Things They Do Not Tell You

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ProPilotWannaBe

Member
The reason why I am guessing HOME lock is because he says "as though it is constantly 'tail-in'", which is describing how HOME lock works. When in home lock, it always behaves as if the tail is towards you so that right, for example, moves the aircraft right from the pilot's perspective.
The easiest way to find out for sure is to fly it, or to connect the MR to your PC.
 

EastCoastJib

EastCoastJib

Member
Sounds to me like he explained home lock... Leave IOC off and fly in GPSATT mode at first at get a basic grasp of orientation .. Then once comfortable with that learn to master the other modes.
 

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ChrisMohrSr

Member
bensid54 said:
Take both sticks on the radio pull them both down at the same time and both to the right all the way at the same time, then when the motors are running move the throttle stick ONLY up past 10 degrees of it's total travel then the motors will keep running. Once at this point make sure your radio switched to GPS mode because that is the safest to start with. Now go into a field place the machine twenty feet in front of you and lift it off the ground ten feet and make it sit at one level don't try to fly it just yet just get used to it going up and down. Now very slowly make it move in one direction at a time till you get comfy with how it feels.
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Hi ben,

When I first got my machine, the way it was set up was to start the motors by pulling the left stick all the way down and to the right. To shut the machine off you pulled the left stick down and all the way to the left. The motors would start up and run at a good idle until you applied some power or shut them down. I didn't know how Ken had changed that when he gave me a different TX.

When you said to take both sticks on the radio, pull them both down at the same time and both to the right all the way at the same time, it seemed logical so I did that. The motors started up all right. My bird took off, flew across the living room and crashed upside down on the floor.

Miraculously, no harm seems to have been done, but I have the feeling that was not what was supposed to happen.

At this moment in time, I am thoroughly disgusted, disappointed, depressed and forming the opinion that I am not supposed to fly a multirotor aircraft. I guess I am just supposed to behave like any old, useless human being and go sit on a park bench and feed the pigeons.


chris

 

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ProPilotWannaBe

Member
Hi Chris,
The method for starting the motors isn't tied to the transmitter. It's a function of the flight computer. So before you had a Multiwii, which is why the method for starting the motors was different. The method Ben explained is the Naza way.

As for what happened inside your house, a couple of things. First, the stability that Ken and us were hoping you would get is from GPS mode, which won't work indoors. Without GPS reception, the Naza was flying in Attitude mode and isn't hands free like GPS mode is. So if you truly want to experience the stability Ken setup for you, you'll have to test it outdoors where it can get GPS reception.

As for flying across the room, can you recreate for us exactly what you did? After you moved both sticks down and to the right and the motors started, did you left go if the sticks? Did you keep them in the corner? Did you raise the left stick?
I ask these questions because the MR should not have done that on its own unless something wasn't calibrated correctly. But if you did move the sticks up and around a little, then it's just a matter of finger training.
 

bensid54

bensid54

Member
I guess I should have told you to let go of the sticks. Sounds like ProPilot may be the better one to direct here. I'll watch and see how it goes from here.
 


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ChrisMohrSr

Member
ProPilotWannaBe said:
Hi Chris,
The method for starting the motors isn't tied to the transmitter. It's a function of the flight computer. So before you had a Multiwii, which is why the method for starting the motors was different. The method Ben explained is the Naza way.

As for what happened inside your house, a couple of things. First, the stability that Ken and us were hoping you would get is from GPS mode, which won't work indoors. Without GPS reception, the Naza was flying in Attitude mode and isn't hands free like GPS mode is. So if you truly want to experience the stability Ken setup for you, you'll have to test it outdoors where it can get GPS reception.

As for flying across the room, can you recreate for us exactly what you did? After you moved both sticks down and to the right and the motors started, did you left go if the sticks? Did you keep them in the corner? Did you raise the left stick?
I ask these questions because the MR should not have done that on its own unless something wasn't calibrated correctly. But if you did move the sticks up and around a little, then it's just a matter of finger training.
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Hi Wannabe,

You hit the nail right on the head. I hadn't thought about not getting GPS reception indoors.

After I moved both sticks down and to the right and the motors started, I attempted to move the left stick up past 10% so that the motors would not shut off. Apparently, I moved the left stick up too far, causing the aircraft to lift off and careen across my living room to crash upside down on the floor. However, the only damage seems to be a small nick on one prop.

At the risk of being redundant, I need to be guided in this endeavor by a step by step procedure since I have no experience with Naza. Since Ken seems to be unavailable for assistance, I need the step by step advice that will enable me to get this thing up in the air and the explanation of each step so that I may consult the Naza manuals and toturials and thereby, hopefully, absorb the technological knowledge to further pursue my goal of aerial
videography.

One major problem that I have is the fact that, at the moment, I have no access to a large field in which to test my bird. The immediate vicinity around my mobile home may contain enough obstructions to prevent access to all 6 satellites necessary to activate my GPS module. And the fact that I need a walker to get around necessitates the assistance of someone to help me do all this, which leads me to my biggest obstacle to my success. The fact that in the Homeland area of Riverside, California there is no experienced pilot of multirotor aircraft that I can consult. If I could, how simple all this would be if I had such a mentor.

Anyway, I thank you guys for your efforts to get me up in the air.

Chris

 


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ChrisMohrSr

Member
Langdale said:
Hi Chris, if mobility is a problem and space is restricted, have you thought of getting one of these, or any of the now available "small" quads and by small I mean they will fit in the palm of your hand. You can fly them indoors without fear of doing too much damage (both to the quad and your furnishings). They will give you plenty of time to learn on.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hubsan-Copter-Radio-Controller-Channel/dp/B009M1PO7W

Peter
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Thank you Langdale, but I have three of those small quads and although they make very entertaining toys I am interested in using my GoPro 3 for aerial videography. Can't do that with the little guys.

Chris
 

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ChrisMohrSr

Member
ProPilotWannaBe said:
So Chris, the first thing you need to do is check over all the installation and make sure things are connected properly and everything is talking to eachother correctly.

To do that, find a USB to micro-USB cable, and plug it into the LED on your MR. The LED is a little square inch piece with an LED on one side that flashes at you when you plug the battery in. On one side of that is a micro-USB port. Ken may have included a USB to micro-USB cable for you. If not, it's something you can pick up at Walmart or anyplace pretty much.

You will need to download to your computer the Naza Assistant Software with the following link:
http://download.dji-innovations.com/downloads/nazam-v2/NAZAM_2.16_Installer.exe

That will install the software on your computer, and with that program running, and the USB cable plugged in and connecting the computer to your MR, and you connecting the battery on your MR, you should get a pretty screen like the following:
View attachment 17149

If get to this point, GREAT! If not, please let us know.

But once you get that screen, now you should be able to move the two main sticks on your transmitter. As you move the left stick from bottom to top on the transmitter, you should see the slider labeled "T" move from left to right. As you move the left stick left to right, you should see the slider labeled "R" move left to right. Same goes for the right stick moving the "E" and "A" sliders. You'll want to confirm the correct movement for each. Lastly, you'll want to confirm that in the bottom left corner where it says "MODE" that it reads "GPS+Atti" next to it. You need to find the switch Ken programmed for that, and you should see it switch between "GPS+Atti", "Atti", and maybe "Manual" (not sure exactly how he set that up). Regardless, find the position that puts the mode in "GPS+Atti" and keep it that way for your first flight.

Once you confirmed all the above, let us know, and we'll walk you through taking the MR outside to start the motors and get it up in the air.
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I downloaded the Assistant Software and when I run it I get that pretty screen, as you put it.

I have connected the machine to my computer and the LED glows a steady green. I am assuming that means it's O.K. However, moving the sticks has no affect on the screen so I am assuming there is no connection between the program and the machine. What am I doing wrong?

 

bensid54

bensid54

Member
First and foremost the States is full of RC pilots if you contact or phone a local RC club someone may come to your house to help out if you explain your situation they may even take you to their flying field, you should be able to find one on the internet or local phone book . The problems as I see it are 1. A roof gets in the way of satellites, worse if it's metal. 2. Use your thumb and index finger to pinch the sticks and rest your palms on the sides of the radio for better control of your radio inputs. 3. Make sure you are comfortable and your arms are resting on something. 4. ALL movement of the sticks should be done very slowly after the motors are armed. 5.Start slow and start outside. Chris do you have a wheelchair? If you do that can help transport both you and your quad where you need to go on your own.
 

bensid54

bensid54

Member
ChrisMohrSr said:
I downloaded the Assistant Software and when I run it I get that pretty screen, as you put it.

I have connected the machine to my computer and the LED glows a steady green. I am assuming that means it's O.K. However, moving the sticks has no affect on the screen so I am assuming there is no connection between the program and the machine. What am I doing wrong?
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Try going out of the assist screen then back in, if that doesn't work leave everything unplugged turn on the assist screen then plug in your quad then plug in the quad battery and wait 30 seconds. Usually you have to plug and turn on this stuff in a certain order to make it work then wait 30 seconds each time to see if that combination worked.
 

bensid54

bensid54

Member
I never asked but is the software you downloaded the proper one for your controller? Make you you have the model number and make right when you download software. Reason I asked is because I thought you were using Naza then I heard it was Wii so you have to get that sorted out first.
 

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ProPilotWannaBe

Member
Hey Chris,
Thanks for explaining things to us a little more. My concern is that, if all you did was give it throttle, and it took of sideways, something does not seem to be setup correctly. Unless, that is, that you kept your right thumb on that stick and had some movement on it. Because of this behavior, which doesn't seem quite right to me with what I am understanding, I would be concerned with taking it outside. For example, if the sticks are not fully calibrated, and you go outside and apply throttle, what's to say that it won't take off sideways and keep going for a block until it hit a lightpost.
I am in all day meetings for the next three days, but I will try and help walk you through gaining some confidence that your MR is ready to fly. But for that to occur, my opinion is that you need the Software Assistant installed and connected to your MR to check things out.
Catcha later.
 



C

ChrisMohrSr

Member
ProPilotWannaBe said:
Hey Chris,
Thanks for explaining things to us a little more. My concern is that, if all you did was give it throttle, and it took of sideways, something does not seem to be setup correctly. Unless, that is, that you kept your right thumb on that stick and had some movement on it. Because of this behavior, which doesn't seem quite right to me with what I am understanding, I would be concerned with taking it outside. For example, if the sticks are not fully calibrated, and you go outside and apply throttle, what's to say that it won't take off sideways and keep going for a block until it hit a lightpost.
I am in all day meetings for the next three days, but I will try and help walk you through gaining some confidence that your MR is ready to fly. But for that to occur, my opinion is that you need the Software Assistant installed and connected to your MR to check things out.
Catcha later.
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Thanks WannaBe, Since both sticks were pushed to the right to start it up I must have still had the right stick pushed to the right when I tried to push the left stick to the 10% position. Wouldn't that explain why it took off the way it did?

ben: I shall follow your advice and keep trying to get connected to the Assistant Software.
 

C

ChrisMohrSr

Member
bensid54 said:
I never asked but is the software you downloaded the proper one for your controller? Make you you have the model number and make right when you download software. Reason I asked is because I thought you were using Naza then I heard it was Wii so you have to get that sorted out first.
Click to expand...

Everything is NAZA.


 

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ChrisMohrSr

Member
bensid54 said:
First and foremost the States is full of RC pilots if you contact or phone a local RC club someone may come to your house to help out if you explain your situation they may even take you to their flying field, you should be able to find one on the internet or local phone book . The problems as I see it are 1. A roof gets in the way of satellites, worse if it's metal. 2. Use your thumb and index finger to pinch the sticks and rest your palms on the sides of the radio for better control of your radio inputs. 3. Make sure you are comfortable and your arms are resting on something. 4. ALL movement of the sticks should be done very slowly after the motors are armed. 5.Start slow and start outside. Chris do you have a wheelchair? If you do that can help transport both you and your quad where you need to go on your own.
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Having a wheelchair wouldn't help. It would get me the gate of the property and then there's nothing but a long dirt road. We live out in the boon docks of Riverside County. However, I'm not that disabled. I use a walker because my balance is pretty well gone, but I can still drive and go to the market which I do to cash my Social Security check and shop for my food. That is, when my wife is not using the car. But, here again my bird is too big and unwieldy to securely fit in the car so I can't use the car to transport my machine.

 

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ProPilotWannaBe

Member
ChrisMohrSr said:
Thanks WannaBe, Since both sticks were pushed to the right to start it up I must have still had the right stick pushed to the right when I tried to push the left stick to the 10% position. Wouldn't that explain why it took off the way it did?
Click to expand...

Yes, that would perfectly explain it. I didn't want to jump to any conclusion as to what you had done with the transmitter controls, but if you had kept the sticks in the corner, that would account for it.

So if you believe that is what you had done, and you're ready to venture outdoors and try this, then here's some basic startup instructions. Again, trying to get the MR in the air is skipping some calibration and checkout steps that I would recommend, namely confirmation that your transmitter sticks are calibrated (which I am guessing Ken did setup properly) and calibration of the compass (which Ken could not have done for you because of the east/west position change between you two).

So for advice on how to start the MR...
Take the MR outside and place somewhere where it could capture some satellites. All you need is 5, so even a 30' by 30' yard should be good enough for that.

Plug in the battery and you should hear the FC/ESCs startup with a little beeping sound. The LED should be flashing 2 greens, followed by 3 red, then repeat. The two greens means that you are in GPS mode, and that your left stick is all the way down. Wait for a while... approximately 20-40 seconds. As you wait, you should see the 3 reds, then drop to 2 red blinks, then to 1 red blink, then ideally, no red blinks and just the 2 green blinks. Once you are down to no red blinks, or at worse, 1 blink, you should be able to take off.

To start the motors, push both sticks to the bottom/left, or the bottom/right (it doesn't matter which), and as soon as you see the motors spin, let go of the sticks. That should make the left stick jump to bottom/middle, and the right stick to middle/middle. If you don't do anything, within 3 seconds the motors will shutoff. So before 3 seconds is up, push the left stick just a little up from the bottom. You should see or hear no difference in the MR motor spinning. However, when the left stick moves up to the halfway point, you'll hear the motors spinup to close to takeoff speed. At that point, if you nudge the left stick just another hair more, the MR should lift off the ground. At this point, your fingers on those stick will be controlling everything. Since you are in GPS mode, then the MR should stay put position-wise if the right stick is centered. But that isn't the case for the left stick. For you to maintain altitude or keep it from going up of coming down to the ground, you will pretty much have to find that "sweat" spot on the left stick that will hold that altitude. But it's a good idea to always keep your left finger on the left stick at all times just to always be ready to adjust altitude. Your right stick is basically a command to change position, and how far you have it deflected will dictate the speed at which it changes that position.

Hope this gets you off the ground and able to see your MR get off the ground, and do some small movement around your yard.
 

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