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Customer Support

How do I contact Customer Support if I cannot find the answer to my problem here?

• Customer support can be contacted via this page: https://wisprsystems.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/3/group/11/create/38.

  • You may also contact support via email at support@wisprsystems.com.

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FAA Small UAS Registry

Customers will be required to register their drone with the FAA in order to legally fly. Listed below are some helpful links to get this process underway.

• Read Requirements for commercial UAV use:
  https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators

• Create an account to Register with the FAA:
  https://faadronezone-access.faa.gov/#/

• Here you can read the Wispr Quick Start Guide for more information regarding registering your drone through the FAA website: Registering Your Drone Through the FAA

Assembly

Ranger Pro Unboxing and Assembly

• Open the Wispr Ranger Pro carrying case to reveal the drone.

• Attach the landing gear by inserting the two metal pins on the leg into the two holes present in the leg connector, and then screwing the connector ring on tightly. The antenna mounts (velcro pads) should be facing toward the outside of the leg.

• Attach both of the antennas to the antenna mounts on the outside of the landing gear.

• Remove the drone from the carrying case.

• Unclip the arm holders and remove the straps securing the propellers.

• Unfold arms and lock them into place using the latches attached to the drone arms.

When attaching the landing gear, which way should the bracket for the antennas face?

• The bracket on the landing gear should always face outwards when attaching the landing gear.

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My leg bracket connectors are becoming loose frequently. What should I do?

• Verify the O-Ring (included) is inside the leg connector (the red metallic ring) Ensure the O-Ring is not stretched, worn down, or broken. The O-Ring is to ensure the connector stays tight and does not cause vibration.

• Check the threads on the leg connector for any worn areas or breaks which may be preventing the connector from screwing on tightly, or remaining tight during flight.

• If O-Ring needs replacing or leg connector is damaged in any way please file a ticket through this form: https://wisprsystems.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/3/group/11/create/38

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How should my propellers be attached to the drone?

The drone uses 2 pairs of counterclockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) propellers. The CW propeller has a ‘L' marked on it, and the CCW propeller has a 'R’ marked on it. You can easily tell the difference in the CW and CCW propellers by these markings. The picture below shows how the propellers should be positioned. If for any reason they are not positioned in this manner the drone will attempt to take off and ultimately crash, potentially causing damage to the propellers, motors, GPS or the body of the drone.

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When should I check the condition of my propellers?

Propellers should be checked before each flight. You should check for cracks, breaks or any looseness in the propeller on the motor. If any of these are present DO NOT launch the drone. Even a small chip or crack in a propeller can cause an unsafe flight. Replace the propellers immediately.

Battery Information

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How do I set my battery charger to LiHV for charging high voltage batteries, and what is the process of charging the battery?

• Hold the up and down arrows on the charger until the charge setting is changed to LiHV.

• Plug the battery’s XT90 connector into the XT90 port on the charger.

• Plug the balance port on the battery into the balance port connected to the battery charger.

• Change charging to 20A, if the charger is not already set to this value.

• Press and hold the start button until the charger beeps. You should see a warning on the screen about charging high voltage batteries.

• Press start one more time to begin charging.

You should see the volts increasing, as the battery is now charging. If you would like to change a setting such as balanced charge to fast charge, simply press the start button once. The selected option will blink, and can be changed using the up or down arrows. Each press of the start button will select the next item on the screen that can be changed. Once you have the settings configured the way you would like, press start again to lock the changes in.

Charging Your Batteries with the Ranger Pro

What volts should my battery read to ensure it is completely charged?

26.11 volts to confirm it is fully charged. Once the battery voltage hits 26.11 on the LCD screen of the charger, that does not mean it is fully charged. You should wait until the charger sounds to indicate the battery is finished and the LCD screen reads “END: FINISH” to have a fully charged battery.

What is the different between fast charge, balanced charge and storage charge settings on my charger?

• Fast Charge - This mode directs the charger to only complete the first charging phase, constant current (CC) charging. The charger applies a high enough voltage to cause current to flow into the battery, up to the max current you've set. This will mostly charge the battery, but there will still be some unused capacity with this mode.

• Balanced Charge - For maximum health, you should always balance charge your batteries. This is also why your battery has a second plug. This second plug is called the “balance plug” and is used by your charger to individually monitor and balance charge each cell.

• Storage Charge - This option should be used if you are not planning on using your battery for an extended period of time. You should never store a fully-charged LiHV battery. Instead, it should be set to the storage charge setting, and the voltage decreased to “storage voltage”, which is 3.8 to 3.85 volts per cell.

If I plug my battery in and the charger instantly beeps with an error preventing charging , what should I do?

• Check that the balancer plug (white plastic plug on the battery) and the XT90 plug are properly plugged in. Wires on both ports (balancer and XT90) should be plugged in tightly.

• Verify that you have the correct charging mode set on the charger.

  • If these options are not the issue, use the charger to make sure all cells are balanced. You can check the cells by pressing the stop button once, the start button once, and then the up arrow once. If you see a damaged cell, replace the battery immediately.

Can I still fly using a damaged battery?

NEVER fly with a damaged battery, even if it is minimal damage. This can cause your drone to fly in an unsafe fashion, and crash. Replace the battery and safely dispose of the damaged battery.

When inserting the battery into the battery tray on the drone, should I have the positive and negative wires facing to the right, or facing to the left?

• The positive and negative wires (red and black wires attached to the XT90 battery connector) should be on the right side when inserting into the battery tray.

• Additionally, the battery strap should be:

  • Looped around the left standoff of the entrance to the battery tray. The velcro side should be facing outwards.

  • Pulled from left to the right, threaded between the positive and negative wires.

  • Around the right side of the battery, in between the battery and the standoff.

  • Run back through the battery wires, pulled tight, and pressed firmly against the soft side of the velcro to secure the battery in the tray.

  • Wedge the remaining connector in between the battery and the strap.

  • Ensure that the loop around the left standoff is positioned to rest in the center of the standoff, so that the strap stays in place for the duration of the flight. The strap should go evenly across and be firmly pressed against the battery.

For a video demonstration of this process, please watch the video below:

Battery Insertion Walkthrough for the Ranger Pro

Smart Controller

What should you do if your smart controller is not staying charged for long enough in the field?

We suggest buying a portable charger to extend the battery life throughout the day. Below are links to recommendations, but you can purchase any charger that will fit your needs.

• Charmas Portable Charger, Smallest 10000mAh Quick Charge Battery Pack

• Portable Charger Power Bank 25800mAh

• Portable Charger Power Bank 30000mAh - SOXONO Solar Charger

• 40000mAh Power Bank, ROMOSS 18W PD USB C Fast Charging Portable Charger

What should you do if the LED light on the smart controller is solid/flashing red?

• This indicates the battery is critically low and the smart controller should be charged before any further use. If you are flying and you see this, you should return to launch immediately. Use of the controller while having a low battery could potentially result in a dangerous flight situation or end with damage to the drone.

• If the controller runs completely out of battery during a flight, a failsafe is active that returns the drone to its launch position to prevent a fly away.

My smart controller will not connect to my 5GHz network. What should I do?

• If the smart controller isn’t allowing you to connect to a 5GHz network, go to your apps menu and tap Herelink Settings. Under the Radio tab, confirm that the country is set to United States. If it is not, change it to United States, reboot the controller, and try to reconnect. Available 5GHz networks should now allow you to connect the smart controller to your choice of network.

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• If the controller displays United States and you still cannot connect, try:

• Switching to a different country code. (You may pick any)

  • Power the controller off and back on.

  • Change the country back to United States, and your 5GHz SSID should now be visible for connection.

If the controller doesn’t load parameters when opening WisprGroundControl, what could be wrong?

• Navigate to Herelink Settings and under Radio, make sure the Pair State reads “Paired”. If not, you can use these steps to pair your smart controller to your drone. The question above contains an image of this screen if you wish to view for visual reference.

  • Remove the two screws attached to the access door on the left side of the drone to gain access to the Pair/Reset button.

  • From the same screen where the paired status is checked, locate the Pair button beneath the Frequency tab.

  • Use a tool with a small, pointed tip to press and hold the Pair/Reset button until LED 2 is flashing green.

  • Once flashing, press the Pair button. LED should turn solid green and the pair state should now read “Paired”.

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If the smart controller has sustained damage, what should I do?

If the smart controller has been damaged in any way, the controller should be replaced. If you suspect any damage, DO NOT use the controller. This can cause your drone to crash. Always check your smart controller before each flight for any damage. It must be replaced before you fly your drone.

How much battery should the controller have before flight?

We recommend you charge your smart controller to 100% before beginning any flight. This will help prevent mishaps in flight and is the best course of action with safety in mind.

Telemetry data is not displaying properly, or at all during flight.

• If this occurs during flight, land the drone and move to the next step.

• Close WisprGroundControl and reopen the application. This should reset the app, and all data should be properly displayed upon when you reopen.

• Reboot the drone if closing the application does not work.

After trying to arm the drone with the joysticks, an error reading “Compass calibration running” appears, preventing the drone from arming. What do I do?

Open the Herelink Settings, select the Joystick tab, and make sure that the Y axis has been reversed. If it is not reversed, the controller will try to put the drone into calibration mode instead of arming the drone when pulling the joystick down and to the right. See picture below:

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WisprGroundControl

I cannot update WGC. When I run the update tool, the script to install appears, stops, and does not install WGC.

• Confirm you followed all steps correctly in the manual: Updating Wispr Ground Control

• Ensure that you are installing from the extracted file and not the zipped folder.

  • To extract the files from the zipped folder, right click and select “Extract All”

• Enable "Developer Mode" on the smart controller by navigating to Settings → About Phone → Build Number and tap at least 7 times on Build Number. You will receive a message stating “You are now a developer”. Once you finish this step you need to enable USB debugging in the settings.

  • Go into settings and scroll down to Developer Options. Once there, you will see USB debugging with a toggle switch to the right of it. Toggle the switch on. You may now run the update tool again.

• The smart controller may prompt the user with a message reading “Allow USB debugging on this computer?” if it is the first time updating from that computer. Press yes to proceed. You will only need to allow USB debugging one time on each device.

Pre-Arm Errors and Fixes

Over time, users may encounter pre-arm errors that will prevent takeoff. Usually the user will take note of pre-arm errors in the bottom center of the screen, displayed with a yellow dialog box. The user can also view a log of errors via the megaphone icon on the icon bar at the top of the screen. The icon has two states: no alerts and unread alerts. No alerts will be displayed as a megaphone icon, and unread alerts will display as a triangular warning icon.

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Below a list of pre-arm errors that the user may encounter during general operations has been compiled, along with actions the user can take to resolve them.

• No GPS Lock - Check the number of satellites you’re receiving, which can be done by viewing the number next to the satellite icon on the icon bar at the top of WisprGroundControl. If there are less than 13, reboot the drone. If that doesn’t clear the error, try moving the drone to a different location- ideally wherever offers the maximum clearance between the GPS and the sky. Obstructions can have a significant impact on satellite detection. You will know you have achieved GPS lock when the LED lights on the sides of the GPS are blinking green and continue to do so.

• GPS High HDOP - This triggers based off of a function that measures position accuracy, and can appear in flight modes where GPS is necessary. Allow a small amount of time to elapse in order for the GPS to settle, as sometimes this error can clear itself without need for action. If the error persists, try either rebooting the drone, or moving the drone to different location especially away from metal objects. Even rebar directly underneath concrete the drone is resting on could potentially trigger this.

• GPS Glitch - This occurs when the GPS is not reading the correct coordinates for more than 5 seconds. This usually will resolve itself by waiting for the number of satellites to increase. If it doesn’t clear on its own, move the drone to a different location, paying heed to metal nearby. A reboot can potentially solve this as well if you seem to be unable to find ideal positioning. If the error persists, the GPS needs to be inspected- and likely recalibrated.

• Need 3D Fix - This error occurs when the drone is in a mode where it requires a GPS signal to take off, but the GPS signal isn’t strong enough. It is handled in much the same way as the GPS Glitch and High HDOP errors, as they are all GPS centric. This can almost always be solved by moving the drone a few feet over from its current position. A common cause of this is the presence of metal in the ground beneath where the drone rests. If that does not fix it, a simple reboot should fix it. If neither of these work, it may be time to look at the GPS for hardware issues.

• Battery Below Arming Voltage - You will receive this error if the drone detects the voltage output of the currently equipped battery is too low. This occurs to prevent beginning a flight with a battery that may deplete too quickly and result in a crash. Charge the battery completely before flying, or swap to a fresh battery.

• Pre-Arm: Waiting for Terrain Data -

• Check that you have the terrain data tiles downloaded for the area you are flying.

• When downloading maps, be sure to have the “terrain data” option checked to ensure that terrain data is download alongside the map you download. If the download of the terrain data is unsuccessful, or if you have terrain data but are still encountering this error and subsequently are unable to take off, then you may disable the “Enable terrain follow during RTL and Land” in Wispr General Settings. Simply uncheck this box to fix the pre-arm warning. Keep in mind this will not use terrain data when you RTL or while landing.

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• Pre-Arm: Check Proximity Sensor - There may be an object too close to the sensor, or the sensor may be malfunctioning. Generally the best practice is moving the drone to a spot where it is less likely to pick up anything that will cause the pre-arm, but sometimes this issue won’t resolve itself until a reboot occurs. Occasionally, allowing some time to elapse will let the sensor recognize a falsely detected obstruction, and it will clear the error. Try these approaches multiple times. If the sensor continues displaying the error, the option to disable it exists in the general tab of the WisprGroundControl settings. You can find this by tapping the Wispr logo in the top left corner of WisprGroundControl.

• Compasses Inconsistent - This is caused from reading the Internal and External compasses as pointing in different directions. Reboot the drone. If the same pre-arm error continually appears, a compass calibration should fix this.

• Pre-Arm: ESC Temp Over Threshold. False Reading Detected - This error occurs when temperatures are very cold. The values for the ESC temps range from 0-255 degrees Celsius. When the value is read as below 0 from the cold, it will cause a false reading that registers the ESC temps as maximum. This error appearing just confirms the drone has detected the false reading. Do not be alarmed by this error, as it will not alter the drone’s behavior and should have no impact on pending operations. If you see this, you may safely close the message box and continue.

• Low Battery Failsafe RTL - This means the drones has calculated how far it is from home and how much battery it will take to get back to home safely. This sequence should never be cancelled unless in an emergency, in which case the drone should be landed immediately.

Updating WisprGroundControl and Wispr Flight Firmware

Periodically Wispr will release software and firmware updates that the customer will need to know how to receive so that their drone is always flying with the latest and greatest we have to offer. Software would apply to WisprGroundControl, and updates for it will only effect settings and elements within the app. Flight firmware updates are less frequent, yet very important updates that can effect flight characteristics.

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While trying to update Wispr Flight Firmware in Mission Planner, a pop-up reading “Is this a Solo” appears. What should I do?

Do not be alarmed by this message. Select “No” and the custom firmware will begin to load.

Missions

At what altitude should missions be conducted?

Missions should not be conducted below 164 feet. This is for the safety of you, anyone else present, and the drone itself. The only exception is if you are running a bathymetry payload over open water. If not, you should be flying at or above 164 feet in any missions you conduct.

Can you change mission speed while a mission is already in progress?

Yes. Mission speed can be adjusted, but the mission should be paused as it will not change otherwise. Once you pause the mission, you may enter the general settings tab by tapping the Wispr logo in the top left, and change the speed of the mission using the dropdown.

Can KML files, such as a mission you already have planned, be uploaded to WGC?

Yes! You can upload KML files onto WisprGroundControl in a couple of ways.

• You can copy the KML file from the SD card inserted into the SD card slot on the smart controller into the WGC/Missions folder found on the smart controller. You may do this by using the Android OS file manager on the smart controller.

• You may also connect the smart controller to your computer and copy the KML file from your computer to the mission folder.

If I need to stop a mission while it is in progress and return to launch, do I have to start the mission over completely from the first waypoint on the next launch?

No, the mission does not need to be restarted. A pause feature exists that allows you to pause the mission in order to land, power down (or hot-swap if using one) the batteries, repower, and resume the mission from the most recent waypoint before the pause. Below are the steps to achieve this:

• Select the pause button on the left toolbar (typically, try to pause immediately after the drone has just passed a waypoint in the mission).

• Return the drone to launch and land.

• Once landed, a “Flight Plan” menu will appear on the right side of the screen. You will see a few options, one being “Resume Mission From Waypoint X?” Select this option to resume from the last waypoint the drone reached in the mission when relaunched.

Wispr offers a hot-swap cable option included in all packages.

An important part of Wispr drone packages is the hot-swap cable, which is inserted into the front of the drone where the battery is usually plugged in. The hot-swap cable is not necessary for every flight, but is used when the drone is returned to launch to allow the pilot to replace a depleted battery without shutting down the drone. This is done by connecting the fresh battery to the unoccupied XT90 plug, and unplugging the depleted battery from the occupied plug. This switch needs to be done rather quickly. When the plug swap is complete, remove the depleted battery from the drone in order to load the fresh one.

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Give this video below a watch for a visual reference on the steps listed above:

Continuing a Mission from the Previous Waypoint

Planning Photogrammetry Missions with WisprGroundControl

This video will show you everything you need to know to get started with survey mission planning, the standard for photogrammetry operations.

Planning a LiDAR Mission using WisprGroundControl

This video will walk you through the necessary steps required to plan and conduct a survey mission using a LiDAR payload. The LiDAR featured in the video is the Avia Livox AA450.

Payloads

General Payload Information

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