FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW STABLE IS THE ANCHOR LOCATION?
The drone buoys use multiple GPS modules to increase location determination accuracy. The buoys do move about a zone of a few feet, very slowly, as they adjust to updating GPS solutions. The station-keeping algorithm prevents the buoy from making any fast and sudden adjustments to its location. Their motion is within the realm of an anchored buoy, which also moves about with changing wind and current conditions.
WHAT IS THE RANGE OF BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY?
Testing results show a range of about 100 feet with classic Bluetooth. Classic Bluetooth does not implement Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Newer phones and tablets that implement true BLE (Bluetooth-5) will have four times this range, or 400 feet. If greater controlling range is needed, a radio control receiver can be connected.
HOW LONG DOES THE BATTERY LAST?
The batteries are sized to power a buoy for six hours of operation in 20kt winds. In less wind they will last longer because motoring against the wind is the primary drain on the batteries. With no wind the batteries will last over 30 hours.
WHICH BUOY IS BEST FOR ME: POLE BUOY OR CAN BUOY?
The pole buoy is better in bigger waves and low to zero current. The can buoy can be driven through the water faster and is the better choice if there are currents. The can buoy is also easier to transport (smaller, lighter--with no lead ballast).
CAN I USE THE BUOYS IN SALT WATER?
Yes you can. But you will need to fresh-water rinse the thrusters after each use to prevent salt buildup inside the brushless motors.
CAN I SET UP A RACECOURSE WHERE EACH BUOY KNOWS WHERE TO ANCHOR?
Yes! The Fleet Solution does just that. You can define a table of anchor points (waypoints) and then assign buoys to the waypoints as desired. There is a single command that will send all buoys to their assigned waypoints. There is also a single "come to operator" command.
There is also a rotate and stretch/shrink command that can be sent to modify the racecourse.
WHAT KIND OF BATTERY IS USED, IS IT RECHARGEABLE?
Drone buoys use LiPo batteries commonly used in radio-controlled airplanes. The 32" drone buoy uses a single 5000mAh 2S battery and the 48" buoy uses three 5000mAh 2S batteries in parallel. LiFePO4 batteries can also be substituted. It is easy to change out batteries. LiPo and LiFePO4 are rechargeable. LiPo batteries provide a higher voltage which means more thruster power.
HOW MANY DRONE BUOYS CAN MY PHONE CONTROL?
There isn't a known limit to the number of buoys a single phone can control. It is certainly more than would typically be needed (at least ten). Because the phone and buoys are using BLE, they share the 2.4GHz spectrum and use frequency hopping to support large numbers of simultaneous links. When using the Fleet Solution, up to 40 spoke buoys can be controlled with one hub buoy.
DOES IT WORK WITH IOS AND ANDROID?
Yes! You can optimize the performance for the OS you are using with a configuration parameter in program mode.
HOW DO I KNOW WHICH BUOY I'M CONTROLLING
Buoys configured as individual, or hub buoys, will be listed as connectable devices in the BlueFruit Connect App for you to select. In the Fleet solution, you connect to the hub buoy and through it you select which of the spoke buoys to control. Data from that spoke buoy will be displayed in the App--including the name of that buoy.
DOES THE BUOY SEND DATA TO MY PHONE?
Yes! The buoy sends health information including its name, battery voltage, GPS fix status, thruster power level, and the distance from the anchor point. A second line of data shows which waypoint the buoy is assigned and the distance and bearing from the origin point of the course.
ARE THERE MONTHLY DATA SERVICE FEES/CONTRACTS?
No! Bluetooth communicates directly between the buoy and your phone--no cellular companies are involved.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I LOSE THE BLE CONNECTION?
Often drone buoys are deployed near the range limit of the BLE connection. The connection is not needed once the buoy has been commanded to anchor. If the connection is lost, the drone buoy will re-advertise itself as a BLE connectable device for your phone to see. It will re-advertise five minutes following the last command it received.