So I take it you don't use the altitude hold and heading hold test modes? Quite honestly, I almost lost my Telemaster because of the test mode. It kept taking over thinking I wasn't moving the sticks, and it takes a second for it to give control back to you. Fooling with menus while trying to fly and keepign the control sticks moving is a difficult thing.

Billpa, if it's possible, can I suggest a different way to set up the RTH functions? I'm thinking of an in flight "wizard" that simply has text that says "fly level" and monitors the control inputs, then says "turn gradually to the left" then monitors the control inputs and turn rates, then says "turn more quickly to the left" and monitors the differences, then says "descend slowly"...you get the idea. Then would it be possible to back out of the data it sees the rates/gains needed for RTH?

Originally Posted by Mr.Pibb

So I take it you don't use the altitude hold and heading hold test modes? Quite honestly, I almost lost my Telemaster because of the test mode. It kept taking over thinking I wasn't moving the sticks, and it takes a second for it to give control back to you. Fooling with menus while trying to fly and keepign the control sticks moving is a difficult thing.

Billpa, if it's possible, can I suggest a different way to set up the RTH functions? I'm thinking of an in flight "wizard" that simply has text that says "fly level" and monitors the control inputs, then says "turn gradually to the left" then monitors the control inputs and turn rates, then says "turn more quickly to the left" and monitors the differences, then says "descend slowly"...you get the idea. Then would it be possible to back out of the data it sees the rates/gains needed for RTH?

For my first set of tests I did actually use the test modes quite heavily. They are a nice way to get the OSD to only controller rudder or elevator/throttle.

Yea, as you mention, you definitely have to be careful in test mode. I never had the problem you mentioned but I could definitely see that happening. As you mentioned, fiddling with the menus takes time and is even harder when your heart is pounding because it's the first time you've ever tried it! I did quite a bit of practice getting in and out of test mode using the menus while on the ground and so got pretty comfortable with it.

Once I saw Carlyle's method of invoking RTH with a Tx switch, though, I never went back. The convenience of the switch is just too good to pass up.

Bill's got part of your suggestion in the works. Soon there will be a feature to be able to tell the OSD what "level" flight is while you are flying. So, you can get airborne, get all of your trims established, then flip to the menu option and after you select it the OSD will memorize those stick positions as corresponding to level flight.

For turns I could see that being a bit of a challenge. When most people turn their plane, they are constantly correcting the turn rate with small movements. I wonder if you could get away with something simple like taking the average stick deflection during the turn and deriving an initial proportional gain setting from it. Deriving integral and derivative gain values sounds like a pretty daunting task!

correct me if I am wrong, but I assume once we get the CPD4 interfaced with the OSD this all gets a lot simpler since the OSD now has pitch and bank feedback. I assume we will see an update to the RTH algorithm once this gets released, correct?

This is the today positive test

http://www.vimeo.com/6008962

This is my setting:

Cruise Speed=30
Altitude=300
Altitude Error=100

Pitch Proportional Gain= 0
Pitch Derivative Gain= 25

Turn Proportional Limit= 20
Turn Proportional Gain= 10
Turn Integral Gain= 0
Turn Derivative Gain= 25

Hello Lads,

Can I ask how accurate I should expect my GPS to be? Today I sent it up for a test and could not be certain that all was well.

In the video below you will see that I have 9 SAT when in my hand, then when I launch it goes to ZERO!! Then it takes another few seconds to sort itself out, and in the meantime the altitude is all over the place.

The Distance to Home seems to be out as well. As I fly over my head in the clip, it is still reading 40+Mtrs to home. I have it set on Ground Distance not line of sight.

Is this normal... Am I expecting too much from my GPS?

OSD Test Flight (3 min 4 sec)

Cheers
-J

For how much long you had 9 sats in the hand? You should wait at least 30 seconds for a proper fix, otherwise the alt reset and the home placing will be totally out of place. Also the GPS altimeter isn't so accurate (you may experience tenth meters of difference...), so that's prettu "normal".
It's also possible that you have a false contact on the GPS power wiring, it may have lost the power when you launched it, and then it had to do the fix again.

Originally Posted by npole

For how much long you had 9 sats in the hand? You should wait at least 30 seconds for a proper fix, otherwise the alt reset and the home placing will be totally out of place. Also the GPS altimeter isn't so accurate (you may experience tenth meters of difference...), so that's prettu "normal".
It's also possible that you have a false contact on the GPS power wiring, it may have lost the power when you launched it, and then it had to do the fix again.

The video I had taken taken me that it was on that it was on the ground and powered for 3.5 minutes before takeoff! So Yes - It should have had a good fix.

Cheers
-J

I also had a similar issue. I wound up getting the external gps antenna and mounting it as far away from everything as possible....

I have also heard stories of using a ferrite on the wires going to the gps unit to help with noise...

As downeym said, put on the ferrite cores, when you power up for takeoff the interference generated by the motor and ESC jammed the gps, once it looses the sats even for a second your lock is gone. Once you have a lock and a set number of sats, you should not see that vary but maybe by one or two. Looks like your sat count was inversely porportional to your throttle setting.

Originally Posted by Neo360

This is the today positive test
http://www.vimeo.com/5997895

Oh that's much better! Very good.

I have found that if I keep the GPS ground and positive wires separate from the GPS RX/TX signal wires, then twist them, then wrap them in tin foil and then shrink wrap them and then do the same with the GPS RX/TX wires, I get solid GPS performance and typically 9-11 satellites. This is on a 65cm motor to motor quadrocopter with 4 BL motors, ESC's, 2.4 RX, and with a 1.2Ghz video TX antenna only 4 inches away from the GPS. So there are plenty of opportunities for interference with this setup, but none encountered. It is best not to rely totally on the GPS altitude as it can vary in turns. A baro altitude is more trustworthy.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by downeym

I also had a similar issue. I wound up getting the external gps antenna and mounting it as far away from everything as possible....
I have also heard stories of using a ferrite on the wires going to the gps unit to help with noise...

Originally Posted by tonye53

As downeym said, put on the ferrite cores, when you power up for takeoff the interference generated by the motor and ESC jammed the gps, once it looses the sats even for a second your lock is gone. Once you have a lock and a set number of sats, you should not see that vary but maybe by one or two. Looks like your sat count was inversely porportional to your throttle setting.

That's exactly right. It's almost certainly your ESC. In my case, with my SlowStick, I don't lose satellites when I take off but my altitude readings get all screwy until I reduce power.

Maybe one of these days I'll try the external GPS antenna or add a few more ferrite cores.

Let us know if you work it out!

I have an OSD internal error 03 code. Just powered up my new system and uploaded the firmware. ?


UPDATE:: After much fooling around, whatever bug crawled up the OSD is gone. I had a lot of trouble getting any of my 3 computers to recognise the E logger's USB. After a half dozen factory resets, firmware loads, power resets, I finally got the corruption out of the OSD Pro.
Hope no one else has to go through this.
Tp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQCaK3cuObQ

Hi,

Couple of quick announcements. First, version 7.80 is now posted, which has the following enhancements:

1) Better use of vertical space with PAL cameras.
2) The new menu option that Reckless Bill referred to above, that will capture your "level flight" aileron/rudder, throttle and elevator positions, in case you change them slightly after running the safety mode wizard.

Here's the link:

http://www.eagletreesystems.com/Late...beta/setup.exe

Please let me know if any problems.

Second, I wanted to let you know that AHI/stabilization support using thermal sensors is definitely close. Please be patient with us just a little longer.

I think that all the other questions above since I last posted have been answered. Let me know if I'm missing some.

Regards,

Bill, for Eagle Tree