3DR SOLO with REACH

@Yorke Did you ever get Reach going on your SOLO? If so how did you mount the antenna? I’m looking at similar options.

Cheers

Would also be very interested to see if this is something that can be done.

Thanks!

Wanted to post this here, DROTEK announced this today.

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Since this product has been brought up here I think that it is important to note that just having and RTK module onboard does not help with mapping precision. As noted before, it is very important to have camera synchronisation and appropriate software to process the event marks. It has been already proven by 3 independent companies that Reach system is able to deliver precise coordinates for mapping. Moreover, Reach offers logging, UI for settings, wireless connectivity and much more for less money. Reach also comes with a high performance antenna, while it is still unclear which antenna they are going to ship. Not even mentioning how active the community around the product is.

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Here is where I’m with my 3dr Solo project. My hardware consist of the following;

  • reach module with antenna mounted on a 4 in copper plate with rubber dampeners to help with vibrations;


    I still haven’t printed a mount for reach because I will probably want to power it using the accessory bay port and not 100% sure where I want it yet…working on that in the next couple of days

  • sony a5000 mounted on a 3d printed mount by Ian Soler from IMPConcepts

I don’t want reach interacting with solo pixhawk. I want reach to geotag the pictures that the camera will be taking probably using Timelapse App

I bought this cable thinking I could make it work with the reach, but I’m clueless as of if this will send the signal to the reach to be able to do send the signal when the picture is taken;

I ordered this today; Seagull UAV Map 2
that will trigger the camera thru pixhawk and mission planner, but probably have to buy an accessory bay board to be able to use it…still no connection to reach, unless somehow i could connect this trigger to reach and geotag the pictures that way.

Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Few pix if the “frankenrig”

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You could not get accurate geotag image due to a5000 doesn’t have flash hotshoe. So you could trigger your camera but you’ll never get camera feedback from this camera…
There is a topic on QX1 which explain it in detail on this forum. It’s the same way on qx1 !

Going the a6000 way would be more precise due to possible integration with hotshoe.

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Nice setup! Hotshoe tagging with reach can work with pixhawk-based systems to get precise geotagging.
http://tuffwing.com/support/reach_geotag_event_hot_shoe_cable.html
http://tuffwing.com/support/Reach_precision_gps_ppk_setup.html

Only problem with solo is the CAM_FEEDBACK feature was not added until APM:Copter3.4, and solo is stuck on a modified version of APM:Copter3.3. So the Solo has no way of logging precision camera fire times.

If anyone knows of a way to do this with the Reach, or another way to do this, please do share!

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Sorry for the long absence everyone, I had to put my SOLO/REACH RTK project on hold for a few months while I’ve been focusing more on the workflows of the data after its captured. We’ve been producing some amazing quality models with the Sony a6000 onboard the Solo and the sites I been flying had some great GCP’s and therefore didn’t require RTK. So I’ve been developing workflows for exploring the captured data along with design data in VR/AR/MR with the HTC Vive and HoloLens.
For those interested in the a6000 mount, I’m happy to share the files for printing in its current prototype state (version 0.7) and happy to get feedback while I work up to something worthy of being a Version 1.0! The other thing I hadn’t shared earlier is I had designed a base station for the REACH module which is also fully 3D printed. (Refer images).
However now with the newly launched Reach RS I think I might retire that design at V0.4 and run with the RS (If I can still get one at the launch price that is?)

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Great design !
Do you share the model of second picture ?

That is one mean design! Good job!
Please share the 3d printer file Simon!
Thanks in advance

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UMC-R10C_TM_C388100111.pdf (1.5 MB)

I use reach on my solo too! Would love the STL for the base you have

@Barry_McCreadie do you know of any way to purchase the SONY R10C?? I was under the impression it wasn’t a consumer product and was developed by Sony with/for 3DR?

@Scott_Walls @jmiranda @Sylvain_POULAIN sure thing, happy to share them. I just need to make some minor changes to the base of the base station first though. I’ve noticed that after 5 months the thin base has warped slightly during the fluctuating temperatures over summer. So for V0.5 I’ll add some ribs to give it extra strength.
I’ve optimized all parts on both the camera mount and base station to be printed without the need for any supports, so easy to print on any printer.

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Hi all. How long is the flight 3DR on one battery with the A6000? I want to buy solo for 3DR mapping to replace the Phantom 2. I will be glad to receive any information about the 3dr.

Not sure if that has been exclusively developed. I can get them as i am a reseller. They cost double what the QX1 does.

@Barry_McCreadie that’s great news. Where are you based? I’ll have to check if any Sony dealers here in New Zealand can get them. If not then I might have to see if I could get one through you to do some testing to compare with the a6000.

Simon, no worries, I am in the UK, shipping may be a prohibitive factor! I am expecting some feedback on stock this week. But i have to mention that for Kiwis we charge 4 times the price, just because your rugby team is so annoyingly good.

I’m interested in the a6000 mount print file as well.