Configure your remote controller
We strongly recommend to use a common remote control for all drones to have an independent, safe, reliable, long-distance link between you and all your drones for some fleet-level commands, such as flight mode switches, easy show start, motor or takeoff tests etc. However, we are aware of the fact that this might not be an available option for all transmitter/receiver systems, so Skybrush Live is prepared to be used both with and without a remote controller.
| Flying without a remote controller is not recommended and is entirely at your own risk. |
The following settings are dependent on whether you use a remote controller or not.
SHOW mode
Drone shows are only executed in our custom SHOW mode. The default behaviour of Skybrush Live is that it will never switch flight modes on its own, the operator is responsible for that, so he can always be sure that he is in control. Skybrush Live will only switch flight modes on a drone when it is told to do so (e.g., the operator presses a button on the UI).
To be able to put the drones into SHOW mode from a remote controller, you need to specify 127 as one of the flight modes, e.g.:
FLTMODE3 127
With this setting you have the flexibility to enter and exit SHOW mode any time you need, using your standard remote controller.
| We also recommend to setup other conveninent flight modes on the flight mode switch of your remote controller, such as ALT_HOLD, LOITER, RTH or LAND to be able to use them quickly in case they are needed. |
Always check that all drones are in SHOW mode before flight not to miss your show start. If you do NOT have a remote controller, you can use the SHOW_MODE_BOOT parameter to force the drone to start up in show mode (1), switch to show mode when show is authorized (2), or both (3).
Alternatively, you can always switch to show mode with sending the mode show message to selected drones from Skybrush Live.
Show start
Skybrush Live provides two alternatives for starting a drone show. You can predefine an absolute time and let the show start automatically, or you can start the show with a remote controller switch manually.
To enable show start with a remote controller switch, you need to set 248 as one of the RC option parameters, e.g.:
RC7_OPTION 248
With this setting any change of the 7th channel will start the motors and the show in exactly 10 seconds if you are in SHOW mode, show start is authenticated and all preflight checks are passed.