looks great. i have one of the v1 mfd trackers, and it was shipped with a deffective servo. after replacing, it has worked for many years now! this looks much better!
Great video! I have now ordered one of the Crossbow mini tracker, plus a TeleflyTiny osd module. This video is going to be a massive help when it comes to setting it all up.
Got my tracker and it was working good. Used s-port over bluetooth for the telemetry. Fourth time out the pan servo is dead. Sent MFD an email to see if I can get a replacement. Can't wait to get it back up and running.
I hope you do too! Last night I replaced the PAN servo on my old MFD tracker... it just couldn't move it anymore after so many years of fault free service, guess it was due for a replacement! :) Hope to keep using it for a long time!
Thanks for putting this together Arxangel -- this seemed like a lot of work but very cool. I'm still waiting for a true plug and play tracker. It still seemed like you had to do a lot of custom wiring and experimentation to get it to work. This is within my budget now but looks very intimidating to set up properly.
Actually... not that much, especially if you use it with the MFD Autopilot! Now that the Telefly Tiny supports Mavlink input... you don't even need to wire in an external GPS module... it will get all the data from the Mavlink... and if you so chose, you can use the TeleFlyTiny as the main OSD... as it will have all the necessary information! Pretty cool for non-OSD boards! On the ground you just need to plug in a cable in the video out plug, and you are good to do! The antenna is now also available on the MFD website... so it should make things even easier - www.myflydream.com/products/d-0/364.html
The arkbird is plug and play I had the mfd v1 and that was not the best servo broke after a week And wouldn't track with a 100% lock on it would got worse as time went on so I bought a arkbird att tracker and it's still working 100% after 5 years I still love it
Interesting! Well I've had a friend who never was able to get his Arkbird running properly, and I've had the MFD V1 tracker for... ages now... not a single issue! Only replaced the PAN servo a while back due to being worn from use, but that's it! Everything has been stellar on that one!
Just ordered the tracker plus 3 units for the plains, hope it wont be too hard to setup. Will be here to ask questions. I used ur link, commision coming👍
@@ArxangelRC ok minor minor difficulty here, i tapped the #3 wire (yellow) to the onboard gps and im not getting any gps readings on the tracker. Any ideas? I did set the tracker to v2 since im using the telefly tiny. Im also guessing that i dont need the osd from the tiny since im using the fc osd? Basically all i need to do is connect 3 wires. Wire #1,2, and 3 from the tiny and this should work am i correct? Btw i havent done any updatings yet n not sure if i needed to so i left it alone for now, havent plug the unit into usb
@@theinnocent714 Well you have to hold one of the buttons to have the Tiny recognize the GPS protocol and baud rate, have you done that? You can check the manual as to which button it was...
@@ArxangelRC Vector from Eagle tree have one! I mean if you have ever open one of the MFD AP there is nothing to make it smaller! I would rather use a MFD Auto Pilot than an iNav....
I don't know if you get enough credit for sharing so much of your build knowledge, but I greatly appreciate it. Do you have any plans to get the DJI FPV system? Assuming you do, what plane would you want to use it on? My main question is how to get the DJI FPV system to go true long range distances, 15 to 25 kms without losing signal and staying HD. Will it be possible at all, and will the MFD Crossbow Mini Antenna Tracker be part of the answer?
Well... I would like to try it out... but I don't have the budget for it at this time... kinda pricey... and there are more useful items I could be getting to help improve the quality of my reviews for that amount of money! As for the range... the Lightbridge 1 system can do 20kms with proper antennas and possibly some amplifiers... as for this one... with the antennas on the goggles... not sure what to tell you! Perhaps yes... but you might need to replace those antennas... and I still think more than 10kms would be very difficult! Also... you might be able to use the tracker, but you will need mavlink telemetry coming from the plane during the flight, and you will have to put the goggles on the tracker! :D
Briliant! You make full wireless AAT! IMHO, when I disassemble the crossbow mini, a standard size servo(not exactly, or mini size) inside of it, with gear reduction.
@@killingfields5853 its geared. There are plenty of fast servos on the market. Especially the high voltage servos. Open the case up and you will see its a blue servo. No stepper motor inside.
Outstanding video n the fact that they (manufacturer) listened to .. SOOOO WHEN IS YOUR NEXT LONG RANGE FPV USING YOUR LATEST COMPONENTS ??? . AT LEAST 2 HOURS LONG OK
@@ArxangelRC I already ordered it and a few other things. Hopefully, I'll have it setup for next weekend. I plan to fly around a few small mountains in New York. Can't wait to test it out!
@@ArxangelRC Not yet. I was definitely overzealous when I thought I'd have it ready for the weekend! Anyway, I wasn't sure how I wanted to setup my ground station. I decided to go with Rob Thomson FPV's RAPIDFIRE | DOCK KING | LZR setup. However, instead of using the LZR antenna setup I will be using two ORT 6 turn helical antennas. I'm still putting this all together and figuring out how I am going to set it up so unfortunately I won't be able to scratch this itch just yet. I have to say so far I'm impressed with the build quality of the MFD Crossbow Mini.
Hi I purchased the telefly tiny chip to accompany the mini crossbow aat. I cannot seem to get the system working correctly. can you show and explain how to connect the entire system or I can send all devices and parts to you to put together and I can pay you for that service. thanks
Congratz then! I am not sure about that! People have tried to do that on the old tracker... and the results weren't good, because the settings of the tracker, for movement, etc., are for this servo... changing to another one would require a change of the params, and I am not certain you have access to that! One of the reasons why this system works well and has very little complaints... it is not open to freely tune and modify it!
Nice arxangelrc I always watch all your videos and in the last year I've built my airplane and multirotor fleet up to 15 multirotors and 7 airplanes. Lately I've had a bit of bad luck crashing my planes and I've decided to take a break from flying them while I work on fixing the mistakes I originally made with them and in the meantime since I'm really good at flying the multirotors I went and got 4 different dji bnf's that are coming in the next week so I'm excited for those and will be making some cool new videos using them. Thanks for making your videos they have helped me so much I wish I lived next door to someone as smart in all this stuff as you are lol it would help me be much more successful in what I really want to do which is just fly all day and build less. Is there a way I can communicate with you via messenger or some other way? I'm willing to pay someone for helping me with my planes so if that's a option you give to followers let me know.
@@ArxangelRC I have used it and noticed if I banked the plane sharply the WG2X would suddenly go nuts. Often causing the gimbal to switch the camera to an inverted position. Any suggestions on how to prevent it?
Well... don't bank suddenly and keep the turns shallow... have not flown with it yet... so not sure what to tell you! I've not observed this behaviour on the ground though!
I use a Fy-41-AP Lite and would like to buy such a tracker, but I have some doubts: 1 - What will I need to use this tracker with my Fy-41AP? 2 - Will I need to have another GPS connected to Telefly? 3 - Will I be able to use with 5.8 ghz and 1.2 ghz systems?
1 - in addition to the tracker you will also need this module on the plane - www.myflydream.com/products/d-0/348.html along with a GPS module! Video signal should go through it, so it can encode the tracking data in the video! 2 - Already answered above 3 - Any analogue video system will work!
Would it be possible to have an antenna tracker ON the plane itself, and instead of having the ground station track the antenna, the antenna tracks the ground station? There does not seem to be that function on ardupilot but could you use ROI tracking and have a high gain antenna mounted to a gimbal instead of a camera? The main benefit would be simplicity, as it would be as easy as inputting the ground station's coordinates and it shouldn't require anything else to be done.
Well in theory it should work! In practice... the amount of drag that this will produce will be huge! Also... the servos on the tracker may not be able to adequately handle an antenna at higher speeds, plus you'd be adding a good amount of weight to the plane, unnecessarily weighting it down and further reducing the flight time, in addition to the increased drag! Perhaps on a very large plane it may be better, but in general would be a pain to install it and make sure it doesn't get damaged on every landing!
@@ArxangelRC I was thinking maybe inside of the cargo bay of a decently-sized plane. I am probably wrong but it almost seems as if you could fit a small high gain patch antenna with a compact servo assembly inside of the flying dragon (I watched your video on it and boy does it have room to spare), eliminating the issues with drag and servo strength. Perhaps if the gimbal were soft mounted it would be able to withstand hard landings. Another possibility for extending range that I was pondering was maybe using relays. Two people could fly two aircraft out, one made for regular long range flying and one (the relay plane) with an FPV receiver and transmitter for the sole purpose of relaying fpv feed from the long range plane to the ground. Once the planes nears their FPV range limit, the relay plane powers on its vtx and the ground station connects to its band/frequency, extending the range of the long range plane by several kilometers and allowing you to fly at lower altitudes in the other side of a mountain. Perhaps this idea could be put in tandem with the air-based AAT concept and an additional AAT on the ground, effectively multiplying the already huge range provided by a single AAT system. The relay plane also wouldn't need an FPV system, as the airwaves would already be congested enough and the extra space could be used by an airborne AAT. The relay plane's telemetry could be viewed using DragonLink's MAVLink function connected to Mission Planner. This is all just a fantastical idea of mine and I am just curious to see if it were possible (and if it were, my wallet wouldn't allow it) and what you think of it.
@@David-gk8yg Well... in theory anything is possible! Using another plane as a relay is also an option... though more for flying behind close by hills, etc., not so much longer range because it would have to circle mid way between you and the other plane, doing a whole lot of retranslating and tracking... it would need two trackers on board - one to track the ground, another to track the other plane! All of this would get way too cumbersome and complicated fast... and I doubt it can be done on a budget. It can be done if you want... but it definitely sounds to me like something I would like to stay away from! :D
@@ArxangelRC Thank you for your feedback! I was just contemplating the idea, but yes, it does seem like a huge mess which could probably just be resolved with 4G LTE if I really wanted the range. Speaking about that, I am curious to hear your thoughts on that. Have you ever considered using 4G video transmission on your long range flights? Video transmission range would not ever be a problem, and you could theoretically fly for multiple times the distances you fly as of now, as battery life would be the only issue. I've heard 4G systems also support mavlink 2-way communication, so should your dragonlink fail to provide the range you want (which seems unlikely, but I guess that really depends on how far you are going) you could theoretically pilot your plane via the joystick function on QGC or MP. Also would add a nice bit of redundancy should your radio fail for any given reason since you can operate the plane from MP using the joystick. The only issues I see with it are price (since you need to pay for mobile data and the hardware), latency, and coverage (I don't know how well 4G would reach when you fly at several kilometers of altitude in your area)
@@David-gk8yg Haha, well you can be absolutely sure that at a few kms up in the air that 4G module would be useless! Mobile network antennas are aimed down at the ground, not up! You may perhaps get some sort of signal up to 1km... even though I doubt that, but I wouldn't count on it for altitude! This would be OK for low altitude long range, but only if the areas have it, which is usually in highly populated areas, which are the ones you aim to avoid! For mapping models, which fly relatively low, it would be OK, especially the ones working over cities, but I have my doubts about its applicability for rural flying locations! We will see! A friend has been asking me to test one that he has developed... might as well do it on my new build! :)
good video and great tracker. But you don't calibrate the compass correctly. The instructions say Click the right button to execute a compass calibrate the compass of the tracker. Before doing that please make sure the tracker is locked on the tripod well. It takes about 20 seconds to finish the calibration. You can ignore the parameters showing on the screen during the procedure. In other words, there is no need to turn the tracker during calibration!!
The tracker is compatible with any analogue video system as long as you have the air module from MFD to go along with it. Flight controller does not matter.
Great video, as always. Can I ask, why you went down the tracker with 5.8 route rather than a fixed pepper box or similar on 1.2? Both need ground stations and relays, wouldn’t the later be easier? I’m at the edge of my true air X2 range and sick of craning my neck so trying to decide “where to next”!
Well... we have a very nice radar tower atop of the mountain I live next two, and it pretty much messes up most 1.2Ghz systems pretty good. Also... I definitely am not a fan of the size of the antennas... and I do like to go around, which means if I didn't have a tracker I would have to be moving the antenna manually, and that is just something I do not want to be engaged with during a flight! You can put a 1.2G system on a tracker... no issues there, should work even better!
Great stuff! Pretty sure I'll be investing in the MFD Crossbow Mini Antenna Tracker before summer comes around 😁 Btw, I couldn't find much documentation of the MFD TeleFlyTiny OSD -- any idea how well it would work when connected to a Pixhawk? Cheers
It doesn't actually connect to the flight controller! You just wire the video through it, and feed it the Tx wire from the GPS module so it would see the coordinates, for the tracking! Now they have a firmware that supports Mavlink... meaning you can feed it the Tx wire from the Mavlink output on the Pixhawk, and it will get the tracking GPS data from there, and you can even use it as THE osd for the Pixhawk, instead of the MinimOSD! :)
Hi, I can't cope with the correct operation of the ATT Crossbow mini from MFD. The device works and shows the number of satellites and vLink on the display. The problem is that it does not follow the model and after connecting the AAT to the 3S power supply, the servo moves up and stays that way. I will add that the internal module in the model is TeleFlyTiny and is correctly configured in ODS. Thank you very much for your help.
@@ArxangelRC When I set pitch n to the value I'm interested in and choose save & exit, "Failed" appears. The compass is of course calibrated and selected in OSD / Menu TFTiny on VBI v2 as well as in AAT VBI v2. Generally, thanks that you wrote back because your material is very helpful, material about MFD Mini AAT.
@@ArxangelRC Yes, it is responsible for the YAW axis. and to see its name, unfortunately you have to open the tracker. I can send you a photo, but I don't know if I can send it to the e-mail address provided on RUclips?
Well in theory it should just need a compass calibration, and tilt end point calibration, and then it should be able to work, given all wiring is done right.
@ArxangelRC thank you. It's great that somebody answered. I bought just mini crossbow. I'm sure it's not enough. Do i need MORE devices? May be tiny , maybe any others?
@@user-vx8xf8sm9j Well it depends, what do you want to use it with? If you are going to bw running an analogue FPV system you will need the TFTiny, yes. If you will be using a digital one, and it can carry and output mavlink telemetry, you can do without the TFTiny.
Finally the video about next purchace l must do! Hehe. The only problem is ordering this. With banggod l will not have customs fees and long time expecting this after customs. Any chance have this strait to my house like banggod or have this at Banggood or Gearbest? Thanks
You will have to ask MFD about this, I have no idea! I know they use DHL or EMS... and if they declare a low value... this is a small box... DHL should be able to get it through without getting stuck at customs!
Thanks for the video. May I ask if we are already using the MFD crosshair auto pilot do we still need the mini module tracker on board? I note on your video when your showed the MFD crosshair there is no mention of the module tracker. Is it already built in?
thanks so much for all the info. only one thing about your videos; How do you manage to talk without any pause for SSOOO LONG? It is not easy to catch up with you especially most of the info is technical facts, numbers etc. I wish you were a little bit slower...
Thanks! Hahahaha, well I edit the audio, to make it sound better and to remove all the pauses and mistakes! Else these videos would be twice as long and a lot more boring!
I switched over to Matek F765 for my Crosswind Mini. Want to run this tracker. I'm using Dragonlink V3 slim, Yaapu on my Horus. So to run this tracker I need the telefly tiny in the plane sharing the GPS TX wire? I also need a video receiver on the tracker? I've learned a lot from your vids. Just made donations to you as well. Thanks
Thanks mate, appreciate it! Yes, TFTiny in the plane, listening in on the Tx wire from the GPS unit, and a video receiver on the tracker end, to receive the video! There is also an option to feed the tracker the Mavlink data directly, say from the Dragonlink via bluetooth, but I've found that usually my video link goes much further than the telemetry link...
Did you ever test viewing the plane's location on a map with a Bluetooth module? Thought that would be a nice addition to a ground station! I have been trying with an HC-05 module with no luck as of yet.
I have done it but with the older tracker, the original one! Have not tested it on the Mini yet! Was working pretty well with the old tracker, just need to setup the params of the bluetooth correct!
You can use RHCP omni... but it will have some signal degradation because of the different polarities! On the plane... ideally some well tubed di-pole linear antenn!
I have a review of the MFD Crosshair autopilot, and of course it was made using this tracker! All my other videos, where I always use a tracker... were made using ArduPlane based autopilots. So it works in all cases!
I can't get the GPS data linking with the Mini Crossbow. Using 1.3G and crystal clear video as well as the teleflytiny connected properly and UBX GPS recognised I can see everything in the OSD and I have crystal clear video but 0 GPS sats and 0% vlink
Well... either your Crossbow Mini or TeleFlyTiny are not set to the V2 data link! Check the settings on each and make sure they are both set to work on the V2 protocol!
Just in case: try it outside where you have very good gps lock. Your teleflyltiny also needs to be 10m+ away from the tracker while moving it for a test. Did you do the compass calibration and homepoint-setup? (press left button for 3s to enter tracker settings and/or press right button on tracker for 3s to set homepoint) Do not have any other device (e.g. DVR) connected between your Video-RX VideoOut and the trackers VideoIn. It might kill the tracking datastream. Check the teleflytiny manual to get access to its settings. It needs t be set to a corrosponding data link (V2 or V1 need to be equally set on the tracker and the telefyltiny to make them talk, V2 recommended). MFD just released new manuals (still not complete but more info...), maybe check them
@@Slash7FPV worked out to be an issue with splicing the Tx out from the MN8 GPS on the wing. Ended up having to install a dedicated GPS just for the Telefly Tiny board..
How are you friend; I use a Taranis X9D Plus with L9R Receiver and Fy-41AP Lite controller, use 5.8 and also 1.2 ghz, what will I need to use this antenna on my FPV system? Is it ready to use?
You need the tracker unit, and the TeleFly Tiny module, which goes in the plane, before the Vtx, so it can send GPS coordinates of the plane to the tracker on the ground!
Any tips I’m about to set up my mini crossbow. I use crossfire as radio link and maytek f/c also I would like to use as mobile unit any suggestions or tips would be helpful thank. Seems fairly straight forward hope to hear back in the mean time gonna read manual
Hi, been loving your videos on Crossbow Mini, can I ask your advice please? I'm fitting a TBS Yagi FPV 2G4 and a TBS Crossfire 868Mhz Yagi, do I need to have a specific clearance distance between these two antennas on the mount or does it not matter? Thank You :-)
Well... it is always a good idea to put some distance between antennas... especially since one is receiver, other one is transmitter... so the more separation you can give them... the better!
great video! any chance you will be doing a review of the large crossbow antenna tracker? i would be really interested in it despite the hefty price tag...
@@kenc4373 Ok, so a quick look into the manual answered our question: There is a button for the 3 Video Modes - Pal/NTSC/NoOSD. A bit embarrassing that I didn't look it up myself before posting, but at least now you know too ;-) So, I'm seriously considering to get me one!!!
@@johnnyrocket3200 So what you mean is we can pick NoOSD on Teleflymini module. then keep using the Inav's OSD and still get the tracker working as design?
You dont have to use the telefly osd. You dont even have to use the telefly. You can feed mavlink to pin 1 on right plug. Like using full size crossfires bluetooth to an hc05 module. The hc05 module tx pin to pin 1 of antenna tracker. Then bluetooth ground to pin 4 of right plug. Power the bluetooth from a bec or use the 5v out from the left plug. Just remember that the logic is 3.3v. Do not use 5v logic on the rx and tx pins of the tracker. It will fry it. You can use other things to feed it mavlink as well. Its supposed to accept other telemetry types, but haven't tested them.
Friend, this tracker antenna can be used with 1.2 ghz or only 5.8 ghz? Does it already have an internal 5.8 ghz receiver? I already have FPV system what will I need to use this antenna? I use a Taranis X9D Plus radio with L9R is it compatible?
The radio has nothing to do with this, and this is not an antenna... this is a tracker! You put an antenna and a receiver on it, of your own choosing! So it will work with whatever system you put on it.
Great review! Are you on 5.8 for both your tracker rx and your relay tx? If so are you spacing frequencies or just relying on mixing polarization? I'd be interested to know if you're still getting good results just by mixing antennas.
Yes, 5.8 for both! Plane to tracker is A3, tracker to monitor is A8, seems to give me very good results, in addition to using different polarisation antennas on both systems!
Sweet! I figured it would work in theory, but you're the first person I've seen stay on 5.8, others didn't take the extra step and use opposite polarization. Thanks for posting!
I just got this system and was so excited, but I have tried 3 days now and still cant get the telefly tiny to send data back to my crossbow mini :( I have video and was able to set gps but i cant get it to work ugh...
Hmmmm... seems to be quite the hassle to get that working properly... I am still unsure I want to deal with that mess! Also... as far as I've seen from my experience with telemetry links... my video far outreaches the telemetry channel, so I tend to stay with the OSDs!
Hi mate , This a great tracker for shore. I run Matek boards also just got F765, I run INAV , will my fc's work with these boards without extra module or not .Thanx Bob
I just received mine and had it set uo within the day. It was running fine and suddenly the tracker went from its normal horizontal position to face straight up and track in the opposite direction. I contacted myflydream but I have not had an answer yet in 3 days. I have check the manual but I could not find any answer. Do you have any ideas what could have happened. I have had my original AAT for 5 years and it never had a problem like it.
Hey, have you calibrated the compass? Did MFD reply? Usually they do take more than 3 days to reply... sadly! I have not yet experienced that on mine... but pretty much all of my settings are default!
@@ArxangelRC Thanks for getting back. its all default with the exception of the Compass / GPS baudrate and my V1 trackers. I was able to resolved the pan and tilt after trying to RESET and inputing the few changes until "I tried not giving it video feed while I was calibrating the end points of the pan and tilt." Vicky answered on the 3rd day and I told her what I did via a video regarding the pan and tilt problem but I still had the the mini crossbow tracking in the opposite direction. Another 2 two days of emailing and trying things out on my own passed she came back and said with an "illustration" that the Compass / GPS unit arrow must point forward or out towards the front. I told her that info and diagram should had been added to the online manual. I honestly did not even see that arrow on all the days I was working on it and "again it was working properly for me on the first hours" until I swapped batteries to it as it was getting low. So I took the mini crossbow out and flipped the Compass / GPS and the problem went away. Again thank you for the time in getting back. I appreciate all your video.
I can't access the menu on my teleflytiny, just comes up "setting/home"and nothing else happens when I press vid button? it detects GPS OK, shows coordinates on the OSD. but no link on mini crossbow? what camera are you using?
As always! Great post. I've been debating for some time now on this. I just ordered both the tracker and tinyOSD using your links. Many thanks. One quick observation: I'm guessing you are turning off the OSD on the TinyOSD in order to avoid the overlay of OSDs from Flight Controller and TinyOSD?
@@ArxangelRC Hello. Do you have posted anywhere a wiring diagram for the TeleflyTiny module? I received my shipment from MFD but I cannot get the OSD to work. I've followed all the instructions from MFD's website but the module is still not operational. I've tried the 7-9v as well as the 12v (yes it does get hot). Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Well... I don't have a wiring diagram because the TeleFlyTiny manual on the MFD website is pretty adequate... not operational in what way? You sure you are feeding the video into the correct port?
ArxangelRC That’s for your reply. I’ve contacted MFD and determined I have a bad unit. I received a replacement and seems to work now. I still have to interface it with the antenna tracker but at lease I finally have a working unit to test it.
@@AlexanderPerez-oe1gu Awesome! Making it work with the tracker should be easy! They just both have to be set to work on the same protocol V1 or V2, can be programmed from the menus!
This one is the new Mini and improved version, latest tech! The old one has unlimited 360 degrees of rotation... but it does have some drawbacks... such as fragile servos and the sheer bulk of it! And the $999 one... it can haul a much heavier antenna... and if I am not mistaken... it does also have unlimited 360 degree rotation!
That is pretty limited information to make a guess as to what might be the issue! So far all that is clear is that your receiver is getting the video, and the tracker is getting valid packets from the module in the plane... how is the tracker connected to your monitor?
Yes, because with the MFD Autopilot, you DO NOT need to use the TeleFly OSDs... the Autopilot supports the tracking protocol and encodes the necessary data in the video stream as it passes through it!
Any idea why mine isnt tracking? It does move a little, twitch sometimes like its lost. The tiny is tapped into the planes gps. I set home point when theres enough gps n send the plane up. Im guessing if the tracker displays gps then everything should work fine? I tried compass calibration both rotating yhe tracker n not rotating the tracker, calibrate all the way up and set at 90° then all way down n set to 0°. I noticed that the tracker display sometimes read (0) sattelites.
Hmmmmm... hard to tell like this! You've done the calibrations... are you sure both TFTiny and tracker are set to same VBI setting? Also... how is it wired to the GPS unit?
@@ArxangelRC found out the problem, i miswired the powered wire. It kinda works now but it still doesnt track good. I didnt know the types of cameras being used in the plane can influence the tracker, (to track better or not at all) Anyways ive bought the bluetooth hc05 since im using the crossfire module with Bluetooth. Hopefully i can get that to work and the mini to track better with that n not having the need for the telefly tiny.
@@theinnocent714 Right, well I didn't know cameras can affect it because I haven't seen that issue here, but some people have reported it! In fact feeding telemetry via bluetooth will sort this issue out, IF this is the problem!
Hello, i have a question and I hope that you can help me. I want to buy the ranger2000 but i am a little bit confused. You said that you are cruising with the stock Motor on about 5 amps. But 5 amps produces only three hundred Gramm Lift according to the data sheet. But for a 1.5 Kilogramm plane this is not enough or? Do you think it makes sense to get a low KV Motor and a eleven inch prop. I would have to build the Motor mount a little bit higher but maybe this would be more efficient for long range. What do you think about this?
Yes, this would be more efficient... and I have learned not to trust graphs of static tests... or theoretic estimations even a long time ago! After take off... if you only need to cruise along... you don't need that much thrust actually... it takes very little effort to push the plane along, because of the wings... they carry the load... unlike a copter, so you need less thrust to actually make it move!
Im fairly new to long range and I want to squeeze the most out of my 5.8Ghz FPV and 2.4Ghz RC systems. Right now I cant seem to squeeze any more than a few hundred meters out of the setup. Do you have advice on a good FPV TX and antenna setup for the TX and RX? I am thinking about a TBS Triumph on the TX and RX along with a 6 turn helical antenna on my RX
Yeah, as far as I know the TBS gear is solid! I use a simple pagoda on the Vtx, and a triple feed patch: bit.ly/Triple-Feed-Array on the receiver, seems to work quite well!
Hello, I've managed to get it all to work (receiving Vlink and GPS sats using the crossbow mini and TeleflyTiny OSD) but am having a bear of a time with one issue: The moment I turn on my fpv camera (Runcam Swift 2 and also tested with Runcam 2 Mobius type) the crossbow loses vlink and all gps. I'm feeding it all through a Matek F-405 Wing flight controller running ArduPilot. Have you experienced this issue with losing the link the moment you turn on the fpv camera? With just the FC OSD and no camera picture, it all works perfectly (receiving Vlink and sats). Is there something special with the camera wiring I need to be aware of?
Hmmmm... that is weird! I have not experienced such a problem before! Perhaps... can you try and change the VBI levels in the tracker menu... while the camera is running... either up or down... see if that changes anything!
Would this be useful for longrange hd fpv? I havent invested in any hd equipment yet due to limited range and weight but just a thought for my future hd equipment.
It can be used, but then you would have to feed it tracking data from data radio telemetry, for instance mavlink, won't be able to go through the HD video link, but it can be done! :) Also, I've seen people go over 20kms on OpenHD! :)
There is no binding, as long as both modules can receive a video signal with the tracking data in it, both will be able to decode it and follow the plane.
Arx what do I do to get gps working checked the power it’s good have tx for gps split to the yellow rx on the tiny but now gps stop working. And is the a spot to get replacement telefly tiny cables
Hey, sorry for the delay! Do you have a common ground between the GPS and the TeleFly? Meaning, are they powered from the same battery? As for spare cables, just find the proper pin number ones on Aliexpress...
@@ArxangelRC hey Arx thanks for going back for some reason i get a Vlink 100% just seem like its not reading my GPS i am using a separate GPS even when i do a Detecting mode on the teley using a bn220 and do you ever experience any fading in out with the video
I cannot get the telefly tiny to work, I have managed to get it displaying its osd, but I cannot get the tracker tracking it. Even when I have a video link the tracker still displays "V-link 0%" Also, I bought the external gps module for the mfd crossbow mini, and for some reason it will never get any satalite lock, I have set the L braudrate to 115200bps And it still wont work. I am thinking of just buying the crosshair autopilot to go with the mini crossbow. Also how am I meant to upate the firmware if I have an apple computer? Somone please help
@@ArxangelRC Hi there, Not a problem! Unfortunatly i have not managed to get it working, so I am thinking to buy a mfd croshair autopilot, but the menu looks a bit overwelming. So am not to sure about buying it, but if it is guaranteed to work with the crossbow then I think it will be worth the money. Thanks, Bertie.
I have not tried this yet... so can't say... but it should go to one of the Rx ports on it! You can find the user manual on the MFD website, which also includes a pinout of the connectors!
Yes, one of the buttons on the TeleFly OSDs cycle through the OSD overlay... you can either have it on or off... this doesn't affect the tracking function and you can use it with ANY other OSD!
Yes, just need to add the TeleFlyTiny module ( www.myflydream.com/products/d-0/348.html ) to the video system, and plug in it a split of the Tx wire coming from the GPS
@@ArxangelRC I received my unit.. I connect it as you recommend. I'm using Runcam2.. The problem I'm not getting the Vlink or GPS signal.. If only I switch the cam to wifi mode then I get the data!! But in normal mode it disappeared.. Any idea please?
Sooooo... the video works only if you put the camera in WiFI mode? That is weird... hmmmmm... but is the video coming through the tracker, without WiFi mode enabled?
@@ArxangelRC No it`s not..also the gps signal not coming if not in WiFi mode.. Very weird and I can't solve the problem..now I order another Camera to check and see if there is any change
@@redsharkss I've never had a camera that didn't work with the tracker or the OSDs! Getting another camera is a good way to verify where the issue is! I hope it turns out that was the problem... but still very weird that only with WiFi enabled it would start to work!
I got my aat for 3 weeks, but somehow not working for me. I can’t get video out with Teleflymini module no matter how I try it. Do you have any contact information for MFD tech support? They don’t reply my email.
@@ArxangelRC My wiring is almost the same as yours. Camera out-> TeleFlyMini Vin->TeleFlyMini Vout-> vtx vin. I even tried to debug the system by bypassing the TeleFlymini, then I can get the video signals from receiver. It seems to me that you have already estabulished good relationship with MFD to provide feedbacks to them. It would be great if you can share my issues with them. They are just not responding to my emails. Thanks
Thats pretty poor if they dont reply Yudio,its always left to others from most of these companys to fix these problems,i really feel for you in these circumstances,but at least you have a reply from Arx....
Sorry for the delay guys... MFD told me you should send email directly to these addresses: Support1@myflydream.com Admin@myflydream.com They typically respond in 2-3 days... hope they sort it out... so it seems there might be some issue with the TeleFlyTiny... how have you wired it? Feeding everything with 1 battery?
ArxangelRC thanks for getting it back. They did replied my email eventually. The support from MFD is currently working on my issue now. Thanks again. Hope my module will be working soon.
Wow, actually entering my budget. And I'm getting excited about the thought of putting one of those mini pieces into a plane.
Indeed! Helps a ton with long range, and on 5.8Ghz!
Finaly someting more affordable and well working. Thanks for the review!
You are welcome! :)
looks great. i have one of the v1 mfd trackers, and it was shipped with a deffective servo. after replacing, it has worked for many years now! this looks much better!
It is an awesome tracker indeed! I am quite happy with it!
Great video! I have now ordered one of the Crossbow mini tracker, plus a TeleflyTiny osd module. This video is going to be a massive help when it comes to setting it all up.
Thank you! Glad it was helpful!
Got my tracker and it was working good. Used s-port over bluetooth for the telemetry. Fourth time out the pan servo is dead. Sent MFD an email to see if I can get a replacement. Can't wait to get it back up and running.
I hope you do too! Last night I replaced the PAN servo on my old MFD tracker... it just couldn't move it anymore after so many years of fault free service, guess it was due for a replacement! :) Hope to keep using it for a long time!
Thanks for putting this together Arxangel -- this seemed like a lot of work but very cool. I'm still waiting for a true plug and play tracker. It still seemed like you had to do a lot of custom wiring and experimentation to get it to work. This is within my budget now but looks very intimidating to set up properly.
Actually... not that much, especially if you use it with the MFD Autopilot! Now that the Telefly Tiny supports Mavlink input... you don't even need to wire in an external GPS module... it will get all the data from the Mavlink... and if you so chose, you can use the TeleFlyTiny as the main OSD... as it will have all the necessary information! Pretty cool for non-OSD boards! On the ground you just need to plug in a cable in the video out plug, and you are good to do! The antenna is now also available on the MFD website... so it should make things even easier - www.myflydream.com/products/d-0/364.html
The arkbird is plug and play I had the mfd v1 and that was not the best servo broke after a week
And wouldn't track with a 100% lock on it would got worse as time went on so I bought a arkbird att tracker and it's still working 100% after 5 years I still love it
Interesting! Well I've had a friend who never was able to get his Arkbird running properly, and I've had the MFD V1 tracker for... ages now... not a single issue! Only replaced the PAN servo a while back due to being worn from use, but that's it! Everything has been stellar on that one!
Just ordered the tracker plus 3 units for the plains, hope it wont be too hard to setup. Will be here to ask questions. I used ur link, commision coming👍
Thanks mate, appreciate it! :) It is not that difficult, especially if you follow the manuals and pinout schematics! :)
@@ArxangelRC ok minor minor difficulty here, i tapped the #3 wire (yellow) to the onboard gps and im not getting any gps readings on the tracker. Any ideas? I did set the tracker to v2 since im using the telefly tiny. Im also guessing that i dont need the osd from the tiny since im using the fc osd? Basically all i need to do is connect 3 wires. Wire #1,2, and 3 from the tiny and this should work am i correct? Btw i havent done any updatings yet n not sure if i needed to so i left it alone for now, havent plug the unit into usb
@@theinnocent714 Well you have to hold one of the buttons to have the Tiny recognize the GPS protocol and baud rate, have you done that? You can check the manual as to which button it was...
@@ArxangelRC nope didnt know about that part, let me see if i can find the manual
@@theinnocent714 www.myflydream.com/download/manuals/c-1/ TFTiny quick reference is what you need to download.
Well done, Ossie here bloody well done
Thank you! :)
A good and sophisticated tool, friends, it's good to try...
Yup!
I have been hoping they come with a mini Autopilot!! their products are solid and rarely fail or give one any kind of problem!!
Yeah... well... not sure about a Mini Autopilot sadly...
@@ArxangelRC Vector from Eagle tree have one! I mean if you have ever open one of the MFD AP there is nothing to make it smaller! I would rather use a MFD Auto Pilot than an iNav....
Indeed! I know Eagle tree have a tracker, but I've never seen it in person, or seen it in operation!
I don't know if you get enough credit for sharing so much of your build knowledge, but I greatly appreciate it. Do you have any plans to get the DJI FPV system? Assuming you do, what plane would you want to use it on? My main question is how to get the DJI FPV system to go true long range distances, 15 to 25 kms without losing signal and staying HD. Will it be possible at all, and will the MFD Crossbow Mini Antenna Tracker be part of the answer?
Well... I would like to try it out... but I don't have the budget for it at this time... kinda pricey... and there are more useful items I could be getting to help improve the quality of my reviews for that amount of money! As for the range... the Lightbridge 1 system can do 20kms with proper antennas and possibly some amplifiers... as for this one... with the antennas on the goggles... not sure what to tell you! Perhaps yes... but you might need to replace those antennas... and I still think more than 10kms would be very difficult! Also... you might be able to use the tracker, but you will need mavlink telemetry coming from the plane during the flight, and you will have to put the goggles on the tracker! :D
Briliant!
You make full wireless AAT!
IMHO, when I disassemble the crossbow mini, a standard size servo(not exactly, or mini size) inside of it, with gear reduction.
Yes, it is a servo... I was mistakenly thinking this one had the stepper motors... when in fact it was the bigger one that is $999!
@@ArxangelRC Thanks for information!
$999 AAT has really smooth movement!
Stepper motors FTW! :P
Good review been putting off getting a tracker now might bethe time.
It is a good deal! :)
Both movements are servos. One of the guys in the Facebook group opened his up. There was a servo inside.
How can a. Servo move that fast
@@killingfields5853 its geared. There are plenty of fast servos on the market. Especially the high voltage servos. Open the case up and you will see its a blue servo. No stepper motor inside.
Yes, there is a geared servo in there! I was mistakenly thinking of the larger one... because it does have stepper motors and is more powerful!
@@ArxangelRC they originally stated it had a stepper motor on pan but not tilt. They changed it.
OK, sure! I do remember something like that, yes!
Awesome video 👍 please do a follow-up video of how to use a Bluetooth module.
I will when I get to it! :)
I'm wondering if I could getr this working on a betaflight/inav not only with analog but also with hdzero systems??
If you can feed it Mavlink GPS data in some way, it should work.
@@ArxangelRC Thanks but I went with a Sentinel that can track using GPS or using RX telemetry link..
@@battano Cool! Good luck! :)
Outstanding video n the fact that they (manufacturer) listened to .. SOOOO WHEN IS YOUR NEXT LONG RANGE FPV USING YOUR LATEST COMPONENTS ??? . AT LEAST 2 HOURS LONG OK
Hahahahahahaha, well... not sure about the 2 hour thing... but I am working on the LONG part... should be a video out soon!
@@ArxangelRC
Right on buddy. Keep up the great work !!!
Will do, thanks!
Definitely getting this 👌
Awesome!
@@ArxangelRC I already ordered it and a few other things. Hopefully, I'll have it setup for next weekend. I plan to fly around a few small mountains in New York. Can't wait to test it out!
So... did you test it?
@@ArxangelRC Not yet. I was definitely overzealous when I thought I'd have it ready for the weekend! Anyway, I wasn't sure how I wanted to setup my ground station. I decided to go with Rob Thomson FPV's RAPIDFIRE | DOCK KING | LZR
setup. However, instead of using the LZR antenna setup I will be using two ORT 6 turn helical antennas. I'm still putting this all together and figuring out how I am going to set it up so unfortunately I won't be able to scratch this itch just yet. I have to say so far I'm impressed with the build quality of the MFD Crossbow Mini.
Glad to hear that! I am certain you will figure it out! Good luck! :)
Thanks a lot for your knowledge sharing. So i dont understand someone who unlike .... :)
Well... different people, different ideals! :)
Hi I purchased the telefly tiny chip to accompany the mini crossbow aat. I cannot seem to get the system working correctly. can you show and explain how to connect the entire system or I can send all devices and parts to you to put together and I can pay you for that service. thanks
How did you try to get it working?
Thank you for the video. This will be my Christmas present.
Do you think it will be possible to upgrade the tilt servo to carry more weight?
Congratz then! I am not sure about that! People have tried to do that on the old tracker... and the results weren't good, because the settings of the tracker, for movement, etc., are for this servo... changing to another one would require a change of the params, and I am not certain you have access to that! One of the reasons why this system works well and has very little complaints... it is not open to freely tune and modify it!
Nice arxangelrc I always watch all your videos and in the last year I've built my airplane and multirotor fleet up to 15 multirotors and 7 airplanes. Lately I've had a bit of bad luck crashing my planes and I've decided to take a break from flying them while I work on fixing the mistakes I originally made with them and in the meantime since I'm really good at flying the multirotors I went and got 4 different dji bnf's that are coming in the next week so I'm excited for those and will be making some cool new videos using them. Thanks for making your videos they have helped me so much I wish I lived next door to someone as smart in all this stuff as you are lol it would help me be much more successful in what I really want to do which is just fly all day and build less. Is there a way I can communicate with you via messenger or some other way? I'm willing to pay someone for helping me with my planes so if that's a option you give to followers let me know.
Hey, yes, you can contact me on Facebook, I will try to help you as much as I can! :)
Just clicked those links and dropped a few hundred $ on some of this gear. Hope it works out and hope you get your $
Thanks mate, really appreciate it! :)
@@ArxangelRC Quick question. Have you ever flown with the FeiYu Tech WG2X Wearable Gimbal mounted on one of your planes?
I have with the first version... have not yet mounted the WG2X on the plane... but will soon do... should be OK!
@@ArxangelRC I have used it and noticed if I banked the plane sharply the WG2X would suddenly go nuts. Often causing the gimbal to switch the camera to an inverted position. Any suggestions on how to prevent it?
Well... don't bank suddenly and keep the turns shallow... have not flown with it yet... so not sure what to tell you! I've not observed this behaviour on the ground though!
I use a Fy-41-AP Lite and would like to buy such a tracker, but I have some doubts:
1 - What will I need to use this tracker with my Fy-41AP?
2 - Will I need to have another GPS connected to Telefly?
3 - Will I be able to use with 5.8 ghz and 1.2 ghz systems?
1 - in addition to the tracker you will also need this module on the plane - www.myflydream.com/products/d-0/348.html along with a GPS module! Video signal should go through it, so it can encode the tracking data in the video!
2 - Already answered above
3 - Any analogue video system will work!
Great video. Thanks
Thank you! :)
@@ArxangelRC I just got one 4 years later. 😂
@@NOXFPV Haha, well its still up to date, I still buy these for various projects, the mavlink compatibility make it quite useful!
Would it be possible to have an antenna tracker ON the plane itself, and instead of having the ground station track the antenna, the antenna tracks the ground station? There does not seem to be that function on ardupilot but could you use ROI tracking and have a high gain antenna mounted to a gimbal instead of a camera?
The main benefit would be simplicity, as it would be as easy as inputting the ground station's coordinates and it shouldn't require anything else to be done.
Well in theory it should work! In practice... the amount of drag that this will produce will be huge! Also... the servos on the tracker may not be able to adequately handle an antenna at higher speeds, plus you'd be adding a good amount of weight to the plane, unnecessarily weighting it down and further reducing the flight time, in addition to the increased drag! Perhaps on a very large plane it may be better, but in general would be a pain to install it and make sure it doesn't get damaged on every landing!
@@ArxangelRC I was thinking maybe inside of the cargo bay of a decently-sized plane. I am probably wrong but it almost seems as if you could fit a small high gain patch antenna with a compact servo assembly inside of the flying dragon (I watched your video on it and boy does it have room to spare), eliminating the issues with drag and servo strength. Perhaps if the gimbal were soft mounted it would be able to withstand hard landings.
Another possibility for extending range that I was pondering was maybe using relays.
Two people could fly two aircraft out, one made for regular long range flying and one (the relay plane) with an FPV receiver and transmitter for the sole purpose of relaying fpv feed from the long range plane to the ground. Once the planes nears their FPV range limit, the relay plane powers on its vtx and the ground station connects to its band/frequency, extending the range of the long range plane by several kilometers and allowing you to fly at lower altitudes in the other side of a mountain.
Perhaps this idea could be put in tandem with the air-based AAT concept and an additional AAT on the ground, effectively multiplying the already huge range provided by a single AAT system. The relay plane also wouldn't need an FPV system, as the airwaves would already be congested enough and the extra space could be used by an airborne AAT. The relay plane's telemetry could be viewed using DragonLink's MAVLink function connected to Mission Planner.
This is all just a fantastical idea of mine and I am just curious to see if it were possible (and if it were, my wallet wouldn't allow it) and what you think of it.
@@David-gk8yg Well... in theory anything is possible! Using another plane as a relay is also an option... though more for flying behind close by hills, etc., not so much longer range because it would have to circle mid way between you and the other plane, doing a whole lot of retranslating and tracking... it would need two trackers on board - one to track the ground, another to track the other plane! All of this would get way too cumbersome and complicated fast... and I doubt it can be done on a budget. It can be done if you want... but it definitely sounds to me like something I would like to stay away from! :D
@@ArxangelRC Thank you for your feedback! I was just contemplating the idea, but yes, it does seem like a huge mess which could probably just be resolved with 4G LTE if I really wanted the range. Speaking about that, I am curious to hear your thoughts on that. Have you ever considered using 4G video transmission on your long range flights? Video transmission range would not ever be a problem, and you could theoretically fly for multiple times the distances you fly as of now, as battery life would be the only issue. I've heard 4G systems also support mavlink 2-way communication, so should your dragonlink fail to provide the range you want (which seems unlikely, but I guess that really depends on how far you are going) you could theoretically pilot your plane via the joystick function on QGC or MP. Also would add a nice bit of redundancy should your radio fail for any given reason since you can operate the plane from MP using the joystick. The only issues I see with it are price (since you need to pay for mobile data and the hardware), latency, and coverage (I don't know how well 4G would reach when you fly at several kilometers of altitude in your area)
@@David-gk8yg Haha, well you can be absolutely sure that at a few kms up in the air that 4G module would be useless! Mobile network antennas are aimed down at the ground, not up! You may perhaps get some sort of signal up to 1km... even though I doubt that, but I wouldn't count on it for altitude! This would be OK for low altitude long range, but only if the areas have it, which is usually in highly populated areas, which are the ones you aim to avoid! For mapping models, which fly relatively low, it would be OK, especially the ones working over cities, but I have my doubts about its applicability for rural flying locations! We will see! A friend has been asking me to test one that he has developed... might as well do it on my new build! :)
good video and great tracker. But you don't calibrate the compass correctly. The instructions say Click the right button to execute a compass calibrate the compass of the tracker.
Before doing that please make sure the tracker is locked on the tripod well.
It takes about 20 seconds to finish the calibration. You can ignore the parameters showing on the screen during the procedure. In other words, there is no need to turn the tracker during calibration!!
Well... I calibrate how MFD have told me to... and besides... I've never seen a compass that should be calibrated by NOT moving it...!?!?!?
V nice video - do you have instructions on how to connect the tracker to a Bluetooth module on a radio?
I don't, have not done it on this one, so can't really comment.
great! thanks
👍🤗
Its this tracker compatible with inav. I use maytek flight controllers with crossfire and use inav version 4.1
The tracker is compatible with any analogue video system as long as you have the air module from MFD to go along with it. Flight controller does not matter.
Great video, as always.
Can I ask, why you went down the tracker with 5.8 route rather than a fixed pepper box or similar on 1.2? Both need ground stations and relays, wouldn’t the later be easier? I’m at the edge of my true air X2 range and sick of craning my neck so trying to decide “where to next”!
Well... we have a very nice radar tower atop of the mountain I live next two, and it pretty much messes up most 1.2Ghz systems pretty good. Also... I definitely am not a fan of the size of the antennas... and I do like to go around, which means if I didn't have a tracker I would have to be moving the antenna manually, and that is just something I do not want to be engaged with during a flight! You can put a 1.2G system on a tracker... no issues there, should work even better!
Why haven’t you reviewed the skyhunter 1800?
Well... I don't know... never had a liking for it enough to get one! :)
Great stuff! Pretty sure I'll be investing in the MFD Crossbow Mini Antenna Tracker before summer comes around 😁 Btw, I couldn't find much documentation of the MFD TeleFlyTiny OSD -- any idea how well it would work when connected to a Pixhawk? Cheers
It doesn't actually connect to the flight controller! You just wire the video through it, and feed it the Tx wire from the GPS module so it would see the coordinates, for the tracking! Now they have a firmware that supports Mavlink... meaning you can feed it the Tx wire from the Mavlink output on the Pixhawk, and it will get the tracking GPS data from there, and you can even use it as THE osd for the Pixhawk, instead of the MinimOSD! :)
Hi, I can't cope with the correct operation of the ATT Crossbow mini from MFD. The device works and shows the number of satellites and vLink on the display.
The problem is that it does not follow the model and after connecting the AAT to the 3S power supply, the servo moves up and stays that way.
I will add that the internal module in the model is TeleFlyTiny and is correctly configured in ODS.
Thank you very much for your help.
Have you trimmed the pitch and calibrated the compass? TFTiny and tracker set to same VBI version?
@@ArxangelRC When I set pitch n to the value I'm interested in and choose save & exit, "Failed" appears. The compass is of course calibrated and selected in OSD / Menu TFTiny on VBI v2 as well as in AAT VBI v2. Generally, thanks that you wrote back because your material is very helpful, material about MFD Mini AAT.
I found a problem, I have a damaged electronic component.
It's probably a MOSFET MT14 ???? the rest is illegible. I broke down ...
@@szczery_fpv I see... that component is in the tracker?
@@ArxangelRC Yes, it is responsible for the YAW axis. and to see its name, unfortunately you have to open the tracker. I can send you a photo, but I don't know if I can send it to the e-mail address provided on RUclips?
Is there possibly to sort out minimum working set, to cofigure and fly?
Well in theory it should just need a compass calibration, and tilt end point calibration, and then it should be able to work, given all wiring is done right.
@ArxangelRC thank you. It's great that somebody answered. I bought just mini crossbow. I'm sure it's not enough. Do i need MORE devices? May be tiny , maybe any others?
@@user-vx8xf8sm9j Well it depends, what do you want to use it with? If you are going to bw running an analogue FPV system you will need the TFTiny, yes. If you will be using a digital one, and it can carry and output mavlink telemetry, you can do without the TFTiny.
Finally the video about next purchace l must do! Hehe. The only problem is ordering this. With banggod l will not have customs fees and long time expecting this after customs. Any chance have this strait to my house like banggod or have this at Banggood or Gearbest? Thanks
You will have to ask MFD about this, I have no idea! I know they use DHL or EMS... and if they declare a low value... this is a small box... DHL should be able to get it through without getting stuck at customs!
Thanks for the video. May I ask if we are already using the MFD crosshair auto pilot do we still need the mini module tracker on board? I note on your video when your showed the MFD crosshair there is no mention of the module tracker. Is it already built in?
Hi, yes, if you are using any of the MFD autopilots, you do not need the TeleFly boards, the autopilot handles that function itself!
thanks so much for all the info. only one thing about your videos; How do you manage to talk without any pause for SSOOO LONG? It is not easy to catch up with you especially most of the info is technical facts, numbers etc. I wish you were a little bit slower...
Thanks! Hahahaha, well I edit the audio, to make it sound better and to remove all the pauses and mistakes! Else these videos would be twice as long and a lot more boring!
I switched over to Matek F765 for my Crosswind Mini. Want to run this tracker. I'm using Dragonlink V3 slim, Yaapu on my Horus. So to run this tracker I need the telefly tiny in the plane sharing the GPS TX wire? I also need a video receiver on the tracker? I've learned a lot from your vids. Just made donations to you as well. Thanks
Thanks mate, appreciate it! Yes, TFTiny in the plane, listening in on the Tx wire from the GPS unit, and a video receiver on the tracker end, to receive the video! There is also an option to feed the tracker the Mavlink data directly, say from the Dragonlink via bluetooth, but I've found that usually my video link goes much further than the telemetry link...
Did you ever test viewing the plane's location on a map with a Bluetooth module? Thought that would be a nice addition to a ground station! I have been trying with an HC-05 module with no luck as of yet.
I have done it but with the older tracker, the original one! Have not tested it on the Mini yet! Was working pretty well with the old tracker, just need to setup the params of the bluetooth correct!
Great vid mate, very informative, whats the best antenna on the plane for the MFD linear patch, can you use a RHCP omni?
You can use RHCP omni... but it will have some signal degradation because of the different polarities! On the plane... ideally some well tubed di-pole linear antenn!
do you use the MFD Fac with this tracker?
Did you make any videos using the tracker with any other FC?
I have a review of the MFD Crosshair autopilot, and of course it was made using this tracker! All my other videos, where I always use a tracker... were made using ArduPlane based autopilots. So it works in all cases!
I can't get the GPS data linking with the Mini Crossbow. Using 1.3G and crystal clear video as well as the teleflytiny connected properly and UBX GPS recognised I can see everything in the OSD and I have crystal clear video but 0 GPS sats and 0% vlink
Well... either your Crossbow Mini or TeleFlyTiny are not set to the V2 data link! Check the settings on each and make sure they are both set to work on the V2 protocol!
Just in case: try it outside where you have very good gps lock. Your teleflyltiny also needs to be 10m+ away from the tracker while moving it for a test.
Did you do the compass calibration and homepoint-setup? (press left button for 3s to enter tracker settings and/or press right button on tracker for 3s to set homepoint)
Do not have any other device (e.g. DVR) connected between your Video-RX VideoOut and the trackers VideoIn. It might kill the tracking datastream.
Check the teleflytiny manual to get access to its settings. It needs t be set to a corrosponding data link (V2 or V1 need to be equally set on the tracker and the telefyltiny to make them talk, V2 recommended). MFD just released new manuals (still not complete but more info...), maybe check them
@@Slash7FPV worked out to be an issue with splicing the Tx out from the MN8 GPS on the wing. Ended up having to install a dedicated GPS just for the Telefly Tiny board..
As long as it is working! Glad you figured it out! :)
How are you friend;
I use a Taranis X9D Plus with L9R Receiver and Fy-41AP Lite controller, use 5.8 and also 1.2 ghz, what will I need to use this antenna on my FPV system?
Is it ready to use?
You need the tracker unit, and the TeleFly Tiny module, which goes in the plane, before the Vtx, so it can send GPS coordinates of the plane to the tracker on the ground!
Any tips I’m about to set up my mini crossbow. I use crossfire as radio link and maytek f/c also I would like to use as mobile unit any suggestions or tips would be helpful thank. Seems fairly straight forward hope to hear back in the mean time gonna read manual
Well there is nothing special about it really!
Just connect everything up and give it a try, it should work. Just do a pitch trim and compass calibration at the field, and you should be good.
Hi, been loving your videos on Crossbow Mini, can I ask your advice please? I'm fitting a TBS Yagi FPV 2G4 and a TBS Crossfire 868Mhz Yagi, do I need to have a specific clearance distance between these two antennas on the mount or does it not matter? Thank You :-)
Well... it is always a good idea to put some distance between antennas... especially since one is receiver, other one is transmitter... so the more separation you can give them... the better!
How are you, congratulations on the video.
Thank you! I am doing well! You?
great video! any chance you will be doing a review of the large crossbow antenna tracker? i would be really interested in it despite the hefty price tag...
Well... no idea at this time... like you said... hefty price... kinda hard to swallow at this time!
Hey Arxangel,
Do I have to see their OSD? I would like to use the iNav OSD but use the module. Would that work?
Tank you very much :-)
following I like my Inav Osd。Can this teleflymini's OSD overlay on top of FC Inav's OSD and still track it position?
@@kenc4373 Ok, so a quick look into the manual answered our question: There is a button for the 3 Video Modes - Pal/NTSC/NoOSD.
A bit embarrassing that I didn't look it up myself before posting, but at least now you know too ;-)
So, I'm seriously considering to get me one!!!
@@johnnyrocket3200 So what you mean is we can pick NoOSD on Teleflymini module. then keep using the Inav's OSD and still get the tracker working as design?
@@kenc4373 Yes, I absolutely think so.
Check the manual for the Teleflymini. It's just 3 pages. :-)
You dont have to use the telefly osd. You dont even have to use the telefly. You can feed mavlink to pin 1 on right plug. Like using full size crossfires bluetooth to an hc05 module. The hc05 module tx pin to pin 1 of antenna tracker. Then bluetooth ground to pin 4 of right plug. Power the bluetooth from a bec or use the 5v out from the left plug. Just remember that the logic is 3.3v. Do not use 5v logic on the rx and tx pins of the tracker. It will fry it. You can use other things to feed it mavlink as well. Its supposed to accept other telemetry types, but haven't tested them.
Friend, this tracker antenna can be used with 1.2 ghz or only 5.8 ghz?
Does it already have an internal 5.8 ghz receiver?
I already have FPV system what will I need to use this antenna?
I use a Taranis X9D Plus radio with L9R is it compatible?
The radio has nothing to do with this, and this is not an antenna... this is a tracker! You put an antenna and a receiver on it, of your own choosing! So it will work with whatever system you put on it.
Great review! Are you on 5.8 for both your tracker rx and your relay tx? If so are you spacing frequencies or just relying on mixing polarization? I'd be interested to know if you're still getting good results just by mixing antennas.
Yes, 5.8 for both! Plane to tracker is A3, tracker to monitor is A8, seems to give me very good results, in addition to using different polarisation antennas on both systems!
Sweet! I figured it would work in theory, but you're the first person I've seen stay on 5.8, others didn't take the extra step and use opposite polarization. Thanks for posting!
Works a treat for me, hope it does for you too! :)
I just got this system and was so excited, but I have tried 3 days now and still cant get the telefly tiny to send data back to my crossbow mini :( I have video and was able to set gps but i cant get it to work ugh...
Set GPS? Can you see a GPS count on the tracker display? If yes, then it should work. Do you set home point?
@@ArxangelRC I have resolved the issue thanks for the reply.
@@nitrosomniak Awesome, glad to hear that! 🙂👍
@@ArxangelRC my next challenge is to get mavlink data pass through from Bluetooth to my Crossfire so I can track my malksnail digital video 😁
@ArxangelRC Sorry to bother you again. Would You suggest telefly Mini over mavlink for distance on the tracker?
Great video! How can I connect this to my crossfire micro tx v1 for telemetry?
I am not familiar with the Crossfire system, so can't really say! :(
checking here that this can be used to track satellites?
Perhaps... if you can feed it satellite positioning data via Mavlink for instance, in a format it can understand, it should point in that direction.
Can i use this with the crossfire telemetry? I have the big crossfire with bluetooth.
You should be able to, but it works with mavlink! You need to connect a bluetooth module to it, for it to work with the Crossfire!
Just wondering if you're going to be doing a video on Mavlink with the crossbow mini anytime soon?
Hmmmm... seems to be quite the hassle to get that working properly... I am still unsure I want to deal with that mess! Also... as far as I've seen from my experience with telemetry links... my video far outreaches the telemetry channel, so I tend to stay with the OSDs!
Would the screened ones support the weight of a 1.2 ghz patch antenna?
Screened ones?
so rad!!! wonder if i can get my dji spark to Antarctica with this lol
Hahahaha, not sure how it can work for DJI copters...
Let me ask you a question if I use a siyi hm30 do I need a mfd osd in my model or can the crossbow use the data from the siyi hm30
It will use the Mavlink data from the HM30, you do not need anything else. :)
Hi mate ,
This a great tracker for shore. I run Matek boards also just got F765, I run INAV , will my fc's work with
these boards without extra module or not .Thanx Bob
Yes, you need the TeleFlyTiny board and it will run with any autopilot or even without one, as long as you have a GPS connected to it!
where can i find such plate 3d printed for this antena to put on tracker?
What plate?
I just received mine and had it set uo within the day. It was running fine and suddenly the tracker went from its normal horizontal position to face straight up and track in the opposite direction. I contacted myflydream but I have not had an answer yet in 3 days. I have check the manual but I could not find any answer. Do you have any ideas what could have happened. I have had my original AAT for 5 years and it never had a problem like it.
Hey, have you calibrated the compass? Did MFD reply? Usually they do take more than 3 days to reply... sadly! I have not yet experienced that on mine... but pretty much all of my settings are default!
@@ArxangelRC Thanks for getting back. its all default with the exception of the Compass / GPS baudrate and my V1 trackers. I was able to resolved the pan and tilt after trying to RESET and inputing the few changes until "I tried not giving it video feed while I was calibrating the end points of the pan and tilt." Vicky answered on the 3rd day and I told her what I did via a video regarding the pan and tilt problem but I still had the the mini crossbow tracking in the opposite direction. Another 2 two days of emailing and trying things out on my own passed she came back and said with an "illustration" that the Compass / GPS unit arrow must point forward or out towards the front. I told her that info and diagram should had been added to the online manual. I honestly did not even see that arrow on all the days I was working on it and "again it was working properly for me on the first hours" until I swapped batteries to it as it was getting low. So I took the mini crossbow out and flipped the Compass / GPS and the problem went away. Again thank you for the time in getting back. I appreciate all your video.
@@01VIPER27 Awesome, glad you fixed it! Good luck, and I hope there will be no more issues with this!
Thank you for the video! What 21 decibel patch are you using?
I think it is linked in the video description, it is from MFD, sold on their website!
ARx can i power the tiny teley with 7 to 9v or does it have to be 12v like in the manual
Yes, that is actually the recommended voltage to run it off.
Hello. I have a problem. Please ask if the direction of the antenna And the opposite plane where to fix. Thank you.
Hi... not sure I understand what you are asking... :(
Great video, how are you getting your video signal to the goggles or monitor after the crossbow
A 5.8ghz video relay with a 5mW Vtx and LHCP antennas!
I can't access the menu on my teleflytiny, just comes up "setting/home"and nothing else happens when I press vid button?
it detects GPS OK, shows coordinates on the OSD. but no link on mini crossbow? what camera are you using?
I use a multitude of cameras, but pretty much all of them are FPV cameras - RunCam and a few Foxeers.
Can the AAT be connected to a Bluetooth module to view the data on the smartphone? Thank you
Yes, it can!
@@ArxangelRC That's good to know! Thank you
Can I purchase any bluetooth module or has to be from myflydream?
I think I've seen people talking about using some other bluetooth modules, just programmed correctly for this!
As always! Great post. I've been debating for some time now on this. I just ordered both the tracker and tinyOSD using your links. Many thanks. One quick observation: I'm guessing you are turning off the OSD on the TinyOSD in order to avoid the overlay of OSDs from Flight Controller and TinyOSD?
Thank you for the support, really appreciate it! Yes, I have the TeleFlyTiny OSD overlay turned off! :)
@@ArxangelRC Hello. Do you have posted anywhere a wiring diagram for the TeleflyTiny module? I received my shipment from MFD but I cannot get the OSD to work. I've followed all the instructions from MFD's website but the module is still not operational. I've tried the 7-9v as well as the 12v (yes it does get hot). Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Well... I don't have a wiring diagram because the TeleFlyTiny manual on the MFD website is pretty adequate... not operational in what way? You sure you are feeding the video into the correct port?
ArxangelRC That’s for your reply. I’ve contacted MFD and determined I have a bad unit. I received a replacement and seems to work now. I still have to interface it with the antenna tracker but at lease I finally have a working unit to test it.
@@AlexanderPerez-oe1gu Awesome! Making it work with the tracker should be easy! They just both have to be set to work on the same protocol V1 or V2, can be programmed from the menus!
I want to buy MFD AAT .but i am confused in thos product What is the difference between previous AAT and crossbow mini and big crossbow AAT
This one is the new Mini and improved version, latest tech! The old one has unlimited 360 degrees of rotation... but it does have some drawbacks... such as fragile servos and the sheer bulk of it! And the $999 one... it can haul a much heavier antenna... and if I am not mistaken... it does also have unlimited 360 degree rotation!
Still waiting for MFD to incorporate some accel / decel slew ramps so it’s not so jerky...
Well... will pass it on! :)
Great video but I have problems. I see the number of GPS sats and I ha VLink, but I get no video on my monitor. Any idea what could be happening?
That is pretty limited information to make a guess as to what might be the issue! So far all that is clear is that your receiver is getting the video, and the tracker is getting valid packets from the module in the plane... how is the tracker connected to your monitor?
@@ArxangelRC thanks so much for responding. I had the pins connected one off. It's working now.
Awesome! :) Glad you figured it out!
Question on this. Does the iNav OSD work with the tracker or do you still need the OSD module ?
You need the module!
I cannot find anything that shows how to connect teleflytiny to the crosshair fc. i mean there is no documentation or support that i can find
Yes, because with the MFD Autopilot, you DO NOT need to use the TeleFly OSDs... the Autopilot supports the tracking protocol and encodes the necessary data in the video stream as it passes through it!
Should there be a light on the telefly tiny when powering on,
Mine is just heeting up, and no light,
I am only powering it of 8 volts
Hmmmmmm... not sure... I think there should be a blinking light if all is good... perhaps...
Any idea why mine isnt tracking? It does move a little, twitch sometimes like its lost. The tiny is tapped into the planes gps. I set home point when theres enough gps n send the plane up. Im guessing if the tracker displays gps then everything should work fine? I tried compass calibration both rotating yhe tracker n not rotating the tracker, calibrate all the way up and set at 90° then all way down n set to 0°. I noticed that the tracker display sometimes read (0) sattelites.
Hmmmmm... hard to tell like this! You've done the calibrations... are you sure both TFTiny and tracker are set to same VBI setting? Also... how is it wired to the GPS unit?
@@ArxangelRC found out the problem, i miswired the powered wire. It kinda works now but it still doesnt track good. I didnt know the types of cameras being used in the plane can influence the tracker, (to track better or not at all) Anyways ive bought the bluetooth hc05 since im using the crossfire module with Bluetooth. Hopefully i can get that to work and the mini to track better with that n not having the need for the telefly tiny.
@@theinnocent714 Right, well I didn't know cameras can affect it because I haven't seen that issue here, but some people have reported it! In fact feeding telemetry via bluetooth will sort this issue out, IF this is the problem!
Hello, i have a question and I hope that you can help me. I want to buy the ranger2000 but i am a little bit confused. You said that you are cruising with the stock Motor on about 5 amps. But 5 amps produces only three hundred Gramm Lift according to the data sheet. But for a 1.5 Kilogramm plane this is not enough or? Do you think it makes sense to get a low KV Motor and a eleven inch prop. I would have to build the Motor mount a little bit higher but maybe this would be more efficient for long range. What do you think about this?
Yes, this would be more efficient... and I have learned not to trust graphs of static tests... or theoretic estimations even a long time ago! After take off... if you only need to cruise along... you don't need that much thrust actually... it takes very little effort to push the plane along, because of the wings... they carry the load... unlike a copter, so you need less thrust to actually make it move!
Doesn't betaflight and inav already had gps data in vbi?
In what way?
Im fairly new to long range and I want to squeeze the most out of my 5.8Ghz FPV and 2.4Ghz RC systems. Right now I cant seem to squeeze any more than a few hundred meters out of the setup. Do you have advice on a good FPV TX and antenna setup for the TX and RX? I am thinking about a TBS Triumph on the TX and RX along with a 6 turn helical antenna on my RX
Oh and for VTX I am thinking a TBS 500mW HV
Yeah, as far as I know the TBS gear is solid! I use a simple pagoda on the Vtx, and a triple feed patch: bit.ly/Triple-Feed-Array on the receiver, seems to work quite well!
Hello, I've managed to get it all to work (receiving Vlink and GPS sats using the crossbow mini and TeleflyTiny OSD) but am having a bear of a time with one issue: The moment I turn on my fpv camera (Runcam Swift 2 and also tested with Runcam 2 Mobius type) the crossbow loses vlink and all gps. I'm feeding it all through a Matek F-405 Wing flight controller running ArduPilot. Have you experienced this issue with losing the link the moment you turn on the fpv camera? With just the FC OSD and no camera picture, it all works perfectly (receiving Vlink and sats). Is there something special with the camera wiring I need to be aware of?
Hmmmm... that is weird! I have not experienced such a problem before! Perhaps... can you try and change the VBI levels in the tracker menu... while the camera is running... either up or down... see if that changes anything!
please do a video on the crosshair ap and the io board
Yes, that is on the TO DO list! :)
is it really good tracker and the panel antena?
Yup, works good!
Where did you buy the antenna tracker? I purchased mine direct with MFD and been 2 weeks and no shipping. Seems no one home
Yes, I got it from MFD! That is weird... perhaps they don't have it in stock... or something?
@@ArxangelRC got it now and works awesome 🤙🤙🤙🤙
Perfect! :)
Would this be useful for longrange hd fpv? I havent invested in any hd equipment yet due to limited range and weight but just a thought for my future hd equipment.
It can be used, but then you would have to feed it tracking data from data radio telemetry, for instance mavlink, won't be able to go through the HD video link, but it can be done! :) Also, I've seen people go over 20kms on OpenHD! :)
@@ArxangelRC thanx for the response
@@theinnocent714 You are welcome! :)
Question, would it be possible to bind two MFD trackers to the same mfd module so two trackers are tracking the same plane?
There is no binding, as long as both modules can receive a video signal with the tracking data in it, both will be able to decode it and follow the plane.
-Whats the setup in the film at 1.00 min into the mini
Its the two options for the air module. Bigger one is the older unit, smaller one is the newer, but both work good.
Arx what do I do to get gps working checked the power it’s good have tx for gps split to the yellow rx on the tiny but now gps stop working. And is the a spot to get replacement telefly tiny cables
Hey, sorry for the delay! Do you have a common ground between the GPS and the TeleFly? Meaning, are they powered from the same battery? As for spare cables, just find the proper pin number ones on Aliexpress...
@@ArxangelRC hey Arx thanks for going back for some reason i get a Vlink 100% just seem like its not reading my GPS i am using a separate GPS even when i do a Detecting mode on the teley using a bn220 and do you ever experience any fading in out with the video
Forget it i got it man thanks man
Glad you figured it out! Fading in and out?
@@ArxangelRC everything sorted out thanks if you ever find out using Frsky S.port to the tracker let me know
I cannot get the telefly tiny to work,
I have managed to get it displaying its osd, but I cannot get the tracker tracking it.
Even when I have a video link the tracker still displays "V-link 0%"
Also, I bought the external gps module for the mfd crossbow mini, and for some reason it will never get any satalite lock, I have set the L braudrate to 115200bps And it still wont work. I am thinking of just buying the crosshair autopilot to go with the mini crossbow.
Also how am I meant to upate the firmware if I have an apple computer?
Somone please help
Have you made sure both the tracker and TFTiny are set to VBI version 2?
@@ArxangelRC Yes, I have made sure the tracker is set to version 2, but not the tftiny, although i have tried setting the tracker to v1
@@bertramheath1766 Sorry about replying so late... did you get it working?
@@ArxangelRC Hi there,
Not a problem!
Unfortunatly i have not managed to get it working,
so I am thinking to buy a mfd croshair autopilot,
but the menu looks a bit overwelming.
So am not to sure about buying it, but if it is guaranteed to work with the crossbow then I think it will be worth the money.
Thanks,
Bertie.
where is the mavlink connection video on this tracker
I have not tried this yet... so can't say... but it should go to one of the Rx ports on it! You can find the user manual on the MFD website, which also includes a pinout of the connectors!
Will this work with TBS crossfire?
This is for video!
What is a device like this used for?
To aim a highly directional antenna at your model, thus greatly increasing your radio/video range!
So is it possible to use with other OSD and fc like matek Wing 405?
Yes, one of the buttons on the TeleFly OSDs cycle through the OSD overlay... you can either have it on or off... this doesn't affect the tracking function and you can use it with ANY other OSD!
Will this work with a pixhawk cube or matek flight controller?
Yes, just need to add the TeleFlyTiny module ( www.myflydream.com/products/d-0/348.html ) to the video system, and plug in it a split of the Tx wire coming from the GPS
Will this work with Eagle Tree Vector Flight Controller?
Yes, but you need the TeleFlyTiny or Pro OSD modules.
Do you know if the tracker works with eagle tree fpv hub/vector?
I would bet it doesn't!
Can I use this with F765 FC?
And how to connect in FC please
Yes, you can use with any analogue video system! Make sure the video signal wire goes through the TeleFlyTiny module last, before hitting the Vtx.
@@ArxangelRC I received my unit.. I connect it as you recommend. I'm using Runcam2.. The problem I'm not getting the Vlink or GPS signal.. If only I switch the cam to wifi mode then I get the data!! But in normal mode it disappeared.. Any idea please?
Sooooo... the video works only if you put the camera in WiFI mode? That is weird... hmmmmm... but is the video coming through the tracker, without WiFi mode enabled?
@@ArxangelRC No it`s not..also the gps signal not coming if not in WiFi mode..
Very weird and I can't solve the problem..now I order another Camera to check and see if there is any change
@@redsharkss I've never had a camera that didn't work with the tracker or the OSDs! Getting another camera is a good way to verify where the issue is! I hope it turns out that was the problem... but still very weird that only with WiFi enabled it would start to work!
Is it possible to connect this antenna tracker and rapidfire? ? 🤔
If it has an analogue video output, it should work fine!
@@ArxangelRC rapid fire is googles module probebly vill be difficult to connect
Well... it should have an analogue video output for the goggles... so this is where you would connect the video IN from the tracker!
So what do I need in the model to make this track it?
Either the MFD Autopilot - www.myflydream.com/products/d-0/337.html
Or the TeleFlyTiny module - www.myflydream.com/products/d-0/348.html
I got my aat for 3 weeks, but somehow not working for me. I can’t get video out with Teleflymini module no matter how I try it. Do you have any contact information for MFD tech support? They don’t reply my email.
I will ask! You get black screen? How is it wired to the rest of the system?
@@ArxangelRC My wiring is almost the same as yours. Camera out-> TeleFlyMini Vin->TeleFlyMini Vout-> vtx vin. I even tried to debug the system by bypassing the TeleFlymini, then I can get the video signals from receiver. It seems to me that you have already estabulished good relationship with MFD to provide feedbacks to them. It would be great if you can share my issues with them. They are just not responding to my emails. Thanks
Thats pretty poor if they dont reply Yudio,its always left to others from most of these companys to fix these problems,i really feel for you in these circumstances,but at least you have a reply from Arx....
Sorry for the delay guys... MFD told me you should send email directly to these addresses:
Support1@myflydream.com
Admin@myflydream.com
They typically respond in 2-3 days... hope they sort it out... so it seems there might be some issue with the TeleFlyTiny... how have you wired it? Feeding everything with 1 battery?
ArxangelRC thanks for getting it back. They did replied my email eventually. The support from MFD is currently working on my issue now. Thanks again. Hope my module will be working soon.