(4/8) APM 2.5/2.6/3.1 - Introduction to flight modes (stabilize, loiter, RTL etc)

[@theapexsingularity]

This is THE best video on APM that I have come across. THANKS! :D

[@Painless360]

Glad it made sense! :D

[@lorcankelleher5434]

Thank you so much for making these. I would never in a million years be able to get this APM going if not for this playlist. Thanks so much for your time and effort!

[@Painless360]

+Lorcan Kelleher glad they helped! Happy flying!

[@davidbonet2665]

The best video I've watched so far explaining flight modes in apm. Excellent! Thank you!

[@XB223]

Lee... You Rock! :) Every time I get brain lock or just don't know, I come to one of your posts and BAM! Answered! APM is an amazing system! Have a great weekend brother!!!

[@bisholim5377]

Boy...:) If you are a Teacher So I can Understand that :) If you are not a Teacher, You really should Work as one. You are So good to introduce new Things to people, in a very simple and sweet way. Thank you Brother...:)

[@Painless360]

Bisholi M Thanks for the feedback - trying to make all of this stuff easier to understand is what the channel is all about! Happy flying!

[@hankus253]

Last year I download the then current firmware for my quad, and had one brief flight. But health and personal reasons had me shelf my quad until just recently. Thank you for these video tutorials, as they are just what I need to get caught up on the current state of flight modes, etc., and I'm very anxious to get back in the air.

[@Painless360]

Thanks for the comment. Good to hear that you are looking to get back in the air! Happy flying!

[@robertdroner]

Pretty much everything I have learned about the mini 3.1, I have from your videos. Thank you very much for your time and effort.

[@D4mations]

Great job mate!! Best video I’ve seen on apm! Thanks

[@barryhinselwood665]

Very helpful videos and watched this series many times to get a good understanding of everything which you explain in great depth (next time I'm back in the UK - I can promise you a beer or cider if I'm in your neck of the woods), and yes, the software is changing really quickly! I just built a Quanum Trifecta with an HKPilot Mega Mini APM board. Hooked up to this, I have an OrangeRX and OrangeTX ... The FC takes mini connectors for the RX and the massive problem I have right now is that the flight mode switch I'm wanting to use is on channel 6 and not 5 as Mission Planner accepts ... I'm using Mission Planner (latest version 1.3.19) and checked the advanced parameters for anything that remotely offers a chance to set the channel for Flight Modes, but find nothing ... The only option I have for flight modes is on the Gear switch on the TX, but that only gives me an option of two modes, but obviously, I'd like to use this channel for autotune once the Tricopter is able to get into the air without Yaw Of Death (figured that out this evening, I was reversing the channel on the TX, not in the software - which kind of helps!!!) ... I'd be grateful for any pointing in the right direction with regards to swapping the channels in Mission Planner :)

[@barryhinselwood665]

Sorry, just double checked the Gear switch, and even that defaults to channel 6 ...

[@Painless360]

Barry Hinselwood Barry, you plug the channel on the APM for the modes to the channel output on the radio receiver for the channel you want to use for modes (on my radio GEAR gives me two options, AUX1 gives me three - so I use AUX1) See kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWHGdKZqlq2XeJI at 12:48

[@barryhinselwood665]

Hello sir, thanks for your response. The problem is that the pins in to the board are on a grouped cable, you can't choose where the pins go, the ribbon cable only plugs in one way because this is the HKPilot Mega Mini Combo. Of course I can select which pin on the OrangeRX, but every time I look at the Radio Calibration in Mission Planner with the AUX1 connected to the correct input, I still only have movement on channel 6, not 5 ... I was hoping there was a setting in Mission Planner that I could change to get the input on the right channel ... On my normal sized APM board, this is not an issue, the OrangeTX works as expected :)

[@barryhinselwood665]

Apologies, I'm an idiot, there were still another two cables caught up under the FC that were running spare, hooked up both to the relevant channels and now everything is selectable ... Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction ... Just off to don the "D" cap and stand in the corner for an hour or so ... :)

[@OneTwo-wt8qv]

The hardest part was getting a 3-way switch mixed to get 6 flight modes in Er9x. Now that I have that I can start to use my Pixhawk . Here for a refresher. CHEERS!

[@Painless360]

+One Two no problem, have any packages arrived yet? :-)

[@OneTwo-wt8qv]

LOL I will let you know. Cheers, thanks again

[@EwStz]

Awesome series of videos... keep doing this!!

[@Painless360]

Thank you!

[@zacjohnson8404]

APM or Naze32 which do you like better? I have both just waiting on frame, deciding which one I want to use for a simple aerial video reptile 500 with no groundstation connection. Just pull it out of my bag and fly. I have been using a plane which connects to the laptop, need to setup bungee launch etc etc

[@Painless360]

See our video on flight controller comparisons. It's impossible to answer unless you know how you want to fly and use the model for.. best of luck!

[@blackbirdboy1]

Thanks, think I have found out where I am going wrong? I have the HKPilot 2.7 Mega version and I think I have plugged the GPS's external compass in the wrong port, the one right next to the GPS port (Well it made sense to me!!!) Any way, it worked ok on Stabile & Alt Hold modes, but RTH & Loiter it wanted to make for the hills, QUICKLY!!! So I turned that mode off very quickly before I lost the model. Cheers for the vids, you explain things very well! So even a numpty like me can understand. lol.

[@hiwayM9]

I really enjoy your video tutorials. One quick concern- on my setting for rtl in mission planner, I have measurements in cm. I read, but forget whether it is actually meters or centimeters for my pixhawk fc. I need it to rise to 200 feet to compensate for tall trees at one of my flight spots. In fact, many of those sub settings, or advanced settings have cm and I am not worried about conversion as much as what the actual defaults are- cm or m. That makes a huge difference, lol!

[@Painless360]

Hi Hiway. The setting should be in cm and the default is 1500 (15m) in the latest code. this is about 46ft. watch for line of sight issues if you are also planning fpv with high obstacles. I agree, the difference between cm and meters could make things interesting! I would check the mode using the defaults and then make the changes you need. Thanks for the comments, happy flying!

[@SynergyhubOrg-WA]

Thank you very much... very informative. Have you ever setup APM for a Land vehicle?

[@Painless360]

Hi SynergyHub, not personally. I understand it works well and mainly uses GPS missions. You can find out more at rover.ardupilot.com/. Best of luck with the build. Happy driving! :)

[@Crowstooth]

I've fitted a six position switch for selecting APM flight modes to my Taranis and it works fine. What I'd like to do is have these positions applied to other functions. Is there a way to assign functions to a percentage of S1? I believe it's PWM settings although I barely know what PWM means. Thanks for any help, John.

[@quetiano]

Good day to you Mr Lee(Painless360), I have a quick question for you regarding tuning of the POSHOLD and/or ALTHOLD, but mostly POSHOLD. My outcome of this question is that I require a stable hover before using other flight modes, especially LOITER mode. When I activate POSHOLD or LOITER, the quad begins to climb with a few pauses now and sometimes I hear the props whizzing faster and it climbs again, then suddenly drops height as if its about to fall from the sky, drops about a meter to two, then suddenly increases throttle again, so in other words, its not getting a stable hover. I just changed the THR_ALT_P from 1 to 0,7 but I decided to ask you if theres anything else that I should change ? Going out to test now. Many thanks in advance!

[@Painless360]

Sounds like the hover throttle value need to be tweaked. ardupilot.org/copter/docs/ac_throttlemid.html covers how it works in modern versions of the code. Hope that helps.

[@quetiano]

@@Painless360 Thank you for your reply Mr Lee. According to the website as you stated above, I have already seen and read that previously but it did not apply to me as I am using v.3.2.1 of Arducopoter for my APM 2.8, I cant seem to find any latest versions that work on the 2.8. Is there an instruction for tuning with arducopter 3.2.1 as those functions in the above website are not listed in my settings tree in mission planner.

[@MarkJohnson-ks8xd]

Question -- Still learning about flight modes... how would you access the different modes from the RC transmitter? Would each mode require a separate channel to invoke, or via a rotary switch, or would they be activated via a combination of switch inputs? Would you be able to produce a video about this? Thanks!

[@Painless360]

Hi Mark. good suggestion, the process is identical to any of the other boards. Have a look at my other video - MultiWii modes - radio, connection and software setup Hope that this helps in the meantime. Happy flying!

[@MarkJohnson-ks8xd]

Painless360 Thanks - that additional video helped. So a single switch setting (Lo-Med-Hi) on a single channel can invoke three different flight configurations --- stable, hold, return to home. Is that correct? You don't need separate switches to activate various flight configurations.

[@Painless360]

Hi Mark, that's right. The PWM values on a single channel can set select one of three flight modes. You can setup extra AUX channels to select more modes/options if needed too. Hope this helps. Happy flying!

[@MarkJohnson-ks8xd]

Painless360 Ok, well I have another video pitch idea for you. How about showing how to install, configure and use the 6-position rotary switch that is popular on E-bay. This switch replaces the traditional variable switch on your transmitter, and provides positive selection of up to 6 flight modes. Optional LED indicator lights are also being sold to indicate which flight mode is active. Think the company is located in Israel.

[@juanroestel2054]

Hi, impressive set of videos they really have helped me with the set up of my hexacopter, just one quick question, cannel 5 only controls 3 flight modes, how can I go to the rest, I know they speak about mixing channels 6&7 but I don not know how to do it, my radio is a Futaba 14 SG. Thanks for this excellent series fo videos, very helpful indeed!

[@Painless360]

Juan Roestel You need to create a mix on the radio, usually using another switch with the one you have already. I have a video on the channel where I do it with a Dx7 radio that may help... Best of luck.

[@neavissa2583]

Hi! Great videos! Thanks for posting!!! The only "complained" I have is, that I am losing track of the videos. It would really help if you would number them in the description... i.e. 1/5, 2/5 and so on... Anyhow, great work!!! Thanks!!! G.

[@Painless360]

Hi, thanks for the idea. You don't need to lose your place as all of my videos are arranged into easy to use playlists for each subject. For this 'Introduction to APM' series see kzbin.info/aero/PLYsWjANuAm4oswLMu9OU8yOm-9J6y30XW Happy flying!

[@neavissa2583]

Painless360 AHH! Appreciate the link, and that you added the "1 of 8" part! Thanks a lot! I really enjoy watching your videos. I believe they/you are the reason why I decided to get an APM 2.6 board! I always thought that you have to be an electrical engineer in order to get it to work, but apparently not! One more question; Should I get the Pixhawk instead?! Thanks a million!

[@Painless360]

Hi, I can't comment on the Pixhawk as I've not used one myself. If you get one I'd be interested in what you think.. Happy flying!

[@neavissa2583]

Painless360 I see. I will get one for sure. From my understanding, the setup is almost the same, besides a few steps here and there. Thanks to YOU, setting it up looks like a breeze!

[@andremurilobr]

Hello thank you for the tutorial. This is my first time in your Chanel. Congratulations. I am just begginer, sorry if you already answered my questions: 1- is It possible to configure it for a Hexadecacopter? Eight motors up and eight down? 2- is it possible in that case to using more than one flight controller to safety reason? Redundance? Thank you!

[@Painless360]

Welcome to the channel. Sounds like you are new to a lot of this so here are a few tips. Check out the 'Introduction to' and '... for beginners' playlists on the channel, they are aimed at new builders and use the minimum of jargon. You are looking at complex stuff if you're new to this. Start more simply to learn about how things work before moving onto more complex builds. To answer your specific questions: 1) Don't use APM now. It's outdated. See the PixHawk 2020 series. 2) That isn't common in hobby grade technology aside from redundant radio receivers. Best of luck!

[@andremurilobr]

@@Painless360 Thank you for your fast reply. I will now to sign up for your Chanel. Sorry about my poor english speaking. Let me introduce myself breafly, beside I am begginer I am studding about drone operation and because That I think my questions and your answers maybe help who wish to project bigger drones for film, agriculture and Manned Aircraft. Well, I will try to search how to configure the flight controller for a Hexadecacopter in coaxial motors and try to find if It possible to make redundance with it. I thought about APC because the open code. Including in Manned Aircraft drone it would be interesting to Discover if It possible to connect joystick to flight controller and no rádio. Thank you

[@jogomez1988a]

Hi Sr. Question. If I put the model with ultrasonic unit in operation the mode LAND, What happend with the sonar? Is deactivaded the barometer and take in consideration the sonar?

[@TheBarrettrussell]

Great videos. I am not sure how long it would have taken to get my bearings had I not had them, so thank you. i do have a question however. I seem to not be able to display volts, in mission planner or through osd (mini osd) running a 3dr PM. I have the current pin assigned to twelve. My voltage works fine. Anything I might be missing? The only think I haven't done is directly hooked my meter up to the current wire coming from the PM. Thanks Barrett

[@Painless360]

I’ve not used APM for years so the forums are a bette bet. Best of luck..

[@TheBarrettrussell]

thanks!

[@koalajs]

Your videos are AWESOME :) thank you soooooo much

[@patbcsllc]

great video. i have a pixhawk 2. i am trying to find a setting which will stop the drone from drifting after you release the yaw it continues to spin. i have it in stabilize mode.

[@Painless360]

Sounds like a tuning issue.. What troubleshooting have you already done?

[@SkyRelic95]

Thanks for these videos! May I know how to setup altitude hold mode? Do I just connect a maxsonar range finder to the apm or is there extra settings I have to do?

[@poitka80]

Hello. Thank you for these videos!! Very helpful. Iv got mine up and flying. I dont think im getting gps lock though. The led on my gps module is red light and blinks green. I cant find any info on this. Can you please give me an idea of what is happening? THanx

[@Painless360]

+poitka80 Use Mission Planner to see if that actually is the case, if it is then go back to the vendor for help if it was supposed to be APM ready..Best of luck.

[@poitka80]

Thank you. I figured it out. 2 things i did was go back and watch all of your apm vids.... #2 was in mission planner, i didnt have the correct settings when calibrating my compass. i had 180 selected when the correct setting was "none" I caught this on the live compass reading. It was acting like the compass was upside down. Thanx again!!!

[@lucianbuhus1150]

Hey bro! Nice vid! Do you tink you could answer me a few questions? I have a bait boat, and I want to be able to read the distance from my boat and remote,so I know how far I send it,and also, I want it to return to the starting point without me to drive it. I know I will need the 1. APM 2.8 (this is what i want to use cuz its cheaper) 2. GPS 3. Mini OSD Questions: Will I need the 3DR Radio Telemetry? If yes, what is this for? Will I need a Power module also? My bait boat is functional, can I connect the AMP to the power source of the boat? Thanks and I hope you can answer me as I am new in his :)

[@booshveg]

Thanks for your great videos , really helpful i have one question though ; i want to use APM for my plane just for the purpose of RTL in the case of controller signal loss , how can i do that , i will be grateful and happy if you could direct me many many thanks

[@Painless360]

All is covered in the Arduplane documentation - ardupilot.org/plane/docs/advanced-failsafe-configuration.html?highlight=home Best of luck!

[@booshveg]

+Painless360 your channel is the best in its kind , there is no other channel like yours to be sure to get an answer for your questions in the comment section . you deserve to have your own tv channel sir . Good Luck .

[@Painless360]

Thank you - spread the word! The aim of the channel is to help pilots get the most from their kit with easy to use, common sense advice. 'All Education not all entertainment' is the motto here ;)

[@erikduvefjard6149]

This is wery helpful in the configuration THX

[@weedweapon]

great vid, man! ive watched a bunch, this is definately concise and real easy to understand, great images, too!

[@oktaysarac329]

Hi Painless360; Thank you, sharing was very useful. My can not fly quadcopter 4 engines. There are 6 engine described here. What should be the 4 engines for flight modes, please samples Have a link or picture

[@Painless360]

***** I am not sure what you mean - can you elaborate?

[@SuperGoofa]

Hi Painless Wonder if you can help ,I have the HK Mega Mini board and am having trouble with flight modes, I operate aircraft on the bigger standard boards with no problems but for some reason if I switch from Manual, Stabalised, FBWA to Auto, Cruise or RTL the motor stops, It appears that the automatic control of the motor does not function, I have it setup the same as the larger boards, but cannot see why the motor should stop, Thanks Geoff

[@Painless360]

+SuperGoofa Not sure, it shouldn't do that. I would download and check the APM on-board log-files and get in touch with HK for support.. Best of luck.

[@Chris_Paul1]

Hi painless, what flight mode would u suggest to be aerobatic. Ie doing flips and rolls. Cheers

[@Painless360]

phats24 I would suggest you use another flight controller. The APM is great for stable flight but needs a lot setup to allow for flips/rolls and acro flying. I would any mode with limited/no self level and increase the flips speeds that it will allow - look up the settings for the maximum degrees/second setups to see what you need to change. Hope this helps.

[@maammiimoo123]

hi i have a small question wen i flicker my 3 position swich to the midle to have let say the loiter mode on the pwm playes from 1489 to 1492 wich is letting the apm jump to the flight mode thats before it sometimes .. how can i fix that on the apm or the DX6 ? thanks bud for all you efforts! !

[@Painless360]

You need to alter that on the radio. Use the sub trim menu to move the mid point. Best of luck!

[@nilsreichhard]

Hi there once again! Thanks Very much for your videos! I'm having trouble setting the channel 5 to select diferent flight modes...What I see in MissionPlanner is that when I move the Thottle stick up or down, channel 5 moves too. I cant find the way to separate these two. I'm using a Spektrum DX6i. Do you have any idea how can I set this things?

[@Painless360]

That doesn't sound good :) First of all go into the monitor of the radio and confirm that the throttle doesn't move any of the other channels on the radio when its moved. If it does get rid of any mixes you have that may be causing that to happen. If the radio is fine then re-check the wiring to the board from the receiver, then check the APM board itself and look for any stray solder bridges/connections at the back of the input signal pins. Check that it doesn't have this same behaviour when only the throttle is connected. Hope this helps.

[@nilsreichhard]

Painless360 If i set the radio to model type Acro (plane) both channels work independently (throttle and channel 5), but if i choose heli (for the multicopter) in the display on the radio it works together....can i fly the copter using acro model type?

[@Painless360]

Hi Nils, you can fly a quad with either ACRO or HELI mode. You are seeing this because the model is setup with something other than a 90 degree swash-plate set in the model setup (probably 120 degrees). Set it to 90 degree in the HELI model setup and you should find it all works! Hopefully! Happy flying!

[@nilsreichhard]

Painless360 Thanks lot! had an accident, but it will be ready to fly on monday haha. cheers!

[@bekawe2011]

Hi again :) I have a question about the RTL fuction: will the RTL mode always override the other modes? Say I'm in loiter and flip the switch for RTL. will that work? Or while in the middle of a mission or simply flying around in stab- mode, will RTL override that modes? Not clear about that. Greetings.

[@Painless360]

bekawe2011 RTL is a mode like any other - then you tell the board that you want RTL that it what it does. It is the saem as any of the other modes. The only time you need to be careful is when using RTL as part of failsafe when you lose signal from the RC gear, reconnecting as it comes back to you may cause it to leave RTL mode as it 'hears' the mode you want again via the receiver. Hope this makes sense. copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/flying-arducopter/flight-modes/rtl-mode/

[@bekawe2011]

Painless360 Thank you!

[@girarcat]

Very useful explanation, thanks! I've been experiencing some problems with my external compass (in fact I've never been able to make it work due to a faulty I2C plug). Just wondering, is it possible to fly autonomous waypoints, RTL, guided mode, etc. without having a compass? The APM gyros an accelerometers detect angular accelerations, so without a compass you still have heading reading. The only problem is that it considers North is in the direction the drone was pointing at when you powered it up. So if I just power it up with the nose of the vehicle pointing at real North, then the APM should be able to orientate itself by means of angular acceleration detection, right? I guess the compass is only used to provide initial North detection and probably for redundancy, but the APM alone should be able to orientate once North position has been determined (either using the compass or "manually" by starting it up pointing North). This way I should be able to fly without the need of a compass. What do you reckon? Thanks!

[@Painless360]

girarcat In one word... no. Any error from the actual heading will show up as an error and cause the GPS modes to do some very odd things. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXSlqayPZdGGbMk for why.. Happy flying!

[@girarcat]

Painless360 Thanks for answering! That's a shame, I'm gonna have to buy a new APM. In that video you said the Quad will not be able to find the home position if there's some kind of compass interference, but what would happen if you tried that without having a compass at all? Do you think at least Loiter Mode would work properly without compass? Cheers!

[@Painless360]

Let me explain it using an analogy. Imaging you walk into a large blank room with no windows and only one door, the one you come in through. Now imagine you pick a random position inside the room and stand then and someone turns the light off and asks you to turn on the spot 10 times. With the lights off, do you now know where the door is? Nope, and neither can the APM :) Location is nothing without heading for a GPS system to work, even for loiter. Sorry to hear about the problems, I'd get another and start again. Happy flying!

[@girarcat]

Okay! I really appreciate your explanation! Cheers!

[@quanhongphan7405]

I got a problem with motors spinning, that was mean only 2 of 4 motors spin when I made throttle up. If I change Yaw stick to left, then 2 motors on the left spin. And I made Yaw stick on the right, then 2 motors on the right side spin. I can't made 4 motors spin at a time, that's why my quadcopter can't fly up. But I did esc calibration, all of 4 motors spin at the time, I dont know how to configure, please help me through, tks a lot

[@Painless360]

Not sure, sounds like the ESC calibration isn't happy. I'd try again.. Best of luck!

Hi tks for the video, what is the difference between Stabilize and sport?? GRACIAS

[@Painless360]

+Drones Medellín All detailed in the flight mode pages I refer to in the video.. Happy flying!

[@jimmcminnsr6309]

I hope my question makes scent. If you have a video on this I haven't found it yet. I have a FrSky X8R Receiver, understand channels 1-8 PWM, the S-Bus confused, pins, + -- pretty simple, servo pin to get 16 channels. What does that plug into so you get 16 channels? I do have a 2.8 Arducopter APM. On the left side on the APM pins labeled 0-11 that are male pins, then say pins 12-13 are female with USB labeled next to them. All the videos I see on KZbin explain very well on how to bind and show channels 1-8 then they talk about the S-Bus channels 1-16 but never explain what that would plug into. I thinking some kind of bar, I don't know. Can someone explain to a bumby ?

[@Painless360]

Not sure what you mean but the best video of mine I can point you too is here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYWcfYKEZpJ1rMk - hope it helps.

[@marioordaz3255]

How does circle mode work and how do you set the radius and center of it?

[@Painless360]

All covered in the documentation - ardupilot.org/copter/docs/circle-mode.html best of luck

[@DjiPhantomOverGreece]

Nice videos on the APM !!! they are of big help. When I put my quad on loitter the speed is very slow when I try to move it forward or backwords, is it posible to set the loitter speed to go faster? and if so how can it be done? Thank you !!!

[@Painless360]

copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/flying-arducopter/flight-modes/loiter-mode/ should help.

[@ydeardorff]

Painless360 I was curious if any additional videos have been added? I have purchased the ultrasonic sensor, and the optical flow sensor for the apm. A hook up and setup video would be great if you know of any...

[@Painless360]

Sorry. no. All of the videos are in the APM playlists. Best of luck with it.

[@jgstudio6]

I'm having a problem with the Tricopter I just built. When I throttle up, the Tricopter lifts the right front arm up 1st and the Tricopter beings to slide across the floor. (To much throttle and it flips?) I've tried adding weights to that arm, but no luck? Any thoughts on how to correct this? I'm just want to get it to hover for starters...

[@Painless360]

Hi, recalibrate the ESCs and reset the accelerometer on the board first. Hope this helps. Happy flying!

[@jgstudio6]

Painless360 Thank you Painless 360 will do. 1st! That is an excellent series of videos you made on the APM. (Informative.) Now I have another question? I've connected the "Yaw Servo" to Output pin 7 on the APM, but it does not respond when I move either the right or left stick on the radio?

[@carcueza]

Hello. Thank you for your video. I have a problem and perhaps you can help me. I´ve lost my flight modes.... I go to go to "Initial Set up> MAndatory Hardware>Flight modes>" I set up my flight modes and click on "Saves modes", but really my quad doesn't save these flight modes because in the display of flying ("Flight Data menu") in Mission planner when I select one flying mode in my transmitter it doesn't appear in this screen. What do you think that I´m doing wrong? Thank you for your help and for your channel!!

[@Painless360]

Not sure what you mean - can you post a little video to show the issue?

[@carcueza]

Painless360 Hello. The problem is that my flight modes are missing. I select in the transmiter "return to home" (for example) but the quad doesn´t any think. So, I look for information about how to program the filght modes (your video) and I do everything like you in your video and "Save" and in mission planner everything is right. But really the quad no save the new flight modes. So perhaphs there are something wrong? Or I have to select something else? I´ll try record a video this afternoon. Thank you.

[@saeidehakbari]

Hello, I'm using a Ardupilot 2.6 and I just need to use it to get roll, pitch, and yaw data for one of my projects. I need to show these data on one LCD connecting to Arduino. Is there any way to do that? Thanks.

[@Painless360]

+Saeideh Have a look at the PWM libraries for the Arduino. They should help if you're just looking to measure the PWM outputs.. Best of luck.

[@55Rumble]

Hi, Thanks for this video, explains alot... I do have a question though.... On setting up my flight modes, I have fitted a 6 position switch to my Taranis Plus but when I switch from mode to mode in MP, I have over lapping PWM's (I get 2 modes within 1 range) i.e. Modes 1 and 2 will be in PWM 0 - 1230. Can I adjust this somehow?

[@Painless360]

This can be tricky, there is a good set of tutorials on the google pages fro Mission |Planner - maybe these can point you in the right direction? copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/common-six-modes/

[@55Rumble]

Thanks, I think I can do it in the TX??? I'm using a new Taranis Plus for this biuld and when I say new, I mean NEW.... It's crazy fun to get my head round.... :-)

[@joepdarrow]

is it possible to change from cell phone WiFi controler to a traditional style controler, WiFi. Great little quad, but I have arthritis and can't use the cell phone.

[@Painless360]

On an APM? Not seen that done on an APM controller...

[@joepdarrow]

Sorry, off topic

[@r00t3d]

hi +painless360 thx for your video, as i can see you are confident with apm. now i have an issue, maybe you can help me out, i am not getting any luck on diy forum, this is my problem: power the plane, switch in manual flight mode , throttle works. lets say i move the thro stick to 50% then switch to stabilized mode( or any assisted mode), after two sec, throttle is cut, and if i switch back to manual mode, can t get the throttle to work, unless i unplug and replug the lipo any ideas? drives me mad thxx for your time. best regards

[@Painless360]

+herve pellarin What does the logfile show?

[@r00t3d]

+Painless360 thx for your reply, let me empty all logs and create a new one, i ll give you the link in a sec. thxx

[@r00t3d]

+Painless360 hi, this is the last log i quickly generated pastebin.com/1ynWHnVW i just notined this: thro 50% in manual mode, switch to stabilized, thro stop after 2 sec, if i keep thro stick in same position and switch back to manual, throttle is back again, never had that with apm 1.0 but again, i guess the code has evoluted. thank you for your time, truelly appreciate

[@Painless360]

I will take a quick look tomorrow but if it needs more work then support is available but isn't free..

[@r00t3d]

+Painless360 i understand. tjx a lot

[@AuroraColoradoUSA]

3DR Solo... Do you know how to change the startup mode from Fly to Stabilize? Apparently the setting is in Parameters, but I do not know what the specific setting is. Thanks.

[@Painless360]

The 3DR Solo uses an earlier version of the PixHawk 2.1 so you need to connect to mission planner and use the setup/configuration to change it to what you need. I've not used a 3DR solo myself however - best of luck.

[@ZipSnipe]

Hey Painless, first let say thank you for having some of the most informative and well produced videos!!! Question out of all the FC's you have reviewed which would be your favorite for filming videos? I love my Naze32 but I built a filming rig Cinetank MK1 and right now I am using Naza Lite which is ok but it doesn't have that circle mode like APM does, and I think that is critical if you are doing filming

[@Painless360]

+ZipSnipe This may help - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWXXgnSjnJemqaM

[@SuperGoofa]

Hi Painless Thanks for your prompt reply, maybe I have found a problem, I have 3.4 firmware installed to the board, I do have an earlier version 2.71 in a downloaded file but do not know how to load it using mission planner, ( afraid I'm not real computer smart), I looked for Arduplane 3.2.1 version but could not find it, I can't find anything on line explaining how to backtrack to an earlier version, I apoligise for being a pain Regards Geoff.

[@frankfont08]

What parts do you need in order to use the FOLLOW ME mode?

[@Painless360]

Android tablet or PC with a wireless connection to the craft. U would reccomend the telemetry radios with an andriod tablet that supports OTG. Best of luck!

[@rajattripathi362]

hi, plz can u tell me which wires i have to connect to the hobby king 6 channel reciver for flight modes in apm 2.6 i have connected the gps module wire but as iam a beginner i dont know which wires i have to connect to the reciver's channel 5&6 in order to us the flight modes or simply i have to set it in the misson planner ???

[@Painless360]

+Rajat Tripathi We cover all of the connections in the earlier videos - this is part of a series and if you watch them in order they should help.. Best of luck!

[@rajattripathi362]

ok thanks ill watch them nd tell

[@stevenhunter7619]

awesome video

[@Painless360]

Thank you! Happy flying!

[@mrmurder75]

Any chance you could do a video on auto tune configuration using a d4r-II please? Got myself a quanum nova for av but can't figure out how to get it to do auto tune. I currently have 4 flight modes configured on it, stabilise, loiter, alt hold and rth as a panic switch. Really need help in getting auto tune set up if you have time please.

[@Painless360]

mrmurder75 I would contact your supplier for support. Best of luck!

[@limespy3823]

The super simple mode saved me on one of my first flights XDD i didnt have the rtl modes setup yet and no fpv gear, and i have poor sight, It flew away and i couldnt see how it was turned

[@GustavoMorenoH]

good video! a question, how I can do for adjust the altitude in AltHold mode? I want to reduce it. I use a APM 2.6 quadrucopter F450

[@Painless360]

That's done with the throttle but it works a little differently than in other modes. ardupilot.org/copter/docs/altholdmode.html Best of luck!

[@GustavoMorenoH]

Yeah, but when the throttle stick is in the middle (40%-60%) it's maintain a altitude (7-10m aprox) and not possible adjust your altitude. I want to reduce it. :c

[@Painless360]

Drop the throttle below 40% and the craft will reduce in altitude - all in that link I provided.. Best of luck!

[@alacranrojo4331]

hi I have a problem with my cherson cx20 it arm motor and do everything good but when I try to up my trotle the motors doesn't do nothing also I saw a red light in the reciver

[@Painless360]

+alacran rojo I'd contact the vendor fir support. Plugging the model into a computer and Mission Planner can be very helpful too.. Best of luck!

[@alacranrojo4331]

id try

[@tfuntoy]

I have a question on stabilise mode. When I takeoff and say it is in 5M high and it is very stable, move it fast to forward then fast backward the quad will lift itself mush higher. Is this normal? 2nd I find it very difficult to land using the stabilise mode, any tip on the thro?

[@Painless360]

+wing hum thomas fung Quick turns will make the copter rise, stabilise will attempt to maintain the height but you are probably making too quick a change. It's very normal for the copter to 'bounce' when landing. It's sat in it's own prop wash and air is bouncing up from the ground back into the props. Some use the LAND mode, some live with it, some cut the motors and let it drop the last few inches. Happy flying!

[@tfuntoy]

Thanks for your great advise. I have already watched many of your video and they are all very good and details. I actually found the mode Alt Hold land very soft. Have a great day.

[@engineer4real]

i have a with the speed of my motors .and it won't give me full throlle to left off after i did a firmware update. went back to old firmware still the same . what to do

[@Painless360]

Recalibrate the ESCs as a first step and check the max and min throttle values in mission planner. Best of luck.

[@rossroberts3212]

+james cade This happened to me as well. I had to Max Throttle to 1000 from 80.

[@vajihakhan]

APM 2.6 with external GPS and Compass. MP says "PreArm Check Compass not calibrated". GPS is getting 5 Sats. However after multiple attempts at compass calibration, nothing works. Suggestions?

[@Painless360]

+Vajih Khan is check the i2c connections for the external compass are all connected and check you're picking the right settings in the GUI. Best of luck!

[@TheFhmy]

Hi Painless360 I have a problem with my APM 2.6. Why did my quad only turns about its place? I have configured the radius to 8m, not zero. and also the speed to 20deg/s. Thanks.

[@SpiritBond]

Hey there! I just built my first drone (f450) and took it out for a test flight.Everything went fine,everything was responsive,so I decided to test the RTL on the drone.It was 6-7 meters away from me.As soon as I activated RTL the drone started going up to like ~15 meters or so,then stopped and the randomly it started tilting on every side and began falling.It was a soft crash because I immediately set it to Stabilize mode and full throttled it.Any idea to why it did that? Thanks :)) (APM 2.8,3cell 4200mah)

[@jaaftmr]

Hi! i got one question, isnted of waiting to scan the gps, can I start in stablize and then when I am flying it will keep searching for gps for when I needed (like changing to loiter mode)? thanks

[@Painless360]

Joao Antonio Not recommended - how do you know when it gets a lock? For GPS RTH mode it 'remembers' the co-ordinates of the position it was in when it was armed and that is stored as the HOME position. If you don't have a GPS lock when you arm you can't use GPS RTH mode. Hope this makes sense.

[@nuwanratnayake9877]

Sir , can we choose 3 flight modes for aux 1 and additional flight mode for aux 2 ?

[@Painless360]

I've only ever setup 6 flight modes on the modes channel..

[@venkateshprasath2748]

sir i finished calibrating everthing , my qaudcopter is nt even lifting above the ground i dont know y ..could you please help me ?

[@Painless360]

The main things to test if you haven't got lift is that you have the props on the right way round. Has this ever flown? Check that the writing on the props is on the side facing up and confirm that they are on the right motors for the CW and CCW rotation. Best of luck..

[@harmoes7342]

Good day to you My second question for you posted it on other places but can't get no answer yet so here's it I can't get my hexa to go follow me I'll activate it in the GUI (tower) and the button stays red does never go blue my drones hdop is 1.2 and the tablet is 0.8 so could you tell me what other conditions need to be ok I'm using a wiffi telemetry and I notice that if I move around the tablet takes a while to update my location Again thanks upfront

[@Painless360]

Sorry, the follow-me mode is something I’ve never used. I personally feel it’s a very dangerous one. Best of luck, I hope you get it sorted soon

[@asjad1814]

can I use your step for programing APM 2.8?I want to make a quadcopter. so can I use all 8 parts of your videos instructions? I will making my quadcopter with APM 2.8 .can I change with APM 2.6?what is your opinion? please tell me.

[@Painless360]

APM 2.8 is almost exactly the same as the one in this video with just a couple of very small changes on the board itself. Instructions and everything's still relevant. Happy flying!

[@enmadam9624]

hi there please help me . i have the FLY SKY 6 Channel im setting my flight modes but i see my channel 5 and 6 have the same PWM value . now that both channels read the same value im only able to use one flight mode how do i get to change or what must i do so that the one channel reads a different PWM value so i can use another flight mode ?

[@Painless360]

You need to configure the radio so that you can change the value on the channel changes value enough. Use the monitor screen on the radio to check that you can see the value of the AUX channel change enough. Also, check that you have the receiver plugged into the right inputs on the APM so that can see the changing values.. Good luck.

[@enmadam9624]

I have check but i notice the knob if i set it as a channel then if i turn it then im able to to get a low pwn but if i set that channel to a switch then it with read the pwm on the high rate.

[@Painless360]

Sorry I can't be of more help - consult the manual on how to setup a switch to give you three outputs (two will work) on one of the channels. Sometimes selecting HELI rather than ACRO mode can give you more choices.. Best of luck..

[@reegeecajes9343]

hello i have a question about land mode. Basically my DIY drone for specific purposes really weighs heavy like 5-6kgs. If i use Land mode im confuse if the APM will land it slowly because the weight really affects the way the drone lands because of the gravity. Will the Land mode really lands well in this kind of weight im having? Please i need your help.

[@Painless360]

It should be fine, especially if you sized the motors and props correctly. Best of luck

[@reegeecajes9343]

@@Painless360 or like theres a setting i can edit so the drone wont just fall if i tick the land mode?

[@Painless360]

All settings here - ardupilot.org/copter/docs/land-mode.html

[@reegeecajes9343]

@@Painless360 you think land mode will land my drone regardless of its weight?

[@Painless360]

No idea how you've setup your model so impossible to be sure but if it hovers at 50% throttle or lower, than I'd expect it to be ok. Best of luck

[@cluetoeverything7492]

Hey sir I am using flysky FSCT6B I am not able to switch flight modes in this transmitter Can you please how to switch in this.

[@Painless360]

I don't have that radio here. Best of luck

[@kkhalifah1019]

Oh this demystifies everything. Great stuff..!! By the way, is 'SIMPLE MODE' the same as 'HEADLESS MODE' on those toy quads...?

[@Painless360]

Pretty much! ardupilot.org/copter/docs/simpleandsuper-simple-modes.html

[@chandande7495]

dear sir in my apm2.8 in alt hold mode when i increasing thortle 50 percent to 60 the motor spining its full power its behaviour like 100 percent thortle and after in this situation when i decreasing thortle to 50 percent its not decreasing motor speed (motor is rotating full speed) and when i minimise thortle to 0 percent then after feu second the motor responding to low rottation ...why this happenning any solution i m ur big fan from 10 years

[@Painless360]

I've not seen that, not sure what to check as the model should rise and fall smoothly. The APM isn't supported by the modern versions of the software and I've not used one for years. Best of luck with it..

[@robmcq197]

Hi My 2.6 APM wont fly level it just flips right over, I try to hold it and at 25% throttle and it goes forwards backwards faster slower????????

[@Painless360]

Rob Mc This may help - covers the basics for this type of problem - kzbin.info/www/bejne/epCkaoqdfdWGp8k

[@2010karatekid]

Hey I really need some help. I am setting up my apm 2.6 and I have a Futaba T8J, using the R2008SB receiver. No matter what channel I assign mode change to, nothing happens. I can't change any of the flight modes. The apm doesn't even recognize that I have anything other than the first 4 channels.

[@Painless360]

+Kyle McLester Lots to check - can you see the channel value moving in the 'monitor/channel output' screen of the radio for the channel you have setup?

[@2010karatekid]

+Painless360 It only shows ail, ele, thr, and yaw.

[@2010karatekid]

+Painless360 But yes, those values DO move. However, nothing else does.

[@Painless360]

You need to check that the channel you think is moving on the radio is actually changing values, you could use an old servo plugged into the Rx to see if that moves with the mode switch as a last resort..

[@2010karatekid]

So I did some more troubleshooting and still nothing. What I did was tried controlling a servo like you said and it worked correctly. Then I plugged my throttle channel into the input 5 to see if anything would happen- when throttling up the pwm values change just like you think they would. So the apm and receiver are working correctly yet no progress has been made towards my 3 pos switch. Not really sure what to do next.

[@MrRittzy]

Did you buy the APM board from 3DR or did you buy a clone from somewhere? Cheers

[@Painless360]

All of the APM units are clones from eBay. Why do you ask?

[@MrRittzy]

I just generally didn't know, there was a board on the 3DR website store.3drobotics.com/products/apm-2-6-KIT-1 Didn't know if the clones where worse or if they are the same or which was the best to buy? Thanks

[@Painless360]

***** I've not had any problems with the clones (he says, fingers crossed).Get them from sellers with good ratings and try and buy locally if you can. Happy flying!

[@MrRittzy]

Cheers!

[@shyamsundar2000]

Does stabilize mode need any manual tuning to be done? btw can you make a video on landing a quadcopter ? I just crashed my new one :(

[@Painless360]

Possibly, I tend not to play with the tuning too much on APM and PixHawk as the software is very forgiving. Best of luck!

[@shyamsundar2000]

Painless360 How do you land a quadcopter? If we keep the throttle to the minimum , will it automatically land?

[@Painless360]

Sounds like you need a little more practice. The quad will descend but normally bounce a little as it hits it's own dirty air and ground effect. Most pilots disarm as soon as it's a few inches off the ground. Also helps make sure that AIRMODE doesn't freak out when you land too (if you're using Betaflight or similar)..

[@prathameshkalaskar9250]

I was planning to install apm board with telemetry in my four channel rc plane so which modes should i select?

[@Painless360]

Don't use APM any more. Check out the Pixhawk or recent Arduplane videos..

[@fireabu7701]

@@Painless360 why not to use APM??

[@soulaimanrafya6737]

how you change the mode using the transmeter

[@Painless360]

All covered in the series.. Happy flying!

[@soulaimanrafya6737]

@@Painless360 thank you for your reply but could you tell me each episod

[@pritesh725]

How to Enable OF_Loiter (optical flow loiter mode ) in mission planner 1.3.43

[@Painless360]

+pritesh metha sorry we've never tried it here, best of luck with it!

[@alhzx9595]

can I upload a custom (hex/code) file or download it from the apm2.8 ?

[@Painless360]

If you've got one that works with the APM, sure. Happy flying!

[@yordanvelikov9208]

hi, me again with different issue. my second quad wirh apm2.6 flies away when rtl activated. checked altitude, gps is locked, tried 3 different gps+compas+all calibration.watched yor videos. please help

[@Painless360]

+Yordan Velikov Happy to help but please watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZ2sooefiK97f7s and come back to me with more detail of what you've tried..

[@yordanvelikov9208]

+Painless360 several times I have erased all settings and have started from scratch. I calibrated the compass and telemetry shows correctly the location and orientation during flight. it is flying nicelly. rtl_alt -1500; rtl_alt_final-0;rtl_loit_time-5000; gps_type -1; gpsglitch_accel -2500;gpsglitch_enable-1; compass_use-1; compass_orient -8; compass_ofs_x--28.467; compass_ofs_y-26.184; compass_ofs_z- 7.025; compass_external-1; compass_learn-0; compass_motct-1; this is all what I know after reading all possible forums. hope this talks?

[@Painless360]

I'd check the you can get GPS position hold working first. Use the offices and the CompassMOT process to investigate it. Best of luck..

[@yordanvelikov9208]

+Painless360 thanks! how to learn how to use those? any link you would recommend?

[@Painless360]

Carry on watching the videos in the playlist.. Best of luck!

[@hilmidwiputranto6944]

when I change my flight mode to either loiter or RTL, my quad copter keeps on turning right by itself. I have no idea what is going on

[@Painless360]

+hilmi dwiputranto is check the logfile a for a clue. Best of luck!

[@김이문세-c4r]

hey boy do you know cx20 drone ? if you know about that pz explane to the mission planner

[@Painless360]

김이문세 Sorry I don't use them here. Best of luck with it.

[@ferditheone7135]

hi,i have a problem with my apm 2.6 ,i set it up but it dont stabilize the quad,it fly not stabilized ,do you have some idea,thanks

[@Painless360]

Not with that level of information. What troubleshooting have you already done? Have you followed my setup videos?

[@ferditheone7135]

Painless360 hi,it loks just acelorometer or gyro dont work,maybe i wont to trim the sensityvy of gyro,do you have some video or some idea,thank you for the fast response,you are great

[@Painless360]

Have you recalibrated the accelerometer?

[@ferditheone7135]

Painless360 i do it now,and i will tell thank you

[@ferditheone7135]

Painless360 is the same,but now i noticed that when the motor run and i turn manualy in left side ,the 2 motorrs of the left side stay normal,but the right side spin more,,i order another i think is difectous

[@SGNEPALITECH]

Sir i am facing one problem since 1 yrs.... When i switch to loiter or althold mode then my drone become uncontrolable and crash... It automatically fly away......please help me😱

[@Painless360]

What troubleshooting have you already tried?

[@SGNEPALITECH]

@@Painless360 it is fully working in stablize mode but when i switch to althold or loiter mode then it become uncontroll. And it fly away.... It is very scary😣😣 You can only help me.....

[@Painless360]

Thanks for explaining the problem in more detail but you havent answered my question. Happy to help but please watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZ2sooefiK97f7s and come back to me with more detail of what you've tried..

[@AllAroundTube50]

Can someone create a VTOL setting for Inav? The UI for Ardupilot sucks!

[@Painless360]

Check out my VTOL series..

[@himanshubansal6491]

are compass and barometer necessary for flying APM 2.8

[@Painless360]

If you want to do anything apart from basic stabilization - yes.

[@3dprint-tech787]

I have a normal radio and my HKpilot mega is on it's way, can I make loiter work with a normal throttle stick (not centering).

[@Painless360]

+3dprint-tech yes that should work fine, I don't use any throttles that have a sprung centre.

[@3dprint-tech787]

Thanks a lot for your quick reply! So the max throttle will represent the max height if I understand right.

[@Painless360]

+3dprint-tech yes, it's all in the manual. ardupilot.org/copter/docs/loiter-mode.html

[@3dprint-tech787]

Thanks a lot for the help!

[@3dprint-tech787]

Painless360 I read the doc but there's still something that confuses me, do I still have to put the throttle in center position to make it so it's not ascending or descending, but just without the stick springing back?

[@FlamerCAE]

Do I need miniosd for these modes?

[@Painless360]

No. Happy flying!

[@sprwil]

Great, thanks👍

[@pardeepsaini_24]

i have no gps module and which mode slect for without gps

[@Painless360]

+Pardeep Saini any flught mode that don't need a GPS should work but I would not use an APM without a GPS..

[@DjiPhantomOverGreece]

Thank you very much !!!!

[@DamirSpanic]

Thank you!

[@felipejose3321]

Hi friend. How are you. Your videos are great, congratulations for the presentations, I need help with a Hexa I'm assembling a Hexa with an APM 2.8 but when I connect to the mission plane to do the tests on the motors, they are inverted, motor 1 works correctly on arm 1, motor 2 it works on arm 4 and 3 on 6 are all inverted already update the apm with a firm 3.2.1 I've done a lot of research but I can't find where I do the verification. I am very grateful if you can help me. Thank you for your attention and rest in the Lord's peace.

[@Painless360]

I've not used APM for a long time but the motor mapping has changed. See my Pixhawk/ArduCopter 2020 series for how we did it the last time we setup a Quad... I hope that helps.. Best of luck

[@Diymakervn]

no head flight mode ?

[@Painless360]

This is a very old video. The best place to check is the documentation linked in the description for the latest... Happy flying

[@electricpedal5531]

simple ang super simple mode realy sucks my drone hit me because of that how to take it back to normal mode cause when i dont put a check of those 2 my quad armed in just a few second and then disarmed how to set in normal mode sr my apm 2.8 requires to chose simple or super simple if i dont chose it will never fly

[@Painless360]

I don't recommend every using simple or super-simple mode. A pilot should learn to fly the model without these crutches. That way you can always get the model back and landed safely, when if the 'crutch' breaks ;)

[@electricpedal5531]

Painless360 so am i sr it im use to fly with out those modes im not a beginner my problem is my quad wont fly if i dont chose which one of of those to i think apm 2.8 dosent support normal mode is it right

[@Painless360]

+Jose Dawang depends on what you mean by 'normal' mode..

[@faustomartini7541]

non riesco a fare la calibrazione commossa

[@Painless360]

+Fausto Martini Felice di aiutare, ma per favore guardare kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZ2sooefiK97f7s e torna da me con più in dettaglio di che cosa hai provato...

[@GeoNikBand]

hey, great video, thanks! i'll be getting this kit: www.xt-xinte.com/F02192-Z.html and would like to know if those flight modes are available with the provided gps and built-in compass. or do I need to buy something extra? especially interested in follow me mode, loiter, Circle for video shooting.

[@Painless360]

Should be! Best of luck!

[@الكمبيوترالعام-ج4ر]

veri good