Android Brain Trust Puzzle

[pyrate]

Ok so since the 1.2 versions of solo app, my devices stopped working on follow me.
My old devices were a Note 4 and LG G4 both flagship devices, both on the supported list from 3DR

Frustrated, I was told by 3DR that they test with the Nexus tablets like the 7 and 9
So after finding a sweet deal on a 9 on black Friday I jumped in.

After a multitude of updates bring the new tablet to 6.0 Marshmallow. and loading up my normal drone suite
Hover, Wifi Analyzer, 3DR services, Solo App and Tower I decided to check how accurate the solo app was at locating my position.
First passes were very disappointing, almost seemed like it was not refreshing so lets try tower
Same result, my shiny new android tablet was no better than my note 4

So I popped open goggle maps, and it was much more accurate. almost dead on in fact.

Funny thing is, after launching maps, then going back to solo and tower they were now showing the accuracy of maps.

So I went into my location settings
Seems Maps requests for location are high battery consumption GPS+WIFI+CELL
While 3dr app requests are low battery consumption WIFI+CELL (No GPS)

So if you run them alone they do not appear to use GPS
But if you have MAPS running they appear to benefit from that apps use of GPS

 

[Maddog]

Ok so since the 1.2 versions of solo app, my devices stopped working on follow me.
My old devices were a Note 4 and LG G4 both flagship devices, both on the supported list from 3DR

Frustrated, I was told by 3DR that they test with the Nexus tablets like the 7 and 9
So after finding a sweet deal on a 9 on black Friday I jumped in.

After a multitude of updates bring the new tablet to 6.0 Marshmallow. and loading up my normal drone suite
Hover, Wifi Analyzer, 3DR services, Solo App and Tower I decided to check how accurate the solo app was at locating my position.
First passes were very disappointing, almost seemed like it was not refreshing so lets try tower
Same result, my shiny new android tablet was no better than my note 4

So I popped open goggle maps, and it was much more accurate. almost dead on in fact.

Funny thing is, after launching maps, then going back to solo and tower they were now showing the accuracy of maps.

So I went into my location settings
Seems Maps requests for location are high battery consumption GPS+WIFI+CELL
While 3dr app requests are low battery consumption WIFI+CELL (No GPS)

So if you run them alone they do not appear to use GPS
But if you have MAPS running they appear to benefit from that apps use of GPS

I just got a Nexus 7 but haven't used it yet. I checked my location services and they are set to "high accuracy", GPS+WIFI+CELL, so I guess I'm ready to roll!
Thanks for the info!

 

[pyrate]

open solo now
then go back to your location setup
In addition to the toggle for high accuracy, you will see recent location requests. It will list applications that have requested a location from google location services.
Note that solo app says low battery usage
Now open Maps or Tower
And do the same you will notice Maps and Tower both use high battery usage

High and low correspond to GPS+WIFI+Cell and WIFI and CELL respectively

It seems the solo app when it requests a location on its own is not using the devices GPS
If you open maps, then solo, solo appears to benefit from Maps using GPS

 

[Maddog]

Gotta wait until I get Solo back from RMA, then I'll check it.

 

[pyrate]

You dont need solo, it will run the app without it

 

[Maddog]

You dont need solo, it will run the app without it

Ok, thought you meant Solo controller.
I did this and your right. I then started maps 1st then Solo. Solo still shows low usage.
How do you clear the info? What does "force stop" do?

 

[Maddog]

Ok, no matter what I do I can't get Solo app to show "high" battery use.

 

[Troiano27]

I think he's saying if you start the maps app first, which is "high" usage. Then start the solo app, the solo app will still be low usage, but will somehow piggy back off the map program and load sat view faster.

 

[pyrate]

that is what it appears to be.
Not sure if it is a glitch in the solo app code or how android is processing the request
But clearly the solo location request is not the one that requires the on board GPS
Tower and Maps will trigger gps and then if you pop solo open it will jump to the map location.

Here is how you test it. dont need solo
Boot your device fresh
Open the solo app and go into the video screen and slide the map over. wait for it to load your location and check the accuracy
Now open Maps and let it locate you, is the location more accurate? If so now jump back to solo and see if it also improved

 

[Maddog]

that is what it appears to be.
Not sure if it is a glitch in the solo app code or how android is processing the request
But clearly the solo location request is not the one that requires the on board GPS
Tower and Maps will trigger gps and then if you pop solo open it will jump to the map location.

Here is how you test it. dont need solo
Boot your device fresh
Open the solo app and go into the video screen and slide the map over. wait for it to load your location and check the accuracy
Now open Maps and let it locate you, is the location more accurate? If so now jump back to solo and see if it also improved

Ok, I followed your instructions. When I 1st opened Solo app and went to map screen, it was zoomed out to the entire U.S. I zoomed in and the location was very accurate. (My back yard)

I then opened maps and it had the same accuracy.
Back to Solo and the map stayed zoomed in but accuracy was the same.

I did notice that in recent location requests,Solo, maps & Tower all have "approximate location" checked under "permissions" instead of "precise location". Location mode is set to "high accuracy".
Why isn't "precise location" checked?

Weird..

 

[pyrate]

where is that setting, is that an IOS thing?
never saw that on android

 

[Maddog]

Android.
Settings- location-recent location requests.
Click on solo, tower, or maps.
Scroll down and look on the left side under "permissions".

 

[pyrate]

found it under permissions for each app, but cant change them
what device are you using?

 

[Maddog]

Nexus 7 (2013)

 

[pyrate]

that's a good one, mine is the new 9
going to fly some tower tomorrow
How does follow me work on your 7?

 

[Maddog]

Don't know. Just got it & Solo is in for RMA so I haven't had a chance to use it.

I only got it to use tower, I normally use iPad mini 3. I haven't tried follow me since 1.3 update, but before follow me was sorta jerky, not smooth.

 

[pyrate]

sorry I forgot
hope you get it back soon

 

[Maddog]

sorry I forgot
hope you get it back soon

No worries- me too!

 

[scriffij]

I have had troubles with the Solo App parsing GPS coordinates since its release with:
1) update at a rate faster than 3 second interval or haphazardly;
2) accurately represent where I am including when doing an orbit and you use your location as the center and the solo nearly cuts your head off on half way around the orbit. its like the app does not use enough decimal places in the lat and longs when locating the point on the map;
3) maintaining a constant lock on the GPS sentences coming from the tablets GPS.

I have now used a Bluetooth GNSS with differential and set it to 2 seconds interval updates and have set the tablet not to use Cell or wifi in the positions location fix. I am having better results with this but the location that the Solo App puts my position is different to Google Maps and Tower both of which have no problems displaying my location and at less than 1Hz update rate.

I have told 3DR this on many occasions and I simply get the GPS glitch/poor satellite coverage response. I have also connected to a $15K GNSS RTK system via blue tooth to prove 3DR wrong and they still say its poor satellite coverage even though I'm getting 1 centimeter accuracy from my survey GNSS with perfect PDOP (not just HDOP) and elevation mask set to 15 degrees and not an obstacle insight - but Solo App can't do it.

I have no answer other than the Solo App is not doing something incorrect both in parsing the NMEA strings from the tablet and producing an accurate location of your position.

I have a Samsung Tab S Pro (also on the list of supported devices)