Firmware and apps

[User Name]

Given the chaotic state of Solo's firmware, I'm hoping to clarify what works on what platforms. If anyone can correct any of this, I'll update this post accordingly. From what I understand:

Everything updated to official firmware and app on Android:

• All smartshots work with the exception of Selfie
• Rewind works, disregards disable setting in app and a distance of 0 still rewinds 3-5 meters.
• Return to Me is broken and will send your Solo to a semi-random location. Only use RTL.

Everything updated to official firmware and app on iOS:

• All smartshots work
• Rewind works, disregards disable setting in app and a distance of 0 still rewinds 3-5 meters.
• Return to Me works

Solo with 2.3.x firmware (basically pre 2.4) using Solex:

• Don't use, significant bugs when Solex is used with pre 2.4 Solo firmware

Solo with official 2.4 firmware using Solex:

• Most Smartshots replicated - MPCC, Selfie, Zip, Orbit, etc.
  
• Several follow modes, but slightly different from 3DR app
• Return to Me works

With a complete picture, people could evaluate what the best fits their needs - switching to iOS, using Solex over 3DRs app, staying on 2.3.x firmware vs updating to 2.4.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Given the chaotic state of Solo's firmware, I'm hoping to clarify what works on what platforms. If anyone can correct any of this, I'll update this post accordingly. From what I understand:

Everything updated to official firmware and app on Android:

• All smartshots work with the exception of Selfie
• Rewind is disabled, but settings still exist in the app
• Return to Me is broken and will send your Solo to a random location

This is correct.

Everything updated to official firmware and app on iOS:

• All smartshots work
• Rewind works??
• Return to me works??

Rewind doesn't work on iOS either. It's disabled in the firmware, which applies to all platforms. Smart shots and RTM work fine though.

Solo with 2.3.x firmware (basically pre 2.4) using Solex:

• Does Solex replicate all Solo app smartshots?
  
• Does Return to Me work?

I wouldn't do that. Don't try to use Solex with firmware 2.3. But to answer your question, if you have firmware 2.3, you will not have zip, pano, or return to me. And MPCC has major bugs in firmware 2.3 as well. basically. Those functions and fixes require firmware 2.4.1-6. You shouldn't be using firmware 2.3 for any reason at all anymore.

Solo with official 2.4 firmware using Solex:

• Does Solex replicate all Solo app smartshots?
• Does Return to Me work?

Return to me works. You have MPCC, selfie, zip, I think circle, and some slightly different follow type modes. It does not have follow modes that will follow the GPS position of your phone. So it isn't a 1-for-1 replication of all the smart shots. You should read the documentation with the Solex app. It details all of it.

 

[User Name]

Thanks, I updated the original post.

Can you elaborate at all on the Solex follow modes? How can any follow mode not use the GPS position of the phone, isn't that the only means it has to track the location to follow?

I'm still using 2.3, but that's because it has always worked perfectly and I've declined any update - both firmware and app, so I suppose the only reason to be still using it is because it's the only combination (app/firmware) where everything works as it should. In 2.4, it seems mandatory to ensure Return to Me isn't the failsafe mode on Android. In other words, in 2.3, you can't get into trouble by so little as innocent setting...

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Solex uses more of click and go follow mode. He's written it so you can click on the video image, it will interpolate actual GPS position, set that as the follow location. So as your subject moves around on the screen, you tap it to follow it around. Also lets you basically set an ROI on the fly. So it is different and not meant to replace the follow mode in the 3DR app.

In 3DR 2.3, MPCC has a major bug. It fail when pressing B to finalize the cable and cease responding to smart shot commands until you land and disarm. 2.4.1-6 fixes that, and has a number of other fixes, enhancements, and good stuff. I held off on leaving 2.3 for the same reasons. There are no more good reasons now. As long as you understand what does and doesn't work, it is a better firmware and app to be on.

 

[User Name]

In 3DR 2.3, MPCC has a major bug. It fail when pressing B to finalize the cable and cease responding to smart shot commands until you land and disarm.

Ahhh, I think I've run into that. I tried to finalize a cable cam, and instead of setting the end point, it put Solo into my configured B mode, which was manual. I'd put it back into Cable Cam, press B and it would put it back into Manual. I was able to just close and restart the app and it worked after that, but yea, I guess 2.3.x wasn't entirely without issue.

I ordered a new Solo from the recent Best Buy sale, I'll update that to 2.4 first before I do the same to my current one. I'm always reluctant to fix something that's not (too) broken.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Yep, usually you press B and nothing happens, but it's actually silently switched back to FLY mode. But the app is still in smart shot mode saying to press B. So you hit B again and it goes to whatever mode the B button is assigned to. Which can be a very exciting experience if you have it set to stabilize or acro....

 

[fpvsteve]

Some corrections to the statements here.

Everything updated to official firmware and app on Android:

• All smartshots work with the exception of Selfie

Selfie works as well, minor glitch is that the gimbal flips into horizontal and needs to be manually adjusted to keep the subject in focus

iOS and Android:

• Rewind is disabled in firmware, but settings still exist in the app

Rewind works fine but cannot be disabled in the app.

I am flying FW 2.4.1-3 which includes some fixes over the previous 2.4 release which works flawlessly with iOS 2.4, Solex, and with the exception of RTM also with Android 2.4.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

I would hardly call selfie working well if the camera doesn't stay pointed at the subject. That isn't working well. That's non functional. The whole purpose is to look at the subject. If the camera looks somewhere else, that's a fail. And it has been broken for a year now. Multiple firmware and app updates ignored it. 3DR's management has no valid excuse for that. It's actually embarrassing.

Rewind absolutely does NOT work fine. It is advertised and specified as a failsafe. Hit nothing going in, hit nothing going out. All documentation (promo material, videos from Colin, and advertising says it does this. It does not. It used to when 2.4 was first released. Then it was removed in 2.4.1-6, and 3DR said nothing about it. In fact they continue to advertise it, which is basically a total lie now. Rewind only works of you long press the pause button now. The app controls do nothing, yet are advertised as an update feature. As currently implemented, the feature now serves virtually no purpose. And it is literally the opposite of what it was supposed to do. The only reason anyone knows the pause button thing is because one former 3DR employee said so on a Facebook post. That is not fine. That is an epic failure on management of 3dr.

Of course the reason the Rewind failsafe was removed from the firmware was "people were confused by it". We'll duh. 3DR released a major change with ABSOLUTEY ZERO DOCUMENTATION OR INSTRUCTIONS. And even worse, the ability to manage the feature was absent for Android users since the app was 3 months late. It makes my head hurt describing this fiasco. I feel bad for Phu having to work with these conditions. And I feel bad for all the owners not on this forum or Facebook group. They will be completely in the dark forever.

 

[twitchyzero]

i like to critize 3DR too but in their defense the release note did state holding pause button will rewind. Whether or not that works, i haven't personally tested it yet.

 

[franknitty69]

Rewind was a part of failsafe in v2.3 where solo would Rewind before going to RTL. This proved too complicated for alot of users and was removed from RTL.

So in 2.4.0, Rewind works by holding pause. Solo will fly in the reverse on the path that it took for the distance you set in settings. If you release pause before the rewind is complete, Solo will switch to Fly. I've tested rewind successfully on ios and android.

A current bug is that you cannot disable rewind. If you set it to disable or set the distance to zero, holding pause will still trigger rewind.

 

[PdxSteve]

I bet it was too complicated because there were no docs when it was released. It was unexpected behavior for most and a change in what they were used to.

 

[franknitty69]

I bet it was too complicated because there were no docs when it was released. It was unexpected behavior for most and a change in what they were used to.

even with an updated manual, rewinding during failsafe is a situation where somtimes it would have been desirable and other times not so much. i think it is better off separate from failsafe. failsafe needs to be tried and true functionality. rewind is a cool additional feature.

 

[pyrate]

it was confusing the first time it did it. after I had a little aha moment, I just turned it off

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

I bet it was too complicated because there were no docs when it was released. It was unexpected behavior for most and a change in what they were used to.

Exactly.

Rewind was an absolutely brilliant failsafe for loss of signal. And it was not at all complicated or difficult to understand. The confusion and panic falls squarely on 3DR management for making a business decision not to do any updated manuals or training videos. And at the same time, releasing applications without the controls, or not releasing application updates to account for it at all. Toss the features and the pilots to the wolves and watch the show. Then make rash reactionary changes to the firmware due to the user confusion they caused. Then don't tell the users about those changes. Then act surprised when they're even more confused by more changes. Then release an app with buttons and controls for firmware functions that were removed. All the while, leaving year old bugs in the firmware and pretending they don't exist. And still no updated documentation. It is an absolute embarrassment as far software and hardware development goes.

And what's worse, is they continue to bait and switch new customers by falsely advertising all these features that either do not exist or haven't worked for over a year. The more I slow down and analyze how this has played out, the more I can't comprehend how this is even real.

I'm still glad I have this solo. And I love the features it does have that actually work. But if it wasn't for this forum and the facebook group to clarify all that 3DR is blowing off, I would be infuriated and selling it as a piece of junk that doesn't work right. I feel really bad for the consumer users that aren't on this forum or facebook group. Which frankly is the large majority of them. And I feel really bad for the (former) 3DR developers that had to work under these situations. I highly doubt it was their decision or call.

 

[SARDG]

...Rewind was an absolutely brilliant failsafe for loss of signal. And it was not at all complicated or difficult to understand...

...I feel really bad for the consumer users that aren't on this forum or facebook group. Which frankly is the large majority of them.

...and that likely accounts for the large number of failures and subsequent returns - even multiple single-party returns to retailers. Well, I suppose that gives we who remain plenty of reconditioned Solos for warranty replacement, if required.

 

[User Name]

i think it is better off separate from failsafe. failsafe needs to be tried and true functionality. rewind is a cool additional feature.

Totally agree, failsafe needs to follow one procedure and only one, and do it the same every time. When there's a failure condition, you want predictability.

So to update the original post, is this correct:

Rewind works on long-pressing the pause button, obeys the distance set in the app, but
disregards the disable setting, meaning it's always enabled and activates on a long-press of the pause button.

Is it the same on Android and iOS?

And what happens when it reaches the end of the setting in the app? Does it RTL from there? What if your path went under some trees or other obstructions, and that's where the rewind distance ends? This is a perfect example of why you want predictability...

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

A current bug is that you cannot disable rewind. If you set it to disable or set the distance to zero, holding pause will still trigger rewind.

If you set the distance for zero, but it still rewinds, how far does it go???

 

[twitchyzero]

so on latest FW if your orbit behind an object and upon signal loss, there's no rewind? It'll fly straight into the object and crash?

Wasn't that the whole point of making rewind? Aside from it acting like a MPCC in its own?

 

[User Name]

so on latest FW if your orbit behind an object and upon signal loss, there's no rewind? It'll fly straight into the object and crash?

Wasn't that the whole point of making rewind? Aside from it acting like a MPCC in its own?

From what Frank said, I believe, Rewind is not part of any failsafe. It was supposed to be, but was too confusing. Solo still RTL's as normal on connection loss/battery alarm/etc. Rewind just works on a long-press of the pause button. It seems it was kept, admittedly in shoddy fashion, as a separate feature activated by the pause button.

 

[twitchyzero]

sigh

3DR handicapping yet another feature...kicking us while we're down.