olnico

Hello Guys,

I had the opportunity to visit the Weatronic headquarters yesterday.
As you probably all know now, the founder of the Company, Alex died a few days ago.
I found a team in pain but working hard to catch up with the additional work. The legal issues raised by their loss has been sorted out and Christopher has now all the rights regarding management decisions and is fully accountable. So their business is now going back to full pace and as a matter of fact, they were still working a 7 pm when I left the place.

I had a very long discussion with Alwin regarding the new firmware and had the chance to play with the new upcoming devices like the standalone GPS and the vario unit.
The new firmware will incorporate a lot of new features like the GPS/vario voice annunciations and also correct a few minor issues found previously.

The new standalone GPS incorporates the latest SIRF Prima chipset and will enable ultra fast initialization and update ( 4 times per second ). It will be backed up by the new voice annunciation option embedded in Gigacontrol. Multiple options will be available like minimum, maximum speed voice callouts, periodic speed/height/distance position callouts, switchable modes etc…
The vario module is amazing and based on a well established German technology. It is specifically designed for glider and electrical glider. However I think that many options would be interesting for EDF jets like the pitot tube, voltage and current monitoring and battery level warning, temperature probe, all with real time datalog cappability and voice annunciation.

The next sensors to come will be a Booster/Evojets/Hammer interface, standalone pitot tube and more. I have insisted so that the Weatronic team gets closer to the Jetcat team to be able to access their ECU data as well. Lets wait and see what comes out.

They have also finished the development of multiplex modules for Futaba/JR/Graupner systems. This allows to expand one radio channel into 8 low speed switchable channels for up to 24 additional channels ( on top of the 12 inputs already available ). The big 12-22 unit will be fully loaded on that respect, and the micro 12 receivers will get the possibility to be upgraded by adding an additional receiver module for output expansion.

In the near future, a new Tx module will be developed, that will get a much higher capacity flash rom and will be able to output more voice annunciations and cope with the high refresh rate of the remote GPS unit. This will also hold in memory all the files required to upload firmware updated and treat the high bandwith required by adding the remote sensors.

I have also spent a good amount of time talking with Alwin about advanced procedures and will start writing an article about this in RCJI once the new firmware will be “digested�.

I would like once again to extend my deepest sympathy to Axel wife and the Weatronic team and thank them for their warm welcome in such a difficult time.

olnico

Also as a matter of interest, I did not make pictures since the headquarters in Stuttgart is actually mostly an administrative/CAD design place.
The hardware design bureau and production lines are located in Berlin. So maybe next time I'll have some interesting pictures to share here...

HarryC

My Feedback: (1)

What an unfortunate time to coincide with your visit Olivier, the staff must have been very sad. Every model I have is now converted to Weatronic so I am glad to hear that the firm has been stabilised and will continue. I am very much looking forward to getting the standalone GPS unit.

I wonder if you had a chance to find out about a few specific issues? You mentioned the new firmware will correct a few minor issues, do you happen to know if it will correct the micro rx failsafe setting bug using the shorting plug, will it correct the servo travel limit that is being imposed, and do they understand the need to change the micro design to a wider spacing between sockets?

Harry

olnico

Hi Harry,
The team is watching this thread at the moment.
So from what I understand, here are some needs :

Software

Micro Rx:
Hardware failsafe setting bug clearing

12-22R:
Bat 1 disconnection bug clearing

General:
Servo travel limit increased

Hardware

Micro Rx:
wider plug spacing
Direct current MPX plugs connection ( I will post something on this custom mod soon )

Accessories:
Snap-on to SAM antenna externsions for the micro Rx series.

Any other suggestion/requirement will be welcome here.

Aquilon

Hello Olivier,

Hardware suggestion

A micro RX12 variant with 2 interchangeable wire aerials with SMA connections must be helpful into small carbone fuselage, to allow to use aerial's extensions or external's aerial (as with 12/22R).

Schulze have a similar variant with their Wave 3D 2,4 RX12.

Stéphane

olnico

Hi Stephane,

The aerials of the micro 12 are already interchangeable.
You need to open the case and use the longer FAAST clip on antennas ( same socket ).

Aquilon

Of course, but it will be easier with SMA connector.

Stéphane

HarryC

My Feedback: (1)

That the tx module red light and audio warning is disabled for telemetry data, we only need to know if the receiver is having problems with control data, not the telemetry data.

Edgar Perez

My Feedback: (13)

I was able to change the % used in the Tx alarm to avoid getting most of those warnings. (It scared the hell out of me the first time I flew and got the alarms! though I was about to go to failsafe)

olnico

That is already possible.
In GigaControl, go to the "transmitter configuration" tab. Reduce the "range warning" parameter to 0%. The data warning should be disabled that way.

olnico

Hi Stephane.
You can always use a snap on to SMA cable and get two plugs at the back of the case.
I'll include this in the accessory request.

This is actually a very good idea. The attenuation of the thin antenna coax is very high: 6 dB/m whereas the attenuation of the bigger coax used on the SMA plugs is 1,6 dB/m.
So that would enable people to use long extension cables and get better receiver sensitiveness.

olnico

Please guys keep the ideas coming...

Carsten Groen

Oliver,
RG316 (which is what I think they are using on the SMA cables), has 1.6 dB loss per meter at 2.4GHz (which is still low)

olnico

Thanks Carsten, updated.

oistein

My Feedback: (1)

Hi,

I dont know if these ones goes under great ideas exactly, but i'd like to see:

1) The sequencer tab working. I only have micro's, but i'd love the sequencer to work for them too

2) It would be awesome to have external gyro function on the micro's as well as the big ones.

3) It would also be nice to extend the range check time. I understand for security reason that it is how it is today. However, it would be nice if we could set range check power in giga control in a way that is not possible using button 2 on the transmitter. It would just stay until you switch off, manually turn it off or the usb cable is removed.

4) When you connect the usb to the transmitter and use giga control, it would be awesome if you could download the files on the mem chip directly, using f.ex. the giga controll load function. As it is now you have to remove the chip and use a card reader.

5) Expo button in the servo setup menu. I know you can make it expo like it is, but thats a lot of clicking.

6) Android/Iphone app Maybe even wireless app to view telemetry parameters live

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

So does this mean that the fact that the Micro's servo plugs were too close together is fixed, or does this mean that they are simply aware of the issue and have not yet fixed the problem? If the latter, do they intend to fix this?

George

My Feedback: (57)

[:@]


I agree, this is the one area of radio set-up I do not use in the Wea, but rather do in the Tx.