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    Posts made by DavidTorres

    • RE: Starling 2 Max no GPS data

      Hello all,

      I have a Starling 2, and I was experiencing the same issue where the GPS would not get a fix. After some debugging, here’s how I managed to “solve” it.

      The root cause seems to be EMI. When placing the receiver as shown in the first image, I was able to reach ~40 dB signal strength, compared to only ~8 dB in the original location. I understand this is a development drone and that the design prioritizes robustness, so GPS placement is not straightforward.
      WhatsApp Image 2025-10-05 at 21.05.47.jpeg

      I tried many of the suggestions mentioned in this and related threads, but the only two approaches that consistently improved signal strength enough to achieve a fix were:

      • Increasing the distance between the GPS receiver and the rest of the electronics (some manufacturers recommend >10 cm).
      • Shielding the receiver.

      After experimenting with several designs, the setup shown below gave me ~30 dB signal strength while still allowing WiFi functionality, adequate cooling, and a compact profile that won’t break in case of a crash. For shielding, I used copper foil and Kapton tape (as an extra precaution).

      With this arrangement, I can now get a fix quickly and achieve about ~1.5 m HDOP.
      WhatsApp Image 2025-10-05 at 21.20.38.jpeg WhatsApp Image 2025-10-05 at 21.07.26 (1).jpeg WhatsApp Image 2025-10-05 at 21.07.26.jpeg

      I’m sharing the STL file here in case anyone else finds it useful. Hopefully it helps others experiencing the same issue!
      https://cad.onshape.com/documents/09d5e2f9cd88026c26cc7f0f/w/477eee1375596be3c9e530ed/e/1fbd7ed82367117110cba263

      The only downside is that the design isn’t exactly pretty—but I’m sure the ModalAI team will come up with a more elegant solution soon 🙂

      https://forum.modalai.com/topic/3879/gps-not-working-for-starling-2-max
      https://forum.modalai.com/topic/3912/problem-acquiring-gps-satellites-possible-voxl2-board-emi

      posted in Ask your questions right here!
      D
      DavidTorres