I have been using the 915mhz telemetry v2 units with my Pixhawk for a while now. One of them is not giving the range that it used to and I need a replacement.
I varified the range with the use of my Fighting Walrus iDrone Link and one unit is getting about 100m range while the other is getting good signal to where my hexacopter is just a spec in the distance.
Problem 1:
I can not get hold of Fighting Walrus any more. They have not answered my emails since about October of 2015. I am assuming they are no longer active? (also no updates to their iOS app for almost a year)
Problem 2:
3DR are no longer making their 900 or 433 telemetry units. (verified vie an email to them)
"Hello Justin,
Thank you for contacting 3DRobotics customer service.
We apologize for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, we do not have the Telemetry available anymore since they have been discontinued, both the 915 and 433."
I am using a Nexus 7 v2 Tablet with the Tower App (great app by the way)
Question:
Other than the $250 long range 900mhz kits (I don't need/am not allowed to use super long range) or $10 knock 3DR off kits from China (gamble as to whether you get a good one/no warranty), what options are there that are "PnP" ?
I am using a Taranis Plus TX with x8r RX and could use that telemetry but then there is no way to load missions in the field.
Thanks for input
J
Replies
Has anyone else noticed that it is getting harder and harder to order do it yourself drone parts from 3DR? The 3DR web site is actually making it hard to order a collection of autopilot parts for an autopilot.
The 3DR web site used to make it easy to select an autopilot, GPS, radio, power monitor, etc. I suspect that it has become so hard to order do it yourself autopilot parts that people are going elsewhere. I cannot imagine what 3DR is thinking to discontinue the 3DR radios. They were even pretty competitively priced.
3DR is changing from a DIY shop to a consumer shop like DJI.
Nevertheless now there are many shops were you can get all and more of what 3DR use to sell.
Hi Paul
I have heard rumors last year that 3DR are going to change from a DIY shop to something similar to DJI, but it looks like those rumors were true.
I feel like a Mushroom....being kept in the dark and fed sh.t!
Regards
Michael
Kept in the dark or not, it was nice to be able to buy well made DIY parts at a competitive price. Now we will need to buy hit and miss parts From unreliable sources. I'm sure there is room for 3DR to keep the DIY crowd happy inside their new "Corparate America" business model. You know, for the guys and gals that helped get the company off the ground in the first place.
The thing I liked about 3DR was (not "is" anymore I guess) that everything was compatible. No guessing and hoping and shelling out money for parts that might or might not work together.
Any way, I am going to make use of my Taranis telemetry and get a Blue Tooth link for my copter Thanks for the suggestion Sergio Silva. Fingers crossed.
I appreciate the kind words and I wish the economics of the DIY market were good enough to keep a factory running in North America to serve that. But our strategy of open source hardware and empowering the community to create both competition and innovation worked all too well, and the price declines in clone/compatible hardware from China were so rapid that it became uneconomic to keep a sustainable business with low-margin prices but full customer support and US regulatory compliance on the DIY products. Open source is designed to give users more choice, and in many case what they choose is the lowest price, regardless of where it comes from and the support it may or may not have.
(RTF consumer and enterprise products, which require less customer support and are made in China, is the direction all the industry leaders have gone. It's just a case of the market evolving, and companies in it evolving as well, as I said in my post last year.)
Hi Chris
The Posts in here are very confusing!
We use your Pixhawk Autopilot systems on our fixed wing Planes and our Quads, which is the backbone of our business. We are not concerned about the Telemetry or Video links, as these we can get from another source. What we are concerned about is the continuation of the Pixhawk Autopilot system and Missionplanner\Tower for a Company like ourselves who build their own UAV's.
Please lay your cards on the Table and let us know if we should look for alternative Autopilot systems.
Kind Regards
Michael
re- declines in clone/compatible hardware [ and every other thing ] from China
re-and US regulatory compliance
There is sure a lot of this going around :[ Hence companies leaving the states in droves.
I used to work with 3DR telemetry exclusively, in addition to Taranis / D8R or D4R. Recently I get a telemetry set from Drotek for half the price. Chinese stuff but working well (with correct Sanders and Rmilec antennas).
More recently I tried the Ultimate LRS set up, with two Orange module (low price, one inside Taranis and other inside plane) and a bit of soldering I have one single 433 system for both RC and Mavlink telemetry. So far I am a bit amazed by the saving and performances. The full spread should cost you around 50€. It is said to work a few 10 km, with the good antennas, as always.
I purchased 5 '1W' OrangeRx Futaba 433 modules for $5 when HK were selling them off. Using ULRS and with some soldering and a few mods to increase the power output to closer to 1W, you have a 20+ Km Telemetry(at 19200!) and RC system that seems as reliable as anything I have used after you have done the QA and changed the antenna connectors which are the weak point with OrangeRx stuff. Cost all-in was about $20 for Tx and Rx units and bluetooth, which is almost immoral.
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