/dist/images/branding/favicon

First Look At The Freefly ALTA iOS App

Discussion in 'ALTA' started by Steve Maller, Jul 26, 2015.

  1. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2012
    Messages:
    3,981
    Likes Received:
    807
    Take a look at this gorgeous piece of software. Super impressive!

     
  2. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2012
    Messages:
    10,383
    Likes Received:
    1,164
    Thank you, thank you.....No imposing "whoooosh, thump" at the beginning! No disco music throughout.
    :)

    Andy.
     
    Steve Maller likes this.
  3. MIke Magee

    MIke Magee Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2012
    Messages:
    422
    Likes Received:
    103
    Well done Steve. I look forward to further installments. Especially Futaba configuration. I think you missed your calling. You should be an instructor.
    Thanks.
     
  4. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2012
    Messages:
    3,981
    Likes Received:
    807
    Thanks, Mike.
    Funny you say that.
    My first job at Apple was as an instructional designer for their Mac developer courses. It didn't last long though, once they found out I could code, too. :)
     
  5. Rory Hinds

    Rory Hinds Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2013
    Messages:
    98
    Likes Received:
    14
    Does the WiFi signal turn off automatically before flight and during flight to avoid any issues with WiFi messing with the Flight Controller?
     
  6. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2012
    Messages:
    3,981
    Likes Received:
    807
    You can use the app to monitor the ALTA when it's in the air up to at least 100' away (maybe more depending on the environment). The wifi is definitely left ON in flight. I don't think you can even turn it off, as there'd be no way to turn it back on if the app was disconnected. I believe the Bluetooth link like what the MōVIs use is no longer supported. The iOS app only works with wifi.
     
  7. Rory Hinds

    Rory Hinds Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2013
    Messages:
    98
    Likes Received:
    14
    hmmm that is worrying as WiFi has a tendency to cause major issues with Flight Controllers and other 2.4Ghz equipment.

    I wonder why they did this? Surely is unsafe to have a live WifI device during flight.
     
  8. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2012
    Messages:
    3,981
    Likes Received:
    807
    I've seen the same accounts, but the characters in these stories are GoPros and other cheap cameras with very low-cost and often badly-designed wifi systems, as well as cheap 2.4 radios and ridiculously noisy power systems and the like.

    ALTA has been tested extensively in all sorts of environments, and Freefly have test equipment that looks like NASA, so I know they wouldn't have chosen wifi if it had any chance of interfering with any of the electronics. The ALTA's got an extraordinary amount of thought put into shielding and isolation that I'll get in to in another post. And I believe Freefly have more videos and info coming highlighting lots of this.

    As I've said before, I've learned #prolevel is not just a hashtag to Freefly. :)
     
  9. Rory Hinds

    Rory Hinds Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2013
    Messages:
    98
    Likes Received:
    14
    I'd love to trust it.
    We all know how WiFI on the GoPro messed with the Phantom and caused fly aways. Just really would like to avoid any chance of that happening flying $80k worth of camera/gimbal gear
     
  10. Rory Hinds

    Rory Hinds Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2013
    Messages:
    98
    Likes Received:
    14
  11. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    5,211
    Likes Received:
    460
    Rory lots of flights with Cinestars and a variety of FC's with GoPros mounted. Never any issue. Only thing I noticed a couple of times was slow to do a GPS lock. But those were few. Lots of flights with Synapse testing with the GoPro Black 3 within inches of the the Synapse and no issue.
     
    Steve Maller likes this.
  12. Klaus Friedrich

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2015
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    3

    Hmm, I can tell you that I work for NASA on international projects and I am not always convinced of their quality ;)

    Anyhow, this frequency mixing might be a challenging setup with all the radio frequencies for flight and video shooting:
    - FPV 5.8 GHZ
    - Gimbal Video (Rebotnix) 5.8 GHz to RB-Node and WiFi from RB-Node to Ipad
    - Bluetooth Gimbal Control
    - 2.4 GHz Flight Control Futaba 14SG
    - 2.4 GHz Gimbal Control Futaba T10J
    - plus new ALTA WiFi

    Now I know why I always get headache :rolleyes:
     
  13. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2012
    Messages:
    3,981
    Likes Received:
    807
    :eek:
    My radio matrix is similarly dizzying...
    • Futaba 2.4 for ALTA control
    • Spektrum 2.4 for MōVI control (or, alternately MIMIC 2.4)
    • 1280mHz video for ALTA FPV
    • 1258mHz video for MōVI FPV (yes, this works on adjacent channels)
    • Bluetooth for MōVI M5
    • ALTA wifi
    • ...and possibly GH4 wifi, too
    Oh, and you can't forget the obligatory iPhone LTE connection to post those realtime Instagram selfies. :rolleyes:
     
  14. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2012
    Messages:
    10,383
    Likes Received:
    1,164
    Some alien SETI program is going to be picking up the signals from your ALTA, Steve.
    If they show up asking to be taken to our leader, please use this. :) :)

    Andy
     
  15. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2012
    Messages:
    3,981
    Likes Received:
    807
    The "i" in SETI might indicate that as the wrong path. But maybe not. :(
     
  16. Jason Smoker

    Jason Smoker Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2012
    Messages:
    881
    Likes Received:
    70
    Steve look at this picture what could possibly go wrong??
     

    Attached Files:

    MIke Magee likes this.
  17. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2012
    Messages:
    10,383
    Likes Received:
    1,164
    Err...Pilot Error (not shown)?

    Edit: Oh, and terrestrial weather and solar weather.

    Andy.
     
  18. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    5,211
    Likes Received:
    460
    Steve you should try the app on you iPhone. Looks fine...
     
  19. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2012
    Messages:
    3,981
    Likes Received:
    807
    It works great on my iPhone and my iPad. I prefer the iPad for the screen size. But in the field it's likely the iPhone will be more practical.
     
  20. Jose Luis Ocejo

    Jose Luis Ocejo Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2012
    Messages:
    581
    Likes Received:
    44
    tha
    Thats a good one Andy
     

Share This Page