Starling 2 Max for indoor use in Japan: radio options, prop guards and payload mounting

[y_yoshihara]

Hardware: Starling 2 Max (C28 / Wi-Fi) - evaluating before purchase. We do not own one yet, so there is no software version or log to share.

Hello ModalAI team,

We are evaluating the Starling 2 Max for indoor, GPS-denied autonomous flight research in Japan. Sales kindly pointed us to this forum for technical questions. We would appreciate any guidance on the following:

1. Wi-Fi (-M36 option)

   • What is the exact model of the Wi-Fi module/dongle included with the -M36 option?
   • Can VOXL 2 use a different USB Wi-Fi adapter? If so, which chipsets/drivers are supported? (Radio equipment used in Japan must be certified under Japanese radio law, so we may need to use a locally certified adapter.)

2. RC receiver
   The product page shows that every configuration includes an ELRS 915 MHz receiver (-T8). The 915 MHz band cannot be used for this purpose in Japan.

   • Can the Starling 2 Max be flown with no RC receiver at all, for example manual control from QGroundControl over Wi-Fi plus autonomous offboard missions? Are there any PX4 settings we should change for this (e.g. RC loss failsafe)?
   • Alternatively, can we replace it with a 2.4 GHz ELRS receiver or an S.BUS receiver (e.g. Futaba)? Which port and parameters should we use?

3. Propeller guards

   • Are official propeller guards or a protective cage available for the Starling 2 Max (180 mm propellers)?
   • If not, are CAD/STEP files of the frame or arms available, so that we can design 3D-printed guards? How much extra weight would you expect the drone to handle without re-tuning?

4. Payload mounting
   We plan to carry a sensor of about 100-300 g.

   • Are there mounting holes or a recommended mounting point on the frame (we understand the mass should be close to the center)?
   • What power outputs are available for a payload (voltage and maximum current)?
   • Can the payload communicate with VOXL 2 over USB or UART?
   • What flight time can we expect with about 300 g of payload?

5. Lead time
   The product page says "Expected to ship within 60 business days." Is this the current lead time for the C28 / Wi-Fi configuration?

Thank you very much for your help.

[Eric Katzfey]

Regarding RC receiver, yes you can fly without it. You can use a joystick via QGC instead. Or, you can just fly missions that don't require any RC input. You should be able to swap in a 2.4 GHz receiver. VOXL2 has no support for S.BUS so make sure it has a standard 4 wire UART. Just use the same port that the current ELRS receiver is connected to. You shouldn't have to change any parameters.

[y_yoshihara]

Thank you very much, Eric. That answers our question about the RC receiver.

If we remove the ELRS receiver and fly with a QGC joystick over Wi-Fi, is there anything we should set for the case where the Wi-Fi/QGC link is lost (for example, a GCS loss failsafe such as land or hold)?

We would also be grateful for any information on the remaining points:

1. Wi-Fi (-M36): What is the model of the included Wi-Fi dongle? Can VOXL 2 use another USB Wi-Fi adapter, and if so, which chipsets/drivers are supported? (In Japan we need a radio that is certified under Japanese radio law.)

2. Propeller guards: Are official guards or a cage available for the Starling 2 Max? If not, are CAD/STEP files of the frame or arms available so we can design 3D-printed guards?

3. Payload (about 100-300 g): Is there a recommended mounting point or mounting holes on the frame? What power output is available for a payload (voltage and maximum current)? And roughly what flight time should we expect with 300 g?

4. Lead time: Is "ships within 60 business days" still the current lead time for the C28 / Wi-Fi configuration?

Thank you again for your help.

[Eric Katzfey]

I would encourage you to read through the PX4 documentation to decide which failsafes are available and how you want your drone to use them. They are configurable and can be set for your preferences. I'll try to get answers for the remaining questions.

[tom]

On the Wi-Fi questions:

1. The -M36 option ships with an Alfa Network AWUS036EACS (802.11ac AC600, dual band 2.4/5 GHz, Realtek chipset, made in Taiwan). It is listed on the Starling 2 Max datasheet.

2. Yes, you can use a different USB adapter, as long as the VOXL 2 kernel has a driver for its chipset. You cannot install arbitrary vendor drivers without rebuilding kernel modules, so pick an adapter based on one of the Realtek chipsets we support: RTL8812AU or RTL8821CU / RTL8811CU. The adapters we have tested are listed on the VOXL 2 WiFi Setup page. If you find a Japan-certified (Giteki) adapter with one of those chipsets, it should work with voxl-wifi in both Station and SoftAP mode.

3. If you cannot find a certified adapter with a supported chipset, another option is a USB-to-Ethernet adapter on VOXL 2 connected to a small Japan-certified Wi-Fi bridge or travel router on the drone. VOXL 2 only sees Ethernet, so there are no driver constraints.

4. In SoftAP mode the default hostapd country code is US. For use in Japan, set country_code=JP in /data/misc/wifi/hostapd.conf after running voxl-wifi so the radio uses Japanese channel and power rules.