Originally Posted by flyhigh300

Hello all,

I have my first DOSD install .. with a little reading and research the install went ok,
No major hang ups..

But one thing that is not clear to me is RTH mode vs AP mode ?

I have my mode switch set up . ( 3 position switch)

1. OSD on ( **AP disabled**) will Flash
2. OSD on ( "AP disabled" - Stops Flashing)
3. Menu System

Now how does one enable RTH ? :-) haha.. probably something I'm over looking, but it does not pop out at me.

Yes. Okay, really AP mode is AutoPilot. Guess what RTH is? Yep, Auto Pilot. And how about flying waypoints? Yep, also Auto Pilot.

So how do you select between RTH and Waypoints when switching into AP mode? That's all in the Waypoint setting. When your Waypoint (in the menu) is set to "0" then AP IS RTH mode. When Waypoint is set to anything other than "0" then AP is Waypoint mode.

The Waypoint number is the waypoint you want to fly to. Let's say you load a WP mission with 10 waypoints. You can tell the DOSD what waypoint you want to fly to. By setting the Waypoint to "1" and engage AP the plane will fly to waypoint #1, the fly the remaining is sequence and RTH after the last waypoint. If you set the waypoint to #6, the AP will skip WPs 1-5, go directly to WP 6, complete the remaining waypoints the RTH. So while in flight you can jump directly from one waypoint to the next. The AP will just fly the remaining points in sequence. Hope that makes sense.

So what happens if you're in a WP mission and loose Tx contact? Nothing. You're already in AP mode, so the DOSD flies the mission and RTH's after the last waypoint. Just remember to leave the Waypoint to 0 all the time, except when you want to fly a mission. That way the DOSD will always RTH when AP is engaged.

As far os your "AP Disable" messages...that's the correct display when you don't have GPS lock. DOSD requires GPS to fly in AP mode. Your 'home' position is wherever GPS lock is acquired. You CAN fly without GPS lock, but if the GPS locks while you're in flight, wherever that spot is has now become your 'home' position...so don't fly until you have GPS lock if you want your plane to RTH.

awesome run down Van, I almost got my bixler together! just glueing the fuse together as we speak. Got a question...

I'm going to install the baro, i was seeing a few days ago about the best place to install etc, like out of the direct sun, in clean airflow etc. My friend who is a pilot was just over for a visit and we were discussing how i should install it. I was thinking on the side of the fuse just before the nose curves, but i don't want debre getting on it as she is a belly lander. Plus the snow would not help!

So is it ok to jsut hot glue it to the fuse? should it be embed with just the sensor flush with the fuse.
I am about to do some searching of photos.

Originally Posted by Eastcoast78

awesome run down Van, I almost got my bixler together! just glueing the fuse together as we speak. Got a question...

I'm going to install the baro, i was seeing a few days ago about the best place to install etc, like out of the direct sun, in clean airflow etc. My friend who is a pilot was just over for a visit and we were discussing how i should install it. I was thinking on the side of the fuse just before the nose curves, but i don't want debre getting on it as she is a belly lander. Plus the snow would not help!

So is it ok to jsut hot glue it to the fuse? should it be embed with just the sensor flush with the fuse.
I am about to do some searching of photos.

Any airflow over the baro will cause inaccurate readings. Place the baro in a piece of open cell foam (so it can sense the air pressure without airflow over it) and place in somewhere in the fuse were it's out of the way and out of direct air flow.

ohh wow!! man i need to get a new pair of glass's... lmao

Thanks Van

Van,

Thanks..

But now it looks like my GPS is down..

Before I would get ( squares, when it was trying to get GPS lock)

it has stop doing that.. now.. could I have changed anything to disable it.. ?

So .. I'm finding out that firs time take a long time .. ?

only difference I see is that I did not see an attempt for it to lock in.

but connecting it to DOSD PC Commander shows GPS is ok.

So its sitting out side now for a bit ...

Stay tuned..

when i find it hard to lock on inside...grab a big piece of aluminium foil. I grabbed a tin lid form a cookie container tonight and lock on inside in a basement with in a few mins. and its over cast with a bit of snow ;-0)

Originally Posted by Eastcoast78

when i find it hard to lock on inside...grab a big piece of aluminium foil. I grabbed a tin lid form a cookie container tonight and lock on inside in a basement with in a few mins. and its over cast with a bit of snow ;-0)

What do you do with the tinfoil? Wear it as a hat to stop the Alien mind probes?

Seriously though what do you do with the tinfoil?

Rick

Originally Posted by hammer833

What do you do with the tinfoil? Wear it as a hat to stop the Alien mind probes?

Seriously though what do you do with the tinfoil?

Rick

Hello Rick

As I understand the tinfoils works as an antenna that pick up the signal from the satellites and gets the GPS locked faster.

Here is a video from Chanyote66, making some upgrades to the GPS

FPV GPS upgrades (14 min 50 sec)

I will do that, before intalling it on the fuselage

Cheers,

Juan

Originally Posted by Juanp

Hello Rick

As I understand the tinfoils works as an antenna that pick up the signal from the satellites and gets the GPS locked faster.

Here is a video from Chanyote66, making some upgrades to the GPS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU44W7lBZuM

I will do that, before intalling it on the fuselage

Cheers,

Juan

Ok I get it now.
Thanks Juan

yes and no...
Think of the foil or metal as the Dish of a satellite. The "dish reflects the signal into the LMB that sends the signal to your TV box. The same thing happens with the Reflector plate, be it aluminum, tin, copper, and even gold if your ball'n... The GPS signals that pass the Module are reflected to give the gps antenna a second chance to get the data. you dont want a parabolic design like a actual satellite dish because it will focus the beam and actually reduce the performance by limiting the view of the sky...


Chris

Originally Posted by Vantasstic

Yes. Okay, really AP mode is AutoPilot. Guess what RTH is? Yep, Auto Pilot. And how about flying waypoints? Yep, also Auto Pilot.

So how do you select between RTH and Waypoints when switching into AP mode? That's all in the Waypoint setting. When your Waypoint (in the menu) is set to "0" then AP IS RTH mode. When Waypoint is set to anything other than "0" then AP is Waypoint mode.

The Waypoint number is the waypoint you want to fly to. Let's say you load a WP mission with 10 waypoints. You can tell the DOSD what waypoint you want to fly to. By setting the Waypoint to "1" and engage AP the plane will fly to waypoint #1, the fly the remaining is sequence and RTH after the last waypoint. If you set the waypoint to #6, the AP will skip WPs 1-5, go directly to WP 6, complete the remaining waypoints the RTH. So while in flight you can jump directly from one waypoint to the next. The AP will just fly the remaining points in sequence. Hope that makes sense.

So what happens if you're in a WP mission and loose Tx contact? Nothing. You're already in AP mode, so the DOSD flies the mission and RTH's after the last waypoint. Just remember to leave the Waypoint to 0 all the time, except when you want to fly a mission. That way the DOSD will always RTH when AP is engaged.

As far os your "AP Disable" messages...that's the correct display when you don't have GPS lock. DOSD requires GPS to fly in AP mode. Your 'home' position is wherever GPS lock is acquired. You CAN fly without GPS lock, but if the GPS locks while you're in flight, wherever that spot is has now become your 'home' position...so don't fly until you have GPS lock if you want your plane to RTH.

I believe you can change a setting to tell the aircraft what to do when it reaches the assigned WP. Loiter, Hold, or RTH. So in your example the aircraft would go and visit WP 6 then RTH if the "visit" setting was selected.

Originally Posted by Mike Freas

I believe you can change a setting to tell the aircraft what to do when it reaches the assigned WP. Loiter, Hold, or RTH. So in your example the aircraft would go and visit WP 6 then RTH if the "visit" setting was selected.

You are correct. You can select circle, loiter, next, visit, etc for each waypoint hit. Some of the actions don't make much sense to me though, like circle or visit. Why create a waypoint mission where the plane will sit and indefinetly circle a WP once it gets there? And why just 'visit' and RTH a waypoint? I guess there's times where these make sense...like you want to load multiple waypoints in a single mission with the idea of not flying a 'full mission', but more for being able to select an individual WP and have it do it's thing. I've only played with WPs as a full mission where it does one point after the other. Mostly I just fly myself to wherever I want to go, engage AP to RTH back and just enjoy the view home as the DOSD flies the plane.

i setup a circle waypoint that way i can just leave it on auto pilot and pan/tilt the area i applied my waypoint too. i don't often do it but it's just about the only reason i do use it.

DragonOSD is just awesome!

C47 at the Wash. (16 min 1 sec)