FFC : post Solo mod's and gimbal flight test report = happy camper!

[Chip Luck]

Gang,

[edit] - dang it Jim, should have posted in Ian's Gimbal Video thread... stand by...

Just a few days ago I took Solo out for a test flight. This is the third flight with the new gimbal and the following mods:

• Mod: hostapd.conf = completed
• Mod: Solo GPS module 'foil spacer' = completed, home made
• Careful routing of gimbal cables during install, have not stripped the data nor HDMI cable jackets - yet

I live in a very wooded and 'tree dense' area. My RTH and LZ is my yard, full of 40' pine trees. Needless to say I always insure full GPS lock and verify RTH height, etc. as pre-flight checklist. As soon as Fly process is completed, I take Solo to an ALT above the tree canopies and decide where to go. This time over my neighbourhood, a scan of my friends property, then over Jackson Bay, then on to some neighbours property. Yes, they all know me and I do have permission of course. Sorry about the video quality, sun in my eyes and I have no GoPro lens filters yet.

Now, what is interesting and did not notice until I got back home and downloaded the video, is that during RTH at around the [edit] 11:52 mark, check out when Solo's legs come into view, shaking and vibrating like the dickens! (it was very windy that day) and the video IMHO was still locked on my neighbours house. Can you say the 3DR gimbal stabilized the shot? I would think and say so!

Here you go:

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Not a bad RTH and landing in the trees once again either. Love this thing - no more crashes for weeks and a very happy 3DR Solo owner. I think I'll keep it.

Now if I could just get my part 333 exemption finalized, we will be good to go.

Cheers, and fly safe

 

[Vadafallon]

Is this with the new firmware update?

 

[Chip Luck]

Is this with the new firmware update?

Have not yet received a OTA update from 3DR yet, I did updated 3DR Services though. So to answer, I believe I have the latest. I'll have to check and post the REV's installed.

Cheers

 

[Engine24blue]

Gang,

[edit] - dang it Jim, should have posted in Ian's Gimbal Video thread... stand by...

Just a few days ago I took Solo out for a test flight. This is the third flight with the new gimbal and the following mods:

• Mod: hostapd.conf = completed
• Mod: Solo GPS module 'foil spacer' = completed, home made
• Careful routing of gimbal cables during install, have not stripped the data nor HDMI cable jackets - yet

I live in a very wooded and 'tree dense' area. My RTH and LZ is my yard, full of 40' pine trees. Needless to say I always insure full GPS lock and verify RTH height, etc. as pre-flight checklist. As soon as Fly process is completed, I take Solo to an ALT above the tree canopies and decide where to go. This time over my neighbourhood, a scan of my friends property, then over Jackson Bay, then on to some neighbours property. Yes, they all know me and I do have permission of course. Sorry about the video quality, sun in my eyes and I have no GoPro lens filters yet.

Now, what is interesting and did not notice until I got back home and downloaded the video, is that during RTH at around the [edit] 11:52 mark, check out when Solo's legs come into view, shaking and vibrating like the dickens! (it was very windy that day) and the video IMHO was still locked on my neighbours house. Can you say the 3DR gimbal stabilized the shot? I would think and say so!

Here you go:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Not a bad RTH and landing in the trees once again either. Love this thing - no more crashes for weeks and a very happy 3DR Solo owner. I think I'll keep it.

Now if I could just get my part 333 exemption finalized, we will be good to go.

Cheers, and fly safe

Nice job, I see you had a little over a 14 minute flight, just curious to know what percentage your battery was at when you finished the flight. I have been getting about 12 minutes and my battery is at 25 percent.

 

[Lakeside]

Great shots were you line of sight the whole time or were you able to go past the trees and stay in gps or manual. I worry about losing sight of the solo beyond the tree line. Will the controller vibrate and return to home.

 

[Chip Luck]

Nice job, I see you had a little over a 14 minute flight, just curious to know what percentage your battery was at when you finished the flight. I have been getting about 12 minutes and my battery is at 25 percent.

I hit RTH when I fell I 'need' to depending on VLOS distance around here. However, after the gimbal was installed, after it get's lower than 50%, I had better start heading 'home'. I have to re-think this, as Solo is EATING the flight battery once it starts to drop <50% as mentioned. I have commanded RTH with 30%, and by the time Solo landed with it had sometimes around 10% battery, which is NOT GOOD for the battery at all. Having a gimbal installed definitely affected 'normal' flight times. Yes, around 14 min's max - that's all I am getting right now, and pushing it. But I will take a gimbal flight any day!

Cheers

 

[Chip Luck]

Great shots were you line of sight the whole time or were you able to go past the trees and stay in gps or manual. I worry about losing sight of the solo beyond the tree line. Will the controller vibrate and return to home.

I have to get Solo up and out of my yard asap, then run upstairs to continue LOS. Sometimes sparse, however I still have LOS, even though Sololink maybe trying to get through a few trees around here. You can see pauses in the video's, that is myself, giving Solo a little more ALT so I can keep LOS. Out at my usual test area, I have no LOS issues and have gone 3,500+ feet VLOS with the hostapd.conf mod.

[edit] - yes, I had link failure today, had screwy video feed and Solo did an auto-RTH for the first time. Same flight path as posted in the video. Interesting. I did receive 2 cell phone calls come in on my LG G3 phone -> voice mail while I was flying, so maybe that caused the RTH? Have no idea, but all is good man.

Cheers

 

[Engine24blue]

I hit RTH when I fell I 'need' to depending on VLOS distance around here. However, after the gimbal was installed, after it get's lower than 50%, I had better start heading 'home'. I have to re-think this, as Solo is EATING the flight battery once it starts to drop <50% as mentioned. I have commanded RTH with 30%, and by the time Solo landed with it had sometimes around 10% battery, which is NOT GOOD for the battery at all. Having a gimbal installed definitely affected 'normal' flight times. Yes, around 14 min's max - that's all I am getting right now, and pushing it. But I will take a gimbal flight any day!

Cheers

I have experienced that too. It seems to really drain the battery after 50 percent. I guess it's just a thirsty beast!! LOL I am sure a larger battery will be out soon with added time for flights, just can't come soon enough for me!!