I think this will be the first time that I have put anything on a form, but I feel it’s necessary, since I have spent 1000 of dollars on your 3DR equipment and processors and don’t get the benefit of it anymore, as well it is not DIY drones anymore. It’s a commercial site to develop 3DR drones. We are financing 3DR to develop new drones like the new “Solo“ commercial drone and we are left behind.
I have paid for the APM 2.6 processor and have the full right to choose which ever firmware is best for my drones.
But let me start from the beginning to state my point.
When I bought my first 3DR drone in Aug 2013, I thought that the APM 2.6 was the most brilliant development I have every came across in the aviation industry. With my electrical, mechanical and aviation background, I spotted the enormous gap that drones can fill in my industry (power plant) as well as in the rest of the world.
So I started to build the APM 2.6 into any Rc equipment I could purchase on line, 4 x quade copters, 4 x planes, 1 x hexcopter, 1 x helicopter, 1 x rover and 2 x boats. All running on the 3DR APM 2.6 processor, as well as 4 processors + GPS and a lot of other spares extra. I am using the equipment daily for inspections and progress review videos. (GoPro) on the construction of the power plant. All these sorties were done on auto on a predetermine flight paths to monitor progress, etc.
Furthermore I have followed the improvements of the APM 2.6 processor very closely and have crashed a lot of drones in the development stage of my drones and due to the new upgrades, but that is the name of the game. You have to crash some, to fly some.
It all went well until this year Jan/Feb 15, then more serious crashes flyways and problems to load firmware occurred more frequently, especially with the copters and later with the planes and boats.
Problems like CLI data dumping when you connect, can’t run tests via CLI anymore, poor compass health, GPs, no heartbeat, only to mention a few.
Then about 2 mount ago I start to get errors "your board has retired. Still I thought it’s my doing.
Then last week, motor number 3 on my quad copter does not want to arm. After changing everything, motor ESC and board to no avail. I then decide to take one of my old quads, which I haven’t used for at least 8 months, to do the inspection videos. (I think all RC hobbyist have one somewhere on the shelf), Mr. Reliable, patches, etc, we all have different names for these reliable crafts.
To my surprise it has the same error, different TX, Rx, APM, everything different except the software 3.1.1.5.
Then I start to relies that all the suffering the past months is not my own doing, but continues upgrading of the firmware. Knowing the APM 2.6 processor very well (2 years of research and development) there have to be some sort of explanation.
I always knew that somewhere along the line, the APM will reached its limit, because you can only upgrade the processor so far. Thereafter, you have to start fiddling with the total setup and functionality of the processor.
I stared digging and I found it, I have send an query to 3DR , asking them why is the 3.1.5 software not working anymore and this was the response.
“We have managed to keep support for the APM1 and APM2 in this release,
but in order to fit it in the limited flash space we had to disable
some more features when building for those boards. For this release
the AP_Mount code for controlling camera mounts is disabled on
APM1/APM2.
As for the 3.1.5 one, you should get terminal function but if arducopter 3.2+ is being used, terminal will no longer be available.
Let me know if on 3.1.5 you are not getting terminal functionality.
”
the AP_Mount code for controlling camera mounts is disabled on
APM1/APM2.
As for the 3.1.5 one, you should get terminal function but if arducopter 3.2+ is being used, terminal will no longer be available.
Let me know if on 3.1.5 you are not getting terminal functionality.
First point; what does terminal function means, does it mean I can fly the drone, using accelerometer, barometers for stability and loiter mode. If this is the case, there are flight controllers for one tenth of the price, on the market, that can do this function for me + plus more.
I have only one conclusion 3DR has been using this technology to develop the Solo and the rest of us are suffer the consequences.
The question in my mine is this, do I have to carry on with 3DR and /or scrap 1000 dollars of APM 2.6 modules or will 3DR make good.
One thing is sure I want to fly drones and it part of my job now, as well as I have introduce the “flying information platforms” to my senior managers and they are very interested to expedite the idea.
Having said that, I don’t want be part or to finance any more developments, I want to have the option to develop my own drone as I see fit and not to been forced to accept what you are developing.
That’s what you called DIY DRONES.
P.S. Please think carefully about answering my concern, because it can have a ripple effect on your business.
Regards.
Leon Van Der Walt
Technical Director
Infrastructure &
Government Services
KPMG
Chhabra Power Station
Extension Project.
Rajasthan.
India.
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