/dist/images/branding/favicon

ALTA Go-Home not working

Discussion in 'ALTA' started by Adam Varadi, Nov 3, 2015.

  1. Adam Varadi

    Adam Varadi Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2014
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    17
    Hy Guys,

    I have tested my alta for a few days now and everything works fine except the go-home function.
    When I initiate this it won't ascend to the defined 50m height, but it starts flying back the same height it was before. Even stranger that it won't land, when reached the home it just hovers there.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks!

    ps.: (By the way it handles the top mounted gimbal like a champ... :) )
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Zac Eskelsen

    Zac Eskelsen New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2014
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    6
    Page 68 of the manual

    "When initiated with the Home Switch, ALTA will fly back to the Home Point, and the pilot will maintain control of ALTA’s altitude the entire time. ALTA will not Autoland if an adequate signal is detected. The pilot can cancel the RTH procedure by commanding a pitch or roll command or by retuning the Home Switch to the middle position. The Mode Switch must be in Position Mode to activate RTH manually."
    "During an LOS event, ALTA will first check its current altitude against Safe Height. If it is lower, it will climb to Safe Height, and if ALTA is above Safe Height, it will remain at its current altitude. Next, ALTA will fly back to the home position at the RTH Speed set in the ALTA App. Finally, upon reaching the home position, ALTA will begin Autoland."

    If you want it to auto land it would need an LOS (ie. turning off the radio)
     
  3. Adam Varadi

    Adam Varadi Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2014
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    17
    Thanks for that!
    I didn't mention that the same thing happens when I turn off the radio.
     
  4. Zac Eskelsen

    Zac Eskelsen New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2014
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    6
    Have you waited enough time maybe, and is your Signal Loss Action set to RTH?
    Page 69 goes into detail about the Autoland

    AUTOLAND
    The Autoland function will command ALTA to hover for 10 seconds and will then land in place. If ALTA is above the app-configurable Safe Height setting, ALTA will first descend to it at the Maximum Descent Rate. After reaching this height, ALTA’s descent will slow to the Autoland Descent Rate.
    Autoland will only initiate if one of the following conditions is met:
    »
    » »
    During Loss of Signal (LOS) if Autoland is selected as the LOS event in the ALTA app
    At the end of a LOS Return-to-Home event
    Battery exhaustion while flying in Height or Position modes only
     
  5. Zac Eskelsen

    Zac Eskelsen New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2014
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    6
    Does it rise to the correct height at least when you turn off the Radio?
     
  6. Adam Varadi

    Adam Varadi Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2014
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    17
    Hy,

    The same thing happens when I command the go home and when I turn off the radio.
    Both times the copter stays at the same height, fly back to the home point and hovers. It will not land even when I waited 2 minutes.
     
  7. Zac Eskelsen

    Zac Eskelsen New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2014
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    6
    Unless somebody else has an idea, could you post a screenshot of your safety settings from the Alta App?
     
  8. Adam Varadi

    Adam Varadi Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2014
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    17
    I can do it tomorrow, thanks for the help!
     
  9. Adam Varadi

    Adam Varadi Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2014
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    17
    Here are my settings:
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Adam Varadi

    Adam Varadi Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2014
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    17
    Tested it today, still not working.
    Another question. Is it possible to not limit the max flight height? I can only set the value to 118m and thats not enough.
     
  11. Zac Eskelsen

    Zac Eskelsen New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2014
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    6
    Someone else should confirm, but it is my understanding that the Flight Controller won't stop it from going beyond those limits you set, but will only show a Red LED light to indicate you have passed them. So even though there is a limit set in the app, you can surpass them.
     
  12. Zac Eskelsen

    Zac Eskelsen New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2014
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    6
    I'm not sure why the Alta isn't landing on its own when you turn off your controller. your settings seem fine. Perhaps try emailing support.
     
  13. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    5,211
    Likes Received:
    460
    Height/Position mode restrictions are 122m Height and 500m Distance. No limits in manual mode.

    Range set RANGE
    Range sets the maximum distance ALTA may fly away from the home point while
    in Position mode. If the range is exceeded in Manual mode, the status light will
    illuminate white.

    Height
    MAXIMUM CEILING
    This adjusts the highest altitude the ALTA is allowed to climb from its starting point
    while in Height or Position modes. If the maximum ceiling is exceeded in Manual

    mode, the Status Light will illuminate white.
     
  14. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    5,211
    Likes Received:
    460
    I don't have mine powered up but in the screen shot you sent the Signal Loss Action is set to RTH. Change it to Land and it will land. Yours did what was programmed. Come home and hover.

    From the manual (first bullet)
    Autoland will only initiate if one of the following conditions is met:
    »» During Loss of Signal (LOS) if Autoland is selected as the LOS event in the ALTA
    app
    »» At the end of a LOS Return-to-Home event

    »» Battery exhaustion while flying in Height or Position modes only
     
  15. Zac Eskelsen

    Zac Eskelsen New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2014
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    6
    If its set to Land, won't that make the Alta land at its current position? From my understanding of the manual if there is a LOS, and you have it set to RTH it will RTH and then land, but if its on Land, then it will just land in its current position. Is this incorrect?
     
  16. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2012
    Messages:
    10,383
    Likes Received:
    1,164
    Gary: The manual seems a bit confusing.

    The manual also states:

    AUTOLAND​
    The Autoland function will command ALTA to hover for 10 seconds and will then​
    land in place.​

    So the way I'm reading it, in conjunction with the section on Return-To-Home, where the manual states that if the selection is RTH then:

    During an LOS event, ALTA will first check its current altitude against Safe Height. If​
    it is lower, it will climb to Safe Height, and if ALTA is above Safe Height, it will remain​
    at its current altitude. Next, ALTA will fly back to the home position at the RTH​
    Speed set in the ALTA App. Finally, upon reaching the home position, ALTA will begin
    Autoland.

    is that:

    1. If LOS and if option set to RTH, then ALTA executes return to home, hovers for 10 seconds, and executes an autoland.
    2. If LOS and if option set to Autoland, then ALTA executes hover for 10 seconds and autolands in place.

    Zac's experience is that this is not the case for item 1. above. It just hovers and never autolands.

    Let me email someone at FF about this and request clarification.

    Andy.
     
  17. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Messages:
    5,211
    Likes Received:
    460
    I re-read it.

    Autoland will only initiate if one of the following conditions is met:
    »» During Loss of Signal (LOS) if Autoland is selected as the LOS event in the ALTA
    app
    »» At the end of a LOS Return-to-Home event

    »» Battery exhaustion while flying in Height or Position modes only

    So Adam time to send an enquiry to the support desk. With your settings and Andy's interpretation it should come home and then land since it is at the end of the LOS Return-to-Home event. That's what it did during Synapse testing but we didn't have a value to easily change for the event, Land or RTH.
     
  18. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2012
    Messages:
    10,383
    Likes Received:
    1,164
    The words I get from People Who Know These Things are (and apologies I had put Zac's name in the first response):

    There is a difference between operator-commanded (normal) RTH and LOS RTH.​

    In normal RTH, the operator maintains control of altitude using the throttle input during the entire sequence. In LOS RTH, altitude is controlled by the Synapse, and will always autoland as the last part of the RTH sequence.​

    One thing about LOS RTH is that it requires using a receiver that can identify signal quality/LOS (S-Bus or DSMX). So if Adam's using a PPM receiver with a failsafe, autoland will not occur until battery exhaustion.​

    So my first question is what kind of receiver is Adam using?​
    Another thing to check is that the radio status reads LOS (Under Monitor > Status) when the radio is powered off and ALTA is on.​

    Adam?

    Andy.
     
  19. Adam Varadi

    Adam Varadi Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2014
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    17
    Hy, So first of all.
    I have a Graupner GR-24 receiver and it's set to command the channel 7 to low, so the ALTA will come back.

    Regarding the position hold and height hold max height. I think this is kind of bad, when using position hold the user should be able to fly as high as he wants in my oppinion. I use height hold mostly but sometimes have to use position hold, and if I cannot fly above 118M in these that this is a very big problem for me. My Cinestar with WKM can easily do this. Please Freefly modify this, or at least let us set the max height to 300m at least. And this applies to max distance...

    I will make a video of the setup and the flying so you guys can see the problem.

    Another thing: We flew the Alexa Mini yesterday and with a small lens, small matbox and only a sdi-to-hdmi converter the gross weight was 15.4 kg. It flew well but I'm a bit worried about the wieght. What do you guys think?

    Thanks!
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Jan Evers

    Jan Evers New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2014
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    3
    Adam,

    As you are using a Graupner, which is PPM, it will not detect a LOS event, and so it will not auto land...
    Concerning the weight: The Alta will handle it, but you have to have the awareness that your buffer of performance is reduced.

    Kind regards
     

Share This Page