Questions regarding the vario in open9x

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Rob Thomson
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by Rob Thomson »

I used the new vario settings today. . (thermal scout)

MUCH BETTER

The system is a bit more fidly to setup, but the overall sound response is better.

Nice work.

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jmpblackfoot »

I have configured my 9x transmitter for the Winged Shadow Thermal Scout variometer on FrSky D6FR receiver analog port A2.
It works, but the beep pattern is the same for positive or negative vertical speed, i.e. faster beeps as the (>0 or <0) vertical speed increases.
Also, changing the deadband vaues of the vario seems to have no effect. I never get silence, only beeps at 3 second intervals.
The transmitter is a Turnigy 9x with Smartieparts board, OpenTx version r2231, and Frsky telemetry modification.
Configuration is as follows:
Vario: source A2, limits -5, -0.9, +0.1, +5
A2: range 10 m/s, offset -5.01 m/s, no alarms
Questions:
1 - Is there a way of either make the negative vertical speed beeps different from the positive vertical speed ones, or make the transmitter silent for negative vertical speeds?
2 - To hear different beeps, do I need to install a piezo speaker as detailed here ? :
http://openrcforums.com/wiki/index.php/ ... c_Feedback
Last edited by jmpblackfoot on Mon Apr 15, 2013 4:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by Rob Thomson »

You will need to have the speaker mod done to get variable tones :-)
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jmpblackfoot »

Thanks, that is what I thought.
Will do it asap, with earphone jack.
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jmpblackfoot »

Did the speaker mod last night with a RadioShack piezo transducer Model 273-073 ($2.49) and 4.7µF capacitor.
It works fine!

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by Rob Thomson »

Great :-)

Vario working better now?

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jmpblackfoot »

Yes, definitely!
The limits work, the tone is continuous and lower in pitch as the vertical speed decreases and beeps increase in pitch as the vertical speed increases.
Thanks again for all the work.
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by bertrand35 »

Cool! Which vario did you use?
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jmpblackfoot »

It is a Thermal Scout from Winged Shadow:
http://www.wingedshadow.com/thermalscout.html
It has a PWM output which requires a simple 1k + 10µF filter to interface with the receiver analog port:
http://wingedshadow.com/TSoutmode.pdf
I did not have a 10µF capacitor at hand, so I used 2.2k + 4.7µF instead.
One friend with standard FlySky 9x V2 system uses the Thermal Scout in tone output mode via a UHF sound + video downlink, but the FrSky + OpenTx vario option is simpler and better with configurable limits, if you don't need video.
As soon as they are available, I'll try the new FrSky variometer in the same analog mode (should have both altitude and vario at half the price):
http://www.alofthobbies.com/variometer- ... ision.html
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by Kilrah »

Detail, but the new FrSky vario doesn't connect to the analog port, but to the data port :)
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jmpblackfoot »

OK. Do you know where to find the instructions for the FrSky vario?
Here, a user seems to have it connected both to data rx (yellow) and analog port #2 (blue) :?: :?:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... ount=10812
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by wilco1967 »

Rob Thomson wrote:You will need to have the speaker mod done to get variable tones :-)
Hi,

I have a stock 9X board with Frsky telemetry and backlight mod. Running Open9X ver 2281
I'm experimenting with vario. Ordered parts for the Open9Xvario, but in the meantime did some experiments with my MWii tricopter which also sends vario data Vspd.

To get the variable tones on the 9X, the i've uploaded open9X with 'audio' option enabled.
Initially so I could get a feel for the added menu options. I did NOT make the hardware modification (just thought to give it a try, and see what happens).
To my pleasant surprise, the build in beeper seems to work quite reasonable with the various sounds (never heard a properly modified 9X, so cannot compare). the vario tones are quite good to distinguish.

Is there any pressing reason, to do the hardware speaker mod ? Like (much) improved sound ?, or can the internal speaker be expected to fail pretty soon when 'abused' like this ?

If no concern, I prefer not to do the hardware modification. The space for a speaker inside my 9X is taken already by the build-in DIY frsky module.
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by Bass »

I use the audio-option without hardware-modification, too. If you are pleased with the stock-beeper, there is no need to change it.
Another question: in the actual firmware-version 2647, i only can find 2 limit values for the vario, which is different compared with the actual documentation. Is this right?
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by rainer »

Yes, the sink tones have been removed lately from openTX for the stock board, as they have been not that useful.
the 2 values left can be used to configure the tone range for the tones when rising.
build your own vario ==> https://github.com/openXsensor/openXsensor/wiki (Formerly https://code.google.com/p/openxsensor/ and https://code.google.com/p/openxvario/)
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jhsa »

I do find it better this way.. sink tones are annoying and don't do much to motivate you anyway ;) :)
so take the silence as sink tones.. wonderful :)
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by Rob Thomson »

Even on sky9x and Taranis I fly like this.

Silence in sink is much more relaxing :)

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by MikeB »

When I was testing the vario tones in er9x, I had very little lift. I found the sink tones useful because when it went quite it meant I was holding height.

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jhsa »

I just can't stand them :)
holding height means you have positive lift, so the vario should sound normally in my opinion
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by Rob Thomson »

MikeB wrote:When I was testing the vario tones in er9x, I had very little lift. I found the sink tones useful because when it went quite it meant I was holding height.

Mike.
Your various should be tuned to beep when you are not moving downward.

No height gain - but no sink = lift.

That is why you should expect a beep when the vario is on, and the model is on the ground.

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by MikeB »

I see, I've just implemented "up" tones when Vspd is "UP" and "down" tones when Vspd is "DOWN", with the tone spaced closer together the more "UP" or "DOWN" the value.

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jhsa »

would it be possible an option to turn the sink tones off?

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by MikeB »

Probably.

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jhsa »

thanks
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by mpjf01 »

jhsa wrote:would it be possible an option to turn the sink tones off?

João
Can I ask please that you make it optional.
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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by MikeB »

In the next revision of er9x. (Sorry to hijack an openTx thread!)
Optional as well, if sink tones off, then you should get "up" tones at 2 second intervals while holding height. Still to actually test it!

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jhsa »

Mike, did you test it with the megasound board with the beeper signal connected to it?

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by MikeB »

Yes, I,ve flown with two different 9Xs, 1 with Emartee voice, stock beeper and direct telemetry, the other with MegaSound with beeper signal and TeZ board for telemetry. Both sounded fine.

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by jhsa »

Thanks Mike..

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Re: Questions regarding the vario in open9x

Post by mpjf01 »

Going back to the openTx situation. I notice that C9X has the 4 vario limits and there is an "Off" option that greys out the negative centre limit (and sets it to -2.0). I don't recall seeing this before but it may always have been there, my memory is poor these days. However, there are still only the two positive options in OpenTX. I had hoped when I was setting up models in C9X yesterday that the tones for sink had been restored when I saw them in C9X but discovered this was not so.

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