GPS Tracker advise

[Viking233]

it seems like good idea to have a tracker on the Q-500 in the event of a fly away. Does anyone have a recommendation. I've studied this and it's all over the place to include units that are counterfeit . Then you find a tracker with a few hundred reviews with very convoluted answers. You'll get 100 people that rate as 5 star then there 20 that hate the item. Saying horrible instructions, last 2 days, difficult to understand yet others write easy of operation. So the only place to get good info is in here.

 

[louisiana Drone Boy]

I have the

it seems like good idea to have a tracker on the Q-500 in the event of a fly away. Does anyone have a recommendation. I've studied this and it's all over the place to include units that are counterfeit . Then you find a tracker with a few hundred reviews with very convoluted answers. You'll get 100 people that rate as 5 star then there 20 that hate the item. Saying horrible instructions, last 2 days, difficult to understand yet others write easy of operation. So the only place to get good info is in here.[/QUOTE..i have the tk102b and they are very accurate..

 

[DroneClone]

Marco Polo or Trackmo's are the two main ones you can look at!

 

[louisiana Drone Boy]

Marco Polo or Trackmo's are the two main ones you can look at!

Tk102b a good one also..all you need is a sims card

 

[GRH]

it seems like good idea to have a tracker on the Q-500 in the event of a fly away. Does anyone have a recommendation. I've studied this and it's all over the place to include units that are counterfeit . Then you find a tracker with a few hundred reviews with very convoluted answers. You'll get 100 people that rate as 5 star then there 20 that hate the item. Saying horrible instructions, last 2 days, difficult to understand yet others write easy of operation. So the only place to get good info is in here.

Demunseed did a video review on the Marko Polo Tracking system earlier this year. Up to two miles tracking range LOS. Looks simple to use. I just received mine from acesdeals.biz but havn't tried it out yet.

 

[Viking233]

Thanks guys for your input . They seem light enough, only like 1.5 oz.

 

[davidnclearlaketx]

I've had great luck with the drone-mods UAV locator. When not using on the Q I put it in my older vehicle in case of my SUV getting stolen. Works perfect even inside a garage inside the car.
Drone Mods UAV Locator
INFO:
Features
* Standalone device powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion 1300 mAh battery that will last up to 12 days.
* Compact and lightweight; the device measures 2.6" L x 1.45" W x .75" H (67mm x 37mm x 20mm) and weighs only 53 grams.
* 6 months of service included for free!
* Carrier agnostic. Not forced to rely on a single carrier's network. Triangulates position using all available networks in the area.
* Includes a specialized SIM card that utilizes network hopping to ensure GPS coordinates can be retrieved 99% of the time.
* Two low-cost service plan options to keep your device activated after your free service period expires.
* SOS button for sending GPS coordinates on-demand. Useful if someone else finds your UAV before you do.
* Uses high sensitivity GPS and assisted GPS and operates on the GPRS/GSM network; accuracy range of 3 ft. to 150 ft.
* Thoroughly beta tested by volunteers on a number of popular UAV's: AR.Drone, RC Eye 450, DJI Phantom 1/2/3, Phantom Vision/Vision+, DJI F450, DJI S1000
* Very reliable even in rural or densely populated areas.
* Will not interfere with your UAV's onboard GPS systems.
* U.S. based phone number.
* Crash proof, non-magnetic, water resistant case.
* Two low-cost service plan options to keep your device activated after your 6 months of service expires.
* 1-year manufacturer's warranty
* FCC and CE certified device; RoHS compliant

The Drone Mods UAV Locator was featured in episode 2 of the Multirotor Magazine podcast. CLICK HERE to listen to the segment.

How it works
The Drone Mods UAV Locator is a small, lightweight, self-powered, standalone device that attaches to your UAV. If at anytime you need to retrieve the location of
your UAV, simply call the phone number assigned to your device. Within 15-60 seconds you will receive a text message and an email containing a Google Maps
link with the GPS (latitude/longitude) coordinates of the device. View an example of what you will see in Google Maps. A green arrow pinpoints the location of
your UAV on the map. Go to this location and look around for your UAV. Search within a range of 3ft to 150ft from the green arrow. The distance can vary by
how obstructed your UAV might be.

What makes the Drone Mods UAV Locator different than other GPS trackers?
Our device was specifically designed for locating and retrieving unmanned aerial vehicles in the event of a loss or fly-away. The SIM card used in the Drone Mods
UAV Locator does not rely on a single carrier's network. It utilizes all the networks available in the area to triangulate your UAV's position, much the same way the
police and fire departments do when you call 911. This means you can count on getting an accurate location every time you fly. Other devices can't offer the same
dependability and reliability the Drone Mods UAV Locator can.

 

[Gogittum]

it seems like good idea to have a tracker on the Q-500 in the event of a fly away. Does anyone have a recommendation. I've studied this and it's all over the place to include units that are counterfeit . Then you find a tracker with a few hundred reviews with very convoluted answers. You'll get 100 people that rate as 5 star then there 20 that hate the item. Saying horrible instructions, last 2 days, difficult to understand yet others write easy of operation. So the only place to get good info is in here.

My Q500+ flew out 300 ft a few weeks ago, then stopped answering the controls. It paused for about 20 seconds, then dropped straight down into a very rugged canyon with props still turning.

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I failed to find it with an intensive search, so went home and put the SD card from the ST10+ in my computer and went to telemetry. That wasn't working right (I've since de-bugged it to where it now gives full tracks of flights) but did give me a single location that plotted out on Google Earth to be about 300 ft from where I'd been standing.

Next day I entered that location into my GPS and it took me right to my drone. Phew ! ! ! Up till that point I'd been thinking of buying one of the aftermarket tracking devices myself, but now I figure, "why bother ??" Now I carry the little 11" laptop with me in my back pack in case the same thing happens again - I can get the quad's exact location on the spot.

This is apparently fairly common with Yuneecs. Mine has briefly - up to 20 seconds - failed to answer controls several times but that's been the only crash. So far....and I'm paranoid now. I've read of many similar experiences on the forum.

 

[Cranky Trapper]

Holy crap! Now I'm paranoid!

 

[Gogittum]

Holy crap! Now I'm paranoid!

You're about to get more so. 2 weeks ago I flew my Q500+ from my semi-rural front yard. After a fairly long flight I was out about 1400 ft and started it home. Then low battery warning went off and vibrated the ST10+ and blocked my screen. (Yuneec needs to modify that - how can you fly it home if you can't see it and can't see the screen ??) It got quite a bit further, then gave the heavy warning that battery was low and land immediately.

At that point things got pretty messed up and got fast changing screens warning about battery, GPS lock and video lock. I was very stressed at that point, too. Still showed video and it was moving, but distance readout remained at 716 ft. No controller input had any effect, including RTH. It had been out of sight against a brushy hillside and I stood there, frustrated and anxious.

After it became obvious that it was gone, I came in house and connected the ST10+ to my confuser and opened the telemetry. Last known GPS readout showed a location on a hillside in the gully NE of my house. Couldn't read the avc file from camera. I went there and covered a large area bush by bush and grass clump by grass clump, being sure to look in the tops of the very dense, tangled, 10 ft high Mountain Oak bushes.

I then zigzagged a swath 100 yds wide all the way home with no joy. Gone.

Then read the instruction on the forum to change the suffix of the avc file to mts. (can't remember the name of the poster, but thank you Very Much) Wonder of wonders, it worked, but video cut out abruptly at about the point I started it home and about 300 ft short of where GPS said it went down. Oh well, good try, but still gone.

That was Thurs. The following Tues I got a call from the police dept. A lady had found my drone in a corner of her yard, took it to police and they read my name and phone # from the plastic label I'd put on it. I went down there and retrieved it with many thanks to them and the honest lady. Her home is just over ½ mile NW of the last reported GPS location. It flew that distance on a supposedly pooped out battery. ?????

Video card in CG02+ showed the flight all the way to the crash. ????? It also showed that my control inputs of turning with left stick worked and tilting camera worked, but nothing else. It flew a steady, arrow straight descent to her yard. It barely cleared a busy road at about 6 or 8 ft elevation and crashed beside a rock wall, breaking just 1 prop. It's a miracle it didn't hit a car and/or cause a lawsuit.

This is my 1st actual flyaway, my 2nd crash due to unresponsive controls and 4th or 5th temporary pause in flight (up to ~20 seconds) with unresponsive controls. All but this last one were with plenty of battery and showing good lock on GPS and video. Since I've only made about ~15 or 20 flights total since owning it, this doesn't inspire me with huge confidence in the thing.

I do have the ST101 mod from CD and am trying to find out what mods to make to the drone itself (and CG02+ camera) for better range. The ST101 ~doubled (??) my range from ~600 - 800 ft to about ~1400 ft, but it's unreliable over 1000 ft. Jafo and others are getting 4000 ft+ range, apparently reliably. I'd sure like to see that for some of the video projects I have in mind.

 

[Jafo]

Look here:
Q500+ External Receiver antenna mod

And here:
Cgo2 | Cgo3 Camera Mod - Yuneec Q500+ Mods

It's very easy to do and you'll love it.
Let us know if you have questions.
Good luck,
Jafo

 

[Jafo]

Getting better with these Video Conversions

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[Cranky Trapper]

Ya gotta kinda wonder .... with the bird acting the way it does.... perhaps warranty to get a new one?

 

[Gogittum]

Ya gotta kinda wonder .... with the bird acting the way it does.... perhaps warranty to get a new one?

Good thought but not too likely. I bought it used from a friend (??) and am apparently the 3rd owner. Don't know if I dare sell it or not. :-(

 

[Gogittum]

Look here:
Q500+ External Receiver antenna mod

And here:
Cgo2 | Cgo3 Camera Mod - Yuneec Q500+ Mods

It's very easy to do and you'll love it.
Let us know if you have questions.
Good luck,
Jafo

Thanks, Jafo. Hate to appear dense, but a couple of questions: 1) From the connector shown under the cut plastic inside the Q500+ there is already a wire with a lump on it going down a landing gear leg and taped to that leg. Does that qualify as an external antenna ?? Man, (snivel, snivel) I sure hate to pull all those screws again if I can avoid it. If not, possibly I could cut that wire and splice the new antenna into it ??

2) Looks like the CG02+ mod puts the antenna dangling from the belly of the Q500+. I've already flown it with the black lens cover piece removed and the antenna dangling out in space. (this was before getting the new controller and before doing the ST101 mod) Wouldn't this accomplish the same thing without the extra connections and cable length ??

 

[Cranky Trapper]

Good thought but not too likely. I bought it used from a friend (??) and am apparently the 3rd owner. Don't know if I dare sell it or not. :-(

Ah crappy!

 

[Jafo]

Thanks, Jafo. Hate to appear dense, but a couple of questions: 1) From the connector shown under the cut plastic inside the Q500+ there is already a wire with a lump on it going down a landing gear leg and taped to that leg. Does that qualify as an external antenna ?? Man, (snivel, snivel) I sure hate to pull all those screws again if I can avoid it. If not, possibly I could cut that wire and splice the new antenna into it ??

2) Looks like the CG02+ mod puts the antenna dangling from the belly of the Q500+. I've already flown it with the black lens cover piece removed and the antenna dangling out in space. (this was before getting the new controller and before doing the ST101 mod) Wouldn't this accomplish the same thing without the extra connections and cable length ??

Sorry for the slow response....
(1)-Yes, the wire going down the leg is a second antenna for the 2.4ghz receiver. Don't be lazy. Pull the screws and do it right.Get the proper cabling and connectors and do a professional install. You don't want to have a problem because of shoddy work.

(2)- The wifi antenna works best when it's on a vertical plain.As it sits in the camera it is on a horizontal and only works at it's best when it's pointing at the controller. It also helps to have some clearance from all the other electronics around the antenna. I too have had my camera antenna hanging out of the hole.I didn't see much if any improvement myself. I mounted both my antennas out of the rear and below the battery pack.
They both point straight down on a vertical plain. They're away from any other electronics and i found this to work best for me.
One draw back for the camera mod is the wire. You have to be careful how you route it. To tight (not enough slack) and when you aim the camera down it can cause the camera to "bounce" up and down as the small camera motor fights to get more slack. To much slack and the camera can bounce as it tries to come back up and fight the wire pushing it back down.Get it just right and it works fine.

$30.00 bucks for another 2500'. It was worth the investment for me.

Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck,
Jafo

 

[Gogittum]

Sorry for the slow response....
(1)-Yes, the wire going down the leg is a second antenna for the 2.4ghz receiver. Don't be lazy. Pull the screws and do it right.Get the proper cabling and connectors and do a professional install. You don't want to have a problem because of shoddy work.

(2)- The wifi antenna works best when it's on a vertical plain.As it sits in the camera it is on a horizontal and only works at it's best when it's pointing at the controller. It also helps to have some clearance from all the other electronics around the antenna. I too have had my camera antenna hanging out of the hole.I didn't see much if any improvement myself. I mounted both my antennas out of the rear and below the battery pack.
They both point straight down on a vertical plain. They're away from any other electronics and i found this to work best for me.
One draw back for the camera mod is the wire. You have to be careful how you route it. To tight (not enough slack) and when you aim the camera down it can cause the camera to "bounce" up and down as the small camera motor fights to get more slack. To much slack and the camera can bounce as it tries to come back up and fight the wire pushing it back down.Get it just right and it works fine.

$30.00 bucks for another 2500'. It was worth the investment for me.

Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck,
Jafo

It's been a while, but I'm still here. The days when I'm in the mood to fly, seems like the wind is up and/or thunderstorms are booming. I've made several flights with "my" antenna setup and it appears - as usual - that Jafo is right. When I tilt the camera it is no longer aligned for best signal and reception is spotty beyond 1,000 ft. I really don't want to get into pulling the camera apart to finish the job properly. Control reception has been solid out to 1,400 ft - the farthest I've flown it to date with the new antenna setup. I put a piece of graphite fishing rod across the front of the landing skids to protect the camera from ground obstructions and it works well but the antenna contacts it when tilting past about 70º. Easy fix - move the bar back a bit which I'll do soon.

My biggest problem is lack of interest.....having much more fun with my ground-bound action cam off in the mountains. (I'm still not crazy about the editing process) I've got one more small video project to finish with the Q500+, then I'm going to put it up for sale.

 

[Thomas111]

I bought this for my Q500 and it does what I need it to do I know it's a lot of money but so is the drone so highly recommend the trackimo

Trackimo® 3G GPS Tracker + 1 Year GSM - Free US Shipping