APM 2.5 Ardupilot controller- setup guide 4 of 4

[@andrewluisbaker]

Some of the best tutorials, step by step and personal tips and information. Keep it up, it helps me a lot! Thanks again.

[@LowCostCncRetrofits]

Great videos will watch them all again once I get my APM 3DR Quad D - Ready-to-Fly

[@tkeeg]

Hello 75echo! I'm changing over from my WK-M & Naza platforms to this one and your set of tutorials have been very helpful. Thanks for making them! tkeeg

[@7439norma]

good video, thanks I am building a quad with the pixhawk and am not very good with the set up. keep the videos coming Thanks again

[@ceradinimp]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! You just saved me hours wading through the wiki trying to figure out my the setup! I will still explore the wiki but this will get me in the air in hours not days. Any chance of PID tuning tutorials?

[@75echo]

Your RC transmitter outputs a PWM signal that is captured by your receiver and relayed to the APM. Each channel on your transmitter has a PWM range usually between 1100 - 1900 with 1500 being its neutral position. If we lose RC range, the receiver if set up properly, will drop to the lowest known throttle value PWM (no signal PWM value).You make sure your 'no RC signal value' is 5 units under the assigned 'throttle failsafe PWM value 'to make sure it is low enough to activate the failsafe.

[@davidrhodes1588]

Great tutorial I'm changing from naza m to this system after 4 fly always due to turnagy 9x issues I'm interested in futaba like you use so any details you can add to set it up will be great well done keep up the great work

[@JoeVSvolcano]

Good stuff 75Echo. I am also building a Tri and will rely heavily on your work here so dont let us down =)... PS. What kind of range do you get on your Tri? What has been your longest mission?

[@75echo]

the battery capacity/ weight ratio is your main limitation. My longest flight times have been about 18 mins and the furthest i have been with my tri was about 200 meters , after that it gets too small to see well with the human eyes and orientation becomes a problem.

[@62TangoKilo]

Great Videos. I see you are using a Futaba radio. When you set the Failsafe on the APM (as shown in this video) did you also set the failsafe on the Futaba radio or not? Thanks

[@jasdall]

Very good explanation. What I didnt understand is, why have you setup + 5 units in your failsafe? If you are in minimum throttle which means the RPM for motors is very low the quad will drop. I think that it would be better if you set it up like for example when you are in hovering so that the copter doesnt drop when the fail safe kicks in. What do you think? Jason

[@leifstrm9016]

Great video! Helped me out, have you tested the 3DR Radio telemetry module yet? Courious about how it works ;)

[@75echo]

I am glad you found them useful. Cheers

[@75echo]

The APM 2.5 unlike the Naza or Wookong controllers do not use a preset throttle position in failsafe. The function is programmed already into your controller and irrespective of your throttle position will execute a successful failsafe if you set it up correctly and loose RC signal.

[@WonnyRCHobbies]

Great Tutorial Video's 75eco Keep them coming!

[@SuperGoofa]

Hi 75echo Great video's on APM 2.5, what's the chances of doing one on Mission planning way points for an aircraft, believe it would be different to a Quad, also I gather you can plan missions, save files and upload to APM as required am I right Regards Geoff

[@rolo9570]

Very nice tutorials, I have the same radio Futaba t8j, could you please provide me some info about how to set up Failsafe and Switches in my radio. Thanks

[@75echo]

Hi, thanks for visiting my channel. If you set the failsafe as described above and you are using a futaba radio , no further failsafe setups on your futaba radio is required.

[@75echo]

yes, you change the RTH height with the APM2.5, even the waypoint heights, loiter radius and GPS accuracy radius are all adjustable. i will find time to make a video soon to show you exactly where but they are all in the mission planner.

[@75echo]

Oh Yes, if you go into the CONFIGURATION TAB > PARAMETERS, you will see an option called 'Channel 7' . Set this option to RTH and allocate it to any switch on your TX . if you activate the switch , it will override any current mode and put the craft in RTH. Likewise , deactivating the switch will put you back into your last flying mode.

[@nicholashampton4476]

hey awsome vids. are you making any more videos on this because i am making the exactally the same thing

[@75echo]

yes, it works great. I just have not been out yet with someone to hold a video camera for me while i fly .

[@Messyapocalypse]

Hi great videos so helpful.i just have one question on my version of mission planner it does not give me the option of rtl just the throttle can you tell me what version of mission planner you are running please thanks. Great videos thank you

[@75echo]

Try doing a complete reset and erase of the firmware and reinstall To completely reset/erase the eeprom, connect it to Mission Planner, go into Terminal and type 'setup' then either 'reset' or 'erase'. Reset sets things back to factory default and erase blows out the entirety of the eeprom storage. Do a reset followed by an erase, then re-load the firmware, re-calibrate the radio, accel, compass, set my flight modes and change any other settings needed (yaw reverse, etc.).

[@rodher12]

hello man, very helpful your videos!!,, but I have an issue, when I turn off my radio (when FS configuring) the radio 3 parameters doesn't change, numbers remain the same as the lowest throttle point,, i.e. radio ON= 1101, radio OFF= 1101, qhat I'm doing wrong?.. thanks in advance

[@everfreeeeee]

I am using APM 2.6 and Orange RX receiver dont know what i missing , when i turn off the radio i the Throttle value didnt go down just stay as the same as lowest Throttle value same as when the radio is on.... any advise ?

[@samselectronic4548]

hey there, great videos. where did you get your AMP 2.5 at ? thanks

[@Janevjura]

Thanks a lot ! Awesome video tutorials !!! Greetings from Ukraine !

[@Katana50cc]

Thank you so much for making the videos! : )

[@SajaksFavorites]

For tricopter, servo connector connect to which pin. Motor one to which pin etc In APM setup, I just got micro apm from hobbyking

[@hughhemington9559]

What are the principle differences between the HKPilot and RCTimer'sAdruFlyer 2.5.2 implementation? I'm definitely buying something APM 2.5.x and I've read that on-board magnetometers can be flakey in multi-rotor, so I'll go with the better GPS and mag. HobbyKing includes cases and OSD, but I'm willing to listen to why RCTimer's comparable kit costs a bit more. And OSD isn't a dealbreaker anyway. My build is a 610mm slow-fly video platform, so I'm hoping to avoid "acrobatics" actually.

[@ydeardorff]

Can this system make a camera take a shot with a pause at each waypoint? Or would something external be needed?

[@Messyapocalypse]

Hi great videos I wonder if you can help I have finally got my compas to work level but when I connect the gps the artificial horizon moves all over the place.when I remove the compas from the board it goes back to level again.would it be an idea to reset and start again.thanks

[@75echo]

I would love to but i do not have a fixed wing plane....yet :-) .You are indeed correct, missions can be pre planned, saved to your PC and loaded to the APM via USB anytime as required. When i get a fixed wing i will definitely do a demo video. Thanks for visiting my channel, feel free to subscribe or ask any questions.

[@philipeagles]

I have version 1.2.44 mav 1 of the mission planner. In a couple of places it differs from yours which looks to be 1.2.36? In the "Configuration" section "flight mode" there is no "Easy mode" box to the right of the options. Also in the "failsafe" section there is no "Enable RTL" option. Where did you obtain your version? I cant see it in the download list and It looks to me that your version has the better options.

[@chorianopoulos2002]

Fantastic videos! Keep it up! I have a question, I am building an FPV QAV mini quad and am considering getting the HK HobbyKing HKPilot Mega Mini Combo Flight Controller GPS and Power Module kit. Do you know if these APM boards are capable of achieving the kind of acrobatic and stability performance that one can get with say a CC3D or NAZE32 board?

[@75echo]

Stability yes but not nearly so acrobatic

[@chorianopoulos2002]

Ok thanks.

[@Messyapocalypse]

Thank you it's just the version I got hasn't got the drop down menu

[@TheUnDeRGRouNDHoBo]

thanks for these vids champ

[@chadzulu4328]

Very helpful! Thank you

[@mauronetto5258]

I'm having the same problem, when I turn off the radio instead of decrease increases. you solved yours? my not resolved with the guidance? the problem may be on the radio?

[@Phoenix135tube]

Hi 75 echo, I have a tricopter with Ardupilot2.5, a Futaba T8J and mission planner v1.2.53 mav 1.0. I have calibrated my radio and all movements are reflected in the mission planner so I know the Ardupilot is receiving the receiver inputs correctly. 1. No Yaw Servo response at all, (yaw servo ch7 obviously) 2. When setting failsafe,Tx ON min throttle is 1108, however with Tx OFF increases to 1140 (yours decreased to approx 1087). Any ideas? Thanks for the videos. Cam

[@jpadit]

very good videos

[@75echo]

Hello, I used version 1.2.36 in the video but i now use the 1.2.42 which has the same features. i will find time to upgrade to 1.2.44 and see what options it offers. I have added a link where can get the older version for download .in the video description.

[@75echo]

I am using mission planner version 1.2.42 in the video.

[@samselectronic4548]

thanks

[@75echo]

Thank you i bought it at unmannedtech.co.uk