Table of Contents
Payloads
General Payload Information
My gimbal will not tilt by using the roll-wheel. What could be the problem?
Solutions:
Ensure the gimbal is receiving power.
Verify the SBUS cable is completely plugged in and no wires feel loose.
Make sure the SBUS cable and be sure the cable is properly plugged in. The wires from left to right should be Black/Red/White, as seen below:
My gimbal pitch doesn’t adjust while running a mission. What could be the problem?
Solutions:
Try to take a picture with the Take Picture button on your Smart Controller (soft touch buttons).
Watch the camera controller while taking a picture with the soft buttons. You should see a white flash every time you take a picture.
Check that the Entire status light is blue. This means it is in the ready state.
Ensure your gimbal pitch is correct under the mission tab when planning your mission. The gimbal pitch that is selected is the angle the gimble will be set to while running the mission.
What if my Gimbal Pitch isn’t set to the angle I would like when planning a survey?
You may change the Gimbal Pitch to a custom angle once you’ve selected “Done with Polygon” and have the polygon the size you would like it, you may now change the gimbal pitch under the mission tab, selecting the correct pitch you would like to run the mission at.
The Gimbal Pitch will default to 90 degrees when running a survey with a camera payload selected, if you do not input a custom gimbal pitch.
What is the max wind speed I can fly in while having a steady payload?
With Wispr Drones, you can fly in while capturing reliable data and photos. While our drones can tolerate heavy winds, we suggest flying in the most stable weather conditions possible for maximum performance and stability.
When flying in high winds, especially strong gusts, be very cautious and aware of the drone’s stability. If at any time you feel uncomfortable flying in higher winds, you should return to launch and land the drone.
What should I do if the lever on my dove tail mount feels loose?
This can be fixed by tightening the nut on the lever. If this cannot be accomplished contact Wispr to have this replaced. Having a loose dove tail mount could lead to erratic flight, poor streaming from the payload, or even loss of the payload.
Camera Payloads
Sony A7R
When picking the Sony A7R in the payload setting dropdown of WisprGroundControl or in the survey, configurations will change to the default settings Wispr has set for that payload. Changing this may result in mission configurations that do not match ideal values for the mission you wish to conduct. These values may be a changed as needed when planning a new mission. |
My pictures are blurry when taking pictures manually or running a mission. How can I make future pictures clearer?
Make sure that there are no smudges on the camera lens that would cause a glare.
If taken pictures appear blurry, be sure the lighting outside is allowing the camera to Auto Focus. Presence of a heavy overcast can have an impact on this.
If pictures look good after a mission but somewhat blurry on zoom-in, be sure you are running the mission at the correct flight speed. The default configuration for the mission speed on photogrammetry missions is 5 m/s. This can be adjusted at any time, but can also cause picture quality to drop as a result. Find the speed that produces the best results for you and adhere to it, unless other factors require you to make changes.
What if the camera feed displays the camera going in and out of mass data storage mode?
Unplug the multi-port cable (top USB-C cable plugged into the side of the camera). Unplug the drone and repower it. Once powered on and WisprGroundControl has loaded the parameters, plug the multi-port cable back into the port.
The camera takes multiple pictures when pressing the camera button on the controller. How can I fix this?
This is a setting that can be changed. Navigate to Menu Settings → Shoot Mode → Drive Mode → Change to Single Shooting.
The following message appears on the camera screen: “The operation and safety of this battery cannot be guaranteed”
When this message appears, it suggests the Dummy Battery in your camera is degrading. While this should have no effect on the operation of the camera, it will produce this message dialog that the user must clear before use. For a replacement Dummy Battery, contact Customer Support.
An older picture is displayed in the video feed. How can I receive the live stream?
Press the Auto Focus (AF) button.
Press the “take picture” button on the Sony Camera.
Take a picture using the physical button on the top right of your controller. The Auto Focus button should be tried before using this method.
Note that it may take a couple of tries with each of these respective methods, a bit of patience is sometimes required. Try 5-10 times at least for each one. Generally, one of these solutions will resolve the issue.
If the camera feed isn’t appearing, what should I do?
Take a picture using the physical camera trigger button on the top right of your controller.
Leave the HDMI ribbon unplugged from the front mini-HDMI port of the drone until the drone has finished booting, and then plug the HDMI back into the camera
Take a picture manually using the button on the camera itself. Be sure to do this several times if necessary and give it some patience, as generally this step is a reliable way to return the camera feed.
After taking off, the camera is going into mass storage (geotagging mode). The camera is dumping the data once the flight is over (going back into mass storage mode), but the images aren’t being geotagged. What could be the problem?
After taking pictures, once the drone has landed, give it time to move the data to the pictures saved on the SD card.
Check that your SD card is inserted into the Air Commander completely.
Verify that your SD card has the pictures on it
Check your camera settings and be sure mass storage is selected.
Reformat the SD Card through the Sony camera.
Reformat the MicroSD Card through the Entire.
Pictures are not being saved on the SD card in my A7R correctly. How do I resolve this?
Format the SD card through the camera settings. To do this, go to media in your camera menu. You will see the option to format. Rotate the roll-wheel, and select enter by pressing the center button of the roll-wheel to begin formatting. You will receive a message that the card has been successfully formatted when it is complete.
WIRIS Enterprise
What should I do if my WIRIS camera does not have camera control?
First make sure that your WIRIS Camera is receiving power and is powered on.
Open WisprGroundControl and select the Wispr button in the top left. You should be taken to the General tab. Under payload, be sure WIRIS is selected from the drop down menu.
Verify that your Air Commander is powered on and you can see a blue LED illuminated.
Press the Take Picture button on the WisprGroundControl screen, and see if the Air Commander receives the command. To confirm this, after giving the command you will see the blue LED on the Air Commander blink white, and then return to blue.
Check to make sure you see that no cables are loose, cut, or that any wires slid out of the connectors going from the I/O ports to the gimbal.
To help you get started using the WIRIS Enterprise with the Wispr Ranger Pro, check out the video linked below: |
WIRIS Enterprise Quick Start for the Ranger Pro
Companion Computer
How can I update my companion computer to the newest version of the OS?
To update your companion computer, power up your drone and navigate to the Wispr Air OS by typing 172.16.1.1 in your address bar.
Once there, select the ≡ → Wi-Fi, and put in your Wi-Fi credentials to connect the Wispr OS to your WIFI SSID. You will receive a “Connected to your Wi-Fi [SSID Name]” confirmation.
Select the ≡, Update, and then in the dialogue box select Update again. This process could take up to a few minutes for the update to complete. DO NOT UNPLUG WHILE UPDATING, AS THIS WILL CAUSE CORRUPTION OF THE IMAGE ON THE CARD IN THE COMPANION COMPUTER.
Once updated you will get a “Successfully Updated” message. Reboot your drone, and your companion computer is updated. This can be verified by going to 172.16.1.1 and checking that the version number at the top has updated to a never version number than seen before.
What if I cannot connect to the Prism but I am able to connect to the OS and Flight Controller?
You will now be able to log into the Prism’s GUI at the address 192.168.3.1.
To find the information listed here alongside more information about the Prism, follow this link to our quick start guide:
Prism Quick Start Guide |
I have the Prism connected to my companion computer. to the companion computer is not saving data after a survey is complete. What is the issue?
The Prism and Flash Drive must be connected to the companion computer USB Port before powering on the drone, in order to collect data correctly.
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Check your Flash Drive format, as it needs to be formatted into the FAT32 format. If your Flash Drive is larger than 32GB you will need to use a program (if you are using a windows computer) to format it to FAT32. Windows only allows up to 32GB and smaller to format to FAT32. Wispr suggest using this Program and following the steps to format your Flash Drive to FAT32, if you are using a SanDisk Flash Drive (We send all of our companion computers with SanDisk Flash Drives)
Check that you are able to access the Prism GUI Homepage at the address 192.168.3.1. If you cannot connect to this you will not gather data.
See below to check possible issues
Go to the Wispr OS (172.16.1.1) under System Management → Settings. Check the fallback DHCP is set to 192.168.3.9. If not change to that IP and reboot the drone for that to take effect.
Check the USB C cable for any damage. If plugged in correctly, the STAT button should be blinking green to let you know you are getting power.
Check that your Prism IP default is 192.168.3.1. You can check this by plugging the Prism USB cable directly into your computer and accessing that IP address in the address bar.
LiDAR Information
When surveying with LiDAR, what coordinate datum should you use when using a PPK base?
What speed will the drone RTL at after completing a LiDAR mission?
How do I post process data with Inertial Labs LiDAR?
First you’ll need to install the processing software used to post process the LiDAR data you’ve collected.
Please note the following computer requirements are necessary to process LiDAR data:
Intel Core i7, Ryzen 8, or better.
32 GB RAM.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or better. (4GB of Digital RAM minimum)
Windows OS.
Check out the video below for a walkthrough on the installation of the software.
LiDAR Processing Software Installation
Now that you have your software installed, next you will need to actually process the data. For a full walkthrough of the steps necessary to accomplish this, please watch the video listed below:
Post Processing of LiDAR data Walkthrough using PCMaster
Please note that Windows 11 should not be used when processing data. Windows 11 can skew the time of the data as well as the data itself. Avoid using this when you process your data. Windows 10 is suggested. |
Operations
Flight Modes:
Loiter - Loiter Mode automatically attempts to maintain the current location, heading and altitude. The user will manually control these aspects of flight with the joysticks, but when the sticks are released, the vehicle will slow to a stop and hold position. The drone should ALWAYS be flown in loiter mode if flying manually. This is mapped to the A button on Wispr controllers.
Altitude Hold - When Altitude Hold mode is selected, the throttle automatically controls the current altitude. The drone will remain steady at its current altitude using the barometer, but will drift in potentially any direction, as it is not reading from the GPS in this mode. The joysticks on the controller should be used to maintain position to the best of your ability. Altitude hold should ONLY be used in an emergency situation such as a failed GPS, or if the drone is losing stability in flight. This is mapped to the B button on Wispr controllers.
Land - Automatically attempts to descend the drone directly below its current position, land, and disarm. To prevent crashes, it is strongly urged that the user does not adjust position of the drone when attempting to land. This is mapped to the C button on Wispr controllers.
Return To Launch (RTL) - The drone will ascend to the designated altitude before orienting itself toward home, and when positioned above the launch location will lower itself to the ground before disarming upon touchdown. This is mapped to the D button on Wispr controllers.
Auto Flight Mode - This mode is exactly what it sounds like- automatic. This mode comes into play when conducting missions, and directs the drone to carry out the instructions written in the mission that has been planned. The drone will fully complete the sequence and return to launch unless interrupted.
Guided Flight Mode - Guided flight mode is a lesser used mode that is only applicable for a few functions of flight. This mode functions similarly to Auto flight mode, but applies to smaller sequences that might be performed one or more times in a flight, as well as before conducting a mission. This mode is active when performing a LiDAR calibration, a bridge scan, or a go-to sequence.
If my is not flying smoothly, what should I do?
Check that the payload, propellers, screws and landing gear are all secure.
Verify that no errors are being triggered in WisprGroundControl.
If the compass (GPS) has bumped into an object, door, etc. or has been damaged in some way, this can also cause the drone to not fly smoothly. In a worst case scenario, a crash could occur.
It may be necessary to recalibrate the GPS if the flight characteristics observed appear quite unstable.
Note: if you are flying on a windy day, you will observe some movements that are a result of the drone trying to counteract the wind it is in the path of. The more you fly, the better you will be able to discern if the flight behavior you’re seeing is abnormal, or a result of the drone holding its position. |
What is RTK and when should I use it?
RTK is a navigation system that offers very precise position accuracy of your drone. The RTK system is always in use on the drone’s GPS, but can be enhanced with a better signal by using a ground station that communicates with satellites and provides real-time location during the flight.
RTK can be used when you are in an area where your GPS is picking up a low amount of satellites or you have no GPS at all.
RTK can be used with mapping and LiDAR, as it will ensure your drone remains steady horizontally and vertically. This is key in getting accurate results and enhanced positional data down to a centimeter resolution while mapping.
RTK is also used with the Air commander. The Air commander supports writing of GPS/RTK and gimbal angles from your flight controller directly to the EXIF of photos in the camera SD card.
Open the General Settings tab in WisprGroundControl and scroll to the bottom to the NTRIP section.
Enable the NTRIP server by ticking the box and enter your NTRIP information. Once done, reboot the drone and WisprGroundControl.
How do I connect my Here+ RTK to the Wispr Drone through WisprGroundControl?
How much power is supplied from the front XT60 power output port?
How often should I get my Drone tuned up?
If one of the cooling fans under the bottom plate stops spinning, is it still ok to fly the drone?
What mode should be used to land the drone if not loiter?
Land mode should be used. The land command (the C button on the controller packaged with Wispr drones) should be issued 6-15 ft from the ground. The user should always use the Land command to land the drone, unless it is not an option due to circumstances such as safety or a crash hazard.
If this is the case, the drone may be descended, landed manually using the joysticks, and disarmed by holding the left joystick down and to the left. This is for emergency cases only. If the Land command or Return To Launch (home button) is available, these should always be used as your first options before a manual landing. Manual landing is reserved for emergency situations such as to avoid injury or destruction of property.
Alternatively, the user can always issue an RTL (Return To Launch) command.
Note that in some cases the user may observe the position of the drone’s target landing spot to be suboptimal, and need to reposition for safe landing. We never recommend adjusting the position of the drone when it is in an RTL or Land sequence. If you feel you need to reposition for landing, shift to loiter beforehand, and then shift back to land when you are happy with your positioning.
General FAQs’
Can the volume of the smart controller be muted/unmuted from inside of WisprGroundControl?
Yes. You can mute all audio output if needed by navigating to the General Settings, then scroll down and check the “Mute all audio output” selection box as seen below. To unmute, uncheck the “Mute all audio output” box.
I’ve tried to upload a new version of WGC Flight Firmware through Mission Planner and I get the error “Cannot Read Board”. How can this be fixed?
If you try to load the Custom Flight Firmware onto the drone and you have confirmed everything is connected correctly but you still get this error, check the top right of Mission Planner and ensure the COM port is set to Auto. If it is set to anything else you will not be able to load the Custom Flight Firmware, resulting in this error message.
How do I use the Offline Maps feature and what is its purpose?
Offline maps are a good tool to utilize if you are going to be flying at a later time in an area without Wi-Fi access, but still will need to access maps while flying. Without Wi-Fi, you will not be able to download the maps of the area you are flying in unless previously downloaded through offline maps while connected to a Wi-Fi network to save them.