I learned to properly route my battery wires today. Had my compass slowly rotating due to the electromagnetic field I was putting right next to the magnetometer. Shoved them further to the side and it was happy again. It's one of those things that could cause RTH to go backwards and make a lost model even more lost.
So it was explained to me that the main problem on quads is the leads to the GPS unit. A couple ppl said that shielding the wires solves the interference problem. Think like a coax cable - signal wire inside with the ground surrounding it
That can help, it depends where the interference is coming from. Interference that stops the GPS from locking, and interference that stops the GPS sending data to the FC are two very different things..
Fantastic! Thanks a bunch, Lee! 😃 Just one question, the GPS and compass don't need to be near the CG then? If so, it makes things much easier! 😃 BTW, do not leave your compass for too much time near a magnet. I have one that now points south. 😬 Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
that is a good method i will give that a go also i use hook and loop tape also known as Velcro instead of magnets to hold the canopy on the less magnets on the craft the better in my opinion. thanks for the vid
Might add to actually POWER UP and actuate the servos and motor once you find a good place like you have shown, because the EMF these things make when active is worse/different than static.
Great video! I have another question about the compass alignment. The fuselage or the wing is usually not flat. if I mount the GPS & compass slightly tilted (5-15 degrees), will that be an issue? Ardupilot has options for 45, 90 and 135degree offset for the compass on all 3 axes, but no slight offset.
Thanks again for another great video! Does the compass need to be perfectly level? I am using it on a quad and was just going to make a tpu to extend it back even further than normal but was just wondering if it should be level on the ground or level in the air?
Hi Lee. Great tip with the compass. I'm currently fighting to have INAV working on two quads (7 and 10") because both kits came with M10- based GPSs and I can't find reliable information about the compass orientation. One is the GPS walksnail W181 and the other a Iflight Blitz M10. If you have any tips, I'll really apreciate.
I'd power them up and connect them and see what the heading is reported as in INAV. That should follow the compass as you rotate it and you'll see which side is the 'front'.. Best of luck!
Fun is playing Starfield, with RUclips on the second monitor, looking over and trying to surmise why a man is dragging a compass around a flying wing. There has _Got to be a good explanation for this!_ Hmmm... Ah, Mag interference, I know this music! After a decade of using GPS/Mag combos, I've really only had an issue once, thanks to an over-abundance of caution in where I mount them. The one I had an issue with, oddly, is the HeeWing T1 Ranger's stock GPS location on their PnP, which I mimicked when I installed my 880 and Matek VTOL board. Thinking, "these guys know what they're doing," I also ordered their HD camera mount, which places the camera directly above the GPS sensor mount in the fuselage. The death knell for this setup is the charger for the Caddx Peanut camera, it attaches magnetically, and has a side gig of killing Mag Fixes. The Ranger platform doesn't offer many options being so small, and with a 2.5W VTx and X8R, with motors at each corner, it's also noisy as frig! Yeah naw, this is a terrible idea: 844.1 calibrations later, using the charger absolutely kills any chances you'd be able to compensate for the HD camera above the sensor. But without having to mod the wires length, it now lives under the fwd hatch, now tethered to the plane. No big deal, my CG is still easy to nail with battery placement, the Peanut charges, the delicate balance of noisy radios and receivers balancing zen-ly. :-) If only I had used my compass to visualize the noise, I could've saved 843.1 calibrations' worth of time, thank you Sir for another great tip! ;-)
That's a very cool tip, thanks Lee. Unfortunately, it seems to have proved that I will never be able to get the magnetometer/compass working on my FlyWoo Explorer LR 4 quad that I am trying to convert to INAV 😥; the quad is just too compact with lots of motors, carbon fibre, HD VTx, etc.
Agree. Shield the wires with copper tape and ground the tape. And put the GPS unit away from the rest. I let it stick out of the back, between the rear motors
It depends where the interference is coming from. Interference that stops the GPS from locking, and interference that stops the GPS sending data to the FC are two very different things..
I’m really struggling to get satellites to lock on a GEPRC MK5 with speedbee v3 stack, matek m10 gps and a DJI o3 air unit. All three items are pretty fixed in position and I’ve shielded the GPS cable. Any words of wisdom?
Interference with the cables is the same as any other digital protocol on the model. They are actually really hard to mess up unless you do something odd like run them by the side of high current power lines for any distance. Far more likely is the interference with the GPS' ability to 'hear' the signal from the satellites. Distance from the HD unit, or s shield using something like MuMetal I find best..
Is there much advantage to a compass in an iNav plane? (Accepted wisdom with the old Vector system was not to bother with a compass in a plane. Only with multi-rotors. This is because the GPS can quickly work out compass direction once the plane is moving while a compass can be inaccurate and a hassle if it needs re-calibrating.)
@@adilsongoliveira ...and yet, once you get a wind, you will quickly find out how important a true compass vs. GPS track is on a slow flying wing. Unfortunately, strong winds can easily make iNav think you are flying 180' opposite the actual heading in strong wind. Also, I've heard conflicting reports on iNav 6.x on if it actually uses compass. I've heard it does if configured with one to work out the wind direction/speed and mine seems susceptible to the compass location on my FW.
I flashed to inav 6.1.1, triple check the wiring, tried other uarts, double check the vtx not in LOCK but still no success...do i need to install vtxtable in cli of inav like betaflight, sir? Fyi., the video feed is working fine but unfortunately i cannot adjust the vtx parameters using osd like i did in betaflight? Speedybee f405 wing Speedybee tx800 vtx Inav 6.1.1
Why did i watch this , my mind is now reconfiguring, an already complex model, YRF-4E. I shall replace magnets with 3 d printed latch, might even weigh less, some new thoughts on servo placement , shielding possible but weight ? Radio, esc, camera and transmission , motors , flight controler, servos . I think placement just behind canopy shielded cables through out . About 50 grams added weight using copper trace tape ? ... this is why real planes place things in grounded metal boxes ...lol
Better find that compass out from my military days. What a great method. Thanks for that Lee.
I learned to properly route my battery wires today. Had my compass slowly rotating due to the electromagnetic field I was putting right next to the magnetometer. Shoved them further to the side and it was happy again. It's one of those things that could cause RTH to go backwards and make a lost model even more lost.
Well done. Any large current flowing close enough to a compass can pull it off it's true direction. Happy flying!
Nice little trick with that orientating compass!
Thanks for this practical demo using a compass to find a neutral location for our GPS units on our aircraft!
So it was explained to me that the main problem on quads is the leads to the GPS unit. A couple ppl said that shielding the wires solves the interference problem. Think like a coax cable - signal wire inside with the ground surrounding it
That can help, it depends where the interference is coming from. Interference that stops the GPS from locking, and interference that stops the GPS sending data to the FC are two very different things..
Fantastic! Thanks a bunch, Lee! 😃
Just one question, the GPS and compass don't need to be near the CG then? If so, it makes things much easier! 😃
BTW, do not leave your compass for too much time near a magnet. I have one that now points south. 😬
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
that is a good method i will give that a go also i use hook and loop tape also known as Velcro instead of magnets to hold the canopy on the less magnets on the craft the better in my opinion. thanks for the vid
You can also buy canopy latches cheaply as well as 3d print your own... Happy flying!
GPS frequency is MHz and ESC frequency is kHz, so its safe to keep them close.
Might add to actually POWER UP and actuate the servos and motor once you find a good place like you have shown, because the EMF these things make when active is worse/different than static.
Great idea
Awesome video
Great video! I have another question about the compass alignment. The fuselage or the wing is usually not flat. if I mount the GPS & compass slightly tilted (5-15 degrees), will that be an issue? Ardupilot has options for 45, 90 and 135degree offset for the compass on all 3 axes, but no slight offset.
I'd try and mount the GPS and Compass unit as flat as you can. It helps keep evertthing straight... Happy flying
Thanks again for another great video! Does the compass need to be perfectly level? I am using it on a quad and was just going to make a tpu to extend it back even further than normal but was just wondering if it should be level on the ground or level in the air?
Ideally. See ruclips.net/video/kVVJ-DjUjsc/видео.html
Hi Lee. Great tip with the compass. I'm currently fighting to have INAV working on two quads (7 and 10") because both kits came with M10- based GPSs and I can't find reliable information about the compass orientation. One is the GPS walksnail W181 and the other a Iflight Blitz M10. If you have any tips, I'll really apreciate.
I'd power them up and connect them and see what the heading is reported as in INAV. That should follow the compass as you rotate it and you'll see which side is the 'front'.. Best of luck!
Fun is playing Starfield, with RUclips on the second monitor, looking over and trying to surmise why a man is dragging a compass around a flying wing. There has _Got to be a good explanation for this!_
Hmmm... Ah, Mag interference, I know this music!
After a decade of using GPS/Mag combos, I've really only had an issue once, thanks to an over-abundance of caution in where I mount them. The one I had an issue with, oddly, is the HeeWing T1 Ranger's stock GPS location on their PnP, which I mimicked when I installed my 880 and Matek VTOL board. Thinking, "these guys know what they're doing," I also ordered their HD camera mount, which places the camera directly above the GPS sensor mount in the fuselage. The death knell for this setup is the charger for the Caddx Peanut camera, it attaches magnetically, and has a side gig of killing Mag Fixes. The Ranger platform doesn't offer many options being so small, and with a 2.5W VTx and X8R, with motors at each corner, it's also noisy as frig!
Yeah naw, this is a terrible idea: 844.1 calibrations later, using the charger absolutely kills any chances you'd be able to compensate for the HD camera above the sensor. But without having to mod the wires length, it now lives under the fwd hatch, now tethered to the plane. No big deal, my CG is still easy to nail with battery placement, the Peanut charges, the delicate balance of noisy radios and receivers balancing zen-ly. :-)
If only I had used my compass to visualize the noise, I could've saved 843.1 calibrations' worth of time, thank you Sir for another great tip! ;-)
That's a very cool tip, thanks Lee. Unfortunately, it seems to have proved that I will never be able to get the magnetometer/compass working on my FlyWoo Explorer LR 4 quad that I am trying to convert to INAV 😥; the quad is just too compact with lots of motors, carbon fibre, HD VTx, etc.
most quads that are
Just a suggestion, maybe try shielding
Agree. Shield the wires with copper tape and ground the tape. And put the GPS unit away from the rest. I let it stick out of the back, between the rear motors
It depends where the interference is coming from. Interference that stops the GPS from locking, and interference that stops the GPS sending data to the FC are two very different things..
When will you be making a UAV build with CUAV V6X?
No plans to... Happy flying
I’m really struggling to get satellites to lock on a GEPRC MK5 with speedbee v3 stack, matek m10 gps and a DJI o3 air unit. All three items are pretty fixed in position and I’ve shielded the GPS cable. Any words of wisdom?
Interference with the cables is the same as any other digital protocol on the model. They are actually really hard to mess up unless you do something odd like run them by the side of high current power lines for any distance. Far more likely is the interference with the GPS' ability to 'hear' the signal from the satellites. Distance from the HD unit, or s shield using something like MuMetal I find best..
Is there much advantage to a compass in an iNav plane?
(Accepted wisdom with the old Vector system was not to bother with a compass in a plane. Only with multi-rotors. This is because the GPS can quickly work out compass direction once the plane is moving while a compass can be inaccurate and a hassle if it needs re-calibrating.)
INAV does not use the compass with fixed wings, only multirotors.
@@adilsongoliveira ...and yet, once you get a wind, you will quickly find out how important a true compass vs. GPS track is on a slow flying wing. Unfortunately, strong winds can easily make iNav think you are flying 180' opposite the actual heading in strong wind. Also, I've heard conflicting reports on iNav 6.x on if it actually uses compass. I've heard it does if configured with one to work out the wind direction/speed and mine seems susceptible to the compass location on my FW.
Compass is optional on fixed wings but necessary in some instances - see ruclips.net/video/pfrNsW5s-cs/видео.html
Hello sir...why my irc tramp on inav 6.1.1 does not working? Im using speedybee f405 wing FC ...
Could be a few things, what troubleshooting have you tried?
I flashed to inav 6.1.1, triple check the wiring, tried other uarts, double check the vtx not in LOCK but still no success...do i need to install vtxtable in cli of inav like betaflight, sir? Fyi., the video feed is working fine but unfortunately i cannot adjust the vtx parameters using osd like i did in betaflight?
Speedybee f405 wing
Speedybee tx800 vtx
Inav 6.1.1
And...the Low power setting alao not working when i disarmed the fc
I'm sure I've seen so odd things reported in the project Github similar to this. I'd check them out... Best of luck
Well, i ll just fly it as it is, set the vtx by manual button, as long the video feed is good for maiden next week...shall dig it more....tq sir
Why did i watch this , my mind is now reconfiguring, an already complex model, YRF-4E. I shall replace magnets with 3 d printed latch, might even weigh less, some new thoughts on servo placement , shielding possible but weight ? Radio, esc, camera and transmission , motors , flight controler, servos . I think placement just behind canopy shielded cables through out . About 50 grams added weight using copper trace tape ? ... this is why real planes place things in grounded metal boxes ...lol