Flytrex Live is here! now what?

[Onezerosix141]

"Flytrex Live is here! now what?" says it all. there is not support on Flytrex site.
there are no directions or guides like with Core2, and the 2G data microSIM carrier list is still leads to missing page. there are so many issues that i thought will be updated & ready by the time i got my unit.

1)Do you know where i can look as installation?

2)which phone carrier works with this unit?

thanks guys!

 

[DronePilot]

I don't think I've seen any pictures or videos for installation but for P2V+ solder the battery leads to the leads that go to one of the motor controllers.
As far as carriers, live only seems to work with t-mobile at least in my area. I tried at&t and it didn't work.
Be sure to check this topic
http://www.phantompilots.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=19907&start=120
Some new comments from Flytrex

 

[Onezerosix141]

Hmmm t-mobile eh. I have extra microSIM from my tablet from AT&T and I was hoping that would work

 

[DronePilot]

You can certainly try it. I did get my at&t card to connect and send data. The problem was the coverage was so sparse I couldn't really use it anywhere. when I talked to folks at at&t they told me they were phasing out 2G and even t-mobile told me the signal for 2G was much weaker than 3G/ 4G LTE and didn't have the same coverage.

 

[Onezerosix141]

I see. There's tmobile store down the road so I'll try that out first

 

[Dirty Bird]

I see. There's tmobile store down the road so I'll try that out first

If you already have a T-Mobile voice plan, you can get a T-Mobile Micro-SIM 1GB/month data plan free through the end of 2014. $10/month thereafter. Just looked at T-Mobile's 2G coverage map for my area. Looks pretty good. Still think the Live needs to be at least 3G/4G compatible to insure future compatibility.

 

[Onezerosix141]

I see. There's tmobile store down the road so I'll try that out first

If you already have a T-Mobile voice plan, you can get a T-Mobile Micro-SIM 1GB/month data plan free through the end of 2014. $10/month thereafter. Just looked at T-Mobile's 2G coverage map for my area. Looks pretty good. Still think the Live needs to be at least 3G/4G compatible to insure future compatibility.

I'm one of those suckers with AT&T

I totally agree with you. 4G is starting to become the baseline in US and I hope when the time comes, they offer trade-in or upgrade offers -_^

 

[Dirty Bird]

Just installed my Live. Piece of cake except for one thing: The power connectors from the battery to the mainboard are hidden beneath the Wi-Fi module. I had seen where someone connected the Live power supply to the power leads running from the mainboard to the ESC, but there is not 12 volts available when the motors are off. I assume the 12 volts kicks in when the motors are started? It would be OK to do this, just be aware your Live won't go online until you start the motors.

What I did was removed the single screw securing the plastic Wi-Fi mounting platform to the chassis, slipped a small slotted screwdriver under the Wi-Fi base, and slowly applied pressure until the double-sided tape released. Mine lifted easily and required no heat. I had to disconnect one Wi-Fi antenna to give sufficient room to flip the Wi-Fi module over and solder the Live leads to the mainboard power feed. Powered on before reassembly to make sure everything was working properly.

The Live module fits perfectly if you mount it longways left-to-right over your Phantom's serial sticker. If you mount it longways front-to-rear, you may have difficulty pressing the lower battery removal tab because the tab will be partially covered. Make sure to take a picture of your serial number & Q-code BEFORE mounting! If the Live board was just a little smaller you would be able to remove it from it's plastic casing and mount the circuit board inside the battery compartment. Just a few mm's too large to fit there. Perhaps v2 will be smaller?

I had my T-Mobile Micro-SIM installed in the Live when I did the test power on. The Live LED was red for perhaps 15 seconds, then it flashed purple and turned blue for about 30 seconds, before going to the flashing green normal state.. It appears to be working and transmitting to my Flytrex account. Going to step outside and do a test flight in a few minutes. I did not have to do anything special to make it work.

 

[pilotbcm20]

Dirty Bird,

How long did it take from the time you ordered till the time they shipped your Flytrex Live? Going on 2 weeks for me....

 

[Dirty Bird]

How long did it take from the time you ordered till the time they shipped your Flytrex Live? Going on 2 weeks for me....

Ordered on July 10th with EMS shipping option. Shipped August 10th, received August 14th. I would assume they are starting to catch up on the backorders by now?

 

[Dirty Bird]

Just did my first test flight with the Live installed. Bird handled as she always does....perfect! Not sure what to make of the flight data. My flight log only shows the first 3.5 minutes of the flight (total flight time was 18+ minutes), and it shows Max Distance as 9' (?). It did get my altitude correct. Not sure what's up with the Max Distance or the rest of my flight?

 

[Gr8Chef]

You can certainly try it. I did get my at&t card to connect and send data. The problem was the coverage was so sparse I couldn't really use it anywhere. when I talked to folks at at&t they told me they were phasing out 2G and even t-mobile told me the signal for 2G was much weaker than 3G/ 4G LTE and didn't have the same coverage.

Soldered the Flytrex Live leads to the back of the battery connectors, like so:


Works fine and I really want to use this product. Love the tracking features, badges, etc. But it is NOT going to work well for me due to Flytrex relying on 2G data service. I tried using T-Mobile but unless I'm literally within about 1 mile of their tower, I get no 2G service and the Flytrex stops working. Learned that T-Mobile is phasing out 2G and mainly concentrating their data services near cities (at least in my area,) NOT where I care to fly.

Then I went to AT&T Wireless today. Learned that they no longer support 2G in my area.

By the way, following is the Flytrex Live IMEI # 013777002010849. Cellular companies can quickly determine if your area has coverage by giving them this IMEI #.

For the record, my fly area is not remote as I reliably enjoy 4G cellular data service from AT&T and Verizon.

Wish I had known the 2G limitation before jumping on the bleeding edge of this great technology. Just a word of caution about what I consider a big disappointment with the Flytrex Live. 2G is a deal breaker for this product.

 

[Morgon]

I asked about that on their FB page on Friday, and whether they have any immediate plans for a 3G/4G version.
Hope they'll take a moment to respond next week.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I have to agree it was a mistake to rely on 2G, at least here in the States. Hopefully a version 2.x will address this, reduce the size, and make the power & data connectors into a single removable plug for easy removal from the craft.

I considered connecting to the rear of the battery connector, but it looked like I would have had to remove the mainboard to get to one of the screws holding the power plug in place.

 

[tizzl10]

Boy, flytrex really screwed the pooch on this one. Seriously? 2g?

 

[Fplvert]

Yes, I can't say I'm surprised. I really like my Core 2, and when they up sized and went live, depending on cellular service, I thought BIG mistake. Glad I didn't get one. I am ordering another Core 2 for backup bird. :lol:

 

[pilotbcm20]

Does anyone on here who owns and has flown with the Live regret buying it? I'm starting to think purchasing one myself after reading all of these comments was a big mistake, and I don't even have it yet.

 

[Gr8Chef]

I have to agree it was a mistake to rely on 2G, at least here in the States. Hopefully a version 2.x will address this, reduce the size, and make the power & data connectors into a single removable plug for easy removal from the craft.

I considered connecting to the rear of the battery connector, but it looked like I would have had to remove the mainboard to get to one of the screws holding the power plug in place.

There are two screws holding the battery connector inside the bird. After removing the screws that I could easily reach, I was able to lift the mainboard enough to reach those two screws holding the connector. So, that makes easy access to the main leads with a nice surface to solder the Flytrex Live leads. Just another option to consider for those doing this install.

Dirty Bird - could the erroneous readings you received with your maiden Flytrex Live flight have been caused by weak or intermittent 2G signal? I experienced similar, but to a greater degree, unreliability. I contacted T-Mobile to find the nearest tower. I drove the copter over to the tower and, of course, received a solid signal. With the copter on and connected, I drove away from the tower and arrived home with the classic green flashing light. But upon reviewing the "mission," it was inaccurate and only tracked for less than two miles.

I had a hunch that the 2G signal was unreliable in my fly area. This drive test unfortunately told me what I didn't want to know.

 

[Gr8Chef]

Does anyone on here who owns and has flown with the Live regret buying it? I'm starting to think purchasing one myself after reading all of these comments was a big mistake, and I don't even have it yet.

For the record, I regret my purchase of the Flytrex Live.

Awesome technology and I wish it worked for me. But 2G makes Flytrex Live extremely limiting.

Hey, others may find a solid connection with 2G, albeit temporarily until 2G service is totally discontinued. Best of luck.

 

[Onezerosix141]

I went out to check on 2G signal at my flying ground. It's not looking good
I may have to consider returning it