RCAP Will Not Follow A Route

[Tom in Cincy]

I have a RCAP with vers 1.7 firmware a Geko 201 gps and a FMA copilot running in a Senior Telemaster with an OS 90 4-stroke. The plane flys to the first waypoint and simply loiters there never going on to waypoint2 even though there is a route programmed and its in the navigate mode. I have tried this several times with different waypoints and routes with exactly the same results.

[XJet]

Chances are that it's not recognizing the fact that it's reached the first waypoint.

I'm not familiar with the RCAP but if it has a "hit radius" parameter to tune just how close it needs to come to a waypoint to qualify as "hit" then you might want to increase this value.

For example, if the autopilot expects to pass within at least 5 yards of the waypoint and your UAV only manages to pass within 10 yards, it'll just keep turning back around to try and hit it again.

This often results in endless loitering because if your UAV isn't sufficiently agile to hit the waypoint the first time, it's unlikely that it'll be able to turn sharp enough to come back around a full 180 degrees and hit it on the subsiquent tries.

A good autopilot will have multiple algorithms for determining whether a waypoint has been achieved or not and it will allow you to select the algorithm on a waypoint-by-waypoint basis when entering a course.

[Tom in Cincy]

Unfortunately I must agree. Yesterday I drove to a large parking lot, set up 4 waypoints as a route and still the Geko201 would not work correctly. Basically I give up.

[Ginger Adam]

Is there not some sort of ground test you could perform to see what's going on ? Literally 'walk' the plane around a course on the ground and you'll be able to see what's happening ?

Adam

[smitty505000]

I just started using my Geko 201 but only for Inspire OSD FPV right now. It seams to work pretty good and holds an acuracy of about 8-9 feet in my area with waas. I am going to order a RACP kit next week and will be doing some tests shortly.

Tom, This may be a dumb question but, are the waypoints you set for the plane to follow at ground level? RACP only uses rudder to steer and if the waypoint is on the ground and the plane is say a few hundred feet in the air then it wont ever find the waypoint right? So if this is right then the waypoints would have to be adjusted to the altitude of the flight and then the plane would have to stay close enough to that altitude so it could find the waypoint.

I am just thinking out load but what do you think?

Smitty

[_helitron_]

RCAP don't use the altitude information as far I know.

//Erwin

[smitty505000]

No, but the GPS unit that tracks the waypoints does.

[_helitron_]

Ah sorry, I had my RCAP3 in my mind. RCAP3 don't use such a big GPS unit but instead of the tiny WPS-1 (waypoint sequencer) from MX, that don't use altitude, and a cheap, little GPS receiver without navigation features (eTek EM-406 for example).

//Erwin

[smitty505000]

Ahh. So many devices out there makes my head spin. :eek:

I just made a serial cable and d/l my gps data into Google earth (after $20 upgrade). Wow this is soo cool. See my plane path and fly through in 3d. My buddy is going to do some video editing and put the Google earth fly through next to the actual footage. Should be interesting if he can adjust the timing of the two and get them in sync.

[Tom in Cincy]

Hi Smitty. As far as I know the geko 201 does not use altitude in its waypoint/ route planning. The problem most likely is its inability to set how close you need to get to the waypoint before it switches to the next waypoint. There is also a hidden "feature" called smart routing in the garmin which decides to skip your preprogrammed waypoints if it finds a shorter waypoint. Check KD7OST's posts for confirmation. Another thorn in the side may be the fact that RCAP does not work with WAAS enabled. What seems to be the correct solution is indeed the RCAP3 with a WPS!/2 and the matching GPS. What gets me is how this board has been out for years (RCAP1-2) without reports that the system simple doesn't work (except for KD7OST findings). You have to wonder the ratio of UAV wannabe's to UAV pilots on this forum (flame material 4sure).
tp

[smitty505000]

Hi Tom, Interesting, I did not know RCAP did not work with WAAS inabled. Thats kinda crappy. :( Are you sure the Geko 201 does not use altitude for waypioints? It shows up when the waypoint is set. I will have to do some reading and testing. As far as few reports I agree its strange but I wonder if most people use it for RTL only. If so then they would never know. It would just come back and circle trying to find the waypoint as you describe.

I really like the Unav Picopilot but at $900.00 its a little steep.

My setup so far:
Twinstar 2
FMS co-pilot
Blackwidow 200mw tx/Diversity 2 rx
Inspire OSD w/ Geko 201
Icuity HMD

[Tom in Cincy]

No I'm not sure Smitty about the altitude entering into the picture about waypoints. However in mapsource which can set the points and routes it does not ask for altitude. To start playing with Autopilots $900 is way too much. I am thinking about just getting a WPS2 and interfacing it into my system. Right now with the shorter days and cold weather on its way I'm going to shelf the project till Spring.