Comments

• Moderator

  Dean Wynton December 22, 2012 at 4:35am

  OK I finally got another APM a 2.5 this time thanks to Martin at BYOD... Which at present I will be using in a Multiplex Cularis, So I will be brushing up on Arduplane for the first time, it is my plan to buy another platform such as a quad or hexa and another APM 2.5 to get back up to speed with Arducopter as the past 6 months without one has lead me to slip behind with developments in the code. My trusty tricopter although good fun and ended up working very well with the APM2 is now been fitted with a KK board and its main purpose is to keep me on my toes as it flips and rolls through the skies at high speed as I have gotten used to flying two large camera ships with the WKM systems and become lazy :)

   
• Distributor

  Martint BuildYourOwnDrone.co.uk August 26, 2012 at 1:25am

  Time to fly and try and hover the traditional Heli again under the expert tuition of Malcolm.... wind is looking like it will be testing me today! Can't wait to get going! We will get this hover business in short order :)

   

  Regards

  Martin.

   
• Distributor

  Martint BuildYourOwnDrone.co.uk August 22, 2012 at 8:24am

  Yes, thank you for the flight lesson.... so odd being on the other end of the buddy box lead... If i can use the WKM I will be happy to do the flights all day long, alone :)

   

  Regards

   

  Martin.
• 

  malcolm churn August 18, 2012 at 7:58am

  Been out flying with the Fury90 and the DJI Spectra G this morning and half the afternoon, Martin is now a heli pilot :) We did some training flights this morning on the buddy box with the Fury90 no autopilot, then he flew the DJI Gasser. I think next time he will be on his own. That'll put the fear of god into him :) Good times ...
• Developer

  Randy August 15, 2012 at 9:52pm

  @Dudz re disarming the motors when landing,

      I replied to your PM separately but here's the message in case any one else is interested:

   If your throttle is zero it will disarm the motors after landing...but there are two problems:    

  1) the land code assumes that the final altitude and home altitude are the same.  and it will only consider the land complete if it's altitude reading is < 1.5m.  So if the landing spot is 1.5 meters higher than the home altitude (i.e. up on a hill), the copter may never think that it's successfully landed.  I'm not sure if this only applies to landing with a barometer or with the sonar as well.
  2) It only disarms the motors if the throttle is zero.  you could change these lines in verify_land_sonar and verify_land_baro.  Just comment out the test for the throttle value.  Please note, this is use at your own risk.  I haven't tested this.
      land_complete = true;
      //if(g.rc_3.control_in == 0){
          ground_detector++;
          init_disarm_motors();
      //}
• 

  Patrick Dudley August 14, 2012 at 11:41am

  The whole log business confuses me. It doesn't help when the micro USB port is so sensitive that every time there is the slightest movement on the transfer cable, I loose connection.

  Anyway, plotted a course on MP and took the quad to a nearby field today. Took it up 12meters ish, and flicked it into auto.( I previously took the WP speed down to 4m/s, as 5 was a bit harsh and caused the quad to swing at each WP last time.) It flew in auto like a dream. The last WP was land. It landed correctly and not to hard (without sonar) . But as usual it reaches the ground and hops until I put the radio back into Stab mode and lower the throttle. I then took it up and into Altitude hold. Absolutely amazing....faultless. I could throw it around the field as fast as I dared in every direction, and it would stop within a meter or so, when I let go of the controls. These were standard PID's except for the rate P for larger motors.

  Is there an option yet for the APM2 to automatically disarm motors after landing ? This would be very handy.
• 

  Patrick Dudley August 13, 2012 at 5:31am

  Having trouble trying to upload logs to this post
• Developer

  Randy August 12, 2012 at 6:33pm

  dudz,

      Can you post or PM me your logs?  I'd like ot have a look.
• 

  Patrick Dudley August 12, 2012 at 3:22pm

  Think I know why this might of happened. UHF receiver wire antennas were very close to the main frame of the quad. Its possible they were grounded for the last few seconds . I have now mounted the antennas in a better place. Rearmed... and it flew great again. 
• 

  Patrick Dudley August 12, 2012 at 1:50pm

  I stripped down my Y6, and built a smaller Quad with my APM2 purple board today.

   I erased the logs and uploaded the Quad firmware in MP. (up to date)

  Took the quad outside, armed it......It flew like a dream in stab mode, responsive and flying level 5ft from the ground. I was very impressed how easy it was to fly compared to my Y6.

   I disarmed it for a minute, rearmed and flew again.....brilliant....then as it lowered towards to ground, it hopped lightly on the floor and for some reason jumped upside down ?!.  I took the throttle right off, but no difference. two of the motors were going at full pace upside down on the tarmac. I tried to disarm it on the radio 2 or 3 times but nothing. My mode switch was still in stab. I had to hold the quad down with one hand and disconnect the main batt to stop it.

  I have just put the lipo back on charge. Any ideas what could of caused this please ??