No Engine Start?!?!

Pedals2Paddles · Mar 20, 2017

That double beep is the arming failure sound from the pixhawk. One of the prearm check conditions is failing. And it is clearly one of the conditions the Solo app is not designed to recognize and report.

Download the Tower app and use that instead of the Solo app. It will report any and all pre arm failure messages. So will mission planner on a PC.

If you have a hard time with that, download the log files to a zip file and post them here. We can fix this.

LpSTI3DR · Mar 20, 2017

Pedals2Paddles said:
That double beep is the arming failure sound from the pixhawk. One of the prearm check conditions is failing. And it is clearly one of the conditions the Solo app is not designed to recognize and report.

Download the Tower app and use that instead of the Solo app. It will report any and all pre arm failure messages. So will mission planner on a PC.

If you have a hard time with that, download the log files to a zip file and post them here. We can fix this.

Thank you, I downloaded the Tower App will try tomorrow to take a flight and I will post results.

LpSTI3DR · Mar 23, 2017

Thank you, all for the comments.

I downloaded Mission planner into my old pc, I was able to connect the solo to the computer with the WIFI, I did something I don't know what but I was able to turn the rotors for a while. Then I decided to calibrate and did that and then I tried to do the remote control calibration (I think) and then nothing happened. I think I wiped out the control :/ if that is possible?

Now I am looking at videos on Youtube to see what is going on. I wish this software's came with a tutorial on all the how to's but I guess they don't.

Quick question everyone seems to agree that the Solex App is the best way to go for the SOLO 3DR, I want to use the Solo for my personal videos, not for professional use (land measurements, levels, or geo-mapping) more like for my camping, backpacking, vacation trips.

I would like to know what is the best way, TOWER APP, Mission Planner, SOLEX APP or the original app?

Is Mission planner really just for planning the missions and checking everything about your drone logs and or it can also used as your regular flying app? (example Camping I don't want to be taking a computer so what would be best? to have)

Sorry very very new to drones, and now I'm more confused.

By the way anyone around the Houston, TX area that we can get together and help me with this mission planner and tower app and solex app?

Thank you for ur help.

LpSTI3DR · Mar 23, 2017

LpSTI3DR said:
Thank you, all for the comments.

I downloaded Mission planner into my old pc, I was able to connect the solo to the computer with the WIFI, I did something I don't know what but I was able to turn the rotors for a while. Then I decided to calibrate and did that and then I tried to do the remote control calibration (I think) and then nothing happened. I think I wiped out the control :/ if that is possible?

Now I am looking at videos on Youtube to see what is going on. I wish this software's came with a tutorial on all the how to's but I guess they don't.

Quick question everyone seems to agree that the Solex App is the best way to go for the SOLO 3DR, I want to use the Solo for my personal videos, not for professional use (land measurements, levels, or geo-mapping) more like for my camping, backpacking, vacation trips.

I would like to know what is the best way, TOWER APP, Mission Planner, SOLEX APP or the original app?

Is Mission planner really just for planning the missions and checking everything about your drone logs and or it can also used as your regular flying app? (example Camping I don't want to be taking a computer so what would be best? to have)

Sorry very very new to drones, and now I'm more confused.

By the way anyone around the Houston, TX area that we can get together and help me with this mission planner and tower app and solex app?

Thank you for ur help.

I contacted 3DR again and finally got some light from their end.... Will keep you posted. Thank you for your support.

msantimanzano · Mar 27, 2017

why do some people ask for help, and when specific guidance for that help is given, the person requesting the help goes and does something completely different than what they were guided to do? Then they complain some more that they still have a problem.

Poster was told to download the zip log files so that they could be troubleshot...... instead he did his own thing and resorted again to calling 3dr. No wonder some veterans of the site get snappy with some people.

LpSTI3DR · Mar 27, 2017

msantimanzano said:
why do some people ask for help, and when specific guidance for that help is given, the person requesting the help goes and does something completely different than what they were guided to do? Then they complain some more that they still have a problem.

Poster was told to download the zip log files so that they could be troubleshot...... instead he did his own thing and resorted again to calling 3dr. No wonder some veterans of the site get snappy with some people.

Hi, you don't event know me but here you are talking to me in a 3rd person manner.

1st I did download the software (Tower APP, Mission Planner) The issue was not, not doing what the nice people from here told me to do, the issue is that I could not perform what they asked since those apps (software) did not have any sort of explanations to them, and I actually think I had messed up my R/C because it was not responding to anything after doing the calibration. So I contacted 3DR so I could perform the factory reset and get the systems going again as factory.

I have not had time to do the whole log thing again because well Life happens.

You seem to know everything maybe you can create some videos on how to's for the mission planner and the tower app, instead of just going off on posts that you are not either helping or contributing a good comment.

Ps, helping is better than a Trolling.

Pedals2Paddles · Mar 27, 2017

All I said to do was use the tower app to see/hear what pre-arm failure messages you were getting. But none the less, Mission Planner would have done what I suggested too. It would tell you all the pre-arm messages. At no time did I suggest you go through the menus of Mission Planner and start randomly pushing buttons to change functions you don't understand. That was a very very bad idea. Yes, you messed it all up. You're certainly not the first to do that, and probably not the last either. But still, going off script from what was suggested was not wise.

Now you're going to need to do a parameter reset on the Pixhawk to fix all the settings you bungled up. With any luck, this process will also fix whatever was causing the pre-arm failure that began this debacle.

Connect your PCs WiFi to the Solo WiFi network
Open Mission Planner.
In the top right corner, set the drop down for UDP.
Click connect. If prompted for the local port, make sure it says 14550. Click ok.
Click the Config/Tuning button at the top.
Select planner on the left.
Towards the bottom make sure the basic/advanced dropdown is set for advanced.
Click the Config/Tuning button at the top again to refresh the screen.
On the left, select Full Parameter List
On the right, click reset to default.
Wait for it to finish beeping and blinking. It may also lose connection with the controller.
Power off the solo, wait 10 seconds, and power it back on.
You will need to redo the compass and level calibration
1. Connect with the 3DR Solo app to do a level calibration. You should do this on an actual level surface. The more level, the better the AHRS trim will be.
2. Use the 3DR Solo app to do a compass calibration. This must be done outdoors, in a clear area away from buildings, vehicles, fences, cement with rebar, etc.

See where this gets you. Please don't push any other buttons!!!

LpSTI3DR · Mar 29, 2017

Pedals2Paddles said:
All I said to do was use the tower app to see/hear what pre-arm failure messages you were getting. But none the less, Mission Planner would have done what I suggested too. It would tell you all the pre-arm messages. At no time did I suggest you go through the menus of Mission Planner and start randomly pushing buttons to change functions you don't understand. That was a very very bad idea. Yes, you messed it all up. You're certainly not the first to do that, and probably not the last either. But still, going off script from what was suggested was not wise.

Now you're going to need to do a parameter reset on the Pixhawk to fix all the settings you bungled up. With any luck, this process will also fix whatever was causing the pre-arm failure that began this debacle.

Connect your PCs WiFi to the Solo WiFi network

Open Mission Planner.

In the top right corner, set the drop down for UDP.

Click connect. If prompted for the local port, make sure it says 14550. Click ok.

Click the Config/Tuning button at the top.

Select planner on the left.

Towards the bottom make sure the basic/advanced dropdown is set for advanced.

Click the Config/Tuning button at the top again to refresh the screen.

On the left, select Full Parameter List

On the right, click reset to default.

Wait for it to finish beeping and blinking. It may also lose connection with the controller.

Power off the solo, wait 10 seconds, and power it back on.

You will need to redo the compass and level calibration

Connect with the 3DR Solo app to do a level calibration. You should do this on an actual level surface. The more level, the better the AHRS trim will be.

Use the 3DR Solo app to do a compass calibration. This must be done outdoors, in a clear area away from buildings, vehicles, fences, cement with rebar, etc.

See where this gets you. Please don't push any other buttons!!!

All done!!!

Now I will try to download the flying records and send them your way if you can still help me with that since I think I still have the same error of no flying.

Pedals2Paddles · Mar 29, 2017

Happy to look at the logs. But can you answer the original question about what the prearm messages are?

DDUB806 · Mar 30, 2017

Could be a bad motor pod causing it to do emergency landing or just some loose wires. Only way to know forsure is to look at flight log and if nothing shows up I would look inside transmitter and inside solo.

andrew.baker.142 · Mar 31, 2017

LpSTI3DR said:
All done!!!

Now I will try to download the flying records and send them your way if you can still help me with that since I think I still have the same error of no flying.

If you were able to get Mission Planner working on a PC, you can actually have it connected to Solo via WiFi while you try to fly. It will tell you any pre-arm errors on the flight screen. This is the best way to figure out why the copter will not arm.

LpSTI3DR · Apr 1, 2017

Done! ok so I was able to connect the Solo to Mission Planner I was able to fly for about 10 15 mins which is more than before. I changed the battery for a fresh one and then again it would not take off.

So I connected the mission planner to the Solo and downloaded the logs, now also I did a print screen of the pre-arm error that shows.

Hope you can still help me with this, I have a huge list of logs with different extensions files, do I post them all or just some of the extensions?

Here the image of the mission planner,...

LpSTI3DR · Apr 1, 2017

Pedals2Paddles said:
Happy to look at the logs. But can you answer the original question about what the prearm messages are?

I just posted the image that I get from Mission Planner,... I was able to fly today for about 10 15 min with the Solo App, there is a lot of logs do you need all of them or just some of the extensions?

Please let me know Thanks for all your help

Pedals2Paddles · Apr 1, 2017

Well that's a new one. That is indicating the throttle stick input is too low. Which should be impossible. Do the stick calibration procedure here:
http://thepaperfile.com/public/3dr/calibration.sticks.windows.pdf

jimloss · May 1, 2017

LpSTI3DR:

Were you able to get your Solo working? Very talented and knowledgeable forum members tried to help you, yet you've gone silent.

LpSTI3DR · May 1, 2017

jimloss said:
LpSTI3DR:

Were you able to get your Solo working? Very talented and knowledgeable forum members tried to help you, yet you've gone silent.

Hi Jim,

Yes and No, well I was able to correct some issues with it it continued to have some, I decided to call it out and sent an email to Customer service at 3DR, they told me to send it to them and that they will send me a new one (or like new) to my house I took that route and got my Solo up and flying in like 5 business days, I took my vacation trip and I was able to use it and I am very very happy with it now.

I just came back from a company also trip so that is why I had gone "silent", but yeah I got it "fixed" and now I am a happy 3Dr Solo Owner.

Not great at taking videos yet since I could only test fly it like 40 mins before packing it for the trip, but I took awesome shots were I went and all is good.

Thank you for asking.

Will try to post the videos later, when I have enough time to edit them.

Peace.....

Jbouza09 · Jun 2, 2017

Hi guys,

Something similar has happened to mine only it has never flown, hold the fly button down and get the double tone. Loaded mission planner make it as far as "Enter local port" ( it says ensure remote end is already sending) ??? Hit ok and it says mavlink connecting and that's where it sits. Any words of wisdom ??

Jbouza09 · Jun 2, 2017

One more thing, Before I loaded mission planner I did find a loose connector in one of the motor pods. Still get double tone. Took cover off looked for other loose lines and none found. Reassembled and still get tone.