Follow Basics

Flying Squirrel · Apr 25, 2016

OK...So I've never played with the Follow Me feature. After installing the update I read that Solo is able to "follow my phone's GPS"

How is the phone tethered? I am assuming the the mobile device is added in addition to the tablet/phone used for flight video feed ...

OK to mix operating systems? Droid table with iPhone mobile device?

Jubalr · Apr 25, 2016

Flying Squirrel said:
OK...So I've never played with the Follow Me feature. After installing the update I read that Solo is able to "follow my phone's GPS"

How is the phone tethered? I am assuming the the mobile device is added in addition to the tablet/phone used for flight video feed ...

OK to mix operating systems? Droid table with iPhone mobile device?

It's going to follow the tablet/phone you are using that is running the Solo app. Not another device at the same time. I played with the new leash mode some, seems to work well.

Pedals2Paddles · Apr 25, 2016

If the problem is you're using an iPad that doesn't have a GPS, you can't use Follow Me. You can't use another device with a GPS to supplement the iPad without one. The device running the App that's controlling the solo needs to have a GPS to use follow me. You might try getting an inexpensive bluetooth GPS and connect that to your iPad.

Flying Squirrel · Apr 25, 2016

I'm running iPad Mini 2 and Samsung Tab S ... both with GPS. I also have the iPhone 6

I watched a 3DR YouTube where Solo was "following" and the pilot was in a truck - following - and viewing a video monitor. Solo was tethered to the subject and the pilot was manipulating the controls for framing.

I was thinking -- Could I use the iPhone 6 to run the Solo app and then hand it to my subject ... then log into Solo with another device - Tablet - for video monitoring. This way The subject can slip the phone in their pocket and move freely ... Solo follows and I work the camera.

Jubalr · Apr 25, 2016

Flying Squirrel said:
I'm running iPad Mini 2 and Samsung Tab S ... both with GPS. I also have the iPhone 6

I watched a 3DR YouTube where Solo was "following" and the pilot was in a truck - following - and viewing a video monitor. Solo was tethered to the subject and the pilot was manipulating the controls for framing.

I was thinking -- Could I use the iPhone 6 to run the Solo app and then hand it to my subject ... then log into Solo with another device - Tablet - for video monitoring. This way The subject can slip the phone in their pocket and move freely ... Solo follows and I work the camera.

And the Solo would know which device to follow, how? If you have 2 devices logged in with the Solo app running, only the first device will have video. But you could probably give the device to the one to be followed then use the HDMI out on the controller for the live feed, but would be unable to alter the smart shot until you had the device back. But it would at lest allow you to do the follow shot.

SPP · Apr 25, 2016

FS,

Becareful, my iPad Air 2 also has GPS, but there is no menu in it to choose GPS only.
Unlike Samsung which you can choose GPS only and also with cell phone tower triangulation.
Cell phone tower triangulation is risky as its position drift is very far, 200 meters / 660 feet is not uncommon.

What I fear is, if iPad is used as positioning beacon ( also running Apps ), what happen if GPS blockage occured and then
iPad send cell phone tower triangulation to Solo and Solo hit something ?

I have a Bad Elf GPS Pro+, its very good I tested, hoping to use it to give my iPad Air 2 better GPS signal, however I am kinda worried if I need to run GPS apps to feed GPS data to Solo Apps. Will confict occur ?
Anyone ever use Bluetooth GPS on Apple and then use follow me mode ?

Thanks & sorry FS, not meaning to hijack your thread...

Pedals2Paddles · Apr 25, 2016

Putting the phone in your pocket would likely result in a poor GPS signal, and the Follow Me mode would stop, or not even start. If your phone can't get a decent GPS lock, the smart shots that rely on it will not work either. Also, the phone needs to remain within WiFi range of the controller. So technically you could give the phone someone and just use the HDMI video feed, but range would be very limited.

The bottom line is the system is not designed to do what you want. It is designed to have the phone/tablet with the controller, and both with the operator, and that is what it follows when using Follow Me modes. Doing anything else will be unreliable at best, and probably won't work very well.

franknitty69 · Apr 25, 2016

Flying Squirrel said:
I'm running iPad Mini 2 and Samsung Tab S ... both with GPS. I also have the iPhone 6

I watched a 3DR YouTube where Solo was "following" and the pilot was in a truck - following - and viewing a video monitor. Solo was tethered to the subject and the pilot was manipulating the controls for framing.

I was thinking -- Could I use the iPhone 6 to run the Solo app and then hand it to my subject ... then log into Solo with another device - Tablet - for video monitoring. This way The subject can slip the phone in their pocket and move freely ... Solo follows and I work the camera.

no you can't do that. the 1st connected device gets video and this device is what solo will follow in follow mode.

what you could do is connect an iphone to the solo wifi, switch to follow and give the iphone to your subject and then use the controller's hdmi to monitor.

the better option is to keep the iphone and have solo follow the truck with you inside, while you follow the subject using free look.

Pedals2Paddles · Apr 25, 2016

franknitty69 said:
what you could do is connect an iphone to the solo wifi, switch to follow and give the iphone to your subject and then use the controller's hdmi to monitor.

Adding to this, the person running around with the phone still needs to remain in WiFi range of the controller. And the phone needs a solid GPS lock. Putting the phone in your pocket might kill the lock.

Jubalr · Apr 25, 2016

You might putting a little too much in to the blocking power of a pocket. We follow subjects with phones in their pockets with no problem. I'm in a rock house right now with 9 sats locked. Certainly be worth trying just to see if it would work OK. It's not much difference from all those that put them in their backpack for following. Remember Colin's ATV video with the equipment in his backpack? At least give it a shot and report back..

timzee · Apr 25, 2016

Jubalr said:
You might putting a little too much in to the blocking power of a pocket.

While I tend to err on the side of caution, I agree that a pocketed GPS phone still seems to hang on to satellites just fine. For example, I use my Galaxy Note 4 with a bicycle GPS app. Sometimes during the ride I forget I'm logging the trip and put the phone in my pocket. I've gone for several hours with the phone in my pocket both inside & outside before I remembered it was still logging. Bring up the app and sure enough, there's every off-bike move I've made in all that time.

But OTOH I'm still not confident enough to risk my Solos-- at least without some further testing.

PdxSteve · Apr 26, 2016

Yeah my fitness apps use gps and have no problem accurately showing the path I run on the sidewalk while the S6 is in my pocket. I was really surprised at how good it was when I first saw that.

Pedals2Paddles · Apr 26, 2016

You might have a lock with it in your pocket. But how good is that lock? Is it a meter? 3 meters? 10 meters? Is it stable or drifting around? All of that is going to effect whether Solo can use it or not. Just because it can see 9 satellites doesn't mean it has a useful position lock off of them. It's not your pocket blocking it. It's your body. The quality of the position lock will change as you move, turn, etc. It's often accurate enough for non-precision stuff. But don't assume it will be perfect when you want a drone to aim at you.

PdxSteve · Apr 26, 2016

Well, It stays right on the sidewalk where I walk...so what...within 4 feet? The purpose is to map the entire walk or run. Even after an hour or two and 10 miles of "never seeing the sky" it's never been off more than a couple of feet (pretty much just like solo). I'd say it's pretty damn good. Is it precision enough for a missile attack? no lol.

Pedals2Paddles · Apr 26, 2016

Well I want to put a missile through a chimney, so it's not good enough for me! I've experienced it before, so I'm just warning folks their mileage may vary.

PdxSteve · Apr 26, 2016

luckily missiles don't need to be that accurate to do the job

Pedals2Paddles · Apr 26, 2016

That depends on the target. Putting a missile down a ventilation shaft into a bunker can greatly enhance the customer service experience provided by said missile