Who has the ALTA 8 Pro and how is it working out for you??? Looks like a good upgrade but only if it is SOLID.
Yes, also very keen to hear some first hand info on impressions and how differently the new FC flies compared to the Synapse of old...
Some other stuff that I would like to know is how the new ALTA8 Pro hardware and software is "bolted" on to the original ALTA8. Obviously it is far from a complete redo and a lot of the original systems are still in place. How does this work???
When the internal team suggested using PX4 I was very skeptical that we would be able to achieve the flight dynamics that we spend so long perfecting for ALTA. I told them if the PX4 machine did not perform better than original ALTA we would not release it. After lots of tuning and custom firmware I can safely say that this machine performs better than the original ALTA in most use cases. The only thing I am missing from the original are the compassless mode and the velocity clamps, both of which we want to add to the ALTA Pro Side note we just released a WIKI for this machine https://freefly.gitbook.io/freefly-public/
Tab Firchau, while we have you on the line, a few questions... For the PRO update, is the original FC taken out and replaced entirely by a PX4 FC or do they work together somehow? Is there a new compass / GPS module? What are the differences between a factory new ALTA8 PRO and one that gets sent back for the retrofit? And the million dollar question (well, thousands of $$ maybe)... Is Freefly working towards Transport Canada SAFE certification for the ALTA 8 for all of us who work up here in Canada? Without that the fleet will be grounded in all controlled airspace which is the bulk of the areas we work making movies with our beloved ALTA8... Thank you!
Hey Tom, For the pro update overview is here:https://freeflysystems.com/knowledg...-has-changed-between-the-alta-to-the-alta-pro To recap though its a new flight controller, new adapter board, new GPS, New Compass, New Baro, 900mhz radio, new expansion port and hardware An updated ALTA pro is the same as a brand new one. Freefly is working towards certification - but I have to be honest the process is very unclear to us and the answers from Transport Canada have not been super clear. We generally hate wasting our time on this kind of thing (govermental regulations where it isnt clear what they want us to do) Thanks!
I could not agree more with the huge amount of "unclarity" generated by Transport Canada with their new regulations up here. Things are a real mess right now and they are indeed wasting everyone's time and resources with this stuff and, ironically, NOT making drone industry any safer. If anything they are making things less safe as we are all wasting time, $$ and focus on stuff that is designed by bureaucrats, not researched properly and ill-conceived. Very frustrating!