPad has a clear view of the sky. Switch back to maps and see what happens.

So this is what I did...
I brought up Maps to load my location ( my house) .then turned wifi off! I have the little blue dot showing me my location... Then jumped in my car with my Ipad and drove around a few blocks.. The little blue dot did not move from my last location (my house) it stayed there even when I was driving away..! The only thing that seems to be happening is The compass in Maps was tracking my movement!
So now...is that good or bad?

 

[erikgraham]

So this is what I did...
I brought up Maps to load my location ( my house) .then turned wifi off! I have the little blue dot showing me my location... Then jumped in my car with my Ipad and drove around a few blocks.. The little blue dot did not move from my last location (my house) it stayed there even when I was driving away..! The only thing that seems to be happening is The compass in Maps was tracking my movement!
So now...is that good or bad?

See my post above (you were probably out in the car when I posted it).

I did some research and you are out of luck. There is no GPS in a wifi only iPad. There used to be in the older models (I'm pretty sure), but not anymore.

(sorry I sent you on a wild goose chase - i tried to post before you left the house but I was obviously too late)

 

[Del]

See my post above (you were probably out in the car when I posted it).

I did some research and you are out of luck. There is no GPS in a wifi only iPad. There used to be in the older models (I'm pretty sure), but not anymore.

(sorry I sent you on a wild goose chase - i tried to post before you left the house but I was obviously too late)

Thanks Erik for all your help..I don't mind doing all these test ..Its all in good practice and learning through trial and error .. And that's how we learn!
Learning something new everyday from the Solo..and Loving it !!

And it's good to know now that my iPad mini2 isint compatible with the follow me mode! I'll just have to figure out what my next option is on a Device that will work on the follow me mode!
I have an IPhone4.. But it's not compatible with the solo app!
Either I'll have to upgrade to a Tablet that has GPS...or might have to upgrade to an Iphone5 ?
I think our discussion will help a lot of other people that is on this forum that are also having problem with follow me mode and trying to figure it out...


Thanks again

Happy Flying