Flytrex Live 3G Released - Review

[DrJoe]

I had noticed after installing my Flytrex 3G and taking some test flights, that my satellite lock had become much slower and I satellite lock was more affected during recording than it ever had been. I had done the foil mod in the past, so I decided to play around.

I posted the results here: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=19402&start=150#p282222

Bottom line, thicker shielding of the GPS puck and tucking the longer Flytrex wires under it helped tremendously and I'm back to where I was before, maybe even better. Version 1 P2V+ owners must use a thicker shield and tuck the Flytrex wires under it to prevent loss of GPS, and all the problems that come with that.

PS, Love my Flytrex 3G. AT&T let me "add a device" for just $15 per month to my family share plan and sent me a SIM card (the same type used in an iPhone 4). Works flawlessly. It may be $10 more than a pre-pay, but I trust the AT&T network where I live (NJ) and I'll never have to worry about running out of data at a bad time.

 

[flyNfrank]

I received my 3G on Tuesday and right away I began installing it. I already had the 2G version installed. So for me it is just a matter of removing one and adding the other. The added another harness with the new 3G and I'm glad I did because the current harness being used with the 2G broke when I attempted to remove the small two wire plug. The plug itself is made from very cheap plastic. The kind that is hard and brittle. Because of this, I would now have to start out fresh after removing the old harness. Other then that the rest was very basic. I followed the directions Flytrex had on their website, and sim card part was already to go with my provider. It took like 1 minutes to be live and online.

So now every one of my flights appear in my profile on the Flytrex website. The only issue I have noticed is my elevation altitude is off around 100ft. I'm referring to the data that shows up on the graph on flytrex site, and on the flight logger data.

I can't wait for Flytrex to get the android app working now. They should have done it 1st instead doing on the i0S app. I have yet to see anyone mention using that app with that format.

Btw, those of you that don't know much about the Live 3G, it's a Live Tracker. You can give the link to your Live page and let anyone on the internet watch you fly live. And plus, there is actually a ton of other cool features about it as well. It's sort of like 3-4 devices in 1 small unit. If you live in a area that receives 2G I have one that has hardly used and priced to sell.

 

[DrJoe]

Frank,

I have downloaded and used the iOS app with the Flytrex 3G. It works seamlessly.

I even flew out of video range, but was still able to have situational awareness of what the P2V+ was doing. Since I still had control signal, I could give it an input and fly it back based on how it responded on the tracking app, until the WiFi signal re-established. I did have one iPhone for WiFi and another running the Flytrex app.

Tried it again and flew completely out of control signal distance. The Flytrex app showed the bird stop, ascend, and begin its RTH function. Very cool.

 

[flyNfrank]

Thank you DrJoe! That is the 1st anything I have read about the app.

Did you also happen to have your vPlus camera mod by ragecam, or do it yourself?

 

[DrJoe]

Rage am sells a anND filter that slips on the camera. Shape ways makes a petal lens cover. I combined the two.

 

[Werewolf]

Does it work outside of USA with any GSM operator?

 

[DrJoe]

To my knowledge, yes it does.

 

[Wheat]

DrJoe,

I got my flytrex and decided to do the copper tape GPS shielding while I had the bird open. Install was fine. I lifted up the wifi module and soldered to the main board. I never had GPS issues but thought the shielding can't hurt. I have found that I now have lower satellite count than I usually had before. I think you are right with issues with the longer flytrex gps wires causing some interfearance. I added some of the copper tape around the wires but the think I need to open it back up and reroute the wires or shield them better. I will give you an update when I know more.

 

[DrJoe]

Sounds like you have the same problem I did, get the wires tucked under the foil shield and make sure your connection to the board is tight.

 

[flyNfrank]

I got the best results from running the flytrex harness between the board and above the battery. I use the sticky tape pieces they give you to secure the harness to the bottom of the board so the battery will clear it when changing out the battery. The main reason I wanted to do it this way was to stay clear of antenna and compass wires to reduce any possible contamination between them.

 

[eyecon82]

Is there a monthly price?

 

[Chuck26287]

Is there a monthly price?

It depends on how you set it up. There is no additional fee for the Flytrex Live 3G, or the servers belonging to Flytrex, but you have to obtain a 3G SIM card and the associated cellular data service, which usually does come at a price. It could be a small monthly fee if you add it to existing current service of some sort, but manny go with a prepaid data SIM service. In the USA H2O Wireless seems to be popular and very afordable. It uses the AT&T 3G network, and offers $10 for 100mb of data, expiring in 90 days. Youi can preload it with more than that at the same rate if you prefer to have a larger availability of prepaid data.

 

[flyNfrank]

I got the best results from running the flytrex harness between the board and above the battery. I use the sticky tape pieces they give you to secure the harness to the bottom of the board so the battery will clear it when changing out the battery. The main reason I wanted to do it this way was to stay clear of antenna and compass wires to reduce any possible contamination between them.

The battery does clear the harness with this option. This allows for no laying over or around any antenna or compass wires.

 

[djifan]

Hi Guys, srry for a dumb question but this works on GSM or CDMA? And will this work in other countries with GSM network? Thanks

 

[DrJoe]

Hi Guys, srry for a dumb question but this works on GSM or CDMA? And will this work in other countries with GSM network? Thanks

GSM. And it should work anywhere in the world GSM is.

 

[Prylar Bek]

Sorry, here is even a dumber question..isnt this a lot of work/trouble for what Flytrex offers? It seems like a lot of potential grief tearing into the board to get results!

 

[DrJoe]

IMHO, well worth it.

Solder to ESC so you don't have to pop the WIfi unit. This is Flytrex directions.
Connec GPS pigtail and thread through leg. It will take you less then an hour.

 

[Chuck26287]

Sorry, here is even a dumber question..isnt this a lot of work/trouble for what Flytrex offers? It seems like a lot of potential grief tearing into the board to get results!

It's all about investment versus return to determine worth. The largest investment to me is ~$200.00 for the hardware. Then the occassionally reoccuring cost of prepaid data service. The actual installation time, even if a long estimate of two hours to install and verify, is miniscule to me, relative to what I get back for the investment. Actually, to me, it's ALL worthwhile to know I have two things... last known position tracking and flight logging. I don't think I know anyone who would watch their $1300.00 Phantom fly-away and dissappear, then tell me they're still glad they didn't invest $200.00 in a means to track it down and recover it. It's just insurance. We typically only feel it's worth it once we need it.

The second benefit I think will become far more important as more regulation kicks in. In the USA, with the stance the FAA is positioning for, I think written log records are going to become as important to sUAS pilots as to conventional certificated pilots. At the very least, I think for any kind of commercial use and/or required training for any certifications, they will be a requirement. This is where the flight logging function of Flytrex Live 3G will be extremely valuable in my opinion. No forgetting flight details, dates, times, altitudes speeds, location, path, etc. All logged automatically.

All the rest of the features/functions are just fun extras to me. I'm actually not real fond of the idea of making some of my info public, and don't know how involved I'll get with the social networking aspect of it. We'll see on that aspect.

One also has to keep in mind this is truly a "Black Box" for sUAS aircraft, and as such, could be a double-edged sword. Just as in the conventional aviation arena, the "Black Box" so often provides the verification of pilot error, or even negligence. If you don't fly by the rules and responsibly, this thing could bite you someday.

 

[djifan]

Hi Guys, srry for a dumb question but this works on GSM or CDMA? And will this work in other countries with GSM network? Thanks

GSM. And it should work anywhere in the world GSM is.

Great, Thanks. This does seem like a worthwhile mod especially since i am most likely going to be dis-assembling my P2 anyways, just so that I can get it through undetected by the customs in my country(hopefully!).

Is the 2g version good enough for a newbie like myself or is the 3g version a must? There is a good $150 difference between the two. Thanks a lot.

 

[msinger]

Is the 2g version good enough for a newbie like myself or is the 3g version a must?

Check out this coverage map (for example):
http://www.att.com/maps/wireless-covera ... Flx4R1thsK

It looks like 2G is not supported in some locations. So, this is probably more of a question of where you live and where you plan to fly.