Solo drone and Mission Planner

Hi,
Once I download a mission on to my Solo Drone, how do I activate the mission once I'm ready to fly her? I own an Iris+ drone and it has a dedicated switch setting. The Solo doesn't.

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  • funny I don't see that anywhere in this manual unless I skipped right over it. I don't know how it connects to a ground station aka Mission Planner etc.

    http://3drobotics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/v5_08_21_15.pdf

    • You will need to connect to the mission planner on your PC by using wifi. No mini USB connector on the Solo. Like I've said before.. I feel that 3DR didn't want owners to fly missions with Solo... Go figure. Just a fun side note, I sent her out on a 7,500 meter round trip mission over the week-end. She came back with over 30% battery life left. Hope this helps.
    • 3D Robotics

      Scott: To the contrary, we *optimized* Solo for autonomous missions. That's why created Tower and 3DR Services, along with the Solo development kit for autonomy -- that's all I use myself.  Glad your mission went so well! 

    • Hi Chris,
      I stand corrected in respect to missions. At the same time Solo does't have access to a micro USB. I was forced to buy an Android device to activate missions in tower. Missions can't be activated with the Solo controller even when utilizing advanced settings. There is limited information or directions in respect to missions and Solo too. It was weeks after I purchase a Solo before I could get my head around getting it to fly missions. I also own an Iris+ and have been flying missions sense the first day out of the box. ( over a year now ) Once you get past everything and start flying missions the Solo flys great, has excellent battery life and is a first class quality machine. It looks great too. Nobody can debate that. I wouldn't want to own any other brand of drone. Last, I find that I can use my Iris+ controller up to 1300 meters. My Solo controller has a range of about 300 meters under the exact same conditions. I'm not sure why there is such a difference between the 2 units. That is a significant drawback. Regards, Scott
  • @Bill English (I meant to reply to you on this).

    Unless, in the last couple days they added "Auto" as a new advanced flight mode (assignable to the A or B button), then currently there is no way to initiate an Auto mission using the Solo App and the stock controller.

    However, you can initiate an Auto mission from Tower (on Android), Mission Planer (PC) or APM2 (Mac). Personally, I find that Tower on Android is the most convenient ground station software to use with the Solo. To initiate an auto mission you just click the Auto button on the screen.

    I like to fly with dual set up. An iPad Mini running the Solo app provides the live video feed and access to Smart Shots. On a small Android phone I run Tower to show me where I am on a map and provide telemetry data. I use Tower to plan missions as well.

    The set up is great. You can connect to the Solo at the same time with both devices. You can even interrupt an Auto mission, do a quick smart shot, then resume the Auto mission where you left off. The trickiest part is wedging the Android phone into place between the iPad and the Controler. A little Velcro in the right place solves that. There is a thread I started about this a couple months ago that has pictures of my setup.
    Hope this helps.
    • Erik, I'm not sure why it's listed a 'don't do' and perhaps your dual setup avoids the problem but 3DR best practices for Tower recommends not flying autonomous missions or controlling Solo with Tower while in Smart Shots.

    • Hi G,
      I've set up and loaded a bunch of missions from my PC then activated them at flight time using Tower with no issues. Everything works fine.
    • Thanks Erik, I'll check out your set up.

      I do prefer a dual set up also.  I currently have an old Quad, and have it set up well to do all the things I like, but I would like a more modern bird with better endurance.  

      I have tried Tower using the 3DR 900mhz telemetry radio off a Samsung Note II but the USB power was weak and I didn't get very good range.  (Guess I could get a better phone...)

      I like using MP on a regular PC for some of my mission needs, how does that connect to the Solo?  Wifi?

      My preferred requirements are these:

      - dual operator set up (pilot/camera)

      - telemetry similar to MP or Tower to pilot or to a PC

      - true waypoints/flight planning for any shape and number of waypoints

      I'm doing this now with the APM, 3DR telemetry, seperate video monitor, and an old Xbox controller bluetoothed over to the MP computer.  Works, but ugly.  Would like more elegant, less cable-spaghetti, and better endurance.  Sounds like that can be done with Solo?

    • I like using MP on a regular PC for some of my mission needs, how does that connect to the Solo?  Wifi?

      Yes. Wifi (via UDP).  I haven't tried it, but plenty of people are using it.  APM would connect the same way wifi (UDP).

      My preferred requirements are these:

      - dual operator set up (pilot/camera)

      Well, the point of the Solo is kind of the opposite of that.  The name "Solo" itself seems to be intended to communicate the idea that you can do on your own (ie. solo) what normally requires 2 people.  In this regard they definitely succeeded with the Solo.  You can get some pretty amazing multi-axis shots with nice smooth easing in and out.  (When I mentioned my "dual set up" I was referring to using the Solo app and Tower at the same time... not a dual operator set up)

      - telemetry similar to MP or Tower to pilot or to a PC

      - true waypoints/flight planning for any shape and number of waypoints

      You'll get telemetry IDENTICAL to MP or Tower, because those are the what you'll be using with any 3DR drone, including the Solo.  Same goes for waypoints/flight planning.

      I'm doing this now with the APM, 3DR telemetry, seperate video monitor, and an old Xbox controller bluetoothed over to the MP computer.  Works, but ugly.  Would like more elegant, less cable-spaghetti, and better endurance.  Sounds like that can be done with Solo?

      That actually sounds like a pretty cool set-up in a hobbled together Millennium Falcon kind of way... but not very practical.  I can't imagine hiking up a mountain with all that gear and getting set up.  Anyway, Yes, you will be able to do everything you are currently doing with a Solo (or an Iris+ for that matter).

      The only area where I have some concern is range.  They went with 2.4ghz Wifi and some people are swapping out antennas and wifi cards to get more range.  I'm going to let it play out for awhile myself before I do any mods like that.  I don't really go for range myself.  I shoot pretty close in, almost always less than a kilometer.  If I'm going to go further, I create a mission.  

      I think I answered everything.  let me know if I missed something.

    • So... does the solo create it's own UDP wifi the droid can connect to then you can uploads missions like that??

      Is there a way to use the 915 mhz telemetry radio with solo? 

      sorry if this has been answered I read it didn't get it. 

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