Direct RID/Remote RID modules.

[Andy J]

ESP32-C3 SuperMini WiFi Bluetooth Development Board 32-bit RISC-V UART I2C SPI

 

Also tried ordering a second item from AliExpress for the project but must not be hitting the correct buttons to purchase as after selecting Paypal and authorising that, nothing seems to happen.

Edited December 30, 2023 by Andy J

[FlyinFlynn]

3 hours ago, Andy J said:

ESP32-C3 SuperMini WiFi Bluetooth Development Board 32-bit RISC-V UART I2C SPI

 

Also tried ordering a second item from AliExpress for the project but must not be hitting the correct buttons to purchase as after selecting Paypal and authorising that, nothing seems to happen.

 

 

Yes. I find, when programming my esp32-c3 there are 3 options in Arduino IDE2.1 - 

 

I choose the adafruit option as the serial monitor seems to work better than if I choose the DFRobot option, I'm not sure why. It doesn't make any difference to the hotspot creation though, both work fine.

 

I have not had any problems paying for stuff on Aliexpress...but then again, I don't use Paypal.

 

The pinout on the esp32-c3 lines up nicely with this gps module but it is, as yet, untested.....

[Andy J]

My Arduino IDE is ver 2.2.1, so will see what happens when I connect the ESP32. Had an issue with a Mega board recently which proved temperamental initially not communicating and then all of a sudden it worked when I upgraded to Ver 2.2.1. Don't think 2.2.1 IDE is the latest but will keep it for the moment until I receive the ESP32 from ebay. 

 

Finally managed to get AliExpress working and purchased a GPS chip. Think the issue was that I expected paypal to provide my address.

 

Download the code for the ESP32 but couldn't quite work out what needed to be changed to insert my flyer ID.  Will have to get an interrogator working first to see what is actually being transmitted. 

[Don Fry]

Keep going gentlemen. I’ve got a couple of models, the float planes and a thermal soarer that I fly off piste. I would very much prefere a cheap unit I can fit/forget in each airframe.

 

[Keith Billinge]

 

[steve too]

Is there a decent Android app for receiving French IDs?

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

1 hour ago, Keith Billinge said:

 

 

Talks a lot, not sure what he offers ?

 

[FlyinFlynn]

1 hour ago, Andy J said:

Download the code for the ESP32 but couldn't quite work out what needed to be changed to insert my flyer ID

If you are talking about the French regulations then this is a translation from the creator of the firmware on the structure of the ID - 

As soon as the beacon is powered on, even in the absence of a GPS fix, the beacon emits identification messages in accordance with the decree of December 27, 2019. The format of the identifier broadcast is as follows: A 3-character code, supposed to represent the manufacturer's trigram. It must be 000 for a “DIY” amateur construction A 3-character code, supposed to represent the tag model A 24-character code, supposed to represent the serial number of the tag. So it's like: "000FSB000000000000YYYYYYYYYYYYY" The software replaces the last 12 characters with the MAC address of the tag ensuring the uniqueness of the identifier. The user interface displays the tag identifier which must be registered on the AlphaTango site.

 

If you mean where do I insert my UK flier ID then you need to make a couple of edits. Because I have not made a RiD beacon using the  Super Mini  and an L80 you will need to download the  ATGM336H_GPS_ESP32_c3_Super_mini folder and make two changes. The first is you need to edit fs_options.h and uncomment #Define GPS_quectel and comment out #Define GPS_ublox (lines 43 & 44). Then you need to edit the BaliseDGAC_ATGM336H_GPS_ESP32_c3_Super_Mini.ino file at line 117 to be something like -

char drone_id[31] = "000mydroneid000001YYYYYYYYYYYY"    It has to remain the same length as it is.

 

I would then rename the entire folder to something like BaliseDGAC_L80_GPS_ESP32_c3_Super_Mini  (and the .ino to the same name) so it is obvious what hardware it should run on.

 

Looking at the L80 and the super mini - 

 

 

They don't really line up nicely as the L80 is Vcc,gnd,Tx,Rx  and the esp is gnd,vcc,4,3  so gnd and vcc will need wires as shown. The L80 should go on top of the esp keeping the L80 antenna clear.

 

 

Which is why I think the HT1818 gps module might be a better bet (if it works!)

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Don Fry said:

Keep going gentlemen. I’ve got a couple of models, the float planes and a thermal soarer that I fly off piste. I would very much prefere a cheap unit I can fit/forget in each airframe.

 

 

This is all dependent on what our magnificent government decide on what it wants re: RiD/nRiD,   this wont work with nRiD without reworking both the firmware and the hardware.

[Keith Billinge]

I beleive X-Jet has got it about right. I think the over regulation of our hobby is a criminal act by the CAA and will kill our hobby if we do not resist strongly. I see the BMFA just rolling over and having their tummy tickled when they should be strongly restisting what the regulators are doing.

 

KB

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

17 minutes ago, Keith Billinge said:

I beleive X-Jet has got it about right. I think the over regulation of our hobby is a criminal act by the CAA and will kill our hobby if we do not resist strongly. I see the BMFA just rolling over and having their tummy tickled when they should be strongly restisting what the regulators are doing.

 

KB

 

Talking is easy. BMFA says NO, regs get rolled out regardless and maybe more onerous than had they entered discussion, then what do we do ?

Lay the plan out.

[FlyinFlynn]

14 hours ago, Keith Billinge said:

I beleive X-Jet has got it about right. I think the over regulation of our hobby is a criminal act by the CAA and will kill our hobby if we do not resist strongly. I see the BMFA just rolling over and having their tummy tickled when they should be strongly restisting what the regulators are doing.

 

KB

I tend to agree with you although I doubt it will be 'criminal' in the literal sense. I think this is over regulation if you believe it will prevent illegal activities and it is targeted at the wrong people if you believe it to be about creating a harmonious use of the low airspace. However, in either case, I feel the tide is inexorable.

There are those that are in a position where they can take the argument to the 'powers that be' and make our case and more power to their collective elbow, I am not one of those people, so I prefer to direct by resources towards developing a cheap and easily implemented solution to satisfy whatever requirements the government decide upon. I will leave the 'resisting strongly' to those of fighting age and temperament.

[FlyinFlynn]

16 hours ago, FlyinFlynn said:

 

 

 

 

Just noticed I missed off a connection..it wont work without it.

 

 

 

...Don't sweat it leccyflier, I'm sure Spektrum will be more than happy to take your cash. What do you imagine is inside one of these?  You can even make out the gps module and the esp32

 

 

https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/sky-remote-id-module/SPMA9500.html

[GrumpyGnome]

In light of any other suggestions, 'resisting strongly' probably means doing nothing, and carrying on as if nothing has changed. 

 

Of course, if everyone 'resists strongly', even more stringent regulation will follow.

[Edgeflyer]

I've never quite understood the concept that introducing new laws will stop those who habitually break the law.

[steve too]

15 hours ago, john stones 1 - Moderator said:

BMFA says NO, regs get rolled out regardless and maybe more onerous than had they entered discussion, then what do we do ?

 

The BMFA said "Neither yes nor no" to the RID question in the call for input. I wonder how many of the 600 others who also said "Neither yes nor no" did so because of the BMFA. If they had all said no, it would have pushed the nos over 80%. The CAA ignored 60% saying no, would they have ignored 80%?

 

The BMFA/LMA response to the RID questions in CAP 2610 is not as bad, but I wish there was a lot less wibble and a few more "Definitely disagree"s.

[Edgeflyer]

I've never quite understood the concept that introducing new laws will stop those who habitually break the law.

Anyway being a less than habitual type I thought I'd better check what the heck a rid is? Spectrum site says

"One way to think about Sky™ and Remote ID is that it's simply a digital license plate for the aircraft. It provides required information about the aircraft's location and identification, which, if necessary"

So that implies a reg for each plane!

Or are we allowed to swap a single registration plate across as we can't with our cars?

[steve too]

16 hours ago, FlyinFlynn said:

If you mean where do I insert my UK flier ID then you need to make a couple of edits.

 

What would be the point of putting a UK flier (or operator) ID in a French RID?  Do the French government accept them?

[steve too]

7 minutes ago, Edgeflyer said:

"One way to think about Sky™ and Remote ID is that it's simply a digital license plate for the aircraft. It provides required information about the aircraft's location and identification, which, if necessary"

So that implies a reg for each plane!

 

Each FAA approved RID transmits a unique serial number. If you look at the FAA approvals, sometimes they give the blocks of serial numbers for each RID.

Edited December 31, 2023 by steve too

[Edgeflyer]

Would it make sense for the rid to be self powered with a tiny rechargeable like the lost model alarms you can get now? Then just velcro it to the model before flying?

[steve too]

2 minutes ago, Edgeflyer said:

Would it make sense for the rid to be self powered with a tiny rechargeable like the lost model alarms you can get now?

 

Like the Dronetag Mini network RID?

[Guest]

299 dollars? I don't think I'd want to attach that to my slope soarer!

[steve too]

Just now, Philip Baker said:

I don't think I'd want to attach that to my slope soarer!

 

Then I hope that you have said "Definitely disagree" to the RID questions in the consultation.

[Keith Billinge]

Yes I very strongly worded my resposes to the "Consultation Document" I do not expect it to make any difference. But I will also be writing to my MP, however he has his nose deeply in the trough, so I don't expect any action there either.

 

KB

[Guest]

Are these rid units the devices that are tracked on Flightradar 24?

[Geoff S]

5 hours ago, Edgeflyer said:

I've never quite understood the concept that introducing new laws will stop those who habitually break the law.

Anyway being a less than habitual type I thought I'd better check what the heck a rid is? Spectrum site says

"One way to think about Sky™ and Remote ID is that it's simply a digital license plate for the aircraft. It provides required information about the aircraft's location and identification, which, if necessary"

So that implies a reg for each plane!

Or are we allowed to swap a single registration plate across as we can't with our cars?

 

Well I've had friends who had several similar motorcycles who swapped registration numbers to suit which was taxed 🙂   In fact one guy had 2 Ariel trials sidecar outfits parked in his yard with the same number plate and was queried by a passing police officer - he just said as neither of them was on the public highway "So what?" . Nothing came of it.

 

You're right. The whole thing is total nonsense.