Bait drop for Solo

[fourprops]

Has anyone done this? I bought a bait drop device for my solo. It's simply a servo mounted in a 3-D printed plastic housing that mounts on the under side to the drone. The instructions say to solder the signal wire to pin #19 on the Solo board, and the plus and minus leads to the 5V +, and any ground, respectively. This enables you to use the pause button to activate the servo...it suggests that the rewind feature be disabled first. It only works sporadically at best. It works with the original solo firmware (supposedly) but I have upgraded to Open Solo...could this be the problem?

 

[Michael Lione]

Has anyone done this? I bought a bait drop device for my solo. It's simply a servo mounted in a 3-D printed plastic housing that mounts on the under side to the drone. The instructions say to solder the signal wire to pin #19 on the Solo board, and the plus and minus leads to the 5V +, and any ground, respectively. This enables you to use the pause button to activate the servo...it suggests that the rewind feature be disabled first. It only works sporadically at best. It works with the original solo firmware (supposedly) but I have upgraded to Open Solo...could this be the problem?

I used pin 19 to operate my retracts. Open Solo is a must for it to work properly. Using a combination of long and short pause button presses raises and lowers the legs.

Jon Brotherton sells a bait drop kit (soloflies.com) and can help walk you through the process. He's Admin of JB's 3DR Solo Owners Group on FB.

 

[NumberThree]

I just completed something similar --- and the main reason I got a drone in the first place. I'm a ham operator (N4ZAW), interested in getting my communication antennas as high as possible. My intent is to string PowerPro 50# fishing line over trees and other structures as "messenger lines" for temporary HF wire antennas, in as little time as possible. The messenger line is attached to paracord, or nylon UV-resistant rope, to feed it over the support. It werks great when I use a potato-launcher, but i needed more accuracy and range.
This is a 'werk-in-progress', but this what i came up with so far;


This is a simple remote switch system I purchased off of ebay for about $5-US;
I opted to use this device powered directly off the bird's main battery. This is because I didn't want any more servo current going through the Pixhawk MFC --- controllers send funky commands when they are overtaxed with servo demands (well ---- that, and I'll admit, I don't know how) . So I modded it's 12V output with a standard LM7805 voltage regulator chip (the black 5VDC IC to the left of the blue relay), to power the servo directly through the remote, all powered by the 12V 3S battery. This just garauntees that the Iris+ will not fall out of the sky when I send the "release" command.
This pic shows the simple servo with the signal/pulse board ripped-out that serves as my line release;




It's a HiTec HS-45HB feather servo with the sig board ripped-out, and motor wired direct to the switch output.

Pic above shows the keyfob (comes with the $5 remote switch). It is used to send the release command. The tested range is a little over100 yards, ground-level, line-of-sight.

ISSUES as of now;
Everything is tie-wrapped to the drone at-present, and I might just leave it like that, for quick removal. I have two Iris+ drones, but don't know if I want to commit one to "antenna-stringing" only. It is also reluctant to fit in the box with that gizmo attached to the leg.
Weight. This remote switch has a heavy 10A relay on it that is overkill. The drone seems to have no issues with the added load, but I do...
Handling: It does handle very oddly, as the line feeds-off the spool, and pulls the drone off-center balance. I'm new at this drone stuff in the first place, and my normal flying sucks, much less, this added parameter. i need more time at the football field practicing before I try to use this over trees.

 

[CS223]

I used pin 19 to operate my retracts. Open Solo is a must for it to work properly. Using a combination of long and short pause button presses raises and lowers the legs.

Jon Brotherton sells a bait drop kit (soloflies.com) and can help walk you through the process. He's Admin of JB's 3DR Solo Owners Group on FB. View attachment 9773

That’s the best price I’ve seen on a bait dropper. I ordered one of Chinese metal versions on eBay for $7 and change, I have a spare Solo with the fixed camera mount that I want to use for surf fishing.

 

[NumberThree]

That’s the best price I’ve seen on a bait dropper. I ordered one of Chinese metal versions on eBay for $7 and change, I have a spare Solo with the fixed camera mount that I want to use for surf fishing.

I ordered one of those CNC pin type things too, and was very disappointed. It's very well-made, but useless. The main issues are it's size & weight. And it takes a standard-sized servo that they do not include (even though they show it with one mounted). You only get the aluminum hardware. A micro feather servo has gobs of direct torque, so no need for the heavy assembly. Ypou still need to figure out how you want to mount the servo though.

 

[CS223]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Redhouse]

I just made this in sort of a hurry since I already had the footage ... but I'm not sure you need a device for this. Dozens of times since this video, we just Gorilla-Brand duct tape a loop underneath the drone (that has the baited hook on it about 1-2 feet down), then fly out to where you want to drop it ... lock your reel and then slowly fly "up and out" and the duct tape will peel off and release the bait. Any questions just ask. Sorry I haven't been on in a while but I'm about to start filming alot again and wanted to be part of the community again. Thanks. Here's the video link:

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[NumberThree]

I like the duct tape idea for temporarily "mounting" the servo as opposed to using tie wraps. I've found that the tie wraps slip a little because I don't want them too tight. Also, the duct tape may allow me to get the drone back in the case easier. I can do it with the tie wraps, but it is a tight fit. Maybe I could find a better place for the receiver under the fuselage, rather than tie-wrapped to an arm, too.
Whereas holding/releasing the line, might work great for a random-distance bait drop, but I need more controlled drop points than I could reliably get with duct tape, probably. I need to drop at a precise point in X/Y space.
Thanks for the tip. NICE Video BTW.. Cute dog too.

 

[CS223]

I ordered one of those CNC pin type things too, and was very disappointed. It's very well-made, but useless. The main issues are it's size & weight. And it takes a standard-sized servo that they do not include (even though they show it with one mounted). You only get the aluminum hardware. A micro feather servo has gobs of direct torque, so no need for the heavy assembly. Ypou still need to figure out how you want to mount the servo though.

FYI I left them negative ebay feedback for a deceptive listing and they refunded me 100% Begged me for the retraction. Im going to print one of the micro servo versions, the servos are dirt cheap.

 

[CS223]

Looks like Hobbyking has a payload dropper now that would work nicely as well. I need to lay out the dimensions to get an idea on size. Be nice to have it fully enclosed instead of having the tackle swinging below.
Bait dropper

 

[PWR1970]

I used pin 19 to operate my retracts. Open Solo is a must for it to work properly. Using a combination of long and short pause button presses raises and lowers the legs.

Jon Brotherton sells a bait drop kit (soloflies.com) and can help walk you through the process. He's Admin of JB's 3DR Solo Owners Group on FB. View attachment 9773

Does anyone make one solely F O R IRIS +.?

 

[jonbrotherton]

I can make you one for an Iris+

 

[Hoopty]

I am having trouble with the parameters. I have open solo working for everything but the servo on RC7. The wires are soldered and holding the pause button seems to work but the servo is locked in a closed position. I am not sure I have my parameters correct. I set RC7 Option to 1 and it will not arm. I saw 28 somewhere for the param but I cannot find anything definitive. Can someone set me straight
?
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[jonbrotherton]

I am having trouble with the parameters. I have open solo working for everything but the servo on RC7. The wires are soldered and holding the pause button seems to work but the servo is locked in a closed position. I am not sure I have my parameters correct. I set RC7 Option to 1 and it will not arm. I saw 28 somewhere for the param but I cannot find anything definitive. Can someone set me straight
?
/

Try setting RC7_OPTION to 29 and SERVO7_FUNCTION to 29. Then use long hold and short hold on the Pause button to operate the servo.