Hoverfly Hoverfly GPS

[DucktileMedia]

I have a new Hover GPS and first thing i noticed is that there are 2 ports where the gps receiver could plug into. The manual's pictures show a unit with only 1 port so i have no idea which is the correct one.

I am also curious what the super short cable is for as it is way under the 10cm recommended minimum length. Clearly one would want to use the longer 25cm cable.

The manual also says nothing about where to locate the receiver in relation to the center of the heli. Can i mount this all the way out on an arm?

I am super stoked to try the GPS out. Hoping the RTH is more reliable than DJI's fly home to China function!

 

[yeehaanow]

I think they are marked for the different style of antenna.
About to try mine out too.

 

[jcmonty]

Interested to hear your guys' results. I have read mixed opinions, but I would still like a "safety blanket" with reliable RTH and Loiter. Pics of how you set it up would be nice as well.

 

[Caju]

What i the unit been used as gps antenna are they using the ublox6 already?

 

[Photronix]

Iris I believe you got a Mediatek with your GPS. There are pictures in the manual to determine which you have. The latest GPS boards are marked near the ports showing which GPS receiver to use for which port.

You can put it anywhere on the craft.

 

[jcmonty]

Al, do you have other options for the GPS unit besides the mediatek?

 

[DucktileMedia]

Yes I got the mediatek. i guess i didnt make a relationship fromt he numbers on the board to the receiver id. So if there are 3 different receiver brands and 2 ports......

Also, does it make any difference what position you leave the switch on? I tend to switch it back to position 1 for some reason. Sounds better

 

[hoverben]

OK, let's see how many of these questions I can answer in a single post... Go Go Gadget Tech Support!

1. To explain why there are two ports, please see this link: https://hoverflytech.zendesk.com/entries/20931726-replacing-the-gps-antenna

2. The MediaTek uses the "GS407" port, as noted here: https://hoverflytech.zendesk.com/entries/20931986-no-signal-from-the-mediatek-gps-antenna

3. At this time, the MediaTek product is our standard antenna that ships with all new HoverflyGPS orders. It is the most reliable unit to source and as such represents our best option at this time. If you feel that you absolutely MUST have a Sarentel-type antenna, they are available through sources such as DIYdrones and SparkFun.

4. The position of the programming switch does not make a difference in flight, but it is probably good practice to keep it in Position 1 since you will need to start there if you update your firmware, re-do a calibration, etc.

 

[Photronix]

I am also curious what the super short cable is for as it is way under the 10cm recommended minimum length.

The GPS modules come with a short cable from the manufacturer. You will need to use the longer one.

 

[DucktileMedia]

Thanks for all that. now that all the connections are good and the switches work, I get a "board not found" message. Software says I am connected, the usb is in the hoverfly pro board NOT the GPS, but when I click on the GPS tab it gives me the error about not finding the board.

 

[jcmonty]

Al, does the board support those other GPS antennas? I recall reading that someone tried the diydrones ublox and couldn't get it to connect

 

[jcmonty]

Particularly this one: https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_GPS_LEA_6_p/br-3drlea-6.htm

Looking at the APM codebase, there just seems to be a few define changes to make it work with the APM. Would you guys consider enabling it's use for the HFP in beta or alpha stage (i.e. at our own risk)? The GPS performance seems admirable from other's experiences with different controllers.

Thanks!