My solo is gone!

[Bloodlover]

I hope it was a hardware failure because hopefully 3dr can send me a replacement. Just sucks loosing the GoPro lights and so on. But it would ease the pain.

 

[JoelNewman]

Yeah, I probably wouldn't mention the lights either.

 

[cryhavoc38]

Thank you for the advise. A motor? That's not good considering I just got this for xmas. I did just update to 5.1.3 or is it 1.5.3. ....

After you updated the firmware to 1.5.3 did you perform a full calibration as well as a compass calibration? Curious since I have upgraded both solos and have put 5 flights on each after the update. I did perform both calibrations after updating though.

Sent from my SM-T700 using Tapatalk

 

[cryhavoc38]

Hello, my drone took off in mid flight about 5:00 this evening. . I mean it literally took off, straight up, and then out of sight., I lost contact with it after trying the HOME button and the AIRBRAKE button. The last picture I received showed it very high and moving away form me.
I have lost the drone and my sons gopro as well. I have alerted the local police in case it damages anything.

Did you have your FAA registration number somewhere on the Solo so that if it's found the number could be used to contact you?

Lastly did either of you two try using the sticks or did you just rely on the buttons ie rth and airbrake?

Sent from my SM-T700 using Tapatalk

 

[Bloodlover]

My solo is 10ft deep in a saltwater pond. I did the compass calibration as per the directions from the blog. Never mentioned anything else.
Thanks everyone.

 

[Bloodlover]

A few of us have upgraded and tested the latest release of the Autopilot firmware. Follow these steps to manually upgrade your firmware on the Solo from a computer running Windows with WiFi:

1. Download the firmware, ArduCopter-v2.px4. Use firmware tagged 'Latest release'.
2. Download and install FileZilla or WinSCP.
3. Turn on Solo and Controller.
4. Connect to Solo's WiFi network from your computer (similar to how you would connect your phone to it via the app).
5. Launch FileZilla or WinSCP and connect to Solo using it's IP address '10.1.1.10' for the Host and 'root' for the Username and 'TjSDBkAu' for the Password. Use port 22.
6. Copy/transfer the firmware to /firmware on Solo.
7. Reboot Solo.
8. After reboot the LED's on Solo should change colors (party mode).
9. Accomplish a Level Calibration.

Enjoy!



Only says level cal!

I meant to say a level calibration not compass on my last post.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

I don't think compass/level calibration had anything to do with it. That doesn't cause it to work fine, then just fall out of the sky. This a motor pod failure, almost certain.

 

[Bloodlover]

Hopefully I will be able to update everyone soon. My fingers are crossed!

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Isn't there something in the new firmware that prioritises lift over yaw and would allow the solo to at least spiral down in the event one motor fails?

It prioritizes thrust over yaw control in the event it doesn't have enough power to do both. Like if the battery is getting low, it will allow the copter yaw to rotate in order to maintain stability and arrest the descent. This has no bearing on the complete loss of a motor. There is no way to stabilize that on a quad like the solo.

 

[cryhavoc38]

OP said his quad went up, out and then down into the water.
I've experienced a sudden loss of lift from a single motor in a quad, there wasn't anything up, out and down about it. it was all down and flip, etc lol

So with that, perhaps Bloodlover could expound on exactly what he remembers the Solo doing as it went wonky.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

He flew it up and out over the bay. While there, it failed and fell into the water.

 

[cryhavoc38]

He flew it up and out over the bay. While there, it failed and fell into the water.

actually, you are right on the nose...using Tower I surmise since he said mission..it went up, out and then down.
The up and out was planned, the down was not.

I'm not using Tower and for the time being, don't plan to.
I have Solex, but have only used it a couple times.

Sticking with the Solo app for now since I don't have 100% confidence in the 3rd party apps..yet.

 

[Bloodlover]

P2P you got it right. But I did run the mission successfully moments before it went ka plunk!

 

[Bloodlover]

3Dr says they won't get back me for weeks! They have that many issues. Something to ponder on......

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Well, at least they got back to say they won't be getting back to you for weeks . Did they email you that or did you talk to them on the chat?

 

[Bloodlover]

Emailed.. Try and find a number.. I couldn't.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

They don't do phone support. But there is a live chat on 3DR's support website. They are much more responsive on chat than they are by email. Give it a try.

 

[Bloodlover]

I did try that as well but it doesn't seem to be working. I'm going give them a week and then try again. In the mean time I picked up another one and bought a gp4 silver from GoPro. $219 for a rebuilt seems like a no brainier.

 

[yt lee]

It was in the 40's today. No wind and sunny.

Cold temperature can be an issue for the battery and imu. You said you were filming the swans in the lake, so you were flying over water, was there a mist over the lake?

 

[pyrate]

Follow up on your ticket with a chat online during the week