Hi.
I still have not solved the problem of temperature monitoring.
So I thought.
My controller is T14sg.
The futaba’s R7008SB is equipped with a temperature sensor that allows temperature monitoring at the T14sg
For long haul flights, I use Dragon Link.
I want Dragon Link to replace the R7008sb telemetry function.
Is this possible?
If this is possible, my helicopter will be a little safer from the problem of engine overheating.
No. DragonLink does not carry telemetry from any RC sensors. We used DragonLink last year but have since replaced it with FrSky R9/R9M with SmarPort. Although DragonLink (sort of) supports ArduPilot telemetry we found that to be problematic as well. The DragonLink’s bandwidth was not adequate to handle the telemetry stream and had lots of latency that was unacceptable.
Configuring Dragonlink for MAVLink telemetry is very tricky, but once set up successfully, DragonLink will be as good as a drop-in substitute for a SiK/RFD900 radio. I suggest using settings from this RCG post: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=40795313&postcount=75270
But yeah, the Dragonlink likely won’t support your sensor, especially if it speaks some Futaba protocol
As good as a RFD900X? How so?
DragonLink is similar to the RFD900X. But since DragonLink operates in the 440 ham band the bandwidth available for telemetry is quite limited. So the update rate is quite slow. There’s also more RC latency with DragonLink than with higher-frequency systems that have more bandwidth per channel.
DragonLink can handle a maximum of 12 RC channels. Not sure what RFD900X can handle. The new system we went to this year is considerably more efficient, less latency, 16 channels which we needed for payload control. Plus has full ArduPilot telemetry without use of a ground station.
@ChrisOlson I assume you are using R9M and FrSky passthrough telemetry, reading the data with a Yaapu script / Flightdeck. I agree this is useful for monitoring flight data, but it cannot do in-flight mission upload or Guided mode, and basically anything that requires a GCS.
Ironically it is the full MAVLink telemetry capability that made Dragonlink “slow update rate” and “more latency” — much, much more data is sent and received. Earlier DragonLink receivers only do 38400 baud telemetry, but with the new full-telem receiver you can do 57600 baud with RTSCTS, so these disadvantages should be mitigated to some extent.
Correct. That’s what we went to this season.
I originally used 433 telemetry radios with the R9. But have since taken those off and gone to little WiFi radios that connect to a tablet. We don’t use Guided Mode with helicopters - FPV and acro is our “Guided Mode”. Nor do we ever change flight plans in-flight, as it is not a safe practice. The little WiFi radios with a tablet running QGround Control work great for uploading flight plans, making settings, etc… They have an in-air range of maybe (usually) 100-150 meters. But we switch the tablet off, after pre-flight procedure are done, before taking off on a flight anyway.
Well here we are conducting completely different flight ops. The guy whom I recommended DragonLink to is trying to fly in Auto and Guided most of the time, with a safety pilot on the sticks.
You cannot dismiss in-flight mission replanning as dangerous per-se. People have been doing it since 2012, and MP supports it. It has caveats, like poor telemetry strength will cause the flight plan to drop waypoints, and uploading a mission while an old mission is underway is suicidal.
Let’s not hijack this thread? I use a system similar to yours too — Crossfire with FlightDeck — on my cruiser quads, and I admit it’s best for your use case, but for my use case DragonLink is better.
I’m sure it is. That wasn’t the point. The point, I believe, is getting engine temp telemetry to the pilot. On DragonLink you’ll likely have to write your code to do that.